Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 374 Farewell

"Is your admiration any different from that of others?"

“There is no difference whatsoever.” Qiao Rong had also repeatedly questioned her own feelings when she tossed and turned at night, wondering how much of her girlish infatuation was due to Zhou Yu himself, and how much came from the imagination brought about by the name of “Zhou Lang” that others spoke of, which she had to look up to.

A hero has his own integrity, but behind that integrity lies not necessarily a perfect and happy life.

The reason, Qiao Rong believed, was no different from the admiration of others. He was attracted by Zhou Yu's heroic and dashing appearance, but ultimately succumbed to his romantic and amorous nature.

Zhou Yu did not understand.

"To this day, I still don't understand what I did wrong to lose you like this."

Such an intelligent and open-minded person as him has trapped himself in this matter alone.

No matter how many times he pondered it, how many nights he dreamed of rewinding to the past, he felt as if he were facing a dead end, like a chessboard with no way out.

Whether moving the white or black pieces, they ultimately could not escape the predicament of being surrounded on all sides.

“It’s not about right or wrong.” Qiao Rong noticed that her voice was choked with emotion. She paused for a few moments before lowering her voice to say, “How can the life of two people be explained by right and wrong? If we have to say something, it’s probably just ‘incompatibility’.”

Although Qiao Rong was beautiful from a young age, she was never raised as a future high-ranking lady because of her family's decline. She learned tea-making and incense-burning, which seemed like elegant skills for high-ranking ladies, but no one ever taught her how to manage a household or how to socialize effectively among women of noble families.

To put it bluntly, Qiao's mother had limited background and experience. Even though she did her best to raise her two daughters, these skills might have been useful in a family with a lower social standing.

However, when faced with a truly prestigious family like the Zhou family, she couldn't use her maternal family's influence to form a mutual alliance, and she couldn't suppress the responsibilities of a matriarch with her gentle nature and lack of decisive and ruthless methods.

Gu Lingchen alone was enough to keep her in check in the Zhou family, and Zhou Yu couldn't always look after her. She almost lost her life during childbirth.

"Madam Gu has passed away, and the position of matriarch of the Zhou family remains vacant. I have no intention of remarrying... If you feel this responsibility is too heavy, you may bring Xun'er with you to Wan..."

"Does the general not understand? Since you have the title of mistress, you cannot shirk your responsibilities. Your future is as bright as a brocade, with each step leading to a higher one. When you reach the pinnacle, who knows what magnificent sights await you?"

"I am no longer worthy of the General, and my heart remains proud; I am unwilling to be a concubine. This situation has truly brought disaster upon myself. The General is wise and discerning; he naturally understands that things should end here for a satisfactory conclusion."

He was like the wind sweeping across the wheat fields in her life, bringing the sweet rain of spring to irrigate the wheat seedlings, making them turn from green to golden, and also bending the wheat stalks to the ground, breaking and knocking many grains of wheat to the soil.

But eventually the wind will also go away, intersecting with other fields in the long river of time, never to return, bringing either life or disaster—it's all nature.

The wheat left in the field will continue to grow until it yields a harvest that feeds the entire family.

Just as the gentle and mild-mannered Qiao Rong is not useless because she cannot become the matriarch of the Zhou family, she has a soft nature and a compassionate heart. She is talented and loves to study medicine, making her most suitable for practicing medicine and saving lives. In retrospect, she is also a heroine who protects the people and helps them fight diseases and disasters.

This world is not only the world of men, the world of feudal lords and heroes, but also the world of women, ordinary people, and people from all walks of life.

"Perfection?" The word lingered on his lips, concealing a deep sense of helplessness and regret. "What perfection is there in this world? I'm just an ordinary person, how can I escape the laws of birth, aging, sickness, and death? As long as you're willing to come back, I will..."

"General, as you yourself have said, no one can escape the law of birth, aging, sickness, and death. How can you still be so confident that you can rely on me and have nothing to worry about?"

As a doctor, I have witnessed countless deaths and come to understand the impermanence of life and death. A loving couple who were together the night before can be separated by death in the blink of an eye. Neighbors and friends who were laughing and greeting each other yesterday can be gone overnight, leaving behind orphans and widows to be bullied by others.

It is evident that one cannot rely on others in life, whether it be fathers, brothers, husbands, or children. Only when one can stand on one's own two feet and have the support of a good partner can one live a peaceful and carefree life.

Zhou Yu was speechless at her questioning. Many words were stuck in his throat, like fish bones stuck there. He couldn't swallow them or swallow them, and it even made him feel a sharp pain.

As the two were facing off, Xu Yaoniang walked out from the corridor and said, "This servant greets General Zhou."

Zhou Xun lived in the mansion, and Xu Yaoniang handled everything, big and small. Zhou Yu was willing to give her some face, so he nodded in return, "Why did you come out in person, Aunt Xu?"

"The wind and snow were heavy outside, and the young master was getting anxious waiting inside. When the young lady saw that the young lady hadn't come yet, she sent a servant out to check, but what was the reason that she was tripped up?"

Zhou Yu understood Qiao Wei's meaning perfectly. "I met the young lady on the way and exchanged a few words with her. Madam, there's no need to worry."

Xu Yaoniang chuckled and smoothed things over, saying, "The general is always humble and courteous, so my wife has no worries. She just feels that the winter chill is biting and it's easy to get cold standing outside."

As he spoke, he took two hand warmers from the maid behind him, handing one to Qiao Rong and the other to Zhou Yu.

"Young lady and general, please warm your hands."

Now that things have come to this point, it would be inappropriate to insist on keeping them any longer.

"It's getting late, I'll leave now and come back to keep Xun'er company another day."

Although both of Zhou Yu's sons were raised in the Sun family, he mostly accompanied Zhou Xun when Zhou Yu came, showing little concern for Zhou Yin.

It's unclear whether it was because of Qiao Rong that she favored her eldest son more, or whether she was deliberately showing it to Qiao Wei so that Qiao Wei could feel at ease.

This shows that even with Zhou Yin as their second son, Zhou Yu and the Zhou family still valued Zhou Xun the most and would allocate all resources to him as their eldest son.

Even without Qiao Rong as the marriage alliance, this child carrying the blood of the Qiao family would tightly bind the Qiao, Sun, and Zhou families together.

“General,” Qiao Rong suddenly spoke up.

Zhou Yu stopped in his tracks and quickly turned around.

"I heard that there's some friction between the general and my elder sister, and my elder sister..."

"You're worried about her?" Zhou Yu chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Lady Qiao's ability to manipulate people is far more sophisticated than you think."

You should be worried about me. She's using you as bait to make me willingly work for her.

Qiao Rong shook her head firmly, "My sister is not that kind of person, General, you have misunderstood her."

Zhou Yu snorted coldly, and in the end, without saying a word, he turned and left without lingering for even a moment.