The taste of this medicine was truly unbearable. While it was true that good medicine tasted bitter, this was far too difficult to swallow.
Nowadays, he dreaded the moment he had to take his medicine. After drinking it, he would immediately grab handfuls of candied fruit from the plate and stuff them into his mouth, barely managing to suppress the unbearable sourness.
He wondered how many more days he would have to endure this bitter concoction; it was agonizing.
As Ling Muzhu stood up, he felt as if he had stepped on something. He quickly moved his foot and looked down.
Lying on the ground, all alone, was a dropped earring. Ling Muzhu bent down and picked it up.
To focus on preparing for the imperial examinations, he had sent all the maids away from the courtyard, leaving only the male servants to attend to him. In the past few days, only Chu Qing had entered his courtyard. Without much thought, it was clear this earring belonged to Chu Qing.
After a moment's hesitation, Ling Muzhu looked at the earring in his hand and decided to return it.
...
"Why are you in such a hurry? Your face is a little flushed, what's wrong?"
Feng Jin immediately noticed Chu Qing's unusual expression and asked kindly.
"Nothing... nothing... when I was coming back just now, I... I encountered a dog, and it chased me for a while. I was a little scared."
"Chased by a dog...?"
There didn't seem to be any dogs in the manor. Why would Chu Qing be chased by a dog? Feng Jin furrowed her brow in confusion and was about to ask a few more questions when Chu Qing hurried away.
"Young Madam, I... I still have porridge simmering in the kitchen. I'll go check on it first."
Chu Qing's nervousness was palpable. She quickly found an excuse and scurried away awkwardly.
She left the few people in the room bewildered, wondering what had happened.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Young Madam, I don't know either," Cai Qing shook her head.
"Mama... Mama..."
Little Treasure tugged at Feng Jin's sleeve with his small hands, his chubby little face tilted upwards. He said something astonishing, "Mama, can we catch the little dog that chased Chu Qing sister later?"
Wouldn't it be nice to raise a little dog to play with? Little Treasure was already fantasizing about having a dog, but the budding idea was quickly nipped in the bud.
"No, you're not allowed to keep cats or dogs. Eat your meal quickly."
Wanting a dog? They should first focus on raising these mischievous little rascals.
Feng Jin placed a chopstickful of green vegetables onto Little Treasure's plate. This child was very picky, and it wouldn't do for him to only eat meat and not vegetables.
"If you eat your vegetables, and you don't eat your vegetables, then you won't get to eat your meat either."
Feng Jin's tone was firm, with no room for compromise. Finally, under duress, Little Treasure reluctantly picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it into his mouth. It really didn't taste good.
"Greetings, Sister-in-law." Ling Muzhu stepped forward and bowed slightly to Feng Jin, his gaze constantly searching for Chu Qing. He couldn't help but clench the earring in his hand.
"Why have you come? Cai Qing, go get two bowls and chopsticks and ask the second young master to sit and eat something."
"Yes, Young Madam."
Cai Qing nodded slightly in response and turned to go prepare.
"No need, Sister-in-law. I've already eaten. I came here for something..."
"Second Young Master, the bowls and chopsticks are ready. You should eat first."
Before Ling Muzhu could present the earring he held in his hand, Cai Qing had already laid out the bowls and chopsticks. He had no choice but to eat, whether he wanted to or not.
He ate a couple of symbolic bites. As Ling Muzhu was about to speak, Da Bao came over, "Second Uncle, will you take me out to play later?"
"Okay, after you finish eating..."
"Great, Second Uncle, let's go quickly."
After Ling Muzhu gave a perfunctory agreement, Da Bao eagerly jumped up, grabbed Ling Muzhu's hand, and pulled him outside.
"Da Bao! Slow down!" Feng Jin called out helplessly. This Da Bao was like a wild horse that had broken free when he played, impossible to hold back.
"Got it, Mama!"
Da Bao shouted loudly, pulling Ling Muzhu impatiently out the door without any pause.
"Mama..."
Er Bao called out softly. Feng Jin immediately understood Er Bao's little wish and nodded, agreeing, "Go ahead, go play with your brother."
"Thank you, Mama," Er Bao exclaimed excitedly and disappeared in a flash.
Chu Qing walked in, carrying the cooked porridge, but couldn't find the two children. "Young Madam, where have the young masters gone? They've disappeared in the blink of an eye."
"They went out to play with Ling Muzhu," Feng Jin said casually, taking a bite of a shrimp. However, the shrimp was fried too lightly, lacking the proper heat. Frying it for a bit longer would have made it tastier.
Upon hearing Ling Muzhu's name, a flicker of panic flashed in Chu Qing's eyes, but she quickly concealed it, and no one noticed.
"You two don't just stand there; quickly sit down and eat together. There are so many dishes."
Feng Jin beckoned Chu Qing and Cai Qing to sit down. She couldn't possibly finish so many dishes by herself.
"Yes, Young Madam."
The two were already accustomed to this and did not decline, sitting down readily. As soon as they sat down, the sound of a fierce argument drifted in from outside.
"You are clearly in the wrong..."
"You are clearly being unreasonable!"
"Who are you calling unreasonable..."
"I'm talking about you!"
The childish, argumentative voices echoed throughout the room, instantly ruining Feng Jin's appetite. The table full of delicious food no longer seemed appealing, so she had no choice but to put down her chopsticks.
In a blink of an eye, Chu Chenyi and Lin Yuwei appeared at the doorway. Without needing to guess, it was clear that the quarreling voices belonged to them.
"The two of you, if you have too much free time, go back to your own homes and argue there. Don't cause trouble here; I want to eat my meal in peace."
She didn't ask for much, and it shouldn't be considered excessive. These two had developed a habit of coming to her whenever something happened.
Lin Yuwei would run to her place whenever something happened, and Chu Chenyi would follow close behind.
Now, whenever she saw them arrive, she knew it meant trouble. They were arguing their way in, probably because they had a disagreement about something again. This had become commonplace.
Were they treating her place as a courthouse, a sanctuary, or a place to vent their bad moods? It seemed like they ran to her whenever anything happened.