164 The Qiao Family’s Genes
Qiao Jing was a good listener. He did not interrupt Qiao Yue while she was speaking, but neither did he make it seem she was talking to thin air.
By the time Qiao Yue finished, it was already evening. One of the family’s butlers knocked on the door, informing them that dinner was ready. He invited them downstairs for dinner in the dining room.
The Old Master had returned earlier that day, so the whole family was present. When Qiao Yue and Qiao Jing made their way downstairs, they heard the head butler relating news of the Qiao brothers to the Old Master.
The Old Master had three sons. They were named Qiao Ren, Qiao Yi, and Qiao Li. The one who had caused a commotion in the ward was the Old Master’s second son, Qiao Yi. One would expect sons of the Old Master to be wise and virtuous under his strict upbringing, yet, for all the good he tried to instill in them, they all turned wayward.
Qiao Ren should have been an honest and simple man, judging by the name he was given. Instead, he continually accrued romantic debts wherever he went. His marriage with the First Madam was strictly business-related, and only the first two years of their marriage showed any promise. After Qiao Xuan and Qiao Jing, Qiao Ren indulged in debauchery, failing to fulfill his duties as a father.
It was not that the Old Master did not care about what his eldest son was doing; rather, that rascal had fled so quickly that there was nothing he could do to discipline him.
The Old Master’s second son, Qiao Yi, was so focused on his business because he did not want to be outdone by his highly capable wife. Qiao Yi’s wife rose to his challenge and followed him wherever he went, leaving her two children at home without anyone to care for them.
Meanwhile, Qiao Li, the vice president of the Qiao family’s enterprise locally, had not returned to the country in a few months because of pressing business overseas. While Qiao Li was not as rebellious or strong-willed as his two older brothers, he was… mediocre. He did not excel in any field, which often made the Old Master sigh in disappointment.
Perhaps it was due to these three lacking sons that the Old Master liked Qiao Yue’s mother, Qiao Qing, best.
The Qiao family’s genes were strange in that way. While all three of the Old Master’s sons were disasters of different scales, his grandchildren were each more capable than the last. There were times the Old Master wondered if it was precisely these absent parents that the children of his first and second sons were so sensible.
Qiao Yue glanced at Qiao Ze and Qiao Yu, who were looking at their phones. Qiao Yue could scarcely believe that Qiao Ze and Qiao Yu were Qiao Yi’s sons.
Now a middle-aged man, Qiao Yue’s uncle, Qiao Yi, had dined on the excesses of women and alcohol and was largely out of shape. Although Qiao Ze and Qiao Yu were not what could be described as normal, they were still somewhat reliable and did not seem to be heading in the same direction as their father.
The head butler informed the Old Master that Qiao Ren would be back in three days, while Qiao Yi and Qiao Li would arrive tomorrow.
The old man waved his hand uncaringly. He had long grown numb to the constant disappointment that was his three sons. If it were not for his capable grandsons supporting the Qiao family, he would not know who to pass on the mantle to in his old age.
Parents of other children treated their sons and daughters as treasures, and their children reciprocated as a gesture of filial piety.
Because of what the Old Master’s sons and their wives had done, his four grandchildren treated their parents with indifference. Even though the Old Master did his best to fill the gap, it would never be enough to fill the hole they had left in his beloved grandchildren’s lives.
Having given his report to the Old Master, the head butler instructed the other attendants to serve dinner. The First Madam, Third Madam, Qiao Xin, and Qiao Ying sat on the Old Master’s right, while Qiao Xuan, Qiao Yue, and the others sat to his left.
Qiao Xuan would usually sit next to the Old Master. However, the old man had specifically asked Qiao Yue to sit beside him, so Qiao Xuan acquiesced and sat further away.
While it was just a family dinner, that fact did not mean much in Qiao Xin’s eyes.
She glared at Qiao Yue as if trying to flay her skin via force of will alone. It wasn’t until someone nudged her arm that she reluctantly looked away.
The mixed feelings of everyone at the table were clear. The Old Master would chat with Qiao Yue only to be interrupted every so often by Qiao Ze. Qiao Xuan and Qiao Jing listened to the stilted conversations quietly. On the other hand, Qiao Yu remained conspicuously quiet throughout the meal.
Qiao Yue had her fill of food while Qiao Xin stewed in anger.
Qiao Xin could not understand why everyone seemed to like Qiao Yue. Even her grandfather was enamored! Why was her grandfather still so focused on her aunt, who had stolen and eloped from the family?
