18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 128

Katie, a prudent woman, would often inquire about the growth of the potatoes on the 18th floor. She would inform her son and grandson to make advance arrangements for frost-resistant agents. Little by little, she had accumulated a big bucket full over a span of three months.

When Stella asked for help, Katie readily agreed. She gave out five pounds of antifreeze and declined to accept any potatoes from Stella.

The potatoes were in exchange for the original ones, and she didn't like owing favors. Facing the Moore family's generosity, she secretly slipped a frozen slab of bacon into the bag.

Not a lot, just about a pound. Bacon was a luxury, more than enough to compensate for the antifreeze.

They almost ended up in a quarrel over the exchange. Stella wasn't good at social interactions. She quickly left with the antifreeze.

Katie shook her head, "That child is so stubborn. Everything has to be clear-cut."

She picked up the potatoes from the 18th floor and looked at them, "I was worried she wouldn't know how to plant them, but she's doing better than us."

...

It took Stella two days to plant all the potatoes after getting the antifreeze.

The pots she found weren't enough, so Jasper nailed together some planks and made a few troughs. Together, they planted 100 pounds of potatoes. Not only was the balcony full, but also the corridors and stairs were all occupied.

Jasper was no slacker when it came to labor. He took on all the physically demanding tasks, while Stella did the lighter ones.

The supplemental lighting wasn't sufficient, so it had to be done in batches and at different time intervals. Jasper was the one taking care of it, and he never asked Stella for help.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Anything, I'm not picky."

She didn't order anything since she was a freeloader. She would eat more of what she liked and less of what she didn't.

From that day on, Stella didn't cook anymore. She and Cooper ate at Jasper's place every day. She couldn't believe that she had been eating there for three months. Really, she hadn't contributed a single grain of rice or piece of vegetable.

But she kept track of how much she ate. She wanted to see when Jasper would show signs of impatience. When that happened, she would pay him back with interest.

Jasper was a determined one. Instead, it was Stella who couldn't keep up. She had never seen a man who could keep his cool like him. He cooked every meal and never let her wash the dishes. He didn't even mind that Cooper ate a lot.

This almost broke Stella's defense.

She was so frustrated that she secretly sought Lukas' advice. This was not something Cody could help with. He had never been successful in love.

"Why don't you want him?"

No one had more experience with love than Lukas. After hearing the whole story, he was immediately anxious, "Stella, are you silly?"

What? He was actually scolding her!

"He's a free laborer. He's strong, capable of earning money, and he can work and help you alleviate loneliness." This was the first time Lukas was so disappointed with her, "You're so smart, how can you be so confused about this? If Jasper were gay, I would have made a move on him, he wouldn't have a chance with you."

Stella was shocked. She seriously doubted Lukas' sexual orientation.

"Stella, we grew up together. It's not like the old days when you could have a meal as long as you worked hard. Now, it's too difficult to have a full meal.

“We can bring back a lot of good things every month. In fact, we are risking our lives for them. We don't even know if we can survive tomorrow.

“Whether you love someone or not isn't as crucial as staying alive. The key is having someone by your side, someone who stands in front of you when danger arises. You don't have to be as guarded when facing them as you do with strangers. That's true happiness."

For the first time in her life, Stella heard Lukas say so much, and it was all heartfelt.

He was more beautiful than a woman, and everyone in the orphanage knew he always relied on women. But he never got angry and always had a smile on his face.

Stella was a bit curious and asked in a low voice, "Do you really love Angela?"