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I called my hometown, and before I could speak, my mother hurriedly said: "Xiaolong, there are several groups of relatives coming to our hometown in September, you remember to come back to help receive it!"
When I heard this, I was dumbfounded: "What? How many groups of relatives came? Can so many people receive them?"
"Son, you are also a member of our old Li family, can't you help your relatives with this little thing? Mom's tone was very resolute.
I still want to defend a few more words, but my mother has already hung up the phone with a "click". I rubbed my temples helplessly, and now I couldn't escape the catastrophe of going home.
A week later, when I walked into the courtyard of my hometown with a large bag and a small bag, I saw that there were already seven or eight people sitting in the living room, and the familiar local sounds and local chatters were coming and going. When my mother saw me coming, she hurriedly said, "Come on, Xiaolong is back! This is your cousin Jiang Chao's family..."
I barely managed to squeeze out a smile and greet the room full of relatives. Jiang Chao is more than ten years older than me, he went out to start a business in his early years, and now he is a successful person when he returns to his hometown. He looked me up and down, and said with a smile: "Xiaolong has grown up, tell your mother that you won't come back, come back to help!"
I smiled awkwardly, wondering why this person was so enthusiastic, and he didn't even bother to say hello to me when we met before. At this time, a young man wearing a brand-name shirt walked over, and Jiang Chao hurriedly said: "This is Xiang Nan, my sister's son, studying in Nanjing." ”
"Yo, hello cousin!" The man shook my hand in a very chic manner and smiled.
After dinner, a large family sat in the courtyard and chatted. Jiang Chao kept talking about the funny things in the past, I was really tired of listening to it, and secretly took out my mobile phone and swiped the circle of friends. Who knew that Jiang Chao caught a glimpse of it, and immediately said angrily: "Xiaolong, it's rude to play with your mobile phone while chatting!"
I had to laugh and put my phone away. Jiang Chao began to speak at length again: "I remember that when I was a child, there was a king cat waist in the village, and he often played with us..."
"Can you stop talking about that?" I blurted out, "It's boring, it's just about your hometown!"
"Yes, yes!" Li Xiangnan on the side also said: "It's so boring to talk about things in my hometown, the topic is too earthy!"
Jiang Chao's eyes widened, and his tone became excited: "You non-authentic things, your hometown feeds you, you have this attitude?"
Li Xiangnan and I also became angry, and the three of us quickly quarreled, and my mother was struggling to persuade on the side...
That night, after Jiang Chao and I had a big quarrel, the atmosphere was very awkward. In order to alleviate the conflict, my mother prepared a sumptuous dinner and opened a few bottles of home-brewed rice wine, hoping that we could reconcile.
But Jiang Chao kept saying uncomfortable things. "Hey, I think the young people in this new era are all the same, and they don't understand the principle of respecting the old and respecting the virtuous! At that time, what the elders said was what they were, where was there such an inauthentic thing now!"
I couldn't bear it anymore, put down the dishes and chopsticks and said, "Cousin, you're enough, I have to say that we are not good." We just have different concepts, can't you talk about your own business?"
"Different ideas?" Jiang Chao sneered, "I think you have a problem with your brains! You know all day long about rebelling against your elders and slandering your hometown, do you think you have no conscience?"
"Alright cousin, don't button your hat. I couldn't listen anymore, "Let's stop here, you can say whatever you like!"
With that, I got up and went back to my room. My mother chased after me, and I closed the door, feeling very uncomfortable.
At noon the next day, my mother knocked on my door and persuaded me to come out for dinner. "Son, don't be angry. Your cousin has that temper, don't take it to heart. ”
I said helplessly, "Mom, I can understand your kindness, but my cousin and I really don't get along." He insisted on criticizing us young people for being bad, which was hard for me to accept. ”
"Alright, alright, don't be angry. "Your cousin also reflected on himself last night, and he told me this morning that he won't talk about teaching you again." He won't interfere in the affairs of your young people, okay?"
I nodded and followed my mother to the dinner table. Although Jiang Chao didn't say anything, he didn't make things difficult for me like yesterday, and he was barely acceptable.
And so it went for a few more days. One evening, I sent a WeChat message to my friends in the city as usual, and suddenly received a transfer notice - it was my hometown that called me every month for my living expenses. At this moment, I suddenly felt a little ashamed: it seemed that I hadn't greeted my relatives in my hometown for a long time.
Perhaps, I shouldn't have quarreled with an elder like Jiang Chao. Their generation inevitably thinks differently from ours, but they also care about us from the heart. I shouldn't deny them their love for us just because of differences in perception.
I decided to write a letter back to my hometown, apologize to my family, and express how much I missed. Maybe I should go home more and listen more to the stories of the past told by the older generation, those local sounds and rural things actually contain unique meanings, which are worth understanding with my heart.
That night, I began to write back to my hometown. I first wrote the beginning of "dear family", and then sincerely expressed my attitude that I should not quarrel with Jiang Chao at that time. I said that I was carried away by city life, and I should not forget the kindness of my hometown to raise me, nor should I deny the hard work of my elders because of a little disagreement. Finally, I said that I would often go back to my hometown to visit everyone, happily chat with the elders, and listen to their stories about my hometown, so as to show my understanding and filial piety.
After writing the letter, I sighed softly, and suddenly felt much more comfortable. Maybe I should send this letter directly to Jiang Chao, so that the gap between us can really be broken.
A few days later, I received a reply from my relatives back home. They said that they understood that it was not easy for me to study abroad, and did not blame me too much, but only hoped that I would take good care of myself and have more time to go home in the future. The letter also recalled many interesting stories when I was a child, saying that Jiang Chao and I often played together and had a good relationship. I couldn't help but blush when I saw this - I hadn't really cared about my family's feelings in years.
I showed my mother the replies from my relatives, and she was also full of emotion: "When we are old, all we want is the safety of our children and grandchildren and the reunion of our families." We'll be happy if you and your cousin can reconcile. ”
"Mom, I know it's wrong. I was a little excited, "When I came back this time, I suddenly realized that your love for me is so deep. I shouldn't feel superior to others and despise everything in my hometown just because I have more knowledge outside. From now on, I will definitely take a long time to go back to my hometown every year to communicate with you and the elders and talk about our past..."
"Son, you've grown up. Mom patted me on the shoulder, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
I am determined not to hide from the nostalgia of my hometown in the future, but to cherish this feeling. Just like the family in the letter told me, I want to treat everyone who cares about me well and cherish the love they give me.
The next morning, I woke up early, sat on a deck chair in the yard, watched the sun rise, and listened to the crisp chirping of birds. This long-lost tranquility makes my heart calm and grounded. Maybe I should really come back and feel this rural atmosphere more often, instead of being immersed in the hustle and bustle of city life all day.
This time I went home, and I have a deeper understanding of "home". I no longer see my hometown as a burden, but as a source of strength. With the home as a belonging, my life will be more fulfilling and my heart will be more sunny.
That morning, I was sitting alone in the yard when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. When I looked back, it was Jiang Chao who got up early in the morning and stood behind me.
"Cousin, you got up so early. "I was a little surprised.
He was also stunned, and then said with a smile: "I have always gotten up early, and I have developed a habit." I wanted to come out to breathe, but I didn't expect you to be here. ”
"Yes, I somehow woke up early today and came out to sit. I patted the recliner and motioned for him to sit down.
So the two of us just sat side by side, chatting with each other. Jiang Chao talked about the hardships of his own business, and I also talked about the difficulties of working in the city. The topic has changed from the past to the future, from career to ideals, and the gap between us seems to have disappeared.
"Cousin, we've got to know each other again. I joked.
"yes, it's a fresh start. He nodded. "Do you remember when we were kids, we used to play hide and seek and fish together? ”
"Remember, you're always protecting me. "When I think of the past, I can't help but think of the care he took of me when I was a child, and I can't help but feel emotional.
We talked for a long time, until the sun had fully risen and everyone else had gotten up, and that was the end of the long conversation. Since then, my relationship with Jiang Chao has become very harmonious, as if I have returned to the intimacy of childhood.
Within a few days, Jiang Chao's family ended their long stay in their hometown and prepared to go back to the city. Before leaving, Jiang Chao patted me on the shoulder and said, "Xiaolong, you have to continue to work hard, remember to help me when the business grows!"
"Don't worry, cousin!" I smiled and nodded, "I will!"
Seeing them leave, I suddenly felt a little reluctant - I have benefited a lot from getting along with my cousin this month. I remembered the resistance I had when I first came back, and I couldn't help but laugh at myself for being naïve.
I turned around and saw that there had been a new batch of visitors in the courtyard - it was Fa Xiaozhanghai who had brought his new wife to see me.
"Xiaolong, long time no see!" Zhang Hai gave me a big hug as soon as he saw me.
"Brother Hai, congratulations!" I smiled and said hello too.
Zhang Hai's wife looked very gentle and virtuous, and we chatted for a while and quickly got acquainted. When we had dinner together in the evening, we chatted very happily, and Zhang Hai and I recalled all kinds of interesting stories when we were children, which made my mother laugh when she heard it.
At this moment, I suddenly felt extremely down-to-earth and happy. It turns out that there is such a group of people in the family, who are close to you and have the same thoughts, and can recall the past and imagine the future together. That's what my heart really desires.
Perhaps, I should let go of my original prejudices and accept more of the people around me who care about me. Because of the love of my family, it not only cured my loneliness, but also made my life more colorful. That's the biggest thing I learned from my trip.
In this way, I spent a total of a month in my hometown in September, during which I came to visit three waves of relatives. In addition to the original cousin Jiang Chao, several siblings from my parents came to visit me with their children. Although I was a little resistant at first, after this homecoming, I suddenly realized that these simple folks are actually the most precious treasure in my life.
My father's second brother, Li Jianhua, is an honest countryman, although he doesn't talk much, he will stuff me with some fruits and vegetables he grows for me every time he comes to see me. My mother's eldest brother, Li Qinghai, is a typical optimistic and fateful type, and he can always make us laugh. Even though he lived in poverty, he never complained about anything. This optimistic attitude towards life is actually worth learning from.
Even his cousin Li Jun, who seems to be straight on the surface, actually has an unwavering sense of justice and responsibility. The last time the village was to be demolished, he went alone to reason with the demolition team for a whole day, and finally won better compensation. I was also impressed by his spirit of disregarding personal gains and losses.
I have lived in the city for a long time, and I have rarely had the opportunity to witness this kind of innocent neighborly feeling. These simple folks warmed my heart with their sincerity. I understood that they cared about me and just wanted to see the children of this big family grow up well.
I decided that I would definitely go back to my hometown more often in the future. First, you can be filial to your parents, and second, you can also catch up with these villagers and listen to their stories about the past. I believe that being more contaminated with this simple rural atmosphere is also a kind of spiritual cleansing and sublimation for me.
On the day I left, I called my cousin Jiang Chao as agreed and told him that I had returned to the city safely. He said to me on the other end of the phone in a serious voice: "Xiaolong, you have to remember that no matter how high or far you fly, your hometown is your strongest backing, and your relatives will think about you." You're going to come back when you have time, you know?"
"Got it, cousin! I solemnly agreed. When I hung up, I couldn't help but smile.
I have benefited a lot from living in my hometown during this time. I decided to spend at least a month or two a year back in my hometown to spend time with my family and relatives. Because of this strong nostalgia, my wandering heart can be at peace. I finally understood the meaning of home.
When I get back to the city, I often think about my hometown. The most memorable thing is all kinds of interesting things with my cousin Jiang Chao and Fa Xiaozhanghai.
One day, I suddenly received a call from Jiang Chao, saying that he was coming to the city on a business trip and was looking for me to play for a few days by the way. I immediately agreed without hesitation.
Two days later, Jiang Chao came to my apartment in his BMW. "Yo, cousin, are you still playing at two years?? Block, it's amazing!" I laughed at him.
"Cut, who wasn't a driver back then!" He laughed, pulled me into the car and headed straight for the suburbs.
When we arrived at a resort in the mountains on the outskirts, the two of us found a restaurant and sat down for a chat. Jiang Chao first talked about his company's recent signing of a big project, and then talked about his plans to decorate a new house for his son. As I listened, I suddenly felt a little envious of the fullness and management of his life
"Cousin, your life is so nourishing now, is there anything you are not satisfied with?" I couldn't help but ask him.
He glanced at me meaningfully: "Xiaolong, success is important, but what I care about most now is actually the feelings around me." ”
I was a little surprised and asked him to continue.
"When you reach this age, you will understand that money is just a number, but relatives and friends are the meaning of life. He patted me on the shoulder, "So, no matter how much money you make, don't forget your family, you know?"
I suddenly had a sour nose, nodded and said, "Cousin, I see what you mean." Money is not the most important thing, as long as the family is doing well, it is success. ”
"Yes, as long as the family is together, you will be at peace. That's what I care about the most right now. Jiang Chao said.
We talked a lot, from career to ideals, from the past to the future. I can feel that my cousin's heart is actually very warm and steady. The power of this kind of family affection is irreplaceable by money and status.
Before leaving, Jiang Chao repeatedly told me that I would go back to my hometown when I had time, and that family reunion was the most important thing. I embraced him gratefully, and my heart was full of strength.
It is only in middle age that people understand that success belongs to the individual, and feelings need to be shared with others. I would take my cousin's advice to heart and often go home to see the people I loved the most. Family and friendship will be the most precious spiritual wealth in my life.