Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The More I Listen, the More Off It Sounds
"Wow, this thing called toothpaste smells so good. It’s like fruit. Can we eat it?"
"Mother, this toothpaste is delicious, just a little hard to swallow."
"Mother, there are so many bubbles in my mouth! Can I eat a little more toothpaste?"
"..."
The longer Ling Qianjun listened, the more alarmed he became. Why were his mother and sister eating the toothpaste?!
Hadn’t he explained to them that it was for brushing their teeth? Oh no, they wouldn’t eat the soap later too, would they?
He had asked Hua Buwan beforehand and knew the toothpaste was safe even if swallowed, and that the soap was made of things like lard and honey, meaning accidental ingestion wouldn’t cause harm. Still, Ling Qianjun felt he needed to remind his mother and sister. Otherwise, he was afraid they wouldn’t get to use any of these items because they would have eaten them all.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Qianjun knocked on the door. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
The room fell silent.
"Mother, Yunge, those things are for washing up. It’s best not to eat them," Ling Qianjun said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Beside him, Ling Qianfan secretly covered his mouth and giggled. He wondered why his sister and mother were being so greedy, wanting to eat the things meant for brushing and washing.
Inside, Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge exchanged a glance and lowered their heads in embarrassment.
Xu Panqing replied softly, "Understood." She had also just tried a mouthful of toothpaste. Being called out by her son made her feel quite embarrassed.
Hearing her answer, Ling Qianjun said no more.
Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge didn’t dare eat the toothpaste anymore. As they silently brushed their teeth, they both praised the item. "This thing called a toothbrush is much better than the willow twigs we used before."
Ling Yunge even childishly competed with Xu Panqing to see who had more bubbles in their mouth, filling the room with cheerful laughter.
Outside the door, the two brothers were infected by the laughter, the corners of their mouths turning up slightly.
Finding it too boring to just stand there with his second brother, Ling Qianfan couldn’t help but ask about what his brother had seen and heard in the Demon’s world. Based on his own understanding, Ling Qianjun picked out a few things and began explaining them to Ling Qianfan.
Inside the room.
After brushing their teeth, they took off their clothes and crouched in the bathtubs prepared by the waiter, scooping hot water to wash themselves.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to soak in the tubs, but both of them were on their menstrual cycles. They couldn’t exactly sit and soak in a pool of blood. But having hot water to wash with and fragrant soap to use left them very satisfied.
Xu Panqing lowered her voice and instructed, "Yunge, after we finish washing up, let’s take out our old menstrual belts and wash them. I was worried about how to dry them before, but now that we have this hair dryer, we can blow them dry."
Ling Yunge nodded obediently. "Okay, I understand, Mother. The menstrual belts from the Demon are really nice, but we shouldn’t waste our old ones either. We can still wash and reuse them. We can’t expect Second Brother to buy them every time.
"By the way, Mother, Second Brother didn’t hide much gold or jewelry on him, so I’m afraid he’s already running out of funds. I still have a little hidden on me. Should I give it to him later?"
She had just mentally counted her "collection" earlier, and it was quite a sizable amount.
"Yes, we’ll give it all to your second brother later. Staying alive on the road to exile is the most important thing. The things from the Demon are very good and convenient to use. It’s much better than trying to buy supplies under the noses of the government officers. However, we still need to save a little for when we reach Lingnan," Xu Panqing added.
Ling Yunge nodded vigorously in agreement. For instance, when she had a fever, her temperature had dropped after taking just one pill from the Demon. They truly needed life-saving items like that.
After finishing their baths, they were pleasantly surprised as they used the hair dryer to dry their hair, their freshly washed clothes, and the sanitary pads they had scrubbed clean.
Xu Panqing sighed and said, "These new menstrual belts are nice to use, but why can’t they hold up in the wash? They completely fell apart, and the cotton inside scattered everywhere."
Ling Yunge nodded vigorously. "Exactly! They can’t withstand a wash at all!"
Outside the door, Ling Qianjun heard their complaints. After thinking it over, he planned to talk to Hua Buwan later and see if they could buy some washable menstrual belts.