18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 67

Jasper, on the other hand, was likely grappling with the shadow of his past. His body involuntarily stalled and, in a blink, Stella over toppled him. She pinned him down with her long legs and twisted his arm with force. Their bodies were entangled like a pretzel, but Stella clearly had the upper hand.

Jasper, however, found it amusing and, surprisingly, did not retaliate. "Not bad, you could defeat me with your wild punches."

Stella, feeling a bit guilty for using underhanded tactics, awkwardly got up. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

They continued to spar and after two hours, they were both soaked in sweat. Stella was flushed and panting. She felt exhilaratingly exhausted.

Rosie, clutching her rag doll, came back with her stomach rumbling. "I'm hungry. What are we having for dinner?"

Jasper looked at Stella and, oh great, was she supposed to cook again? She had plans to eat out with Cooper in Arcadia. But Jasper had done so much for her, and she felt embarrassed to refuse. As much as she didn't want to cook, she suggested, "How about pies?" Rosie, not wanting to be subjected to her brother's notorious cooking, clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes, yes, your pies are the best!"

They had chicken pies for lunch, and for dinner, they had fried apple pies.

Stella went to change her clothes and then taught Jasper how to cook fried apple pies. She had to admit, the pies smelled heavenly.

The crispy golden crust and the juicy filling were mouthwatering. Luckily, they were on the 18th floor, and it was raining outside, otherwise, they might have attracted unwanted attention. Rosie, with a greasy mouth, patted her belly and boasted, "Look, I have a baby now."

Jasper grimaced.

"Kids," Stella thought, trying not to laugh. Looked like Jasper had to give Rosie another lesson on biology.

After dinner, Jasper took the dishes from Stella. "I'll handle the cleaning."

After helping Rosie with her homework, Stella bid them goodnight and headed home. Just as she opened her door, she ran into Lukas. "Stella, join us for some pie?"

"No thanks, I just had dinner."

She ate too much when she saw the two enjoying their meal.

Lukas smirked mysteriously at room 1801. "Well, if you change your mind, just come over."

His peculiar gaze left Stella puzzled and slightly uneasy, probably because she had left them out of their dinner plans, but Jasper hadn't invited them over, and she didn't want to overstep.

The pies were indeed delicious. She thought she could stock up on them next time.

In the following days, she stayed home, reading, exercising, and making clothes for her pets. The baby rabbits had all survived and were growing heavier. The largest one weighed about three pounds - it was about time for slaughter.

Snowy had given birth to a second litter, a whopping twelve babies. Unfortunately, their chances of survival were slim due to the timing of their birth.

Katie had resumed her acupuncture treatment after a few days break. Her health had improved significantly from the good food. She took out a bag filled with about three pounds of white powder and was beaming. "Stella, this is wild kudzu powder. I brought it especially for you to try." Stella hesitated to accept this precious gift. "Let's discuss your situation first. If I can help, then I'll accept your gift."

Katie looked awkward. "You're too straightforward, kid..." She was truly grateful, but she also knew that the people on the 18th floor had connections to getting food supplies.

The Moore family had been digging up wild kudzu roots. Mikey had made a grinder that could grind the chopped roots into a pulp, which they then washed to extract the kudzu powder. They estimated they could produce more than a hundred pounds of powder. If it weren't for the apocalypse, this would've been a highly sought-after product, but now, filling their bellies was the priority. The kudzu powder had many health benefits, but it wasn't filling.

The Moore family was hoping the 18th floor could accept an exchange of kudzu powder for food.

Stella pondered. "What's your exchange rate?"

"One pound for one pound, what do you think?"

Stella didn't make any promises. "I'll ask around for you."

Katie was unsure. "If that doesn't work, I'm willing to exchange for broken rice."

It seemed like the Moore family had realistic expectations.

Would anyone be willing to exchange new rice for kudzu powder? Only wealthy women who had sufficient food supplies would be interested in this deal.

After giving Katie an acupuncture treatment, Stella brewed some kudzu powder. The taste was average, slightly sweet, and bitter, with an earthy smell.

Although it wasn't particularly tasty, it had many health benefits. It was indeed a rare commodity in the post-apocalyptic world.

Stella didn't hoard the three pounds of kudzu powder. Instead, she split it equally between the neighbors in the 1801 and 1803 households and told them about the Moore family's request. None of them were interested.

Cody was still lamenting the loss of the fish in the reservoir, "It's such a shame. Monkey came to us later and wanted to order 2000 pounds of fish at once."

Lukas also felt regretful. "They must have a channel to sell to the rich, otherwise who would dare to order such a large quantity at once? When they found out we had no more fish, they were so disappointed and repeatedly reminded us to contact them if we get more." The next day, Stella informed Katie that they agreed to exchange broken rice for kudzu powder, but the quality had to be guaranteed. As the apocalypse progressed, people's health would deteriorate, and it would be good for recuperation. Katie would overjoyed.

A few days later, the Moore family had prepared a hundred pounds of wild kudzu powder and gave Stella an extra five pounds as a token of appreciation for her help.

The Moore family waited in a secluded corner outside the community with the kudzu powder. Stella, on her rubber boat, loaded the kudzu powder and took Cooper out for a walk.

When they reached a deserted area, she stored the kudzu powder in Arcadia, replaced it with an equal amount of broken rice, walked her dog, and then returned.

The Moore family was still waiting. After seeing the broken rice they had got in exchange, they were extremely happy.

...

When Stella woke up from her afternoon nap, she noticed that the rain had subsided a lot. Instead of feeling relieved, Stella furrowed her brows, anticipating the extreme cold that was coming.

As evening approached, the rain had turned into a drizzle, and the sky seemed to have brightened a bit. For the last three months, countless had perished in this despairing flood, and now, it finally seemed to be clearing up.

Looking at the sky, some cheered with excitement while others wept uncontrollably. Everyone was yearning for this damn natural disaster to end.

How they wished it was all just a nightmare and that they'd wake up to the bustling prosperity of the old times, with all their family and friends still around.

Cody felt happy as well, but compared to others, his happiness was tinged with a certain heaviness. "Stella, do you think it's really over?" He asked.

They were overjoyed when the hurricane ended, only to be hit by a flood immediately after. The rain had stopped, but what was waiting for them next?

"Who knows," Stella replied, her expression gloomy. She rubbed her arm, adding, "Does it feel a bit chilly to you? It's winter already. I hope it's not going to turn the south into something like Antarctica."

"Knock on wood, Stella. Don't jinx it," Cody rebuked.