Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

"It was indeed the second young master who started the fire."

"He also tried to steal things from the lady."

"Like father, like son."

"What kind of mother raises what kind of son."

The servants were buzzing with gossip, and Aunt Feng was stunned: "My son, weren't you in Poyang?"

Qian Xuehai returned from Poyang a few days ago and had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for the young mistress and her unborn child to die. Unexpectedly, a miracle doctor appeared and saved the young mistress, who then gave birth to twins.

Qian Xuehai had no choice but to set the house on fire, hoping to burn the young mistress and children to death. If they didn't die, he would take advantage of the chaos to steal the land deeds and treasures of the Qian family and frame Madam Qian.

With Madam Qian collapsed, the eldest son unconscious, and his grandchildren still young, the Qian family mansion naturally belonged to him. Unexpectedly, Xu Chengyao locked him in a dark room, preventing him from escaping.

Qian Xuehai lay on the ground, looking up at Qian Xuelin: "Brother, you're better than me at everything except studying. Business, accounting, horseback riding, hunting, martial arts... you're no good at any of them. I've always been unconvinced by you."

But you were born a young master, and it was only natural for you to inherit the Qian family fortune. You have a first wife to back you up, and your wife is gentle and virtuous. The servants outwardly obey me, but in their hearts they respect you.”

Qian Xuelin's eyes were bloodshot as he pointed at Luo An and Xu Chengyao: "You were a living dead, your wife should have died in childbirth, and you should have had no children. But these two... appeared out of nowhere and changed everything."

Fate, everything is fate. Brother, I'm convinced now. I'm not convinced by you, I'm convinced by fate. Remember, it's because your fate is better than mine, not because you're more capable or stronger than me..."

Qian Xuelin first helped Qian Xuehai up, then picked up Aunt Feng's coat from the ground and put it on her. He then said to Butler Tu, "It's getting late. You should take Aunt Feng and the Second Young Master to rest. Everyone else can leave."

Steward Tu and the servants were used to Qian Xuelin's way of doing things, so they silently led Aunt Feng and Qian Xuehai away. The gatekeeper kowtowed three times to Qian Xuelin, picked up the clothes on the ground, and scrambled away as well.

Xu Chengyao glared at Qian Xuelin: "You...you just let them go like that?"

Xu Chengyao went to great lengths, running all over the Qian family mansion catching thieves and adulterers, and became known as the wicked child in Aunt Feng's eyes. Qian Xuelin, on the other hand, got himself the role of a living saint.

Qian Xuelin said slowly, "A gentleman's capacity is boundless, his heart can embrace a hundred rivers. There's no need for a family to make things so awkward."

Xu Chengyao said, "He's still a bookworm."

Qian Xuelin seemed oblivious to Xu Chengyao's sarcasm: "I took the preliminary examination and passed the county-level examination. Later, I went to Yuelu Academy to study in preparation for the provincial examination without telling my mother. A month ago, I rushed home to be with my wife because she was pregnant and about to give birth."

Mrs. Qian said that he fell off a cliff on his way home a month ago and has been unconscious ever since.

Xu Chengyao asked, "How did you fall off the cliff?"

Qian Xuelin was optimistic: "When we encountered bandits robbing us, our horse was frightened and ran off a cliff. Fortunately, our ancestors protected us, and we survived the disaster. We are sure to have good fortune in the future."

Xu Chengyao hinted, "Does that bandit... look like the Second Young Master?"

Qian Xuelin shook his head: "They were all wearing masks, so their faces were not visible."

Xu Chengyao paused for a moment, then said bluntly, "If you can't distinguish right from wrong like this, you'll only bring trouble to the region if you pass the imperial examination and become an official in the future."

Qian Xuelin said earnestly, "Young master, you are mistaken. There are only three things to be an official: integrity, prudence, and diligence, with integrity being the most important. However, even an honest official finds it difficult to settle family disputes."

Family life is inherently messy; if you scold me today, I'll talk back tomorrow. Over time, it accumulates like grains of sand forming a tower, and resentment builds up in our hearts.

Everyone claims to have grievances, as if it were a momentous matter, but the root cause is nothing more than trivialities. If one is relentless in pursuing these issues, how can a family function as a family?

Xu Chengyao was almost convinced by him and couldn't help but argue, "Aunt Feng had an affair with the gatekeeper, set fire to your wife and children, and tried to frame the old lady. Besides, if the bandits were actually the second young master in disguise, these are all trivial matters, and they are not forgivable?"

A sage said: "Repay evil with good. What will you repay good with? Repay evil with justice, and repay good with good." What kind of book did you study at Yuelu Academy?

Qian Xuelin wasn't angry. He shook his head and said, "Young master, you only told me the result. Of course, it's not forgivable to only hear the result. But things have a cause, a process, and then a result."

I have never liked doing business; the sight of account books gives me a headache. My mother forced me to take over, saying that we couldn't let Aunt Feng and my second brother benefit from it.

After I took over, the business declined day by day and even fell into a loss. In addition, I had to study and didn't have time, so I privately entrusted the business to my second brother.

My second brother changed several managers in succession, as well as others. I'm not entirely sure how they were handled, but in the end, the business turned a profit.

The replaced managers ran to my mother crying and complaining, saying bad things about my second brother and Aunt Feng, saying that they were trying to take control of the Qian family's business and sideline us, etc.

My mother not only replaced the shopkeepers with others, but also sent my second brother to look after other small shops. During this time, Aunt Feng and my mother had many arguments, so…”

Xu Chengyao said "Oh," nodded slightly, and said in a gentler tone, "That doesn't mean he would murder for money."

Qian Xuelin continued, "As for Aunt Feng and the gatekeeper, it was actually my mother who initially instructed the gatekeeper to seduce Aunt Feng."

The sage said, "Food and sex are human nature." It's a fact that my father is old and in poor health, and my aunts are young. Expecting them all to live as widows is against the natural order and human nature.

Xu Chengyao turned to look at Madam Qian in shock. Madam Qian sat quietly on the soft couch, seemingly having been awake for an unknown period of time.

Qian Xuelin said, "It is indeed wrong for Aunt Feng and my second brother to murder for money, but my mother and I are not without fault either."

Xu Chengyao asked curiously, "What wrong have you done?"

Qian Xuelin said, "I knew perfectly well that my second brother was more suitable to manage the business than I was, but I did not argue with my mother about it."

I secretly went to the academy to study and privately entrusted the business to my second brother, which led my mother to misunderstand that Aunt Feng and my second brother wanted to seize power...

Qian Xuelin walked to the soft couch and said to Madam Qian, "It is indeed not good to be sneaky in one's conduct and actions; being open, honest, and upright is the right way."

"Mom, let's just let this go. Consider it a good deed for the child, okay?"

Madam Qian choked up and said, "Xuelin, actually, I regretted it a long time ago. Now, all I want is for you to be well, for Qingqing to be well, and for my grandson to be well. That's all I need."

Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Chengyao got down to business: "Young Master Qian, your wife and children were saved by my master, the great doctor."

Qian Xuelin nodded: "I know. I heard my wife screaming in pain during childbirth, but I couldn't open my eyes."

Later, when the baby cried and everyone called for twins, I could open my eyes, but I couldn't move or make a sound.

Then the house caught fire, and I struggled to get off the bed, crawled out the back door, fell into a ditch, and then crawled back across the fire.

Qian Xuelin knelt down before Luo An and kowtowed three times earnestly: "Dr. Xu, you are the savior of my Qian family and the second parent of my child."

From this day forward, you are also my half-brother. The ancestors of the Qian family will bless you, and I, Qian Xuelin, will go through fire and water for you, even unto death.