Karma Chapter 5: Something happened to Hu Xueyan

If we compare Hu Xueyan’s path to wealth to "climbing a mountain to pick peaches," when he was smoothly ascending to the halfway point, a decision related to Wang Youling actually sent him plummeting into the abyss. To help this down-and-out scholar secure an official position, he took the risk of "misappropriating the private bank’s funds without approval"—an act that not only sowed a "bad seed" costing him his job but also quietly planted a "good seed" that would bear fruit in the future.

I. A Down-and-Out Scholar Meets a Benefactor: Wang Youling’s "Plight in Pursuit of an Official Career"

Wang Youling was originally from an official family. After his family fortune declined, his father spent all remaining assets to "purchase a nominal official title" (a practice in the Qing Dynasty where individuals could buy non-active official credentials to qualify for future appointments)—but this was merely a "qualification certificate for being an official." To actually take up a formal post, he still needed to report to the Ministry of Personnel (the Qing Dynasty government department in charge of official appointments and promotions) for registration. However, the Wang family had long been penniless, with no money left for bribes or networking. Trapped in Hangzhou, he barely survived on sesame cakes every day and could only linger in teahouses just to get through each day.

Hu Xueyan had always been warm-hearted. Seeing Wang Youling’s predicament, he often took the initiative to share his meals with him to ease his hunger. As their interactions deepened, the two grew closer, and Hu Xueyan finally learned the full extent of Wang Youling’s trouble: to smooth over the 20-odd interpersonal relationships—from low-ranking clerks at the Ministry of Personnel to officials in the governor’s office—he needed at least 500 taels of silver (a traditional Chinese weight unit, approx. 50g per tael). This sum was utterly out of reach for Wang Youling at the time.

Hu Xueyan’s motivation was more than just "soft-heartedness": he knew that helping someone in their most desperate hour would make that person remember the kindness for a lifetime. If Wang Youling ever achieved success in the future, this kindness would surely be repaid many times over. This consideration for "long-term friendship and mutual trust" made him decide to lend a hand, even if it meant taking risks.

II. Risking Misappropriation: Gambling 500 Taels on a Decade of Career

One day in a teahouse, Hu Xueyan took the initiative to persuade Wang Youling: "Moping around all day won’t solve anything. You need to turn that nominal title into a real official post." Wang Youling sighed: "But I really can’t scrape together 500 taels of silver, no matter how hard I try."

Hu Xueyan did not hesitate—he had always been the type to "act quickly once he made up his mind." However, 500 taels was an enormous sum, far exceeding his personal savings, even for him as a field sales supervisor (a role in the private bank that handled client acquisition and business negotiations independently). In the end, he made a reckless decision: to lend the money from the private bank’s working capital to Wang Youling without prior approval from his boss, opting to "act first and report later."

When the silver was handed to Wang Youling, both men’s eyes welled up with tears: Hu Xueyan had staked his nearly 10-year career—built painstakingly from an apprentice to a supervisor at the private bank—while Wang Youling saw a glimmer of hope in his desperate situation. "I can’t let you get into trouble because of me!" Wang Youling said anxiously, but Hu Xueyan replied firmly: "I’ll take responsibility and explain everything to the boss."

Moved by this selfless act, Wang Youling proposed to swear brotherhood: "We met by chance, yet you’ve gambled your own future for me. Let’s become sworn brothers of different surnames (a traditional Chinese ritual to form a lifelong fraternal bond, even with different family names)." The two took an oath by the Grand Canal, with Wang Youling as the elder brother and Hu Xueyan as the younger. Later, when Wang Youling boarded the boat to Beijing, he left with tears in his eyes, saying only one sentence: "I can never repay this great kindness with words alone."

III. The Bad Seed Bears Fruit: Immediate Retribution—Losing His Job

After seeing Wang Youling off, Hu Xueyan was immediately faced with a pressing problem: How should he account for the 500 taels of misappropriated funds to his boss?

Analyzing his actions through the Law of Seeds, the consequences were already inevitable—he had sown two "bad seeds" that would soon germinate:

1. The seed of causing financial loss to the boss: The 500 taels were part of the private bank’s core working capital, used for daily transactions and client withdrawals. Lending it out privately directly disrupted the bank’s operations and put its liquidity at risk.
2. The seed of betraying the boss’s trust: The boss had shown Hu Xueyan exceptional favor—promoting him ahead of schedule, trusting him with key clients, and even sharing internal business insights. By violating the bank’s rules and hiding the misappropriation, Hu Xueyan shattered this hard-earned trust.

More critically, these two seeds were sown in the "field of gratitude"—the boss who had repeatedly helped and trusted him—amplifying their destructive impact. As expected, when the boss found out about the misappropriation, he flew into a rage and fired Hu Xueyan on the spot, with no room for negotiation.

"As you sow, so shall you reap." Hu Xueyan caused the boss to suffer financial losses, and in return, he lost the career he had worked so hard for over a decade; he made the boss feel betrayed and disappointed, and in the following two years, he remained unemployed, living a miserable life of poverty and hardship—this was the "bad fruit" borne by his "bad seeds."

In modern terms, Hu Xueyan’s act of "acting first and reporting later" would be equivalent to "embezzling company funds". Whether in the Qing Dynasty or today, such behavior could lead to severe legal consequences, including imprisonment. The only reason the boss showed mercy—firing him but not reporting him to the authorities—was because Hu Xueyan had worked at the private bank for nearly 10 years, helping the boss earn substantial profits, and the two had developed a deep friendship over time. This "past kindness" allowed him to keep his freedom, even if he lost his job—a stroke of great luck that few people would encounter.

IV. A Warning: Never Cross the Red Line of Rules for Favors or Petty Gains

Hu Xueyan’s experience holds even greater warning value for today’s society: in a materialistic world, some people embezzle company resources to help friends out of "loyalty," while others misappropriate public funds for "petty gains" (e.g., using company money to pay personal debts or fund luxury purchases). Yet unlike Hu Xueyan, most of them do not have a "10-year track record of contributions" or a deep friendship with their superiors. Once the truth comes to light, they may not only lose their jobs but also face criminal charges, leaving them with a permanent criminal record that ruins their entire lives.

The Law of Seeds never fails: good seeds will eventually bear sweet fruit, and evil seeds will surely bring bitter consequences. Never delude yourself into thinking "just this once won’t matter" or "I’m smart enough to cover it up." Once you cross the red line of rules—whether in the workplace or in life—the "debt" you owe will eventually have to be repaid, often at a far higher cost than you imagined.

Of course, while Hu Xueyan sowed "bad seeds" by violating the bank’s rules, he also quietly planted a "good seed" in Wang Youling—the kindness of "risking everything to help a friend in need." How this "good seed" would be repaid in the future will be elaborated on later. But one truth remains unchanged: sowing "good seeds" should never come at the cost of violating rules. Only by adhering to moral and legal bottom lines can "good causes" truly bear "good fruits" that stand the test of time.