Chapter 166: Ch.165 Little Friends

Chapter 166: Ch.165 Little Friends

The small family of three huddled around the stove, enjoying a midnight meal of hamburgers with hot water. It was the best meal they had had in over a month.

Outside, fewer people were jumping to their deaths, and now that the man of the house had found work, life seemed to be slowly improving for them.

Steve Rogers stuffed himself with beef burgers until he was about to burst. Lying on his old wooden bed, listening to the howling wind outside, he slept soundly that night.

Although the hamburgers weren't the cream cakes of his dreams, life was now nearly as good as it had been in those dreams. He didn't know when this "Wilson Enterprises" had appeared, but his heart was full of gratitude.

The next morning, Steve's parents left the house early. He also got up early to help with chores, like lighting the fire and preparing food.

His mother, suffering from malnutrition, was frail but still insisted on going out to work. She would clean houses in the wealthy district a few blocks away to earn some money.

After breakfast, Steve returned to his small room to study. He had thought he wouldn't need his textbooks anymore.

But he hadn't been studying for long when someone started tapping on his window.

Looking up, he saw his friend Bucky Barnes outside, peeking around with his characteristic mischievous smile.

"Steve, come out and play!"

Steve rolled his eyes and opened the window. Their apartment building was structured so that there was a small vent in the corridor. If opened, a skinny kid like Bucky could squeeze through, which was probably how he had sneaked out of his locked home.

"Didn't your dad tell you to stay home and study?"

Bucky waved off the question and climbed in through the window, plopping down on Steve's small bed.

"What's so great about studying? We'll have plenty of time to study once we're back in school," Bucky, the black-haired boy, said while scratching his ear, showing no interest in books.

Steve knew this would happen. Bucky was just like his father—asking him to sit still and study was worse than killing him.

"If your dad comes home and finds out you ran off, you're dead."

Bucky scratched his head. "He won't find out as long as we get back before he does, right?"

Bucky spoke mysteriously, winking and making faces at Steve.

Steve understood what Bucky was up to. To be honest, he was curious about the company too, but not to the point of rushing out to investigate like Bucky.

"Listen, Bucky, you can just ask your dad about the company tonight. Even if we find it now, what would we do next?"

Bucky jumped off the bed and leaned closer to Steve, his black eyes filled with excitement.

"Aren't you curious? Last night, they handed out at least a hundred thousand hamburgers and sandwiches. I mean, if they have any leftovers, maybe we could get a few more? We've been starving for over a month. More food is always better, right?"

Steve had to admit Bucky's reasoning made sense. He was tempted, but begging or 'picking up' food wasn't the right thing to do.

"No, Bucky, we can go see where our fathers work, but we can't beg for food," Steve insisted.

Bucky nodded, agreeing with Steve, but he hadn't planned on begging.

"I'm not talking about begging. We might not be strong, but we can read and write. Think about it—they hired so many people yesterday. Today, there must be lots of follow-up work, like recording phone numbers, writing employee IDs, and making badges. We could work as temps and earn our food that way. It's honest work, nothing to be ashamed of."

Some places didn't have phones, but there was always something to record, right?

Earning food through labor was a smart idea, and Bucky was always sharper than Steve.

This was a rare opportunity. They might only work for a day or two, but it would bring in plenty of food, easing the burden on their families while also learning more about this mysterious company.

Steve was convinced. He stood up, started getting dressed, and put on his newsboy cap.

"Alright, let me leave a note for my mom, and then we'll go."

"Ha! That's the Steve I know. I'll wait for you."

Bucky happily stood up and began pacing around the room, urging Steve to hurry.

The city was never short of clever people. If a kid like him could think of this, others probably could too. Although they only wanted to do the boring jobs adults didn't want, the earlier they got there, the better.