As the two little ones grew, Feng Jin's recovery was complete, and Ling Mo Han finally opened the forbidden courtyard doors of the East Wing, allowing others to visit.
News of this reached Old Master Ling. Without even eating breakfast, he rushed over to see his two great-grandsons.
Ling Mo Han was squeezed into a corner by the crowd, even being denied the right to merely glance at his sons from afar.
His inner grievances were all visible on his face.
Meanwhile, the two little treasures had become the center of attention, being looked at by this person and held by that person, never being put down.
"Let me hold him quickly!" Old Master Ling impatiently snatched a child and hugged him affectionately.
"This child is far more beloved than Mo Han was as a baby. Look at him… such a handsome little face."
In Old Master Ling's eyes, only the two little treasures existed; he had long forgotten about Ling Mo Han.
"Grandfather, you should rest. Let me hold him."
Ling Mo Han stepped forward, wanting to claim a child, but was glared at fiercely by Old Master Ling. "I'm not tired. Go do what you need to do. Don't linger around here, or you'll teach my precious grandson to be like you."
Having lived for over twenty years, Ling Mo Han experienced being disliked for the first time. Previously, his grandfather had always put him first, but now everything had changed.
"Oh, right. How are the preparations for the children's full moon banquet coming along?"
"Grandfather, I intended to postpone the full moon banquet and hold it together with the hundred-day celebration. It's not much time in between, and preparing for two banquets consecutively is rather troublesome."
Old Master Ling's expression darkened gradually. "My precious grandsons' full moon and hundred-day banquets must both be held. My Ling family is not short of money. If you lack funds, I'll pay for it; I won't let my great-grandsons be wronged."
"Grandfather, how old is he? What can he possibly know? There's simply no need..."
"What do you mean no need? Gaining two precious grandsons at once is the greatest joy. From now on, my precious grandsons' affairs will be the Ling family's most important matters. None of you can treat them lightly!"
Old Master Ling's anger flared up. If he had a stick in his hand at that moment, he would have directly struck Ling Mo Han.
"Grandfather, rest assured, the children's full moon banquet will be meticulously planned."
Feng Jin quickly interjected, unable to let the grandfather and grandson argue over such matters.
"You're more sensible than Feng Jin!" Old Master Ling pointed at Ling Mo Han's nose and berated him.
He then turned to the housekeeper, Old Master Ling said in a deep voice, "Hurry and invite the tailor from the east of the city to our home. I need to make myself some clothes. My precious grandsons' full moon banquet is such a grand occasion; I must prepare properly."
"Yes, Old Master. I'll go invite him now!"
The housekeeper agreed and immediately got up and walked out.
Old Master Ling did not leave the East Wing all day, gazing at the two treasures, a smile never fading from his lips.
"Old Master, it's already dark. You should go back and rest. You can visit the young masters again tomorrow."
"It's dark so soon." Old Master Ling's gaze shifted from the children to the outside, seeing that it was indeed dark.
Old Master Ling stood up. Having sat for the entire day, his back was quite weary.
"Wake up early tomorrow and open the door. I'll come to see them again tomorrow,"
Old Master Ling pointed at Ling Mo Han and sternly commanded. He wished he could watch the two little darlings forever. After hugging them for a while longer, he reluctantly left.
Only late into the night, after Ling Mo Han had seen off all those who came to visit the two little ones, did he rush to their side. Finally, it was his turn to look at his children.
"Slow down. They've just fallen asleep." Feng Jin's heart was in her mouth as she saw Ling Mo Han's rough handling of the children.
Ling Mo Han acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to hold Da Bao with his usual manner.
He had noticed these past two days that the personalities of these two children were poles apart. Da Bao was more lively, always smiling at everyone, while Er Bao was more composed, rarely smiling no matter how one tried to coax him.
Despite being twins, their personalities differed so greatly. Moreover, they seemed to dislike each other. Sometimes, when no one was watching, they would start fighting. Feng Jin even said it was a habit from the womb and couldn't be changed.
...
Soon, it was time for the twins' full moon banquet. Feng Jin had been sequestered in the small kitchen for the past two days, planning to make a cake for the children.
All the other ingredients were easy to find, but the cream proved to be a challenge for Feng Jin. She spent a lot of effort just trying to find milk.
After several inquiries, she finally found a cow that was lactating. She even spent money to buy the cow.
Feng Jin looked at the cow, which was almost as tall as she was, and her hand, which was ready to milk, hesitated.
"Lu Shi, go and milk some milk." Feng Jin decisively stepped back, shoving the bucket she had prepared for the milk into Lu Shi's hands.
"Young Madam, I've never done this before. Why don't you find someone else?"
"When Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it will first exercise his heart with suffering, and his sinews and slender muscles with toil... From the moment I met you, I knew you were no ordinary person. No one else can do this but you."
Feng Jin couldn't praise Lu Shi enough. She patted his shoulder. "Go on, I believe you can do it well."
Lu Shi was unwittingly persuaded by Feng Jin. He walked towards the cow beaming, reached out to milk it, but the moment he touched it, the cow seemed to become enraged. With a flying kick, it sent Lu Shi sprawling onto the ground. If Lu Shi hadn't had some martial arts training and dodged in time, he would have been kicked again.
The instant the cow became angry, Feng Jin quickly ran away and hid inside the house, watching through the slightly ajar door as Lu Shi battled the cow.
"Be careful. Don't hurt the cow, and don't startle it, or there'll be no milk."
If the cow got frightened, it would affect the quality of the milk. Without the raw material, her cake would be ruined.
Lu Shi managed to break free. His black clothing was stained with some unknown yellow substance and emitted a faint odor. Fortunately, his struggle was not in vain; he finally managed to squeeze out some milk.
"Young Madam, here is the milk you wanted." Lu Shi handed Feng Jin the small bucket of milk he had almost traded his life for.
As Feng Jin approached Lu Shi, her brows furrowed, and she tried hard to control her breathing. She quickly took the milk and took a small step back. "Guard Lu, thank you so much this time. When the cake is done, you must have a large piece."
Feng Jin was truly moved by Lu Shi today. He had gone through such hardships to get a small bucket of milk, and he looked so dishevelled.