Xiuqin, seeing that Lady Zhao’s complexion was unwell, asked cautiously, "Auntie, what did you say to Old Master Qi, did it go smoothly?"
Lady Zhao had only deliberated on her thoughts the night before and hadn’t shared her ideas with anyone else, believing she could definitely win back the rightful treatnt for her son. With confidence in the matter, she naturally harbored little resentnt and felt no need to grumble to others.
However, now that things hadn’t gone smoothly, almost as if she had run into a wall, the displeasure in Lady Zhao’s heart sought an outlet. Upon hearing Xiuqin ask, she briefly recounted her thoughts and Qi Younian’s response, her frustration and indignation evident in her words.
Xiuqin listened and couldn’t help but inwardly lant; it went just as poorly as she had feared.
She responded carefully to Lady Zhao, "Auntie, don’t be angry. When cousin cos back, you can ask him what he thinks. From what I see, cousin’s stay at the Qi family seems quite nice. Old Master Qi and the eldest miss treat him very courteously, differently from how they treat others."
Lady Zhao imdiately grew angry, "Of course they have to be courteous, how else could they coax Ah Qiao into dedicating his life to them? We don’t know how much they’ve taken advantage of Ah Qiao in the past, just considering the Three Thousand Taels of Silver we do know about. Didn’t they secure that business all thanks to Ah Qiao leading the team? And in the end, how much actually went into Ah Qiao’s hands? What infuriates is how Ah Qiao toils day and night, while the Qi family maintains so many idlers, each living a more leisurely and comfortable life than Ah Qiao."
Xiuqin looked troubled. She wanted to tell Lady Zhao that this was the Qi family’s business and naturally, they would pay their workers whatever they deed appropriate—doesn’t every family’s business operate this way?
But the problem was, Old Master Qi had said that he treated cousin like his own son or nephew. If that were the case, for the project worth Three Thousand Taels of Silver, entirely reliant on cousin leading the workers, the share given to cousin by the Qi family should not amount to what they would give to their own son or nephew.
Looking at it this way, it was really difficult to persuade auntie. Xiuqin also dared not say that even if cousin started his own endeavor, he probably wouldn’t earn as much as he did working with the Qi family. If she dared to suggest this, auntie, in her anger, might not wait for cousin to leave the Qi family and instead send her back to the countryside first.
What should she do in the future? Thinking about the days she would face upon returning to her own ho, Xiuqin was filled with sorrow.
Lady Zhao did understand the importance of restraint, and had said nothing to Wong Qiao before dinner.
After dinner, as soon as Wong Qiao returned to his room and lit the oil lamp without yet spreading out the drawings, he heard the voice of his mother’s maid, Xiao Cui, from outside the door: "Third Master, madam is here to talk with you, I wonder if it’s convenient for you?"
Upon hearing that his mother had co, Wong Qiao couldn’t help but slightly frown. Ever since his mother saw Ye Zi and the others go to the Pastry House, she had been complaining incessantly, and with the approach of the New Year, the complaints only grew.
He was genuinely puzzled. When he was at ho in the past, the New Year’s preparations were rely about purchasing goods and cleaning the house. Now at his granduncle’s, Nanny Liu and Song Ping took care of the Qi family’s New Year goods, and they still delivered a share to his own family. Cleaning the rooms was manageable with Xiao Cui and his cousin around; it really shouldn’t amount to much fuss, so why did his mother fixate on him taking ti off?
Wasn’t he occupied with pressing work? What harm could there be if he took a break later? In the past, when he worked under the workshop head during the winter, both his mother and he would worry about the lack of work and inco. Now that he was able to work sheltered from the wind and rain, why did it suddenly seem unacceptable?
However, he couldn’t let his mother notice his impatience, so he had to forcibly rub his face and get up to open the door, saying, "Mother has co, please co in quickly."
Lady Zhao entered, indeed seeing that two oil lamps were lit in the room, and paper laid out on the table, she couldn’t help but frown deeply.
Wong Qiao led Lady Zhao to sit on the kang bed and gestured for Xiao Cui to pour so tea from the teapot that was kept warm on the stove. He then sat on the edge of the kang and asked Lady Zhao, "It’s getting late, why aren’t you resting in your room but ca to your son’s place instead? Is there sothing you need?"
Lady Zhao glanced at the desk in the outer room and said, "You know it’s late, it gets dark early these days and you’re still doing these things so late, it’s going to harm your eyes."
Wong Qiao patiently smiled and said, "Haven’t I lit two oil lamps? If you think it’s too dim, I can light another one. This task needs to be rushed out before the New Year, it really can’t be delayed."
After hearing Wong Qiao’s words, Lady Zhao’s expression darkened even more, "Has the Qi family always done things this way in the past few years?"
These words truly weren’t pleasant for others to hear, Wong Qiao’s eyebrows uncontrollably twitched, he sent away the young maid by the door, "You go back first, I will escort mother back to her room in a while."
Watching Xiao Cui leave, Wong Qiao then said, "Mother, what do you an by that? I don’t understand." His tone carried so implicit rebuke.
Lady Zhao felt she was losing control of her emotions, "How can you be so soft-hearted? Your father is already soft enough, and you’re even softer than him. I don’t know about other things but just with the Three Thousand Taels of Silver from this current business, even if you work yourself to death to complete it, how many taels will they give you? Let’s not talk about silver, just look at how busy you are, while they indulge themselves in eating, drinking, and rrint every day, have they ever considered your hardships?"
Wong Qiao, agitated, pinched the bridge of his nose. When had he failed to notice that his mother wouldn’t allow him a mont of peace?
"Mother, you shouldn’t only see others having leisure ti. Everyone in this household has their own responsibilities. Can’t you just stop focusing on others and ensure that we lead good lives ourselves?" Wong Qiao genuinely didn’t know what else to say. No matter how many tis he explained it to his mother, she never seed to listen; she was always fixated on Big Brother Guan. How could he compare to Big Brother Guan? Their work wasn’t even the sa.
At this mont, Lady Zhao was the epito of frustration with his lack of ambition, "How can you be so lackluster? If you were incompetent, it would be one thing, but you’re full of skills now, so why can’t you compare with others? In the Qi family, even the servants live comfortably, only keeping you working ceaselessly day and night..."
"Mother!" Wong Qiao impatiently interrupted Lady Zhao’s words, "You don’t understand the situation at all. The first big project that the Construction Industry took on was the courtyard of Prince Yu’s Other Mansion, and back then when building that courtyard, Ye Zi worked countless tis harder than us, planning the structure and details of the courtyard both day and night. It was following Ye Zi’s ideas that we made a na for ourselves.
Later with the chanical Workshop, it was also Ye Zi who taught us step by step how to draw, how to mark, and how to operate chanisms. Otherwise, do you think, just by being a workshop head at Water Wood Works doing mason or carpenter tasks, I could understand all these skills?"
Lady Zhao glared, listening until Wong Qiao was done, then she asked in a sorrowful voice, "All mother wanted was to cherish your efforts and speak a word of justice for you, and you speak to your mother in this tone?"
Faced with such a question, Wong Qiao felt so dejected he didn’t know what to say, "Mother, it is my fault, don’t be angry. I was just explaining to you that we achieved success in the Construction Industry by working together. If everyone only looked out for themselves, the Construction Industry wouldn’t be where it is today, and I wouldn’t have been able to learn so many skills.
Previously, I was just a slightly talented craftsman, but following my uncle and Ye Zi, I’ve learned the skills I have now. Let alone the one-tenth share Uncle gave , plus the generous wages and expenses, even if it were just the usual wages, I would be willing and grateful for Uncle and Ye Zi’s willingness to wholeheartedly teach the skills."
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