Chapter 742: Good Looks Are All That Matters

Chapter 735: It Just Needs to Look Good

Sun Fuling stared at him for a few moments before slowly sitting back down, clearly intending to observe.

This was her way of agreeing.

He Lingchuan got to work with full effort, quickly assembling two bamboo frames and covering them with white paper. The room was warm, so the paper he had already pasted dried quickly, ready for drawing.

Sun Fuling waited, curious to see what else he could do besides writing a few words that made children cry.

When it came to drawing, He Lingchuan was an amateur, but he felt he had to make an effort in front of Teacher Sun. So he took out red and black pigments and colored the white paper using a splash-ink technique.

It was just random scribbling, at best filling in color blocks. Sun Fuling couldn't stand it. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Drawing fish!" He Lingchuan said, pointing to the fish-shaped bamboo frame. "Aren't koi fish these colors?"

Which colorful koi looks like graffiti?

"Should I draw a big black fish instead?" he continued. "That would be easy, but a bit too unrefined."

Sun Fuling struggled to keep a straight face. "As a great commander, do you also cut corners when training your troops?"

He waved his hand. "My soldiers all understand that the more they sweat in training, the less they bleed in battle. I don't need to whip anyone with bamboo sticks!"

Sun Fuling finally couldn't hold it in and chuckled.

Of course, he wouldn't whip people with bamboo sticks. The Yuheng Army, like the Dragon Coil Army, dealt with shirkers and lazybones using whips and staffs.

Seeing her smile, He Lingchuan finally relaxed.

Watching him move on to "ruin" another kite, first drawing two large circles on the back of the paper that looked like turtle shells, Sun Fuling was exasperated. "What are you drawing now?"

"Poisonous snake glasses—I mean, eyes," He Lingchuan said with serious solemnity. "I'm going to draw a golden-ringed snake."

"Alright, alright," Sun Fuling said, unable to watch his antics any longer. She snatched the brush from his hand. "I'll do it. You go paste the paper!"

He Lingchuan naturally didn't argue with her. He had already shown his limited tricks, and couldn't draw anything else.

But seeing the slight upturn of her lips as she drew, he knew Teacher Sun was in a good mood again.

As he watched Teacher Sun paint, he subconsciously asked, "Are you sure you're not a kindergarten teacher?"

"A young lion?" she asked, wondering if he was comparing her to a small lion.

"Nothing, nothing!" He looked at Teacher Sun's painting—simple lines, bold colors, and, *ahem*, full of childlike fun. "It looks good!"

It just needs to look good.

Working together, they finished the craft in about an hour and a half, making two more kites than originally planned.

"Let's keep these two for ourselves," she said. With laughter and teasing, their previous minor disagreement had vanished.

He Lingchuan noticed she had said "us."

Teacher Sun, meanwhile, heard his stomach rumble.

"Haven't had dinner yet?"

"Oh, no," he said, belatedly touching his stomach. He had been doing unpaid labor for Teacher Sun ever since he got back, with no time to find food.

And it wasn't entirely unpaid; he had even gotten a kiss.

Sun Fuling, unaware of his thoughts, scooped water to wash her hands as she said:

"Thank you for your help tonight. How about some roasted meat? The academy just distributed charcoal and two large pieces of pork today, plus some pork sausages from the restaurant down the mountain."

She had transformed back into the efficient and capable Teacher Sun.

Meat? He Lingchuan's spirits lifted. "What are we waiting for?"

He climbed back over the wall to his own kitchen, grabbing a charcoal stove with one hand and heading out.

This outdoor charcoal stove was one he had modified from a broken pot originally in his room. The broken opening on the pot had been smoothed down, perfectly serving as a charcoal inlet. The top had been narrowed to form the stove's cooking surface.

As for the grill, it was simple: a clean, thin stone slab.

Sun Fuling took ice from the mountain spring, placed it in an iron kettle, and set it on the heated stone slab.

On the other side of the slab, she placed sweet potatoes and autumn chestnuts.

He Lingchuan took a knife and sliced the washed pork into thin pieces.

This was all part of Teacher Sun's wages. She had specifically chosen pork collar, marbled with fat and lean meat, and then spread a layer of Yuheng City's specialty sweet pear sauce on it. When placed on the stone slab, it sizzled.

Yuheng City was formerly known as Pear City, producing large, sweet pears. Locals used them to make various snacks, the most famous being sweet pear sauce. This semi-sweet, semi-savory sauce paired perfectly with meat. When the pork collar, coated in sauce, was roasted until slightly crispy and eaten with carrot sticks, it created a delightful experience.

There was a satisfying crunch and a burst of flavor. The pear juice washed away the richness of the meat, leaving only a mellow fragrance.

He Lingchuan also baked a few flatbreads. Once the crust was slightly golden, he tucked the roasted meat inside, adding some pickled vegetables given by his landlord.

Sun Fuling took a bite of the meat sandwich, then a sip of wine, sighing contentedly.

"Your cooking really is getting better and better."

He Lingchuan bowed to her. "Thank you for the compliment. Unfortunately, when it comes to this skill, I still can't compare to Mr. Shao Jian."

Sun Fuling agreed. "His roasted meat is indeed exceptional."

"You've tried it?"

"Yes," she replied, taking a bite and pausing. "Before, Mr. Shao also used to take the academy children out for picnics. Once his roasted skewers were ready, no one would eat ours. I wonder where he is now?"

He Lingchuan instinctively looked up at the sky.

"Oh, by the way, you asked the Dean about the calculation for the Sky Net Star last time," Sun Fuling added. "Later, I noticed it glowed for two more nights."

He Lingchuan was startled. "When?"

"A month ago, and seven days ago."

That was the Dragon Punishment Pillar that Shao Jian had disseminated, now being used by followers of the Sky God.

He had been steadfastly carrying out his mission.

Sitting there, He Lingchuan felt a storm brewing.

He thought of Fang Canran.

After more than a century, the stubbornness and resolve of these two men seemed to be carved from the same mold.

The things they accomplished were all world-changing, and would subsequently bring profound impacts to this world, and even to the divine realm.

But this night, the stars twinkled, and the quiet night was like a painting.

Sun Fuling looked at the scattered lights below the mountain and suddenly said, "The lights in the city are more beautiful than the stars in the sky."

He Lingchuan looked down. Yuheng City couldn't yet be called a city of ten thousand lights, nor was it as brilliant as the Milky Way, but behind every lamp was a family, and a story.

Now, his task was to protect these countless households.

The two slowly sipped their wine, silent for a long while.

The snow had stopped long ago. Sitting by the warm charcoal stove, they didn't feel cold. Such a feeling of vastness between heaven and earth, with lights twinkling below, could not be experienced in Dragon Coil City.

"Has no one been fighting at the academy lately?"

"No," Sun Fuling said with a smile. "Yuheng Academy is also starting evening classes, with special sessions added specifically for your soldiers."

"That's a lot of work," He Lingchuan said sincerely. "The Xiluo people near Yuheng City are eagerly joining the army, but too few of them are literate. They at least need to understand commands and battle reports, and know hand gestures and codes."

The Xiji Kingdom previously discriminated against the Xiluo people, not allowing them to attend school. When Yuheng City was first captured, not a single literate person could be found among twenty Xiluo people.