She Became A Downfall Noble Lady

"What on earth is going on, out with it!" Lady Zhao urged, somewhat frantic and on the verge of panic, "Don’t tell me just because you don’t wish to marry Zhou Biyao, Miss Ye has been making things difficult for you? That’s outrageous! Choosing a bride is surely our own family affair, naturally we should make the decision ourselves. Can such a matter really be forced upon someone?"

Lady Zhao looked at Wong Qiao in angry shock as he remained silent. Realizing she had guessed correctly, she raged, "You’ve helped her out before, how can she treat you like this? Tomorrow I will go to your Eldest Uncle Qi and have a clear talk, asking him to properly manage his granddaughter. Even if she’s the Duke’s Mansion’s Miss Ye, your Eldest Uncle Qi is the grandfather she has acknowledged, and she ought to give him that much face."

Wong Qiao shook his head in dejection and said to Lady Zhao, "Mother, please don’t make things difficult for Eldest Uncle Qi. You haven’t been here for long and are unfamiliar with Eldest Uncle Qi and Ye Zi’s circumstances. I’ve heard Eldest Uncle Qi mention more than once that back then, he was alone and destitute, with barely about ten taels of silver to his name and so disheartened he thought he wouldn’t live much longer, let alone return to his hometown.

"It was Ye Zi who acknowledged Eldest Uncle Qi as her grandfather and supported him in returning to his home. Along the way, they got over a hundred taels of silver from Lord Jiang, bought a donkey cart, and just about managed to get back to Clear Water Village. It was also with that bit of over a hundred taels of silver that they started doing business, and the family began to make a living. Even the construction industry that Eldest Uncle Qi runs is supported by Ye Zi. If you approach Eldest Uncle Qi, you’ll only hurt the affection between Eldest Uncle Qi and Miss Ye."

Lady Zhao frowned and said, "You are too honest for your own good, child. No matter how capable Ye Zi is, she’s still a woman. I’ve heard from Quan Xi at Fourth Uncle Cheung’s place that those tools used in the construction industry, and the mechanical workshop that’s now so prominent in the capital, were all supported and set up by you. You are the chief manager, you’ve put great effort into the Qi family.

"And then there’s your Eldest Uncle Qi. How prestigious was the construction industry when your father was there? That was all propped up by your Eldest Uncle Qi’s own strength. What does Miss Ye, a woman, have to do with the construction industry? That’s all your Eldest Uncle Qi’s skill."

Wong Qiao shook his head despondently, "Mother, you don’t know the real situation. Without me, Ye Zi could still instruct other craftsmen at work. Without Ye Zi’s guidance, I would only work as a skillful craftsman in those civilian construction firms, earning just enough to get by.

"As for matters related to machinery, let’s not even talk about it. Have you seen the village kids coming over occasionally to borrow Brother Jia’s bicycle? That was made by Ye Zi and Eldest Uncle Qi before I came here. Eldest Uncle Qi is neither a carpenter nor a mechanical craftsman; the key lies with Ye Zi."