She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 669 - 667: Observing the Rituals

Chapter 669: Chapter 667: Observing the Rituals

Wong Qiao didn’t disappoint Lady Zhao, and without any hesitation, he said, "Mother, why do you say that? We’re just returning to our hometown to work, not entering Ghost Gate Pass. There’s no reason to harbor resentment. Rest assured, my craftsmanship is excellent. Even if I can’t make it on my own, I can easily join a major construction industry, and I won’t worry about the wage to support the family."

As Wong Qiao expressed no resentment, Lady Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, her mood sunk even lower.

In the past few days, she weighed and pondered time and again, recalling the words of Madam Qian. If, after returning home, Wong Qiao could only gather a few small artisans and take on little tasks, it would certainly be both worrisome and arduous. They couldn’t dare undertake big projects, and the small ones, not only paid little, but also weren’t long-lasting.

Occasional artisans have always been like this, earning a one-time payment for a job when they could find work, and living off their savings when they couldn’t. Even though their lives were somewhat better than the ordinary poor folk, they still had to make ends meet, certainly nowhere near as affluent as the rich and noble families.

Even if Wong Qiao was skilled and had steady work, he could at most earn about one hundred taels of silver a year, and sometimes not even that much.

To Lady Zhao, who had felt grievance just a few days ago, one hundred taels of silver was hardly impressive. But for ordinary folks, a family that could earn about a hundred taels a year was considered a well-to-do household. They had savings, could afford to buy houses and land, and after accumulating wealth over ten or twenty years, they could become minor gentry and landlords in their own right.

Now, whenever Lady Zhao thought of the phrase "slow accumulation," her heart, which had slightly eased due to taking medicine, immediately felt the heavy weight of a great stone pressing down on it again.

Considering the silver note hidden in her undergarment worth over seven thousand taels, and thinking of what life was like for a prosperous family that earned over a hundred taels a year, Lady Zhao felt an urge to cry without tears, as if her illness had worsened significantly.

Keep in mind that from this yearly income of about a hundred taels, daily living expenses have not been deducted. If they lived as they did the past year in the Qi family, with a specific cook and kitchen maid, with Xiao Cui and Xiuqin taking care of things inside and outside the house, and with a rough-handed old woman servant handling the chores in the yard.

And their family’s food and clothing—although not extremely luxurious, it was also not the kind a village landlord family with fields would be willing to spend silver on.

Their Wong Residence was going to say goodbye to that kind of life.

Lady Zhao pondered over and over again, still unwilling to give up. She asked Wong Qiao, "If you led the work yourself, could you earn one hundred taels of silver in a year?"

Wong Qiao thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I should be able to if things go well."

Lady Zhao felt the heavy stone on her heart grow even heavier. Her son said he could make it if things went well. That means, if things didn’t go well, they wouldn’t even have the one hundred taels for a year. With that, what servant could they afford to keep? They would have to count every penny even for their daily lives.

Lady Zhao took deep breaths, exhaling twice at length.

No, she couldn’t resign herself to fate, she couldn’t just abandon the good life to continue living with a yearly income of about a hundred taels and having to be frugal and count every large coin spent.

Lady Zhao said to Wong Qiao, "Ah Qiao, you tell me, Miss Ye, a woman, can partner with Prince Yu to open a workshop. If you find a powerful partner, can’t you also partner to open a workshop or a construction industry?"

Wong Qiao looked at Lady Zhao in astonishment. His mother was not giving up, was she?

After a good while, he replied with little interest, "I’m afraid not." Just four words, too lazy to say any more.

Lady Zhao sat up straight and urgently said, "Look at you, lacking ambition. Why can’t you? You started working with the construction industry at just over ten years old. Back then you were just a child, yet which master didn’t praise you for your spiritual energy and talent? If Ye Xinyan, a woman, can partner with someone to do business, why can’t you?"

Wong Qiao spoke indifferently, "I indeed have a talent. Whatever tool is given to me, as long as I’ve seen it once, I can replicate it. Or if someone tells me what they want to create and what effect they aim to achieve. Like Ye Zi, who would describe what she wants to make, even discussing and advising me on which structure could serve the purpose. All of these, I can try to make."

"That’s all well and good," said Lady Zhao.

Wong Qiao smiled, "Mother, where am I to find someone capable of coming up with new ideas? If it’s about making ordinary items and buildings, those powerful and influential families can simply hire people to do it. At most, they would use more hands and take more time. Why would they need to partner with me?"

Lady Zhao sized up Wong Qiao, weighing the truthfulness of his words in her heart, wondering if her son had grown distant and was merely placating her with such statements.

"Hmm, I understand. Ah Qiao, it’s late. You should go rest as well," she said.

After Wong Qiao left, Lady Zhao finished her ablutions with Xiao Cui’s assistance.

She lay in the darkness, thinking that perhaps she could ask Madam Qian from the inn again. Maybe, with her wide experience and relatives in the Ministry of Works, Madam Qian would have a good recommendation.

......

The betrothal discussions between Jiang Yifan and Ye Xinyan indeed proceeded smoothly; everything was settled before the new year, except for the exact date of the wedding.

On New Year’s Eve, Nanny Hong, who was by Mrs. Qin’s side, along with Cui Cheng, who managed Jiang Yifan’s affairs, came to Duke An’s Mansion to deliver the Ye Family’s festival gifts.

The carriage was fully loaded with New Year’s gifts, including local specialties from Cloud Central Province brought by Mrs. Qin and various other festival presents. Inside, there was a chest especially for Ye Xinyan.

This chest was carried into Madam Yin’s room and placed in the middle of the floor. Madam Yin warmly greeted Nanny Hong, showering her with endless complimentary words. When leaving, Nanny Hong and the two old woman servants who carried the chest each received a heavy pouch, which by the feel of it in their hands, seemed to be filled with small silver ingots used as rewards during the festival. It was quite an amount.

As Nanny Huang saw Nanny Hong out, she also handed out additional red envelopes to the servants of the Jiang Family who had not entered the Second Gate.

Lady Zhao, who managed the Duke’s Mansion, was very competent at her job. She personally brought the list of gifts sent by the Jiang Family into Madam Yin’s room and inquired about how to handle them.

This time, Madam Yin did not impatiently send Lady Zhao away. Instead, she took the list and carefully went through it, eyeing the satin-damask, Shu brocade, several lengths of damask, twisted gold-threaded yarn, silk gauze, and then the bacon, smoked duck among other items, as well as the quantities of spices and seasonings.

Madam Yin’s mood improved as she read. Yuanfan was indeed attentive to Ah Yan, she thought, seeing how well prepared these goods were. Such a variety of items had been assembled in such a short time. She suspected that not only had Mrs. Qin brought everything with her, but they might have also purchased quite a lot locally.

Maternal Aunt Zhao, sitting on a brocade stool at the lower end, saw Madam Yin in a good mood and chimed in, "Our son-in-law truly adores Miss Ye. Just looking at these New Year’s gifts, one can tell that In-law Madam and our son-in-law have put a lot of thought into them."

Madam Yin responded with a beaming smile, "Indeed, Yuanfan is a good child, and In-law Madam is very personable too. They couldn’t be better to our Ah Yan."

Ye Xinyan sat beside Madam Yin, her head bowed, and coughed heavily. She thought to herself, Couldn’t you have a bit more restraint in your conversation? The main subject, herself, was still present. So it seemed they all thought she had thick skin and didn’t know how to be shy, was that it?