Farming with kids: My deceased husband returns and I spoil him rotten.

So that's why she contacted me.

I thought she was genuinely concerned about her health.

Seeing that he seemed to be in a daze, Shang Qing waved her hand in front of him and frowned, saying, "Young Master Zhao, what's wrong with you lately? I feel like you're acting strange."

Gu Yu avoided her scrutinizing gaze and coughed heavily twice.

"Uh... I'm fine. I'll take them to exercise first thing tomorrow morning."

"They've grown up, so they can get more exercise. Don't worry about making them suffer..." Shang Qing said calmly. "As my children, this little bit of hardship is nothing. I'll leave everything to Young Master Zhao."

Gu Yu didn't say anything more. Even though he had so much to say to Shang Qing, he swallowed it all down.

He felt it was better for him to tone it down for now.

The next morning, they exercised as usual. Perhaps because they hadn't exercised for a while, Pan'er and Nian'er had become lazy, unlike Gu Yu, who had been practicing for over ten years.

The three of them had only practiced in the courtyard for less than half an hour when Nian'er could no longer keep up.

"It seems that you really can't be lazy. I'm so tired, I can't hold on much longer."

Pan'er was still there, gritting her teeth and persevering.

Seeing them like this, Gu Yu felt somewhat sorry for them, but remembering Shang Qing's instructions, he could only comfort them, saying, "After you finish practicing this move, you'll need to add another one. You'll need to pay more attention starting today."

"what……"

Both of them were complaining, but Gu Yu acted as if he hadn't heard them and just kept practicing his skills.

Another quarter of an hour passed, and Pan'er and Nian'er could no longer resist. They ran to Gu Yu's side, each grabbing one of his sleeves and pleading sweetly.

"Uncle Zhao, please let us go today!"

"Yes, yes, my sister and I haven't exercised for many days, so we definitely can't keep up at the beginning. We almost fell while doing the horse stance just now."

"You've always been the one who loves us the most, haven't you?"

"Uncle Zhao, let's call it a day..."

Gu Yu was at a loss with them, but hesitated and said, "But the time hasn't come yet, and your mother is still inside."

Nian'er, being quite clever, suggested, "How about this, you just say you're taking us out for a run, wouldn't that be fine? As long as we're not home, Mom won't find out!"

Isn’t this a bit bad?

But he could no longer resist the two children's whining.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for today. Good things like this really need to be done step by step. Your mother is indeed a bit too impatient."

The three of them turned around and saw Shang Qing standing not far from them, her eyes cold. It seemed that she had heard their conversation.

The smiles on Pan'er and Nian'er's faces immediately froze.

"Shang Qing, look, I bought this fish at the village gate. It's so fresh and big! We'll braise half of it and make the other half into a spicy fish head dish! Life may be tough, but we still need to eat our fill!"

Lao Zong walked in excitedly, carrying a fish. As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed the murderous aura not far away.

There's something going on among them, and I've come at the wrong time.

To avoid getting involved, Lao Zong suppressed his smile and muttered to himself, "Well, I'll put the fish in the backyard and go chop some firewood."

Once Lao Zong left, Shang Qing couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to scold him: "Gu Pan'er, Gu Nian'er, how have I always taught you to be honest and trustworthy? And yet you still tried to lie to me today!"

Pan'er and Nian'er had no choice but to obediently step forward.

"Mother, don't be angry. It's our fault. Don't get upset and hurt yourself."

Gu Yu quickly walked up to her and advised, "The children haven't exercised for many days, so they definitely can't adapt all at once. These things can be done slowly. I'll help them finish what they need to do today."

"I'm playing the bad cop, and you're playing the good cop, huh..." Shang Qing glared at him, then continued, "Does what happened today have anything to do with what you said? What I want to ask is, why did they lie? Is lying right or wrong?"

Gu Yu was also startled by Shang Qing's behavior and didn't reply for a moment.

Noticing her own lapse in composure, Shang Qing's gaze softened slightly, but her tone remained rather harsh: "Finish what you're supposed to do. This is not an exception."

Shang Qing was still angry and didn't make them breakfast that morning.

Since Lao Zong didn't know how, he could only leave it to Gu Yu.

The food he cooked... everyone had no choice but to eat it, even if it was unpalatable.

I thought the matter was over, but Shang Qing disappeared for a whole morning and came back dragging a large sack.

Lao Zong was perceptive and immediately stepped forward to help her.

"What's in here? It's quite heavy."

Shang Qing called out Pan'er and Nian'er, and said with a somber expression, "These are all books I bought from the market. From now on, you will not only exercise every day to improve your physical fitness, but you will also start to learn to read."

"Start by reading the simplest ones. If you don't understand something, just ask your Uncle Zhao."

Pan'er and Nian'er suddenly felt overwhelmed.

Gu Yu whispered, "Isn't it too early? They're still young, and this is the most carefree time of their lives. We should give them some time to enjoy their childhood."

Shang Qing only gave him a look, and Gu Yu immediately shut up, not daring to utter another word.

Lao Zong seized the opportunity and said, "Pan'er, Nian'er, I think your mother is right! Good habits should be cultivated from a young age. You may find it a little hard to accept now, but you will understand her good intentions when you grow up."

Pan'er was the eldest of the three children and matured early, so she naturally understood that Shang Qing was doing this for their own good.

After a struggle with herself, she chose to accept it.

"Mother, don't worry, I will definitely help Nian'er study hard and I will never let you down!"

Shang Qing smiled, a rare occurrence for her. She said earnestly, "I don't want you to embarrass me; I want you to embarrass yourselves. I was a little hasty this morning, so please don't take it to heart."

Thus, the responsibility of taking care of Xi'er fell on Lao Zong's shoulders once again.

In the past few days, Xi'er's attitude towards the two men in the family has returned to what it was before, but sometimes she still keeps muttering that phrase.

But Pan'er and Nian'er had just sworn to live up to everyone's expectations, but the very next day when they went out for a run, they both learned to slack off again.

When Pan'er initially intended to run towards the small hill at the village entrance, Gu Yu already understood her intention.

"Uncle Zhao, I heard that the air on the mountain is very fresh in the morning, is that true?"

As Pan'er asked Gu Yu questions, she looked around and her pace gradually slowed down.