My mom’s life motto was “Taking a Loss is a Blessing.” She firmly believed that every concession and sacrifice in life would eventually transform into good fortune. When I asked her why, she’d say it was the wisdom of our ancestors: “A little patience calms the storm, and stepping back gives you endless possibilities.” What’s ridiculous is that no one in our entire family could sway her even an inch. Until I turned 20. I’d just won half a million dollars in a startup competition and landed an investment offer. But Mom, wanting to help my uncle Gary, whose business had tanked, used emotional blackmail to make me lend him all the money so he could get back on his feet. I refused and had a huge fight with her. What I got back wasn’t family understanding, but everyone’s moral judgment. My dad, Arthur, sighed and said, “Your mom’s doing this for your own good.” My younger brother, Leo, chimed in, “Come on, Chloe, just think of it as accumulating good karma. Uncle Gary will pay you back later.” My mom, Brenda, burst into tears, accusing me of being unfilial and predicting I’d suffer huge losses someday for being so petty. In the end, after Uncle Gary ran off with all my hopes, and my whole family turned around to blame me for even entering the competition in the first place, I leaped from the rooftop in despair. If I get to live again, I swear, I’m going to see if your “Taking a Loss is a Blessing” philosophy can truly protect our family. … The study window was open, and the wind blew in, scattering papers on the desk. I stood at the study door, my “well-meaning” family inside. My mom was trying to persuade me with a bitter look on her face. “Chloe, just listen to your mom this once. Let your cousin Isabelle have that spot. She’s not as good at studying as you, and she needs this chance more to broaden her horizons. Stepping back is how we accumulate blessings for our family.” My younger brother, Leo, who’d just started college, nodded along. “Yeah, Chloe, it’s just a summer intensive, right? There’ll be plenty of other opportunities later. Isabelle is so pathetic.” “So pathetic”? That was the *only* spot I’d earned, pulling all-nighters, out of thousands of applicants. And they just so casually demanded I give it up. If I hadn’t been good enough, fine, but I won this fair and square! My dad, Arthur, noticed my sour expression and tried to smooth things over. “Chloe, your mom’s right. Taking a Loss is a Blessing.” And my mom, Brenda, pulled me aside immediately and began her brainwashing. “Why are you so stubborn, child? If you take all the good things for yourself, your blessings will be thin. Share some with others, and Heaven will truly bless you. Listen to your mom; I’m the most farsighted person in this family, I’d never harm you.” Hearing this, I felt a chilling wave of despair. Ever since I was little, everything in our family ultimately had to follow my mom’s “taking a loss” philosophy. No matter how absurd the decision was. She believed her patience and sacrifice were the roots of our family, the source of our good fortune. My maternal aunt, Diane, Isabelle’s mom, saw I wasn’t budging and immediately squeezed out a few tears. “Chloe, I know this is hard for you. But look at your cousin. If she doesn’t get this chance, her life might be ruined. You’d be doing a great deed, accumulating good karma.” I looked at my family, not a single one truly cared about me. But they didn’t know how many disasters, caused by their “taking a loss” mentality, I had subconsciously helped them avoid over the years. Yet, when it was my turn, they collectively handed me the knife. Thinking of this, I gave up all hope for this family and decisively gave in. When I woke up again, I heard my dad’s excited voice. “Chloe, I’m almost certain to get that internal promotion at the office this time! It’s all thanks to those project reports you helped me organize last time. So clear and logical, my boss praised me!” The familiar voice and scene made me instantly dazed. Was I… alive again? From my dad’s words, I knew I was back to the day his colleague stole his credit. In my previous life, my dad was full of confidence, but then Mr. Davies, his most trusted colleague, stabbed him in the back, stole all the credit, and took the promotion spot. When I found out, I stayed up two days and a night, found evidence of Mr. Davies’s fraud, and told my dad to confront him. But my mom stubbornly blocked him, saying we couldn’t be so extreme. Losing credit was fate, she said; we should accept it. This was “taking a loss,” and blessings would come eventually. My dad, talked out of it by her, ultimately gave up on the confrontation. He didn’t get any blessings. Instead, because of this “loss,” he became known as a pushover at work and was miserable for many years. Thinking of my mom’s “blessings” theory from my past life, my heart turned to stone. You all love “Taking a Loss is a Blessing,” don’t you? You all listen to her, right? This time, I’m going to see where your blessings come from. With that thought, I gave my dad a worried smile. “Dad, you really shouldn’t think that way.” My tone changed, and I took his hand. “Dad, have you forgotten what Mom always says? The closer something good is, the more low-key you should be, or you’ll scare the good fortune away. Our whole family listens to Mom; I’m sure she wouldn’t want you to fight for this.” 2 As soon as I mentioned Mom, my dad’s smile instantly froze. He awkwardly rubbed his hands together. “Chloe, this is different, this is Dad’s own hard-earned…” “Dad, I know you’re capable,” I nodded understandingly, “But Mom says, the more capable you are, the more you should know when to step back. She calls it ‘keeping your edge hidden,’ and it’s an even bigger blessing.” My dad clearly hesitated; he knew how stubborn my mom was. Sure enough, at dinner that night, as soon as my dad mentioned the promotion, my mom’s face dropped. The others at the table just kept their heads down, eating, as if nothing was wrong. But I still asked, “Mom, if Dad gets promoted, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Why aren’t you happy?” Hearing me, my mom immediately put down her forks and launched into a long lecture. “What good thing? The nail that sticks out gets hammered down! Your dad’s current position is stable and secure, what’s wrong with that? Why push to be the one sticking out? What if something goes wrong? All our blessings will be gone. The old saying goes, ‘Taking a Loss is a Blessing,’ and a simple, peaceful life is the true path.” Under the tablecloth, my dad’s fists clenched, but he still didn’t dare to argue. Just then, my dad’s phone rang. It was a colleague from work, saying the final list was out, and it was my dad. My dad just started to show a hint of joy when my mom snatched the phone. “Hello, Mr. Davies? This is Arthur’s wife. About this promotion, our family discussed it, and we think you’re more suitable than Arthur. We’re giving it to you, so please don’t refuse. We’re all colleagues; helping each other is just what we do. Think of it as our family accumulating some blessings…” My dad stared, dumbfounded, trying to grab his phone back, but my mom’s glare made him stop. The people at the table still didn’t dare to say a word. In my previous life, I would have argued fiercely. Now, I just found it utterly ridiculous. One willing to beat, one willing to be beaten. As expected, my mom hung up and triumphantly told my dad, “See? Wasn’t I right? Mr. Davies was almost in tears on the phone, saying our family is like living saints. See, aren’t the blessings coming now? He’ll definitely look out for you at work from now on.” My dad’s face was ashen; he couldn’t utter a word. Leo, my brother, acted like it had nothing to do with him, just focusing on his phone. Only I noticed a glint of tears in my dad’s eyes; he must have been fuming. But if he was willing to put up with it, then so be it. My mom, with pride in her eyes, proclaimed to us, “People just shouldn’t be too calculating. The more you give, the more blessings you get. So you all must listen to me!” Then, she pulled my brother Leo closer. “Leo, you failed your exam again this time. Did your classmates bully you and keep you from studying properly?” My brother, who was playing on his phone, immediately slumped, because he simply didn’t like studying. In my previous life, my mom asked the same thing, and I’d directly pointed out that Leo was just lazy and didn’t study. That earned me a scolding from my mom. “How can you talk about your brother like that? He must have his reasons. As his older sister, you should share his burdens more, take some losses for him, and your blessings will transfer to him.” But for my brother’s future, I stuck to my guns and signed him up for tutoring. Eventually, my mom compromised, and my brother’s grades didn’t completely fall apart. At that moment, Leo’s eyes pleaded with me because he knew that in this family, only I dared to tell Mom the truth. But this time, I was going to disappoint him. Didn’t he say in my previous life that Mom was always right? Well, this time, let him taste the consequences of Mom’s “Taking a Loss is a Blessing” philosophy himself. My usually domineering mom, seeing that I didn’t step forward to “scold” my brother, glanced at me displeased. After some hesitation, she turned to my dad, Arthur. “Honey, what are we going to do about Leo? Maybe we should talk to his teacher. It must be the teacher’s fault for not teaching him well.” My dad, still fuming, bristled at her words. He couldn’t believe that after his own major life event had been ruined, my mom still had the nerve to twist the truth like this. Before any of us could react, he slammed his hand on the table. “Enough! A doting mother spoils her child! If he doesn’t study, it’s *his* problem! You keep talking about ‘Taking a Loss is a Blessing,’ but I think our family’s blessings will be completely ruined by you and this boy sooner or later!” With that, he stormed back to his room and slammed the door shut. My mom, Leo, and I were all stunned. Because this kind of outburst was something we were all too familiar with in our family. Normally, I would have gone to comfort my dad and tried to convince my mom not to be so extreme. But today, I wanted to be as indifferent as my brother. All because my mom, such a “kind” person, could make excuses for my brother’s laziness but wouldn’t say a word for the hard-earned opportunity I’d achieved. It turned out she understood everything; it was just a matter of prioritizing interests, and I was always the one to be sacrificed, the one to “take the loss.” My mom looked at me for help, thinking I’d mediate as I always had. But I didn’t move until the very end. Finally, my mom’s gaze turned resentful. I was shocked, and I didn’t understand. 3 She didn’t hate herself for ruining her husband’s future, didn’t hate that her favorite son was a disappointment. Instead, she hated *me*. Finally, my mom wiped her tears and spat at my brother, “Worthless thing! When did this family ever need your dad to worry? Honestly, you can’t handle a little loss, no wonder you have no blessings. I’m telling you, in this family, only what I say counts!” Then she turned to me. “Chloe, what do you think?” At this point, I was too tired to argue with her. How could I dare to say no? I could only nod quickly, indicating, “Whatever Mom says!” Over the next month, my dad became a complete joke at work. That Mr. Davies wasn’t grateful at all; instead, he went around proclaiming how my dad had voluntarily stepped aside, making himself look like the popular choice. My brother, Leo, emboldened, watched his test scores plummet. My mom, Brenda, went to the school every day, causing trouble for the teachers, insisting it was their fault. And I grew even more silent, though the coldness in my eyes when I looked at my mom was impossible to hide. Then came the day my brother was caught cheating at school and even got into a fight with a teacher. By the time my mom arrived at the school, Dean Miller had delivered a final ultimatum. “Mrs. Harper, your son’s behavior has seriously violated school rules. We’ve decided to expel him.” As soon as my mom heard “expel,” she immediately panicked, cautiously asking, “Dean Miller, no, that can’t be right. My Leo is usually so well-behaved. Is there some misunderstanding?” Dean Miller shook his head. “No misunderstanding. We have witnesses and evidence. You should complete the paperwork as soon as possible, so it doesn’t affect other students’ learning.” But my mom couldn’t hear him anymore. The word “expel” echoed in her mind. For her, who firmly believed in “Taking a Loss is a Blessing,” this consequence was a disaster, a sudden misfortune before any blessings arrived. My brother, Leo, standing beside her, said nothing when he heard the disciplinary decision. After Dean Miller left, my mom turned to my brother and immediately demanded, “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t I tell you to take more losses at school? Why did you get into a fight with the teacher?” Leo looked startled, wanting to argue, but seeing my mom’s furious glare, he could only shut his mouth sheepishly. Finally, my mom slapped her thigh and declared, “Leo, don’t listen to that Dean Miller. They just want to push the blame. Your mom has a great idea that will let you stay in school!” My brother’s eyes lit up when he heard Mom had a solution, but then a flicker of suspicion crossed his face. “Mom, you’re not the principal. What good idea could you have?” My mom got annoyed when my brother dared to question her. “Leo, your mom is the backbone of this family. There’s nothing I can’t solve. Just listen to me. If I say you can stay, you can stay!” Leo had no choice but to follow my mom’s plan. And the plan my mom came up with was to stage a sit-in protest outside the District Office! She confidently told my brother, “Leo, remember last time when Mrs. Miller’s son next door was wrongly accused, and she went and sat in, and the problem was solved? If she can do it, so can we. We’ve suffered a huge injustice. We’re taking this loss, and Heaven will give us blessings.” My brother’s confidence immediately surged when he heard my mom say this. “Oh yeah, that did happen. Mom, you’re so smart!” Listening from the side, I just found it absurd. A sit-in solving a problem? Only a fool would believe that. And yet, no one in our family, not even my dad, dared to question my mom’s ridiculous idea. Since that was the case, I could only grit my teeth and go along with them. But that wasn’t the end of it. My dad, Arthur, started having problems too. In these two days since Leo was expelled, no one at home was looking after him. He finally got to cut loose, spending all his time outside with a bunch of shady characters. My mom had specifically told me to keep an eye on my brother and “take more losses” for him. I agreed verbally, but actually, I was preparing for my startup competition these two days and had no time to manage him. My dad also felt sorry for Leo, and Leo kept complaining. “Dad, you don’t know how bored I am at home every day. If it weren’t for Mom, I’d still be in school.” My dad then gave me a meaningful look. “If your sister had convinced your mom more back then, you might not have been expelled.” I scoffed internally. He was trying to pass the blame onto me. My brother, hearing this, immediately shoved me twice. “It’s all your fault!” I just coldly watched the two of them. Eventually, my mom found out about my brother’s troublemaking outside. That day, I came home after my preliminary competition, and the house was a mess. While I was still wondering what happened, a neighbor suddenly poked her head out and told me, “Chloe, hurry to the police station! Something big has happened with your family!” 4 When I got to the police station, I learned from the officers what had happened. It wasn’t anything “big.” It was just my brother getting into a fight, and my dad getting dragged into it. My dad was okay, but my brother, Leo, was in bad shape. After my mom returned from her fruitless protest at the school, she found my brother wasn’t home. At first, my mom didn’t believe it; she couldn’t accept that her precious son would secretly defy her. She stormed out to find him and eventually found him gambling at a pool hall, getting into a fight after losing money. My mom felt her authority challenged. So she grabbed a nearby stool and joined the brawl. “You punks! How dare you bully my son! You’re barely grown, and you think you can turn the world upside down?” As luck would have it, the other side had more people, and my mom and brother were quickly overwhelmed, both beaten black and blue. My dad, Arthur, rushed over when he heard the commotion, let out a yell, and charged into the fight, clawing and scratching at the group. My dad was completely enraged. For so many years, he had silently endured my mom’s “Taking a Loss is a Blessing” philosophy. But today, for his beloved son, he finally learned to fight back. You see, it really depends on the person. If I had been the one in trouble today, I believe my dad wouldn’t have said a word, even if I was beaten to death. Let alone muster the courage to get into a fight. Thinking of this, my eyes welled up. Even though I knew the outcome, experiencing it firsthand was still bitter. But how could their three people stand against a group of thugs? They all ended up beaten and lying on the ground. My brother Leo could only watch helplessly, groaning and clutching his arm, yelling, “Mom, my arm, my arm feels broken!” My mom finally realized the seriousness of the situation, called the police, and everyone was taken to the station. My brother was still at the hospital. The police said Leo’s arm had a comminuted fracture, meaning it was likely crippled for life. My mom refused to accept this fact, gripping the officer’s uniform. “Officer, no, that can’t be right. They just pushed him once. How could he have a broken bone?” The officer asked my mom if Leo had been getting enough calcium. A flicker of guilt crossed my mom’s eyes when she heard the question. “It’s nothing much, I was doing it for his own good, making him take more losses.” The officer looked confused. “He’s only a teenager, still growing. What kind of losses are you making him take?” My mom, even at this point, hadn’t realized her mistake and retorted discontentedly, “Taking a Loss is a Blessing! When I was a kid, I was hungry all the time. Why can’t he do it?” The officer rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Everyone’s body is different; you can’t generalize. Now, we can only hope for the child’s recovery!” My brother, Leo, lay on the hospital bed, eyes vacant. He still didn’t know he’d be half-crippled for life. I went to my dad’s room. As luck would have it, he woke up just as I entered. He woke up, grabbed my hand, and burst into tears. “Chloe, your mother, she’s not human. She actually harmed your brother like this. Didn’t she say Taking a Loss is a Blessing? Your brother is her son too!” Seeing my indifference, he viciously pinched the back of my hand, making me wince in pain. “Chloe, what do you say we cut ties with your mom?” No sooner had he spoken than his eyes widened in terror. He turned around and saw my mom, Brenda, standing at the door, her face dark. My mom, holding a payment slip, walked step by step to my dad’s bed, slamming the slip onto the table, and coldly questioned him. “What about cutting ties?”
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