As Elena and Mary finally settled into their new routine, they had no idea that their lives were going to change way too much by this one order.
Ethan Cole, Elena’s lifelong nemesis and rival was in the town to survey the Cole family’s training school where they accepted children who wished to become soldiers as well as helped enroll the children of martyrs into proper schooling.
It was like a charity but it needed money to run and that money came from Ethan’s mother running a buisness and funding it.
The monthly salary of Ethan’s father and brother was more than enough for the family to live luxuriously but nowhere near enough to run a charity.
Of course, Ethan’s grandfather’s pension and retirement funds were left alone to the old man. The family didn’t dip into his savings.
So they got aids from the government, military comrades and Ethan’s mother.
All in all, it was a noble step.
Naturally, the Shaw family didn’t fall behind and had a same template school open for children as well as martyrs’ children.
It was the same concept.
But right now, Paula was heading back to the training school she mentioned.
She had concluded a deal with Luan and his four friends while she herself was happy that the children would get something filling and this delicious to eat.
She was from the city and was a martyrs’ daughter herself.
Her husband was also a soldier so she understood the children much better.
Thus, she was happy for them.
As soon as she entered the training school, she got a jolt.
"B-boss!" She exclaimed in surprise.
There under the eaves stood a eighteen year old boy in a tank top, training with the children enthusiastically.
She recognised him as the younger brother of Victor Cole.
Her husband worked right under Victor and was a Deputy Battalion Commander.
He too was young and would have been promoted if not for Victor appearing out of nowhere.
She had earlier held a grudge but then her husband explained things to her and talked it out so she stopped resisting.
And upon meeting Victor and Ethan, she fully came to work for them.
Her job was procurement of goods, cooking, cleaning and the like.
It wasn’t a luxury but it paid and she had connections.
She wasn’t a nany though.
Most children in the school aspired to be soldiers so they ought to learn and know all chores to be able to survive tough situations.
Thus, she was also an instructor who taught them basic survival and guided them in life and also helped resolved any disputes.
She was basically many-in-one.
Thus she was important to the Cole family.
Plus she was competent and her husband followed Victor unquestioningly and actually quite admired the youth so the two families had a good bond.
Her own child who was barely five was at the back imitating movements shown by Ethan.
She called Ethan Boss because in the past month, he had basically taken over this training school and would drop by multiple times to impart experience onto the kids.
He would even spar with the instructor to teach the kids.
It was very lively.
The reason Ethan was doing it was because he effortlessly defeated Lily.
She wasn’t his competition at all.
She celebrated being able to go into a college while he was going to the National Capital University.
The chasm between them was somewhat like heaven and earth.
So he didn’t find any satisfaction in it.
His parents, Edward and Eleanor, also didn’t seem to mind his withdrawal as they understood him too well.
He was their son, after all.
If they couldn’t even understand their own son, would they be even qualified to be parents?
Victor was busy in the army and had no idea about any of this.
Honestly, he didn’t even care.
He was married to the army, one could say.
And Ethan had no interest in joining the army.
He wanted to build a buisness like his mother so he was coming out to start fresh and hope to get some excitement in his life.
If Elena knew his state of mind, she would definitely diagnose him with clinical depression.
After all, depression didn’t just mean losing the will to live, being suicidal or self-harming.
It also included feeling like being worthless and hopeless and also not finding life worth existing.
Of course, Elena had knowledge up until the year 2020 so she could be sure of this updated definition of depression.
Alas, she has no clue about any of this.
Actually, it was William, Ethan’s grandfather, who suggested him to go out and find things to do.
Or else who knows if he’d still be brooding over losing his rival.
His college was starting soon and this was the last time he was here.
Paula of course didn’t know anything about all this.
She only assumed he was here to check on her.
Feeling guilty for spending such a huge amount on the children without any prior notice or approval, she shrinked back.
But Ethan had long since noticed her and was just about to come over.
As soon as he did come over, he smelled a familiar aroma and couldn’t help but be stunned.
He had competed with Elena in almost anything that existed under the heavens and he was no stranger to her cooking because she won sometimes and sometimes he won.
They had tasted each other’s dishes to find the winner and secrets of the other one but it was to no avail.
They weren’t professional chefs but their skills were quite high for their age.
Seeing Ethan’s gaze hover over to the baskets Luan was holding, Paula flinched, not knowing how to explain.
Cold sweat beaded her forehead as she racked her brain on what to do.
"What’s in there?" Ethan asked bluntly, not giving her any time.
"Uhm, buns," Luan answered instinctively as he felt intimidated by Paula’s boss who appeared way too suddenly.
But he knew it was also a chance to build connections.
So he didn’t let it slide.
"Why so many?" Ethan asked, hitting the crux of the matter.
"For the children," Luan answered before Paula could.
Ethan nodded and turned to Paula, "Why aren’t you speaking?"
"Uhm... This... They’re meat buns and a bit expensive," Paula answered through a broken voice.
"How much?" Ethan asked, unconcerned.
"Twenty cents each but Miss Paula made a deal with the seller so they will be eighteen cents each from tomorrow."
Luan once again beat Paula to the chase and Paula was cursing him in her mind. ’This idiot! Why won’t he shut up?’
"Oh? A discount of two cents? What deal, Paula?"
Hearing the question directed at Paula, Luan hesitated to answer but Paula beat him to it.
"Uhm... I... asked her... for five... five hundred buns daily!" Paula exclaimed the rest of her words, unsure about her punishment.