Nicole got up, removed the medical bag from his shoulder, and asked, "Are these from Mr. Nixon's family again?"

"Yes, he was quite insistent. He claimed these wild ones are very nutritious and asked me to bring them back for a nourishing soup for you," Roscoe answered.

After he placed the fish and jujubes down, Roscoe took a large chunk of meat and put it in the dog's bowl, announcing, “Keith, you get an extra treat today."

Keith wagged his tail even harder and bent down to eat.

While feeding Keith, Roscoe asked, "Did you keep the house safe today? I wasn't here, so you had to look out for Nicole."

Hearing him speak to the dog, Nicole laughed and said, "It's only a few months old, and you give it lectures every day like this."

Roscoe stood up, brushed off his hands, and explained, "When I was young, an elder told me all-black dogs without white hair are extremely perceptive. Tell them something a few times, and they'll remember it."

Nicole was astonished that Roscoe, being so young and educated, still held onto these beliefs.

What Nicole didn't realize was that Roscoe only embraced these superstitions after her illness began. In desperate times, people often turned to higher powers, hoping for divine compassion.

Nicole's situation was critical, and every day Roscoe prayed that the heavens would show her a little more kindness, not asking for much, just some improvement. For him, her health and Austin's well-being were all that mattered.

Nicole then asked, "How is Mr. Nixon's grandmother?"

"She caught a cold because of the weather. I've given her some herbal remedies. She should recover soon," he replied.

"That's good to hear," Nicole responded.

They had been living in this remote mountain village for nearly half a year.

On the night of their escape, they decided on their car not to flee the country. They knew that crossing the border, no matter how carefully disguised, would inevitably leave traces. Often, the places that seemed the most dangerous were actually the safest.

They decided to remain within the country, changing cars at a junkyard during their journey, and continued driving west for a full week, day and night.

On their journey, they swapped vehicles at junkyards in every town they crossed.

By the time they arrived at their current Location, they were driving the fifth car of their journey.

When their car eventually broke down, an elderly man at the entrance to the village offered them a place to rest.

The old man attempted to repair their car with tools he fetched, but since he had only ever worked on bicycles, he was unable to fix it.