Chapter 8: Protecting Them

The flower hall where the Marquisate dines. 

A group of masters, accompanied by their maids, entered in a grand procession. Though there were many of them, the scene was orderly and not chaotic, with everyone behaving with proper decorum. 

Lin and Zhen had already arrived, sitting quietly and attentively in their chairs, waiting for the elders. 

After a moment, Xu Qingyi arrived before the Old Madam, only to meet Madam Qin’s cold, indifferent gaze upon entering. 

She thought to herself, “I don’t think I’m late, am I?” 

Then, she realized that it wasn’t a matter of being late—it was probably because Xie Huaian was still kneeling in front of the ancestral hall. 

Looking around, she confirmed that Xie Huaian was indeed absent. 

The Marquis was also not present, as it was said that he had gone to the palace to petition for the imperial edict to legitimize her marriage to the Eldest Young Master. 

Only by receiving this edict could her marriage to the Eldest Young Master be recognized as lawful. 

Xu Qingyi chose to sit next to Zhen. 

Zhen stole a glance at her. 

His round and delicate little face couldn’t hide his joy. 

He wanted to speak to his mother but was afraid of being scolded by his grandmother. 

“Where is Heng?” Madam Qin frowned and asked. 

Xu Qingyi replied, “Heng woke up early this morning. He just went back after his light meal and fell asleep.” 

“How can this be? That’s too improper,” Madam Qin said. 

She forced a smile. “What you don’t know, my dear, is that the Marquisate has its own rules, ones set by the late first lady. The first lady was from the Li family of Longxi, and she valued proper conduct above all.” 

“I see,” Xu Qingyi smiled and said. “As a daughter-in-law, I understand. I will be sure to follow the example of the others in the household going forward.” 

Madam Qin thought that Xu Qingyi had yielded, and smiled smugly. 

“Old Madam has arrived!” 

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly stood up, waiting for the Old Madam to take her seat before they sat down again. 

The Old Madam also noticed that Heng was not present and asked about it. After hearing the explanation, she said, “It’s fine, children should sleep when they need to.” 

Once the Old Madam began eating, Xu Qingyi didn’t hesitate and started eating as well, while also serving vegetables to the two boys. 

Zhen, seeing the meat in his bowl, was as excited as a cat spotting a fish. He eagerly said, “Thank you, Mother.” 

Ever since he started gaining weight, his grandmother had forbidden him from eating meat. 

He never felt full at meals and would try to make up for it by eating snacks and treats. 

Instead of losing weight, he had only gotten heavier. 

Lin, on the other hand, looked at the meat in his bowl with a furrowed brow. 

Unlike his younger brother, he didn’t like meat. 

After a moment’s hesitation, he placed the meat onto his younger brother’s plate. 

Xu Qingyi: “…” 

This future little powerbroker was so aloof, he didn’t seem like a child at all. 

It made sense, though—in ancient times, twelve-year-olds were already considered adults. 

However, Lin was still thin and hadn’t yet grown properly. 

He actually appeared younger than Zhen. 

“Lin, you won’t grow taller if you don’t eat meat. You don’t want to end up as a short winter melon, do you?” Xu Qingyi pulled out her trump card. 

Lin’s face immediately darkened. Was height really related to eating meat? 

“Don’t doubt it, it really is,” Xu Qingyi said confidently. “Zhen loves eating meat, and look how tall he is.” 

With that, a piece of meat appeared in Lin’s bowl. 

Although he still didn’t want to eat it… 

Thinking about how he might not grow taller, his expression turned even darker. He couldn’t throw it to his younger brother again. 

Zhen, with his mischievous eyes, was disappointed to see his older brother eating the meat. 

If only he had gotten it all! 

He secretly glanced at Madam Qin, clutching his bowl protectively, afraid she might stop him from eating it. 

Madam Qin cast a cold glance at the three of them but didn’t interfere. 

In the past, her refusal to let Zhen eat meat wasn’t truly out of concern for his health. 

She simply disliked the chubby boy and wanted to make things difficult for him. 

Zhen had thought that today he would be limited to only two pieces of meat, but to his surprise, his mother kept serving him more. 

He started to feel guilty for eating so much. 

“Mother, that’s enough,” he said quietly, wiping the grease from his lips. 

“Are you full?” Xu Qingyi asked, looking at him. 

Zhen wasn’t full. He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m too fat, I can’t eat more meat.” 

So he still wanted to eat? 

“If you want to eat, then eat,” Xu Qingyi said, continuing to serve him more meat. “Who said that being too fat means you can’t eat more? It’s fine. Once you’re full, we’ll worry about dieting later.” 

Zhen’s mouth hung open in surprise. 

It was the first time he’d heard such reasoning, but it made so much sense.

What Mother said was right. Zhen nodded happily, his face bright. “Mm!” 

Lin glanced at him sideways, secretly wondering whether this woman was truly kind to his younger brother or had some ulterior motive. 

Of course, Xu Qingyi was genuinely kind to Zhen. 

It was clearly written in the book that Zhen hadn’t been able to eat meat, and because his body lacked nourishment, he resorted to eating snacks and treats to fill the gap. 

In ancient times, the sweets and snacks were so rich and sweet, and combined with various dairy products, it was no surprise he had become overweight. 

Zhen’s weight was also a concern for the Old Madam, who couldn’t help but speak up. “Qingyi, Zhen really shouldn’t eat so much meat. It should be done in moderation.” 

Madam Qin chimed in, “Yes, he’s only eight. If he keeps getting fatter, it’ll be a problem.” 

Hearing the words of his great-grandmother and grandmother, Zhen immediately stopped eating. 

Xu Qingyi smiled and explained, “What grandmother and mother don’t know is that Zhen hasn’t gained weight from eating meat.” 

The whole table looked confused. If Zhen wasn’t getting fat from meat, then what exactly was making him overweight? 

Xu Qingyi clarified for them, “Zhen has gained weight from eating snacks, sweets, and various sweet dairy products like milk and soy milk.”

Zhen’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Xu Qingyi, wondering how she knew he often ate these things. 

It wasn’t that he loved them, but no matter how delicious something was, he would get tired of it if he ate too much. The problem was that if he didn’t eat these snacks, he would feel hungry. 

But no one believed him. What was Xu Qingyi saying? 

Someone questioned, “Can eating snacks really make someone gain weight?” 

“Yes,” Xu Qingyi responded. “A little snack won’t make you gain weight, but if you eat a lot, you will.” 

Zhen lowered his head in shame, suddenly feeling terrible. No wonder he wasn’t liked… 

He felt a pang in his nose, and tears started falling into his bowl. 

“But this isn’t Zhen’s fault,” Xu Qingyi said, gently patting his head. “Zhen doesn’t get enough food at the dinner table, so he ends up eating a lot of snacks privately.” 

Everyone was shocked, thinking that Xu Qingyi’s words were nonsense. 

The Marquisate had ample food, and how could Zhen, the Young Master of the household, ever be hungry? 

Xu Qingyi smiled and explained, “You need enough oil and fat to feel full. Zhen is still growing, and if he doesn’t get enough meat at every meal, he’ll be hungry again soon. He’s too shy to ask for more food from the kitchen, so if he doesn’t eat snacks, what else can he eat?”

Xu Qingyi gently patted Zhen’s back and asked, “Zhen, is that how it is?” 

Zhen nodded, and to his surprise, he started to hiccup and then broke into loud sobs. 

He didn’t know why, but no matter how hungry he had been before, he had never cried. Yet today, after his mother showed concern, he couldn’t help but cry. 

The people at the table were stunned, their faces alternating between green and white. They never imagined that the Young Master of the Marquisate could ever go hungry. 

It was simply… unbelievable. 

The Old Madam’s face turned sour, as this made her seem negligent in caring for Xie Yunzhi’s children. 

She felt wronged; she really hadn’t realized this… 

It had started with Madam Qin not allowing Zhen to eat meat, claiming it was to slow his weight gain. At the time, they had all agreed with her. 

“Mingzong’s wife!” The Old Madam was furious. “I asked you to take care of Yunzhi’s children, and this is how you take care of them!” 

Poor Yunzhi. How would she ever face him? 

Madam Qin, however, defended herself, saying, “Zhen is the one to blame. If he was hungry, why didn’t he say anything? If he had just spoken up, could the Marquisate have let him go hungry?” 

“Enough!” The Old Madam slammed her hand down on the table. “Stop shirking responsibility. Is this the child’s fault?” 

Madam Qin was startled, her face turning pale, and she dared not speak again. 

Xu Qingyi picked up her chopsticks and leisurely continued eating. The Marquisate’s meals were still quite good. 

She ate whatever she liked, and if something tasted good, she would serve it to the children. 

Zhen had stopped crying and, now calm, looked at his mother with admiration. 

He felt his mother was truly remarkable, not even afraid of his grandmother, and had made her back down. 

Lin observed the scene, his eyes flickering for a moment. 

He was a clever child and had already realized that Xu Qingyi and Madam Qin were at odds. 

It seemed like Xu Qingyi was protecting them, the brothers, for now. 

After finishing their meal, the table enjoyed some fruit and had half a cup of tea with the elders before everyone dispersed. 

Zhen, full and content, happily followed Xu Qingyi, calling out “Mother” with each step. 

“Mother, what you said earlier—was that true? Mother, can I lose weight if I stop eating snacks?”

It was the beginning of summer, and the sun was scorching. 

The maid held an umbrella nearby. 

Xu Qingyi pulled the sweaty Zhen under the shade and smiled, “Of course, it’s true. With proper exercise, like practicing martial arts or running a few laps, Zhen will lose weight.” 

Even if he didn’t lose weight now, once he reached fourteen or fifteen and grew taller, he would naturally slim down. 

Zhen grinned foolishly. “Oh, that’s great!”  

Zhen’s little chubby hand was held by his mother, and he couldn’t contain his happiness. 

He had entered the Marquisate at the age of five, and his memories of his mother from his early years were quite vague. 

It seemed like he was always on the road, never fully fed or warmly clothed. 

The only thing he remembered clearly was a voice that once said to him, “Zhen, be good. When you get to the Marquisate, you’ll live a good life. Be obedient, understand?” 

But after entering the Marquisate, Zhen never felt like he was living a good life. 

Just as Xu Qingyi had guessed, he never dared to treat the people of the Marquisate as his family, nor did he dare to consider the Marquisate his home. 

It wasn’t until now that Zhen truly understood what it felt like to have someone to rely on.