Chapter 6: On the Battlefield, No Father and Son; At the Dining Table, No Father and Daughter

“Sit down properly. What’s the meaning of standing on the stool?” Feng Xiaohan frowned as he watched her perched on the seat. 

“Father, if I sit down, Yuyu can’t reach the dishes,” Yu Yu ^[1]Wu Yu’s Nickname blinked up at him earnestly. 

To prove her point, she obediently sat down. 

Feng Xiaohan observed her—now only half her little head visible above the table. 

Indeed… she couldn’t reach. 

“Fine, stand then.” 

Yu Yu stood back up, clutching her chopsticks as she stared at her father. 

“Father, I want that meat-meat!” 

“Get it yourself.” Feng Xiaohan picked up a bite of greens and ate calmly. 

Was he the kind of man who catered to children? 

“Okay.” 

Yu Yu stretched her chubby little arm as far as she could toward the dish. 

Almost… almost got the meat-meat! 

In her determination, she planted one foot right on the table to reach farther. 

Feng Xiaohan: !!! 

Now this was ‘literally’ eating at the table. 

“Feng Wuyu, put your foot down.” 

“But… but I can’t reach!” 

“I’ll get it for you.” 

“Okay~” Yu Yu obediently lowered her foot. 

Feng Xiaohan served her a piece of steamed lamb. 

“Thank you, Father~” Yu Yu beamed at him sweetly as she eyed the meat in her bowl. 

“Father, I also want that leg-leg!” She had her sights set on a chicken drumstick. 

Feng Xiaohan handed her the drumstick. 

“I’m your father. Shouldn’t ‘you’ be the one serving ‘me’?” 

At this, Yu Yu paused mid-chew, her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk’s, and stared at him. 

After swallowing the bite, she spoke solemnly: 

“Father, have you ever heard a saying?” 

“What saying?” 

“On the battlefield, no father and son; at the dining table, no father and daughter.” Yu Yu delivered this with the gravity of a sage. 

Feng Xiaohan: ……… This child deserved a spanking. 

He’d heard the first half before, but the second half? Absolutely not. 

“Who taught you that?” 

“Sister Wampi said it!” Yu Yu promptly buried herself back in her meal. 

“Did she get beaten after saying it?” 

“Yep!” Yu Yu nodded. 

Sister Wampi had been promptly spanked with a slipper by her father. 

Feng Xiaohan: ‘And yet you still said it. 

Ah, forget it. No use arguing with a child. 

His appetite wasn’t great, and he stopped after half a bowl of rice. 

Between enthusiastic bites, Yu Yu glanced at him. 

“Father full-full?” 

“Mn.” Feng Xiaohan nodded. 

“Father, you eat so little! Sister Wampi’s daddy eats ‘three’ bowls of rice—he’s super strong!” 

She gave her father a worried once-over. ‘Sigh… Father’s so thin. Yu Yu will have to do all the heavy lifting at home.’

She needed to eat ‘more’ meat-meat! 

Feng Xiaohan caught her troubled look. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ 

So someone else’s father was stronger? That ‘he’ was weak? 

A little runt like her—he could send ‘ten’ of her flying with one punch. 

“Father, you ‘have’ to eat more! Otherwise, you won’t have energy for work!” Yu Yu stretched her chopsticks toward him, depositing a piece of food in his bowl. 

‘Eat up, Father! Only then can you work hard to raise Yu Yu!’ 

“I don’t like chicken.” Feng Xiaohan eyed the meat she’d given him. 

Yu Yu happily snatched it back into her own bowl. 

“Then Father eat big shrimp!” 

“I don’t like shrimp either.” 

“Father eat meatball!” 

“I don’t like—” 

“‘Father!’” Yu Yu suddenly raised a tiny fist, puffing her cheeks at him. 

“Why you so picky?! You won’t grow tall or strong like this!” 

Feng Xiaohan stared at her little fist and swallowed hard. 

“…I’ll have the fish lips.” 

“Okay~ Yu Yu get for you!” She lowered her fist and dutifully served him the fish lips. 

“What else does Father want?” 

“That venison.” 

“Okay~” 

Under his daughter’s relentless feeding, the Regent Prince managed another bowl of rice. 

After finishing, Yu Yu dug around in her little pouch. 

Feng Xiaohan pretended not to care, but his peripheral vision betrayed his anticipation. 

‘Was she about to give him a gift?’

Yu Yu pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth. 

Feng Xiaohan: ………… 

‘Ahem.’ “The flowers in the hall have wilted. It’s time to replace them,” Feng Xiaohan casually hinted. 

Unfortunately, Yu Yu was only two and a half years old—far too young to pick up on her father’s not-so-subtle suggestion. 

“Yep!” She nodded absently in agreement. 

Feng Xiaohan: ………… 

‘Forget it.’ 

Seeing that it was about time, Yu Yu decided to head back. 

“Father~ I’m going home now.” 

“Mn.” Feng Xiaohan responded indifferently. 

— 

Yu Yu returned to the small town and rushed straight to the Medical Immortal’s place. 

“Yu Yu’s here,” the Medical Immortal greeted, still grinding herbs as usual. 

“Brother Medical Immortal, did you eat yet?” Yu Yu asked with concern. 

“I did.” 

“What do you need?” He crouched down and patted her little head. 

“My father—his strength is so small! He only eats half a bowl of rice. Brother Medical Immortal, is my father sick?” Yu Yu asked worriedly. 

“Low strength? That sounds like physical deficiency,” the Medical Immortal mused. 

“Loss of appetite could be due to dual deficiency of ‘qi’ and blood.” 

“Alright, I’ll prescribe some medicine to help regulate his condition.” He smiled gently at her. 

“Okay!” 

The Medical Immortal stood and walked to the medicine cabinet, gathering ingredients. 

After a while, he handed her the prepared medicine. 

“I’ve written the decoction instructions and precautions on the package. Give this to your father.” 

“Thank you, Brother Medical Immortal!” 

Yu Yu paid and happily skipped off to deliver the medicine to her father. 

— 

“Father~!” 

Feng Xiaohan looked up to see the little girl return. 

“What now?” 

“This is for you. Father, remember to take it, okay?” Yu Yu placed the medicine in his hand and gave him a serious reminder. 

“What is this?” 

“Medicine from Brother Medical Immortal!” She climbed onto a stool, snatched two oranges from his desk, and stuffed them into her pouch. 

Feng Xiaohan stared at the medicine in his hand. 

‘Why would I need medicine?!’ 

“Father, bye-bye~!” Yu Yu hugged a large pomegranate in each arm and toddled off. 

Feng Xiaohan: ‘Little fruit thief!’ 

— 

The town was as lively as ever. Since Yu Yu hadn’t found any odd jobs to do yet, she went to play with Sister Wisteria. 

“Sister Wisteria!” 

Today, Wisteria wore her usual flowing violet gown, lazily fanning herself with a round silk fan. 

“You’re here.” 

“Sister, eat an orange!” Yu Yu pulled one out and offered it. 

Wisteria accepted it with slender, pale fingers. 

“I’ll eat it later.” (‘Because I don’t want to peel it. I’ll make Crown Prince Gu do it for me.’) 

Yu Yu bit into hers directly—only to scrunch up her little face at the bitter peel. 

Wisteria chuckled and shook her head, taking it back to peel for her before handing it over again. 

Yu Yu split the peeled orange in half and gave one portion to Wisteria. 

After finishing, Yu Yu spotted some yellow flowers. 

“Sister, save a bunch of yellow flowers for Yu Yu!” 

“Alright.” Wisteria nodded. 

“Yu Yu, can you help catch my chicken?” someone called out. 

“Okay~!” Yu Yu hopped up on her short legs, ready for work. 

Wisteria watched her tiny figure scamper off, amused, before heading to Crown Prince Gu’s office. 

“Here, have an orange.” She tossed it to him casually. 

“Wisteria!” The crown prince’s delighted voice rang out. 

— 

‘‘Regent Prince’s Mansion’’ 

The imperial physician examined the contents of the medicine package, breaking out in a cold sweat. 

“Your Highness, this medicine… supplements blood and ‘qi’, invigorates vitality, and strengthens the body. It’s typically prescribed for those with weak constitutions.” 

Qing’an’s eyes flickered with surprise. 

‘The Regent Prince… is physically weak?’ 

Feng Xiaohan: ………… 

‘Feng. Wu. Yu.’ 

‘Is this little runt trying to infuriate me to death?!’ Since when was he weak? Did she want a spanking so badly? 

“Leave,” Feng Xiaohan said coldly. 

“Y-Yes, this humble official takes his leave.” 

The physician retreated hastily. 

Qing’an hesitated before speaking. 

“Your Highness… who gave this to you?” 

“A certain ‘insufferable little runt’.” Feng Xiaohan gritted his teeth. 

Qing’an: ‘Huh? A little runt?’ 

‘Where did she come from?’