TSWPF -Chapter 325 Punishment

Liu Zhimou worried that Li Qingling would be embarrassed or angry, so he quickly pulled her onto a chair and kept urging her to eat.

But Li Qingfeng’s eyes were sharp. He noticed two red marks on Li Qingling’s neck and asked curiously, “Sister, were you bitten by mosquitoes?”

In an instant, Li Qingling’s face turned bright red. She had deliberately chosen a high-collared dress to cover the marks on her neck, but she hadn’t expected anyone to notice.

“Sister, what’s wrong? Why is your face so red again? You’re not sick, are you?” Li Qingfeng asked anxiously, worried she might be ill and not telling them.

Li Qingling cleared her throat, touched her hot face, and shook her head. “I’m fine, I’m not sick.”

“Then why is your face so red?”

She fanned herself lightly and laughed, saying the dining room felt a little warm, so she was going outside for some fresh air.

With that, she shot out of the room.

She felt that if she stayed in the dining room any longer, those little brats would drive her crazy.

Ignorance is a crime!

It was all someone’s fault. If he hadn’t left so many marks on her neck, would she have had to flee from her brothers’ questions?

Maybe she should punish him by making him sleep in the study tonight and think about his actions.

“Hot?” Li Qingfeng blinked and asked Li Zhiyan and the others.

They shook their heads. “No, it’s not hot.”

Liu Zhimou was speechless. He patted Li Qingfeng on the head and told him to hurry up and eat without so much chatter.

Then he got up and went out to check on his wife.

His wife must not be angry at him. If she were, he would be utterly helpless.

When Li Qingling saw him come out, she pouted at him and asked, “What are you doing out here?”

Liu Zhimou smiled and took her hand. “Wifey, you’re out for some fresh air, and as your husband, I of course have to come out with you.”

Hearing this, Li Qingling ground her teeth in anger. She grabbed his waist and twisted it hard. Only when she saw him gasping did she let go.

“It’s all your fault! If it weren’t for you, would I need such a lame excuse?”

“Yes, yes, my fault, my fault,” Liu Zhimou said, trying hard to survive his wife’s wrath. “Next time, I’ll be gentle, okay?”

“You still expect a next time?”

“Wifey, for your happiness, there must be a next time,” he said seriously, touching her face. “Your complexion is back to normal. Come on, let’s go eat.”

Li Qingling was stunned as he pulled her along. After a moment, she realized the “happiness” he meant… was not the kind she expected.

If she hadn’t already been dragged into the dining room, she might have twisted his waist again.

This man had learned from someone… to actually say… such lewd things.

She was truly shocked.

“Sis…”

“Speak not while eating. Eat your food,” Liu Zhimou interrupted Li Qingfeng before he could say anything embarrassing to Li Qingling.

Li Qingfeng swallowed the words he was about to say and quietly lowered his head to eat.

That glare from his brother-in-law earlier had scared him stiff. If he dared to speak again, he’d be in big trouble.

Seeing Li Qingfeng behave obediently, Liu Zhimou nodded in satisfaction, picked up the chopsticks, and put some of Li Qingling’s favorite dishes into her bowl, softly urging her to eat more.

Fortunately, Li Qingfeng and the others were used to this, or it would have blinded them. No, human eyes, not dog eyes.

After the meal, Li Qingling didn’t dare linger in the dining room and hurried back to her room.

She feared staying longer and being questioned by the little brats about something she couldn’t answer.

Such private topics—how could she explain them to them?

Would she tell them the marks on her neck were caused by her brother-in-law biting her?

If she said that, even more questions would come next.

She would be digging her own grave.

Better to slip away early to avoid that.

“Xiaofeng, come with me to the study.”

Here it comes—the brother-in-law really was going to punish him.

Li Qingfeng looked despairingly at Master Luo, blinking frantically for help.

Master Luo helplessly shrugged, signaling that he couldn’t intervene. He wouldn’t interfere when Liu Zhimou punished the children.

If he did, the children would see him as a crutch and come to him for every mistake. He wouldn’t allow that.

“….”

Defeated, Li Qingfeng turned his gaze to Li Zhiyan.

Li Zhiyan silently said, “I’m like a clay Buddha crossing a river—can’t even protect myself. Figure it out yourself.” He wished his elder brother would just ignore him, but instead, he was getting himself into trouble.

“…Brothers are unreliable!” Li Qingfeng thought miserably, following Liu Zhimou without hope, wondering what punishment awaited him.

At the doorway, Liu Zhimou suddenly stopped and turned to Li Zhiyan, smiling slightly. Li Zhiyan trembled at the sight before he slowly asked, “…Me too?”

His premonition was correct. His shoulders drooped. He hadn’t spoken or offended his sister-in-law—why was he getting punished?

Having someone to suffer alongside him, Li Qingfeng straightened his back instantly, smiling at Li Zhiyan and patting his shoulder. “Shared pain.”

He didn’t really want to share the pain—Li Zhiyan could do nothing but silently endure it.

That night, no one knew exactly how Liu Zhimou punished them, but by the next morning, Li Qingling saw the two looking like pandas, with huge black circles under their eyes.

Feeling sympathetic, she encouraged them to eat more to make up for their wounded little hearts.

The two turned frustration into energy and ate so much breakfast they were stuffed.

Li Qingling watched them, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

Seeing her expression, Li Qingfeng and Li Zhiyan shuddered inwardly. “What does she want to do?” they asked each other.

Li Qingling chuckled and sent Nianxia to fetch two hoes, handing them over to the two boys to start turning the soil and planting vegetables.

Li Qingfeng: “…” Is this really my sister?

Li Zhiyan: “…” Is this really my sister-in-law?

Do they really need to do this to us?

“You ate a lot, so you need exercise, otherwise you’ll become fat. For the sake of your elegant appearance, go!”

Such a perfectly reasonable excuse. Li Qingfeng and Li Zhiyan were speechless.

“Hmm?”

“Go, right now.” Hearing Li Qingling’s slight upward tone, the two unlucky boys quickly grabbed the hoes and followed her to the garden.

Li Qingling told them to wait while she cleared out the weeds first, then they could start tilling.

Li Qingfeng and Li Zhiyan couldn’t let her do it alone, so they grabbed knives to help clear the weeds.

Nianxia and Xichun also came to help.

Many hands made light work, and after about half a day, the northeast corner of the yard had been cleared and developed.

Li Qingling placed her hands on her hips, looking at the cleared land with satisfaction. From now on, they wouldn’t need to buy vegetables outside; they could just pick them from their garden.

“Sis, do we need to clear other areas? I want to plant more fruit trees at home,” Li Qingfeng wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling accomplished seeing the tilled land.

Labor brings joy, and he felt very happy.

Li Qingling asked him what kind of fruit trees he wanted to plant.

The previous owner had many ornamental trees. If the children wanted fruit trees, she’d replace the ornamental ones.

Li Qingfeng listed a long list of fruit trees.

Li Qingling nodded and then asked Li Zhiyan and the others what fruit trees they wanted. She could combine everyone’s preferences.

They also gave their choices, agreeing to plant fruit trees in the yard so that every autumn, there would be plenty of fruit.

“Alright, I got it. Once I check which trees grow well here, we’ll buy seedlings and plant them.”

Hearing this, the children cheered.

Li Qingling smiled seeing the kids so happy.

At that moment, Xichun hurried over to inform Li Qingling that Madam Hu had arrived.

Li Qingling responded, glanced at her dirty clothes, smiled wryly, and walked toward her yard to change before going to meet her.

She didn’t want to embarrass her husband by meeting guests in muddy clothes.

Two quarters later, Li Qingling arrived at the flower hall and saw Hu Juanjuan, smiling and greeting her politely.

“Madam, I hope I’m not disturbing you again today,” Hu Juanjuan said warmly.

“You’re not disturbing me. I have nothing much to do at home. Madam Hu, you can come chat anytime.”

Hu Juanjuan’s smile deepened as she handed Li Qingling a package she had placed on a nearby chair. It contained some vegetable seeds she had left at home for her to plant.

Li Qingling took the package with a smile, thanked her, and asked if she minded her opening it to see the contents.

“Not at all. I can explain it to you here,” Hu Juanjuan said. Madam of the county said things so nicely, it felt pleasant to hear and made her feel respected.

Li Qingling opened the package and saw a huge collection of seeds wrapped in paper. “So many?” She thought. With this many vegetable seeds, they couldn’t plant them all even on several acres!

Hu Juanjuan smiled. She said her family’s seeds were quite good. Since relatives and friends wanted some, they had left extra seeds this year.