The door opened, and Grandfather Qin, Qin’s father, and Qin Shouye stepped out of the room.

Instantly, the lively courtyard fell silent as everyone turned to look at them with a mix of excitement and anticipation, hoping to read the news from their expressions.

Indeed, the expressions on their faces betrayed their happiness.

Qin Fang’s promotion and the arrangements he’d made for the family were all positive news.

Since it was a joyous occasion, Grandfather Qin and the others couldn’t hide their delight, even if they tried to remain stoic.

Seeing their reactions, the rest of the Qin family felt relieved.

After all, Qin Fang had been promoted to a high-ranking general—a reason for celebration.

Grandma Qin looked around at the family members in the courtyard, then took a few steps forward and asked, “Old man, what did Ah Fang say in his letter?”

Grandfather Qin glanced at his wife, then addressed everyone, “Come inside and hear it all.”

At this, everyone hurried into the house and sat down, waiting for Grandfather Qin to speak.

In the Qin household, although Grandma Qin seemed to be in charge, Grandfather Qin was the true head of the family.

His decisions were made with the family’s best interests at heart, and once he made a decision, no one dared to oppose it.

Second Aunt Qin, unable to contain her curiosity, asked impatiently, “Father, what is it you have to tell us? Did Ah Fang mention something in his letter?”

Though she often talked about getting a share, she was actually quite timid when it came down to it.

Grandfather Qin glanced at her and didn’t waste time, directly saying, “Ah Fang wrote to tell us some important news. He performed meritorious service on the frontier and, by the grace of the Emperor, has been appointed as a General of Martial Virtue, a fifth-rank official title. Now, we may not understand all these ranks, but a general’s rank is even higher than that of a county magistrate.”

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped.

The family members were both astonished and overwhelmed with joy.

They hadn’t expected that the Qin family would rise to such a high status.

Second Aunt Qin quickly chimed in, “I always knew Ah Fang was destined for greatness!”

She wasn’t envious but proud, knowing that although Qin Fang was the eldest son of the first branch, he was also the older brother of her own son.

With a successful elder brother, surely the younger ones would benefit too.

Besides, her husband was Qin Fang’s second uncle, and she herself was his second aunt, so she felt a sense of pride in his achievements.

In such a joyful moment, no one cared if Second Aunt Qin’s enthusiasm came across as insincere or opportunistic.

Grandma Qin chuckled and asked, “What else, old man? Did Ah Fang say anything more?”

Grandfather Qin continued, “Now that Ah Fang has been promoted, he’s no longer on the frontier. He’s been reassigned as the City Guard General in a place called Yunxiang County. The city guard general is responsible for the safety of the people there. The conditions there aren’t great—most wealthy families have already left, leaving behind ordinary folks. But even the ordinary folk there are wealthier than those in our town and village.

“After taking up his new post, Ah Fang acquired a thousand mu of land for the military camp. The produce from this land is meant to feed the soldiers. This land belongs to the camp, not to Ah Fang personally,”

Grandfather Qin clarified, to avoid any misunderstandings. “Ah Fang explained that although the land is military property, he’s in charge of appointing someone to manage it. The manager would receive a monthly wage of 500 wen. This manager wouldn’t need to work the fields directly; the soldiers will do the labor. The manager’s role is to guide the soldiers on how to farm properly. Simply put, he’s looking for someone experienced in farming, and he specifically thought of his own family.

Ah Fang hopes we’ll all come to Yunxiang County and take up various roles managing this farmland. He’s arranged for each family to oversee a part of the military farmland estate, where there are also houses for us to live in. The job includes food, lodging, and a 500-wen monthly salary.”

Grandfather Qin paused, letting this sink in before asking, “So, he’s asking if you all are willing to go.”

“Of course, for men managing the farm, food and lodging are covered, and the monthly wage is five hundred copper coins.

For women managing the kitchen, because soldiers are stationed on the estate, with hundreds of soldiers, someone has to handle their daily meals. So the women who go to the estate will also get food, lodging, and five hundred copper coins per month.”

Cooking for hundreds of people every day is no easy task, and earning that silver is naturally not as simple as it seems.

Before they could respond, Grandpa Qin continued, “If you don’t go, Ah Fang has also made arrangements for you. For those staying at home, as his uncle’s, he will gift you ten acres of high-quality land, as a gesture of filial respect.”

Ten acres of prime land, worth one hundred taels of silver.

Bringing the whole family to Yunxiang County would earn twelve taels of silver a year, meaning it would take nine years to earn one hundred taels.

But of course, going to Yunxiang County meant leaving their homeland behind.

However, the message was clear: if they stayed home, Qin Fang’s gift of ten acres of land was his way of fulfilling his duty to his uncles, and they shouldn’t expect any more financial help from him in the future.

Grandpa Qin asked, “What do you all think?”

Mother Qin pursed her lips, remaining silent.

The gift of ten acres of land worth one hundred taels was from her son’s own pocket.

Managing military lands, however, involved military resources.

Naturally, Mother Qin was reluctant for her son to give up one hundred taels of silver, but she also knew that if her son had made this offer, he must have the means.

Her eldest son and daughter-in-law were both smart, and if they had made such arrangements, they surely had their reasons.

Even though she felt a bit uneasy, she wouldn’t voice it. She understood that sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture.

She might not grasp all the principles, but she knew the difference between good and bad.

Third Uncle Qin was the first to speak. “Our branch will go to Yunxiang County.” Third Uncle Qin had become more understanding now.

He had no sons, and even if he found a live-in son-in-law for his daughter, his eldest nephew would still be her greatest support.

Without siblings, her cousins would be her backers.

So, given the chance to strengthen ties with his eldest nephew’s family, why wouldn’t he take it?

Moreover, if they went to Yunxiang County, and his eldest nephew could introduce a good match for his daughter from among the capable young men there, it would be even better.

With these thoughts in mind, Third Uncle Qin didn’t hesitate.

Third Aunt Qin followed her husband’s lead.

Besides, she could understand the reasoning too.

Going to Yunxiang County, where they had a general in the family to look after them, would surely be better than staying here.

Though the Qin family was large, and others didn’t dare to bully them outright, there were plenty of whispers behind their backs.

Some even gossiped about how she couldn’t bear a son, calling the third branch of the Qin family childless.

Every time she heard this, she swallowed her tears.

She didn’t dare tell her husband for fear of making him sad too.

The fact that he hadn’t abandoned her despite her inability to bear a son was already a blessing.

If he overheard these cruel remarks, she couldn’t imagine the consequences.

While the third branch had no hesitation, the second branch did.

Despite Second Aunt Qin’s usual love for taking advantage of situations, she wasn’t keen on leaving her homeland to live far away.

Here, she had her son and daughter, and no one spoke ill of her.

But in an unfamiliar place, who knew what could happen?

Grandpa Qin looked at Second Uncle Qin. “What do you think, second son?”

Second Uncle Qin thought for a moment and asked, “If the third branch is going, is the eldest going too?”

Father Qin looked at Mother Qin.

Mother Qin replied, “If Father and Mother are going, of course we will go too. Ah Fang and his wife have no one to help them over there, and if we didn’t go, we’d worry.

If Father and Mother aren’t going, then we won’t go either. As the eldest son and daughter-in-law, we can’t be absent. If Ah Fang finds out, he’ll surely blame us for not taking care of his grandparents.”

Mother Qin’s words were full of meaning.

First, she made it clear that they wanted to go, and these words were also meant for Grandpa and Grandma Qin.

She also emphasized that Ah Fang would be concerned for his grandparents.

Grandpa and Grandma Qin were especially fond of their eldest grandson, and hearing that he worried about them, they wouldn’t want to disappoint him.

Even if they initially hadn’t planned to go, they might reconsider after hearing this.

However, Grandpa and Grandma Qin were already planning to go.

So Grandma Qin said, “We’ll go, but it’s not like we’ll stay there forever. We’ll just go to check out the situation, and if we miss home, we can come back.”

She missed her eldest grandson too.

Now that he was successful, she wanted to see him with her own eyes.

Grandpa Qin shared the same thought.

He was old and believed in the saying that ‘fallen leaves return to their roots,’ but that was something to consider after death.

For now, while he was alive, he wanted to see what it was like over there. “Listen to your mother. We’ll go check it out.”

Second Uncle Qin said, “Then we’ll go too.”

Second Aunt Qin added, “Father, Mother, if we don’t go, will Ah Fang really buy us ten acres of prime land?”

Second Uncle Qin was surprised by his wife’s question.

Did she not plan to go?

Grandpa Qin replied, “Yes, Ah Fang said so in his letter, and he will certainly follow through.”

Second Aunt Qin continued, “Father, then we won’t go. But if Ah Fang buys us ten acres of land, can we still send Niu Dan over there?”

She chuckled, “There’s not much future for Niu Dan here, but if he follows his eldest brother, that would be better. I don’t expect Niu Dan to be like Shoucheng and study for the imperial exams. As long as he learns to read and write, and Ah Fang can find him a good job in the future, that’s enough.”

She knew her son well; he wasn’t cut out for scholarly life.

Ever since her daughter, Er Ya, started making money by embroidering handkerchiefs, the second branch had a bit of extra income.

Second Aunt Qin had even thought about sending her son to a private tutor, but Niu Dan wasn’t interested.

So, she gave up, not wanting to waste silver on schooling.

Now that her eldest nephew was doing well, she hoped he could find a good job for her son when he grew up.