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The carpenter arrived quickly.
After discussing the requirements with the carpenter in detail, Xu Qingyi realized it was already afternoon.
She suddenly thought of something and instructed Liu, “Go check if Lin is still studying. Bring him some tea and a light meal. Make sure the kitchen prepares it properly—don’t just send some perfunctory snacks.”
Liu nodded. “Understood.”
Remembering the two little ones in her room, Xu Qingyi added, “Make three portions. Send two to the main house as well.”
Before long, a light meal was delivered to Lin’s study.
The dishes were mostly summer-appropriate cold appetizers, their aroma enticing. There was also a bowl of chilled mung bean soup.
“Young Master Lin,” Liu said, “the Young Madam instructed me to bring this for you. Please enjoy.”
Lin, focused on his book, didn’t even glance up. He responded with a curt “Mm,” without offering any words of thanks.
Liu was quietly dissatisfied, wondering why Lin couldn’t even muster a simple “thank you.”
With that thought, she turned and left.
Like the Nursemaid, Liu was also worried that her mistress’s efforts might go unappreciated.
Once Liu was out of earshot, Lin finally put down his book.
He glanced at the lavish light meal on the table and was momentarily dazed. Back when he lived in the Marchioness’s quarters, such treatment was unheard of.
Even if he was hungry, he wouldn’t specifically ask someone to fetch food from the kitchen—that would feel no different from begging.
As a scholar, Lin had a certain pride and stubbornness about him.
Now that Xu Qingyi had taken the initiative to send him food, Lin tried some of it.
The rest, still more than half, he gave as a reward to the maids and servants who attended him.
The maid Dong Qing, delighted by the treat, grinned and said, “Young Master Lin, could it be that better days are ahead for us? The Young Madam is so kind to you! She’s also very kind to the other two Young Masters—I heard they spent the entire afternoon in the main house.”
This newly arrived Young Madam was truly considerate. Dong Qing couldn’t help but feel that Lin ought to visit his stepmother more often.
Lin sternly admonished, “Mind your words and actions. Don’t speak recklessly.”
Dong Qing’s excitement faltered, and she quickly lowered her head, replying, “Yes, Young Master.”
She was only around ten years old and had grown up under Lin’s influence, which had made her relatively composed for her age.
Today, however, she was overly excited. The big house and the delicious food made her feel that Young Master Lin might finally be getting the life he deserved.
Exactly—this was how a Young Master of a marquisate should be treated.
After the maid left, Lin picked up his book again, his youthful yet composed face betraying no emotion.
Meanwhile, Zhen and his younger brother Heng had spent the entire afternoon playing in the courtyard. Neither was eager to return to their own rooms.
It wasn’t until Zhen’s nursemaid arrived to fetch him.
“Young Madam, Zhen is scheduled to start attending the academy tomorrow, but he hasn’t finished his calligraphy practice yet. I’ve come to take him back to complete it,” the nursemaid said with an apologetic smile.
Since it was related to his studies, there was no room for delay.
“Su Ye, go and find the Young Masters,” Xu Qingyi instructed.
“Understood,” Su Ye replied.
Not long after, she returned, leading two little mud-covered figures.
Xu Qingyi stared blankly at the two “painted-face cats” before her, momentarily at a loss for words.
Zhen and his younger brother had been playing so enthusiastically that they’d completely forgotten the rules.
Now, suddenly brought before their mother, they finally realized they were in trouble.
The two shrank back timidly, murmuring, “Mother, we’re sorry. We got our clothes dirty…”
The Marchioness had always forbidden them from playing with mud; whenever she caught them, she’d slap their palms as punishment.
Eventually, they didn’t dare do it anymore.
“Mother, punish me instead! Don’t punish my younger brother!”
Zhen stepped forward, holding out his small hand in earnest.
Xu Qingyi was stunned for a moment.
“No! It wasn’t Second Brother who wanted to play—it was me! Mother, punish me instead!” Heng said quickly.
Heng, anxious not to be left out, stepped forward as well, holding out his tiny hands.
Honestly, Xu Qingyi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She raised her hand and lightly tapped each of their hands, one after the other, and said, “Alright, you’ve been punished.”
The two boys stared at her, completely stunned. That counted as punishment?
But it didn’t hurt at all! Their grandmother wasn’t like this—when she punished them, she used a ruler.
One strike on the palm would leave it swollen for days.
Seeing their bewildered expressions, Xu Qingyi gently patted their heads. “I was joking. Who would punish you over something like this? If your clothes are dirty, just change into clean ones. There’s no need to scold or punish anyone.”
Zhen wasn’t foolish. He had long noticed that his mother was different from the Marchioness.
A moment ago, he had been flustered, but now he relaxed and sweetly said, “Thank you, Mother.”
“Don’t thank me just yet,” Xu Qingyi replied with a knowing look, then turned to the nursemaid. “You haven’t finished your calligraphy practice, have you? Go with the nursemaid, change into clean clothes, and finish your writing properly.”
Zhen’s round face immediately drooped as if the sky had fallen. His entire demeanor radiated reluctance.
This caught Xu Qingyi’s attention. She knew Zhen didn’t particularly enjoy studying.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen the path of a soldier when he grew up.
But even if he didn’t like it, his resistance seemed unusually strong.
“Zhen, do you not want to go back and practice your calligraphy?” Xu Qingyi asked gently.
Zhen snapped back to attention, quickly lowering his gaze. “No, I don’t. I’ll go write right away.”
Xu Qingyi nodded and instructed the nursemaid, “Take Heng back as well for a bath and a change of clothes. Make sure he’s well cared for.”
Covered in dirt, Heng stayed in the nursemaid’s arms, glancing at Xu Qingyi reluctantly.
But he understood that he needed to be clean to be liked.
After the nursemaid and maid thoroughly washed Heng and dressed him in fresh clothes, they brought him back to Xu Qingyi.
This time, it was Heng himself who insisted on coming.
Summoning his courage, Heng leaned closer to her and whispered shyly, “Mother, I’ve had my bath.”
Xu Qingyi was engrossed in reviewing her dowry inventory.
Hearing this, Xu Qingyi put down the ledger in her hands, bent over, and lifted Heng onto her lap.
“Oh? Let me see if you smell as nice as you look!”
Heng quickly tilted his small face toward her, a hint of nervousness in his expression. He was worried he might not smell good enough.
“Wow, Heng smells wonderful!” Xu Qingyi praised enthusiastically. “Did you use several pounds of scented soap? Your skin even looks a shade lighter!”
Mama Cai chuckled from the side. “Young Master Heng has been this dark since he was a baby.”
The room fell silent in an instant.
The smile Xu Qingyi had coaxed out of Heng vanished. His small lips pressed together, and his expression turned gloomy.
Despite his young age, Heng was well aware that he wasn’t as good-looking as his brothers.
His grandmother had called him an “ugly little thing” before, and he had always felt that no one wanted him because of that.
“Mama Cai, don’t make comments like that in the future,” Xu Qingyi said, frowning.
Mama Cai, startled, protested, “Young Madam, I didn’t mean anything by it—it was just a bit of teasing.”
“That’s not acceptable,” Xu Qingyi said firmly. “Arguing back when I correct you only proves that you don’t genuinely respect Heng. Criticizing your master is wrong. Don’t think you’re above others just because you nursed him. Take some time to reflect on what I’ve said, and if you can’t figure it out, you can go back to where you came from.”
Mama Cai’s face paled. She had indeed leaned on her status as Heng’s former wet nurse to act a bit high and mighty, even treating herself as half a master in some situations.
Hearing Xu Qingyi’s reprimand, she forced herself to respond, “Yes, Young Madam.”
After Mama Cai left, Xu Qingyi gently lifted Heng’s small face. To her relief, he hadn’t cried this time.
“Heng, I scolded your nursemaid. Are you upset with me?”
Heng shook his head quickly. Instead of being upset, he looked more worried that Xu Qingyi might be angry.
He threw himself into her arms and said earnestly, “Mother, don’t be angry. I don’t like the nursemaid—I like you!”
“Why don’t you like your nursemaid? Has she treated you poorly?” Xu Qingyi asked, probing for more information.
Heng fell silent.
Perhaps he was still too young to articulate the difference between good and bad treatment.
It wasn’t as though Mama Cai had been overtly harsh or unkind, but for some reason, Heng simply didn’t like her.
“I like Mother,” Heng finally said after a long pause.
Xu Qingyi didn’t press him further and instead smiled gently. “I know. Mother likes you too.”
Heng instantly broke into a smile but quickly remembered Mama Cai’s earlier words. Scratching his little face, he muttered, “I don’t look good.”
“Who said you don’t look good?” Xu Qingyi frowned. Scolding Mama Cai earlier was clearly justified; now even such a small child was developing insecurities about his appearance.
She reassured him, “You’re just young. When you grow up, you’ll look great.”
Heng’s features weren’t unattractive. He simply had single eyelids, which made him seem unremarkable as a child. Once he grew up, he would become a handsome young man.
All three of Xie Yunzhi’s adopted sons had their unique appeal.
The eldest, Lin, was delicate and elegant in appearance but aloof and stubborn, making him the most difficult to get along with.
The second, Zhen, had a spirited, straightforward charm and was a simple, honest child without hidden motives.
As for the youngest, Heng, he would grow into a refined and striking man with single eyelids. Though… he would stray from the proper path, becoming ruthless and calculating.
It was hard to deny that Xu Qingyi’s decision to invest her efforts in them was partly influenced by their remarkable futures in the original story.
Yet, emotions were cultivated through shared experiences.
Even if her initial motives weren’t entirely pure, Xu Qingyi truly hoped that, through her interactions with the children, they could form genuine bonds of affection.