While thinking about things, Xu Rao returned to the backyard. After entering the room, Xu Zhi busied herself bringing her water to wash her feet. Xu Rao soaked her feet and then exchanged a few words with Xu Zhi before Xu Zhi went back to her own room to rest.

Xu Di was writing his work plan on the kang table, covering matters related to the estate, the greenhouse, and chili sauce and chili powder. The weather was getting colder, and many things needed to be arranged properly.

Zhang Zhaoci glanced at Xu Rao's face and said, "You look preoccupied. Is something wrong?"

Xu Rao, unusually, lay down on the quilt on the kang (a heated brick bed), stretched, and said, "I just discussed building a house with Lao Li. It's that granary I told you about last time. I discussed it with Wei Lang. We'll build a big house on the west side of the city, and then dig a basement under the house to store grain."

Upon hearing this, Xu Di put down his brush and asked with great interest, "What, are you preparing for tunnel warfare?"

Xu Rao sighed and said, "We're considering the worst-case scenario first. If other places are breached, they'll definitely come to attack Yanmen Pass. Our Hexi region is adjacent to Yanmen Pass. I not only need to build an underground granary, but I also need to repair the city wall properly, making it taller and stronger. When that time comes, the city wall and the underground granary will be our life-saving measures."

Xu Di said, "In that case, Father, why don't we dig a tunnel to the mountains outside the city? In case the time comes, we can evacuate the elderly, women, and children from the city through there. Also, if we make some tunnels in the city, we can take them out of the way when the time comes."

Xu Rao said, "It's easy to say, but really difficult to do. There are so many people in the city, and everyone has their own backers. Who knows who will be the enemy and who will be the friend at that time? How many cities have fallen because of brothers fighting each other? Don't let the things we've prepared to save our lives become a handle for them to wipe us out."

Xu Di thought for a moment and said, "That's true, Dad. You've been busy for over a year now. I know that Uncle Mao made a lot of money after he got rid of that woolen cloth, and there are other things too, right? Tell me the truth, how much money do you have now?"

Xu Rao said, "Not much, just a few tens of thousands of taels. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not enough to cover the cost of repairing the city walls and houses. Wei Lang said that they've collected another batch of woolen fabrics over there. I'm hoping your third uncle will come and take them away soon."

When Zhang Zhaozhi comes to pick up wool, he always pays upfront.

Xu Rao said, "I'm hoping that next year everyone can harvest more grain, so we can have more time to prepare."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Wei Lang's military training is going well. I think we're still quite safe."

Xu Rao waved his hand and said, "The situation in the Northern Barbarians is not good. We have intercepted several intelligence reports that things are very unstable there recently. Our capital is also in turmoil. I'm afraid that someone in the capital might take this opportunity to eliminate dissidents and disregard the safety of the common people."

Zhang Zhaoci frowned upon hearing this and said, "That's quite dangerous. Hey, Xu Di, didn't you used to go to the army for training during your winter and summer vacations? Why don't you go and help Wei Lang with his training?"

Xu Rao's father was an old revolutionary who had six children, including Xu Rao. Xu Rao was the youngest, with four older brothers and one older sister who all joined the army at a young age. Xu Rao's sister was an attending physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at the General Logistics Department. Her four older brothers all rose through the ranks from the lowest rank in their respective branches of the military, achieving remarkable success through steady and diligent work.

When it came to Xu Di's generation, the old man disliked that the children were spoiled, so he made a rule that the boys in the family would go to the army for training during winter and summer vacations from the age of six, taking their holiday homework with them. They would eat and sleep with the new recruits, and they had to follow their training methods. While the recruits were doing their professional studies, Xu Di was doing his homework. Xu Di trained with them from a young age and really suffered a lot.

Xu Di frowned upon hearing his mother's words and said, "Mother, you are my own mother. Don't you know that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down? I'm just a twelve or thirteen-year-old kid who spends all day in the fields. Suddenly I'm running off to train other people. Tell me, where did I get all these skills?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Didn't you go out to sea with your eldest uncle?"

Xu Di scoffed and said, "He has been to sea, but where did he learn all these skills? We have to give him a reasonable explanation. Let me tell you, there's never a shortage of smart people."

Zhang Zhaoci sighed and didn't say anything more. Xu Rao thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you write me a training plan? I'll study it thoroughly and then talk to Wei Lang about it."

Upon hearing this, Xu Di waved his hand and said, "You should rest. You? Everyone knows that the Third Master of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion is a man who can't lift a finger. Where did you get the ability to come up with that training plan?"

Zhang Zhaoci said indignantly, "Then what do you suggest? You clearly have such good training methods, but you just can't use them. If you train the soldiers well, you can defend this city properly. If you defend the city, you can also defend all of us. I really don't want anyone I know to suffer any accidents because of the invasion of those invaders."

Seeing his mother's sad expression, Xu Di said, "Alright, alright, let's find some time to have Wei Lang come over. I'll have a good talk with him. Putting everything else aside, we need to train the special forces first. They are the battlefield's elite troops."

Seeing that Xu Di was taking it seriously, Xu Rao looked at Zhang Zhaoci, who was also looking at Xu Rao. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief. They knew that their son had no interest in joining the army and only wanted to do scientific research. His four uncles liked this youngest nephew the most, as he was truly a military genius.

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