A cool breeze was blowing, and Xu Rao comfortably rolled over, saying, "It's still so comfortable at home."

Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "It's precisely because I was worried that you would sweat while sleeping in your room tonight, which would be bad for your wound, that you came here to sleep. Otherwise, with so many people in the mansion, it would be too hot for anyone to sleep in their bedroom, so would everyone come here?"

Xu Rao sighed and said, "That's true. Is there any ice left in the mansion? If so, put two basins of ice in the bedroom tomorrow night, and we can sleep there."

Thinking of the ice blocks in the cellar of the mansion, Chen Zhaoci said, "With such a large family living together, everything has to be done according to the allotted amount. We only use the amount we are given. It's not appropriate to go out and buy some ourselves, so let's just make do with what we have."

Xu Rao thought about the current situation of the Marquis's mansion. There were two branches and five or six families of varying sizes. Wasn't that inconvenient? But once the family was divided, she could move out and live there herself.

Xu Rao said, "Let's talk about something else. Xiao Jiu must be hungry by now that she's back, right?"

Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "I came back a long time ago. I was just afraid that you would be too tired after coming back the first day, so I didn't dare to come and bother you. I figured I could come back early tomorrow morning. And Xu Di's wife, didn't you see that she brought the child over to show you and then took him back? She was afraid of disturbing your rest. You came all the way from Liaodong, such a long way, and you even injured your leg."

Thinking of the hardships they had endured on the journey, Xu Rao said, "When I heard that I was to come back, I was so happy. Our family has been separated for far too long, especially now that the children are grown up. It will be really difficult for the whole family to get together in the future. I didn't really realize it before. I always thought the children were still young and it was nice to have them by my side, laughing and playing all day long. But this time, Xu Di led people from Dengzhou to Liaodong. I realized that the children have grown up and there really won't be many more times for us to be together in the future."

Chen Zhaoci sighed softly and said, "Who says otherwise? Xu Di and Xiao Jiu go without saying, and Xu Bai has been gone for several months now. When I was with him in Penglai, I was too busy to think about him. But after I came back, I started to miss him. I wonder when that kid will be back."

Xu Rao suddenly remembered something and asked, "What's the deal with Xu Di's god-sister?"

Chen Zhaoci then recounted the history between the Ma family and Xu Di, and also mentioned that Ma Pingting had brought Ma Junchi to the capital for medical treatment.

Xu Rao said to Chen Zhaoci, "The fact that things went so smoothly this time is thanks to the Ma family's caravan for helping transport the supplies. In the end, the Jin soldiers protected their marshal and held out for several days. The two sides were locked in a fierce stalemate. That's when I injured my leg. It's also thanks to the medicine they brought. We should really thank them properly."

Chen Zhaoci agreed, saying, "I'll buy some things and send them over tomorrow to thank them properly."

The elderly couple had been talking for so many years, chatting about whatever came to mind, their conversations endless, until they drifted off to sleep without anyone noticing.

Summer days are early, and Chen Zhaoci estimated it was not yet five o'clock when he saw that it was already quite bright outside. The curtains around the waterside pavilion were drawn. Seeing that Xu Rao was sleeping soundly, Chen Zhaoci did not wake him, but quietly got up and went back to the courtyard.

When Xu Rao woke up, she looked at the dome of the waterside pavilion above her head and didn't realize where she was for a moment. It wasn't until she became a little more clear-headed that she remembered where she was.

Seeing the light outside, he knew it was getting late, so he quickly got up, put on his outer robe, tidied up his bedding, and headed towards his own yard.

To get from the waterside pavilion to her own courtyard, she had to pass through a garden path. Xu Rao, limping, hadn't even reached the end of the path when two people helped her up, one on each side.

It was Fourth Master Xu Quan and Fifth Master Xu Qu. Xu Quan said with a smile, "Third Brother, we wanted to see the great hero last night, but Father said you had a leg injury and had traveled a long way, so he didn't want us to disturb you. This morning, I couldn't sleep, so I came with Fifth Brother to see you."

Xu Rao looked at Xu Quan, who, despite being over thirty and a father of several children, still radiated vitality, and nodded, saying, "What's so interesting about me? I heard from Father that you're planning to go out and look for a job recently. Have you decided what kind of job you want?"

Xu Quan was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). It was Wu Muyue who insisted on him, just like his elder brother. Wu Muyue was the one who chased after him to help him pass the examinations. He went through a lot to get this Juren degree, and afterwards he refused to take the exams again.

Xu Quan was already quite satisfied with his status as a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level). With this status, he no longer had to bow to everyone he met. If it weren't for this, Xu Quan wouldn't have studied so diligently.

Xu Quan's face darkened upon hearing this. He said, "Third Brother, it's been a long time since we last met. Can't we just say something we both want to hear? Why do you have to bring up the most sensitive topics?"

Xu Rao sighed and said, "Fourth brother, since you have this idea, you should do it quickly. Time waits for no one. And the thing is, I'm afraid you'll do it without thinking. It looks difficult when you don't do it, but once you start doing it, you'll find that it's not difficult at all."

Xu Quan held Xu Rao's arm and said, "My dear third brother, I'm not like you. You became a fifth-rank official in just ten years. I'm just a scholar. Wherever I go, I have to start from the bottom and work my way up for ten or twenty years. Who knows how long I can last? Besides, my eldest nephew is already a seventh-rank county magistrate. If I were to become an eighth or ninth-rank official, wouldn't I be a laughing stock?"

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!