Chapter 79: The Many Faces of Human Nature
"What about you two? Say something," Second Brother Li said with a soft sigh, looking at his second and third sons, who hadn’t spoken yet.
"Dad, what do you want me to say? We’ve already alienated Big Brother beyond repair. What’s the point of talking about this now!" Li Man snapped. ’I used to always listen to Mom and Second Brother, and I never thought anything of it. I just followed Second Brother, doing whatever he did without ever thinking about right or wrong. But after Big Brother blew up last time and after what Dad said... I’m not an idiot. Once I thought it over, it all became clear.’
"Third Brother, watch your tone," Li Hua scolded, displeased with Li Man’s attitude.
"This is how I talk. So what? We all drove Big Brother away, so what’s the use of talking now? Second Brother, you think you’re so clever, scheming against Big Brother? Give me a break. If Big Brother wasn’t concerned about his reputation, he could ruin you. He just can’t be bothered to argue with you anymore. Go ahead, try and cause trouble for him one more time! See what happens!"
Li Man looked at everyone in the room and decided to finally say the quiet part out loud. "Second Brother, nobody’s an idiot. Why do you think no matchmakers are coming to you? You know exactly why. Mom asked people, but no one will make an introduction. Everyone’s got eyes! Big Brother was forced out with next to nothing, and the reputation of our side of the family is rotten to the core. You, me, Li Xin—it’s going to be hard for any of us to get married. Every family investigates before they marry off a daughter or welcome a daughter-in-law."
"With a reputation like ours, who would dare marry into our family? I used to think that everything Big Brother did for us was just what he was supposed to do. But his words that day... they scared me. Why should we take it for granted? He’s not our mom and dad. Why should he have to put up with me? He doesn’t owe me anything! And even when it comes to parents, you get parents like ours... The eldest son and grandson of the Li family was basically kicked out with nothing—they didn’t even build him a house or help him find a wife. Nothing in this world is ’supposed to be’ anything!"
"That day, Big Brother said that helping us is a favor, but not helping is his right. And he’s absolutely correct. He protected us since we were kids, so how did we repay him? What does being brothers even mean? Second Brother, the whole village knows what you’re up to. You treat Big Brother like crap, so what right do you have to demand he treat you well? You’re so high and mighty, Second Brother, why don’t you just fly up to heaven!" Li Man lashed out at everyone in the room. ’I’ve been bottling this up for so long. What does it matter if I say it now? Big Brother wants nothing more than to stay far, far away from this house. Thinking he’ll come around? In your dreams. Everyone knows how stubborn he is!’
"Third Brother, you’re out of line," Li Hua said, not knowing how to respond to the tirade. ’Claim this has nothing to do with me? Anyone with half a brain knows that’s not true.’
Li Man let out a derisive laugh. "Our family is done for," he said sarcastically. "Grand-uncle and Grandma have washed their hands of us, haven’t they? To be honest, Mom, I’ve always wanted to ask you: is Big Brother even your biological son? What gives you the right to plot against him like that? Did you really think he’d never snap?"
Staring at Ge Er Ya, Li Man continued, "Mom, I did some asking around on my own. That cowherd, Uncle Ge, the one who taught Big Brother? The man is a force to be reckoned with. He taught Big Brother for years. Our whole family put together is no match for Big Brother. And you still think you can keep him under your thumb? In the past, Big Brother held back out of respect for his family ties. He let you plot against him. But now? Go ahead, try and plot against him now. Every last bit of goodwill ran out the day Second Brother raised a hand to our pregnant sister-in-law!"
"I finally get it now. Big Brother has no affection left for us, his brothers. And I’m afraid he has none left for you and Dad, either. In the future, he’ll probably fulfill his duty to support you in your old age, contributing along with the rest of us. But that will be the absolute limit."
"Third Brother, who’s been putting these ideas in your head?" Ge Er Ya demanded, glaring fiercely at Li Man.
Looking at his mother’s face, Li Man said bitterly, "Mom, do I need someone to tell me this? I couldn’t sleep at night, so I just kept thinking about everything Big Brother has said and done. Ever since the family property was divided, he said it himself: you and Dad raised him, and he will support you in your old age. He also said that for siblings, you have this life together, but not the next. He must have given up all hope for this family even back then."
"Mom, when Big Brother got married, you didn’t even make the traditional wedding sweets a groom’s mother is supposed to make. When his daughter was born, you knew that very night, but you never said a word, much less went to visit. And you still expect him to be a filial son? Why should he? Just because you’re his mother? It’s precisely *because* you’re his mother that he must hate you even more. You gave birth to him, but you didn’t raise him, and you didn’t care about him. I’d wager Big Brother wishes he never had a mother like you at all."
"Third Brother, you..." Ge Er Ya was so furious she was speechless. In reality, she just didn’t know what to say. Everything Li Man said was the truth—the kind of truth you couldn’t argue against.
"In any case, if you treated me that way, I’d hate your guts. If you can’t be a proper mother, you shouldn’t have had children in the first place! You had five sons—all of them your sons—yet you couldn’t treat them equally. This goes way beyond favoritism. It’s like Big Brother is your mortal enemy. If I didn’t know for a fact he was your son, I’d have assumed he was Dad’s child from an affair. But even if he wasn’t yours, you wouldn’t dare act like this, for fear of ruining your reputation!" Li Man said, holding nothing back.
Everyone stared at Li Man in utter shock, unable to comprehend how he could say such a thing. The corners of Second Brother Li’s mouth trembled. "Third Brother, what’s wrong with you?"
"What’s wrong with me?" Li Man laughed mockingly. "I’ve been interested in a girl for years. Her family had even given their blessing. I was just waiting for Big Brother to get married and Second Brother to get engaged before I made my proposal. And now?"
"Do you know what happened? That girl’s mother pointed a finger in my face and screamed that her daughter could be a spinster her whole life before she’d marry into our branch of the Li family. She said our line is rotten to the core. ’Like father, like son.’ ’A rotten tree can’t bear good fruit.’ The one good piece of fruit our family produced, we couldn’t stand, so we drove him away. Do you get it now?! Heaven is watching everything we do!"
"Why do you think Big Brother’s fortunes turned the moment he left? Have you ever stopped to think about that? There’s an old saying you should all know: What goes around, comes around. ’Good people might be bullied by other people, but they will never be forsaken by Heaven. Evil people might be feared by other people, but they will never be spared by Heaven.’ If you’ve got the nerve, go ahead and cast me out too, just like you did to Big Brother. I’ve had it! Mom, you used to say all the time that Big Brother should take care of us. Well, I’m asking you now: since you drove him out, shouldn’t Second Brother be taking care of us? After all, without Big Brother here, he’s the oldest now."
Seeing Li Man holding nothing back, Ge Er Ya started crying. "Third Brother, everything I did was for you children!"
Li Man laughed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "For us? No, Mom, you did it for yourself. For the sake of four of your sons, you were willing to drive your firstborn to his death. Is that what being a mother means to you? Does that mean that one day, for the sake of the other three, you’ll be prepared to drive me to my death, too?"
Seeing the looks of utter disbelief on everyone’s faces, Li Man started laughing, but tears soon streamed down his cheeks. He looked at his mother, her head bowed as she wiped away her tears, and spoke softly. "With a mother like you, we’re all completely ruined. Big Brother saw you for who you really are. He couldn’t be bothered to fight with you anymore, so he’s keeping his distance. He genuinely never wants to see you again. Mom... how could your heart be so cruel? ’For us’?"
He glanced around the room. "For us? By letting us drink his blood, eat his flesh, and gnaw on his bones? Sister-in-law said it that day: even if we were to drink his blood and eat his flesh, Big Brother would have to be willing, wouldn’t he? But he isn’t willing, Mom. He’s not willing! So what are you going to do now? Are you going to push him until he imitates Nezha? ’Returning his bones to his father, his flesh to his mother’!"
"Why are you making it sound so serious? He’s a capable man. I just wanted him to give his brothers a leg up!" Ge Er Ya said plaintively. As for what she was truly thinking, only heaven knew.