Upon hearing this, Shiliu stared intently at Xu Zhi. Seeing Xu Zhi's serious expression, she had no choice but to get off the carriage and go to Jia San to explain the situation. When Shiliu got into the carriage with a blank expression, Xu Zhi asked her how it went. Shiliu replied irritably, "Ninth Miss, Lord Jia San glared at me."

Xu Zhi said strangely, "It was just a glare. You don't need anything, so why are you upset? Cheer up. When we get to my uncle's estate, I'll have the people in his kitchen cook you something delicious. My uncle doesn't have any other hobbies, but he loves to eat. He takes his chef with him wherever he goes, and his chef makes exceptionally delicious food."

Upon hearing that there was something delicious to eat, Shiliu's expression brightened considerably.

Wu Muyue's estate is located at the foot of the mountain, with dozens of acres of fertile land. The estate is built against the foot of the mountain, and a clear spring flows down from the mountain through the estate. Wu Muyue specially used this spring to make a small pond in the estate and planted some lotus flowers.

Zhuangzi was a three-courtyard house. From a distance, you could see the three courtyards arranged in order from low to high. The large forest on the mountain behind it was also Wu Muyue's land, where many fruit trees were planted.

Wu Muyue was delighted by Xu Zhi's arrival. He took her for a walk around the front and back yards, and finally went to the greenhouse in the back yard.

The entire three-room house was converted into a greenhouse, with firewalls built on it. Some of the roofs were even fitted with large glass panels, which was quite extravagant. Moreover, wooden boards were installed on the outside of the glass. During the day, the boards were lifted to let plenty of sunlight into the room, and at night, a cotton quilt was placed over the glass before the boards were put back on.

When Xu Zhi saw the glass and heard Wu Muyue's cheerful explanation, she thought to herself, "It's fortunate that I have a few skilled people with me. They climb up and down every day. Without good skills, how could I do this? An ordinary person can climb up using a ladder, but the roof tiles can't withstand people stepping on them all day long. If you have light-footed skills, you can climb up the tiles and do what you need to do without putting any extra burden on the tiles."

Xu Zhi made a special trip to visit the small pond. The lotus flowers and leaves in the pond had long since disappeared, leaving only some withered lotus stems. The lotus roots in the pond had not yet been fully harvested. Her uncle said that by the end of the twelfth lunar month, the lotus roots would be harvested, and they could either be given away or cooked for themselves, which would be a wonderful thing.

The water in the pond comes from a spring on the mountain. The flow is not large. When Wu Muyue built the courtyard, he took a liking to this small stream. He dug a pond in the courtyard and then built a canal to let the water flow from the pond down the hillside to the foot of the mountain. Although the spring is small and the stream is slow, it is the water source for the crops of several small villages at the foot of the mountain.

The kitchen staff came over and said they had made some southern snacks. Upon hearing this, Wu Muyue quickly led Xu Zhi to the front yard, saying as they walked, "Xiao Jiu, since you're here, why don't you stay a few more days? I have plenty of delicious food and fun things to do here."

Xu Zhi planned to stay here. If she didn't stay, how could she create opportunities for the Chu family?

Xu Zhi didn't want to alert the enemy. Regardless of who this person surnamed Chu was, they could do whatever they wanted, but it was absolutely unacceptable to involve the people around her, especially Shen Mingwan.

Shen Mingwan was already in a tragic situation, a victim of the struggle for the throne. She had just escaped that quagmire, but because of her, she came to help her, only to be targeted and become a victim again. Xu Zhi even thought of a joke Xu Di had once told her, and thought these people were quite amusing, taking a sheep and fleecing it without caring whether the sheep wanted it or not.

Wu Muyue brought Chen Yuyuan here so that Chen Yuyuan could experience the hardships of farming. From the beginning of spring until now, sowing, nurturing, and harvesting, and now, in the dead of winter, while people in nearby villages are all staying at home to hibernate, Wu Muyue also helped Chen Yuyuan build a greenhouse. During the day, besides reading and practicing martial arts, Chen Yuyuan spends the rest of his time in the greenhouse, following the farmers who take care of the vegetables, watching them grow from a single seed into all kinds of vegetables.

Chen Yuyuan has grown a lot in the past year. He has witnessed how farmers plant crops and how grain is processed from sowing to harvest.

During the meal, Xu Zhi sat at the same table with Wu Muyue and Chen Yuyuan. Wu Muyue said to Xu Zhi with a smile, "We're not in the capital. In this small village, it's just the two of you with me. Let's skip all the formalities and chat while we eat. Isn't that nice?"

Xu Zhi was undoubtedly excellent, and Chen Yuyuan was even more so.

Chen Yuyuan was sent to Hexi at a young age. At first, Xu Zhi took the most care of him. Xu Zhi, his older sister, held a lot of importance in Chen Yuyuan's heart. When Chen Yuyuan went to Chen Zhaoci's place, the children of the family would sit with Chen Zhaoci to eat. As long as it wasn't a special occasion, Chen Zhaoci wasn't a very conventional person. The most important thing was to make sure the children ate, drank, and had fun.

Because Emperor Liang Cheng's personal guards were around, Xu Zhi couldn't say certain things directly to Wu Muyue. The three of them sat down and chatted about everyday matters. After the meal, Wu Muyue arranged for Xu Zhi to stay in the house in the backyard. He and Chen Yuyuan had been staying in the front yard since they arrived, and the back yard had been empty. When Xu Zhi arrived, Wu Muyue arranged for someone to clean it up and light the kang (heated brick bed). When Xu Zhi went to take a nap after the meal, she felt that the kang was very warm and slept until mid-afternoon.

As soon as Xu Zhi got up, she complained to Bai Ying for not waking her up earlier. Bai Ying smiled and helped her put on her coat, saying, "Miss, it was your uncle who wouldn't allow it. He said that our young lady is usually so busy with so many things, and it's rare for her to have a moment of leisure. Shouldn't she rest properly? She can sleep as long as she wants, and if she wants to eat, she can just have the kitchen prepare it."

Xu Zhi said to Bai Ying reproachfully, "You take your uncle's polite words to heart? When you girls come to visit your uncle, you can sleep until evening. If people find out, won't they laugh at me?"

As they walked out, Wu Muyue sat in his study looking at a letter sent from the capital. It was a thin piece of paper, which he read over and over several times. Hearing Xu Zhi coming over, he put his mind at ease and waved to her as she entered.

Xu Zhi was a little embarrassed and said to Wu Muyue, "Uncle, I'm not usually like this."

Wu Muyue smiled and said, "It was me who told you not to get up. You came to your uncle's place to rest properly. Do you need to follow such strict rules as usual? Alright, sit down and I'll show you something."

Xu Zhi entered Wu Muyue's study without letting Hong Gu and Shi Liu follow her in. She came in alone. When she heard Wu Muyue say that he wanted to show her something, she straightened her back immediately and her expression became very serious.