It was rare to hear Ning Shi gossip. Chen Zhaoci, who disliked socializing, and Xu Zhi, who was not good at socializing, were dumbfounded for a moment and then burst into laughter. They never expected that Ning Shi could tell so many gossip jokes.

As the carriage stopped at the stables of the Marquis of Yongning's residence, Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "I'm lucky today to have heard so many interesting things. When my sister-in-law has some free time, I'll go and ask her for some advice."

Ning's mouth was dry from talking, so she waved her hand and said, "I just got to this point in the middle of the conversation. Please don't try to get any advice from me. If people find out, they'll think I'm a gossip."

They chatted and laughed as they returned to their own courtyards.

When Xu Di came over in the evening, Chen Zhaoci and Xu Zhi were sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed). A bright octagonal glass lamp was lit on the kang table. The mother and daughter each held a book and were reading.

Seeing Xu Di arrive, Chen Zhaoci asked him, "Why are you here at this hour? Have you had dinner yet?"

Xu Di took off his cloak and put it aside, saying, "I've had dinner, and I didn't see anything else, so I came to see what you guys were doing."

Chen Zhaoci flipped through his medical books and said, "Reading books, what else can we do? Oh, by the way, how has Yuexi been sleeping these past few days?"

Xu Di shook his head and said, "My stomach is pressed down, so it's uncomfortable whether I'm lying flat or on my side."

Chen Zhaoci thought for a moment and said, "Do you know anything about a pregnancy pillow?"

Xu Di looked blank and said, "Mother, how would I know about this? No one around me has ever used it, and I've never seen it myself."

Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "It's actually very simple. I'll draw a design later and have someone make it. As for whether it works well or not, Yuexi can try it out."

Xu Di agreed, then noticed a book of the Great Liang Mountains and Rivers beside Xu Zhi and said with a smile, "Is Xiao Jiu reading the Mountains and Rivers Records?"

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Since I'm going to open my shop all over Daliang, I need to understand what places there are in Daliang first. Sigh, this book is really boring. It would be great if I could visit every place."

Xu Di nodded after hearing this and said, "That's exactly right."

Thinking about meeting Zhao Siyan during the day, Chen Zhaoci asked Xu Di, "Xu Di, have you heard anything about that man Zhao Siyan was seeing, that guy surnamed Yang?"

Upon hearing Chen Zhaoci's words, Xu Di smiled and said, "Mother, what gossip have you heard this time?"

Thinking of Zhao Siyan's appearance, Chen Zhaoci said, "We saw Sister Yan at the Zhao family during the day. She looked very haggard. She has been married for several years but still doesn't have any children."

Xu Di thought of Yang Siying's sordid affairs and said, "Yang Siying is an unreliable person. You've all heard about the things he does. But I think that Yang Siying can't have children because he has low sperm count."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi blushed instantly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Chen Zhaoci, however, didn't seem to care much. As a medical student, she wasn't particularly concerned about relationships between men and women. Most importantly, Xu Zhi was already married, and although they hadn't consummated their marriage yet, there were still some things she needed to know.

Chen Zhaoci thought for a moment and said, "Yang Siying is not old. If that's really the case, a few doses of medicine should improve her condition."

Xu Di pursed his lips and said, "Mother, do you think everyone is like our family? No matter when, we don't shy away from medical treatment. We come to you for treatment without any hesitation. Yang Siying has been misbehaving since she was very young. She has ruined her foundation at such a young age. Even if you find a famous doctor, I doubt they can cure her."

Chen Zhaoci sighed and said, "I just feel sorry for Yan Jie'er. She married such a man. She would need a man or woman by her side to have someone to rely on."

Xu Di sneered and said, "If I were Yan Jie'er's own brother, I would storm the Yang family's door and bring my sister out. A good sister shouldn't be treated like this. It's just that the people of the Yongping Marquis's mansion are useless. If they were really capable, do you think Yan Jie'er would still be suffering in that quagmire of her in-laws' family?"

Chen Zhaoci looked at Xu Zhi and couldn't imagine how heartbroken he would be if his daughter lived such a life.

Xu Di saw Chen Zhaoci staring at Xu Zhi and knew what she was thinking. He smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry. It's not just our Xiao Jiu. All our sisters are like this. If any of them are bullied in their husband's family in the future, I will always come to their door as a member of their family. Our girls have strong backing."

Chen Zhaoci sighed as she recalled the gossip about the Yongping Marquis's mansion that Ning had been telling her along the way. She said, "Your aunt wasted her life on the wrong person. With her talent and family background, she could have found someone better. She was just fooled by Xingge'er's father's face. So, you really can't judge a man by his looks."

Upon hearing Chen Zhaoci's words, Xu Di burst out laughing, which made Xu Zhi laugh along with him. After the three of them had finished laughing, Xu Di said, "Once my cousin Xing gets married, we'll have to prepare to go to Dengzhou. My grandfather has already done most of the work for me; he should be the magistrate of Penglai County."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi turned to the page of the Daliang Mountain and River Records, looking at the few sentences of introduction, and said, "This introduction is too hasty. With just a few sentences, who knows where it is?"

Xu Di smiled and said, "Find a pen, and I'll draw it for you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi quickly got off the kang (a heated brick bed), let Xu Di sit in her seat, and then brought in the writing brush and ink that were placed on the desk outside.

Xu Di thought about the map he had drawn, and simply sketched out the terrain of Daliang, the surrounding Great Yan, the Northern Di, and the Jin people. He then marked the capital city, several nearby famous places, and the mountains and rivers, marking them one by one before introducing them to Xu Zhi.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!