18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 45

Upon hearing Stella's words, Jasper frowned, "Rosie is timid?"

Stella shook her head, "She has a people-pleasing personality. She seems afraid of making others angry and subconsciously tries to please them."

For instance, she would offer eggs to her and Cooper, always peeking at her while doing homework, afraid of being disliked. Not only was she afraid of Stella, but she was also scared of her own brother. In order to please Jasper, she would train in boxing until she hurt herself and still not utter a word.

Such a child can sometimes be heartbreaking.

Jasper was silent for a while, "Rosie is my parents' second child. They died in a car accident a few years ago, and I couldn't come back from working out of town, so I had to leave Rosie in the care of my uncle. Rosie used to be very lively and loved to laugh. I didn't expect her to change so much when I came back from retirement. However, I feel that she has been changing recently, and now she is even brave enough to point out my shortcomings. Thank you for your intervention."

Stella also once had this kind of tendency, living in fear in the orphanage, always trying to please people so that they would see the good in her. Not just her, most of the children there would do that. Thankfully, they managed to get out of that situation later. Rosie needed encouragement, but she also needed to express her real emotions, even if they were negative.

Now it was the end of the world. If Rosie's personality and values were not adjusted in time, it would be very dangerous when encountering strangers. This was a big project, and Jasper can only figure it out on his own.

In the end, the pork had a deep taste, a smooth and supple texture, and a fatty but not oily appearance. Jasper, the kitchen disaster, was now on the right track under her guidance.

As long as the commands were in place, Jasper could be a good soldier. She continued to teach him how to make other dishes.

With six people and a dog, two dishes were not enough.

Jasper took out six eggs and two sausages, and continued to his cooking tutoring with Stella.

Cody and the others were envious of his supplies. Did this guy have too many resources? They envied him, but they knew better than to pry into his business. Misunderstandings or suspicions in the end times could be fatal. He was willing to share; they should be grateful.

With three main dishes and a side of bean sprout salad, everyone was extremely satisfied, and in the end, even the gravy was finished.

"Stella, how did you grow these bean sprouts?"

They couldn't eat the hydroponic vegetables yet, and Angela was dying for some greens. Not eating vegetables for a few days wouldn't kill you, but the discomfort of pooping was something only the person experiencing it would understand. She was desperate, and thankfully, Stella, the walking encyclopedia, lived next door.

"It's simple. As long as you have water, you can grow them." Stella didn't hide anything, "We've collected a lot of mung beans and red beans in the office building. If we use them to grow bean sprouts, we'll have enough to eat for a long time."

She explained the general steps and didn't forget to report the good news, "The hydroponic lettuce will be ready to harvest in half a month. I'll teach you how to grow it then."

Cody was still savoring the taste of the pork. He was unwilling to sit back and do nothing, "Do you think we can replace supplies if we go further?"

It would only get harder in the future, Stella encouraged them to prepare in advance, "I've been studying medical books recently and don't have time to go out to collect supplies. If you guys have time, you can go out. It seems to be getting colder these days, you can also gather some firewood."

Lukas joked, "If I were Stella, I wouldn't need to go out. I could live off my medical skills."

Today, she took in another patient. A child had a stomachache and was rolling on the floor in pain. But the parents didn't have a boat to take him to the hospital, so they went to the 18th floor to replace Stella.

The child's digestive system was poor, caused by drinking dirty rainwater. The parents had food, but they didn't dare to show it. In the end, they took off the gold ring from their finger and gave it to Stella. Stella carried the child upstairs, not allowing the parents to follow.

She performed acupressure and acupuncture, and the pain was greatly relieved. She reminded the parents to boil the water before drinking it, and to use water purification tablets if possible.

She threw the gold ring into Arcadia, and after a while, she found that it had been taken. This made Stella even more determined. She could collect supplies by practicing medicine, and there was no need to risk going outside. The stuff in Arcadia could also be transported using this method.

The flood continued, and life went on as usual.

Jasper completed the dog training task and saw Stella sweating profusely when she opened the door, "Do you want to practice together?"

Well, she certainly hoped to spar with a master, but wasn't he afraid of being kicked down there?

"Sure." If he wasn't afraid of being taken advantage of, what did she have to worry about?

Jasper had learned his lesson, "Rosie, take Cooper to play."

The living room had been cleaned up by Stella, and it looked quite spacious with all the unnecessary things put away. The two of them started their practice, and this time they were both more rational. Knowing that he was a master, Stella didn't hold back. She aimed for the vitals with some deceptive moves.

His deep gazes flashed with surprise, "Your moved are... interesting."

She was indeed a jack of all trades but master of none. Her moves were unpredictable, and in her previous life, she had learned many ruthless moves in order to survive the end times.

During their practice, Jasper could feel her momentum, which was completely different from usual, and quite like the time she chopped off someone's arm, with a bit of ruthlessness.

He appreciated it a bit, and while practicing, he pointed out the shortcomings of her movements and helped her adjust them.

"Do you also train by yourself every day?" Stella learned a lot, "Why don't we exchange ideas?"

After practicing for two hours, he realized that she was stronger than he had imagined. Jasper was sweating, "Sure."

With a free coach, Stella happily accepted.

The next day when Rosie came over, she even brought food: pasta and eggs. By the time Jasper brought Cooper back, the pasta was ready.

"The yolk is a a bit runny, and I guess they will be bad in a few days." Sitting down to eat the pasta, Stella reminded Jasper, "If there are not many eggs, you should eat them as soon as possible. If you can't finish them, make them into pickled eggs." Pickled eggs were a bit fishy, but they had a longer shelf life.

Jasper thought for a moment, "How do you make pickled eggs?"

Stella told his the recipe while eating, "Also, Rosie has eczema on her body, so you need to give her some medicine."

He had brought back a lot of medicine, but all the outer packaging had been removed, and Jasper didn't know which one to use, "Thank you, can you help me replace it later?"

Stella cooked the meal, and Jasper naturally washed the dishes.

There were all kinds of medicines, and it took a while to replace the right one. She applied it to Rosie on the spot, "Don't scratch it with your hands. It will leave scars if it breaks." "You're so nice, just like my mom."

Stella felt mixed emotions, and Cooper whined next to her. He wanted to have some balm too. Cooper had his charms, but his jealousy was something that just couldn't be corrected. Whenever Smoky and Snowy settled on the couch, Cooper would rush over to nudge them off, then wriggled his way into her arms.

Even if he had a good relationship with Rosie, he would still push over to nudge her away. It took an artful petting of his head to soothe this king of jealousy.

As she was leaving, she noticed Jasper struggling in the kitchen with the pickled eggs.

Indeed, nobody's perfect. His appearance and agility were beyond reproach, but when it came to everyday life, he was utterly clueless.