The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85

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Chapter 85

Both sides stayed on guard, worried about getting double-crossed. Out on the open floodwater, there was nowhere to hide, which made it the safest place to trade.

Two hundred and two pounds of wild boar meat got them good rice in equal weight. They agreed to meet again at 7 p.m. that night for another trade.

The three of them brought the rice back. Nicole had already packed everything they would need: a frying pan, salt, seasonings, and supplies to stay overnight.

Worried about Beatrice holding the fort alone, Nicole had Hughie stay behind with her.

As they came downstairs, Oliver was already waiting at the stairwell, a friendly smile on his face.

“Heading out again?” he said. “Looks like a lot of work. Why not let us help? We could haul everything back in one trip.”

They had followed earlier with a few rafts and still lost them.

They went out every day, but came back with less and less. The team was getting frustrated, and Oliver kept getting compared to Nicole’s group.

“It’s just a few bundles of firewood,” Nicole said with a thin smile. “No need to trouble you. Even if we brought some back, it wouldn’t be enough to go around.”

“Oh, come on. We’re neighbors,” he said. “Just lending a hand. We’re not asking for anything.”

“Then we definitely can’t agree,” Nicole replied, her tone turning cold. “Nothing’s free these days, right? You already borrowed the raft. Don’t tell me you’re planning to borrow firewood, too.”

Oliver’s face darkened.

These people just wouldn’t budge!

Fine. He would remember this.

The hillside houses were far. It took over an hour by boat to get there, close to the edge of the city. If you ignored the floodwater, it was actually beautiful. Thick green hills, with elegant houses scattered through the trees.

The lower houses were completely submerged. The higher ones had water creeping into the front yards. Everyone had already evacuated.

They had piled all the supplies into the highest house. There was furniture everywhere, water tanks, a few partially used propane tanks, and some scattered boxes of charcoal.

Zeph and Jeremy went up the hill to bring down the boars, while Nicole cleaned out the kitchen and started preparing a marinade.

Grilling raw meat would take too long. It was better to simmer it first to cook out the moisture, then finish it over charcoal.

Once the boar was brought down, Zeph followed Nicole’s instructions, cleaning it and cutting it into thin strips. When the timing was right, he and Jeremy carried one whole boar and headed out for the trade.

After they left, Nicole had Cola stand guard at the door. She pulled out her gear from the storage space: a solar battery pack, a food chopper, an induction burner.

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She simmered the meat first, then added the chopped lean meat into a pot with seasoning, stirring constantly over the propane stove. To make it last longer, she cooked it down until it was very dry.

The smell was incredible.

By the time Zeph and Jeremy came back, it was almost 9 p.m.

Two large pots of meat spread were ready, and all the sliced meat had been simmered and was draining in bowls.

The moment Cola gave a warning, Nicole quickly packed away anything that shouldn’t be seen into her storage

space.

Jeremy looked at the finished work and almost lost it. “Nicole, how are you this fast?”

“I know. I’m awesome,” she said, already lighting the charcoal. “How did the trade go?”

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