The meaning was all too clear: to be a child of the main branch, one had to be wholeheartedly devoted to it. Anyone with divided loyalties would not be tolerated.
Though her words were not spoken loudly, Qiao Shanjian detected a clear threat.
He lowered his head and was silent for a moment, then looked at Feng Jinyao with clear eyes.
"Third Miss, rest assured. If I make up my mind, even if Bai Sanlang himself were to beg me on his knees, it would be useless."
This was not an empty promise. In his previous life, he had been resolute and unyielding, quite like his maternal grandfather.
"In that case, we shall await your good news."
After the Feng siblings departed, Qiao Shanjian picked up the jade pendant and rubbed it ceaselessly, pondering their words.
The Qiao couple, who had previously kept their distance to avoid suspicion, entered and their eyes lit up with joy upon seeing the jade pendant on the table.
"Young Master, were these young master and lady sent by the master of the house?"
They had not forgotten that Madam Shen had said the jade pendant was only for temporary use and would be returned later. Indeed, she kept her word.
It seemed the matter of the young master acknowledging his ancestors was not far off.
"No."
"Then how did they come to possess the Madam's heirloom jade pendant? This is..."
Qiao Bo looked puzzled, but seeing his young master's expression darken, he dared not press further.
"Qiao Bo, Bai Sanlang and Madam Shen did not genuinely intend to acknowledge me into the Bai family. They tricked my mother out of her jade pendant to pawn it for money."
"What!" Qiao Bo and his wife were stunned. "But... didn't the Madam say everything was fine before? How could this happen?"
The elderly couple had cared for Qiao Shanjian for many years, fulfilling the dying wish of their young lady to allow her child to live openly in the world. They had thought that after so many years of waiting, their wish was about to be fulfilled, only to find it was all in vain.
Qiao Bo was filled with indignation and said fiercely, "Hmph, I thought that Madam had changed. I never expected her to be such a fiend! What does the young master plan to do now?"
Having been registered under the Qiao family, he was considered a commoner, but still far from the descendants of the Prime Minister's mansion.
"This morning, Bai Sanlang has already set off for Qiongzhou. I had someone inquire, and he never mentioned me from beginning to end, nor did he ever intend to acknowledge me. Therefore, Qiao Bo, Mother's dying wish cannot be fulfilled."
The news struck Qiao Bo like a blow, causing his back to stoop even lower. "How could this be? How could this be!"
"Young Master, could someone have deliberately interfered? I witnessed the deep affection between the Master and Madam in those years. He would not, and should not, be so heartless!"
Alas, Qiao Bo's long-held hopes were dashed.
"I don't know what kind of person Bai Sanlang was in the past, but this is the truth I have uncovered now."
Tears streamed down her aged face, and Madam Qiao wept heartbrokenly. "Oh, my lady, open your eyes and see how your child is being bullied! That scoundrel from the Bai family deceived you for so many years, and then deceived us for so many years, and now he has truly washed his hands of it. My lady, if you have a spirit in heaven, please help my young master!"
Qiao Bo comforted his wife, while Qiao Shanjian's heart also felt heavy.
In the past, he could occasionally console himself, perhaps his father was unaware, and the letter of abandonment was arranged by Madam Shen. But now that the clues had been painstakingly uncovered, he finally understood that he had been abandoned by Bai Sanlang even before his birth. For all these years, they had merely been maintaining a false dream.
"From this day forward, I sever all ties with the third branch of the Bai family. Hmph, what ties are there to sever? In any case, remember this, Qiao Bo. Whatever I do in the future will have no relation to that biological father of the third branch."
The elderly couple looked at Qiao Shanjian's frail frame, which now stood as firm as a rock. No further words of comfort could be spoken.
If one were to speak of hatred, Qiao Bo's hatred for Bai Sanlang was perhaps even deeper.
After all, Qiao Shanjian had never met his mother or his biological father. But they had. They had watched their young lady, once a renowned embroiderer in Dongdu City, become an abandoned woman. She had been so gentle and graceful, so intelligent and kind, yet she had died in such despair and sorrow.
"Young Master is right! The third branch of the Bai family is the nightmare of our Qiao family. We were unwilling to wake up before, but now that we understand, what are they? With the young master's abilities and talent, he will surely achieve great things in the future, and the Madam can rest in peace."
Qiao Bo's words were meant to comfort himself as much as Qiao Shanjian.
Little did they know that the two who had just returned the jade pendant had paved a broad road for Qiao Shanjian. Whether he chose to walk it was his own decision. He knew little about the main branch of the Bai family, only that Bai Dalang was a Hanlin scholar and Bai Da Furen came from the Lin family. He had paid no attention to other details. If it were true, as Miss Feng San had suggested, that he was to be adopted into the main branch, he would need to investigate certain matters in advance.
A determined glint appeared in his wise eyes. Bai Sanlang, one day you will deeply regret your decision.
In the carriage, Feng Er asked his sister, "Do you think he will agree to be adopted into Uncle's lineage?"
"As long as he's not a fool, he should know that this is the best path he can choose."
"That may be so, but he has been raised outside for fourteen years, and has such deep animosity with the third branch. I worry he will turn the Bai family upside down."
Feng Er's understanding of Qiao Shanjian was based solely on information he had gathered.
His mother, Madam Qiao, had been a famous embroiderer and had accumulated some wealth. Sadly, she had fallen ill and passed away shortly after his birth. He had always been raised by an elderly couple in the household. He had been sickly as a child, and it was only after encountering a traveling barefoot doctor that his illness was cured. However, he had never heard of him having a tutor or attending private school. Why then did he speak with such refinement and upbringing just now?
It seemed this person held some secrets that he had yet to uncover.
"He will not. Though this person is young, his disposition is firm and his mind is sharp. If he is truly adopted into Uncle's lineage and personally tutored by our maternal grandfather, I believe in less than five years, he will be transformed. It is precisely because of his dissatisfaction with the third branch that we need not worry about him harboring ill intentions towards Uncle and Aunt after inheriting the Bai family, wouldn't you agree?"
Feng Jinyao analyzed frankly, "The Bai family only has Cousin Siruo and Cousin Sihan. Rather than seeking a nephew from distant relatives to adopt, it is better to acknowledge Qiao Shanjian. After all, he is still the grandson of our maternal grandfather."
In terms of blood relation, indeed, it would be best if he could be adopted.
"But I fear that Third Uncle might resent the main branch of the Bai family because of this. Sibling rivalry is no trivial matter."
"Don't worry. With Qiao Shanjian there, he will protect Uncle and Aunt."
Feng Jinyao had seen him ten years later, filled with such hatred for the Bai family, his methods so ruthless yet aboveboard. It was clear he was a man of true feelings, who had simply taken a wrong turn.