Stockpiling for an Exiled General Through My Store's Back Door

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Incredibly Fragrant

The four of them opened the lids of their instant noodle bowls at the exact same time. Instantly, the aroma wafted through the room, making them lightheaded from the scent alone.

Ling Qianfan continuously inhaled the steam rising from the noodles, feeling as if missing even a single breath would be a waste. ”Qianjun, so this is what the instant noodles eaten by the Demon smell like! It smells so good!”

Ling Yunge stared intently at her bowl of noodles, swallowing hard. ”I know the taste of a Demon!” she declared. It smelled absolutely incredible!

Xu Panqing tossed aside the proper etiquette she had been taught since childhood, looking as if she wanted to bury her face straight into the bowl. ”Let’s eat quickly.”

”Okay!” The rest of them couldn’t wait any longer.

Using the plastic forks that came with the bowls, they twirled up massive bites of noodles and shoved them into their mouths.

”Hot, hot, hot!” Ling Yunge ate too eagerly. Having forgotten to blow on the noodles before stuffing them in, her small lips were instantly flushed from the heat.

Ling Qianfan had stuffed his mouth so full that he had to cup his hands around it, frantically inhaling and exhaling to cool down the scalding food.

Xu Panqing had only taken a small bite, so she managed to swallow it quickly. She sighed in awe. ”These instant noodles are truly delicious. They’re even better than the food made by the Imperial Chef in the Imperial Palace!”

Ling Qianjun was already mentally prepared, so his reaction wasn’t as exaggerated. He just ate in massive gulps, completely unable to stop, and thus offered no commentary. Seeing this, the other three abandoned all conversation and buried their heads in their meals, eating heartily.

The savory flavors of the braised egg, braised chicken wings, and shredded crab sticks stimulated their tongues, completely conquering their taste buds. The four ate until they were beaming with pure bliss, their mouths greasy.

About fifteen minutes later, they finally set down their forks. Picking up the bowls, they all began to drink the broth—GLUG, GLUG, GLUG—refusing to waste even a single drop.

”BURP!”

With their stomachs pleasantly round, they followed Ling Qianjun’s recommendation and unscrewed the caps on their fruit juices. Ling Qianjun had brought four flavors: orange, grape, passion fruit, and sour plum. After eating something so rich, taking a sip of the sweet and sour juice was a revelation. It soothed their stomachs significantly.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

The people squatting outside the door simply couldn’t hold back anymore, and one of them raised a hand to knock. Everyone in the entire inn had caught a whiff of this mouthwatering aroma. At first, they assumed it was coming from the kitchen and had gone to check, but found nothing. They then sniffed their way past each room, one by one, until the trail led them to the room occupied by Ling Qianjun’s group. The scent was strongest right outside their door.

”Are you eating something in there? Why does it smell so good? Can I pay you for some?” Among the exiles, there was no shortage of people with a bit of coin. Unable to resist the temptation of the scent, someone spoke up.

Beside the speaker, several others who had followed the smell nodded in agreement, drool practically dripping from the corners of their mouths.

Inside the room, Ling Qianjun had noticed the moment someone approached the door and had silently signaled the rest of the Ling family. Because of this, they had eaten quickly. By now, they had already cleared everything off the table and stuffed the empty containers into a supermarket shopping bag.

Right as the people began knocking, Ling Qianjun carried the bag of trash through the Any Door and over to Hua Buwan’s side. After a brief word with Hua Buwan, he turned around and stepped back into the inn.

They had already thrown open all the windows in the room. The wind swept in, blowing away the lingering scent.

The people outside were growing impatient and were now slapping the wood. BANG, BANG, BANG!

Ling Qianjun directed Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge to move toward the bed, while he and Ling Qianfan stood up to open the door.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!

THUD!