Had he known this earlier, he would never have driven Lu Shi away. Was it too late to regret it now?
"Hurry up and go. The morning milk is fresh," Feng Jin urged, as milk squeezed later would be significantly different.
Ling Mohan sighed and resignedly picked up the bucket, walking towards the mother cow.
Having learned from the previous experience, Feng Jin hid inside the house in advance, only peeking her head out to watch.
"Slow down, be careful not to hurt the mother cow... be gentle with your hands..." Feng Jin guided anxiously from behind the door, afraid Ling Mohan might accidentally injure the cow with rough handling.
She planned to make good use of this cow and intended to drink fresh milk from it every day.
After a fierce struggle, half a bucket of milk was finally squeezed out. Ling Mohan's outcome was slightly better than Lu Shi's.
Feng Jin poked her head out to glance at the meager amount of milk in the bucket, her face instantly falling. "Only this much? It's not even as much as yesterday."
Yesterday, Lu Shi had squeezed a full bucket of milk. Today, half of it was missing. Ling Mohan's efficiency was too low, not as efficient as Lu Shi's.
"We'll have to make do with this for now," Ling Mohan said in a low voice, a foul and sour smell clinging to him. He needed to change his clothes quickly.
"This isn't enough. Go squeeze some more," Feng Jin blocked his way, forcing Ling Mohan to squeeze more milk.
"Wait for Lu Shi to come back, and have him do it."
"You! You're the one who drove Lu Shi away. If you don't finish the task today, you're not leaving!"
Ling Mohan was filled with regret. If he had known, he would never have sent Lu Shi away. Under Feng Jin's pressure, Ling Mohan reluctantly squeezed another full bucket of milk.
Only when Feng Jin was satisfied did she let Ling Mohan go.
After Ling Mohan left, he immediately sent for Lu Shi to be summoned back, just in case Feng Jin suddenly demanded more milk. It was best to have Lu Shi on standby.
Lu Shi, who was inspecting the West Army camp, had just finished his duties and was about to rest when he was urgently summoned back by Ling Mohan's three hand warrants.
He hadn't even had time to catch his breath after arriving at Ling Mansion when Feng Jin dragged him off to squeeze milk. By the time Lu Shi had a moment to rest, it was already sunset.
Feng Jin worked until midnight before finally finishing the cake. Since there were two precious babies, Feng Jin specially prepared two identical cakes to ensure neither child felt unfairly treated.
The next day, as the sky just began to show a hint of dawn, everyone in the Ling Mansion started to bustle about. Today was the full moon banquet for the two young masters.
Old Master Ling woke up early and meticulously oversaw everyone's work, inquiring about every detail for fear of any oversight that might displease his beloved grandsons.
Even Second Master Ling was sent to the main gate to receive guests. All members of the Ling clan arrived early, and invitations were even sent to their married daughters.
Only Grand Master Ling was guarding the border and could not return to the capital without an imperial decree. However, he still sent people from the border with three large boxes of gifts specially prepared for the two children.
When Feng Jin opened the boxes, she was utterly astonished by their contents. While there were clothes and toys for children, the inclusion of ink, brushes, and paper could be understood. But what was the meaning of eighteen kinds of weapons?
"Ling Mohan, can you explain why your father sent weapons for the children?" Feng Jin picked up a long spear and asked Ling Mohan.
"The Ling family disciples have always cultivated both literary and martial arts from a young age. Father wants to nurture the children from childhood. In fact, if you look closely, this spear and sword are shorter than normal sizes, specially made for children to use. They can use them when they get older."
He himself had grown up with these spears and swords, and he had also planned to make some weapons for the two children, as they could use them when they grew older. He hadn't expected his father to have the same idea and prepare them so early.
Feng Jin's mouth twitched uncontrollably. She was truly stunned by their family's educational methods. How old were the two little treasures, and they were already preparing these for them, and had even planned for their future.
"Keep the children's clothes and toys for now," Feng Jin picked out the useful items from the boxes. As for the scrap metal, it was of no use for the moment, so she had people move everything into the storeroom.
"It's fine to leave them here for now. They can be used in a while," Ling Mohan said.
As soon as Ling Mohan finished speaking, he received a few glares from Feng Jin. "Are you out of your mind? How old are your sons? It will take at least three years before they can even lift these weapons. What use is it to keep them here!"
"Why three years? Once they can walk, I'll have them start learning to wield a sword."
In Ling Mohan's view, these things should be learned from the very beginning, just as he had experienced. Of course, the two children should be educated just like him.
"No one is allowed to teach them anything before the age of three," Feng Jin said angrily. The period before the age of three was the fastest stage of development, and there could be no mistakes. If Ling Mohan were to teach them, she couldn't even imagine the scene, fearing that she would be consumed by rage and explode.
Just as Ling Mohan was about to argue with Feng Jin about the children's education, a knock sounded at the door: "Young General, Young Madam, Old Master wants you to quickly bring the two young masters over."
Cai Qing stood outside the door, knocked a few times, and shouted loudly inside.
"Cai Qing, go and tell Old Master that we are coming." After Feng Jin finished speaking, she carefully wrapped the new blankets she had prepared for the two children, and then they each carried a child and went out.
When they reached the main hall, Feng Jin was startled to see the entire house and courtyard filled with people. She had been told it would be a simple affair, just inviting some clan members. But today, so many people had arrived, including royalty and high officials from the capital, basically anyone of significance.
"Weren't we just having a simple gathering? Why are there so many people here today?" Feng Jin whispered to Ling Mohan, leaning close to him.
"It's Grandpa. He believes that the children's full moon banquet is a major event and must be celebrated grandly to bring them good fortune." Ling Mohan had initially objected, but he couldn't sway Old Master Ling, so he simply let his grandfather do as he pleased. He hadn't expected such a grand affair, which also showed how much his grandfather valued the two children.
"My precious grandsons are here. Quick, let great-grandfather hold them." Old Master Ling eagerly took the children.