Feng Jin stepped forward and held the two treasures in her arms, playing with them.
Da Bao, as usual, nestled into Feng Jin's embrace, snuggling affectionately.
Er Bao, however, maintained his cool demeanor, only subtly observing Feng Jin with a detached expression.
At times, Feng Jin doubted if Er Bao knew how to smile, though she had seen him do so once or twice, a slight curve of his lips, a rare sight perhaps once every ten to fifteen days.
She had a premonition that Da Bao would be incredibly popular as he grew up, with a throng of young girls following him. As for Er Bao, as long as he could find a wife, she would be content.
"Mom... Mom, kiss... kiss..."
Da Bao, beaming, extended his arms, ready to leap into Feng Jin's embrace.
"My precious, Mama loves you so much."
Feng Jin scooped Da Bao into her arms and kissed him twice, their intimate mother-son moment truly heartwarming.
Er Bao, his face impassive, watched Feng Jin, utterly unmoved by the mother and son's closeness.
"Do you want a hug, Mama?" Feng Jin extended her arms towards Er Bao.
Er Bao remained indifferent, his face devoid of expression, as if he hadn't seen her gesture.
Feng Jin sighed resignedly and proactively picked Er Bao up, realizing that fostering their mother-son bond was a one-sided effort, as Er Bao was so unyielding.
After coaxing the two children to sleep, Feng Jin, also tired, embraced them and drifted into a deep sleep.
Ling Mo Han searched for Feng Jin downstairs but couldn't find her. After a prolonged search, he finally located her and carefully bent down, lifting the sleeping woman into his arms and carrying her out.
"Young General," Cai Qing stood respectfully at the doorway and saluted.
"You guard the young masters."
"Yes, Young General." Cai Qing nodded in agreement and walked directly into the house.
Ling Mo Han placed Feng Jin on the bed, then lay beside her, wrapping an arm around her and falling asleep with her.
...
The next day, as dawn was just breaking, a group of people hurried on their journey.
"Young Madam, please have something simple to eat."
Cai Qing offered Feng Jin a few rice cakes. In the wilderness, there was little to eat, and only these rice cakes were brought along for convenience during travel.
She herself was indifferent to the food, but she worried that the Young Madam would not be accustomed to it.
"When marching through the wilderness, having something to fill our stomachs is already good. There's nothing to be particular about."
In the past, she would have indeed found the rice cakes bland, dry, and difficult to swallow, but now she considered these rice cakes a blessing.
"Young Madam, these rice cakes are too dry." Cai Qing chewed for a long time, still finding the rice cakes dry and unappetizing.
"Here, drink some of this to moisten your throat."
Feng Jin took a kettle from her bag and handed it to Cai Qing.
Upon opening it, a strong, fishy odor wafted out, nearly making Cai Qing gag. She quickly covered her nose, "Young Madam, what is this that smells so pungent?"
In her lifetime, she had never encountered such a fishy scent, not even from freshly slaughtered sheep.
"This is goat milk. I squeezed it myself and heated it. I don't smell anything fishy anymore."
She had specifically heated it and added a good amount of sugar. If it were raw, Cai Qing would have likely spat it out after just one sniff.
"Goat milk? Young Madam, how can you drink goat milk!"
Cai Qing was shocked, scarcely able to believe it was goat milk. She had never seen anyone drink goat milk before.
Moreover, it smelled so pungent and unpleasant, how could anyone drink it?
"You don't understand. Goat milk is full of good things and is very nourishing. Try it. It only smells a bit fishy, but it doesn't taste fishy at all."
Cai Qing hesitantly accepted it and, under Feng Jin's guidance, carefully took a small sip. It was smooth in her mouth with a hint of sweetness, completely lacking any fishy taste. Instead, it was surprisingly delicious and palatable. Cai Qing couldn't help but take another few sips.
"See? It's good, isn't it?"
"It's delicious, Young Madam. This is my first time drinking goat milk, and I never expected it to be so good."
Cai Qing took a few more sips, not quite satisfied, and confirmed that the Young Madam was right; goat milk was indeed delicious.
Seeing Cai Qing greedily drinking, Feng Jin chuckled, "Finish this, and I'll go out and take a look."
She had only squeezed two pots of goat milk, with one pot saved specifically for Ling Mo Han.
Taking advantage of a brief stop to rest, Feng Jin handed a pot of goat milk to Ling Mo Han, "This is for you to drink."
"I have water here," Ling Mo Han replied without much thought.
"You silly man, why would I bother with water for you? This is goat milk, specially brewed by me. Drink it quickly."
Ling Mo Han opened it and saw that it was indeed milky white goat milk. However, he had only heard of people drinking cow's milk, never goat milk. Feng Jin was truly unique, always coming up with novel ideas.
"Drink it, staring at it won't get it into your stomach."
Feng Jin said impatiently, urging Ling Mo Han to drink the goat milk.
Unable to refuse, Ling Mo Han took a sip. Perhaps it was due to thirst, but Ling Mo Han drank the entire pot of goat milk, even returning the empty kettle to Feng Jin at the end.
"It tastes good. Make some more tomorrow."
Feng Jin's lips twitched involuntarily. She rolled her eyes. Didn't he seem disgusted just now? Now he was hooked.
This was the wilderness, not a market town. Where was she supposed to find goat milk? Having this to drink was already good enough, and he was still unsatisfied.
"Go find me a lactating nanny goat, and I'll make you some properly to drink."
With that, Feng Jin turned and left without even looking back at Ling Mo Han.
After a period of rest, the group continued their journey. Midway through, the horse carriage, which was traveling normally, suddenly stopped. A commotion erupted outside the carriage.
Feng Jin lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced out. She saw a large procession approaching the carriage, surrounding it.
"Cai Qing, go and bring the two children here." Feng Jin immediately realized something was wrong and quickly asked Cai Qing to fetch the children.
"Yes, Young Madam, your servant will go at once."
Cai Qing acknowledged and hurried out to bring the two children, with Zhang Mama and Lin Mama following closely behind.
"Young Madam, what's happening? Why are there so many people outside?"
Zhang Mama became flustered, asking with a slight tremor in her voice, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
"It's alright, don't worry. Everyone outside is my person. Nothing will happen, rest assured."
Feng Jin spoke to comfort them, stabilizing their morale. She trusted that Ling Mo Han would handle the situation appropriately.