I have been with my sister-in-law for many years, and although I am in Chang'an, my heart has always been concerned about my family in the rear. After retirement, the monthly pension we receive makes us feel a lot more secure. I can finally enjoy my old age in peace.
However, the sister-in-law began to regret it. She always sighed: "Why didn't I think about what happened after retirement at the beginning, if only I had gone to a good unit earlier." ”
My sister-in-law's words made me scratch my head and didn't understand what a good unit had to do with our retirement life. Until one day, I went to my sister-in-law's house as a guest, and she suddenly talked about this "good unit".
It turned out that the sister-in-law wanted to go to a good unit before she retired, just because the pension issued by a good unit was relatively high. She felt that she had worked hard in the army for so many years, and she should have a good life after retirement. But later she found out that although a good employer can receive a high pension, it often has to work overtime and has a lot of work pressure. And although the treatment of ordinary units like ours is not very good, they can easily enjoy their old age comfortably after retirement.
After listening to my sister-in-law's words, I finally understood her worries. I couldn't help but smile and comforted: "Sister-in-law, don't you think too much now? We are retired, and we shouldn't worry about work anymore." Now it's all about enjoying every day. ”
My sister-in-law smiled at me, and I thought I might be thinking too much. We chatted together at home, as if we had gone back to military life a long time ago. At that time, although it was not easy, we always smiled at life and shouldered the burden of the family together.
After dinner, I said goodbye to my sister-in-law and returned home. Sitting in front of the window, I looked at the flowers and trees outside the window, and I couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. Everyone has their own choices and helplessness, and after retirement, we should enjoy the happiness of the moment. This is probably life, always wandering endlessly in choice.
In the days that followed, I continued to live a simple and happy life with my sister-in-law. It's just that I'm wondering if this is what my sister-in-law really thinks in her heart? Maybe I need to know more about her.
One day, I heard that my sister-in-law was dissatisfied with the pension given to her by the employer and planned to find someone to work for her in order to increase the amount of pension. This made me very puzzled, and I felt that it was a little inappropriate for my sister-in-law to do this. I know she's only doing it for the sake of her family, but I think she should enjoy her retirement more than working for a so-called good company.
I immediately went to the door to stop her, but fortunately, I was still in time, and my sister-in-law didn't really do the stupid thing of finding someone to work for her. I asked my sister-in-law, "Don't you understand that going to work again will wear out the beauty of retirement?" ”
When I heard this, I couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Yes, we have been in the army for so many years, and we have always lived a busy life, and the tranquility and leisure after retirement may not be suitable for everyone. But at the same time, I still feel that my sister-in-law's approach is a bit crazy, and she should enjoy her retirement. It became more and more difficult for our ideas to merge, and for a while I was a little overwhelmed.
In the days that followed, there seemed to be a subtle change in our relationship. I used to chat together, but now I seem a little cramped and hesitate to speak. I think my sister-in-law's attitude towards me is a little perfunctory, and I am somewhat avoiding this topic. It felt like there were some subtle cracks in our friendship.
After a few days, I noticed that my sister-in-law seemed to be getting a little sullen. In addition to doing housework every day, she spends most of her time in the room in a daze. I asked her what was going on, and my sister-in-law just coped with it casually. I muttered to myself, what's wrong? Could it be because I had disappointed her in the first place?
Until one day, I happened to find an old photo in my sister-in-law's room. The photo is a group photo of our troops back then, and in the corner of the photo is the figure of our youth. At that time, the sister-in-law was still a young and beautiful girl with a bright smile. Looking at the happy us in the photo, many memories also welled up in my heart.
My sister-in-law told me that she had always had a knot in her heart. Ever since we got married, she hasn't had the opportunity to meet her parents. It turned out that her parents had always objected to her marrying my brother, and we got married privately before my brother was recruited. For the sake of my brother's future, my sister-in-law never came home. Her parents also thought that she would return to them after leaving the army, but then they did not hear from her sister-in-law, and their anger against her sister-in-law never dissipated.
And now, as the years go by, the sister-in-law's inner contradictions are becoming more and more difficult to reconcile. Her desire to see her parents grew stronger, but she also felt sorry for my brother and family. It was the first time I had seen my sister-in-law so sad, and I knew her difficulties. She's been suffering from this contradiction, and I thought she was just sulking over a few things.
For my sister-in-law's distress, I fell silent. I know that this is not something that can be solved in one fell swoop. I'm afraid the contradiction in my sister-in-law's heart can't be resolved by me in a sentence or two. The problem of our family seems to be far from being as simple as I thought.
I decided to stay quietly by my sister-in-law's side, and let her know that there were many people in the family besides my brother who felt sorry for her. After all, she is not alone in the face of deep inner contradictions.
I thought about the past carefully, and suddenly remembered some secrets about my sister-in-law. I remember a time when she used to sit alone in the courtyard in silence, looking tired. Once, I overheard her complaining to my daughter-in-law, and there was a lot of bitterness in her voice. I saw that her eyes were moist, and I didn't dare to come any closer, so I could only watch from afar.
Presumably, my sister-in-law had some unsatisfactory things, but I didn't bother her, thinking that she wanted to be alone. The unintentional memories of these days, I gradually feel more distressed about my sister-in-law. Why do people who have always been lively and happy become so silent?
After a few days, my sister-in-law suddenly began to distance herself from me. We used to talk and joke together, but now she always finds all kinds of excuses to avoid me. It puzzled me as to why she had suddenly become like this. I felt a little worried, wondering if I had offended her somewhere, or if there was something on her mind.
I couldn't help but start to be curious about her past and heart. So, I decided to find an opportunity to have a good chat with her. Perhaps, knowing the secrets of her heart will allow me to better understand her troubles. I want my sister-in-law to know that no matter what difficulties I encounter, I will always be there for her.
On that day, I proposed to go with my sister-in-law to a rural tour located in a small town to enjoy the fresh air of nature. But my sister-in-law dodged my gaze, only vaguely said that there were some things to deal with, and refused my invitation. I began to wonder if this was too abnormal for my sister-in-law, who had been with me in the army.
A few days later, I met my sister-in-law by chance at the supermarket. She was obviously a little distracted, and I couldn't help but ask her what was wrong. She was silent for a moment before she whispered the truth. It turned out that her granddaughter was going to participate in an art performance at the school and needed to be accompanied by her parents. But because her granddaughter's parents were busy with work and couldn't spare time, they had to entrust it to her sister-in-law. The sister-in-law could have taken her granddaughter to enjoy the beautiful scenery, but the plan was delayed for this reason.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel a little fluctuating in my heart. The sister-in-law is a family lover and has poured a lot of emotions into her granddaughter. We could have had a good time, but her granddaughter's artistic performance made her irresistible, she was such a kind and dedicated sister-in-law.
However, I was also a little lost in my heart. The good time I was looking forward to spending with my sister-in-law was temporarily said goodbye because of family matters. After all, for a long time in military life, family and military life have always alternated.
I walked home with my sister-in-law, and I didn't blame her. On the contrary, I said to her: "Sister-in-law, I understand family matters, and you must accompany her granddaughter's performance, such an opportunity is rare." When my sister-in-law heard my words, her eyes flashed with gratitude.
Back at home, I sat quietly in front of the window and looked out at the scenery. Perhaps, there is something in every family that deserves our attention. My sister-in-law's decision made me think about the relationship between my family and myself. In this reflection, I can't help but look forward to the days ahead, and also look forward to the good memories of my sister-in-law and granddaughter. As a family member, our companionship and love are in ordinary life, and maybe everything we have is in this beautiful family.