Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Repaying the Grace

After Winnie Summers and Melody Summers left, Roman Rhodes let out a soft sigh and remarked sincerely to Officer Sean Pierce, "That mother-daughter duo is incredible. The daughter went into the lion’s den alone and killed two armed robbers, while the mother can kill a knife-wielding thug with a single arrow. It clearly runs in the family."

Officer Sean Pierce nodded in agreement. "When they brought that crossbow to the supermarket yesterday, I told them we had guns and didn’t need it. I never thought it would come in handy today."

Officer Sean Pierce thought for a moment and added, "I heard they only practiced at home for a few days without any professional training. I can’t believe how fast and steady her shot was. I just examined the deceased’s wound—the arrow went straight into his lung!"

Roman Rhodes was surprised to hear that. He nodded and said in an admiring tone, "In a crisis like this, it’s already impressive for an ordinary person to just stay calm. But for her to also seize the right moment and act decisively... her mental fortitude is on another level."

He then had a few armed officers drag Adam Lawson and Joel Lawson into a vehicle to be taken to the incinerator.

The death toll was too high now. After the bodies of these slain robbers were incinerated, their ashes would be buried together in a mass grave, and their families would not be notified for collection.

When Winnie Summers and Melody Summers returned to Crystal Mart, two long lines had already formed out front. Finn Lynch and Crystal Lynch were working as one team, and Colin Summers and Shawn Lynch were another. One person bagged the goods while the other scanned and collected payment.

Manager Grant from property management was also there with Hollis and others, helping move goods from the warehouse. The group worked together seamlessly, and their efficiency was remarkable. In just a short while, a significant amount of supplies had already been distributed.

Seeing Melody Summers and her mother return, Colin Summers and the three members of the Lynch family asked worriedly, "Are you two okay? Are that father and son dead?"

Melody Summers replied, "Adam Lawson is dead. His son died from blood loss, too. We’re fine. The police said it was self-defense."

They all breathed a sigh of relief. Crystal Lynch looked at Winnie Summers with adoration and said excitedly, "Miss Winnie, you’re so amazing! I want to learn archery from you, too. If any thugs show up, I definitely won’t let them get away!"

Winnie Summers nodded and replied with a smile, "Okay. Our Crystal is the bravest. I’ll start teaching you tomorrow."

Chatting and laughing, the group sped up their distribution of the supplies.

The homeowners who came to buy supplies were all cheerful. The commotion caused by Adam Lawson earlier had been completely forgotten as everyone chattered excitedly about the provisions.

"Finally, some meat! Oh god, it smells so good! Even the raw meat smells amazing. We can make dumplings when we get home!"

"There are six people in my family, so we get six pounds of meat. I can’t even imagine that much. I haven’t seen so much meat in ages!"

"Nothing beats the smell of pork. We’ve been eating Sandvine Worms every day lately, and it’s barely enough to pick our teeth with. My family of five has already decided—no dumplings. We’re taking our five pounds of meat home and stewing all of it. We’ll have big mouthfuls of meat, and then use the broth to make congee."

"My wife has already gotten all the dumpling-making tools ready. She’s just waiting for me to bring home the pork, oil, and flour. We can finally celebrate the New Year properly."

"Sigh, I was about ready to give up on life. Companies are closing down everywhere, you can’t find a job, and it’s so hot outside you just have to hide at home all day. I was just thinking of ending it all once my savings ran out."

"Cheer up. It’s a new year, everything will get better. I heard a lot of companies are getting into indoor farming and livestock raising, and they’re already starting to scale up. Maybe better days aren’t too far off."

"I know, my friend works at one of those companies. They even have an online sales platform. I’ve seen it—the stuff on there is ridiculously expensive. A box of apples sells for ten thousand yuan. It’s not something ordinary people like us can afford."

"I know that platform too. You can even buy water on it. A large tank of water costs tens of thousands of yuan. My god! You guys think rich people nowadays can still shower every day, just like before the apocalypse?"

"Probably. They don’t mind spending tens of thousands on water. If they use one tank a month, that’s only a few hundred thousand a year. I heard those rich people spend that much on a single handbag. Sigh, I haven’t showered in almost a month. This world is so unfair."

"When has this world ever been fair? The news says a lot of small countries are on the brink of collapse. Order is long gone. It’s dog-eat-dog everywhere."

"No way, is it that scary? In that case, I’ll just stick to my sand vine cakes and focus on staying alive."

"..."

With armed officers patrolling nearby, no one dared to start trouble or rush the supplies. The distribution was completed quickly.

The property management and security personnel from the emergency response office each received an extra barrel of cooking oil, five pounds of white rice, and five pounds of mixed-grain rice. As supply distributors, the three Lynchs, Winnie Summers, and Colin Summers also got a share. Everyone was overjoyed.

Many people from the villa district didn’t come to collect supplies. The armed officers loaded the surplus onto a truck to be transported away for redistribution. Every grain of rice was precious now; resources had to be conserved.

After saying goodbye to the Lynchs, they returned home laden with goods—Melody Summers carrying two barrels of oil, Colin Summers carrying two bags of white rice, and Winnie Summers holding two bags of mixed-grain rice.

*

When Melody Summers and the other two got home, a rich, meaty aroma greeted them the moment they opened the door.

Seeing them return, Grace Sutton quickly called out, "Hurry and wash your hands! It’s time to eat. I made savory pies today: pork and fennel, beef and scallion, and a ’three-delicacy’ with chives."

Noticing the rice and oil they were carrying, Grace Sutton said in surprise, "Why did you bring so much? We still have plenty of rice and oil at home. This stuff is so expensive right now!"

"Aunt Grace, this was given out for free by the government to staff at the emergency office and supply points. It didn’t cost anything."

Hearing that it was free, Grace Sutton happily helped them move the items into the kitchen.

At the dinner table, Melody Summers said to everyone, "The ones who came to our house and destroyed the security cameras the other day were Adam Lawson and his son, Joel Lawson." The Summers Family had been on edge about the incident for days. Now, with both the Lawson father and son gone, things were finally settled.

Grace Sutton was taken aback. She frowned and asked, "How do you know? Did the Lawsons come looking for trouble again?"

Melody Summers briefly recounted what had happened at the supermarket. Hearing the story, her grandmother was terrified. "That damn Adam Lawson! To think he wouldn’t even spare a child!"

Grace Sutton clicked her tongue, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. "I said it all along—those two kids were definitely not Adam Lawson’s. This is divine retribution. When he divorced my older sister, he was so arrogant, flaunting the son his mistress had given him and blaming my sister for being barren. Well, now he finally knows he was the one who couldn’t have children!"

Miss Lowell, however, asked with some confusion, "Adam Lawson and Joel Lawson are both dead, but what about his wife and daughter? Where did they go? Will they come here and cause trouble?"

Melody Summers paused at the question and shook her head slightly. "Adam Lawson only said he kicked the mother and daughter out. We don’t know anything else."

’It wasn’t just Noelle Quillan and Joelle Lawson; Adam Lawson’s father had also disappeared. I wonder if he met with some misfortune.’

’Adam Lawson was the kind of person who would dump his own mother’s corpse on the roadside. I don’t think he would be particularly devoted to his father either.’

’As for Noelle Quillan and Joelle Lawson, where could that mother and daughter go after leaving the Lawson Family?’

Seeing the mood at the table grow heavy, Grace Sutton spoke up. "Alright, let’s not think about them anymore. The New Year is in two days. Let’s start preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner tomorrow. We’ll make boiled meatballs, crispy fried fish, stuffed eggplant fritters, and stewed beef!"

Melody Summers nodded. ’The apocalypse has already lasted a year. The family has to pull themselves together to face the difficulties that lay ahead.’

*

「The Lancaster Villa.」

Robert Lancaster stared at this month’s utility bill, so angry he could barely breathe. He slammed his hand on the table and questioned Elaine Hughes, "How is the electricity bill so high this month?! Didn’t I tell you to be frugal? How much money do you think we have left?"

"And the water bill! Do you have any idea that a tank of water costs fifty thousand yuan now? And you used it all in one month! If this keeps up, they’re going to cut off our water and power!"

Elaine Hughes said, aggrieved, "I’ve been very frugal. I even save the water from washing vegetables to flush the toilet. Besides, our central air conditioning just uses a lot of power. What can I do? I don’t even dare turn on the lights at night."

Seeing the anger on Robert Lancaster’s face, Elaine Hughes suggested cautiously, "The upkeep for the villa is just too high. If we really can’t manage, let’s sell it. Villas in this neighborhood can still fetch a decent price. We could move into a regular apartment building, and it would be enough for the family to live securely for a few years."

Robert Lancaster immediately shot down the idea. "No! The villa is not for sale."

’Villas in this area are worth their weight in gold. This house is my last shred of dignity and pride, the foundation and capital I need for a future comeback.’

’I’ve already lost everything. If I sell this villa, I’ll be completely cast out of the circle of the wealthy. I can’t accept that. I’d rather have the water and power cut off than sell the house.’

Robert Lancaster thought for a moment, then said, "Have Sylvia ask the Sutton Family for some more money. The Suttons can’t just marry our daughter and not give us a single cent."

Elaine Hughes sighed and replied, "Don’t even mention it. Sylvia hardly even answers my calls anymore. Whenever I ask, she just says there’s no way for her to get any money."

Hearing this, Robert Lancaster slammed the table in anger again and cursed, "That damn girl! The baby in her belly isn’t even born yet, and she’s already siding with her in-laws! Just as I thought, she’s not a true Lancaster—completely ungrateful!"

Speaking of which, the thought of Melody Summers came to his mind. He paused abruptly and looked up at Elaine Hughes. "I remember you said that when you took Mrs. Lawson to see Melody last time, you found she wasn’t lacking anything? That she had solar panels and vegetables?"

Elaine Hughes froze for a second, then nodded. She asked hesitantly, "You mean...?"

Robert Lancaster mused for a moment before saying, "We’ll go see her tomorrow! No matter what, she’s still our daughter. The gift of life is the greatest debt of all, and it’s time for her to repay it!"