Chapter 457 - 327: Cannon Fodder
Other than Marcus Monroe’s delayed return, Paige Summers had been doing pretty well lately.
She was over two months pregnant. Aside from occasional nausea, she had virtually no other issues. While she couldn’t eat when she felt sick, her appetite was by no means small when she felt fine.
She was especially fond of flour-based dishes.
Seeing this, Wendy Lowell cast aside the airs of a high-born lady. For the sake of her daughter and future grandchild, she racked her brain and diligently experimented, coming up with all sorts of variations of flour-based dishes.
With noodles alone, she could whip up seven or eight different varieties. Paige Summers would eat so much each time that she could barely move afterward.
Speaking of which, Wendy Lowell would probably never forget the first time Paige Summers showed her the plantation out back.
Vast fields of waving wheat, lush green vegetables, corn nearing harvest... Sights she hadn’t seen in years left her gaping in astonishment.
Paige Summers later teased that her mother’s eyes had nearly popped out of her head.
Whenever the topic came up, Wendy Lowell would sigh. "Can you blame me? Who would have thought you’d be able to quietly grow all these things!"
In times like these, she felt the crops growing in the fields were far more precious than gold in peacetime!
Paige Summers had expected her to suggest sending some food back to Central City, but Wendy Lowell never even brought it up. In fact, when Paige asked, she firmly rejected the idea.
She said wistfully, "When you were little, I was too selfish and wasn’t there for you. Now that you’re grown, I want to be here for you, but I don’t have the means to do much myself. I can only do what I can and hope you have a good life. The Lowell Family has managed just fine without these things for all these years. You, on the other hand, have suffered so much. You need to think more about your own future."
"Besides, even though you trade openly here, most buyers won’t go around advertising it. They’d much rather be the only ones who know. But sending things to Central City is a different story. There are too many people, and word gets around. What if some troublesome characters follow the trail back here? Wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?"
She looked at her daughter, her eyes filled with gentle concern.
"Mom..." Paige Summers whispered, unable to stop herself from cuddling closer and resting in her mother’s embrace as her nose began to sting.
’When I first met Wendy Lowell, my guard was completely up. I thought, ’She’s not my real mother, and she abandoned the original owner of this body for so many years. Why should I even bother with her?’’
’I was only going through the motions because I didn’t want to make things ugly.’
But Wendy Lowell was never discouraged. She visited Paige again and again, and even when she wasn’t forgiven, she never once got upset.
’If she hadn’t been like that, we would have lost contact long ago. We would never have reached this point!’
’She had won me over, little by little.’
’Whatever she was like in the past, the Wendy Lowell I’ve known has always been trying her hardest to be a good mother.’
’And she really has succeeded.’
She might not have been a powerful woman, but she showered Paige Summers with all the love and care she could give.
’Faced with such sincere affection, Paige Summers felt she was incredibly lucky!’
’I was someone who had already died in another world.’
’Not only was I given a second chance at life, but I also found a lover and a family.’
’I have to cherish them even more!’
Only after becoming pregnant did she begin to understand how difficult it was to be a mother.
It wasn’t just the physical discomfort, but more so the psychological toll.
No matter how casually she acted in front of others, back in her own quarters, she couldn’t help but feel anxious and let her imagination run wild.
At times like these, Wendy Lowell always seemed to know what was on her mind.
She would either offer gentle words of comfort or simply distract Paige, leaving her no time to overthink.
With Marcus Monroe away, she started sleeping with Paige.
Pregnant women often have to get up during the night, and Wendy Lowell was a very light sleeper. But every time she was woken, she was never annoyed. Instead, she would just remind Paige to be careful and would only relax once she saw her safely back in bed.
Paige Summers started to feel bad about it.
But Wendy Lowell gently chided her, "What’s there to feel bad about? When I was pregnant with you, your grandmother was still alive, and she took care of me the exact same way. It’s only natural for a mother to look after her daughter. In fact, I’d be upset if you didn’t let me!"
At moments like this, all Paige Summers could do was hold back her thanks and nod obediently.
Wendy Lowell felt it was only natural to care for and protect her daughter this way, but Paige couldn’t help but feel immense gratitude.
’Having lived two lives, I’ve seen and experienced far more than Wendy Lowell, who has always been sheltered. Cruel reality taught me that not every mother treats her child well, not even in peacetime. In the apocalypse, it was an even rarer blessing.’
’So I have to cherish this. I have to repay her kindness.’