My name is Li Tong and I am an ordinary white-collar worker. I have been married for many years and have a daughter with my husband.
It was a sunny morning, and I was on my way to work when I got a phone call. On the other side of the phone, my mother's anxious voice came: "Tongtong, go home quickly, your mother-in-law has a stroke!" My heart suddenly panched, and I put down what I was doing and went home immediately.
Back home, I saw a scene that broke my heart. The mother-in-law lay on the bed, motionless, as if she had lost the breath of life.
"I can't stand this situation, and I deeply understand that if I don't deal with it now, my mother-in-law's situation will only get worse.
So, I decided to quit my job and focus on taking care of my mother-in-law. I took great care of her daily life and took her to do rehabilitation training, hoping that she would recover soon.
Gradually, I found out that my mother-in-law was very fond of my sister. Every time we met, my mother-in-law always deliberately showed favor to my sister, but she was cold to me.
However, the truth was soon revealed. One day, I happened to see my sister talking to her mother-in-law. My sister said, "Mom, I'm going to buy a house recently and I don't have any money, can you help me?" The mother-in-law agreed without hesitation: "Okay, I'll give you the pension you received when you got married."
When I heard this, my heart was like a knife. My mother-in-law has worked tirelessly to take care of our family over the years, and I have never doubted her love and dedication.
Not only that, but in the days that followed, she could also transfer all the pocket money she gave me to my sister.
My sister didn't feel guilty about it, she always put herself first. I once asked my mother-in-law how she raised my sister before I was born.
In the face of all this, I dare not allow myself to be silent any longer. Once, I shouted at my sister, "Sister, can you not always be self-centered?" I give more than you do, but I get less.
Later, with the help of my husband, I made my position clear. My mother-in-law realized her injustice, and although she was embarrassed, she still gave me 100,000 yuan as a dowry gift from my mother-in-law's family before marriage.
Now, I have decided to stay with my mother-in-law until she recovers, until she refreshes herself and experiences the warmth of motherhood again. I know that the conflicts and conflicts between families cannot be repaired with money, but I am willing to work for family unity and harmony.
Life gradually returned to peace, and I continued to take care of my mother-in-law's daily life. I tried to stop worrying about my mother-in-law's partiality towards my sister, after all, my mother-in-law also grew up beside her, and there is an indescribable tacit understanding emotionally.
However, family strife always seems inevitable. One day, I was tidying up my room and found a loan contract about my sister.
I decided to tell my husband about it, and he started to worry about it. So, we secretly investigated.
I was angry and disappointed that it was our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who had squandered the money she had provided.
My sister was stunned at first, and then retorted angrily: "That was lent to me by my mother, and it has nothing to do with you!" "My heart instantly fell into the abyss, and I felt betrayed.
I couldn't stand such an older sister, and I decided to distance myself from her. When I told my mother-in-law the news, she seemed disappointed, "You are sisters, you should be reconciled as before."
I can't bear this grievance anymore.
Months passed, and an atmosphere of apathy persisted between my sister and me. However, one day, I received a call from my mother-in-law, and her voice trembled a little: "Tongtong, I have already talked to my sister, and she realized her problem and promised to pay back.
From that moment on, my sister and I rebuilt our trust and we would never hurt each other again because of money. And my mother-in-law was comforted that she finally saw hope that our sisters could be together again.
The family is troubled, and we feel the fragility and importance of relatives. We began to cherish each other's existence more, communicate with our hearts, and tolerate each other with tolerance.
Time passed quickly, and I still insisted on taking care of my mother-in-law, massaging and recovering her every day, and taking her out for a walk.
One day, I was doing rehabilitation for my mother-in-law when the phone rang suddenly. I picked up the phone exhausted, only to hear a voice that hurt my heart: "Tongtong, Dad was in a car accident and he is in the hospital now."
I hurriedly took my mother-in-law to the hospital, and when we arrived, my father was already in the operating room. I stood helplessly, tears streaming down my face.
Although the father recovered quickly after the operation, the whole process required a lot of medical expenses. I was struggling and decided to borrow money from my mother-in-law.
I deeply understand that the affection of blood thicker than water at this moment outweighs any dispute and dissatisfaction.
I went to my mother-in-law, held her hand and said, "Mother-in-law, Dad's surgery is very expensive, and I need your help."
Gratitude welled up in my heart, I felt my mother-in-law's care for me and my father, and at this moment, my heart's complaints and dissatisfaction with her disappeared.
During my father's recovery, my mother-in-law and I had more communication, and we began to understand each other slowly. One night, my mother-in-law and I sat on the couch, watching TV and talking about homely things.
I nodded with emotion, and my mother-in-law's words made me understand her distress and helplessness. Perhaps, all along, we have not tried to understand each other, but have only been obsessed with our own positions and opinions.
We decided to change the status quo and prioritize family harmony. I decided to sit down with my sister and have a good talk, hoping to resolve the misunderstandings and conflicts between us.
Soon after, her mother-in-law's health gradually improved, and she was able to walk independently. My husband and I are happy that her recovery is progressing, but at the same time we feel a little relieved.
One day, I received a call from my sister. She said in an anxious tone: "I heard that my mother gave you 100,000 yuan, have you saved it?" I'm having a bit of a hard time right now and need to borrow some money.
I can't stand the fact that she always pushes her own problems to me to solve.
Although I was a little dissatisfied, for the sake of family harmony, I agreed to my sister's request. However, this time the borrowing incident sparked even greater controversy.
A few days later, I couldn't help but confide in my mother-in-law about my troubles. The mother-in-law was silent for a while, and then sighed: "Tongtong, I also know that my sister is not fair enough to you."
I was confused for a while, but my children's love has increased a little, I'm sorry for you.
My mother-in-law's explanation made me feel helpless and aggrieved. I understand her feelings and the heart of her daughter, but this does not fully compensate for the pressure and contradictions that my sister brought to me.
The conflicts in the family seem to be getting deeper and deeper, and every time I have dinner, my sister always deliberately makes things difficult for me and tries to provoke disputes.
But I can't help but wonder if we can continue to endure.
On an emotionally stressful day, I was contacted by the head of a multinational company and invited me to a high-paying position in a foreign country.
If I accept this job, I will be able to gain financial independence and autonomy and escape family strife. However, it also meant that I left my mother-in-law and other family members and gave up my responsibilities to the family.
Faced with a choice, I fell into deep thought. I don't dare to make a decision lightly because whatever I choose will have a profound impact on my family relationships and family harmony.
I found that in the days after my mother-in-law's stroke, conflicts and disputes in the family gradually increased. My sister is becoming more and more dissatisfied with my existence, she thinks that the two sisters should be equal, why is my mother-in-law treating me better than her? I tried to explain it to my sister, but she didn't accept my explanation, she felt that I had exclusive love and care for my mother-in-law.
I couldn't accept my sister's approach, I felt she was too selfish. I believe that as members of the family, we should support and care for each other, rather than meet our own interests by excluding and fighting.
My mother-in-law's words made me feel distressed and helpless. Once again, I realized that all conflicts and strife stem from an imbalance in the needs and emotions of family members.
After some in-depth communication, my sister and I finally reached a consensus. We decided to face the difficulties and challenges of the family together and work together to create a harmonious and happy family environment.
As a result, our family has become more harmonious. Everyone realizes that family affection needs to be managed and cared for, rather than resolved through quarrels and contentions.