He Gaofei really couldn't figure out the puzzle anymore, so he simply set the contraption aside. "What's wrong with merchants? The ones living the best lives are actually those merchant families. Don't fill your head with such pedantic thoughts. Our few aristocratic families exist in name only now. What's the point of clinging to false prestige? Have you learned nothing after spending over a year in Lu City?"
"Is this me being pedantic?" Mrs. He retorted. "Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants have had their set social rankings since ancient times. Look at those famous merchants—don't they all rely on official families to survive?
"A lot of it is just superficial glamour. If something truly goes wrong, a single word from an official family can leave them with nothing.
