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

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: What Stupid Thing Did You Do

The moment the door opened, the people outside tumbled forward like a collapsing human pyramid, piling on top of each other and spilling into the room’s doorway.

The person at the very bottom had it worst. His face was squashed out of shape, and he bared his teeth, crying out in agony. The rest weren’t much better off, howling and groaning in pain.

Ling Qianjun and Ling Qianfan agilely stepped aside, avoiding being dragged down by the mob.

Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge knew people had been crouching outside the door, but they hadn’t expected this many. Seeing the spectacle, they couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

Naturally, the government officers had also caught wind of that tantalizing aroma and had tracked it to Ling Qianjun’s room. What they couldn’t figure out, however, was how such a mouth-watering smell could be coming from here. Ling Qianjun and his family hadn’t ordered any food from the inn, nor had they had any opportunity to go out and buy any. Furthermore, seeing so many people converging on this room’s door, the officers had decided not to stick their necks out. They had simply sat quietly on the first floor, observing.

Now was the perfect moment. They hurried upstairs at a brisk jog, calling out sternly, ”What’s going on here? Who is making all that racket?”

Upon arriving and seeing the pathetic pile of people sprawled in the doorway, it was easy to guess what kind of foolishness they had been up to. The government officers shot a look of disgust at the people on the floor before turning their attention to scan the interior of Ling Qianjun’s room.

The table was empty. The surrounding area was empty. There was absolutely nothing!

The officers frowned. His mother and sister were huddling over by the bed, so the food probably wasn’t hidden there. How could there be nothing? That aroma had clearly come from here!

Exchanging a glance, the government officers stepped into the room to get a closer look. It really was completely bare.

Realizing that the government officers were inspecting the room, Xu Panqing hastily stood up, pulling Ling Yunge up with her. This allowed the officers an unobstructed view of the bed as well. Left with no other choice, the government officers withdrew their scrutinizing gazes and began shooing the crowd out of the doorway.

The people outside kept clamoring about how incredibly good it smelled and how they just wanted to barter for some food, but they, too, could see that there was nothing inside. They all found it incredibly bizarre. If there had been food, it couldn’t have just vanished into thin air! They had even checked outside the windows—no one had thrown any scraps out. In the end, they had no choice but to disperse, leaving in baffled disappointment.

Ling Qianjun followed the government officers out into the hall. The lead officer cast a suspicious glance at Ling Qianjun’s cuffs. Giving a barely perceptible chuckle, Ling Qianjun deliberately flicked his sleeves. They flapped emptily in the air, clearly incapable of hiding anything.

The lead officer abandoned his suspicions and said casually, ”I suppose enduring the hardships of travel and sleeping rough has made them so hungry they’re losing their minds. That smell might have just blown in from outside. I saw food stalls out the window earlier, and the wind is blowing right towards us.”

Ling Qianjun immediately agreed, ”You are very wise, sir. We could smell that overpowering aroma as soon as we opened our window. The food from those stalls must be quite excellent for the scent to carry for miles.”

”Mhm. Never mind all this. Close your door and get some rest. If you need anything, just tell the waiter. As long as you don’t leave the inn, we don’t care what else you do.” The lead officer waved his hand dismissively and returned to his own room.

The government officers were all staying on the first floor. From there, they could hear any commotion and keep watch over the entrance. They had forced the innkeeper to lock the doors and had confiscated the keys. The Shopkeeper and the waiters had to go through the officers if they needed to leave to buy supplies. This was all to prevent anyone from escaping.

Ling Qianjun carefully weighed the lead officer’s words. There was a deeper meaning hidden within them.

If you need anything, just tell the waiter.

He wondered if that meant they could pay the waiter to run errands and buy things for them. Could they even hire him to handle other tasks?