18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 41

After dinner, they couldn't bear to waste the leftover broth from the stew. They decided to use it again the next day for some pasta.

Times were tough. They were just grateful to have flavorful food. Who cared about eating healthy or not?

The fatty meat had been rendered down into oil. The cracklings were golden and crispy. It was enough to last a good long while.

Angela took out the remaining meat, asking, “Stella, how much salt should we use for all this?”

Salt was precious, just enough to last the year if used properly. Using too much was wasteful, but if too little was used, the meat might be spoiled.

They were fortunate to have gotten their hands on a pig. In this post-apocalyptic world, the scent of fresh meat was a rare luxury. But they couldn't just indulge. They had to plan for the future.

Everyone wanted to preserve the meat, so Stella finally spoke up, “The landlord's car has a huge fridge. I'll go back and render the fat. We should be able to fit everything in.”

She wanted to fetch another fridge from Arcadia but their solar charger would have trouble handling it.

Cody and the others were thrilled and wanted to help render the fat. In front of her, they were all domestic novices, but they all offered to help. They didn’t want to become a burden to her.

Stella wouldn't let them help. “No need. I can manage it by myself. You guys should go clean up and rest.”

Back home, she threw the meat into the fridge in Arcadia. Then she took out her multifunctional massage bathtub. She filled it with warm water, plugged in the solar energy storage box, turned on some soothing music, and closed her eyes to relax.

Cooper, her dog, lay beside her, gnawing on a bone-filled bowl. Cooper had been accepted by a new owner, so he seemed particularly excited, gnawing on his bone with gusto.

Protectiveness over food is a dog's instinct, but Cooper liked Stella. He had deliberately saved half a bowl of bones for her. “Woof!”

Stella was grateful. “You eat it.” She tossed him a sausage.

The next day, she woke up naturally. Jasper, together with Cody and Lukas, had gone to the department store to trade for grains. It was a simple task that didn't require Stella's presence.

After a breakfast of delicious toasts with Cooper, Stella not only brushed her own teeth but also brushed Cooper's. Then, she took the pig offal to 1803. She brought a stool and started to process the offal with Angela. Rosie ran over to join them. “Hi, I can help.”

Stella didn't want her to get dirty. “You play with Cooper.”

Since Cooper arrived, the atmosphere on the 18th floor had become much livelier. If anything happened downstairs, it wouldn't escape his ears.

What comforted Stella more was that Cooper was a principled dog.

Rosie secretly put a piece of fried crackling into Cooper's mouth. He drooled but didn't eat it, staring at Stella with pleading eyes. “Woof.”

Stella played a trick. “It's poisoned!”

Scared, Cooper dropped the crackling from his mouth.

Stella chuckled, “Just kidding, it's not poisoned. Go ahead and eat.”

Cooper was cautious, sniffing it for a while before wolfing it down.

Angela didn’t stopped laughing until she felt pain in her belly. “Cooper is so smart. He can resist even the most tempting food unless you give him the okay.”

This was an alertness born from harsh life experiences. The stray dogs not only had to face human persecution, animal control capture, but also a variety of dog thieves. If he didn't have some skills, he wouldn't survive this long.

But Cooper was indeed very clever. He seemed smarter than before. He fully understood human language, and even started to help discipline others.

Smoky and Snowy were less intelligent. Their eating and excreting habits frustrated Stella. Cooper, however, was dominant. He would bite down and pat them vigorously with his paw.

‘That's the punishment for relieving yourself anywhere!’

Then he would grab them by the neck and drag them to the toilet. ‘Go ahead. Do it in front of me!’