112 Chapter One Hundred and Eleven - Need and Entitlemen (1/2)

However, from the occasional visits from the army squad that had remained in contact with them, the higher ups had been getting anxious for their return.

In actual fact, around a third of the soldiers with abilities now used the basic 'meditation' methods passed on by Ren Zexian through Chang Min and the soldiers they'd been in contact with and results had varied. Their commanding officers wanted to know why this was the case, but since the episode where they'd ordered squads to infiltrate the smaller base 'for the good of those people', relations had cooled to the point of being indifferent neighbours. If it wasn't for the fact that the army base had products valuable to them and the friendly communication of individuals from both bases, likely they'd no longer have anything to do with each other.

So the higher ups could only rely on the men they'd originally sent there. Not that they'd gained much intelligence; with the exception of Thomas who'd remained stubborn in his stance that the 'meditation' techniques were a waste of time, the two soldiers that had returned informed their commanders that while the cultivation methods they used worked for them, they had been told that they wouldn't necessarily work for others. Of course, not everyone would believe from word of mouth, there was pressure to share and to experiment. And those who'd volunteered found that the basic method worked better for them. One even said that Luke's method was too painful and seemed to burn his insides. If this was not a warning to cease their experiments, who knew what would be.

Fortunately no one seemed to suffer permanent damage to their abilities. Still, the higher ups craved quick results and resumed making comparisons between the people that didn't practice any meditation, to the people that practiced the basic method and then Faith and Luke and their specific training. Hungry for more knowledge, they urged their absent subordinates to return whenever they could.

So now they were returning home.

*****

A crowd gathered around the stall covered in vegetables, but there was some reluctance to purchase. Some worried about where the vegetables had come from.  Others weren't worried, having eaten these people's apples before, but how to cook the vegetables...  Not everyone had the tools to cook, many had never cooked pumpkins and spaghetti squash. The other vegetables were large and not cheap, they didn't want to spend their hard earned points which might by them an extra portion of food from the canteen or one of the stalls trading in cooked food, firewood, soaps, extra bottles of water... One person's query broke some of the stalemate as he asked for a quarter of one of the large cauliflowers and half of a head of broccoli, naturally reducing the cost straight away.

Logan cut to his specifications and charged him accordingly. That man went away actually munching a floret of cauliflower as he went, many eyes were on him.  These could be eaten raw?

”I'll purchase the same!” One voice rose above the crowd.

”Me too!”

Sales quickly picked up, the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage purchased in portions, costing less yet providing much needed supplements.  Others were more cautious still, but after seeing that the man had no adverse affects before vanishing into other drifting crowds, a few put down their guards and also made small purchases.

The gentleman who exchanged spices with them asked for one of each vegetable, whole, as well as a bottle of the apple oil.  He believed that his housemates would thank him later.  He chatted to Dexter as the cost was calculated, who advised him how he'd seen his wife cook them. The man was excited to hear how the spaghetti squash could actually live up to its name and replace noodles as a dish. He wanted to try right away and added another of the gourds for his household.

However, the majority of things they brought were eventually sold to the canteen at a slightly reduced price. They also took all of the remaining apple oil as it had been deemed safe. ”Our manager asks if you can bring more in the future,” Dexter was informed.

”Ah, we won't be coming back until at least spring,” he admitted. ”And then we'd have to see how much oil remains. We only have the one tree providing it.”

”Please think of us first when the time comes then.” He nodded to seal this verbal agreement.

They came away with a lot of points this time, but spending it actually proved difficult. The charcoal was naturally in very high demand and was expensive due to that. Just purchasing one bag would cut a quarter of their profits instantly. Dexter was debating over it with Cole and Logan when a conversation in the crowd came to their attention.

”I heard that a squad brought back meat!”

”Meat? Really? Damn when was the last time we tasted some meat?!”

”Would we even get a chance at tasting some this time?” The voice that spoke these words held much bitterness. ”Don't you recall that rumour in the spring?”

”Oh yeah, I recall. The higher ups obtained some meat in the spring, but apart from their own soldiers getting a bit, the rest was hoarded by them officers!”

”That's not true,” a discordant tone trampled their complaints. ”They used a soup base for the week that reminded me of pork. There were even flecks of grease upon the surface. Tanya, next door, even claimed to have found spots of pork in her portion once.”

”Probably burnt vegetables or dried herbs,” the original complainer argued.