The chore of harvesting wheat had to be repaid, and when other families harvested, Qin's father and the others would help.
Qin Grandma fanned herself with a fan. As autumn set in, the weather became even hotter.
She called out to Qin Junyao, who was adding firewood, "That's enough firewood, come here, I want to ask you something."
"Okay."
Qin Junyao agreed, wiped her sweat, and walked to the eaves, sitting beside Qin Grandma.
"When will Little Hammer propose?"
"Ah? I don't know."
"Then what do you write to him about?" Qin Grandma had seen Qin Junyao prop up her stool legs to write letters to Zhao Liangcai at Yan Lake several times.
"Nothing much. Zhao Liangcai wrote to me first, asking about Aizi and the family. He even specifically asked about Sister Manshuang," Qin Junyao said, her tone somewhat mysterious.
Qin Grandma stopped fanning, "Why is he asking about Miss Ling?"
Qin Junyao whispered, "It seems Suozi likes Sister Manshuang."
"Huh?" Qin Grandma's fan suddenly began to shake rapidly. "A toad wanting to eat swan meat. He really dares to think like that."
"Look at his demeanor. Is that a high branch he can climb?"
Qin Grandma and Suozi still found each other distasteful.
"Grandma, do you know something?"
"Didn't Miss Ling tell you?"
Qin Junyao shook her head. A few days ago, she went to deliver peonies to Ling Manshuang and asked her again what she had said to Madam Qian, but got no answer.
"Tsk," Qin Grandma smacked her lips. "She's probably afraid that if you knew her identity, you wouldn't interact with her as casually as you do now."
Qin Grandma thought for a moment, "I'd better tell you. You'll have to deal with that circle sooner or later."
"The highest in our Qing Dynasty is the one sitting on the dragon throne."
"Below him are the princes. Princes are divided into two types: one-character and two-character."
"One-character princes are usually adult imperial sons who have moved out of the palace. Their father bestows a character from his name or a character from their name, like Prince Jing, Prince Zhen, and so on." SuDan Novel Network
"I've heard of a One-Character Prince of Companion," Qin Junyao raised her hand.
Her knowledge of history was limited to a few phrases.
"That is the highest noble title, higher than a one-character prince," Qin Grandma tapped Qin Junyao with her fan. "Don't interrupt."
"Below the one-character princes are the two-character princes, like the King of Zhen, the King of the South, the King of the East, the King of the West. Below them are the titles of Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron."
"Some are hereditary, and some are hereditary with demotions. These titles are not official posts; they are favors from the one above."
"Grandma," Qin Junyao couldn't help but interject, "If there's nothing to reward, you just bestow a title?"
Qin Grandma nodded, "That's right. Families with titles are nobles and have privileges."
"Each family tries every means to preserve this title. Some enter officialdom, while others simply rely on marriage to maintain their status."
Qin Grandma looked at the yard where only a few chickens were pecking for food. "In the top noble circle of the Imperial City, one family is different."
Qin Junyao's eyes suddenly widened.
"Guessed it?"
"It's the Ling family," Qin Grandma recalled. "The Ling family originated in Jiangnan and is a ducal family."
"What makes this family different is that they don't need to consolidate their status through marriage. The unmarried men and women in the family marry based on who they are, not on family affairs."
"Whether men or women, the Ling family relies entirely on themselves, not on their ancestors' protection. This is also why the Ling family has endured for so long."
Duke?
Qin Junyao thought that a duke was only second to a prince. The family prospered in Jiangnan, so why would Sister Manshuang come to this northwest?
Just as she was wondering why Ling Manshuang had come to the northwest, Qin Grandma voiced her guess.
"Miss Ling probably came here after a divorce."
Qin Grandma looked at her granddaughter with her mouth agape, amused, and tapped her head with her fan. "The water is boiling, go get some firewood."