100 Chapter Ninety Nine - Spice Enthusias (1/2)

There was still those who grumbled, after all, there was no gas and not enough electrics for people to use to cook their own foods with.  A small bakers shop had recently opened, but they only sold a hundred rolls of bread a day and they were not cheap at all.

Others were more entrepreneurial and opened foot stalls in the market place and would serve roasted potatoes and other root vegetables or soups with varying contents.  They'd purchased charcoal from a survivor who happened to work in this old occupation before the end and used barbecues to cook upon or nest food within.  In autumn, a couple of stalls sold blackberries, crab apples and other wild fruit.  It was obvious that these had come from outside and had been washed in the rain, at first, people dare not risk them, but when it came known that squads had eaten these outside, they let down their guard.  They'd still wash them in boiling water first though.  At this time, the scent of unsweetened roasting chestnuts filled the air.

The five men and one woman had guardedly transported their produce to the market place; thieves still roamed hidden amongst the civilians on base, becoming more of a nuisance since the food rules had changed and they were outsiders, most likely a rich irresistible pie for them.  Of course, they wouldn't allow themselves to be so easily eaten.

So this opportunistic man had joined forces with a small squad who, by themselves, were no longer strong enough to face the increasing threats outside of the base and formed a 'protection' area and rented out their collection of folding tables and wallpaper pasting tables to form this market place.  As the cost was not extortionate and the 'protected' zone not encompassing living accommodations, the army turned a blind eye.  In fact, no one was forced to pay the fee, but if they didn't, they were seriously on their own if problems occurred.

Dexter still had a few points left from their last visit, but even if he hadn't, the manager would have accepted a couple of apples instead.  They'd priced the fruit at five points, the same as the ones in the greengrocer's shop, which was a little dearer than those crabapples sold on the stall a few down from them.  However, their apples were larger and sweeter which was enough to attract eyes.  They freely told people that they were grown themselves and were not wild, many were also interested in the snack-packs of dried apples.  These were priced the same as a whole apple, but they definitely did not contain a whole apple, likely just half.  Nonetheless, these would keep longer, perhaps into the cold months when there was a considerable lack of fruit or even some vegetables.

Some people expressed interest in the oil and butter, but on learning their origins, the majority of people turned away.  One woman, who gave her name as Justine, was a little more open about the products and purchased one bottle of oil and one small jar of the butter.  ”I happen to know a couple of the researchers on base,” she advised them.  ”If these can pass their checks then people will be less wary about buying them.”

Actually, unbeknownst to them, this woman could be considered a 'higher up', just that she was a civilian representative and not everyone knew of her as she liked keeping a low profile.  Still, she did not tell a lie.  She was interested in the fact that these came from a mutant apple tree and were tried and tested by these people.  If more mutant products were found to be safe for human consumption, would that not ease a little of the worries regarding food longterm.  It had taken a while for the people to accept wild food from outside, despite having eaten such in the cafeteria for months unawares.  Perhaps it was time to introduce a stamp of approval after their researchers, who'd formally been teachers or science students for the most part with just one woman who's research actually lie in cosmetics, tested these and proved them safe.

As the day stretched on, Autumn and Dexter spoke about leaving the stall to look for condiments; sugar, salt and spices.  A man, who'd been glancing at the apples in interest glanced upwards at that.  ”Are you interested in just the old powdered stuff or would you also buy it fresh?” The man asked, interrupting their conversation without apology.

”What do you mean?”

”I grew a fair sized crop of ginger this year,” he replied, stroking back the small amount of hair upon his balding head. He did not look that old, but his genes had seen him gain a receding hairline as soon as his youth faded. He also had a bit of a beer gut that did not wish to vanish despite the end being one of the highest contributors to weight loss. ”I wondered if you'd be up to purchasing it or even trading it would be alright.”

Autumn's eyes lit up brightly. ”You know how to grow ginger?”