Olivia laughed as she opened the door. "Come on in and play. Snowy has been pretty out of it lately. Maybe chickens understand each other better than we do." Natalie didn't even try to stop Cash, who happily trotted inside. Before Olivia shut the door, Natalie caught a quick glimpse of Snowy wobbling out of the bedroom, leading a chick. She was speechless. Once the door was locked, the four of them, plus the dog, headed downstairs. All the strangers who'd been hanging around earlier had cleared out, leaving just the three families who actually lived there. Outside, they all froze for a moment, staring at the walls scarred and pitted by acid rain. From a distance, the building looked like cheese, full of holes everywhere. Olivia exclaimed, "Wow, our building is tough. It's been eaten away like this, and it's still standing!" Natalie just stared, lost in thought. It looked even worse than she remembered her previous life. The asphalt was full of potholes from the acid, so it was easy to twist an ankle if they weren't careful. They picked their way through the complex slowly. At least the heat had dried everything up. Not a puddle in sight. It was so hot that the ground practically burned their feet. Thankfully, Natalie had thought ahead and put thick shoes on Lucky. Otherwise, her paws would have been fried by now. Half-destroyed skeletons lined the roadside, probably ruined by the acid rain. With shattered roads and crumbling buildings, the place looked like a total post-apocalyptic wasteland.Nobody said a word, and the silence made the scene feel even bleaker. Cassian squeezed Natalie's hand and kept moving. The neighborhood was nearly empty. Voices didn't appear until they got near the main gate. Looking out, it felt like the world had bounced back. The little market was open again, even bigger than before. Wherever there were people, the place didn't feel so abandoned. Their mood lifted, and they walked over to check things out. After surviving the acid rain, everyone looked even skinnier than before. People passing by were all bones and skin, so the four of them, who still looked healthy, stood out instantly. Especially Natalie, who was walking a fat, healthy Lucky. All eyes turned to them. Most people around here were locals, and the fear of the chainsaw psycho was still fresh in their minds. They glanced at them quickly and looked away. But some weren't subtle at all. They stared at Lucky like she was a snack, practically drooling. Luckily, the four of them didn't seem like easy prey. Natalie had a gun slung over her shoulder, and Lucky looked downright fierce. Nobody dared mess with them for now. They wandered through the market, but most of it was junk. Just as they were about to leave, something caught Natalie's eye. "Wait ... are those mink coats?" Sure enough, they were real mink coats. Not just one or two—seven or eight, in all sorts of colors and lengths.Along with the coats, there were designer bags, fancy clothes, and high-end shoes—all for women. But the guy running the stall was a man. A crowd had gathered, but mostly to gawk or make snide remarks. "Is he crazy? Who wants a mink coat in 120°F heat?" "Designer bags? You think that'll help you find better supplies?" "He's probably just trying to clear out his closet. Looks like he's about to throw these out. Haha!" Natalie leaned closer to check the mink coats. The fur was thick and soft, top quality. Those coats could save lives during Frostfall. When the cold hit, nothing beat a good mink coat—not even the fanciest down jacket. In a few months, the Great Heat would end, then six months of thick fog, and finally Frostfall would arrive. Buying the coats now would be perfect for when it got freezing. She asked, "How do you want to trade for these?" The stall owner's eyes lit up. He'd been sitting there for two days, and all he'd gotten was ridicule. That was the first person to ask about the price. He quickly replied, "I'll trade for food." Before the apocalypse, those items would've cost thousands. Now, nothing was worth more than a roll of toilet paper. Natalie frowned. "How much food exactly?" He needed to be clear about that.That man saw her expression and panicked, thinking she might walk away. He quickly tried to lower the price, desperate not to lose his only customer. "Miss, just two pounds of grain, and you can have all the clothes, shoes, and bags here. "They belonged to my wife. She's gone now. Keeping them just makes me sad. Most of it's barely used. She didn't even wear some of it ... " Before Natalie could respond, the onlookers started chiming in.