Third Sister couldn’t help but complain: “What exactly does this Li family’s Thirteenth Young Master want? He’s still dwelling on Youyou’s mistake.”

“Who cares what he wants? We’ve done what we should, and there’s nothing for us to feel guilty about,” Fu Tingyun smiled as she walked back with Third Sister. “I’ve now safely handed him over to the Li family. If Madam Li still can’t control him, I think we don’t need to be polite with their family anymore.”

“Exactly.” Despite these words, after being disrupted like this, Third Sister still felt somewhat displeased. Thinking that this matter arose because of Youyou, she couldn’t help feeling distressed and said, “Even we adults can’t withstand such trouble, let alone Youyou—she’s still a child who doesn’t understand everything!” At this point, her expression tightened, and she said, “No, I must go see Youyou. With the Li family’s Thirteenth Young Master being so persistent, Youyou might think she’s the one at fault!”

Fu Tingyun hadn’t thought of this, but hearing Third Sister’s words, she also felt it necessary to comfort Youyou.

Together, they went to Youyou’s side room.

Youyou was sitting there with her head lowered, crying sadly!

Seeing Fu Tingyun and Third Sister, she tearfully threw herself into her mother’s arms: “I didn’t mean to…”

“We know, we know.” Before Fu Tingyun could speak, Third Sister was already stroking Youyou’s head and saying softly, “It’s that Li family’s Thirteenth Young Master who is narrow-minded. We’ll just ignore him.” She continued, “Our Youyou is a good child. It was unintentional, and you sincerely apologized to the Li family’s Thirteenth Young Master. It’s all that Li family’s Thirteenth Young Master’s fault.”

Hearing this, Youyou raised her head, and with eyes full of tears, asked Fu Tingyun: “Mother, is, is that true?”

Fu Tingyun felt a pang in her heart.

With Zhao Ling away from home, she was strict with the children. Not just Youyou, but also Xiao Gongzi and Xu Gongzi were very well-behaved and obedient. While family relations were naturally good, outside the home, when encountering unreasonable people, they would certainly be bullied. As a mother, she didn’t want her children to be bullies of the weak, but she also didn’t want them to be bullied arbitrarily.

“Your Third Aunt is right.” She couldn’t help kissing Youyou’s cheek. “Mother punished you before because you shouldn’t have shot pebbles carelessly. Now, it’s the Li family’s Thirteenth Young Master who is wrong, and it has nothing to do with Youyou.”

Hearing this, Youyou let out a long sigh of relief, and her brow showed signs of happiness.

She promised her mother: “I will never be so reckless again.”

Fu Tingyun smiled and advised her: “Be more careful in what you do in the future, and consider things more thoroughly.”

Youyou nodded repeatedly.

“Well, the storm has passed,” Third Sister looked at them and smiled. “Let’s go eat! That boy was at the table earlier, and I felt so upset that I couldn’t eat well.”

Youyou hadn’t eaten here either because she was worried that her mother might be angry. Hearing this, she laughed cheerfully.

Her large apricot eyes curved into crescents, looking very adorable.

Third Sister felt joy in her heart seeing this and couldn’t help but smile.

“Good, let’s go eat,” Fu Tingyun smiled, holding Youyou, and the three of them returned to the hall.

After lunch, everyone settled in the inner room, and Third Sister taught Youyou needlework.

In the evening, Yang Tong escorted Daoist An, Xiao Gongzi, and Xu Gongzi back. Chun Bing and Yuan Xiao stayed in the city with their father to rest, saying they would come up the mountain early the next morning.

Fu Tingyun had Zheng San Niang send some Dragon Boat Festival items like realgar wine and wormwood incense to Yang Tong, thanking him for escorting the children back.

Yang Tong didn’t stand on ceremony, smiled and expressed his thanks, and arranged with Daoist An to go out together again during the Zhongyuan Festival. Then he left with his guards.

Xiao Gongzi excitedly told his mother: “…The restaurant was so high, you could see the dragon boat races from the window… The ones in red were from the Longping Marquis’s family, the ones in green were from the Wuding Marquis’s family, and the red team beat the green team… Uncle Yang also told us who the Emperor was, but I only saw heads, I didn’t see the Emperor…”

Fu Tingyun laughed heartily as she listened.

Xu Gongzi, being only three years old, still had some difficulty expressing himself. He listened to his brother’s words and hurriedly nodded in agreement, then added: “Uncle Yang also had people catch fish for us to eat.”

Fu Tingyun was puzzled.

Xiao Gongzi quickly explained: “There’s a big pond behind the restaurant where you can fish. After you catch something, the restaurant helps prepare it.”

After hearing this, Fu Tingyun said: “So you had a very happy day today?”

The two children nodded like pecking chicks.

“That’s good,” Fu Tingyun smiled and asked them, “Did you thank Uncle Yang and Master An?”

The two children looked at each other, then shook their heads in unison.

Fu Tingyun instructed the two children: “Now go and say ‘thank you’ to Master An. If not for Master An, how could you have gone out to play? As for Uncle Yang, when you see him someday, remember to thank him.”

“Yes!” Xiao Gongzi and Xu Gongzi answered in unison, quickly getting off the kang bed and running to thank Master An.

Fu Tingyun shook her head with amusement.

The next day, Chun Bing and Yuan Xiao returned. After inquiring about their situation and learning that everyone was safe and had enjoyed themselves, she finally put her mind at ease.

Chun Bing and Yuan Xiao had brought things back for Youyou. Chun Bing gave Youyou a pair of porcelain dolls, and Yuan Xiao brought her maltose candy.

Youyou shared the maltose candy with everyone, but she was particularly fond of the porcelain dolls. Not only did she place them beside her pillow when sleeping, but she also used her rudimentary needlework skills, which she had just learned from Third Sister over the past few days, to make clothes for the dolls, cutting up several good handkerchiefs until they were useless.

Third Sister was greatly amused watching this and earnestly guided Youyou on how to sew. Youyou learned with increasing enthusiasm, and after just half a month, her stitches could form a straight line. Third Sister kept praising Youyou for being clever, which delighted Youyou immensely. She wanted to make a pair of socks for her youngest brother, Xu Gongzi. Third Sister then taught her how to make shoe soles and how to cut the uppers first. The two of them were busy and enjoying themselves.

This was originally Fu Tingyun’s responsibility, and seeing it, she felt somewhat guilty: “…The weather is so hot, you should rest for a while. Don’t bother with her. She’s still young, and there’s no rush.”

“I’m idle anyway, and with Youyou learning needlework from me, I have good company,” Third Sister smiled dismissively, then let out a long sigh. “A daughter is a mother’s little cotton jacket; you’re more fortunate than I am.” Then with a slightly dim expression, she continued, “Look at my two boys; when will they ever be able to chat and laugh with me like Youyou does with you… They’ve taken after their father’s temperament. But you can’t say this is bad; boys need to bring glory to the family name in the future, and it’s precisely this kind of disposition that can lead to success. That’s why having both sons and daughters is best.”

Fu Tingyun smiled upon hearing this and said: “Why not let Youyou be your goddaughter then?”

Third Sister was taken aback, then laughed: “You might be willing, but I fear Ninth Brother-in-law wouldn’t be!” She added, “I wonder what these boys are busy with all day, not seeing a trace of them.” Her words seemed to change the subject.

Fu Tingyun felt somewhat as if her good intentions had backfired, and she awkwardly said: “Our two boys are with Master An all day. Even if I wanted to supervise them, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I haven’t asked in detail.”

Just as they were speaking, Yuan Xiao and Xiao Gongzi ran in together.

“Mother!” Each went to their mother. One said: “Second Cousin climbs trees slower than me and wants to learn martial skills with us.” The other said: “Elder Cousin is two years younger than I, but his strength is greater than mine. I want to join them in taking Master An as our teacher to learn martial skills.”

What was all this about?

Fu Tingyun and Third Sister couldn’t help but look at each other in astonishment.

The two children, as if they had planned it, pulled at their mothers’ sleeves persistently.

Fu Tingyun knew that Third Sister’s husband had placed great hopes on his two children, and she smiled: “This matter needs to be discussed with your Third Uncle.”

Their Shen family had passed down scholarly traditions for generations, but no one had ever practiced martial arts. Moreover, Daoist An had been invited from Jiugong Mountain through Zhao Ling’s efforts, and he had only agreed after seeing the two children and finding them satisfactory. Even if they wanted to become disciples, Daoist An might not accept them.

Third Sister comforted her son: “This matter needs to be discussed with your father.”

Hearing this, the two children asked when Shen Rensi would come.

“In a few days, your Third Uncle will have time off,” Third Sister told Xiao Gongzi. “He’ll likely come up the mountain to see you.”

Xiao Gongzi and Xu Gongzi cheered and ran to Chun Bing’s room, as if this matter would be settled as soon as Shen Rensi arrived.

Chun Bing was practicing calligraphy and looked surprised to see them.

Yuan Xiao said somewhat proudly: “I’ve already told Mother that I want to take Daoist An as my teacher. Once Xiao Gongzi and I have learned martial skills, we’ll deal with Li Thirteen then.”

Chun Bing, however, felt that things wouldn’t be so simple and asked: “Did Mother agree?”

“No,” Yuan Xiao and Xiao Gongzi sat on the chair opposite Chun Bing and said, “She said to wait until Father comes up the mountain.”

Father probably wouldn’t agree!

Chun Bing pondered, thinking that ever since they learned that Li Thirteen had come again, his brother and elder cousin had been racking their brains trying to figure out how to deal with Li Thirteen. Now that they had finally come up with this idea, it wouldn’t be good to contradict them, lest it hurt their good intentions.

When his father came up the mountain, he carefully inquired.

Third Sister’s husband not only didn’t agree but also scolded his second son: “…You don’t study your books properly, your handwriting is getting worse and worse, and yet you want to practice martial arts? Do you think practicing martial arts is fun? Training in the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter—can you persevere?” Then he took out the “Analects” and asked Yuan Xiao to recite it.

Yuan Xiao had just started learning the “Analects,” and these days he had been preoccupied with thoughts of learning martial arts from Master An. How could he recite it? He received a severe beating on his palms from his father.

Third Sister came out after seeing her son’s injuries and couldn’t help scolding her husband: “In this hot weather, what if it swells up?”

“This child is too disobedient,” Third Sister’s husband said firmly. “Without beating, he won’t amount to anything.” Thinking that his son was well-behaved at home, he wondered why he started having all sorts of ideas after being on the mountain for a short while. He asked Third Sister: “What happened? Why did Yuan Xiao suddenly think of learning martial arts?”

Third Sister had asked Chun Bing before, but Chun Bing hadn’t said anything. When pressed, he only said he admired Xiao Gongzi’s agility. Third Sister knew nothing, so she naturally couldn’t explain the ins and outs.

“You can’t blame the children for wanting to learn martial arts from Master An,” she said. “Xiao Gongzi and Xu Gongzi are younger than our two boys, but whether it’s climbing trees, playing cuju, or wrestling, neither of our children can match Ninth Sister’s two children in any way.”

Xiao Gongzi being better than Yuan Xiao was understandable since he was only two years younger, but Xu Gongzi…

Third Sister was half-believing and half-doubting, so she secretly observed and found that when the children played together, Chun Bing and Yuan Xiao appeared noticeably clumsier compared to Xiao Gongzi and Xu Gongzi.

He was a competitive person, and thinking that traditionally a gentleman should master the six arts, but in recent years, the imperial examinations only tested the Four Books and Five Classics, with everyone pursuing them eagerly while abandoning the study of music and archery, he couldn’t help but be tempted. However, Master An was highly valued by Zhao Ling, and it was uncertain whether he would be willing to accept Chun Bing and Yuan Xiao.

Third Sister’s husband thought for a moment, then took Third Sister with him to see Fu Tingyun.