Bai Shan noticed that Manbao was a bit worried and reached out to hold her hand, offering comfort.

Manbao looked down at their joined hands, thought for a long time, and couldn’t think of any good advice. She could only sigh, "She has to rely on herself."

The carriage window was tapped, and Bai Shan turned to see Bai Erlang riding alongside the carriage on horseback. He shouted, "Were you reciting? Why did it take so long? We want to play card games, but we’re short of people."

After speaking, he gave Mr. Zhuang a flattering smile and asked, "Sir, do you want to play card games?"

Mr. Zhuang quietly looked at him for a moment and then said, "Tomorrow, memorize another Chapter of ’The Fox Borrows the Tiger’s Fierceness’."

Bai Erlang couldn’t keep smiling. Bai Shan and Manbao exchanged a glance, chuckled, and bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang. The two then headed to the front of the carriage, where a guard brought their horses for them to ride alongside the caravan. Manbao mounted first, followed by Bai Shan.

Their horses ran to the side while two other carriages slowly left the convoy and stopped. Bai Shan asked, "Aren’t there four of you already?"

Bai Erlang said, "Liru doesn’t play card games. Even if we pay her, she won’t play."

The carriage stopped, and Liu Huan lifted the curtain and complained to them, "Manbao, did you scare my cousin? Otherwise, why won’t she play cards?"

Zhou Liru pushed him aside and jumped down from the carriage. "Who’s your cousin? I’m my aunt’s cousin, not yours."

She said, "You all gamble with money when playing cards. I don’t play gambling games. Plus, I don’t even know how to play."

"You can learn," Liu Huan urged her, "we’ve said we’d pay, and any losses would be on us."

"No way!" Zhou Liru glanced at him and said, "My grandfather said that once you start gambling, it’s impossible to stop unless you break your legs."

Of course, her Fourth Uncle almost got his legs broken before he reformed.

Liu Huan: ...

Manbao jumped off her horse and asked, "Are you gambling with money?"

Liu Huan emphasized, "The goal isn’t to gamble but to play card games!"

"Then why use money?" Manbao said, "Whoever loses should brush the horses."

Bai Shan said, "Or treat everyone to a meal at the next town."

Liu Huan was surprised, "For one time?" That would be more expensive than gambling.

Bai Shan thought for a moment and said, "Whoever loses the most times."

Manbao encouraged them, "Go for it."

Everyone turned to look at her, "You’re not joining?"

Manbao shook her head straightaway, "I’m not joining, I don’t have any money."

Everyone: ...

"Besides, there are exactly four of you."

Yin Huo said, "We don’t mind adding one more person."

"Is that the rule?"

"Rules are made by people," Bai Shan said, "It’s just a game."

Manbao still didn’t want to join, mainly because if she lost, she might not resist asking Keke to cheat for her.

Zhou Liru took the opportunity to say, "Aunt, can you check the medical books I memorized?"

Manbao immediately agreed, "You guys play first, I’ll go check Liru’s studies."

And so she left the four and went with Zhou Liru hand in hand to another carriage.

Daji and the guards put their horses away, bringing them close to watch over them.

The last four decided to give it a try and climbed into the carriage.

Bai Shan said, "I’ll deal the cards..."

Liu Huan muttered, "Those aunt and niece are truly stingy."

Bai Erlang was not surprised, but when his Senior Sister was talked about like that, he was unhappy. "Their family doesn’t do gambling."

"A little gambling adds fun, why be so strict?"

Yin Huo asked, "Do you have a lot of money?"

Bai Shan also looked at Liu Huan.

Liu Huan shook his head, "Not much, but I have enough for a meal, and I might not lose." He’s often played cards with his grandmother.

Then Liu Huan kept losing, until after losing four rounds in a row, he felt something was wrong. He looked at Bai Shan, then at Yin Huo, and called out, "Unfair, you two are teaming up!"

Bai Shan’s expression didn’t change as he said, "We don’t have open cards, what’s unfair? And did you see us coordinating our plays?"

Liu Huan turned to look at Bai Erlang, who shivered while holding his cards. "Don’t look at me. Even if I teamed up with you, I couldn’t beat them."

Liu Huan pouted, "I’m not satisfied, let’s go again!"

Manbao heard Liu Huan’s voice from the back, yawned, and said, "Indeed, gambling isn’t good."

She decided to sleep!

Zhou Liru also finished reciting her text and helped Manbao pull out the wooden couch. She lay down to sleep while Zhou Liru sat at the door and took out a spare book to read.

After a long journey, the group entered Liangzhou City.

Bai Shan and the others didn’t feel like talking much. Upon entering Liangzhou City, they headed straight for the post station, washed their hair and bathed, and then clamored for hot soup.

Liangzhou City is a large frontier city, with officials frequently staying here for business trips. Even now, there are two officials living in the post station with their retinue. However, Zhou Man’s group was the largest.

Despite the post station being sizable, the staff were plentiful, and everyone was extremely busy.

Manbao finished her bath and came out with her hair still a bit wet. She kicked off her shoes and comfortably sat cross-legged on the bed, telling Zhou Liru, who was bathing, "I just saw many people from the Western Regions on the street. Let’s go out for a stroll tonight."

After traveling through the grasslands to Liangzhou and encountering few post stations along the way, even when they did, there were no people inside. Even encountering some nomadic herders felt very lonely for Manbao and Zhou Liru.

Therefore, with Manbao’s suggestion, Zhou Liru happily agreed.

Bai Shan and the others also wanted to go out, so after freshening up and tidying themselves, they planned to go out while drinking the hot soup they ordered downstairs, also planning to have dinner outside.

Six youngsters decided to invite Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang also wanted to go out. After dressing up, he was ready to leave with them, and the Post Station Steward, overhearing this, couldn’t help but say, "Sir, Liangzhou City has a curfew at night. You need to return before dark, otherwise, if caught by patrolling soldiers, it will be difficult to extricate yourself even with official duties."

This remark was directed at Manbao because he knew Zhou Man was the highest-ranking official present and the leader of this group.

Manbao was slightly surprised and asked, "Doesn’t Liangzhou City have a night market?"

Every city she’s been to had a night market.

The Post Station Steward smiled and said, "Except during specific festivals, Liangzhou City doesn’t have night markets."

Mr. Zhuang understood and told Manbao, "Because Liangzhou is a frontier city, let’s have dinner and then stroll a bit before returning."

Manbao could only agree.

And so, the group noisily went out. Manbao said, "I need to visit the pharmacy to buy some medicinal herbs."

Bai Shan said, "Let’s go tomorrow, it’s already late today. Let’s eat first."

Manbao had no objections, planning to look for pharmacies along the way.

As they strolled down the street, they didn’t see any pharmacies, and she seriously looked around. When Mr. Zhuang and the others found a good restaurant, they went in, and Manbao snapped out of her daze. She said, "There are so many blacksmith shops here, we’ve seen four along the way."

Bai Shan also noticed, "Is it because it’s a major frontier town?"