Chapter 64 I Will Take Back My Love

"...This school is not something you absolutely have to attend."

Su Xiaosi frowned deeply, her eyes instantly filled with a sinister aura, and her thin lips pursed, clearly indicating that she was angry.

"Mom, can you please stop threatening me by saying I won't go to school? Do I go to school for my own sake?"

Su Xiaosi turned her gaze over her siblings one by one and said resentfully, "Who in the family has better grades than me? My eldest brother only went to a teacher's college, my second brother didn't get into university, my third brother didn't even finish high school, my eldest sister doesn't like studying, and my youngest sister's grades might not even get her into high school. Only me! I'm the one who makes you proud!"

“So…” Li Banxia looked at her youngest son’s still-childish face, his features distorted with anger, making him seem quite unfamiliar.

Su Xiaosi breathed a sigh of relief, "So, instead of working, I can use that time to do more practice tests, get higher scores, earn more bonuses, and save up to buy you a watch, okay?"

Li Banxia shook her head.

"Why not?" Su Xiaosi asked angrily.

Li Banxia looked at him calmly, "First of all, I'm not threatening you. If going to school produces a spoiled brat who has to rely on others for everything, an ungrateful and arrogant ingrate, then I really don't think it's worth continuing my studies."

Su Xiaosi, who automatically put herself in the picture, suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at Li Banxia in disbelief.

Li Banxia's voice was calm and powerful as she continued, "Secondly, you go to school for yourself. What you learn will be useful to you in the future, providing you with a better stage and creating a broader field. Your future belongs to you, so don't say it's for me. You're not a three-year-old. You're the little genius in the teachers' eyes, a promising candidate for Tsinghua and Peking Universities. You know very well why you're studying."

These words were like a slap across Su Xiaosi's face, making his skin burn.

Li Banxia didn't stop there. "Third, you can spend the money you earn however you want, but don't use my name, especially if you have no intention of doing so and it's just empty talk. Don't use it as a bargaining chip in negotiations with me."

The excuse she'd used since childhood was so bluntly exposed by Li Banxia, ​​and with her siblings watching on the spot, Su Xiaosi's face turned pale and then red, feeling both embarrassed and indignant.

"Fourth, you siblings all share the same parents. Putting your older brother, older sister, and younger sister under your feet won't make you any better! Su Yushun, have you never been asked at school, 'You're such a good student, why don't you help your older brother, older sister, and younger sister?'"

Su Xiaosi pursed her lips and retorted defiantly, "My eldest brother, second brother, and third brother are all so much older than me, how am I supposed to take care of them?"

Li Banxia's smile didn't reach her eyes; she merely glanced at him indifferently.

"Yes, they are all older than you, but what about your little sister? You, a top student in the eyes of your teachers at Tsinghua and Peking University, have helped your teacher's daughter, but have you ever thought about helping your little sister? No! Because you think you are the smartest in this family, and you look down on everyone, including me."

Su Xiaosi noticed the coldness in Li Banxia's eyes and felt a sudden panic in her heart. "Mom, I..."

"Mothers are born to love their children, to tolerate your bad temper and bad moods, and to do everything they can to make your lives easier and better..."

Li Banxia shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile. "But that doesn't mean I have to be a free nanny, letting you order me around! I indulge you only because you are my children, and I love you! But I am a human being! I get tired, I have emotions, and I also need you to love me and reciprocate so that I feel my efforts are worthwhile, instead of simply saying, 'You gave birth to me, so you should give unconditionally'!"

After saying all that in one breath, Li Banxia felt a tightness in her chest, almost unable to breathe. She raised her hand and pounded it twice, then let out a long, trembling breath.

Smiling at Su Xiaosi, he said, "If I can't feel this love, then I will take it back."

"Wh-what?"

Su Xiaosi was stunned, seemingly unable to believe what she had just heard from her own mother, and opened her mouth but couldn't say anything else.

This was the first time anyone else had heard Li Banxia speak so bluntly.

Shocked and at a loss.

Li Banxia looked at them and smiled with relief.

He said, "Xiao Si, you're the smartest. You should understand what I mean. Every relationship in this world needs to be maintained with care. It just depends on whether you're willing to do it."

Su Xiaosi called out "Mom" in a dry, labored way.

Li Banxia continued, “Your teacher told me a few days ago that she wanted you to participate in the math competition and then be admitted to the math department of Tsinghua or Peking University through a special admission channel. The school would cover all your tuition and living expenses. The spot has already been decided. Your teacher said that you have already agreed. You can support yourself without me giving you money in the future. I am no longer needed as your mother. Whether you want this relationship or not is your choice. I will not force you.”

After saying that, he turned to look at the others, "You're the same."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Even among you brothers and sisters, if you see a fellow countryman in trouble and are unwilling to lend a hand, but instead stand by and watch him make a fool of himself, then you don't have to maintain that relationship. As long as you yourselves are in trouble, don't complain that others don't help you! Don't use blood ties to morally blackmail others, and don't say things like, 'You're my family, so you should do this or that.'"

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The early morning breeze was still a bit chilly, blowing in from the courtyard gate and swaying the wisteria blossoms on the wisteria trellis. The strings of purple wind chimes swayed gently, a truly beautiful sight.

Li Banxia suddenly remembered the day she lay slumped in her rocking chair, waiting for her children to come and divide the family property.

Thinking back to my dying moments, I felt that my whole life had been tiring, and I hadn't had time to see how beautiful wisteria flowers actually were.

Fortunately, she still has a chance.

"...I want it, Mom, I'll listen to you from now on. If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west; if you tell me to eat shit, I'll never do it..."

Su Laosan was the first to speak, but before he could finish, he abruptly stopped, slapping his mouth, "You jerk! Mom, I blurted this out... If you really want me to eat shit, I... can I not eat it?"

Li Banxia gave him a disdainful look.

Su Laosan looked at her pitifully, "Mom, please don't say those things. I'm scared. I've never thought about abandoning you."

The eldest son's wife gave Su the eldest son a jab, her eyes filled with anxiety.

Ah, ah!

My brother-in-law beat me to it!

Before Su Laoda could recover from the shock of his mother's words, his wife elbowed him, causing him to stumble forward and almost fall.

Su Lao Er reached out and grabbed him.

After pulling her up, he looked up at Li Banxia and found her looking at him. He pursed his lips and quickly looked away.

Su Lao Da looked at Su Lao Er in surprise.

Coming to his senses, he also said to Li Banxia, ​​"Mom, we'll all listen to you. I'm the eldest brother, I'll take care of... I'll set a good example for my younger siblings."

Realizing that his biological mother didn't like him taking on the responsibility of caring for his younger brother and sister, he quickly changed his tune.

The eldest son's wife nodded vigorously, "Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm."

Su Hongmei was somewhat bewildered, not understanding why her mother, who was scolding her fourth brother, suddenly brought up the topic of whether or not they should stay together. Her mother was only in her early forties; wasn't it too early for her to retire?