Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Fusu brought his younger brother and sister to the Zhou residence. Considering it was his sister's first visit, he unusually didn't make them study and let them play freely.

Unlike the solemn and dignified palace, the Zhou residence had a refined and leisurely style, and the children ran wild as soon as they entered.

In addition, the husband had prepared a lot of snacks and fruits before leaving, which were ruined before he could even enjoy them, thus benefiting them.

As a half-master of the Zhou family, Azhu generously shared the chestnuts and pine nuts he had peeled, as well as the maltose that his teacher had rewarded him with, with Huhai and Yinman.

Yin Man, with a candy in her mouth, sat on the "guest rocking chair" and swayed back and forth happily, while Hu Hai squatted on the side table, holding a handful of snacks in each hand. He took a bite from the left and stuffed a handful into the right, his cheeks puffed out like a little hamster, and he ate with great relish.

Just then, Jiming and Jiqing came from the other end of the corridor carrying bamboo mats on which freshly dried medicinal herbs were spread out.

Hu Hai, for some reason, had such sharp eyes that he immediately recognized Ji Qing, the girl who had looked up at him with adoration on a snowy day and said "Thank you, big brother"—a girl who had now changed drastically.

His eyes suddenly lit up.

He quickly swallowed the crumbs from his mouth, dusted them off, and ran over.

"What are you doing? Moving things? I can help!"

Hu Hai's shout made both of them stop.

Ji Ming recognized Hu Hai and smiled politely, "No need, no need, this is very light, we can lift it."

"That won't do!"

Hu Hai had already moved closer, glanced at Ji Qing, then raised his little head and patted his chest.

"What strength do you, such a small girl, have? The master said... what was it again? Anyway, go and rest over there, leave the rest to your brother!"

"Brother? Which brother?" Yin Man leaned closer and asked curiously.

"Of course it's me!" Hu Hai, always the youngest son of the King of Qin, proudly raised his head. "If you don't believe me, ask her if I'm not her brother. I've helped her a lot!"

"You'll help?! You're kidding, aren't you?" Yin Man's eyes widened as she looked Hu Hai up and down.

"How could I not know how?!" Hu Hai exclaimed anxiously, his face turning bright red as he waved his hands in the air.

"It was snowing so hard that day, and she still needed to buy a basket. It was awful! Her older brother wanted to buy one, but they were too embarrassed. It was me who helped! She even called me 'little brother'!"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Ji Qing quickly spoke up: "It's true, this young man really helped me, he did us a huge favor!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Hai immediately became smug, hands on his hips, chin practically pointing to the sky.

"Hmph, I told you! Come on, big brother's got your back. What's this? I'll carry it, you go and rest!"

He waved his hand with feigned domineering air, about to take Ji Qing's place.

Fusu, fearing that Huhai would cause trouble, hurried over and overheard his words, leaving him speechless with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

He grabbed Hu Hai's shoulder and said helplessly, "Hu Hai, don't make things worse, and..." He paused, then said, "You should call Ji Qing 'Sister Ji Qing'."

Hu Hai was stunned.

He blinked, looked at Fusu, then at Jiqing, then back at Fusu, as if struck by lightning.

"Sister...sister?" His voice trembled, "Her? Sister? How could that be? She's clearly the younger sister, I'm the older brother!"

"Why not?" Yin Man added gloatingly from behind, "Eldest brother is definitely right, why don't you hurry up and call me sister?"

"I'm taller than her!" Hu Hai exclaimed anxiously, standing on tiptoe and straining his stomach as if trying to stretch himself into a long strip. "I'm also stronger than her! She's so short and small, how come I'm the younger brother? It's not fair!"

"Hu Hai, you mustn't be rude." Fu Su frowned, his tone becoming more serious. "Apologize quickly."

When Ji Qing first arrived, she was somewhat malnourished and thin, but under the care of Physician Xia over the past few months, she has improved considerably. Just a couple of days ago, Physician Xia told him that Ji Qing had grown taller. How could Hu Hai expose someone's shortcomings? It's simply outrageous!

Yin Man covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes curving into crescents: "That's right, that's right! Quickly apologize to your sister, and besides, you're fat, not strong!"

"You're talking nonsense! I am Zhuang, I am the older brother!" Hu Hai retorted, refusing to admit it no matter what. "I'm stronger than her too, you just wait!"

He whirled around, grabbed the edge of the bamboo mat, and yanked it hard—

Caught off guard, Jiming's hand slipped, and Hu Hai snatched the bamboo mat away.

"See that?! See that?" Hu Hai shouted triumphantly, holding the bamboo mat. "I can move it all by myself! You two can move it, but I'll move it all by myself! I'm strong! I'm the older brother!"

He grabbed the bamboo mat and ran off in a flash, his steps hurried and fast, as if he wanted to run three laps around the yard to announce it to the world.

Although the bamboo mat wasn't heavy, it was wider than his outstretched arms, making it particularly awkward to hold in his arms; he couldn't even see the road when he looked down.

Before anyone could react, he had already rushed to the table and stepped right on a round chestnut shell—

"Splash!"

Hu Hai suddenly leaned back, and the bamboo mat flew out with a "whoosh," sending medicinal herbs, nuts, and shells flying everywhere, like a colorful snowfall.

He himself fell to the ground, flat on his back, and was hit on the head and face by falling objects, leaving him completely stunned.

Yin Man was the first to burst out laughing, and then she couldn't stop herself. She squatted on the ground, clutching her stomach, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

"Hahahaha! You...you can't even walk properly, and you want to be the older brother! Hahahaha!"

"Sigh~"

Fusu sighed and slapped his forehead.

There was really one I couldn't keep an eye on; he's caused trouble again.

Luckily there was no tea on the table, otherwise he would have been seriously burned!

After Fusu picked Huhai up, patted and shook him, and removed the pine nut shells from his hair, Huhai finally realized what was happening and burst into tears.

It wasn't that the fall hurt that much, since my butt was already numb, but... why is he the youngest again?!

Hu Hai, feeling utterly dejected, found a corner to squat in. Fu Su was busy trying to comfort him, and Ji Qing also wanted to console him, but the closer she got, the more Hu Hai broke down. Yin Man, of course, took this opportunity to mock her unfortunate younger brother. A Zhu and Ji Qing were busy sorting out the medicinal herbs again.

This is the scene Zhou Wenqing saw when he came in.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing was both amused and annoyed. He squatted down and flicked Hu Hai's forehead with his finger.

"Hu Hai, you really are... what can I say about you? You've caused trouble again!"

"Waaaaah, waaaaah—" Hu Hai was extremely aggrieved and buried his head in Zhou Wenqing's arms, crying and wailing.

"Mr. Zhou, I didn't mean to! I... Waaaaah... My sister, hiccup, is older than me! I can't be the older brother, and I'm the youngest... hiccup, the youngest, waaaah~"

"Aww!"

With a scream, Hu Hai jerked back, clutching his forehead. This time, it wasn't just a dry wail; tears streamed down his face.

Zhou Wenqing lowered his head and touched the amulet in his arms, then looked at Hu Hai, who was covering his forehead and wailing, and his lips twitched.

Well, this kid's had a bad day, so I won't scold him.

He sighed, pulled Hu Hai over, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and said gently:

"Alright, stop crying. If you can't be the older brother, you can be the younger brother. What's the big deal? Look at Ah-Zhu, he's the younger brother at home and the junior brother here, and he's doing just fine."

Ah-Zhu was innocently caught in the crossfire; he opened his mouth, then silently closed it again.

Hu Hai raised his head, sobbing, his eyes and forehead red, and said pitifully, "But...but I..."

"But what?" Zhou Wenqing pinched his cheek. "What's so good about being an older brother who has to give in to his younger brother and clean up his messes?"

Fusu, who was also caught in the crossfire, stood aside, looking at the weeping Huhai and then at the smirking Yinman, his expression also showing a sense of despair.

"Stop crying." Zhou Wenqing patted Hu Hai's head. "Don't cry. Mr. Zhou will take you out to play today."

"Really?" Hu Hai's eyes widened instantly.

"Of course it's true." Zhou Wenqing pointed to the mess on the ground and added slowly, "But you have to clean this up first."

"Yay!"

"Mr. Zhou, I'll help too! I want to go out and have fun too!" Yin Man shouted when she saw this.

"Okay, let's pack together and go out to play together."

Zhou Wenqing stood up and smiled at Ji Qing beside him.

"You two are the same, not in a hurry to get to work. I haven't taken you out of the manor to play yet. Let's go for a spring outing together today."