Free Web NovelChapter 15: Chapter 15 Farm produce.
Very early the next morning, Ivy woke up before the sun had fully risen.
The shelter was quiet....peaceful in a way that felt almost unnatural considering everything happening outside.
She moved silently, careful not to disturb her daughters as she prepared for the day ahead. By the time Aria and Lila stirred awake, Ivy had already freshened up and begun getting them ready.
She helped them dress neatly, brushing their hair with gentle care, as though holding onto normalcy for just a little longer.
Breakfast and lunch were already arranged in the kitchen.
That alone caught their attention.
"Mama..." Aria called, her brows knitting together slightly as she looked around. "Are we not following you today?"
Her eyes lingered on the kitchen counter.
No packed bags.
No preparations for them to leave.
Just food... waiting.
Ivy paused for a brief moment, then turned to face her, her expression softening.
"Yes, darling," she replied gently, though her throat tightened slightly as she spoke. "People are falling sick, and I don’t want you two getting infected."
She forced a small smile, steadying her voice.
"Now that we have electricity, you can stay home and enjoy yourselves a little. Watch something, play... just stay inside, alright?"
Lila tilted her head, her curiosity quickly overtaking everything else.
"But... when did you fix all these, Mommy?" she asked, her eyes wide as she gestured around the shelter. "We saw you buying everything, but we didn’t even know when you installed them."
A light chuckle escaped Ivy’s lips, more natural this time.
"That’s because you both slept off, darling," she said, reaching out to gently tap Lila’s nose. "You were completely exhausted."
Ding!
{Hurry up, Host. It’s time to secure farm produce immediately.}
{I have already promised to protect your children at home. It is not advisable to keep taking them everywhere. The flu is a communicable disease.}
Ivy exhaled quietly.
I know, she replied inwardly, her chest tightening faintly.
Her gaze returned to her daughters, and she crouched slightly so she was at eye level with them.
"Listen carefully," she said, her tone soft but firm. "You both will have to stay at home and wait for Mommy to come back, okay?"
There was a brief pause.
Aria and Lila exchanged glances.
They didn’t like it.
That much was obvious.
But they still nodded.
They had already learned... things were different now. ƒrēewebnovel.com
"Okay, Mama..." Lila murmured softly.
Aria stepped closer, her expression unusually serious for her age. She raised a hand and gently placed it on Ivy’s stomach.
"Take care of yourself... and the baby," she said quietly. "You have to be careful, okay?"
For a moment, Ivy froze.
Then her expression melted completely.
"I will, dear," she whispered, her voice filled with warmth.
She leaned forward and planted soft kisses on both their foreheads, lingering for just a second longer than usual before pulling away.
"Take care of each other," she added gently.
With one last look, she turned and began walking toward the exit.
Just before stepping out, she glanced back.
They were still standing there.
Watching her.
She forced a reassuring smile and waved.
Only then did she step outside.
---
On her way to the store, her eyes moved constantly, taking everything in as she drove.
Almost everyone...adults and children alike now wore face masks. The situation appeared to be worse than yesterday. Conversations were hushed, movements hurried, and eyes filled with unease.
Fear had spread faster than the illness itself.
And then there were the beggars.
These were the same beggars Ivy always gave things to just to receive prayer concerning her unborn child. She had made it compulsory to always give alms and only stopped when she found out about Adrian’s secret of having another woman.
Ivy didn’t care if she gave birth to a girl anymore. The scan already showed that her baby was a girl but somehow she was still clinging unto the hope that it was a boy but not anymore...
She loved all the children that came out of her... Adrian just wanted to drive her crazy but she was glad she was free now.
Ivy’s hand tightened around the wheel as her gaze landed on a frail man sitting by the roadside.
His mask was torn, barely hanging onto his face.
He coughed violently into the open air, his entire body shaking with each breath.
No one went near him.
People avoided him like he was already dead.
"Please..." he rasped weakly. "Help me..."
Ivy’s fingers curled slightly at her side.
But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t hence she drove off.
The flu wasn’t supposed to appear this early but here it was.
And in her past life...
There had only been five days between the outbreak of the flu...
And the beginning of the apocalypse.
Five days.
"I hope I still have my twelve days remaining?" Ivy raised an eyebrow.
{The timeline in this world is different, Host. That is why you must act faster.}
Ivy’s jaw tightened as she continued to drive and soon came to a stop in front of a store hence she got down.
Without hesitation, she pushed open the glass door and stepped into the farm produce store.
A soft chime rang above her.
"Good morning, ma’am. Welcome to Tony’s Farm Produce Store, where we sell everything related to farm products," a feminine voice greeted immediately.
Ivy turned toward the speaker.
A young saleswoman stood behind the counter, neatly dressed, her face partially covered by a fitted mask. Her voice, though slightly muffled, remained polite and professional.
"How can we help you, ma’am?" she asked.
"Good morning," Ivy replied, offering a calm, composed smile.
Without wasting time, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a neatly folded list. The list the system had shown her. The list containing all important farm produce.
"I’ve already prepared what I need," she added, handing it over.
The saleswoman took it and began reading.
Slowly... her brows lifted.
"Ten-year-old fruit saplings... apple, fig, and jujube... three of each," she read aloud, her tone shifting slightly as surprise crept in. "And vegetables of all kinds—tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, onions..."
She paused and looked up.
"Is this correct, ma’am?"
"Exactly," Ivy confirmed without hesitation. "Do you have them?" freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"Yes, ma’am, we do," the saleswoman replied, nodding quickly. "How much would you like to purchase?"
"I need supplies worth five thousand dollars."
The reaction was immediate.
For a split second, she simply stared then professionalism snapped back into place.
"Are you... starting a farm business, ma’am?" she asked carefully, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Ivy smiled faintly.
"Yes," she answered smoothly. "My husband and I recently decided to start our own farm."
The lie came easily.
Too easily.
The saleswoman nodded, visibly impressed now.
"That’s wonderful, ma’am," she said warmly. "I’ll have everything prepared right away."
"And do you have livestock?" Ivy added.
"Yes, ma’am," the woman replied. "Do you need those as well?"
"I do."
"Please, follow me then."
