The human heart is made of flesh
You come and go in the warmth of my back and forth
There is also some faint affection
Author 丨 Liu Qi
In my memories, countless good times are related to my family.
Did you go home this May Day? Share an interesting and warm story with you, whether you are sitting with your family at this moment, or you are still busy at your post, spend a warm reading time with us!
01
A few days ago, taking advantage of the change of seasons, I packed up some small clothes and picture books that my son did not read, and sent them to the children of the little uncle's family.
The mother-in-law who lives with them is particularly happy and has a long video chat with her husband.
I was lying alone in bed brushing short videos, too lazy to "mix" their motherly kindness and filial piety.
My mother-in-law and I didn't get along very well, and everyone knew it.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have saddled up and taken care of my uncle and daughter-in-law, who was only three months pregnant, when my son was not yet a year old.
But I don't feel sorry for it, but I am excited that life has finally returned to normal.
In fact, there is no deep hatred between us, and the so-called contradictions are small things that cannot be talked about who is right and who is wrong.
In the end, one sentence can be summed up: two strong women, neither of them will give in and accommodate.
02
Soon after my husband and I got married, my mother-in-law lived with us for a while from time to time.
The first piece of high ground she occupied when she came to my house was the kitchen, on the grounds that I was too tired at work and that she could just leave the small things of cooking to her.
However, she did not take care of my taste at all, heavy salt and heavy oil, and after knowing that I did not eat ginger, she simply chopped the ginger into pieces, and ate a meal like a pregnancy reaction.
I told my husband about this matter and was also taught by my husband: I should eat the meals made by my elders with a grateful heart.
The most interesting thing is that once I stewed silver ear lotus seed soup, and my husband praised it.
After a few days, the mother-in-law also made a silver ear lotus seed soup, probably to be better, she added pepper and coriander to it...
The so-called many disputes between me and my mother-in-law are funny in retrospect.
For example, when I first gave birth to a child, I said that the newborn could not use a pillow, the mother-in-law had to use it, and then like a thief, I quickly let the child pillow for a few minutes when I was not paying attention;
For example, she uses my facial cleanser as a brush to brush my shoes;
I invited her to study the Sears Encyclopedia of Intimate Parenting, and she said, "Chinese raise children to read books written by foreigners?" I raised two sons, none of whom died..."
My husband, who was supposed to be a bridge, was basically a tofu slag project, and he couldn't count on it at all, otherwise my mother-in-law and I wouldn't have become more and more stiff.
He is always with the slime pie, and there is only one principle, "You can't divorce my mother for my mother, and you can't want my mother for your daughter-in-law." ”
My mother-in-law and I both found out that he was embarrassed, so after learning that the little uncle and daughter-in-law were pregnant, the mother-in-law announced at the first time that she was going to help them with the child, and said that the daughter-in-law had severe morning sickness, and she had to go early.
I not only beat the gong and drum to send farewell, but also gave the radiation protection suit I wore during pregnancy to my sister-in-law.
Since then, my mother-in-law and I have been beautiful from each other, living a polite and embarrassing life, greeting politely every New Year's Festival, and not getting together unnecessarily.
We lived in peace like this for many years.
However, sometimes looking at my husband's face carved out of a mold with my mother-in-law, I occasionally think: What does the old lady not know lately? But if you invite her to stay for a few days, you still can't say it.
Getting along is always risky, and there are some things, whoever opens his mouth first loses, I don't want face?
03
This time, my husband and mother-in-law finished talking and ran to the bedroom to look at me meaningfully: "You sent clothes to my brother's children two days ago, did you accidentally clip some treasure in it?" ”
"Oh, what treasure can I have?" I pretend to be stupid.
In the middle of the night, just after falling asleep, my husband suddenly leaned into his ear and asked, "How long have you been secretly communicating with my mother like this?" "I pretended to sleep.
He smiled helplessly and said, "You women... Oh, yes, my mother said, let you not spend money on her, just know that you have her in your heart..."
I have her in my heart?
I did have an emerald ring in my child's package. Of course, it was for my mother-in-law, not only the emerald ring, but also the silk scarf, shoes, salted duck eggs, egg yolk puff pastry...
When did this secret exchange begin? It probably started with two cans of coffee and a large bag of shells.
One year, my mother-in-law joined a tour group to Hainan, during which she kept complaining about being deceived in our WeChat group called "Love family".
It is said that the breakfast served free of charge in the hotel is only white porridge and side dishes, lunch and dinner costs should be taken care of, the place where the tour guide takes to eat is very expensive, in order to save money, she eats as much breakfast as possible, so that the money for lunch is saved, and the dinner will eat instant noodles.
It's really angry and funny to listen to! I have long told her that cheap tour groups are unreliable, and they are all out, so what can you do to save money for a few meals? Going out to play, of course, the mood is the most important ah.
After returning from the tour, my mother-in-law stopped by my house for two days, and after she left, I found two cans of coffee in the kitchen cupboard and a large bag of shells in the shelf of the fish tank.
I love coffee. My mother-in-law occasionally came to visit my children at home, and in order to avoid contradictions, I tried not to be alone with her, preferring to stay in the café until my husband left work.
My mother-in-law said that I was tired of a good life and had to drink some bitter water.
Despite this, she bought coffee for me when she traveled, knowing that she was a person who was reluctant to spend money on even eating.
The bag of shells she had picked up to decorate her son's fish tank.
I don't know why I have this picture in my mind: she doesn't eat lunch to save money, and then a person is picking up shells on the hot beach against the poisonous sun...
I couldn't talk about tears, but at that time, my heart was really not tasteful.
04
But this may not be the starting point of our secret exchanges, perhaps even earlier.
Once, I found that my mother-in-law was wearing a red silk scarf in every photo in Hainan, and she also deliberately told her husband that it was sent by me.
I sent it? I was stunned for a moment before I remembered that I went to Hangzhou one year and bought my mother a silk scarf, she didn't like it, so I gave it to my mother-in-law...
Unexpectedly, she kept it. My mother-in-law loves face, and must go around telling people that it was sent by Xi'an's eldest daughter-in-law, silk, and old and expensive.
Out of guilt, when I sent clothes to my uncle's children that year, I clipped a carefully selected silk scarf in it.
After that, the mother-in-law will definitely wear these two silk scarves when she travels, regardless of spring, summer, autumn or winter. Her father-in-law and husband laughed at her vulgarity, but she happily said that she liked her willingness.
Later, one year when I went to my in-laws' house for the New Year, my father-in-law complained that I didn't know who had sent a necklace to my mother-in-law, and my mother-in-law had to buy a black sweater with that necklace for the New Year.
I pretended it didn't matter to me, and I didn't tell anyone else that I had sent it.
I also did not tell others, the first day we came back, just found a pack of sanitary napkins and a hot water bottle on the bedroom pillow, I now remember the sanitary napkin or the brand I often use, my husband can not accurately say what my menstrual period is, only know that I will be particularly painful in those days, and we have lived with us for a while but she remembers these details...
Keigo Higashino wrote in "The New Counselor" that women are very complicated, and on the surface it seems that the relationship is not good, but in fact it may be the opposite. Don't worry, they have their own means of communication.
I looked at my sleeping husband next to me: This guy should be thinking the same thing now.
In fact, I don't feel so close to her, and I never feel that I have her in my heart, but every time I receive her love, I am deeply disturbed not to give back.
People's hearts are all flesh, maybe it is in this kind of you and me, harvested unexpected warmth, perhaps, there is some faint affection in this warmth.
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Author: Liu Qi, real name Liu Yun, once served as a small editor of an emotional magazine, is currently a family breeder, raising flowers, fish, insects, dogs, and children.
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Editor/Liu Xiaotao Review/Astro Boy
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4.15 Yuanqi listed