She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 581 - 579 Letter

Chapter 581: Chapter 579 Letter

Madam Liang’s words led Ye Xinyan to some speculation. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "How many concubines does your father have?"

"Four," Zhou Biyao replied.

"Hmm, quite a few." No wonder Madam Liang had such a sentiment, "You’re not saying this because you’ve grown to dislike Wong Qiao, are you?"

Zhou Biyao was startled, her face flushing red, "Sister Qi, your words are becoming more and more improper."

"That’s good to know. If you still blush, it means you still like him deeply. That’s good, at least you have some warmth and brightness in your heart when facing Lady Zhao’s cold demeanor," Ye Xinyan nodded.

As long as Lady Zhao knew to give and take, it suggested she still had reservations about something.

In fact, Lady Zhao understood her own weight and managed to be flexible. Realizing that she couldn’t rely on the wife of the heir of Duke An, Qi Younian wouldn’t support her, and facing the prospect of returning to live the challenging life of a common craftsman family in her hometown, she chose to compromise.

This made things easier. Ye Xinyan was indeed worried that Lady Zhao was the kind of person who would rather break than bend. If Lady Zhao preferred to return to Hezhou to live the insecure life of an ordinary citizen, insisting on maintaining the full dignity of a mother-in-law, that would have been difficult to handle.

After all, Zhou Biyao could not just get married and be subjected to Lady Zhao’s treatment without protest or abuse, with only the duty of serving her mother-in-law. Surely, her own family or Ye Xinyan herself wouldn’t just storm over, would they?

Ye Xinyan judged rightly that although Lady Zhao didn’t directly state her change of mind, she inquired about when she could move out of the guest room and truly reunite with Wong Qiao, subtly praising Zhou Biyao in her words.

Two days later, Lady Zhao and Xiuqin moved out of the guest room and into a residence next to Cheung Wusi’s family, with a main room consisting of three chambers and an attached three-chambered side room. The marriage proposal between Wong Qiao and Zhou Biyao officially began.

Qi Younian arranged for several Protectors and guards to escort Lady Zhao to Yuyuan City and entrusted an official matchmaker to propose to the Liang Residence.

Before departure, Madam Yin prepared clothes and jewelry for Lady Zhao. As a common woman, Lady Zhao had no excessive adornment of wealth, yet her attire was ensured to be proper and elegant, with Nanny Huang, who served Madam Yin personally, accompanying her.

In Yuyuan City, there was a snack shop managed by Nanny Jin, which provided Lady Zhao with a respectable place to stay instead of an inn.

Without the support of Miss Ye and Qi Younian, Lady Zhao’s ambitions of ascending to the status of a senior noblewoman dissipated. As Zhou Biyao was the younger daughter of her family and Wong Qiao’s current status was not very high, the entire marriage proposal process was kept low-key.

With Nanny Huang by her side, Lady Zhao had some face in front of Madam Liang. The two families agreed that once the Qi family was established in the capital, they would set a date to formally welcome Zhou Biyao into the family.

Madam Liang, probably guessing something from her daughter’s probes during the New Year celebrations, didn’t skimp on casual conversation with Lady Zhao. They discussed the husband’s official position, how pampered Zhou Biyao was at home, how much face she gained with the wife of the Princely Heir, and how much the Duke’s Mansion’s Miss liked and valued her.

After listening, Lady Zhao kept her stomachful of frustration, then settled the marriage matter and returned to Clear Water Village. Seeing Zhou Biyao again, she couldn’t suppress a sense of defeat in her heart.

She had come with such good plans? Thinking about how to use Elder Brother Qi and the Duke’s Mansion’s Miss’s influence, refusing Zhou family’s marriage proposal, letting her son only marry her niece. How comfortable would her life have been in her later years?

She had overestimated the life-and-death bond between her husband and his sworn brothers—turns out, so-called brotherhood means nothing in the face of wealth and power.

But what could she do? Should she listen to her son and return to Hezhou? If so, her son would be relegated to a lifetime of earning a mere craftsman’s wage, and their household would be constrained to a frugal existence. Even if her son had the skill, he would not dare to become the standout leading beam—the tragic end of her husband’s seven sworn brothers served as a dire warning.

Lady Zhao had no choice but to accept this arranged marriage. When faced with Zhou Biyao, she could only feign civility through half-hearted etiquette. Zhou Biyao’s respect and deference meant nothing to her. What she wanted was not respect; she wanted a qualified daughter-in-law who would stay at home, attend to her needs, and be at her beck and call.

In secret, Lady Zhao resolved to keep a tight hold on her son’s silver. She planned to manage the stocks and dividends promised to her son by Qi Younian in the Construction Industry, to invest in substantial properties. She intended to properly cultivate several servants, much like those of prominent households, to have a few concubines at Wong Qiao to attend to her. Each one had to be stronger and more loyal than Zhou Biyao.

With these thoughts, Lady Zhao’s mood somewhat improved, and she began to look towards the future with some optimism.

Regardless of Lady Zhao’s willingness or inner thoughts, the marital arrangements between Wong Qiao and Zhou Biyao came to a close. With spring’s arrival, all sorts of construction projects kicked off in high gear. Wong Qiao officially undertook his post, organizing the schedules for the Qi family’s various projects.

This year, Qi Younian decided against seeking outside contracts, keeping the carpenters and a host of other craftsmen to make railroad ties and wooden rails to be laid along the planned routes. Another significant portion of construction craftsmen was pulled to the Peach Grove to build a Mechanical Workshop and accommodations for the cattle farm’s labor force.

According to Ye Xinyan’s plan, those working in Peach Grove could bring their families to live there, with the Qi family providing housing free of charge. Once the houses were built and the craftsmen moved in with their families, Peach Grove would become a small village.

Those families living in Peach Grove who wished to farm and were willing to clear new land could use the wasteland around the cattle farm and fertilize their fields with the farm’s straw and cow manure, rent-free for ten years. They could also assist the cattle farm by planting and harvesting fodder.

For transportation, they could ride the wooden railway carriages between Clear Water Village and Peach Grove. Alternatively, they could take the dirt road through Pingshui County, which was also not far, for occasional shopping and exchange of daily necessities.

With Jiang Yifan’s departure from Qingyuan County, the correspondence between the capital and Clear Water Village was now directly handled by Ye Xinyan. By May, Duke An’s Mansion had already sent three letters urging Ye Xinyan to return to the capital, and the fourth letter was just about delivered to her.

When Jiu Yu brought in the letter, she surreptitiously handed another letter to Ye Xinyan, kept separately in her bosom. Her secretive manner was like that of a thief who had just stolen something and was passing on the stolen goods.

Ye Xinyan truly wanted to rebuke the lackadaisical girl, but considering Zhou Biyao and the village head’s grandson He Quantai diligently working, she decided against it. It was better not to scold her for now; only she noticed Jiu Yu’s abnormal demeanor. If she spoke up, Zhou Biyao’s gossiping fervor would surely kick in instantly.

Speaking of which, it seems Jiang Yifan’s new appointment must have been too leisurely, as he faithfully wrote letters without fail, accompanying the letters from Jinrong and Duke An’s Mansion to Clear Water Village.

Jiang Yifan’s letters never contained anything of importance—his heart was full of trivial matters.

One such matter was his reporting for duty at the Ministry of Revenue, assuming some bureaucratic post;

On certain days, dining with colleagues and ordering the expensive yogurt-grilled meat, he regretted not investing with Jinrong;

Meeting with Duke An and encountering the young Ye Yuan, who could now sit in the Duke’s study and tear up papers and books... And so on, the list was endless.