Chapter 2 Snooping Around

Snooping Around

Samantha stepped into the room and immediately began searching.

The family claimed they were poor, but she knew they were lying.

When her mother first married into the family, she brought a substantial dowry. The caris' an odd bunch-despite treating their daughter with indifference, they still gave her a generous dowry when she married. Yet, after her mother passed away, leaving behind only her, they did nothing to help. Instead, they turned a blind eye and openly mistreated a young girl.

As she mulled over these thoughts, Samantha didn't slow down. Finally, she spotted a hidden compartment tucked away in the corner behind the bed.

Her eyes lit up. She crouched down, pried open the compartment, and pulled out a small box.

Inside, colorful bills were neatly stacked. At a glance, she estimated there was at least a couple thousand dollars.

She didn't bother to count them-she simply stuffed them into her pocket, making sure not to leave a single bill behind.

Having secured the money, she continued searching the room, checking every possible hiding place. Eventually, she discovered another secret compartment beneath the bed. It had been hollowed out and was filled to the brim.

Jackpot.

With a satisfied grin, she pulled out a stash of gold coins.

Without hesitation, she secured the coins, triple-checked the room to ensure she hadn't missed anything, and then restored everything to its original state before slipping away.

Back in her room, she locked the door behind her and retreated into her private space.

She felt no guilt about taking what was rightfully hers. If her instincts were correct, those gold coins had belonged to her mother.

After all, the bed itself had been part of her mother's dowry.

Her father probably hadn't even discovered the hidden stash yet.

Samantha sat down and counted the cash: $1,652.70-a mix of bills and loose change.

Tsk. She guessed more than half of it must have been the compensation money from her mother's estate.

Satisfied, she tucked the money away and drifted into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, it was already dark.

Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized it was past midnight.

The previous owner of this watch-the original host of this body-must have had good taste. It was a Plum brand watch, an expensive piece for someone her age.

Feeling hungry, she pulled a large meat bun from her storage space-one she had bought earlier that day from a local diner.

The unique thing about her storage? Time inside remained frozen. Anything she put in came out exactly the same.

She made a mental note to get a set of kitchenware for her storage space. That way, she could cook whenever she wanted.

Despite having been raised as a privileged young woman, Samantha was a homebody and a skilled cook.

The Next Morning

When Samantha left the house, she cleared out all the toast her stepmother had made-along with two poached eggs.

"Samantha! Those eggs were for me and mom!" Leticia shrieked, glaring at Samantha's retreating figure.

The only response was the sound of the door slamming shut.

Samantha smirked as she ate the eggs. Leticia was probably fuming right now.

Later that day, she finalized a job deal with Lily and her mother. Once she received the payment, she dusted herself off and took a leisurely stroll around town

Despite the scarcity of resources in this era, there was a certain charm to it. The air was fresh, and the streets had a nostalgic feel.

She was content-completely unaware that the Carters had come knocking on her door, inviting her to dinner.

The Greens, were taken aback.

Had the Carters suddenly remembered they had a granddaughter after nearly ten years?

When Samantha returned home that afternoon, her family said nothing about it.

They knew the Carters were scheming-most likely trying to get their hands on a portion of Samantha's job earnings.

So, the Greens continued to wait.

And Samantha, still oblivious, continued preparing for her move to the countryside

Three Days Before Departure

Samantha took the opportunity to store away some supplies-quilts, thick winter coats, and pants she had commissioned from a local tailor. Aside from that, she packed light

Upon returning home, she sensed something was of

"What's going on?" she asked a woman gossiping near the front door.

The woman, assuming it was someone else, didn't bother to look up and started talking excitedly.

"The Greens are so admirable! All three of their kids are volunteering to move to the countryside. We got the notice directly from the local office-everyone was shocked! What did they do to deserve this? They're making the rest of us look bad! I mean, really, don't you think-

She finally turned and locked eyes with Samantha, whose face was clean and youthful, her big brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

The woman immediately choked on her words.

The gathered onlookers also fell silent.

Samantha grinned. "Alright, ladies, you've had your fill of drama. Time to head home and cook dinner. Show's over. Disperse."

And just like that, the crowd scattered

As she turned away, a rolling pin came flying at her.

Samantha narrowed her eyes, casually reaching out and catching it midair with ease.

She blew a strand of hair from her forehead and smirked, her expression cocky. "Oh? Are we attempting domestic violence now?"

Her father's face turned red with anger. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm asking you-did you sign Leticia and Lucas up under their names?"

Behind him, Abigail and Leticia sobbed dramatically.

"Dad, what are you talking about? I don't have a clue," Samantha said innocently, twirling the rolling pin.

Then she turned and shut the door in their faces.

The entire family shivered.

"You... you... what are you up to, you ungrateful brat?!" Her father sputtered, looking around for something to defend himself with.

Abigail and Leticia cowered behind the men like frightened rabbits.

Samantha scoffed. "Cowards."

The four of them stiffened, their faces full of indignation.

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You don't like that? Well, if you have a problem, step forward and say it to my face."

She twirled the rolling pin once more before flinging it past her father's ear, missing him by mere inches.

"AHHH!" Abigail and Leticia screamed, clutching each other in terror.

Her father turned pale. She was too fast-he hadn't even had time to process it.

Samantha remained calm, looking down at them with amusement. "If any of you think you can take me, be my guest."

With that, she turned and sauntered back to her room, her mood surprisingly light.

The Greens stood there in a mix of shock, fury, and helplessness.

They never expected that the once pitiful girl they could bully had turned into a fearsome devil.

With no way to fight back, Bowie and Abigail scrambled to undo Leticia and Lucas's placement orders.

Two days later, after exhausting all their options, they not only failed, but also ended up spending money on supplies for the trip.

By 5 a.m. on the third day, the train was ready to depart, carrying the volunteers to the countryside.

Out of options, Mr Green and Abigail gave Leticia and Lucas some pocket money, they also handed them their resettlement fees-$50 each, and sent her off.

Meanwhile, Samantha?

She collected her own placement fee, grabbed her suitcase and backpack, and boarded the train with ease-completely unfazed.

Bowie and Abigail reluctantly bade Leticia farewell.

The train rattled forward, its carriage crammed with people. The floor was cluttered with luggage, and various smells mingled together, causing Samantha to furrow her brows slightly.

But when she saw Leticia sitting across from her, her eyes red and puffy like a rabbit's, she suddenly felt much better.

If Leticia was miserable, Samantha was happy.

To make things even more amusing, Leticia was seated right next to Brandon-the guy with a rock for a brain. And Lucas was sitting diagonally across with one of his classmates.

"Hello! My name is Sasha. I'm heading to Grant County as part of the rural work program. Are you also going to the countryside?" The girl sitting next to Samantha pursed her lips into a friendly smile.

She had fair skin, though a few freckles dotted her cheeks. Still, they didn't take away from her clean and pleasant appearance.

"Yeah, my name is Samantha. I'm also assigned to Grant County."

"That's great! Maybe we'll end up in the same village." Sasha beamed, her eyes curving into crescents.

She then glanced at Brandon and Leticia.

Brandon, noticing that Samantha was looking out the window instead of paying attention to him, felt inexplicably annoyed. "My name is Brandon. I'm also going to grant County."

"My name is Leticia. I'm also being sent to the countryside in Grant County with my Sister..." Leticia hesitated, her voice timid as she looked at Samantha.

She had the expression of someone used to being bullied, nervously waiting for a response.

Before Samantha could say a word, Brandon frowned. "Samantha, can you stop bullying Leticia?"

Samantha: "???"

What the hell is this guy talking about?

Rolling her eyes, she decided to ignore him and shut off her awareness of the outside world, slipping into her private space instead.

If she had time for this nonsense, she might as well use it to farm.

The two vacant acres in her time vault had been bothering her for a while. She didn't know what to do with them, so she figured she'd plant some vegetables and rice.

Might as well make use of the empty land.

Meanwhile, Brandon sat there fuming as Samantha ignored everyone. Leticia quickly spoke softly to pacify him.

Sasha, watching the exchange, was utterly bewildered.

Inside her time vault, Samantha busied herself farming. By the time she finished, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was already dark outside.

The train ride would take three days and two nights. Stretching in her seat, she stood up under the pretense of using the bathroom but slipped back into her time vault instead.

She had prepared a hot meal earlier, so she ate until she was full, had a drink, and even washed her face before stepping out again.

When she returned to her seat, she gazed out the window, appreciating the pitch-black sky dotted with twinkling stars.

A rare moment of peace.

Her restless heart began to settle. As the saying went: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Even back in the modern world, she hadn't had a loving family. Most of her wealth had been periodically donated, and she had even written a will ensuring that if anything happened to her, the rest of her money would go to charity.

Not that her self-serving parents would have been able to touch her assets anyway.

Well... maybe this was a chance for a fresh start.

Meanwhile, back at the Green family's house...

Abigail had taken the day off, muttering about buying cotton and fabric to make padded jackets and quilts to send to her children.

Winter in Nebraska was much colder than Essex.

"AH-!"

Bowie was eating breakfast when the sudden scream startled him so badly that he choked on his food. His face turned red as he frantically reached for a glass of water, gulping it down to soothe his burning throat.

He barely had time to catch his breath before Abigail burst into the room, her face pale with shock.

"Bowie, our money-it's gone! All of it is gone!"

Bowie's face twisted in disbelief. "What are you talking about?!"

"Oof, more than a thousand dollars-completely gone! Everything is gone!" Abigail wailed, nearly collapsing.

Bowie sprang to his feet and rushed into the bedroom. Sure enough, the lockbox where they kept their savings was lying open on the floor, its contents completely emptied. Under the bed, their neatly stacked belongings were now a mess.

For a moment, he felt dizzy, his vision going black.

Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Call the police."

"Call the police?! What for? It must have been that damned girl, Samantha! That ungrateful brat must've been eyeing our money for a long time! No, I need to get it back from her!"

That was nearly two thousand dollars! Abigail felt as though her soul was leaving her body.

Bowie scowled. "I said, call the police!"

At this point, where could they even find Samantha?

Eventually, they reported the theft, and the arrival of the police caused quite a stir in the residential complex.

After an investigation, the officers concluded that aside from Bowie and Abigail's own footprints, there were no signs of a third person entering the room. The lock was intact, meaning it hadn't been picked or broken into.

The implication was clear: it was an inside job.

Abigail didn't fully grasp the meaning, but Bowie did. And so, the case was left unresolved.

Still, a seed of suspicion was planted in Bowie's mind. He had always known that Abigail secretly sent money to her family.

But he hadn't expected her to be this greedy.

Coincidentally, two days later, word came from Abigail's hometown-her nephew had just gotten engaged and they needed her support financially.

A dangerous glint appeared in Bowie's eyes.

On the other hand, Abigail remained blissfully unaware, too busy planning how to send supplies to her children in the countryside.

Back on the train...

When lunchtime rolled around, Leticia took out her food container. Inside was a portion of rice, stir-fried cabbage with eggs, and a side of pickles.

A decent meal.

She nudged her container toward Brandon. " I can't finish all this. Let's share it."

Brandon only had a sandwich and a few pickles. His expression turned slightly embarrassed before he gratefully accepted the food, looking at Leticia with newfound affection.

Samantha raised an eyebrow.

So, he was that kind of guy.

After a moment, she recalled who Brandon was.

A classmate. Back in school, he had initially tried to cozy up to the original host, hoping to take advantage of her generosity. But when he realized she was fiercely protective of her money, he quickly shifted his attention to Leticia instead.

What a joke. And Leticia, thinking she had stolen Samantha's "man," had been flaunting it around like a trophy.

Pathetic.

With that thought, Samantha took out her own lunch: An Energy bar, two scones, muffins and chocolate milk.

Several people around her glanced in her direction.

In this era, not everyone could afford to eat so much food by themselves.

Samantha ignored them and ate quietly.

Brandon, expecting her to react, was fuming as she completely disregarded him.

Meanwhile, Leticia-who had just been sharing food moments ago-suddenly glared at Samantha with resentment.

Without even looking up, Samantha muttered, "Keep staring at me, and I'll gouge your eyes out."

Leticia flinched, her face turning stiff.

Sasha, sensing the tension, immediately shrank back.

"Geez, what's your problem?" Brandon snapped. "She only glanced at you a couple of times. Do you have to be so nasty?"

Samantha finished her last bite and finally looked up.

Across the aisle was a row of seats arranged in a three-by-three setup.

The man speaking sat on the edge. He wasn't particularly old and seemed like he was from a rural area too. However, his clean-cut appearance and well-fitted clothes suggested he came from a well-off family.

Samantha glanced at him. "Does your family live by the ocean?"

The man frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" He had a feeling it wasn't a compliment.

"You sure do like sticking your nose in other people's business."

Laughter rippled through the bus, and the man's face darkened as he glared at Samantha. "You talk too much."

"Butting in," she shot back.

"You..."

"You what? Can't even string together a full sentence? If it doesn't concern you, stay out of it." Samantha smirked.

The man's face turned red with frustration. He took several deep breaths, trying to control his anger. When he looked at Leticia, who appeared on the verge of tears, a bitter feeling rose in his chest, like he had swallowed a fly.

He regretted interfering. Not worth the trouble.

Seeing him back down, Samantha let it go. She raised an eyebrow at Sasha, greeted her, and got up to use the restroom.

When she returned, the atmosphere had shifted.

Leticia and Brandon had stopped stirring up drama, but every so often, they'd shoot venomous glances in her direction.

Samantha took note. Some people never reflected on their own actions-only whether they felt slighted.

This entire trip to the countryside was proof of that. She was just giving them a taste of their own medicine. She wasn't any crueler than they were.

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

After three days and two nights, the train finally arrived in Nebraska. Their destination Grant county was a rural county outside Lincoln, in a small farming community called Red River. Samantha was assigned to Green Hill Farm within Red River.

She wasn't sure where the siblings were placed, but they were likely nearby.

Not that it mattered.

With a backpack slung over her shoulder and a suitcase in hand, Samantha looked much more relaxed than the others, who were bogged down by heavy luggage.

From the train station, they had to transfer to a bus that would take them to the town.

Samantha, always quick, claimed a seat by the window and pulled out an orange peel to sniff, hoping to counteract the nausea from the musty bus.

The others weren't so lucky. Most had to stand in the aisle, swaying with every bump in the road-like sausages hanging from a rack.

"Samantha, give your seat to Leticia," Brandon said, frowning at her as Leticia swayed slightly.

"Yes, Samantha, your sister looks like she's about to faint," the same man who had defended Leticia on the train chimed in.

He knew Leticia was manipulative, but he still disliked Samantha's sharp tongue more.

The older women on the bus joined in.

"Young lady, your sister doesn't look well. Be kind, let her sit."

"You're young and strong; you can stand."

"Yes, yes."

A chorus of agreement followed.

Leticia didn't say much. She just sat there, looking helpless, glancing nervously at Samantha.

The people who had traveled with them exchanged uneasy glances. Sasha wanted to speak up but was held back by a friend.

Samantha watched the performance with mild amusement. "Give up my seat? Sure... Not happening."

"Young lady, where's your kindness?"

Samantha's expression didn't change. "Kindness depends on the person. Should I be kind to someone who tried to drown me?"

A hush fell over the bus.

"Samantha, you're lying!" Leticia's face turned pale.

Lucas snapped, "If Leticia pushed you into the river, why was she the one in the hospital and not you?"

Samantha leaned against the window, inhaling the citrus scent of her orange peel. "Yelling instead of being polite, huh? Looks like you're just another stray my stepmother picked up. What a disgrace."

The bus fell silent.

The mention of a wicked stepmother struck a nerve with two other passengers who had suffered under their own stepmothers. Their expressions shifted.

Samantha continued, "When you have a stepmother, you get a stepfather too. I had no money for the hospital. Whether I survived was up to luck. But, lucky me-I pulled through."

"No, I didn't-" Leticia stammered.

"You don't need to be afraid, Leticia," Samantha said lightly. "I never reported it because I thought we should just move on as family. Otherwise, given your swimming skills, you'd have been the obvious culprit. But here you are, still trying to take what's mine-even a bus seat." She sighed, starting to rise from her seat.

Before she could stand, a woman in the back pressed her down. "Stay seated, Miss. Some people think they can take advantage of others by playing the victim, but we're not blind."

The bus went dead silent.

At this point, speaking up would only make them look foolish.

Besides, Leticia's act was too familiar-like something straight out of an evil stepmother's playbook.

Samantha smirked. Under the cover of the dim light, she shot Leticia a challenging glance.

Fighting fire with fire felt pretty good.

She turned to the young man who had spoken on her behalf. "Thanks, Henry."

Henry seemed briefly startled by her smile. Samantha actually kind of pretty, he thought.

"No problem," he said. "We're all in this together."

As they exchanged small talk, Leticia and her group seethed in silence.

Two hours later, they arrived in town. Several old farm trucks were already waiting at the station. Each had a hand-painted sign indicating its destination.

Samantha spotted the one for Green Hill Farm and saw that three people were already on board.

To her amusement, Henry was one of them.

The other two men were strangers, though she recognized one-Kyle, the guy who had butted into her argument on the train.

"Come on, hurry up!" The man sitting up front barked. He looked to be in his forties, wearing patched clothes but with an authoritative air.

Samantha figured he was the farm's team leader.

"Sorry for the wait," she said with a polite smile, climbing aboard.

The man gave her a once-over but said nothing, simply taking another drag from his cigarette.

After ten more minutes, the final three people arrived.

Samantha narrowed her eyes.

Leticia, Lucas, and Brandon.

Well, well. What a coincidence.

The three of them didn't look pleased to see her.

"Get in," the team leader ordered impatiently.

There were seven of them in total. None looked like they were built for hard labor.

Samantha leaned back, folding her arms with a smirk.

Life just got a lot more interesting.

Once everyone had gathered, the squad leader steered the wagon onto the dusty road, leaving town behind.

Samantha soon learned the name of the first guy who had arrived: Williams Kent, a city boy from Chicago.

No wonder he carried himself with such arrogance-kids from big cities always acted like they were a step above everyone else.

"Squad leader, how far is Green Hill from here?" Samantha had positioned herself up front, near where the squad leader held the reins. Taking advantage of the angle that blocked the others' view, she discreetly slipped a pack of Lucky Strikes into his hand.

The squad leader glanced at her, a bit surprised.

Seeing the clear, honest look in her eyes, he found himself liking her already. She had spunk. And the cigarettes? Well, that was just a nice bonus. Was this girl really part of his crew?

"If we keep at this pace, we'll get there in about two hours. It's a much longer walk, though sometimes a tractor passes through and gives folks a lift. But we don't make many trips into town-there's a general store at the commune that stocks most essentials," he explained, raising his voice so the other seven could hear.

Samantha chuckled. "Sounds like a trek."

The others watched as she chatted easily with the squad leader, even laughing now and then.

She seemed to be adjusting quickly-a sight that irritated Leticia.

Leticia huffed. She figured Samantha was just putting on a show. What good was it to suck up to some backwoods ranch hand?

After over two hours of jostling along the uneven road, Samantha's backside was numb. The expressions on the others' faces told her they weren't faring much better.

At last, they arrived at Green Hill, a small, rugged farming community tucked against rolling hills. The landscape was quiet and peaceful, but only if you ignored the barefoot kids running around the dirt roads and the locals wearing faded, patched-up clothes.

The youth dormitory was a cluster of weathered wooden cabins at the base of the hills, arranged around a small courtyard.

The wagon pulled up near the entrance, and the local foreman called out. Inside, the resident youth workers, who had been in the middle of making dinner, stepped out to see the newcomers.

"Alright, now that you're here, I won't waste time. If you have questions, talk to Timothy -he's in charge of the dorms," the foreman said, nodding toward an older young man standing nearby. Then, after giving Timothy a few more instructions, he headed off.

Timothy, who had been here six years, was about twenty-six, with a strong, square-jawed face that showed he'd done his share of hard labor.

"Welcome. The dorms are split-guys on the left, girls on the right. There's a shared dining area in the middle. Right now, we've got three men and four women, so you'll need to pick a room," he explained, before going into more details.

Space had already been tight before the seven newcomers arrived. Now, things were going to be even more cramped, which didn't just mean uncomfortable living conditions-it meant tension.

The older residents didn't look thrilled.

"As for food," Timothy continued, "harvest just wrapped up, but since you don't have any work credits yet, you'll have to borrow supplies from the farm. You can pay it back once you start earning your keep."

The newcomers, who had been feeling a little lost, now had at least some idea of how things worked.

Samantha hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked toward the last cabin on the right. "Anyone already staying here?"

Timothy smirked. "Nope. If you take it, you'll have it to yourself."

The women's dorms had four cabins, three of which were slightly bigger and housed two or three people. Each had a shared cot or wooden bunk.

"Why does she get her own place?!" Lucas snapped, shooting Samantha a glare.

Brandon scoffed. "Yeah, some people just have to act special, don't they?"

Timothy's expression turned impatient. "I wasn't finished. That cabin is the smallest one, and it doesn't have a bed. If you want it, you'll have to build one yourself."

He pushed the door open, letting everyone take a look inside. Immediately, their expressions soured.

The room was barely big enough for a cot, let alone any other furniture. If you squeezed a cabinet in there, you'd barely have enough space to move.

Leticia wrinkled her nose at the sight, but her irritation at Samantha overrode her distaste. She put on a pitiful expression and murmured, "Samantha, my health isn't great, I-"

"If you're sick, go see a doctor. You're not dying," Samantha cut her off flatly.

She shot a sharp glance at Leticia's legs.

"And if you call me your sister one more time, do you really think I won't break your legs?"

The moment stretched in silence. Leticia's expression twisted briefly before she lowered her head, playing the victim.

The older youth workers, some of whom had seen their fair share of family drama, exchanged glances.

Samantha, unbothered, turned back to Timothy. "Alright, I'll take this one. I'll handle my own setup."

"Works for me," Timothy with a shrug.

Without another word, Samantha rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning.

The older workers leaned against the railing, eating their dinner while watching her move in and out, clearing dust and cobwebs. She worked quickly, her motions sure and practiced.

She was used to this.

When she was nearly done, she pulled out a small padlock from her suitcase, fastened it on the door, and walked off just as smoothly as she'd arrived.

One of the older women, Jessie, sniffed. "She doesn't seem like the type to blend in."

No one disagreed.

Meanwhile, Samantha had already made her way into the heart of the commune. Two pieces of candy were enough to bribe a local kid into giving her directions to the foreman's house.

Most homes in Green Hill were built from weathered timber, but the foreman's house was half-brick, with a proper front porch and a big yard.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Samantha greeted the woman in the yard with a warm smile. "I'm new here-name's Samantha."

The woman, Margaret, turned, surprised to see a young girl with bright eyes and a face that could charm the devil himself.

What a pretty little thing. The boys in the brigade were going to lose their minds.

Margaret hid a knowing smile. "Well, hello there, Samantha. What brings you by?"

Samantha stepped forward, casually handing her a small sack of brown sugar. "I was wondering who I should talk to about building a bed and a cabinet. I'm new here and don't know where to start."

Margaret handed her mixing bowl to her daughter-in-law and took Samantha's arm. "Come on, I'll introduce you to someone. You sure you don't want to bunk with the others?"

Samantha laughed, smoothly passing the brown sugar to Margaret's daughter-in-law while they walked. "I'd rather have my own space. I like the quiet."

Their voices trailed off as they disappeared down the road.

Margaret's daughter-in-law grinned as she weighed the brown sugar in her hands.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a small homestead. Margaret cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered, "Hey, Curtis! You home?"

At this hour, most folks were eating dinner.

Her voice carried through the yard, drawing the entire household outside.

Samantha suddenly felt like she was in the spotlight.

However, she could handle it.

Curtis Kane and his large family were taken aback when they saw Samantha. My goodness, this new city girl was stunning!

"Curtis, this is Samantha, the new volunteer from Baltimore," Margaret announced matter-of-factly. "She'd like to hire you to build a heated bed, a wardrobe, and a chest of drawers for her room at the lodge."

Samantha smiled. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kane. I'd like to settle in as soon as possible, so I'll need you to get started this afternoon."

On their way over, Margaret had already mentioned that since these were large pieces and Samantha didn't have her own lumber, the cost would be a bit high. For everything-including the heated bed-it would come out to around $20.

Samantha decided to offer $20: $10 for the heated bed, $6 for the wardrobe (since it wasn't too large), $4 for the chest of drawers, and an extra $2 for labor. She wasn't strapped for cash, but she wasn't extravagant either. This was the kind of place where practicality mattered.

Curtis chuckled, wiping his hands on his overalls. "Alright, we can have the bed ready by this afternoon, and the wardrobe will take a couple of days. But we've got a chest of drawers already made-you can take that right away."

Samantha nodded. "Sounds good. I really appreciate it, Mr. Kane."

She thought for a moment. "By the way, I'll also need a stool, a wooden tub, and a small table for the heated bed."

She wanted to get everything in one go since she'd be living here for years.

"We've got all of that," Curtis assured her. "Tubs are easy to make, and we've got some ready-made ones in the shed. You can come take a look. Jason will bring everything over for you later."

Jason, Curtis's youngest son-probably 18 or 19-was tall and broad-shouldered. Hearing his name, he scratched his head and grinned.

"That works. Thanks, Jason. Mr. Kane, how much do you think all this will cost?"

Strictly speaking, cash transactions weren't common here, but bartering was. However, Samantha had arrived with just a suitcase, and taking out a bag of supplies out of nowhere wouldn't be realistic.

Curtis glanced at Margaret, who was smiling knowingly. He understood immediately-this girl had already won the favor of the foreman's wife.

After a moment, he said, "$15 should be enough."

Samantha frowned slightly. "That's too low."

She never liked taking advantage of others, nor did she let others take advantage of her.

"Make it $18."

Before Curtis could argue, Samantha reached into her bag and pulled out two handfuls of candy, handing them to the children playing in the yard.

"Here, some sweets for you all. Share with each other."

More than twenty candies filled their small hands.

Felicia, Curtis's youngest daughter, widened her eyes in shock. Her heart pounded-so much candy!

The kids hesitated, glancing at their grandfather. Curtis sighed, knowing there was no point arguing, and decided he'd make Samantha a bigger washbasin as a bonus. Then he nodded to the children. "Go on, take them."

The little ones beamed, clutching the treats carefully, as if holding a treasure.

With everything settled, Samantha and Margaret left the Kanes' house and parted ways.

On her way back to the lodge, Samantha passed by a group of boys roughhousing. She watched with amusement as they scuffled, clearly establishing some sort of pecking order. Once the dust settled and a winner emerged, she clapped her hands and continued on.

At the youth lodge, dinner was over, and everyone was lounging in the courtyard, cooling off.

The moment Samantha walked in, all eyes turned to her.

Leticia, who had been enjoying the attention just moments before, stiffened.

"Samantha, where were you just now?" Naomi asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

Samantha had already memorized the names of the others from their earlier introductions. She knew Naomi was the type to dig for information.

"I went for a walk," she replied smoothly, giving nothing away.

Naomi pursed her lips, unsatisfied, but before she could press further, the door swung open again.

Samantha turned at the noise-

And found herself staring into a pair of deep, striking eyes.

The man wore a blue work shirt and black jeans, his dark hair neatly trimmed just above his brows. His features were sharp, his posture effortless.

Well, well. What do we have here?

Samantha quirked an eyebrow internally but didn't let anything show.

She casually looked away, only to notice Naomi's expression had completely changed-her cheeks tinged pink.

"Tristan, you're back."

Her voice had taken on a sickly-sweet tone, making Samantha fight the urge to roll her eyes.

Tristan barely acknowledged her with a nod, heading straight for the water pump.

Behind him, Billy-another older volunteer-snorted. "Naomi, are you blind? Didn't you see me walk in too?"

Naomi's face darkened, embarrassed. She shot him a glare before storming off inside.

"Pfft..." Henry, another volunteer, barely stifled his laughter. Even the usually grumpy Lucas cracked a smirk.

It was true-nothing lightened the mood quite like someone else's misfortune.

"What's so funny?!" Naomi snapped, slamming the door behind her.

Billy, utterly unfazed, rolled his eyes dramatically. Then he turned to Samantha, his expression suddenly shifting to a friendly grin. "You're the new volunteer, right? I'm Billy. What's your name?"

His easy-going charm made it hard not to smile.

"Samantha."

"Tristan," the man at the water pump said suddenly.

Billy blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

Tristan didn't look at him. He simply gave Samantha a small nod before going back to washing his hands.

The other youth volunteers exchanged glances, sensing something unspoken in the air.

Before the tension could settle in, a voice called out from the entrance.

"Samantha, we've got your things."

Curtis and his two sons had arrived, carrying a stack of wooden furniture-everything she'd purchased.

The group watched in mild shock.

The older volunteers hadn't expected her to adjust so quickly, and the newer ones hadn't expected her to have already arranged so much for herself.

Billy crouched next to Tristan, nudging him with his elbow. "Hey, man, just now, you-"

"Are you bored?" Tristan shot him a look.

Billy clamped his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Samantha busied herself with arranging her belongings. The heated bed in her room was being set up, but once the fire was prepped for the night, it wouldn't be usable. And she wasn't about to air out her bedding in the open.

But that was fine-she already had plans to sleep elsewhere tonight.

After two hours, the bed was finished. A single-person heated bed didn't take long to set up.

As soon as everything was moved in, she locked her door and left the lodge.

At the foreman's house, she grabbed her introduction letter and caught the last bus into town.

She'd stay at a motel for the night.

New volunteers were given a day off to settle in, and tomorrow was meant for stocking up on essentials.

The foreman only gave her a brief reminder before letting her go. He had long since stopped being surprised by the odd behavior of city kids.

If they weren't doing something unexpected, that would be unusual.