Chapter 206 Third Brother is Waiting for You

"Aunt..."

Li Yuanhua realized something, opened his mouth, but found himself powerless. He didn't know how to argue with his aunt who had just gone through all that.

"...My aunt has thought about it."

Li Banxia gave a bitter smile. "When my aunt found out that all the obstetricians and gynecologists at the hospital who could deliver babies were not there, even the hospital director was avoiding us, and even the nurses sympathetically advised me to transfer to another hospital, saying that no one would be able to deliver my cousin's baby, my aunt considered all the worst possible outcomes, if..."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly, which Li Yuanhua noticed.

He felt as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word while gripping the microphone.

"...I think I would fight that guy surnamed Zheng to the death, but what's the use of fighting to the death? The damage has already been done, can fighting to the death undo the damage?"

Li Yuanhua was shocked, deeply moved by Li Banxia's words, and said in a hoarse voice, "No."

"No, it's not possible."

Li Banxia sighed deeply, "Your father has never been as healthy as the rest of us since he was a child. It was your grandparents who raised him, made him strong and healthy. And you and your sister were also carefully cared for and made strong little by little. But look, your father was brought back to his original state by a single blow with a stool. We fought the Zhou family to the bitter end, and the best outcome was just to send the Zhou family members to jail. But what about your father?"

"Aunt..."

Li Yuanhua's voice was choked with emotion. His aunt hadn't said a word, but he understood what she meant.

"...Did I do something wrong?"

Li Banxia didn't reply to him, but continued, "Your dad still needs a wheelchair to go to places further away. The doctor said it might take a year, two years, three years, five years for him to be able to walk as fast as before. Nobody can say for sure. He might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life..."

"Aunt, I understand what you mean, I just..."

Li Yuanhua felt his vision blurring, and when he reached out, he found his eyes filled with tears. He raised his sleeve to wipe them away, and said in a trembling voice, "I just feel that my mother... I don't deserve such a bright future."

Li Banxia's eyes also reddened, and she covered the microphone and took a deep breath.

He cursed, "Silly nephew, your mother isn't a bad person. She just craves love from her family of origin so much that she's been brainwashed by them."

“It was my mother who hugged my father, which caused him to be seriously injured by Zhou Xiaobao…” Li Yuanhua said.

This is a hurdle he has never been able to overcome.

Li Banxia hummed in agreement. "To be honest, it's true. It would be a lie to say I don't hate your mother. But her initial intention was simply to prevent your father from hurting her brother. She just didn't expect that the Zhou family only saw her as a cash cow and not as family. Otherwise, why would they have gone to such lengths? In the end, your mother is also a victim in this whole affair. She regrets the things she unintentionally caused so much that she wishes she were dead. Do you want to add another entry to her list of regrets?"

"Waaah, waaah..."

Li Yuanhua held the phone, covered her mouth, and cried silently, "Auntie, I didn't want this to happen either. I can't get over this. Whenever I think about it, I feel like I don't deserve it..."

“Xiaohua, take two days off and come back. Your aunt will take you to see your mother. You haven’t seen her since the verdict was announced, have you? Go see her and hear what she has to say. You’ve worked so hard, you shouldn’t ruin your life because of this. It will be too late to regret it when you can no longer protect the people you want to protect.”

Once he had calmed down a bit, Li Banxia said softly.

On the other end of the phone, Li Yuanhua gave a heavy hum after a long pause.

The next afternoon, Li Yuanhua called to say that he had arrived, but he didn't know where his aunt's new home was, so he went directly to the women's prison.

Li Banxia told him to wait for her for a while.

The two went in together and saw Zhou Xiaolian, who was emaciated, with cloudy eyes, and muttering repentance, looking like a seventy-year-old woman.

The moment Li Yuanhua saw her biological mother, her eyes reddened, and she rushed over, choking back tears as she called out, "Mom."

Zhou Xiaolian's gaze shifted several times, but she couldn't get it to focus.

It wasn't until Li Banxia called out, "Third Sister-in-law, I brought Yuanhua to see you. This child is trapped in this matter and can't get out of it. He's almost ruining himself. Are you willing to let his efforts of more than ten years go to waste?"

Zhou Xiaolian shook her head frantically.

"No, no, it's my fault that I hurt my son. It's not his fault, he's my good child, he's always been a good child, it's all my fault..."

Li Banxia looked up at the guards, who sighed softly, "She keeps saying it's her fault, she's obsessed. You guys should try to talk to her."

Li Banxia's eyes were filled with complex emotions as she looked at her once cheerful and talkative third sister-in-law and nodded.

She walked over, took Li Sansao's hand, and said, "Sister-in-law, there's still a chance for Yuanhua to continue..."

"What opportunity?"

Li Sansao's gaze gradually focused as she looked at Li Banxia.

Li Banxia said, "It would be fine if he were adopted by my eldest or second eldest brother, as long as he wasn't under your name, but he... absolutely refused, preferring to give up his future."

"If I adopt her, will she no longer be affected by me?" Sister-in-law Li asked, her eyes full of hope as she looked at Li Banxia.

Li Banxia nodded, "The current policy will not be affected."

“Okay, okay, then let him be adopted. My son is so outstanding and hardworking; I can't ruin him because of me, I can't…”

Li Sansao trembled as she reached out her skinny, bony hand to touch her son's head. Li Yuanhua hesitated for a moment, then quickly stood up from her chair and leaned her head over.

Li Sansao grinned, then quickly withdrew her hand halfway out.

"You can't touch it, if you do, it'll be a bad offspring, and it will affect your son's future..."

Li Yuanhua looked grief-stricken, and tears fell silently.

Li Banxia sighed inwardly and patted his shoulder, "Talk to your mother a little longer. She needs emotional support. Don't let her get any deeper into this, otherwise..."

She might really drive herself crazy.

Li Yuanhua nodded repeatedly.

Li Banxia waited outside the room, while the sound of a mother and child crying came from the reception room...

When the time came, the door to the reception room opened, and Li Yuanhua helped Li Sansao out. Li Sansao's complexion and expression were much better than when she first met her.

"Alright, Zhou Xiaolian, go back to prison." The guards stopped her, preventing her from going any further.

Li Yuanhua reluctantly let go of her.

Li Banxia nodded slightly to Li Sansao and was about to leave with Li Yuanhua when Li Sansao suddenly called out to her.

"Little sister, how is your third brother...?"

"I can't walk too far, my physical strength and energy aren't what they used to be, I get tired easily, and I can fall asleep anytime, anywhere, but... my tongue is even more sarcastic than before..."

Li Sansao laughed through her tears.

Li Banxia continued, "By the time you come back, he should be about 70-80% recovered. Third Brother said he's waiting for you to return, but Mom is still angry and has started cursing. She said if you dare go back, she'll leave you and your husband to fend for yourselves. Third Sister-in-law, you need to think of a way to appease her before you go back. You never know, maybe she'll forget about it after a few years. Anyway..."

Li Banxia looked at her and said, "Third sister-in-law, take good care of yourself. Third brother is waiting for you to come back."