Chapter 001 Raising children doesn't guarantee support in old age

"ah!"

Li Banxia's vision went black, and she collapsed next to the stove.

When she fainted, she was still thinking that she was too tired. She was thinking of finishing this month's work so that she could save enough money for her grandson's dowry before resting. Now that she had collapsed, what would happen to her grandson's dowry?

When I woke up, I was in the hospital.

The doctor advised her to prepare for the worst, "...your body has been severely depleted over the years, I'm afraid you won't last much longer..."

Li Banxia knew a little about pharmacology and took his own pulse; it was indeed the sign of someone whose life force was exhausted and about to die.

She stayed in the hospital for two days and returned to the small courtyard on the third day.

He organized all the family's bankbooks, property deeds, and other documents, carefully calculated how to divide them, and then tremblingly called his children.

The first to arrive were the eldest son, Su Guotai, and his wife.

"Boss, you're here..."

Li Banxia slumped in a dilapidated rocking chair, wrapped in a bright red wedding blanket that had been washed out of color—the one she bought for her wedding.

With many children in the family, if she saves a little, the children can get a little more.

"Mom, why do you look so pale? Why are you dividing up the inheritance?"

Old Su squatted down, his hair already quite gray despite being only in his forties.

Li Banxia smiled and told them about how she had fainted and been taken to the hospital. "Mom can't work anymore, so while she's still relatively capable, I'll divide the money among you first."

"Mom, we don't want your money. Keep some for your old age," Su Laoda advised Li Banxia, ​​somewhat disapprovingly.

Li Banxia was thinking that she would rely on her children for old age, so if she held onto her money and didn't give it to them, her children would have something to think about.

She shook her head and rejected Boss Su's suggestion.

"mom……"

The eldest son of the Su family wanted to persuade them further, but the second son of the Su family brought in the third son of the Su family, the fourth son of the Su family, and the two sisters.

Li Banxia had four sons and two daughters in her lifetime.

The people I feel most guilty towards are my eldest son and his wife.

The eldest daughter-in-law handed the child over to her, and she took her eldest grandson out. In the blink of an eye, the child was gone.

"The money will be divided into six portions, one for each of you six siblings. I'm currently asking someone to sell the shop that sells medicinal porridge; I'll call you to collect the money when it's sold. As for this courtyard..."

Li Banxia sighed, "This small courtyard is for your elder brother and sister-in-law. Whether they live in it or sell it is up to them. Consider it a small compensation from me. Don't argue with them."

As soon as Li Banxia finished speaking, Su Lao Er frowned, expressing his dissatisfaction.

"Mom, you can't be so biased. This yard is worth at least several hundred thousand. You just give it to them like that? Have you even considered us?"

I disagree.

I disagree.

The siblings all gave each other a cold shoulder, accusing Li Banxia of favoritism.

"Mom, how about this? We won't fight with my eldest brother for the yard. You can give us a few more of the recipe for that medicinal porridge, and that will settle the matter. What do you think?"

Su Xiaosi suggested.

Everyone else's eyes lit up. The key to the medicinal porridge was the recipe, which could sell for hundreds of thousands on the market. They had asked for it many times, but each time Li Banxia would only say one thing.

"...Medicinal porridge needs to be customized according to the customer's physical condition. There are specific rules for how to combine medicinal herbs, and there is no uniform standard."

The group remained unconvinced, believing that Li Banxia was simply holding onto the prescription and unwilling to give it to them.

Li Banxia sighed, "I told you to study pharmacology, but you didn't. If I just give you prescriptions, and the customers don't take them because they're not diagnosed, it will harm them."

She couldn't give it; giving it would not only harm the guest but also her children.

She did it for their own good.

"Alright, Mom, just admit you're biased. Who are you trying to convince with all this high-sounding道理 (moral principles)?"

Su Laosan scoffed and glared at Su Laoda with annoyance. "You can't show favoritism and give more to your eldest brother just because you feel guilty for losing him. He's your son too!"

"Old Su, you might as well let your son remain a bachelor! What's the point of the Su family having any descendants? You're hiding a lousy prescription, who cares about it!" The third son's wife shouted fiercely, glaring at the eldest son and his wife.

The second son's wife raised her hand and wiped away non-existent tears. "Second brother, we're about to be unable to pay our mortgage. Rather than being kicked out, we might as well tell your son not to get married and the whole family can just live under a bridge!"

Su Laosan and Su Laoer glanced at their respective wives but did not stop them.

"Mom, you didn't give all the recipes to my eldest brother and sister-in-law, did you?" the fourth son's wife asked, her eyes darting around.

Li Banxia shook her head, "No, they arrived just two minutes earlier than you..."

“There are plenty of things you can do in two minutes, brother. Don’t blame me for being blunt, but if you take the prescription and keep it a secret, our brotherhood is over.” Su Lao Er glared at Su Lao Da.

Boss Su stared straight at him, "Really, no. If you don't believe me, you can each send someone to watch over me every day..."

"Boss, this isn't fun."

The brothers all wore unfriendly expressions.

“Who’s as lucky as you? You get married and then it’s all peaceful. We have to work hard to buy a house and prepare a dowry for our son…”

The eldest daughter-in-law suddenly looked up.

The third son's wife snorted, rolled her eyes, and didn't continue.

The fourth brother's wife tugged at Su Xiaosi's clothes. Su Xiaosi coughed lightly and said, "Let me make this clear first. Since Mom has given the yard and the house to my eldest brother, I will not take care of her in her old age, and don't ask me for money. I don't have any."

“I don’t care either,” Su Laosan added immediately.

Su Lao Er frowned, "I don't have the money to take care of Mom's retirement either."

"You don't need to worry about it, I'll take care of it." Boss Su's face was grim.

Su Laosan scoffed, "You got the lion's share, so of course you should support us!"

Su Lao Er and Su Xiao Si both looked on in agreement.

Li Banxia was both anxious and angry, slamming her hand on the rocking chair. "What the boss said is true. I really didn't give him any prescription. You all know those commonly used prescriptions. Everyone's constitution is different, and we need to analyze each case specifically. Why won't you listen..."

None of her sons paid any attention to her.

Li Banxia's eyes reddened, and she turned to look at her two daughters who hadn't yet spoken, "Hongying, Hongmei..."

“Mom, I’m a married daughter. You have a son, so it’s not my place to take care of you in your old age,” Su Hongying said.

Su Hongmei smiled at Li Banxia, ​​but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I'm going to Harbin in a few days. It's too cold there; you won't be able to handle it..."

"you……"

Li Banxia stretched out her hand, pointing tremblingly at her children.

She never expected that, apart from her eldest son, none of her children wanted to support her in her old age.

When asked for money, she would always say, "Mom, we'll take care of your retirement from now on, no one can take it from us!"

So all that was the reason they were nice to her was because of her money, because she could make money?

Li Banxia recalled that she had called her sons a few days ago, saying that she was too tired and wanted to rest. They all told her to persevere, as her grandsons were waiting for her to give them money to buy houses and get married...

"You...you've lost your conscience!"

Li Banxia was heartbroken and tears streamed down her face. Su Xiaosi clicked her tongue and said, "Mom, what are you doing? Don't we all say you've spoiled us? In the end, the responsibility still lies with you. If you just give us the prescription, nothing will happen..."

Li Banxia didn't believe him at all at this moment.

Even if you give it to him, he won't care about it.

"Everyone says the eldest is spoiled and the youngest is spoiled, but with a stinky little dumpling in the middle, we deserve to suffer?"

Su Lao Er chimed in impatiently, "Who told you to be biased? They're all sons, why can't we have what the other sons have?!"

"Enough!"

Boss Su suddenly spoke up, stopping them, "Stop talking! Mom's health isn't good, she can't handle any stress. If you upset her and she gets sick, you won't get a single penny!"

The siblings exchanged glances.

Su Lao Er let out a sigh of relief, "Alright, we won't say anything more, but if Mom doesn't hand over the recipe, we're busy making money and don't have time to take care of her."

Others echoed this.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Li Banxia grabbed a cushion from behind her and threw it at them, yelling, "I don't want you to serve me, get out of here!"

"Let's go!"

Su Xiaosi took an envelope first, then pulled his wife away.

The third son's wife picked out one that looked thick, called out to Su Laosan, and left as well.

Su Lao Er gestured for the two sisters to take it first, but Su Hongying pouted, "Aren't they all the same? What's the point of giving way to each other?"

After saying that, he glanced at the list and picked one up.

Su Hongmei took two and handed one to her second son's wife, saying, "Second sister-in-law, here you go."

The second son's wife smiled at her, and the two walked out of the courtyard chatting and laughing.

Su Lao Er and Su Hongying followed behind.

None of them looked at Li Banxia.

Li Banxia slumped back in the rocking chair, muttering, "Is it really a problem with my parenting? I've given them my heart and soul, I'd practically rip my heart out and cook it for them, and that's not enough?"

Upon hearing this, Su Laoda exchanged a glance with his wife.

Su Laoda squatted down and gently comforted Li Banxia, ​​"Mom, take care of yourself and don't think about anything else."

"Boss, what else are they dissatisfied with?"

Li Banxia just couldn't understand, "I've worked day and night to earn money all these years. Which of their houses didn't I pay for? Which of their children's schooling didn't I pay for? I even bought their wedding homes. Haven't I done enough?"

"Mom..." Su Laoda didn't know how to explain to his mother, so he turned to look at his wife.

The eldest daughter-in-law looked at Li Banxia's white hair with a sorrowful expression, a morbid sense of vengeful pleasure in her eyes. "Of course it's not enough in their eyes. You've spoiled them and fueled their ambitions and appetites. Even if you die, they'll only blame you for not turning yourself into oil to light their way. How could they possibly feel it's enough?!"

"Jianshu!"

Li Banxia knew that her eldest daughter-in-law hated her. She had lost her bright grandson and had lived in regret for years. "...I'm sorry, eldest daughter-in-law, the person I've wronged the most in my life is you..."

“Jianshu, Mom didn’t do it on purpose,” Su Laoda explained bitterly.

The eldest daughter-in-law, her eyes red, glared angrily at him. "Of course I know she didn't do it on purpose. If she had, I would have fought her to the death! But my son is missing. Every time I see her, I think of my son. He's only a little over a year old, so tiny, he can barely walk... I'm going crazy..."

Li Banxia cried uncontrollably.

The eldest son's wife turned and left. The eldest son didn't chase after her, but got up to make dinner for Li Banxia.

Li Banxia slumped in the rocking chair, staring at the withered wisteria trellis, her mind racing through her terrible life.

She's had a really tough life.

If she could do it all over again, she would want to live a different life.