Chapter 77: Second Brother Is Acting Weird

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Second Brother Is Acting Weird

Emerging from the woods, Ling Qianjun walked straight toward his family gathered around the campfire roasting fish.

They were resting by the river tonight. The government officers had taken the lead in catching fish in the water, and the exiles naturally followed suit.

However, they all noticed that the river was much shallower today than before. When they waded in to catch fish, the water only reached the adults’ knees. It was too shallow even for a proper bath.

Moreover, ever since they started their journey south, not a single drop of rain had fallen for days. Back in the Capital City, they had heard rumors of a drought. They were probably nearing the drought-stricken region now.

As the government officers passed through villages and towns, they asked the locals about the road ahead. Over the past two days, they had purchased new wooden buckets to start storing water. They even asked the strong, able-bodied young men to help push the carts, rewarding them with an extra steamed bun each day.

Tonight, everyone was eating roasted fish, the savory aroma drifting through the air.

Seeing Ling Qianjun return, Ling Qianfan held up his freshly roasted fish like he was claiming credit. "Qianjun, look at what I roasted. This is for you."

Ling Qianjun looked at Ling Qianfan with gratification. Reaching out to rub Qianfan’s head, he said, "You’re amazing, Qianfan. Then I’ll gladly accept."

Ling Qianfan, Ling Yunge, and Xu Panqing all waited eagerly to watch Ling Qianjun take his first bite. To their surprise, Ling Qianjun took the roasted fish and walked straight back into the woods without even looking back.

However, as he left, he tossed a bag of things into Ling Qianfan’s arms. "A gift from the Demon. Hold on to it," he said.

"Hey? Hey, hey? Qianjun, you..." Qianfan thought to himself, "Why are you going into the woods to eat the fish? Sit down and eat! Wait, this isn’t right!"

Ling Qianfan watched Ling Qianjun’s retreating back, then turned his head to meet Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge’s eyes. All three pairs of eyes gleamed with intense curiosity.

Holding a roasted fish in her hands and with her mouth shiny with grease, Ling Yunge said, "Who do you think Qianjun is taking that roasted fish to?"

Ling Qianfan sat down and shrugged. "Do we even have to guess? It’s definitely for the Demon. Who else could it be?"

Xu Panqing was both worried and curious. "Do you think that Demon is pretty? I’ve noticed Jun’er acting a bit strange lately."

"She must be gorgeous, otherwise how could she be a Demon? Demons are usually soul-stealing beauties. She probably looks like a heavenly immortal." Ling Qianfan went back to roasting his fish.

Ling Yunge took a bite of her own food. After swallowing, she added, "Has Qianjun fallen for the Demon? Is he bewitched?"

"Yunge, don’t just doubt Qianjun like that," Xu Panqing said sternly. "Perhaps he’s just returning a favor by bringing her roasted fish. After all, the Demon has treated us quite well. Ask yourselves: has the Demon done anything bad to us during all the time we’ve been trading with her?"

Ling Qianfan hesitated for a moment but still spoke his mind. "But the Demon charges so much! All our gold and Silver..."

Ling Yunge disagreed. "Qianfan, look at the situation we’re in. The Demon sells us things that don’t even exist in Dongxuan Country. Rare things are precious, so we’re not exactly losing out. Think about it—if we gave that gold and Silver to the government officers, what would they give us in return?"

Xu Panqing chimed in, "Yunge is right. The Demon also stores our belongings for us. We can wash up every night and even blow-dry our hair. Without the Demon, how could such things happen on the road to exile? It would be unimaginable. Many exiles arrive at their destination smelling sour and covered in lice."

Ling Qianfan nodded thoughtfully. "I guess so. We also get plenty of delicious snacks and pastries every day, along with perfectly pure water to drink. That water is so sweet."

Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge nodded in agreement.

"What do you think is in this bag?" Ling Qianfan’s attention finally shifted to the bundle in his arms.