Feng Jin's tone was tinged with a hint of anger. It wasn't that she intentionally wanted to scare the two children, but they were becoming utterly unruly due to excessive pampering.
They were still so young. If you don't discipline them strictly now, it will be much harder to manage them when they grow up.
The two little ones quickly nodded, their round eyes welling up with tears.
Feng Jin's heart softened a little, and she couldn't bear to scold them any further. "Alright, go inside and change into clean clothes."
After receiving Feng Jin's reprieve, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Cai Qing hurriedly stepped forward to lead the two children indoors.
Once the children were inside, Feng Jin sighed with some helplessness. It wasn't that she had to be so strict; she had no other choice.
"Young Madam, you don't need to worry too much. Although the young masters are a bit mischievous, they are inherently good-natured. As long as they are guided properly, they won't be spoiled." Chu Qing, seeing Feng Jin's worries, spoke up to comfort her, urging her to relax and not fret over such minor matters.
"How can I not worry? It seems I'll have to discipline them more strictly from now on..."
The children were too young to be sent to school, so she had to put in more effort to teach them herself.
She really needed to discuss this properly with Ling Mo Han and see what his thoughts were.
"By the way, where is Ling Mo Han? Didn't he just come back? Where has he disappeared to now?"
This fellow always hovered around when she didn't want to see him, but now that she needed to find him, he was nowhere to be found. He really drove her mad all day long.
"I saw the young general leave earlier, but I don't know where he went. I didn't dare to ask..."
Chu Qing's voice trailed off, becoming quieter and quieter. If Feng Jin hadn't been standing close, she might not have heard a word.
"Alright, he'll be back on his own soon enough. Let's go inside first."
When Feng Jin entered the room, Cai Qing had already changed Da Bao and Er Bao into clean clothes.
"Now that you've changed into clean clothes, you'll have to wash your dirty ones yourselves."
"Ah!"
Da Bao and Er Bao said in unison, completely unprepared for their mother to ask them to wash their own clothes. They were so young. Sometimes they couldn't even walk steadily and would still fall occasionally. Asking them to do such things was too difficult for them.
"Mother, we can't... can't wash them, we're too... too young!"
Da Bao pointed at himself, indicating that he was too young to wash them properly. He couldn't understand why his mother had changed so much overnight.
In the past, his mother would never have made things so difficult for him. Who could tell him what had happened to his mother? He really missed the gentle mother he used to have, who would hold him close and protect him.
She wasn't like this, making him do chores or getting angry at him.
The more he thought about it, the more wronged Da Bao felt. Tears began to flow uncontrollably. He couldn't hold back any longer and burst into loud sobs, "Waa... wa... Mother, Mother... doesn't like me anymore... doesn't like me anymore..."
Da Bao's emotions instantly affected Er Bao, who also started crying loudly, "Waa... wa... Mother, Mother... doesn't want me anymore... Mother doesn't want me anymore..."
The entire room was filled with the ear-splitting cries of Da Bao and Er Bao. Feng Jin's head was about to explode from the noise.
"Young Master, please stop crying, Young Master..."
Cai Qing tried her best to persuade Da Bao and Er Bao to stop crying, but to no avail. She was so anxious that she broke out in a sweat and had to turn to Feng Jin for help. "Young Madam, please comfort the young masters. If they keep crying like this, they'll make themselves sick."
They were crying so hard they were almost breathless. If they continued, they might faint. How could such young children cry so much? It was heartbreaking to watch. How could the Young Madam watch them like this without any reaction? It was too heartless. Fortunately, she knew that the young masters were the Young Madam's own children.
Otherwise, seeing this scene, anyone would suspect that the Young Madam was the young masters' stepmother. Cai Qing couldn't bear it and continued to persuade, "Young Madam, please don't be angry. Can you comfort the young masters first?"
After a moment's pause, Feng Jin let out a long sigh. She squatted down to face the two little ones, her heart aching as she wiped the tears from their eyes. "Don't cry anymore. Mother doesn't not want you, and she doesn't dislike you."
Hearing this, Da Bao and Er Bao slightly stopped their tears. They wiped the tears from their faces and looked at Feng Jin with wide, watery eyes. Da Bao sniffled, his voice thick with emotion, "Mother, you still... still like me, Mother... you want me..."
Feng Jin's softest spot was immediately touched. A wave of bitterness washed over her. Had she been too strict just now? Look how scared these two were.
A gentle and loving smile spread across her lips. Feng Jin lovingly embraced Da Bao and Er Bao, whispering tenderly, "How could Mother not like you? You are both Mother's treasures. Mother loves you the most."
"Mother is lying... lying!" Da Bao blurted out without hesitation, his lips pouting slightly in anger.
"How has Mother lied to you? Mother never lies to children."
Feng Jin said earnestly, her eyes full of sincerity. After all, she really couldn't recall any instance where she had lied to them.
"Mother... loves Daddy... doesn't love me and my brother..."
As soon as these words were spoken, Feng Jin's cheeks instantly turned red, her ears burning with heat.
She had never expected Da Bao to say something like that. It was completely beyond her expectations, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
Cai Qing and Chu Qing, standing by, also struggled to suppress their smiles, trying their best not to laugh out loud.
"My son is so smart, he said it perfectly!"
With the sound of the door opening, Ling Mo Han's voice followed.
Feng Jin, already incredibly embarrassed by the sound, turned her head and glared fiercely at Ling Mo Han. He always appeared when he shouldn't and was absent when he was needed.
"What nonsense are you spouting? If you say another word of nonsense, I'll kick you out." Feng Jin's tone was laced with anger as she warned Ling Mo Han not to speak carelessly.