Natalie laughed. "You silly pup. Stay home. Once dinner is ready, you get first dibs." Lucky thought for a moment, then obediently stayed behind. The outside was fun, but she'd already had her walk. Most importantly ... She wiggled her butt and strutted into the kitchen. Whenever Cassian cooked, Lucky always got scraps—bits of meat or bread crusts. No way was she missing that. Natalie left Cassian and Lucky at home and headed out to meet Harold and Olivia. They made their way back to the neighborhood entrance, only to find it busier than before. Stalls were scattered around, but most owners were gathered a little ways off. Olivia tiptoed, trying to see over the crowd. "What's happening over there?" Harold craned his neck. "I can't see a thing." Natalie thought for a second. "That wasn't there before. It must be a new stall owner." Whatever they were selling, it was a hit—way more popular than when someone sold echinacea. Everyone nearby had flocked over. They moved closer. Olivia squinted. "Wait, is that a truck?" Through the packed crowd, they could see the roof of a big vehicle. Harold studied it, and his eyes lit up. "That's a water tank truck!" Selling water? No wonder it's so popular.Natalie finally remembered. In her previous life, a water tank truck came around this time. She hadn't thought of it immediately because she'd never seen it herself. It only visited their neighborhood once. That day, she'd been out scavenging. By the time she got back, the water sellers were gone and never came again. She ended up paying double just to get a little water from a neighbor. Harold and Olivia realized it was a water tank truck and tried to push in. Their water was running low, and opportunities like that didn't come often. No way were they missing it. Natalie quickly stopped them. "Hold on—watch for a stampede." With so many people packed together, one wrong move could get someone trampled. Suddenly, a shout came from the crowd. "Stop pushing! Line up!" Natalie froze. That voice was way too familiar. Then, a gunshot cracked through, and the whole area went silent. "I said line up!" The crowd scattered and began forming a line. No one dared argue. Natalie finally spotted the sellers by the tanker, pistol in hand. "Dennis, Arnold?" Harold and Olivia stared. "You know them?" Natalie nodded. "We've met before."Weren't they selling medicine? Now they're selling water? Dennis and Arnold hadn't noticed Natalie yet, still barking orders. "Don't just stand there! Go grab your buckets! "How do you expect to carry water without a bucket? I'm not giving it away! "Get your food ready too! One bucket of water for one pound of food. No credit!" The water tank truck had just arrived. Most of the people there were market stall owners and didn't have buckets. After hearing that, everyone rushed home to get theirs. Harold and Olivia decided to go back for their buckets as well. Olivia glanced at Natalie. "Nat, aren't you going?" Natalie looked ahead. "I'll wait here. You guys go." Olivia followed her gaze to the two men by the truck. Natalie probably wanted to talk to them, so she and Harold headed home first. With the crowd gone, Natalie stood out. Dennis spotted her immediately. "Ms. Ashford?" Natalie walked over. "It's been a while." Arnold also noticed her. "Ms. Ashford! What a coincidence!" Then, he asked, "Here for water?" Natalie shook her head. "No, I live nearby." Dennis nodded. "Someone like you probably doesn't lack water." He grinned. "Funny how fate works. We thought we'd be selling water near your place."Natalie nodded. "Yeah, funny coincidence." Arnold chimed in, "Thanks to you last time, we made a good profit and got a break from selling. We dodged that acid rain!" Natalie smiled. "You just got lucky." She glanced at the truck behind them. "So now you're selling water?" Arnold replied, "We've always sold water. During the plague, we switched to echinacea. Now that the plague and acid rain are gone, we're back to water." Always sold water?