The moment Li Lei mentioned to me that he wanted to take his girlfriend home for the holidays, I had mixed tastes in my heart, happy and apprehensive.
As a mother, I certainly hope that my son will find a partner and start a warm little home soon. Li Lei is thirty-one years old, the best marriage age, but he has always been uncertain, and we as parents have long been anxious.
But he always fished for three days and dried his nets for two days, and he was always not sure.
"Li Lei, look at the son of the old Wang family next door, who is two years younger than you and has already married and had children. If you don't hurry, the good girl will be rushed by others.
"Dad, don't worry. I'll always find the right person. Li Lei prevaricated like this every time.
At first, we can understand Li Lei's caution. Getting married is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime event, and choosing a partner cannot be blindly rushed.
When the children were older and did not come home, our husband and wife ate and watched TV in the empty house, silently making small calculations in our hearts, thinking about when we would be able to hold our grandson.
That's two or three years.
Finally, on a sunny weekend, Li Lei called and said to me in a brisk tone: "Mom, next month's May Day, I want to take my girlfriend home to meet you and Dad."
I was so excited that my hands and feet went limp, and I almost knocked over the water cup in my hand. My wife hurried over to help me when she heard the voice, and her face showed an unconcealable joy.
"This kid hides really deeply, when has he been in love?" My wife said excitedly.
"She must be a gentle and virtuous good girl to be able to enter our Lei Lei's eyes." I've already started to make up my future daughter-in-law.
After hanging up the phone, our husband and wife immediately began to book restaurants, buy ingredients, and prepare for a grand family banquet for Li Lei and his girlfriend.
On the eve of May Day, Li Lei called on time to tell us that he could go home at noon tomorrow. My wife drove to pick them up, and I cleaned up the house after I was busy at home.
At noon the next day, the doorbell finally rang. I came to the door with my head held high and radiant to welcome this moment we had been waiting for.
The moment the doorbell rang, my heart beat with excitement and I hurriedly opened the door. I saw my wife walking in front with a smile, Li Lei following behind, and a beautiful girl with a slender figure and fair skin next to him.
"Mom, this is my girlfriend Xiaofang." Li Lei introduced me with a smile.
I looked up and down at this radiant little girl in front of me, and the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. Xiaofang has waist-length hair, beautiful facial features, and a quiet demeanor.
"Hello aunt, my name is Lin Xiaofang, it's nice to meet you." Xiaofang smiled sweetly and greeted me.
"Xiaofang is good!" I excitedly took her hand, "Come in and sit!" ”
As soon as she entered the house, Xiaofang carefully took off her coat for her wife and me, and poured water for us at the dining table. Her every move is so polite and decent, and she can see that she is a good girl who is gentle and sensible.
"Auntie worked hard, today's meal is really hearty." Xiao Fang sat down with a smile and looked at the dishes on the table.
"These are all home-cooked dishes that I usually cook for Lei Lei, I don't know if it suits your taste." I looked at Xiaofang a little nervously.
"Very tasty!" Xiaofang took a bite of fried meat and praised, "Auntie's craftsmanship is so good, I will learn more from you in the future."
After eating a meal, looking at the rice grains on Xiaofang's mouth, I couldn't help but pick up a tissue to help her wipe it off. Xiao Fang was stunned for a moment, then smiled, and took the initiative to take the tissue and wipe her mouth.
"Auntie, you must be tired after hard work! Come, let me help you clean up. After eating, Xiaofang stood up without saying a word and began to clean up the dishes and chopsticks.
"How does this work!" I was busy stopping her, "You are a guest, how can you work?" ”
"Auntie, cleaning up the housework should be, don't worry." Xiaofang couldn't help but say and cleaned up the dining table with Li Lei.
Seeing Xiao Fang busy before and after, with a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, a warm current surged in my heart. Such a good girl who is virtuous and knowledgeable, she is really one in a million.
After dinner, Xiaofang took the initiative to take on the task of washing dishes. Li Lei was busy trying to help, but she gently stopped him and asked Li Lei to accompany us to talk.
"Lei Lei, it is your blessing to have such a virtuous girlfriend." I couldn't help but say to Li Lei.
"I also know I've found a good partner." A long-lost smile appeared on Li Lei's face.
This night, we slept very soundly. The family finally has the breath of a hostess, and I am already looking forward to a happy future.
During this time, Xiaofang often came to her home as a guest. The more I looked at her, the more I liked her, and I felt that she was not only beautiful and gentle, but also very feminine, and no matter what chores she did, she was clean and neat.
As the wife of a son, the woman's family environment and life history are obviously very important. My wife and I politely didn't ask, but curiosity drove me to know more.
At noon that day, my wife was not at home, just me and Xiaofang. I made up my mind that I would take this opportunity to cleverly set up some of Xiaofang's family situation.
"Xiaofang, come, try this dish I newly learned and see how it tastes." I smiled and pushed a plate of carefully cooked braised pork in front of Xiao Fang.
"Okay." Xiaofang picked up the chopsticks and tasted it, "Auntie's craft is getting better and better!" ”
"That's boasting. How can my old lady know what a new style of cooking! The dish is only slightly improved, do you taste it? "I picked up a topic.
"Very well improved, delicious sauce, delicious meat, really home-cooked to make the taste of a fancy hotel." Xiao Fang was full of praise.
"Hey, someone as tasteful as you must have been wearing snacks, and your parents raised you very hard."
"It's okay. My parents are also ordinary wage earners, not as good as my aunt imagined. A trace of embarrassment flashed on Xiao Fang's face.
"What do your parents do?" I asked.
"My dad is an ordinary worker, and my mom works as a clerk in the neighborhood office." Xiaofang's voice lowered.
"Then what are their requirements for you to get married..." I asked tentatively.
"This..." Xiao Fang paused for a moment, "I haven't discussed it specifically with my parents. ”
"Also, I haven't officially introduced this child to your family." I laughed awkwardly twice, and then changed my tone, "But you young people are engaged, so you will inevitably have to prepare some bride price or something."
"Auntie!" Xiao Fang's face turned red, "We haven't talked so far, I'm embarrassed to say this."
I saw that Xiaofang's whole person was uncomfortable, so I quickly stopped this topic and chatted about other things. Her parents' status seems ordinary, but anyway, with such a virtuous and capable daughter-in-law, my wife and I are already satisfied.
Although I have tried it a few times, Xiaofang is still secretive about her family background. Until one day, Xiaofang finally poured out her heart knot and told her unknown life story.
"Xiaofang, what's wrong with you today? Is it uncomfortable somewhere? I asked with concern.
"It's okay aunt, I just have something I want to talk to you about." Xiao Fang's voice was very soft, and her eyes were evasive.
"Say something. Auntie listened. I looked at her with concern.
"Auntie, I want to tell you about my life." Xiao Fang put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hand and sat down across from me.
I could see that Xiaofang was going through some kind of inner struggle, quietly waiting for her to speak out from her heart.
"Actually, I'm not the rich family you think." Xiaofang began to tell, "My father was a firefighter, and when my mother was pregnant, my father died to save people.
My grandmother pulled me up, but my grandmother's health also deteriorated. So I have always had low self-esteem and did not dare to accept any pursuit.
When I heard this, my heart was mixed. It turned out that Xiaofang had experienced so many misfortunes, but she was still strong to this day.
"Auntie, I know that my background is a burden for Lei Lei. You must think I don't deserve him. Xiao Fang said with red eyes.
"My child, don't say that." I quickly comforted her, "You are so kind and hardworking, that's the most important thing." Your uncle and I will definitely support you fully.
"Really?" Xiaofang looked at me in surprise, "Then I am so grateful!" It is my blessing that you can accept me. ”
"Silly girl, meeting you is a blessing for our family." I stroked Xiaofang's hair distressedly.
After that day, Xiaofang completely opened her heart, as if she had changed a person, and smiled. I am even more convinced that she will definitely become Li Lei's best other half.
Just when I decided to fully support Li Lei and Xiaofang's marriage, a new problem was placed in front of us - the opposition of relatives and friends.
I didn't plan to tell others about Xiaofang's family history, but I didn't expect that the news still leaked out.
"Aunt Zhang, I say this for the good of your family." My good sister Li Hong was the first to call.
"Find a girl with a good family as a daughter-in-law, and you will live a stable life in the future." This Xiaofang can't do it, she doesn't even have parents, she still has a sick old grandmother, and she will only delay your family in the future.
Before I could answer, a second call followed. It was my husband's old colleague Ma Qian calling.
"Uncle Zhang, I understand your painstaking efforts as parents, but marriage cannot go to extremes." Ma Qian's tone was also very serious, "This family matter involves too much, and we must be cautious."
Over the next few days, dissuasive calls followed. My wife and I put our marriage on hold for the time being, thinking about how to respond.
"Their advice also makes sense." The wife frowned and said, "Xiaofang's family lineage is indeed not conducive to Li Lei's future.
"But didn't we already promise Xiaofang?" I didn't feel good.
"It's not impossible to change candidates, as long as it is handled safely, Xiaofang will understand." The wife said.
"Aren't all these years of her pain and persistence in vain?" I said excitedly, "She is so good, she is worthy of Li Lei."
The wife hesitated, and finally nodded: "You are right, we can't break our word." Xiaofang deserves our full dedication.
I let out a long breath. We decided to ignore the outside world and prepare for their marriage!
After layers of tests, the marriage of Li Lei and Xiaofang was finally finalized. At the engagement ceremony, I could see Xiaofang's excitement and emotion.
"Mom, you trust and support me so much, I will repay you with my life!" Xiao Fang said to me with red eyes.
After marriage, Xiaofang took good care of my wife and me, just as she promised. She got up early and greedily did housework, cooked meals and waited for us to get up and eat.
Our husband and wife were overjoyed, as if we had returned to our youth.
Not only that, Xiaofang also took good care of her elderly and frail grandmother. Every day, she went to the first floor to deliver food to her grandmother, chatting with her, chatting with her, and doing some simple housework by the way.
"If it weren't for your family being so nice to my granddaughter, I would have gone to see you a long time ago." Grandma said gratefully, shaking my hand.
Under Xiaofang's care, her grandmother's physical condition has actually improved significantly. I couldn't hide the joy in my eyes – the advice of my friends and family had indeed made a big mistake.
Six months later, Xiaofang became pregnant. She smiled like a flower to report the good news to us, and I was in tears. The wife was so happy that she couldn't speak, and her face was filled with the joy of fatherly love that had been lost for a long time.
Sure enough, Xiaofang successfully gave birth to a dragon and phoenix fetus, and our whole family was immersed in joy and happiness. Li Lei also rose step by step in his career and became a manager.
Today, I often think back to the twists and turns of the beginning, and I am glad that I made a decision immediately and did not change my original intention by external influences.
At the 100-day banquet after Xiaofang gave birth to the dragon and phoenix fetus, our family came to her parents' cemetery, and Xiaofang made a promise to the tombstone.
"Dad, mom, your daughter has found happiness. This family loves me like a family member and I will always take care of them.
My wife and I also knelt down and kowtowed, and said sincerely: "Two benevolent people, don't worry." We will definitely protect Xiaofang forever and not let her suffer the slightest grievance.
I looked at the black-and-white photos of Xiaofang's parents on the tombstone, and a sense of admiration rose in my heart. Two ordinary laborers illuminate others with their own lives, but also leave sorrow; However, their daughter inherited their goodness and strength and found happiness.
"Rest assured, we will always love this home." I promise Xiaofang's parents again.
At this time, a gentle spring breeze blew through, and the sunlight passed through the gaps in the trees and sprinkled on the tombstones. The cemetery is quiet, with a few occasional birdsongs, which adds a bit of life.
"Mom and Dad are also blessed by the Spirit of Heaven." Xiaofang said with a smile.
"Let's go, kid, go home." I helped Xiaofang and walked with my wife to the gate of the cemetery.
At this moment, it was as if we had become a family. A family, through sorrow, ushered in happiness; A family, taking on sacrifices, reaping happiness; A family, through hardships, finally found the meaning of life.
I knew that this was the beginning of a full family. From now on, we will go hand in hand to get through every cycle of life.