No matter who it is, there is an unseen dark hand lurking behind them, waiting for its chance to strike, and no one can stand it.

Xu Di then had two more wooden boxes made, filled them with soil, and planted the pumpkin seeds inside.

Plant it now, harvest it in a few months, and then see if you can plant another crop in the fall.

Xu Di resumed his life as a farmer. The plants in the greenhouse had all matured, and Xu Di collected the seeds, preparing to go to the estate to plant them in a few days.

Zhang Zhaoci finally managed to train the military doctors at the General's Mansion. He had been resting at home for the past few days, watching Granny Lu teach Xu Zhi. He felt that Granny Lu was being a bit too strict. Taking advantage of the good weather, he discussed with Granny Lu about taking Xu Zhi and Granny Lu to visit the estate.

Granny Lu also felt that going out for a walk in the spring, enjoying the scenery, would be quite pleasant, so she agreed.

When traveling, it's natural to prepare things. Looking at the things that Granny Lu had prepared for Xu Zhi, Xu Di was speechless and said, "Granny, we're going to the estate, not to a very far place. Why did you pack so much stuff for us? Look, you even brought a washbasin. And this... what is this? Oh, it's clothes. Granny, we'll only have lunch there at most and come back in the afternoon."

Granny Lu said, "What do you know? From now on, when our Ninth Miss goes out, she has to be prepared like this. A noble lady takes eight steps with her when she goes out. What is the purpose of bringing those people with her? It is to bring the things she needs for daily life."

Xu Zhi naturally knew that her older sisters always carried their own belongings when they went out, and their personal maids even carried bundles of clothes, just in case something happened, so that they would have someone to replace them.

Zhang Zhaoci looked at the several bundles placed on the octagonal table in the main room, sighed, and said to Granny Lu, "Granny, I'm only taking you, Xiao Jiu, and Qingmiao and Qingsui with me. There are so many things, we can't carry them all by ourselves. Otherwise, let's just forget about it this time."

Upon hearing this, Granny Lu said, "I've thought about this for a long time and I think we should discuss it with Third Madam. Shouldn't we buy some maids for Ninth Miss? Although we are far from the capital and it's inconvenient to bring too many people, now that we've settled down here, we should get things done. Ninth Miss's maids and Eldest Brother's page are all things that need to be trained from a young age."

After Zhang Zhaoci arrived, she was invited to the General's Mansion to be a teacher. She entrusted all the household affairs to Granny Lu. Now, she was a little unaccustomed to suddenly hearing Granny Lu say that she wanted to add maids and pageboys.

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Granny, to be honest, I really don't understand these things. As you know, I've never received this kind of upbringing. Why don't you take care of this matter for me?"

Granny Lu knew Zhang Zhaoci would reply like that, and said, "Alright then, it's the lean season right now. Let me find a few matchmakers to ask around and see if there are any suitable ones. If there are, we'll buy them and train them properly. Servants are a reflection of their masters, and many rules need to be taught from a young age."

Zhang Zhaoci kept agreeing, but there was no need to bring the things on the table with them today. So Zhang Zhaoci packed two sets of clothes for Xu Zhi and two quilts for drinking water. Then he had the family's coachman drive everyone to the manor.

Zhuangzi was more than ten miles from Hexi County. After leaving the city gate, there was a bumpy dirt road. The carriage swayed and rocked, which made Zhang Zhaoci feel very annoyed.

Xu Di was riding a horse outside. He learned horseback riding after arriving in Hexi. When he was in the Marquis's mansion, Xu Rao's family was practically invisible. The family stable only had a few horses, so it was impossible for Xu Di to use the Marquis's mansion's horses to learn to ride.

Seeing the carriage swaying violently, Xu Di said, "Mother, this section is not easy to travel. If you feel uncomfortable in the carriage, why don't you get off and walk around?"

Zhang Zhaoci looked at the embroidered shoes on her feet and said, "Forget it, these shoes I'm wearing are even more uncomfortable to walk in."

The carriage was spacious, so Zhang Zhaoci, along with Qingmiao, Qingsui, and Xu Zhilu's nanny, all sat inside. Because of the severe swaying, Xu Zhilu, who had been sitting upright, could no longer maintain her posture and was being held by Zhang Zhaoci against the side of the carriage.

Fortunately, the carriage became much smoother after that section, and the people in the carriage visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

This road, which is more than ten miles long, is built between two valleys. The mountains on this side are covered with dense forests, and it is said that wild animals roam here. Zhang Zhaoci looked at the green hills that had already sprouted on both sides of the road and said, "The mountains on this side don't look that steep."

The coachman, a local, said after hearing Zhang Zhaoci's words, "Madam, the reason we are here is because we are close to Yanmen Pass. The guards there are very strong and often come here to patrol. Otherwise, both sides are easy to defend and difficult to attack. Back then, these were places where outlaws held sway."

Upon hearing this, Xu Di asked, "And now?"

The coachman said, "Of course it's fine now. This is a road from Hexi to the capital. After another twenty or so miles, there's a post station. This is the back gate of our Hexi County and Yanmen Pass. There's no reason for us to let our back gate be blocked."

Xu Di looked at the mountains on both sides. He often traveled between Hexi County and Zhuangzi from this side. Although he felt a little scared when he saw the mountains and forests on both sides when he passed by, he never felt a little scared when he looked at the mountains that were already showing some greenery.

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