She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 579 - 577: How Could It Be the Same?

Chapter 579: Chapter 577: How Could It Be the Same?

Ye Xinyan said, "Madam Zhao must have heard the term ’benevolent mother, filial son,’ correct? First comes maternal benevolence, then filial piety. If the mother isn’t benevolent, how can we speak of filial piety? The moment Madam Zhao had servants available but chose to let only her daughter-in-law attend her at all times, that’s when Madam Zhao lost any semblance of a senior’s kindness. What filial piety is there to speak of then?"

Seeing that Lady Zhao furrowed her brows and remained silent, Ye Xinyan asked, "Is Madam Zhao suffering from an illness, or so frail as to be incapable of self-care?"

Lady Zhao was startled.

Ye Xinyan’s expression grew somber as she calmly said, "My mother was a legitimate daughter of a marquis, and I was raised from childhood surrounded by servants, which is why I needed people to wait on me. It was the same for me originally, but since I left Duke An’s Mansion and started doing things on my own, I haven’t needed anyone to serve me. Wong Qiao, you know what happened back then, I’m not wrong, am I?"

Wong Qiao first glanced apologetically at Lady Zhao, then replied, "Yes, when Ye Zi left, she did not have people to serve her. Even later, when His Highness Prince Yu sent people over for convenience, Ye Zi rarely made use of them."

Ye Xinyan then looked back at Jiu Yu and said, "These few were forced upon me by Lord Jiang, who saw me often at construction sites and workshops, surrounded by men, which was really inconvenient. Despite that, I never let anyone wait on me at all times.

I don’t understand what Madam Zhao is thinking. You’ve always been in good health and have always managed everything personally. How is it that as soon as it came to Wong Qiao taking a wife, you suddenly became so delicate, not only requiring attendance but also becoming more fastidious than the ladies of the noble and prestigious families of first and second rank in the capital, dismissing servants as inadequate and insisting that your daughter-in-law serve you at all times?"

Ye Xinyan looked at Lady Zhao with a smirk that wasn’t quite a smile.

Lady Zhao’s forehead began to sweat. What kind of talk was this from Qi Ye? Luckily, there were no imperial decree ladies of the first and second rank here; otherwise, would she be smothered to death by their disdainful glances?

But that wasn’t right, there was one—the wife of the heir apparent was indeed a lady of rank. She didn’t know how the wife of the heir apparent viewed her.

Ye Xinyan stood up and spoke indifferently, "I hope that Madam Zhao’s demands on her daughter-in-law were merely unconscious behavior. However, since we’ve spoken to this point today, you might want to think it over. Be sure not to become that kind of villain who harasses and mistreats the younger generation, lest you end up driving everyone away, inadvertently harming Wong Qiao."

Having said her piece, Ye Xinyan bowed slightly and then took her leave.

Watching Ye Xinyan leave, Lady Zhao felt a mix of embarrassment from having her hidden intentions revealed and a new frustration and worry.

The last words spoken by Qi Ye were clearly a threat. Was she implying that she would be despised and estranged by Qi Younian and Cheung Wusi, and even affect Ah Qiao?

Thinking this, Lady Zhao suddenly grasped Wong Qiao’s arm and asked urgently, "Ah Qiao, tell your mother honestly, how much have you done for Miss Ye? Is her current glory inseparable from your help?"

Wong Qiao answered, "How could that be? I can indeed handle the matters Ye Zi settled, but I still need to discuss with Ye Zi and listen to her occasional suggestions. It’s because of those ideas that I was able to act. Now, there are two craftsmen in the Mechanical Workshop who can do such things.

One of them, named Shi Yin, was responsible for the device made for the trip to the capital; it was Master Shi who led the team that made it. That device had basically nothing to do with me, it’s just that Master Shi didn’t want to make the trip, so he sent me instead."

Lady Zhao’s eyes glazed over, and within that blank stare was a hint of lost hope. She had originally thought that her son’s skill would be enough for Miss Ye to want to enlist him to her cause. And her son, he was supposed to follow her orders, but now it seemed...

"Xiuqin," Lady Zhao suddenly remembered how Ye Xinyan had addressed her, "when we first came here, Miss Ye didn’t call me Madam Zhao, right?"

Xiuqin thought hard and then nodded heavily, "At that time, Miss Ye referred to her aunt as ’Seventh Grandma’."

Lady Zhao frowned, straining to remember, from when did Qi Ye start to call her ’Madam Zhao’? It seemed that only on her first day here did she call her ’Seventh Grandma’. After that, she kowtowed to Zhou Biyao, Qi Ye became displeased, even pulled Zhou Biyao to sit by her side, and since then, she had never heard Qi Ye call her ’Seventh Grandma’ again.

Wong Qiao, who had been silent for a long time, once again suggested, "Mother, let’s go back to Hezhou. Given Ye Zi’s attitude, even if I stay here, I won’t have the prospects I had before. You will still have to watch people’s faces."

Lady Zhao stayed silent for a long while before looking up and asking Wong Qiao, "Ah Qiao, if you were to go to the capital again, to work for the court, would you also have a good future?"

Wong Qiao looked at Lady Zhao with a puzzled expression, "Even if I could go to the capital, I would just be an ordinary craftsman. And without Ye Zi, there would be no Duke An and Prince Yu, who would recognize me then?"

Lady Zhao struggled, "But you have skills, your craftsmanship is good."

Wong Qiao gave a bitter smile, "Mother, don’t you know that there are many craftsmen with good skills? Was my father’s craftsmanship not good? Were my uncles’ craftsmanship not good? What was the result in the end? When I was working for the workshop head in Hezhou, my craftsmanship was good, but I was merely a craftsman with good skills."

"I see." Lady Zhao became somewhat disheartened. This was totally different from what she thought. She had thought, based on the letters and Cheung Quanxi’s simple description, that her son already had a foundation. But now it seemed that this foundation was entirely provided by Qi Ye.

"Miss Ye wouldn’t disregard what your great-uncle says, would she?" Lady Zhao asked with hope.

Wong Qiao lowered his head and said in a subdued voice, "The problem is, my great-uncle also feels that mother’s treatment of her daughter-in-law is not generous enough, and he doesn’t cherish his daughter-in-law as his own child. These past few days, my great-uncle has repeatedly brought up the abuse Qi Jiaer suffered in the third room, matters that he hadn’t mentioned for a very long time."

Lady Zhao was stunned. Indeed, it seemed that ever since she had expressed her rejection of Zhou Biyao and explained her reasons, Qi Younian had barely seen her, and on the few occasions they did meet, he was merely polite to her, without any substantial conversation or concern.

She had originally thought that was because of the difference between men and women, but now it seemed that it was Qi Younian distancing himself from her.

Wong Qiao looked up and earnestly advised again, "I do not wish for you to feel aggrieved for my sake, mother. Though we may not be as wealthy in Hezhou, I have my skills and I won’t let you lack food or clothes."

Lady Zhao, however, was thinking that not lacking food or clothes couldn’t compare with the wealthy days when she had servants at her beck and call.

"Alright, you may go back," Lady Zhao dismissed Wong Qiao with a wave of her hand, "What time is it now, hurry back and rest, you still need to work tomorrow."

Ye Xinyan finished her visit with Lady Zhao, didn’t even greet Zhou Biyao, and went straight back to her room to wash up and read for a while. Lady Zhao and Wong Qiao were probably still talking, but she had already fallen asleep.

Her visit to Lady Zhao’s room was entirely out of consideration for Zhou Biyao’s devoted heart. And based on Zhou Biyao’s interest in the Construction Industry and mechanical fields, where could she find another husband like Wong Qiao?

Moreover, Wong Qiao’s attitude was unexpectedly positive; he even made a trip to Yuyuan City on the way back to frankly explain his mother’s situation to Zhou Bingyi. He assured Zhou Bingyi that he would definitely resolve his family’s matters and would not let Zhou Biyao be aggrieved.

He also promised to earn Zhou Biyao a broad future and a wealthy family business.