Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Brothers in Misfortune
"What is it that Mr. Qin speaks of?"
"Xiao Luzi... Xiao Luzi is actually my biological brother."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanyi was also taken aback.
The two seemed like they were from different generations. She had always thought Mr. Qin treated Xiao Luzi like a godson, never expecting such a revelation!
Her intuition told her that there was a secret behind this.
As expected, Mr. Qin began speaking of the past.
"My family has always been very poor. My father’s health wasn’t good, so it was always my mother doing odd jobs outside to support the family. But the year my brother was born, my father’s condition worsened, so there was no choice. To have money for his treatment, I voluntarily sold myself into servitude, hoping he could recover."
"I thought I would be sent to serve a large, affluent household, but through a twist of fate, I was sent to the palace. After receiving that cut, I lost all hope."
"Fearing my parents would be heartbroken, I severed all contact. I thought I would never have any ties with my family outside the palace again, but who would have thought..."
As he mentioned this, Mr. Qin gritted his teeth.
Lin Wanyi also furrowed her brow at his words.
What kind of situation would cause an entire family to send their offspring to the palace without care?
She couldn’t understand.
"Who would have thought that among the new little eunuchs, I would discover Xiao Luzi. He was only six years old when he was sent in, just six! Like me, he would have no hope for the rest of his life!"
As he spoke, the usually composed Mr. Qin couldn’t help but be flooded with tears.
He couldn’t understand why his brother had to endure the same hardships he had already suffered.
Were they brought into this world by their parents, only to become servants and slaves?
"Mr. Qin..."
Lin Wanyi looked worriedly at Qin An, aware that showing sorrow before her was inappropriate.
Wiping his tears, he then spoke.
"Please do not mind, my Lady, for I have indeed... lost my composure."
"It’s good to vent a little when the heart is heavy, Mr. Qin."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanyi continued to comfort him.
"Xiao Luzi’s situation is very unfortunate, but as long as he’s in my palace, I’ll keep him safe from all the chaos outside."
All Lin Wanyi could do was this much.
Even if Xiao Luzi wasn’t Qin An’s brother, but merely a rootless little eunuch.
As long as he remained loyal to her, she would protect them.
Such was the case for all the palace attendants in Ruiyang Pavilion.
Qin An looked gratefully at Lin Wanyi, which was why he had sent Xiao Luzi here.
He had struggled in the palace for so many years and had seen all manners of situations.
It was easy to discern who was sincere and who was deceitful.
Thus, he had chosen to place his trust in Lin Wanyi from the very beginning, and time proved that his decision was not wrong.
After solemnly kowtowing, he spoke again, this time laced with hatred.
"I thank my Lady for your kindness, but as long as I haven’t avenged my brother and father, I cannot find peace. Therefore, I beg for your grace, my Lady. Once everything is settled, I will be your sharpest sword, ready to go through fire and water!"
His words carried such gravity that even Lin Wanyi was unsure of the deep-seated hatred he harbored.
After a moment, clarity returned to her eyes.
"Are you planning to exact revenge on the one who sold Xiao Luzi into the palace?"
"Yes!"
"Who is it?"
"It is none other than my father’s second wife, Miss Cai!"
A second wife?
What about Qin An and Xiao Luzi’s mother?
Was she deceased?
It seemed Lin Wanyi’s confusion was evident, prompting Qin An to patiently explain.
"After my brother entered the palace, I searched for news of my family. It took more than half a year to find out that, two years after I entered the palace, my mother passed away due to overwork. This left only my bedridden father and brother, getting by with the three little rooms in our house and the small savings left by my mother."
"And half a year after my mother’s death, Miss Cai, fleeing from trouble elsewhere, set her sights on my father. She was a widow with a son and daughter, struggling to find a place to settle down. She pretended to be kind and took care of my father and brother daily, which is how they were allowed into the family home."
Realizing this, Lin Wanyi nodded, understanding the gist of it.
But she didn’t interrupt, letting Qin An continue.
"Who would have thought that once that Miss Cai was through the door, she would show her true colors? When she found out my mother’s savings were nearly depleted, she schemed to sell my brother for money to support her children."
"I had someone investigate! That vile woman initially intended to sell my brother... to Nanfeng House, simply because it would fetch a higher price!"
Nanfeng House!
Lin Wanyi was shocked!
Yet, thinking about it, Xiao Luzi did have a delicate appearance, fair with red lips.
If he had really entered Nanfeng House, the madam there would surely have viewed him as a goldmine!
Fate could be utterly cruel.
Xiao Luzi was destined for hardship, dodging Nanfeng House only to end up in the palace.
At this moment, Lin Wanyi couldn’t decide if it was better for him to have ended up in Nanfeng House or the palace.
She sighed deeply in sorrow for his plight.
Seeing Lin Wanyi feeling sorry for Xiao Luzi, Qin An comforted her.
"It’s all in the past; please do not grieve for our lives of little worth. Though life in the palace is tough, meeting a kind master like you is Xiao Luzi’s luck."
Otherwise, had he met someone harsh and abusive, Xiao Luzi’s life would have been miserable.
Heaven is truly blind.
A fine family reduced to such a plight by suffering.
Yet that Miss Cai now occupies the Qin family house with her children. How undeserving she is!
As anger flared again in his eyes, he spoke hurriedly.
"The money from selling my brother was spent on good food and drink for her and her kids for a few years! Initially, she still cared about how neighbors watched over my father, but later on, she washed her hands of him. Having been a widow once, she didn’t care about being one again, treating my father less than human, letting him fend for himself!"
"Shameful as this is to admit, though I have some standing in the palace, the strict rules here prevent me from maintaining much contact with the outside. If Xiao Luzi’s past were exposed, foes might cause him trouble."
"Thus, these past years, I’ve had to occasionally send food to our old neighbors, begging them to keep an eye out."
"But despite this, my father still met his end."
As he spoke, Qin An’s grief surfaced again.
He had left home before he was ten, and the father he remembered was always bedridden.