Chapter 111

They went over to check and saw that the person looking for them was Sophia. Their doubts were immediately dispelled, and they were quickly filled with a heavy sense of relief and strength.

Sophia saw the three of them, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. All the grievances and sadness she had endured for so many days almost broke her at that moment.

Tears brimming in her eyes, she walked up to Henry, Gabe, and Charlie, her voice trembling as she asked, "Are you all okay?"

After just a few days apart, Sophia looked as if she had been ravaged by the elements. There was no need to ask; it was clear how much she had suffered at the campsite after they left.

Henry's eyes were filled with pain as he looked at her, his voice soft as he said, "We've just endured a bit of hardship, nothing too serious. How about you? How are you holding up?"

Sophia sniffled, her teary eyes fixed on Henry. "After you left, Lily and Mike divided the food and broke up the group. They isolated me, treating me with nothing but hostility. They didn't just secretly eat all the vegetables from the garden, they also tried to take your share of the food. It was hard, but I managed to get it back. They were angry and slandered me, saying I was of questionable character and threatened to report me to the local authorities."

She extended her hand, offering the burlap sack she was carrying to Henry. "I'm not as free as I used to be. Ken keeps a close watch on me every day. Apart from going to work and returning to the campsite, I can't go anywhere else. Today, I managed to convince Ken to let me come here for a short while to bring this to you."

Henry didn't take the burlap sack. Instead, he cursed through gritted teeth, "Those bastards!"

Gabe and Charlie were equally furious, swearing loudly, "Damn those sons of bitches!"

One of the main reasons they decided to go to the town's granary was to make sure the others didn't go hungry. Who would have thought that the moment they left, the others would start bullying Sophia? They knew well enough that Sophia was with Henry, and that she was always gentle and fragile. Not only did they fail to help her, but they also ganged up to bully her.

What happened to loyalty and solidarity? When faced with self-interest, all they showed was selfishness and betrayal.

Just like Logan.

They clearly didn't respect Henry at all. He was only away for three months, not gone for good.

This incident revealed the true colors of those people, making it a valuable lesson.

Sophia had just about vented all her grievances. Sniffling, she said, "There's not much food left. This is for the three of you. Take it quickly. I need to get back to work soon. Ken is very strict and always carries a whip. If I return late, I'll be punished."

There wasn't much time to talk in detail. Henry didn't take the food from her hand, saying, "There's so little food here that it won't make much of a difference. If we each have a bit, it will be gone in no time. It's better if you keep it. You need it more. Take care of yourself while I'm away. I'll be back soon."

Tears streaming down her face, Sophia asked, "But what will you do without the food?"

Henry smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry about us. We've made some friends here who have food. There are plenty of wild vegetables around too."

Sophia couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Henry wiped his hands on his clothes before gently wiping her tears away, saying, "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you that day. You wouldn't have had to suffer. When I come back, I'll listen to everything you say."

Sophia nodded, choking back her sobs, "Okay."

With that, it was time for Henry and his friends to head back to the worksite.

Sophia watched them leave, wiping her tears a few more times.

Henry, Gabe, and Charlie walked back to the worksite, talking in low voices.

Gabe muttered, "Damn it, we'll deal with those bastards when we get back."

Sophia couldn't stay out for long. After seeing Henry and his friends off, she hurried back, carrying the now almost empty burlap sack.

Having seen Henry, and having vented her grievances, she felt stronger. No matter what, her days wouldn't be worse than Mike and Lily's. She had enough food for four people. As long as she could endure the next three months, she would be fine. Ken could only supervise them for three months.

***

In the sunlight, Summer and Logan were loading dark blue tiles onto the cart. After placing the last stack, Logan tied the tiles securely with a rope to prevent them from falling off during the journey.

With the tiles secured, they led the cart away from the kiln.

The chimney of the kiln grew smaller behind them. As they walked under the shade of trees, a cool breeze blew. Summer took off her hat and fanned her face.

After a few fanning motions, she held the straw hat near Logan's face, fanning him twice.

She smiled and asked, "Cool enough?"

Logan didn't hesitate, "Keep going."

Summer, not surprised by his bluntness, grinned and gave him two strong fanning motions, nearly blowing his eyebrows off.

Logan glared, but Summer just laughed. Then she got serious, "We still owe the carpenter and the builders. Our money is running low."

Logan replied, "We'll ask Leonardo for an advance on our wages tonight."

Summer nodded, "Alright, each of us can get twenty-five dollars. That should be enough."

That evening, after school, Summer and Logan went to see Leonardo at the town office. Leonardo, understanding their situation, agreed and advanced their pay.

Leonardo supported their educational work and knew they had surplus work credits, so there was no problem giving them the money early.

With Leonardo's approval, Summer and Logan collected the money from Ben. Ben made a record and handed them the money, then asked, "Did you not set up your stall at the market last Sunday?"

They had been busy buying lumber in the morning and finding a carpenter in the afternoon, so they hadn't gone to the market.

Summer explained this to Ben, who nodded in understanding.

Then he said, "I've been thinking, since you're so busy with school, maybe you should train a couple of people to help with the stall. That way, if you're tied up, they can handle it."

Summer considered this.

Ben continued, "The key is the sauce. As long as the sauce is made ahead, it's just a matter of frying it and cooking the noodles. With the right ingredients, it shouldn't be too different."

He made a good point. With the sauce prepared, someone else could handle the frying and cooking.

Supporting the town's business was important, so she couldn't refuse.

Summer thought for a moment, then said, "Last time at the big market, Amy helped us. How about I bring her along again?"

Amy was reliable, and Ben agreed, nodding.

For the second helper, Summer hesitated, "I was thinking of Billy. Do you think that's okay?"

Hearing Billy's name, Ben didn't immediately agree. He turned to Leonardo, "Leonardo, can Billy join them?"

Leonardo considered. Billy had never caused trouble, though his family had issues. But family background didn't affect his work for the town. If he avoided work, then it would be a problem.

Leonardo finally nodded, "Let's give him a chance."