She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 661 - 659 I Accept My Fate

Chapter 661: Chapter 659 I Accept My Fate

Wong Qiao of course would not think Ye Xinyan was just making her daily inspection by standing in front of him, after the thoughtless words his mother and great-uncle said yesterday, and his great-uncle noticing something was off with his demeanor this morning, he would surely have a word with Ye Zi.

But he really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, not even for pleasantries, "I can’t leave this place, Our work is urgent, and everyone’s paperwork is interconnected, if I delay here, it all falls apart. Don’t worry, I won’t make mistakes on the job, we can talk in detail after the work is done."

Once the work was done, he would no longer be part of the Qi Family Construction Business, he could reluctantly stay a few days at his great-uncle’s place, pack his things, and after the tenth, he’d hit the road back to his ancestral home.

Jiang Yifan saw that Wong Qiao’s complexion was ashen, with dark circles under his eyes. Thinking about his mother, enduring sleepless nights and then rushing to work during the day. If things continued this way, he probably would collapse before the work was even finished.

Jiang Yifan stepped forward, plucked the brush from Wong Qiao’s hand, and then grabbed his arm, "Come on, sharpening your axe will not delay the cutting of wood. If you don’t speak out about what’s troubling you today, you’ll probably still be unable to sleep tonight. How long can you hold out like this? If it goes on, we might as well borrow a few clerks from Prince Yu’s Mansion right now to take over your tasks early."

Ye Xinyan also said, "Let’s go, we’ll talk over at the teahouse across the street. I’ll help you with your work."

Upon hearing Ye Xinyan say this, Jiang Yifan gave Wong Qiao a somewhat sour look, feeling conflicted about why he couldn’t understand construction. If he had even a slight understanding, he could extend a helping hand.

But Wong Qiao declined, "No need, Ye Zi, you are currently discussing marriage, it’s not good for you to be lingering outside all the time. We can finish these tasks, they won’t be delayed."

Jiang Yifan laughed, "Since it won’t cause delay, then come out and relax a bit first. Everyone can see you are out of sorts. It’s not good to have people constantly worried about you. If you speak up, then we can think of a solution together."

Wong Qiao felt a bitter ache inside, what solution could there be? With his mother so stubborn, could anyone change her nature, alter her mind?

"What?" Ye Xinyan asked angrily. At this time, the three of them were sitting in a secluded private room at the teahouse, and Wong Qiao had shared his plans, which immediately angered Ye Xinyan.

"How can you be like this? Not to mention giving up your own future, but how can you live with letting down Biyao?"

Wong Qiao had an expressionless face, even void of the look of pain, "This is the only way now. Otherwise, what do you suggest? With my mother’s disposition, even if I insist on marrying Biyao, she would be unhappy every day at our house, constantly nagged and bickered over trivial matters by my mother. It’s a lifelong matter, better to let Biyao choose someone else happier. Anyone she picks will be better than me given my family circumstances."

Ye Xinyan retorted, "Biyao comes from a good family and she likes to work outside. With the support of Biyao’s family and all of us, she can work outside every day, only returning home in the late afternoon, by which time you’d also be home. How could there be any conflict with your mother?"

Wong Qiao replied with a helpless, bitter smile, "I didn’t expect my mother to be so tactless before, she’s always been stubborn, never listening to others’ advice. If she stays in the capital, spouting such words, there’s no telling what trouble she might cause in the future, implicating many people. It’s better to return to the countryside, live a commoner’s life, not causing major disasters."

Ye Xinyan frowned, "But you can’t do that; in doing so, you’re not just giving up on Biyao, but also on yourself. Once you return to Hezhou, can you even guarantee that you’ll be able to continue leveraging your talents?"

Wong Qiao shook his head and said, "What innate talent to continue? I’ve thought it over; my mother and I are just destined for poverty, suited only for a poor man’s life. When you live in poverty, you stay modest and content; you don’t get all those chaotic and complicated thoughts. I’ve accepted my fate."

As he spoke, Wong Qiao took a large gulp of tea, his heart brimming with bitterness, thinking that at times like this, only drowning one’s sorrows in drink could truly help him forget the pain of missing Biyao and the pain he had caused his mother. But he still needed to properly finish up the matters for his uncle, so he couldn’t get drunk.

Ye Xinyan furrowed her eyebrows and thought for a long time, but still could not come up with a solution.

"Your mother, sigh," she ventured, "how about sending her back to her old home in Hezhou? Buy her a nice courtyard, some farmland, and hire a few servants to attend to her— don’t let her stir up... sigh..."

Ye Xinyan’s voice trailed off, growing quieter as even she felt it was improper to say such things.

Wong Qiao responded with a faint smile, "You realize it’s inappropriate, right? My widowed mother raised me all by herself since I was little. Now that I’m successful, if I just leave her in the countryside while my wife and I enjoy wealth and glory in the capital, how could I justify such an act? Especially for my mother, living alone in the countryside, with no close relatives by her side, wouldn’t she feel incredibly heartbroken and lonely?"

Dammit! Ye Xinyan cursed inwardly, confronting such a difficult situation. This really was a tough one. Lady Zhao hadn’t done anything terrible— all she wanted was for her son to honor his filial duties and to put his mother first. No fault could be found in speaking of such things.

But if things went entirely Lady Zhao’s way, then Wong Qiao’s life would be completely deprived of personal freedom. Was this what it meant to raise a son? No, it seemed more like raising a puppet!

Jiang Yifan had been listening quietly to the side. He, of course, understood the importance of filial piety far more than Ye Xinyan, and he would not value Wong Qiao’s personal freedom as much.

Seeing that the conversation had fallen into silence, he finally said, "I think Ah Qiao’s decision isn’t bad. Going back to the countryside is fine. After two or three years, once all the silver is spent, maybe Aunt Wong will come to her senses and drop some of her demands. At that time, Ah Qiao can come back and marry Second Miss Zhou."

Ye Xinyan immediately disliked the idea, why should Biyao wait for him for two or three years? And even then, wait for a craftsman with nothing to his name. It was because of Wong Qiao’s promising future that the Zhou family had agreed to the marriage in the first place.

If Wong Qiao truly couldn’t make it in the countryside and came back to the capital alone, why would the Zhou family still want to marry their daughter to him?

Yet, as Ye Xinyan looked at Wong Qiao with his pained, almost despairing expression, she didn’t have the heart to voice these thoughts.

She glared at Jiang Yifan, "You always come up with the worst ideas— two or three years? How old is Biyao this year? With something so uncertain, could the Zhou family allow her to wait two or three years? With Wong Qiao’s skills, how could he possibly use up all his silver in just two or three years? If his mother demands that he supports her for ten or even eighteen years, does Biyao also have to wait that long?"

"There’s no need to wait," Wong Qiao shook his head, "I just can’t bear to see Biyao following me and living an unhappy life. Actually, about the silver, it could be spent quickly. My mother’s dream is nice, but why should I take the generous earnings I made at my uncle’s and use the techniques Ye Zi taught me wholeheartedly, just to earn my own money? Besides, in the construction industry, without a solid foundation and backing, just the hooligans and bullies could shut down the business."