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

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: An Incredible Painter Lives in the Phone

Putting her phone away, Hua Buwan’s emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Some people, even after losing touch for a long period, still had endless things to talk about once they reconnected. But others drifted apart as time went on, gone forever and impossible to bring back. Hua Buwan felt incredibly fortunate that she had met such a compatible roommate in college. It was one of life’s most precious treasures.

Chen Jingjing was coming over tomorrow, but she had to visit a friend’s house with her parents first and attend a banquet in the evening. She would only be free for a short while in the afternoon, though she would have the entire day free the day after tomorrow. After turning it over in her mind, Hua Buwan came up with a preliminary plan. Now, she just had to wait to see Chen Jingjing.

Setting her phone down for good, Hua Buwan washed up and climbed into bed. She quickly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, it was another scorching hot day in Dongxuan Country. After walking for a full day, the exiled prisoners were drenched in sweat.

Resting at the edge of the woods, the people finally settled down to the RUSTLE of the wind blowing through the leaves. The villagers nearby were already asleep, and the surroundings were so quiet that even the sound of falling leaves could be heard. The exiles simply found whatever they could to pad the ground and huddled together with their families to sleep. Every now and then, someone would swat at a mosquito. Even when their heads were covered in itchy bites, they only muttered a few complaints before falling back asleep. Walking all day was simply too exhausting; they had no energy left to care about the bug bites on their faces.

Ling Qianfan looked into the woods, occasionally letting out a heavy sigh. He felt like he was having a harder and harder time understanding what was going on in Qianjun’s mind. Today, he noticed that his older brother had been inexplicably sulking. He didn’t dare ask about it, but he was incredibly worried. His intuition told him that this had something to do with the Demon inside the door.

Just as he was agonizing over it, Ling Qianjun returned.

He wondered why Qianjun had gone through the door with a scowl, only to emerge with a smile. Even though Ling Qianjun’s smile wasn’t obvious—just a faint upward curve of his lips—Ling Qianfan still noticed it.

”Qianjun,” Ling Qianfan called out softly, standing up to greet him.

Ever since they started applying and taking the medicine the Demon had given them, Qianjun’s injuries had been healing nicely. His wounds were fully scabbed over now, and he no longer needed Qianfan to accompany him into the woods. Still, Ling Qianfan instinctively reached out to support his brother. He was afraid Qianjun was enduring the pain in silence again, refusing to tell them.

Ling Qianjun nodded and then walked over to sit beside Ling Yunge and Xu Panqing. Neither of the two women was asleep. They just gazed up at the starry sky, staring at the stars as if they could see their family members far away in the Capital City.

Ling Qianjun motioned for them to gather around. He carefully took out the cell phone, his peripheral vision scanning the people sleeping nearby. There were two government officers on night watch, but they were quite careless. Knowing that the prisoners wouldn’t try to run away, they were leaning against the edge of the woods, fast asleep. The rest of the exiles were a good distance away, and a large tree blocked the family from view.

Ling Qianjun had studied the phone deeply over this period and felt confident that he could explain it to his family without a hitch.

”This thing is called a cell phone,” Ling Qianjun explained softly. ”It’s a wonderful treasure from the Demon’s place. You can listen to music on it, watch plays, read books... What’s more, this tiny little thing can capture the likenesses of many people. The Painter inside it can draw a portrait in the blink of an eye.”

”Just like this.” Pointing the phone at the sky, Ling Qianjun took a picture. He had already asked Hua Buwan how to mute the device, so taking photos and everything else was now completely silent.

”Wow! This Painter is amazing. It painted the sky in an instant!”

”Did the Demon trap a Painter inside this little thing?”

”This sky is so beautiful.”