The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 876

Chapter 876

Nicole didn’t bring it up with Weasel. She knew he would turn her down.

Stella would be more willing to accept help, if only for Lucas’s sake.

“Give them food,” Zeph said after a moment. “A few doses of medicine won’t do much when they’re this un- down. Even longer treatment won’t help much unless they’re eating better. You have plenty of herb seeds Give them a few kinds they can grow themselves.” (1)

Nicole nodded. “Alright. I’ll take some over tomorrow.”

The next morning, Poppy worried about how she would measure up against the other applicants. She chose some old clothes, rubbed them against the floor, and worked dirt into the fabric.

Nicole laughed and tousled her hair until it stuck out in every direction. “There. Now you look like you’ve been working in the fields all your life.”

Poppy examined the result, still unconvinced. “Can you make me look older?”

Poppy wanted a few extra years for her interview, while Nicole would’ve gladly taken a few off her own face.

She gave Poppy’s fair complexion a sallow cast and added a few dark spots. Her worn canvas shoes already let her toes peek through.

“That’s enough. Any more, and you’ll look middle-aged.”

At last, Poppy was satisfied. She headed downstairs to wait for her interview at the housing office.

She was old enough to know what she wanted. Nicole and Zeph stayed behind, giving her room to handle it herself without them making her nervous.

They certainly didn’t need the grain she would earn, with food growing year-round in the storage space. Still, Poppy needed chances to face the world on her own and work through challenges neither of them could solve for her. 1

For the first time, Nicole understood how a mother might feel when her child began to need her less.

She settled on the sofa with a medical book while they waited.

Two hours later, Poppy’s footsteps thundered up the stairs. “Zeph! Nicole! I got it! I start tomorrow!”

Nicole grinned. “That’s great!”

When Zeph didn’t respond, she nudged him with her foot.

He took the hint. “Good job.”

Poppy beamed. “They interviewed dozens of people and only hired five. I was their first pick!”

The platform had a large greenhouse, mostly planted with potatoes and sweet potatoes. Smaller sections held vegetables and medicinal herbs.

After years with Nicole, Poppy knew a little about medicine and quite a bit about growing herbs. She handled the interview questions with confidence and easily earned a spot.

Then her smile faded. “But… They put me on the maggot crew.”

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Chapter 876

+25 BONUS

Nicole choked on her water. “The what?”

Zeph frowned. “What would you be doing?”

“They mix chopped potato vines with manure and let it compost…”

Nicole’s stomach turned. “Maybe you should hold out for something else. Another job might open up

Poppy wasn’t thrilled about it either, but she picked at her fingers and stood her ground. “The other womencan do it. I wanna try. If I can’t handle it, I’ll quit.”

Nicole tried another approach. “What if we offered your interviewer a little something? They might switch you to an easier job.”

However, Poppy was just as stubborn as Zeph. “Nicole, I want to do this on my own.”

Nicole stopped arguing. Poppy needed the chance to find out for herself.

Whatever the work involved, she got her first job. She was also close enough to come home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.