18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

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.

Cody and Lukas, had gone to the department store to trade for grains. It was a simple task that

not only brushed her own teeth but also brushed Cooper's. Then, she took the pig offal to 1803. She brought a

the 18th floor had become much livelier. If anything

more was that Cooper was

a piece of fried crackling into Cooper's mouth. He drooled but

played a trick. "It's

Cooper dropped the crackling

not poisoned.

it for a while before wolfing it

belly. "Cooper is so smart. He can resist even the most tempting food unless you give him

life experiences. The stray dogs not only had to face human persecution, animal control capture, but

clever. He seemed smarter than before. He fully understood human language, and

and Snowy were less intelligent. Their eating and excreting habits frustrated Stella. Cooper, however, was dominant. He would bite down

punishment for relieving

by the neck and drag them to

other better. After being disciplined by Cooper a few times, Smoky

up, she found them using

Snowy and give them a good beating. 'Are you going to manage them? If no, I'll eat them!' Cooper would discipline the rabbits, and the rabbits would discipline their

By then, Stella and Angela had finished cleaning the pig offal. The intestines, liver, and some lean meat were all prepared. Then they marinated it all with some seasonings. The fat intestines were stewed and cut into

lunch, each person would get a bowl of offal stew and fried pork intestines

with pork heart, and stewed pork tripe with

would be

and onions were Stella's, and Angela offered the grains, pasta, oil, gas, and other

food every time, but they also kept track of everything in their minds. None of them were calculative or scheming, which was why they could get

"Stella, why don't you do the cooking from now on? We'd

way. I'm not becoming the housekeeper. Maybe

did you guys return so late from the grain exchange?" Angela asked,