Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Li Xiu Turns Hostile (Part 2)
Seeing the look on Li Hua and the others, Zhou Lian smiled. ’So what if they can’t sit still? Do they dare make a move right now? In my last life, they did find an opportunity, but unfortunately, Li Xiu caught them before they could act. He gave every single one of them, from oldest to youngest, a thorough beating. After that, they all learned to behave!’
Aunt Li shook her head. ’No wonder Li Xiu was so determined to separate from the family, even if it meant leaving with nothing. With younger siblings like these, it’s better to have none at all. This is truly a case of parents not acting like parents and siblings not acting like siblings. It’s a miracle Li Xiu turned out so magnanimous and loyal without going astray. It’s the Li family’s greatest fortune!’
Glancing at the time, Zhou Lian lowered her head with an enigmatic smile. ’It’s about time. They need to be taught a lesson. Life in this world is hard enough as it is; everyone has to abide by its rules.’
"Li Xiu is just your older brother. Why should all the money he earns go to you? You only think about what you can get from him, but what about you? What have you ever given him? What have you ever done to help him? There’s a limit to selfishness. Even if you want to drink his blood and eat his flesh, doesn’t he have to be willing?" Zhou Lian continued, adding fuel to the fire. ’People really need to use their heads!’
"Who the hell do you think you are! How dare you lecture us here!" Li Hua flew into a rage. Not even his own father had ever scolded him like that. He shot up and charged at Zhou Lian.
"Li Hua, what do you think you’re doing?" Grandma Li shouted in shock.
"Second Son, have you lost your mind?" Second Brother Li stared in disbelief as he watched his son charge toward his eldest daughter-in-law.
THWACK! Li Hua was sent flying under the eaves with a single kick.
Li Xiu pulled Zhou Lian into a protective embrace, his face devoid of expression as he looked at Li Hua on the ground. "You’ve really grown a spine, haven’t you?" he said calmly. "Who the hell do you think you are? I protected you all as you grew up, and now you dare to lay a hand on my wife and my child. Today, for the last time, I’m going to teach you what things you can’t do—things you can’t even think about doing!"
He settled Zhou Lian down beside Grandma Li and Aunt Li, then gave his four younger brothers a brutal beating, one by one. Walking over to Li Xin, he said, "You better remember this. If I ever hear or see you being disrespectful to my wife again, just see how I’ll deal with you!"
Ge Er Ya stared blankly at her four sons sprawled on the ground and her daughter, who was crying softly to the side. For a long moment, she couldn’t process what had happened. It felt as if everything had unfolded in an instant.
Standing at the main gate, Li Hua watched the scene her eldest cousin had instantly created in the courtyard and smiled with understanding. ’No wonder he rushed all the way here; he must have expected this. Is my Second Aunt genuinely naive or just plain stupid to have raised her children this way? Was she so sure her eldest son wouldn’t hold a grudge, or was she relying on a blood relationship that had long since faded? A pity she truly doesn’t understand him. My cousin is someone who is crystal clear about his debts and grudges. He doesn’t even let a night pass before taking revenge!’
Grandma Li trembled with rage. ’To dare strike his eldest sister-in-law... No respect for seniority, no sense of right and wrong, utterly selfish. This grandson is a lost cause.’ Pointing at Second Brother Li, she roared, "Is this the thing you two raised? Huh?! This is sheer rebellion! To attack his sister-in-law in front of his elders!"
Covering his face, Second Brother Li sank weakly to the ground. ’How did it come to this?’
He suddenly rushed in front of Li Xiu and grabbed his arm. "Eldest Son, for my sake, can’t you just forgive them this one time? Just this once. I promise they’ll never dare to do it again."
Li Xiu gently pulled his father’s hand off him. With an impassive expression, he said, "I already said it. This was the last time. The last time I, as their older brother, will teach them anything. Dad, you’re their father. They are your responsibility, not mine. As of today, the ties between us siblings are cut. I have nothing more to do with them!"
Grandma Li opened her mouth, but no words came out. ’What was there to say? Her eldest grandson’s wife is pregnant, after all!’
Second Brother Li’s face was ashen as he looked at his impassive eldest son. ’Is there really no turning back from this? They’re brothers by blood!’
Li Xiu glanced at his father, then at Ge Er Ya, who remained unresponsive. He let out a laugh. ’Such a dear father and mother.’ Then he said with biting sarcasm, "Did you all forget that my wife is pregnant? Furthermore, she is the wife I hold in the palm of my hand. Who among you is qualified to bypass me and lecture her? Who gave you the nerve! Who?!"
Finally snapping out of her stupor, Ge Er Ya heard him and retorted angrily, "I am your mother! I’m the one who gave birth to you...!"
"Yes, you gave birth to me. But have I not repaid you? Have I not done enough? I started helping you raise five children when I was six years old. I worked myself to the bone for sixteen years, and I left this family with only 250 yuan to my name. When I built my house and got married, did you lift a single finger to help? In the old days, even a landlord’s hired hand had a better life than I did!"
Li Xiu gave her a mocking look and a small smile before continuing, "I promised to support you in your old age. After all, you did give birth to me. But don’t you forget: the year Li Hua was born, Aunt Li took me to her and Uncle’s home. It was Grandma and Aunt Li who raised me until I was old enough to work. For those three years, I never ate a single bite of your food, nor wore a single piece of clothing you gave me!"
Everyone stared at him, stunned. The younger family members were shocked; all they knew was that he had been raised by his grandmother. The elders were shocked that he remembered it all so clearly. As for Aunt Li and Grandma Li, they knew he remembered, but they never imagined his memory was this sharp!
Li Xiu continued nonchalantly, "Every time Aunt Li made me a nice snack or a new set of clothes, if you saw it, you would always wheedle it out of me for Li Hua. You even tailored my clothes to make them smaller for him. It wasn’t until Aunt Li found out and gave you a good scolding that you stuck to just taking the food."
Seeing everyone staring at Ge Er Ya in astonishment, Li Xiu went on, "At six, I was herding cattle for the production team when I caught the eye of Uncle Ge. I became his student and stayed with him until he passed away when I was sixteen. He taught me everything he had learned in his entire life. You of all people should know—he was educated in an old-style private school, attended a Western academy, and even fought the Japanese invaders with the army. Right before he died, he said that while he never had any children of his own, he had me as his student, and so he could die without any regrets!"
Aunt Li let out a heavy sigh. ’That man... Her husband had once described him as a figure of peerless elegance and supreme intelligence, a talent the likes of which was rarely seen in all the surrounding townships. For him to say something like that on his deathbed truly showed the high esteem in which he held her nephew!’
For so many years, Li Xiu had seemed completely unremarkable. It was only after he separated from the family that his capabilities shone through, earning him praise from everyone in the village. ’This nephew of mine is truly something else, to have hidden his abilities from everyone for so long!’
"Earning his praise proves I’m no fool. The only reason I never held any of this against you was because of the blood we share. I tried to discipline Li Hua and the others, but you, Mom, you protected them and wouldn’t let me. Fine. You gave birth to them, you get to decide. Aunt Li and Third Aunt don’t coddle their children. Now look around! My uncle has six kids, and my third uncle has five. Any single one of them is more sensible than the ones you raised. Li Bo is only five, but he understands reason and knows right from wrong better than the 20-year-old Li Hua!"
Zhou Lian lowered her head, a thoughtful smile on her lips. ’Is Li Xiu finally ready to burn it all down? In our last life, it wasn’t until his mother spoke her dying words that he finally lost all hope in them. He must have been reborn, too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be creating such a decisive scene right now. I really thought he was just going to beat up his brothers and leave it at that!’
"Dad, Mom, with things as they are now, have either of you even asked if my wife was frightened? She’s carrying my child, you know! But you haven’t. You’re just used to me taking on every burden, whether it’s my responsibility or not. Have you forgotten? I’m only twenty-three. I’ve just started my own family. And I’ve already formally separated from this one!"
Li Xiu ruthlessly ripped away every last pretense. ’It’s not that I haven’t felt aggrieved over two lifetimes of this. I endured it before to protect my reputation, but there’s no need for that anymore. It’s better to make a huge scene and get a clean break. Only then can my wife and I live our lives in peace!’
"I’ve never asked you for a single thing my entire life. With my grandma and aunt here as witnesses, I won’t be unreasonable. When we separated the family, it was agreed: you raised me when I was small, and I’ll support you when you’re old. When that time comes, the five sons will split the expenses evenly. I will pay whatever their share is. But from now on, everything that happens in this house has nothing to do with me."
Pointing at his younger siblings, he continued, "You two had better keep them in line. Tell them not to provoke me, and especially not to provoke my wife. Otherwise, I won’t go easy on them. You all know my temper. Don’t cross my boundaries again. From this day forward, we will go our separate ways."
Then he turned to Ge Er Ya and added, "Mom, since you gave birth to me, I will continue to bring you gifts for the New Year and other festivals, just as custom dictates in the village. But for anything else, do not come to me. Let’s keep our distance and live our separate lives in peace."
