This way it seemed fairer, but... how could it have been so long, and why hadn't this person returned yet.
Feng Jin put down her teacup and was about to stand up to go out and see when Chu Qing and Er Bao walked in, one big and one small.
"Mother, you were looking for me?"
Er Bao asked calmly, his tone indifferent, with no hint of the panic he felt inside.
Da Bao couldn't help but admire Er Bao's composure, wondering if he could maintain it for a while longer.
"Sit down first, Mother has something to ask you."
Er Bao was different from Da Bao; he could be reasoned with. Once Er Bao understood something in his heart, he would tell the truth without much prompting.
Da Bao, who was facing the wall, saw this scene and his little face instantly drooped. Mother was truly biased. She made him stand there and reflect on his mistakes, but spoke kindly to Er Bao and even asked him to sit down. It was so unfair; he wanted to protest... protest...
"Er Bao, Mother asks if you fought with anyone?"
Er Bao's little head instantly drooped. He didn't know whether to speak. What if telling the truth made Mother angry? But he didn't want to lie to Mother, so he became a little conflicted.
"Mother..."
"Er Bao is the best and most honest, he surely wouldn't lie to Mother, right?"
Er Bao hesitated, lowered his head in silence, feeling even more conflicted. He also felt guilty for the fleeting thought of deceiving Mother.
Da Bao was equally nervous, waiting to hear what Er Bao would say next.
Silence hung in the air for a long time. Finally, Er Bao chose to tell the truth: "Mother, I fought. I know fighting is wrong, and I've made a mistake. Please punish me."
He knew fighting was wrong, and making Mother angry was even more wrong. If Mother punished him, he would have no complaints.
Now it was Feng Jin's turn to be conflicted. If it were Da Bao, she would have surely punished him severely. But when it came to Er Bao, she couldn't bear to. This child was too sensible, so sensible that it made her heart ache. How could she harden her heart to punish him?
Feng Jin reached out and pulled Er Bao into her arms, asking gently, "Er Bao, tell Mother why you fought with the other children."
She wanted to hear what Er Bao had to say, as Da Bao's words couldn't be trusted.
"Mother, they bullied me and brother first. We were small and couldn't fight back. They wanted to bully us, so my brother and I hit them."
Er Bao recounted the incident in his childish voice. He believed he was not wrong in this matter. If others bullied him, he should fight back fiercely.
But he didn't want to make Mother angry. Er Bao lowered his head and admitted his fault with a hint of grievance, "Mother, can you please not be angry? I won't fight anymore."
Feng Jin's heart completely softened. No matter how angry she was, she couldn't express it. She reached out and hugged Er Bao tightly. After a pause, she asked again, "Did you throw stones at someone just now?"
From the figure earlier, she was half sure it was Er Bao, but she still needed to confirm.
"It was me. She insulted Mother, saying she deserved to be hit."
Who told her to insult Mother? She deserved to be hit. It was too light of a punishment earlier; she should have been beaten until her head bled to be truly satisfying.
Er Bao was too considerate, his entire heart dedicated to protecting her. How could she still be angry with her child? She was more than grateful.
Seeing that Mother remained silent, Er Bao thought he had angered her. He stood up and kissed Feng Jin on the cheek, "Mother, don't be angry."
"Okay, Mother isn't angry. Er Bao is so sensible, Mother isn't angry at all."
Feng Jin immediately forgot about punishing them. She held Er Bao tightly in her arms and sat on the chair, "Er Bao, you must be hungry. What do you want to eat? Mother will make it for you, okay?"
"Whatever Mother likes to eat, I'll eat too."
See, how touching this child was, even considering her preferences.
"Okay, whatever Er Bao likes to eat, Mother will make."
The scene of mother and son sharing affection was deeply moving.
Now, Da Bao, standing in the corner, seemed conspicuous. At this moment, it felt as if he shouldn't exist, that disappearing immediately would be the most sensible thing to do.
Watching the two of them sing each other's praises, Da Bao rolled his eyes in disdain. Mother indeed doted on Er Bao. Hadn't she wanted to punish him earlier? And now, after just a few sweet words, she had forgotten all about it.
It was just a few nice words, and he could say them too. Why didn't she listen to him?
"Mother... I'm hungry too!"
Da Bao reminded her unhappily. He had been standing there for almost half an hour, yet no one cared if he was hungry.
If Da Bao hadn't spoken, Feng Jin would have planned to let him join them for dinner.
But it was precisely this sentence that made Feng Jin even angrier. They were born of the same mother, yet the difference was so vast. Da Bao was truly not likable at all, always the most skilled at causing trouble.
"You continue standing. This whole incident was caused by you. Wait until your father returns, and then he can punish you properly."
She had completely given up on educating Da Bao. She would let Ling Mo Han figure it out when he returned. How to educate his son was his own business.
Feng Jin continued to feed Er Bao. After they finished eating, she took Er Bao out, leaving Da Bao to watch them with wide eyes. He looked rather pitiful.
"Mother, aren't we going to call for older brother?"
After all, they were brothers. Er Bao couldn't bear to leave Da Bao alone.
"No, after older brother finishes eating, we'll go together. Let's go rest for a while first."
If she stayed there longer, Da Bao wouldn't be able to eat peacefully. It was better for her and Er Bao to leave first, and then call Da Bao later.
"Chu Qing, stay here and watch Da Bao eat. Bring him over after he's done."
"Yes, Young Madam. This servant will do it now."
Da Bao stood angrily in the corner, his little face puffed up with anger. Mother truly didn't love him anymore. Now Mother's heart only had Er Bao, and no longer had him.
She wouldn't even let him eat. Was she planning to starve him to death? He was already a child without Mother's love.
"Little Young Master, don't just stand there. Let's go eat first."
When Chu Qing returned, she saw Da Bao still standing in the same spot. She stepped forward and gently coaxed him.