Qin Tongpan just took office in Liaodong Prefecture this year, and he brought his wife, two sons, a daughter, and other family members along. Today, the Shen Mansion hosted a banquet, and both Qin Tongpan and his wife were invited. Madam Qin also brought her eldest daughter, Qin Ruojian, to attend the banquet.

Lian Manman had encountered Madam Qin and Qin Ruojian before, at a banquet hosted by the Lian Family. Since the Qin Family had just arrived and the two families hadn’t interacted before, it was Qin Tongpan who sent a message to the house on Pine Tree Alley and also presented a congratulatory gift, congratulating Wu Lang for passing the graduate examination and Xiao Qi for becoming a scholar. This was when the Lian Manman family learned that Qin Tongpan was an old acquaintance of Mr. Loo, which explained why he sent a message and a gift.

Since he was an old acquaintance of Mr. Loo, Lian Manman family naturally couldn’t be neglectful, especially considering that the Tongpan, a sixth-grade official, held a higher rank than Lian Shouxin, and was a real official with practical power, appointed by the Imperial Court. Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi personally visited Qin Tongpan to pay their respects and presented him with a Double Ninth Festival gift, inviting the Qin Family to the Pine Tree Alley for a banquet.

The two families were thus acquainted, but on the day Madam Qin attended the banquet, she had to leave early due to some matter and thus didn’t have a good conversation with Lady Zhang and Lian Manman.

Nevertheless, considering Mr. Loo’s esteem, the Qin Family was certainly one to befriend. Therefore, upon hearing Madam Qin’s words at the banquet today, Lian Manman seized the opportunity to invite Madam Qin to visit her home again.

After speaking with Madam Qin, Lian Manman smiled at Qin Ruojian. Qin Ruojian immediately returned the smile and was the first to engage Lian Manman in conversation. The two young ladies began to chat softly.

Although the Qin Family had just arrived, Lian Manman had already learned some things about them from Shen Yi and Shen Shi. Qin Ruojian was the eldest daughter of Qin Tongpan, seventeen this year and not yet betrothed.

Concerning Wu Lang’s marriage prospects, Lian Manman was just as concerned as Lady Zhang. Therefore, after hearing about this from Shen Yi and Shen Shi, Lian Manman kept it in mind. Considering her age, family background, and status as the eldest daughter, Qin Ruojian seemed a suitable match for Wu Lang. Lian Manman secretly regarded Qin Ruojian as a potential candidate to be assessed.

While conversing with Qin Ruojian, Lian Manman carefully observed her. Qin Ruojian’s face was as round as a full moon, with apricot-shaped eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and fair skin, fitting the era’s standard of beauty. Upon closer inspection, there were a few freckles on her cheeks. For a young girl, these freckles didn’t detract from her beauty but added a youthful charm.

In their conversation, Lian Manman and Qin Ruojian both spoke Mandarin. Qin Ruojian’s voice was very pleasant and gentle. The Qin Family’s ancestral home was in Hejian Prefecture, yet Qin Ruojian’s speech had no trace of a Hejian accent.

"Listening to Sister Ruojuan speak, you have a Capital City accent. How long did you live in the Capital City?" Lian Manman asked Qin Ruojian with a smile. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"... I lived there for three years when I was young." Qin Ruojian replied, explaining that she had followed her parents since childhood, as Qin Tongpan had held a position in the Capital City during her early years, later serving various postings outside, giving her speech an authentic Mandarin accent with a slight Capital City touch.

In the prefecture city, the social interactions of the officials’ families generally involved speaking in Mandarin, though some had hints of Liaodong Prefecture’s unique accent. Listening to speech accents was a skill. By listening carefully to the voices of the ladies and young women at the banquet, Lian Manman could discern who were locals of Liaodong Prefecture and who had come from other places. Of course, some outsiders, having lived in Liaodong Prefecture for a long time, gradually acquired the local accent in their speech.

"I see! Sister Ruojuan must have seen many different sights, which is truly enviable," Lian Manman remarked, "Perhaps you could come over someday and tell me all about it, so I could broaden my horizons too."

Qin Ruojian modestly smiled and said a few words, then agreed to visit Lian Manman. She also invited Lian Manman to come to her house when she had time, to which Lian Manman readily agreed.

"Listening to Sister Ruojuan speak, you must have read many books," Lian Manman continued as their conversation grew even more congenial.

Qin Ruojian nodded.

"In our clan, it’s vital for boys to study, but girls also need to read some books," Qin Ruojian explained to Lian Manman, adding that she had learned to read and write from Madam Qin since childhood and later attended the clan’s women’s school.