Chapter 581: The Bachelor Duo
On their fifth day back at the base, Evelyn Ford led the group to continue planting medicinal herbs.
During this time, Evelyn Ford went to the lab to speak with the leader of the pharmaceutical team. She told him about the plague outbreak that had occurred at The Third Base.
After some discussion, the pharmaceutical team decided to develop a specific drug to treat the plague. Evelyn Ford also held a nominal position on the team. She found numerous books, then combined and improved several basic formulas for treating the plague. With the entire team researching and collaborating, they had already made significant progress in developing the specialized drug.
This time, Evelyn Ford was planting medicinal herbs on a massive scale. The thousand-plus acres of the black soil were divided in half—one for herbs, the other for cotton.
Rhys Chase sent over plenty of micro-tillers and harvesters. With everyone pitching in, they estimated they could finish planting within a month.
The base had been very peaceful lately. As the Solar Lamps emitted more and more heat, the crops in the planting area grew faster. The plants began to release oxygen, and the healthier residents no longer needed supplemental oxygen.
Evelyn Ford was busy planting herbs and cotton. In her spare time, she helped develop various medicines in the lab. The base had reopened its kindergarten and elementary school, and Liam Sterling came over specifically to ask if Zoe and Annie wanted to attend. Annie didn’t refuse, but Zoe was vehemently against the idea of school.
"Residents of the base receive a childcare stipend. Children under twelve are entitled to an education here and also get two free meals a day at the school. Zoe and Annie are a perfect fit. Besides, the teachers at the base school are all hand-picked elites. This is a very rare opportunity."
"I don’t want to go! I don’t want to study! Don’t send me away!" Zoe was on the verge of tears.
"Zoe, why don’t you want to go to school?"
Zoe hugged her arms and said nothing, her shoulders starting to shake with sobs. Her two high pigtails trembled with each sob.
"Zoe is too little. She’s probably afraid of being around strangers. When she’s a bit older, we can teach her ourselves—she can learn whatever she wants. As for Annie, he has a people-pleasing personality. I’ve noticed over the past while that he intentionally tries to please everyone. It’s especially obvious at mealtimes. He doesn’t even dare reach past someone else to get food. School is a double-edged sword. He might make friends, but it could also make someone who’s already sensitive and fragile even more timid and cautious." Evelyn Ford declined Liam Sterling’s kind offer.
Liam Sterling didn’t press the issue. The next day, however, he sent over a large stack of books for Zoe and Annie.
"You can be poor, but you can’t skimp on education. No matter how hard life gets, you have to give the kids a fighting chance." Liam Sterling had also brought a box of paper and pens. These days, blank paper was rarer than gold.
This time, Evelyn Ford didn’t refuse. "You’re right. Children are the future, our hope. We can’t let our culture be lost."
Wendy had started learning to read and do arithmetic around the age of four, moving on to other subjects as she got older. Since there was a significant age gap between Annie and Zoe, they had to be taught separately. Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell were in charge of their basic education.
In addition to learning to read and do basic math, the most important thing was learning all sorts of survival skills. Geography, chemistry, and physics were all crucial. They had to master the fundamentals, like how to refine salt, build a house, manage sand and water, identify different environments, and recognize geological hazards...
Inside the space, the adults were tilling the fields and planting crops while Zoe and Annie read in the wooden cabin. Evelyn Ford had been paying closer attention to Annie lately. She had been too busy before to address his issues, even though she’d noticed them. After giving it some thought, Evelyn Ford decided to ask Quincy for help.
Quincy had a great personality. He was a bit of a goofball, but he wasn’t threatening in the slightest. Anyone would let their guard down around him.
"I wouldn’t have even noticed if you hadn’t said something. I always just thought the kid was really well-behaved and obedient. My fault for being so unobservant. I can’t believe I didn’t see it." Quincy came up with several different approaches, but he worried he might hurt Annie’s self-esteem, making his already sensitive and withdrawn heart even more fragile.
"You’re pretty experienced when it comes to raising kids, and you’ve got more energy than anyone else on this team. If Annie hangs out with you, his whole personality might change in a month."
Quincy’s eyebrow shot up. "You’ve got a good eye. I may not have many strengths, but kids seem to like me. Do you have any cardboard? I need some."
Evelyn Ford was curious. "What are you planning to do?"
"If you want to enter a child’s world, you have to become a child yourself, not look down on them from an adult’s high horse. I’m going to do arts and crafts with them—kites, boats, airplanes, pinwheels... Just you wait. In less than three days, Annie will be my number one fan."
Evelyn Ford was impressed. She immediately gathered a bunch of supplies for him: scissors, a utility knife, pencils, a ruler, glue, paintbrushes...
Once he had the supplies, Quincy found Zoe and Annie. He told them that starting tomorrow, they would have a new "practical skills" class. During this class, they could do arts and crafts, sing, sleep, chat, and even plant flowers, grow vegetables, or raise small animals.
The two kids were stunned. They never imagined a class could be so much fun.
Quincy was true to his word. By the third day of the practical skills class, Annie was smiling much more. He no longer watched everyone timidly from the sidelines. He started to laugh out loud just like Quincy, and he even bravely admitted that he didn’t like school.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. The planting in the space was nearly finished. Evelyn Ford had Ethan Dawson and Miles Vaughn butcher an argali sheep and three Snow Rabbits. They were going to have a cookout in the space’s livestock area today.
The tree and fruit tree seeds sown in the livestock area long ago had all grown tall. Animals chased and play-fought on the grass. By the river, Evelyn Ford relaxed in a lounge chair, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan and waiting for Ronan Kendrick to feed her.
Quincy had made three kites, and Wendy, Zoe, and Annie were each running across the grass, trying to get theirs to fly.
"When was the last time we all had a barbecue together? Do you guys remember?"
"Of course I remember! It was in the Rocksea No-Man’s-Land. I got wasted that night. This was before the polar night started. The weather sucked, but you could still see the sun."
After he spoke, Quincy suddenly looked at Evelyn Ford. "In the Rocksea No-Man’s-Land... didn’t Evelyn get struck by lightning?"
Evelyn Ford shot him a death glare, and Quincy immediately shut up.
The memory made everyone else burst out laughing. Even Annie and Zoe joined in, laughing hysterically along with the group.
Quincy cleared his throat. "Dawson, Peter, you two aren’t getting any younger. How about finding partners? There are plenty of staff in The Undercity who have their eyes on you."
Ethan Dawson was so startled by Quincy’s comment that his hand jerked, nearly dropping the meat skewer he was holding.
"No thanks. I’m destined to be single for life." Ethan Dawson crossed his arms in a gesture of refusal.
Peter Owens shook his head too. "I’m not interested in that either."
"You two are so in sync, both wanting to be bachelors for life. Why don’t you just get together?" Quincy snorted.
"Quincy, you got a death wish?" Ethan Dawson cracked his knuckles.
Peter Owens looked disgusted. "Quincy, are you trying to tell a horror story?"