Chapter 166 Joy

“Ah Jin is my nephew, you don’t need to replace him!”

"I'll take your place!"

Xiao Yu snorted, clearly still angry.

"Alright, since you guys are so loyal, let's split the cost evenly."

Xie Qingran, being easy to talk to, immediately offered a compromise.

She never intended to make things difficult for Xiao Jin. What could a three-year-old child have done wrong?

"Ah Jin, get up."

Xie Qingran spoke gently to Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin knelt on the ground, a small ball of flesh, his body swaying, but his expression was stubborn: "I don't want them to replace me!"

"Ah Jin, be a good boy!"

Qin stepped forward, wanting to pick up little Xiao Jin.

However, Xiao Jin struggled fiercely and refused to give in.

He was as stubborn as a mule, and even Qin Shi couldn't restrain him.

Seeing this, Madam Qin said helplessly, "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

“My aunt said that we are all of the same blood, so how can I let my family suffer for me?”

Xiao Jin's childish voice was firm and resonant.

Now, the others who were a little older all blushed, especially Xiao Huo, who was so ashamed that he didn't dare to look up.

He glanced at Xiao Yu, expressing his apology with his eyes.

Qin Shi never expected her son to say such courageous words. Looking at little Xiao Jin, she thought of her husband, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. She didn't stop him, but simply stayed by his side in silence.

Qin was a loving mother who adored her child, but she was not an ignorant woman. So she would not stop her son. She simply stayed by his side, accompanied him, and gave him the safest and most comfortable path.

Xie Qingran nodded in satisfaction. She knew that none of the children of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion were cowards.

Xiao Huo and Xiao Ting were both children from the second branch of the family, and were truly family. The news spread quickly, and Zhou Shi from the second branch immediately led people over.

Looking at the two children kneeling on the ground, Madam Zhou's expression changed, and she walked up to Xie Qingran: "What's wrong with the Crown Princess? Why are you so angry? It's just a few children fighting, why make such a big deal out of it?"

The old Duke had only two brothers. He was the eldest son of the eldest son's family, and he had a younger brother. The two were brothers from the same father and mother. Three years ago, the old Duke and his brother died on the battlefield. Their generation was wiped out. The only one left was his sister-in-law, who was of the same generation as Xiao Jue.

Zhou was not very knowledgeable and didn't understand many things. She just wanted her two children to grow up well. However, she never expected that they would be punished after only a few days of studying here. Naturally, she was unhappy.

"Now that your mother has come, you should go back with her."

Xie Qingran ignored Zhou's question and looked at the two children.

The two children had been kneeling there for an hour, their foreheads covered in beads of sweat, and their bodies swaying unsteadily.

Xiao Ting spoke first: "We were in the wrong first, Mother, you should go back."

"You! Are you out of your mind?" Zhou was furious. "Get up now! Do you even want your knees anymore?"

"If you can't even endure being forced to kneel, how will you ever go to the battlefield?" Xiao Huo snorted disdainfully, clearly determined to embody the spirit of a tough guy.

Children have this competitive spirit. Xiao Yu was about to collapse, but after hearing this, he immediately cheered up, afraid of being outdone.

"You! You two brats, get up and come back with me right now!"

Mrs. Zhou was furious and went forward with heartache, trying to pull the two children up, but she couldn't budge them at all.

She really couldn't understand what kind of spell Xie Qingran had cast on the child, making him listen to her so obediently.

The two sides were deadlocked, but time passed slowly, and two hours soon came to an end.

Xie Qingran then put down her calligraphy brush, stood up, took out several medicine bottles, and gave one to each child.

"After you get back, apply the medicine properly."

"Attend class on time tomorrow."

The children looked at the medicine bottles in their hands, then at Xie Qingran, and nodded obediently. They struggled to their feet and limped out.

Xiao Jin was the youngest, so he couldn't get up at all, and Qin Shi had to carry him away.

All the other children had been taken away by their mothers, leaving only Xiao Jue and Xiao Yanran slumped in place. They no longer had a mother; they only had themselves and each other.

Xie Qingran stepped forward, gently embraced Xiao Yanran, softly wiped away her tears, and looked at Xiao Yu: "Can you get up?"

"able."

Xiao Yu lowered her eyes, but her eyes were red and her nose felt sore.

Xie Qingran held Xiao Yanran in one arm and took Xiao Yu's hand with the other, and they returned to their courtyard together.

She reached out to lift Xiao Yu's trouser leg, but Xiao Yu awkwardly dodged her.

Xie Qingran gently patted his head, then continued what she was doing, pouring the medicinal wine into her palm, rubbing it to warm it up, and then placing it on his knee.

"Are you feeling wronged?"

Xie Qingran's voice was gentle and soft, completely different from before.

"I don't feel wronged, but I'm angry."

"They were the ones who insulted us and looked down on us. I was just protecting my sister. I...they deserved to be beaten up!"

Xiao Yu's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, but her voice was already trembling with tears.

They had no mother to make decisions for them, so even their own family members looked down on them.

But without a mother, they have no say in the matter.

"You did not do anything wrong in protecting your sister, but you used the wrong method. Fists are not used against family members; they should be used against outsiders."

“Ayu, you will definitely rise above others and become a great general. Then they will never dare to look down on you again.”

"But before that, you must learn to be patient, to lie low, and to work hard to learn skills, understand?"

Xie Qingran's hands were warm, her voice was gentle, and her eyes were full of love and appreciation as she looked at Xiao Yu.

She liked the child, but felt even more sorry for him.

He was so young, his father, mother and older brother all died, and his second brother is in this state. He is truly pitiful.

Don't look at me like that.

Xiao Yu turned her face away, but tears still fell uncontrollably.

Xie Qingran stood up and gently hugged him: "Cry, it's not shameful for a child to cry."

"I'm not a child anymore!" Xiao Yu retorted awkwardly, but still hugged Xie Qingran's waist, buried his head in her body, and his shoulders trembled.

Baozhu carefully applied the medicine to Xiao Yanran. Xiao Yanran usually cried the most, but now she just sat there quietly without crying, and even seemed to have a hint of pride and joy.