Meanwhile, the fourth master of the Marquis's mansion, Xu Quan, and the fifth master, Xu Qu, led a group of people along the official road from the capital to Ganzhou.

Xu Rao had already sent someone to guide them, and seeing that it was getting late, they had no choice but to find a nearby post station to rest for the night before setting off early the next morning.

The young ladies of the Marquis's mansion rode in carriages, while the young gentlemen rode horses when they could. When they got tired, they would rest in the carriages. These children had never gone far before, except to the manor on the outskirts of the capital. Where had they ever experienced such a long journey? At first, they were very excited, but as time went on, all sorts of problems arose.

The Marquis's mansion stipulated that each young lady would be accompanied by a personal maid and a maidservant, while the young masters would be accompanied by a servant and a maidservant. The young ladies, who had been raised in luxury and privilege, had never suffered such hardship. On the third day, Xu Qu's daughter, Xu Li, fell ill.

After consulting a doctor in a nearby county town, the doctor said it was due to overwork. Xu Qu was his only daughter, whom he cherished like the apple of his eye. Seeing the girl's flushed face, he wanted to send Xu Li back to the Marquis's mansion.

Xu Li refused no matter what, and said to Xu Qu, "Father, Ninth Sister is younger than me. She can endure the hardships along the way, and so can I. Ninth Sister's wedding is a major event in her life, and I must go to escort her to her wedding."

Xu Qu had no choice but to add two thick quilts to Xu Li's carriage, covering him with them. The third sister, Xu Mian, volunteered to ride in the same carriage as Xu Li so she could take care of her eighth sister. Fortunately, she was just exhausted and gradually recovered as she adapted to the environment on the road.

Xu Li's illness worried Xu Quan and Xu Qu. The children in the manor had never experienced such a long journey before, and they must not let them fall ill on the way. Even though the manor later sent a doctor to accompany them, they could not rest as quietly as they did when they were at the manor.

After discussing it with Xu Qu, Xu Quan decided that even if they had to go slower, they couldn't let the children get sick from overexertion. They would take the children to visit some fun places along the way.

It was already February, and there were still several days' journey ahead, so the two of them hurried on. The children had become stronger from exercising these past few days, and as they kept going, none of them fell ill.

The person sent by Xu Rao was met the day before yesterday. Accommodation had been arranged along the way. The person who picked them up was a steward from Xu Rao's residence, a local who was very familiar with the entire Ganzhou area.

After settling in, Xu Quan took Xu Qu to a small tavern on the street and said, "Fifth Brother, we'll be at our destination tomorrow. The heavy weight on my heart can finally be lifted."

Xu Qu said, "Fourth Brother, it's too early to talk about this now. Let's wait until we arrive at the three residences tomorrow before we discuss it. Come, let's have a couple of drinks to relax."

Xu Quan's daily work involved inspecting the estate and the family's shops, so he was quite knowledgeable and experienced, and his interpersonal skills were shrewd and sophisticated.

Xu Qu was a frail scholar who, after passing the provincial examination, stopped at the metropolitan examination. He failed the metropolitan examination twice and devoted himself to the study of epigraphy and stone inscriptions, becoming quite well-known in the field.

Xu Quan picked up the wine cup, took a small sip, and said, "This journey has been truly nerve-wracking. It's the first time our young ladies and gentlemen have come to such a far place. Do you think Grandmother can rest assured?"

Xu Qu said, "Grandmother was a veteran who went to the battlefield back then, so how could she not be worried? Besides, it's good to bring the children out to see the world. Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. I think the children have suffered a bit these days, but they are in good spirits and look much more relaxed."

"We're really tired from the journey," Xu Quan said. "Let's finish eating and go back to rest quickly. We'll set off early tomorrow morning and get to Third Brother's house as soon as possible."

Xu Qu leaned close to Xu Quan and whispered, "Fourth Brother, how could Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law agree to the marriage with the Zheng family so easily? Ninth Girl hasn't even reached marriageable age yet, and besides, she has several older sisters who aren't married yet."

Xu Quan looked around at her table and said softly, "This matter cannot be viewed in the usual way. Since it was decided by Grandmother and Father, we should just do as Grandmother and Father arrange. After all, Father makes the decisions in the family affairs, so we should just do things according to Grandmother and Father's arrangements."

Xu Qu sighed and said, "The situation in the capital seems calm on the surface, but there are actually undercurrents. I feel much more relaxed now that we're out here. If we really want to, we won't go back."

Xu Quan picked up the wine cup, gulped down the wine in one go, and said, "Fifth Brother, where can we go? Grandmother and Father are still at home. How can we just wander around like this?"

Xu Qu said, "Can't we go back to our hometown? I would like to go back and become a teacher at our clan's school."

Xu Quan said with a smile, "This idea can only be put forward after your children have settled down and started their own families. If you go back to your hometown, what will happen to the marriages of your three children? Can you bear to let them find wives or husbands in the countryside?"

Xu Qu said, "Isn't Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law the daughter-in-law of Di Ge that they found in Hexi? I ​​think Di Ge's daughter-in-law is very poised and elegant."

Xu Quan laughed and said, "You only know one side of the story. After Di Ge's daughter-in-law got engaged, she followed Granny Lu to learn etiquette and how to do things. Granny Lu has taught many women of the clan."

Xu Qu thought for a moment and said, "That's true, but Third Sister-in-law is quite farsighted."

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