Two weeks went by. For two weeks, Jing Chen secretly exercised inside his room. He did push up and sit up to test the limit of his body. Xue Yu was noticeably happier, and the twins' complexion was better. They still had sunken cheeks, but they didn't have that starving look anymore. Xue Yu brought food for him secretly on the first day, but Jing Chen told him not to because it was too risky. He still can survive by eating a bowl of porridge every night, it was them who needed it the most.

That day, Jing Chen planned to make trouble.The previous day, Xue Yu fainted in the field (Jing Chen told him to do so). Quickly, the news spread in the village. Lots of villagers were dissatisfied with the Jing family. It was too much to force a ger working in the field all day every day for months like a man. The separation of work in ancient times was quite strict. If women and ger needed to work on the field, the appropriate time was in the morning until the sun was right above your head. They would go back to prepare lunch and take care of the house. Letting a ger worked in the field until dusk was simply inhumane! Who didn't know Xue Yu used his lunch break not to eat, but to search for food and herbs in the mountain for his husband?

"It seems like Xue Yu already reached his limit.."

"Jing family is so ruthless ah! The husband hasn't recovered yet, now the wife has lost his strength!"

"Jing family is so rich, yet they can't pay temporary workers? Obviously, it's mother Jing who wants to suppress the second son!"

"Mother Jing is too partial ah! It's true that the second son did not come out of her stomach, but he is filial! Who doesn't know he gave the family 200 taels after coming back from the military?"

"200 taels and only 2 taels spend on bride price! This mother Jing doesn't give second son face ah!" 

"200 taels were given, mother Jing didn't let him marry a woman, but forced him to marry a ger instead! Jing's second son fate is so tragic.."

"Who doesn't know that the money spent on the fourth son's wedding with the town's girl? The lazy son spent 25 taels for his wedding, the second son's wedding did not even have meat dishes on it!"

"Father Jing let all of this happen? Ai, not only the mother is partial, but the father too?"

Back to Jing family house.

Mother Jing felt dissatisfied right now. Since Xue Yu fainted, he had to force her daughters-in-law to cook. Zhang Mei, Jing Hao's daughter-in-law was a delicate woman, her movement was clumsy, and she sighed regretfully for every task. If she hadn't given her a fat grandson already, mother Jing would scold her to death for how lazy she was!

Wang Ling, Jing Chang's daughter-in-law was from a good background and couldn't be bullied. Besides, she gave her two grandsons, so she was her favourite. Lin Jia, Jing Shan's daughter-in-law was seven months pregnant. Even though mother Jing dissatisfied with her since she only gave birth to a daughter so far, it's possible she would give birth to a son soon. So she tolerated her slow movements.

Mother Jing wanted to call Xue Wen to cook, but the boy was out washing the clothes. All Jing's family clothes were washed by him, so he took longer than any woman or ger in the village.

When lunchtime came around but there was no sign of Xue Yu getting out of the room, Mother Jing couldn't hold it in anymore. She banged the door so hard it creaked.

"Xue Yu! Xue Yu! How dare you not wake up yet, ah?!! Do you want to let this mother cook for you until death?!! You unfilial, fainted by working a little on the field?! Aren't you just lazy?!!"

Jing Chen sneered when he heard that. Working a little on the field? Was she blind or what? The twins and Xue Yu looked at Jing Chen nervously. He patted their heads one by one.

"Don't listen to her, let her scold us a little more."

Jing Chen wanted to wait a bit more. Let mother Jing scolded louder and louder until all the neighbours heard it. All the nonsense she sprouted just went over his head. Instead, he talked with the twins.

"Did you eat a lot yesterday?"

 Jing Yi, the oldest twin with a mole below his left eye nodded earnestly. His usually solemn expression brightens.

"Yes, aunt Zhang's cooking is delicious."

The younger twin, Jing Bai giggled. Two dimples blossomed on his cheeks.

"Father, we ate eggs! And she gave us sweet buns from the county town. Uncle Wen loves it very much."

"Really?"

Jing Chen chuckled. Xue Wen was 9 years old, but he was called uncle. It's so funny to him. 

"Yes! And today, Auntie Zhang will cook chicken! Can you believe it, father? Chicken!" Jing Bai said happily.

"Not only chicken, but we will also eat more meat in the future. Be good and don't make trouble! Father will buy it for you."

"We never made trouble," Jing Yi defended his twin. "It's always Jing Han and Jing Lei who hit us!"

Jing Chen frowned, Jing Han was Jing Hao's oldest son while Jing Lei was Jing Chang's. These two kids were so young but they learned how to be evil already.

"From now on, if they hit you, you hit them back. Don't be afraid!"

"It's better to stay away from them. BaiBai and YiYi should avoid them," Xue Yu interrupted. He preferred if the twins didn't have any contact with those children. He didn't want them to fight and got hurt.