ushernet Chapter 246 Benefactor
Chapter 246 Benefactor
The tense relationship that was initially on the verge of conflict has somehow melted away and eased without anyone noticing.
Qiao Jiye sighed, as if many of the unpleasant things had disappeared after Old Mrs. Qiao died.
When the original Madam Qiao was in charge of the household, she would quarrel frequently, causing resentment and dissatisfaction among the various branches of the family.
He had initially thought that the Qiao family members were all bad people, but now he realized that these younger members were clearly well-educated, kind, and respectable.
Being with them is like a gentle breeze, it's incredibly comfortable.
The Qiao Family Compound now looks serene and elegant, having lost its former vulgarity and extravagance, and appears quite classy.
This transformation actually took decades.
His eyes welled up with tears. He had just passed by and seen that his yard was full of crabapple and plum blossoms, which looked absolutely beautiful from afar.
Previously, when he returned to the Qiao family to see Old Madam Qiao, he had also glimpsed her courtyard briefly, which was desolate and overgrown with weeds.
These siblings are so thoughtful.
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and said,
"Oh dear, the sand and dust have gotten into my eyes, really."
Qiao Qingshu smiled slowly and spoke.
"Third Uncle, why don't you move back in? Your brother has already tidied up your yard."
Qiao Jiye was taken aback, as were Qiu Shi, Chang Yin, and little Qiao Xiaomei.
The little girl said innocently,
“But my father has severed ties with your Qiao family, so he can’t stay at your house.”
Qiao Qingshu touched her pigtails and said,
“Your father severed ties with Qiao Jizhou, not with us. We’re still family.”
The housing prices in the capital are very expensive. Although Qiao Jiye can afford to buy a house, they are all located in remote areas with small courtyards, and the prices are ridiculously high.
He couldn't bring himself to buy it, always feeling it wasn't worth it, so he's been renting a place to live these days. It's not very convenient for him to eat and stay, and his family is living a very simple life.
He's currently planning to grit his teeth and buy a house. He was looking at houses just two days ago, and now Qiao Qingshu is telling them to move back.
He couldn't help but be moved, but he also had concerns. If he moved into the Qiao family's house, he would inevitably feel like he was living under someone else's roof.
Although it was his old courtyard, he was not the current owner of the Qiao family. If any discord arose in the future, his family would likely suffer.
Just as she was hesitating to refuse, Qiao Qingshu, who had already anticipated this, smiled and said...
"Uncle, why don't you go and take a look at your courtyard? It's not connected to the main courtyard here. Your courtyard is a separate house with its own gate. You make all the decisions about your courtyard yourself. You even have to buy the maids and servants yourself, or bring them from your hometown. In short, you are in charge, and we won't interfere in the slightest."
Hearing her say that, Qiao Jiye was somewhat surprised, and even his wife Chang Yin became a little excited. If that were the case, it would really be great.
Chang Yin tugged at Qiao Jiye's arm and laughed.
"Sir, why don't we go and take a look first?"
"Yes, Uncle, don't refuse yet, let's go and take a look first."
Qiao Qingshu smiled and led the way, and everyone followed.
How familiar this courtyard is!
As soon as Qiu stepped inside, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She was born into poverty. One day, while washing clothes by a stream, she caught the eye of Old Master Qiao, who was traveling south, and was taken back to the Qiao family in the capital as a concubine.
Qiu was from Jiangnan and loved crabapple and plum blossoms the most, so she planted many in her yard. However, Old Madam Qiao complained that they were an eyesore and said that she was petty. So she pulled up all the crabapple and plum blossoms in her yard and planted apricot trees that Old Madam Qiao loved instead.
When the apricots ripened, Qiao Jiye had grown into a lively little boy. He mischievously climbed to pick and eat the apricots, but was startled by a sharp shout from Old Madam Qiao, who was passing by. Startled, Qiao Jiye tumbled down from the height and remained unconscious for several days. The first thing he did upon waking was to be scolded and reprimanded by Old Madam Qiao, while his mother, Qiu, could only kneel beside him, holding his head and begging Old Madam Qiao to stop blaming him…
The past events were still vivid in his mind. His life with his mother, Qiu, in the Qiao family was full of grievances and resentment. This was why he left with his mother without any regrets.
Qiao Jiye walked around the courtyard, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.
"Qingshu, why did you designate such a large piece of land?"
Not only Qiao Jiye's original courtyard, but Qiao Qingshu also included the original Fushou Hall of Old Madam Qiao and the courtyard of her third sister Qiao Qingle. Fushou Hall and Qingle's house were razed and rebuilt, making the entire courtyard three to five times larger than before!
They even set aside a small garden for them; the yard is spacious and grand, almost enough for three families to live in.
Qiao Qingshu smiled and took out the land deed from her bosom.
"My third uncle gave me so many rare treasures, I have nothing to repay you with, so I will give you this mansion instead."
Qiao Jiye looked incredulous. He had thought it was just a temporary stay, but he never expected that Qiao Qingshu would give him the land deed.
Chang Yin was also somewhat moved, and Qiu Shi was even more moved to tears.
Qiao Qingshu stepped forward and took Qiu's arm, saying,
"Grandma, are you satisfied?"
Qiu Shi wiped away her tears and said,
"What merit do I have to deserve this?"
Qiao Qingshu patted her hand and said,
“Grandma, the old master always loved you very much. If you hadn’t been seriously ill and bedridden, and my grandmother had taken over the family business, you wouldn’t have been bullied like this. Now, thankfully, your suffering has come to an end. That wicked woman is dead in prison, and you can return to the Qiao family to enjoy happiness. Isn’t this the cycle of cause and effect, and the reward for good and evil?”
Years of grievances finally vanished at this moment, and Qiu couldn't help but burst into tears. She suddenly knelt down on the ground, kowtowing and crying in the direction of the old master's former courtyard.
"My lord, I'm back. I can finally be by your side again."
Chang Yin rushed forward to help her mother, and Qiao Xiaomei also stepped forward to support her grandmother, both offering words of comfort.
At that time, Old Master Qiao had already passed away, and Qiu Shi had no more worries. She left the Qiao family with her son without hesitation, but she made a memorial tablet for the old master and worshipped it every day. She also told Qiao Jiye not to forget his roots, and she never said a bad word about the Qiao family.
Good or bad depends entirely on people's hearts.
Chang Yin looked at Qiao Qingshu, her eyes also filled with tears. She had originally been full of hostility towards the Qiao family.
But today her perspective changed. She held Qiao Qingshu's hand and tears streamed down her face.
After such a thorough explanation, everyone finally stopped crying.
After settling everyone in, Qiao Qingshu left the Qiao family.
He then took two maids with him to Lingying Temple, which was located in the far suburbs.
My uncle, Qiao Jishen, became a monk here.
After her uncle became a monk, she had visited him in the past few years, but he no longer called her Shu'er, but instead called her Benefactor.