The Starfield Farming Sovereign (Elizabeth Schofield) novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56 A Taste of Hope

She poured him a cup of cooled boiled water. “Drink up.”

“Ms. Elizabeth, this water must be really expensive, right?”

It was so clean. Cleaner than any water he’d ever seen.

Elizabeth smiled. “Drink up. It’s free.”

Timothy took it carefully, then sipped.

Finished

The moment the warm water hit his throat, his eyes went wide. “Ms. Elizabeth, this water is so sweet.”

It wasn’t that the water was sweet. It was the dirty water they usually drank that was bitter.

Elizabeth didn’t peel the potatoes–just rubbed the dirt off by hand.

Keeping the skin locked in more nutrients and made them crispier when roasted.

Once clean, she cut them into bite–sized chunks with a knife.

No cutting board. She held them in her hand.

The chunks went into a large stainless steel bowl.

Two stellar coins each, sturdy and shatterproof. She’d bought 10.

She sprinkled in salt and chili powder, then tossed everything by hand until each piece was evenly coated.

“Ms. Elizabeth, what’s the red stuff?” Timothy pointed at the chili powder, curious.

“Chili powder. The seeds you brought me this morning included chili seeds. It’s spicy–can you handle spicy food?”

Timothy shook his head, then immediately nodded. “I can eat anything!”

Elizabeth laughed. Her hands didn’t stop.

She boiled water first, steaming the seasoned chunks until tender.

Then she switched to a flat pan, spread them out evenly, and slow–roasted them over low heat.

An oven would be so much better. Oven–roasted potatoes were crispier, more fragrant.

But while she was busy wishing for better equipment, Timothy had already lost the battle with his nose.

The kid was fidgeting nonstop, inhaling deeply, eyes glued to the slowly golden chunks in the pan. He looked about two seconds from drooling.

When the potato bites had turned a perfect golden–brown with a thin, crackling crust, Elizabeth finally

killed the heat.

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Chapter 56 A Taste of Hope

Finished

She scooped a bowl for herself and one for Timothy.

Golden potato bites, steaming in the bowl. The outside was lightly charred, the soft interior just visible beneath.

Timothy grabbed a piece and went to shove it in his mouth. Elizabeth caught him just in time. “Careful! It’s hot! Eat slowly!”

He blew on it, then took a cautious little nibble.

The next second, his small face scrunched into a knot, and tears streamed down–the chili was way too intense for him.

“So… so spicy…” he gasped between breaths. But to Elizabeth’s. amazement, he didn’t spit it out. He took an even bigger bite, still crying, still chewing. “But it’s so… so good…”

The sight of him–tearing up from the heat, gasping, and shoveling more in anyway–had Elizabeth in stitches.

The little guy was clearly bewitched. He ate with stars in his eyes.

But after two or three pieces, Timothy stopped.

“What’s wrong? Too spicy?” Elizabeth asked.

Timothy shook his head frantically. “No, no! They’re amazing! But…” He looked down, voice small. “I want to save the rest for Selina and Yvonne… they’ve never had anything this good… is… is that okay?”

Something nudged Elizabeth’s heart. “This food is yours. You get to decide what to do with it.”

She saw him about to dump the potatoes into his filthy cloth sack and stopped him. “Just carry them in the bowl. Bring it back when you’re done.”

Timothy took the bowl like it were made of crystal. “Thank you, Ms. Elizabeth! I’ll wash it so clean you won’t believe it!”

After lunch, Timothy threw himself back into the work like a wind–up toy.

Trip after trip, hauling garbage out. Faster and more efficient than any child had a right to be.

He refused to rest. As if slowing down for even a second would be disrespecting the meal he’d just been given.

With Timothy’s help, the afternoon’s progress doubled.

Together, they’d done two days‘ work in one.

As the sky dimmed, Timothy dusted himself off, cradled the stainless steel bowl against his chest, and said, “Ms. Elizabeth, I should head back.”

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