Zhang Zhaoci said impatiently, "Don't you understand what I'm saying? We're leaving, and I've made arrangements for everyone in this courtyard, whether they come with us or stay to guard the courtyard. As for you, you'll be assigned to serve the concubine. What, can't I, as a mistress, order you around?"
Zhang Zhaoci glared at her and rolled up her sleeves, startling the maid who took a step back and could only slink back to Aunt Zhu's side.
Relying on her reputation in the mansion, Zhang Zhaoci loudly proclaimed, "Anyone who loves cats and dogs can send them here. Do you think this place is a garbage dump?"
She knew that there were plenty of people around this courtyard who liked to gossip. Since Aunt Zhu had finally come up with a name for her, wouldn't she send someone over to keep watch and then relay the news back to her?
Zhang Zhaoci led Xu Zhi into the house, where several large trunks were already placed. Qingmiao saw Zhang Zhaoci sitting down in a chair and quickly served her tea, saying, "Grandma, how long will our journey take?"
The two head maids in Zhang Zhaoci's courtyard, one named Qingmiao and the other Qingsui, were assigned to the mansion after Zhang Zhaoci married into the family. They were both born into the household, and the maids who accompanied Zhang Zhaoci when she married into the family had already married out.
Originally, Zhang Zhaoci needed four head maids, one head nanny, two rough-working old women, and four young maids. However, Xu Rao and Zhang Zhaoci were not doing well in the mansion, and no one was willing to come and serve them. Zhang Zhaoci, on the other hand, preferred to do things herself and was impatient with being served. It just so happened that at the beginning, the eldest mistress said that there were not enough people to serve in the mansion, and no people had been assigned here for many years. So this time, when they were going to Hexi County, Qingmiao and Qingsui were willing to go with them. Xu Rao also had two pageboys. Zhang Zhaoci had decided that she would just hire a few more people when they arrived at the place. She really didn't need several people to serve her.
Zhang Zhaoci thought for a moment and said, "It will probably take more than twenty days."
It's a thousand miles from the capital to Hexi County. If there were a high-speed rail, it would only take a few hours. But now, transportation is inadequate, and the means of transport are even worse. Riding a horse would be faster, but for the whole family, plus their luggage, they can only use a horse-drawn carriage. The rainy season is approaching, and they'll have to wait a few more days because they can't travel due to bad weather. Zhang Zhaoci said it would take about twenty days.
Upon hearing this, Qingmiao said, "Then shouldn't we prepare some cooking utensils? If we can't find lodging on the road, we can cook for ourselves."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhaoci said, "That's really the case. I'll find you some money later. Tomorrow, have Xiaoming take the money to the street to buy a wok for stir-frying, a pot for cooking porridge, a kettle for boiling water, and a sturdy stove. Money isn't a problem; the key is that the items have to be usable."
Xu Rao had two pageboys, both around fifteen or sixteen years old, one named Xiaoming and the other Xiaoliang.
Qingmiao agreed, and Zhang Zhaoci went to the inner room to take out a fifty-tael silver note. He simply said, "Give the money to Xiaoming and let him see what else he needs to buy and bring it back together."
Qingmiao agreed and put the silver notes into the purse tied to her body.
Qingmiao and Qingsui were both servants born into the family, and their parents lived on the estate. Zhang Zhaoci was a good person; he would give the two maids a house fee and a red envelope containing ten or eight taels of silver during festivals. Qingmiao and Qingsui knew that Third Master and Third Madam were kind people, and that serving them well would definitely bring benefits. Last time, when the Xu family went to offer incense, Qingmiao and Qingsui were sitting in the carriage behind them. It was the two of them who followed the coachman back to ask for help.
Zhang Zhaoci had already asked the two maids, and they were both willing to go to Hexi County with the Third Master's family. Many people in the mansion tried to persuade the two maids, saying that they were now teenagers and it was the right time for them to find husbands. If they went to such a far place, how would they find husbands in the future?
Qingmiao was two years older than Qingsui, and she understood things very well. Although the Third Master's family didn't seem to have a strong presence in the mansion, in terms of strength, they were much stronger than the others. She and Qingsui were the Third Madam's personal maids. Although the Third Madam didn't show off usually, she really had some good things. Moreover, the Third Master and Third Madam were upright people, and those who had served the Third Madam before all had good futures. There was no reason for her and Qingsui to go to Hexi to serve and not have good futures.
After Zhang Zhaoci sat down, he checked the prepared list to see if there were any other medicinal herbs that had not yet arrived.
Hexi County is located in a remote area with a lack of medical care and medicine. The current medical level is so poor that Zhang Zhaoci really didn't dare to take his two children there without making full preparations, especially Xu Zhi, who is only four years old and has a delicate and weak body. If one of them is not taken care of, something bad might happen. At this time, it is not uncommon for young children to die. Therefore, Zhang Zhaoci didn't care much about other things, but he made sure to prepare the medicines thoroughly.
When Xu Rao returned home that evening, he heard from Xiao Ming that Qing Miao had given him money to buy a stove, a pot, and a kettle. Xu Rao then said to Zhang Zhaoci, "If we had a food truck, would we still have to worry about not having enough to eat or drink on the way?"
Unfortunately, the couple had only seen those food carts pushed around in some tourist attractions, and they didn't really know how they were made.
Xu Di was writing on the couch by the window when Zhang Zhaoci saw him and said, "Didn't Grandpa send Xu Di to the army for training during his winter and summer vacations? He must have seen the dining carts they use, right? Xu Di, do you even know how to make a dining cart?"
Xu Di sighed and said, "My goodness, you really think highly of me. I'm just going to join the training. Do you think they'll take me with them during field training? But I do know how those food carts on the street are made. The key is the stove, which is hard to make. It's too late now. When we get there, I'll think about it carefully and find a blacksmith to make one for me. Then we can cook anytime we go out."
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