件事情就了不得，因为仗着亲戚们的势力，花了些银钱，这算白打死了一个公子。
哥哥就该改过做起正经人来，也该奉养母亲才是，不想进了京仍是这样。
妈妈为他不知受了多少气，哭掉了多少眼泪。
给他娶了亲，原想大家安安逸逸的过日子，不想命该如此，偏偏娶的嫂子又是一个不安静的，所以哥哥躲出门的。
真正俗语说的‘冤家路儿狭’，不多几天就闹出人命来了。
妈妈和二哥哥也算不得不尽心的了，花了银钱不算，自己还求三拜四的谋干。
无奈命里应该，也算自作自受。
大凡养儿女是为著老来有靠，便是小户人家还要挣一碗饭养活母亲，那里有将现成的闹光了反害的老人家哭的死去活来的？不是我说，哥哥的这样行为，不是儿子，竟是个冤家对头。
妈妈再不明白，明哭到夜，夜哭到明，又受嫂子的气。
我呢，又不能常在这里劝解，我看见妈妈这样，那里放得下心。
他虽说是傻，也不肯叫我回去。
前儿老爷打发人回来说，看见京报唬的了不得，所以才叫人来打点的。
我想哥哥闹了事，担心的人也不少。
幸亏我还是在跟前的一样，若是离乡调远听见了这个信，只怕我想妈妈也就想杀了。
我求妈妈暂且养养神，趁哥哥的活口现在，问问各处的帐目。
人家该咱们的，咱们该人家的，亦该请个旧伙计来算一算，看看还有几个钱没有。
”薛姨妈哭着说道：“这几天为闹你哥fated," Baochai kept tellingher to comfort her. "Inheritingso much property, he shouldhave lived quietly, mindinghis own business. Instead hecarried on scandalously downsouth, behaving sodisgracefully over Xiangling.It was only because of hispowerful connections andmoney that he got away withkilling that young gentleman.He should have turned over anew leaf then, and taken goodcare of you; but here in thecapital he carried on just asbefore. Goodness knows howoften he's provoked you,mother, how many tears he'smade you shed. "Then yougot him a wife, and wethought we could all live inpeace; but it was his fate tomarry such a shrew that heleft home to avoid her. As theproverb says, 'Foes are fatedto meet' - before very long hekilled a man again! "You andCousin Ke have done all youcould for him: spendingmoney and begging this oneand that one to help. Butthere's no escaping fate, andhe brought this on himself.People bring up children asprops for their old age, andeven the son of a poor familywill work to support hismother. What good is onewho squanders his wholeinheritance and breaks his oldmother's heart? "Maybe Ishouldn't say this, but the waybrother behaves he isn't yourson but your enemy. If youdon't wake up to this, you'llkeep crying from dawn tilldusk, from dusk till dawn,and have more to put up withfrom sister-in-law as well. As‘Brother Pan must have beenborn under an unlucky star,Mama! With the fortune thatGrandpa left, he should havebeen able to lead a quiet andcomfortable life. But insteadit’s been one disaster afteranother. First came Nankingand that disgraceful businessover Caltrop. He was entirelyto blame for that poor youngman’s death, and it was justlucky for him that we still hadplenty of pull and money inthose days, and were able toget him off.‘You’d have thought ascrape like that would havebeen enough to make himmend his ways. You’d havethought he might have takenlife a bit more seriously afterthat and devoted more time tolooking after his own mother.But no, as soon as we arrivedhere, it was the same story allover again. I hate to thinkhow much you’ve suffered onhis account, Mama, howmany tears you’ve shed. Thenhe got married, and at last wethought life might quietendown a bit for all of us. Butfate evidently had somethingelse in mind. Eventually thatdreadful woman drove himaway with her insufferablecarryings on. ‘And even thatwas not the end of it. As thesaying goes: “Fate moves in anarrow lane, and collisionsare hard to avoid!” It wasonly a few days before he wasmixed up in this new murdercase! You and Cousin Kehave done everything youpossibly could. Apart from allthe money you’ve spent,you’ve never stopped askingfor help and thinking of waysto get him out. You can’t goon struggling with fate. He’llhave to pay the price for hisown misdeeds. ‘Most parentslook to their children forsupport in their old age, andeven in poor families a manwill do his best to earn hismother a bowl of rice. Butwhat has Pan done?Squandered a ready-madefortune, and made your life amisery. I know I shouldn’t say哥的事，你来了，不是你劝我，便是我告诉你衙门的事。
