Fu Tingyun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at these words.

She had always taught the children to “rise at dawn” and led by example, always waking up slightly earlier than them. Little did she expect this would become something that disrupted Zhao Ling’s passion… It showed that everything in this world had its good and bad sides… Fortunately, Zhao Ling was usually not at home. When they first married, she never woke up early… If Zhao Ling were always at home, who knows how she would explain things to the children… Sometimes, there were benefits to him not being at home…

While lost in these random thoughts, she quickly dressed and went to open the door.

Youyou pounced on her like a little magpie.

“Mother, Mother,” she said with smiling eyes and a face full of joy, chattering away, “Where’s Father? I miss Father so much! Big Brother and Second Brother miss him too. But they’re not as obedient as I am. I dressed myself,” she said as if seeking praise, “You must tell Father later, all right?”

Fu Tingyun smiled as she hugged her daughter, gently pinching her rosy cheeks, and said, “Good, when we see Father, we’ll tell him. I’ll also tell him that Youyou has been very good at home, not only learning to dress herself and eat by herself, but also learning to recite thousand-word poems and helping Mother look after Young Master Xi and Young Master Xu!”

Youyou’s big eyes curved into crescent moons with delight.

She nodded repeatedly.

Mother Tong, however, felt somewhat awkward.

The meal tray had already been set, yet Zhao Ling had returned. Naturally, everyone in the household had been alerted. Anxin had told her not to disturb the young mistress and master, saying the master had matters to discuss with the mistress tonight.

Being experienced, she naturally knew what these “matters” were.

She had originally intended to bring Youyou over later, sitting at the bedside telling Youyou stories, but Youyou had insisted on getting up, urging her to hurry, saying, “I can’t get up later than my brothers, or they’ll laugh at me.” With no alternative, she had helped Youyou put on her shoes. As soon as she put them on, Youyou had slipped off the kang bed, wanting to pay respects to her mother. She had no choice but to tell Youyou that Zhao Ling had returned, adding, “At this hour, the master hasn’t risen yet! Let’s go over later.” But rather than helping, this only made Youyou more impatient. When Mother Tong glanced away momentarily, Youyou had run to the main room.

Now she could only mumble an explanation: “Madam, it’s my fault, I couldn’t stop the young miss…”

Fu Tingyun felt mortified inside, but maintained a gentle and gracious expression, smiling as she waved her hand, saying, “It’s fine, it’s about time to get up anyway.”

Mother Tong sighed in relief.

Fu Tingyun then instructed Youyou: “Keep your voice down. Father only returned in the middle of the night and hasn’t gotten up yet!”

Youyou nodded repeatedly, covering her mouth with her small hand to indicate she wouldn’t make any noise.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but smile, carrying her daughter into the inner chamber.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ling had already risen and was sitting on the bed, putting on his shoes.

As soon as Youyou saw him, she spread her arms wide with joy and rushed toward Zhao Ling: “Father, Father!”

Zhao Ling, with only one shoe on, came over and took Youyou in his arms.

Youyou wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, loudly calling “Father,” and said, “I missed Father so much!”

This delighted Zhao Ling, making him beam with joy.

Fu Tingyun, watching from the side, couldn’t help but smile as well.

At that moment, the room was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Young Master Xi and Young Master Xu were also brought in by their respective nannies.

Four-year-old Young Master Xi understood a bit more and, upon seeing Zhao Ling, immediately ran over to hug his father’s leg, shouting, “Father hug me too, hug me too!”

Ten-month-old Young Master Xu, however, understood nothing. Looking dazed and confused, he watched his sister and brother with a silly smile, hiding in his wet nurse’s arms while sucking on his little finger.

Zhao Ling freed one hand to hold Young Master Xi, then walked over to Young Master Xu and asked him, “Do you recognize Father?”

Young Master Xu glanced at his mother, then turned and buried his head in his wet nurse’s bosom, refusing to look up despite her coaxing.

Zhao Ling sighed.

Young Master Xu peeked at Zhao Ling from his wet nurse’s arms.

This made everyone laugh.

Yu Wei entered smiling, bringing Zhuzhen and Kouer with water.

Zhao Ling handed the children to Fu Tingyun: “Father hasn’t washed up yet. I’ll play with you all later!”

Youyou happily responded “Yes,” following Mother Tong and the others to the hall.

Zhao Ling and Fu Tingyun washed up in the side room. When they came out, Yu Wei and the others had already tidied up the inner chamber.

Fu Tingyun’s face was slightly flushed.

Yu Wei pressed her lips together in a smile and asked Fu Tingyun, “Breakfast is ready. Where would you like it served?”

Fu Tingyun looked at Zhao Ling.

Zhao Ling thought for a moment and said, “Let’s have breakfast in the inner chamber! Let the children sit on the kang.”

Fu Tingyun nodded to Yu Wei, who smiled and responded, “Yes,” instructing the female servants to bring in the breakfast table for the kang.

Zhao Ling noticed that the two elderly maidservants were unfamiliar faces, knowing they were new since his departure. He asked Fu Tingyun, “Is there enough money for the household?”

“Plenty,” Fu Tingyun smiled as she got onto the kang. “Before you returned last night, I was calculating accounts with Yu Wei, planning to buy a villa on Yuming Mountain.”

Zhao Ling nodded, handing over one of the backrest cushions behind him to Fu Tingyun: “It would be good to buy a villa. In summer, you can take the children there to escape the heat.” As he spoke, he also passed her a cup of tea.

The two elderly maidservants cast surprised glances at Zhao Ling, then whispered to Zhenzhu as they left, “The master treats the mistress so well! Concerned that she might not be comfortable, he even gave his backrest cushion to the mistress.”

“Of course,” Zhenzhu replied, straightening her posture proudly. “Otherwise, why would our master have only the mistress as his wife?”

The two elderly maidservants nodded repeatedly, with one smiling half in respect and half in flattery, “If I had a wife as beautiful as the mistress, I wouldn’t look at anyone else either.”

Hearing this, Zhenzhu felt even more proud, nodding haughtily before turning to go inside and attend to her duties.

Youyou was already quite adept at using chopsticks, eating slowly and chewing thoroughly, with elegant movements when picking up food. Zhao Ling nodded in approval as he watched.

Young Master Xi, sitting beside Youyou, ignored the dish of sauce-dipped cucumber in front of him, stretching his neck to look at the braised pork on Zhao Ling’s side.

Zhao Ling looked at his eldest son’s chubby little face and smiled, “Do you like meat?”

Young Master Xi nodded repeatedly, casting a grateful and ingratiating look at his father.

Zhao Ling laughed, lifting the dish to place it in front of Young Master Xi, but was stopped by Fu Tingyun: “If everyone wants their favorites in front of them, what about others? Should they not eat at all?”

Zhao Ling found her reasoning sound and returned the dish to its original place.

Young Master Xi looked at his mother with some trepidation and said softly, “I, I can’t reach it!”

“If you can’t reach, stand up to get it,” Fu Tingyun said. “Or ask your sister sitting beside you to get it for you. A real man eats when he wants to, drinks when he wants to—how can you be so hesitant? If you don’t have the courage, then don’t do it.” While speaking to her eldest son, her peripheral vision was on her second son sitting in her lap. She saw Young Master Xu’s little hand reach for the dishes on the table as quickly as lightning. Fu Tingyun hurriedly tried to stop him, but was a step too late. A plate of salt-frosted peanuts in front of her was grabbed by him, scattering peanuts all over himself and the kang.

Zhenzhu quickly came forward to clean up.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but put her hand to her forehead.

Zhao Ling was also surprised: “How did his hands become so quick?”

“I don’t know who he takes after,” Fu Tingyun said with some helplessness. “In any case, whenever holding him, one must stay far away from those jars and pots, otherwise either he suffers or the containers do.”

Zhao Ling found this very interesting, clapping his hands and saying, “Come, come to Father!”

Zhenzhu and the others quickly moved the hot dishes like stir-fried three-shred from in front of Zhao Ling to Fu Tingyun’s side, and moved the cold dishes like preserved radish from Fu Tingyun’s side to Zhao Ling’s. Only then did Fu Tingyun hand the child to Zhao Ling.

Zhao Ling now understood why only hot dishes had been placed in front of him. He joked, “I thought you were being considerate, placing all the good dishes in front of me because I couldn’t get such good food in Guizhou. I misunderstood; it was actually to prevent Young Master Xu from grabbing them!”

Fu Tingyun laughed at this and said, “I didn’t know you were living so frugally in Guizhou. Should I send you some silver for better meals?”

“If the madam is willing, I would certainly be delighted,” Zhao Ling bantered with Fu Tingyun.

Youyou and Young Master Xi, however, were confused by their conversation, looking with wide eyes first at Fu Tingyun, then at Zhao Ling. Young Master Xi simply whispered to Youyou: “Father is so pitiful, he doesn’t even have meat to eat!”

This made everyone burst into laughter.

Perhaps it was paternal instinct, but although Young Master Xu had never seen Zhao Ling before, he was remarkably well-behaved when Zhao Ling held him.

Zhao Ling unfastened the jade pendant from his waist and dangled it in front of Young Master Xu: “Come, if you can grab it, it’s yours.”

Before he finished speaking, driven by a child’s natural curiosity, Young Master Xu had already reached for the jade pendant.

Zhao Ling immediately raised his arm.

But Young Master Xu still managed to grab the tassel of the jade pendant.

Zhao Ling was quite surprised and tried several more times.

Young Master Xu was occasionally able to grab the tassel of the jade pendant.

“This child is extraordinary!” Zhao Ling’s expression gradually became serious. After thinking for a moment, he said to Fu Tingyun, “I think we should find a good martial arts teacher for Young Master Xu.”

Fu Tingyun was stunned: “You want him to become a military officer?”

“Not necessarily a military officer,” Zhao Ling said thoughtfully. “The reason my master didn’t immediately accept me as a disciple was, firstly, I was too old and had missed the best time to learn martial arts, and secondly, my aptitude wasn’t sufficient… Looking at Young Master Xu, with such nimble hands and feet, he may be excellent material for martial arts training… I wouldn’t want to waste his talent…”

Fu Tingyun sensed something implicit in Zhao Ling’s words and couldn’t help asking, “Do you already have someone in mind?”

Zhao Ling nodded and said, “I know an elder from my master’s lineage who is a Taoist priest at Mount Jiugong, an expert in internal martial arts. My master said his martial prowess is unparalleled and praised him highly. I met him once when I was young, passing by Mount Jiugong with my master. Since I didn’t want to be connected with jianghu figures, I never visited him again. If you agree, I’d like to invite this elder to our home to initiate Young Master Xu’s training…”

Fu Tingyun felt somewhat troubled and said, “I have no fondness for those idle so-called jianghu heroes. I certainly don’t want my son to become such a person.”

Zhao Ling laughed heartily and said, “I don’t have much fondness for them either. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone so many years without visiting this elder. I just thought I’d try to invite him. If he accepts, we’ll consider him a martial arts teacher for the children. If not, I’ll think of other ways to find an expert. For a family like ours, even if the children don’t excel in horsemanship and archery, they should at least understand the basics.” As he spoke, he gently pinched Young Master Xi’s chubby little face. “Besides, it will strengthen their health.”

“That’s true,” Fu Tingyun pondered. “In any case, I don’t want my son to become some jianghu wanderer. When your elder arrives, I’ll treat him just like any ordinary martial arts instructor.”