Free Web NovelChapter 661: Chapter 659: To Spoil a Child Is to Kill a Child
Grandpa Gu was so agitated his voice trembled. "Before your sister passed, she was always worried about you. She grabbed my hand and made me promise I would find you."
"It’s all my fault. I’ve failed the Ye family ancestors, and even more, I’ve failed my sister." Ye Qingzhou’s eyes filled with tears.
"Grandpa, Granduncle, let’s eat," Su Shuochi said, noticing the children staring eagerly at the food on the table.
"Yes, let’s eat first."
Ye Qingzhou’s eyes lit up at the sight of the delicious food. He didn’t say a word, just buried his head in his bowl and ate ravenously. Grandpa Gu wasn’t very hungry, so he kept putting more food on his plate.
Su Shuochi was busy serving his wife and children, occasionally asking his son and daughter if there were any dishes they particularly liked.
The children were all very curious about this granduncle and why he had fallen into such a wretched state.
After Ye Qingzhou had eaten and drunk his fill, Su Shuochi took out the replica Jade Pendant he had made and returned it to him. "Granduncle, this is the Jade Pendant you gave me back then."
"Ai! Actually, this Jade Pendant was a gift from my mother to my fifth sister. I’m the one who stole it."
Ye Qingzhou paused for a moment, then slowly began to recount his story. The Ye family was a renowned family of physicians.
During the height of the Daqing dynasty, an ancestor of the Ye family had served as the head of the Imperial Hospital, and most of the Ye Family’s descendants also studied medicine.
After the fall of the Daqing, the Ye family was not greatly affected. After all, the members of the Ye Family made their living through their medical skills.
Whether rich or poor, people still needed to see a doctor when they fell ill, so the Ye family lived quite comfortably on their medical practice.
Ye Qingzhou was from the direct line of the Ye family. He had five older sisters, so from the moment he was born, he was utterly spoiled and doted upon.
He was not only spoiled by his mother but also indulged to no end by his five sisters. As the old saying goes, spoiling a son is as good as killing him.
Forget about studying medicine, he found even learning to read to be a chore. He spent his days throwing tantrums and learned absolutely nothing.
In contrast, his cousins from the collateral branches of the Ye family were all hardworking. With others to hold up the family name, the burden of continuing the family’s legacy never fell on Ye Qingzhou’s shoulders.
As he grew up, he had no skills to speak of, spending all his time on frivolous and romantic pursuits.
At eighteen, his parents arranged a marriage for him with the eldest daughter of the Li family.
This was because the Li family’s eldest daughter was conventional and had been bound by traditional customs since childhood, even being forced to have her feet bound.
She was also a clever and skillful girl. The Ye parents knew their son was a good-for-nothing, so they wanted to find a virtuous and capable daughter-in-law for him.
She heard that her father had already arranged a marriage for her—a good match that was supposed to be the ultimate happiness of her life.
Her father told her the young man’s name was Ye Qingzhou. Although he himself was a bit unremarkable, his family background was extraordinary.
The Li family’s eldest daughter’s heart filled with anticipation and curiosity. She was full of wonder about her future husband, having no idea what kind of person he was.
The two families arranged a meeting. The moment the Li family’s eldest daughter laid eyes on Ye Qingzhou, she was captivated by his handsome features.
Ye Qingzhou’s speech and mannerisms were a pleasant surprise to her; despite his extraordinary family background, he was approachable and easygoing.
His temperament and appearance perfectly matched the image of the ideal husband she had in her mind.
But Ye Qingzhou was not only a good-for-nothing, he was also a womanizer—a typical wastrel of that era.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of remaining a bachelor if he disobeyed his parents; rather, he too was captivated by the Li family’s eldest daughter’s beautiful and gentle appearance, so he quickly agreed to the marriage.
Wenwen and Xuanxuan couldn’t stop rolling their eyes as they listened to this part of the story. But they were also curious as to how their granduncle ultimately ended up on the streets.
So they didn’t interrupt, just kept shelling melon seeds for their little sister while they listened, little knowing that the real bombshell was yet to come.
After the Li family’s eldest daughter married Ye Qingzhou, she hoped to become his ideal wife.
But reality forced her to face the heavy burden of housework and raising a child. Day after day, her beauty was gradually worn away by exhaustion and the hardships of life.
They had a son a year after their marriage. However, Ye Qingzhou did not become any more responsible just because he was a father.
Instead, he caroused with other wastrels even more, often staying out all night.
Meanwhile, the Li family’s younger daughter, being intelligent and eager to learn, was given a different kind of education. She refused to have her feet bound, and the Li family did not force her.
From a young age, she was able to pursue knowledge, learning to read and write with a private tutor, and thus escaped the tradition of foot-binding.
She yearned for knowledge, displaying a remarkable memory and intellect. As time went on, she not only acquired a wealth of information but also developed the ability to think independently.
Her passion for and grasp of modern education earned her a place in the new society.
As her knowledge grew, the Li family’s younger daughter also developed a passion for fashion.
She began to pursue unconventional clothing and hairstyles, showcasing her unique taste.
She was at the forefront of the era, exploring new trends and expressing her individuality.
After Ye Qingzhou met his sister-in-law, his attitude toward his wife grew even colder.
Although he was a wastrel, his ideal woman was a partner who could walk alongside him in pursuit of their dreams.
But his wife, trapped in the drudgery of household chores, had become a stranger in his eyes.
For three years, he remained completely oblivious to his wife’s sacrifices. Her life was nothing but monotonous, busy days, one after another.
Only the joy her son brought her gave her moments of warmth, but Ye Qingzhou’s gaze remained cold and dismissive.
The two Li sisters had been close since childhood. Though their personalities were vastly different, their sisterly bond was unbreakable.
The Li sisters had lost their mother when they were young, and the elder sister had become the younger one’s most important pillar of support.
One summer, the younger Li sister decided on a whim to go stay at her elder sister’s house for a few days.
Ye Qingzhou had already harbored an unconcealable admiration for his sister-in-law. When he saw her in his home, indescribable emotions immediately welled up inside him.
The younger Li sister was also deeply impressed by this brother-in-law she had never met before, because he was exceptionally handsome.
Although Ye Qingzhou had no interest in medicine, he was a gifted talker—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to deceive even Su Shuochi.
This very first meeting ignited a spark of love between them, simply because the younger Li sister was so forward-thinking.
And for an "accomplished" wastrel like Ye Qingzhou, falling for his sister-in-law was hardly surprising.
However, their affair quickly became the focus of the elders in both families.
The Li family’s father, in particular, was filled with righteous indignation and vowed to disown his younger daughter.
So, Ye Qingzhou simply ran away with his sister-in-law, taking a great deal of the family’s money and valuables with him. That Jade Pendant was among the assets he stole.
He knew that the Jade Pendant was a Ye family heirloom that his mother had intended to give to her youngest daughter—his fifth sister.
When Ye Qingzhou’s father heard the news, he was furious. Already in poor health, the sudden shock worsened his condition, and he passed away not long after.
The Ye family thus fell into the hands of Ye Qingzhou’s second uncle. His uncle was a poor manager, and soon after, the entire family was ruined.
After his sister-in-law had spent most of his money, she took what little was left and disappeared.
Ye Qingzhou was left with nothing, and he had no skills to earn a living...
"Tsk, tsk... We have to learn skills and make money. Granduncle had such a good family background, but without any skills, he’s going to spend the rest of his life begging," Wenwen said seriously to Xuanxuan.
