Zhang Zhaoci said, "It's not that I covet the title of the legitimate son, but I feel it's a real shame for your father. He could have had a better future, but he has to figure things out on his own all these years to pass the imperial examinations."

Xu Di said, "That's also because my father inherited good genes. The Wu family produced a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations back then. Don't look at my eldest uncle and fourth uncle, they didn't study and became scholars. That's because they felt it didn't matter whether they studied or not. If someone had forced them to study, they might have become scholars."

Zhang Zhaoci then thought of Xu Shao's true identity and said, "Oh dear, your aunt is the child of the deposed crown prince. I hope she wasn't killed by the emperor?"

Xu Di said, "No, I estimate that her existence was also permitted by the late emperor. Back then, Aunt Zhu was able to enter the Yongning Marquis's mansion under the noses of those people. If it weren't for the late emperor's secret permission, could she have entered? No matter what, he was his own son, and his most beloved child. Aunt Zhu was carrying the only bloodline left by his son in this world. It's fortunate that Aunt Shao is a girl. If it were a boy, I guess they wouldn't have been able to tolerate him."

Zhang Zhaoci sighed and said, "What kind of mess is this? We originally thought the script we had was a farming story, where the whole family would stay there with your father and live a good life. Who knew the script would turn into a family drama?"

Xu Di said, "Who cares about the script? As long as we live well, that's all that matters. When my father comes back, we'll probably have to go back to see Aunt Zhu. Mother, do you want to come with us?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "I've been married into this family for almost twenty years, and I've only seen Aunt Zhu a few times, especially in recent years. I haven't seen her even once. I really want to go and see her."

Xu Di said, "I also want to go and see her. I've been thinking that if our family hadn't come, after our parents died and the old lady had a stroke, all the money that the Zhang family brought as dowry must have been taken by Aunt Zhu. This family was originally under the old lady's protection, but unfortunately the old lady passed away early. Xu Di was crippled after someone injured his leg, cutting off his path to the imperial examinations. As for Xu Zhi, she was married off to the Duke's mansion in her place, and later she was exiled to Lingnan with the Duke's mansion. Her ending must not have been good. I think Xiao Jiu probably knows what happened to her later."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "I think she knew that when we first arrived, Xiao Jiu often woke up crying at night. At that time, I felt that the girl had a lot on her mind. Later, I realized that since we could come, why couldn't she come? Don't you think so?"

Xu Di said, "Yes, how could it not be? It must be because this family's misfortune was too terrible that God gave them a chance to start over, and also gave our family a chance to start over."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "I think the reason I was chosen is to carry forward my medical skills. The reason your father was chosen is because he is a professor at the Party School and can lead the people to prosperity."

Xu Di laughed heartily upon hearing this, and after he finished laughing, he said, "My goodness, your starting point for thinking about problems is still so unique."

Zhang Zhaoci doesn't really care about anything other than his work and his medical skills. That's why Xu Di does everything so well. If he doesn't study hard, he might not be able to eat or get good grades.

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Anyway, that's how I feel. Alright, it's getting late. Go check if your cousins ​​are asleep. If you don't have anything to do tomorrow, take them out to play."

Xiao Yuan has now changed his name to Zhang Yuyuan. He is the second son of the fourth master of the Zhang family. He grew up in his maternal grandparents’ home in Jiangnan. This time, he came to the capital with his cousin.

Xu Di said, "Tomorrow I'll take her to visit some nearby temples first. Once Grandmother is better, we'll all return to the Marquis's residence, and then I'll take her sightseeing in the capital."

The Zhang family children came with two martial arts masters. They followed them from the south to Ganzhou, and then from Ganzhou to the capital. The Zhang family children, whether boys or girls, all learned martial arts from a young age. Not to mention that they could protect themselves in case of trouble, they also practiced martial arts every day. Their bodies were so strong that they could walk far and climb high when they went to the mountains to collect herbs.

When Xu Di went to find his cousins, the two masters were teaching a few children kung fu. The seven or eight-year-old boys were at the age of being mischievous. They did it not for any other reason than to have fun. They also liked to play hide-and-seek with their masters, taking advantage of the moment when their masters turned around to relax their movements slightly, or to make a face at their masters' backs.

Xiao Yuan, now known as Zhang Yuyuan, was the most diligent of them all. He had no prior experience and had to start from basic stance training. Perhaps because his childhood experiences were different from others, he was also the most hardworking. Although it was already autumn and the weather was cool, Zhang Yuyuan's face was covered in sweat, and his legs were trembling slightly, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered.

Seeing Xu Di approaching from afar, the children quickly straightened their posture. They all knew that at their aunt's house, if they wanted to act cute, they should go to their aunt and uncle, especially their uncle, who doted on the children the most. If they needed anything, they could ask him, and as long as it wasn't too outrageous, he would definitely satisfy them. But if they did something wrong and their older cousin saw them, they were on their own. This older cousin was like the sesame-filled dumplings made by the family cook—they looked white and tender on the outside, which seemed incredibly appealing, but the inside was dark.

When the two masters saw Xu Di coming, they quickly bowed. Putting aside the fact that Xu Di was the eldest son of the Xu family, just considering his status, he was already a scholar at such a young age. If he were outside, people would have to bow and call him "Sir Scholar".

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