From a young age, I set my own goal of working hard, saving a pension, and then returning to my sister's house in the countryside to retire.
However, it backfired, when I returned to my sister's house with a pension of 7,000 yuan, I couldn't eat a hot meal, and I regretted it a lot.
On my first day back in the country, I was delighted to find that my sister's family had moved into a new house. My sister smiled at me and said, "These are all you saved for us, thank you brother."
However, as time went on, I realized that something was wrong.
My sister and her husband are so busy with the construction site that they can barely take care of the housework on weekdays. Although their children have grown up, they are still unable to take on the household chores on their own.
I endured it in silence for a few days, until one day I couldn't take it anymore.
I watched the house full of fireworks, watched my husband and children leisurely eating hot meals, and felt an indescribable grievance in my heart.
"Hearing this, I just felt cold.
That night, I sat alone in the courtyard, watching the stars in the sky, and my heart was full of mixed feelings. I try to think back to the happy times I had with my sister as a child, and to remember what my parents had for us before they died.
I really regret it.
I began to reflect on how I grew up, and I remembered what my parents taught us when I was a child. They often say that brothers and sisters should take care of each other and get along with each other.
I suddenly remembered what my father used to say: "Home and everything is prosperous!"
However, the reality made it impossible for me to do so. I don't really know what to do now. This deep sense of powerlessness and regret kept me awake.
The next morning, I decided to have a good talk with my sister. I found my brother-in-law, Amin, who looked tired and was getting ready to go out to the construction site.
He stopped what he was doing, looked at me and said, "What's the matter, big brother?" I looked him in the eye and said in a serious tone, "I can't bear the affairs of the family anymore."
I got a little angry when I heard this, and then said, "You don't understand, family is the most important thing, you are a family, and you should share the housework."
I know he understands what I mean.
My sister was making breakfast in the kitchen, and I walked over and sat down and said to her, "Lijuan, we have to have a good talk." She looked at me and nodded hesitantly.
My sister looked at me and said with some guilt: "Brother, you know that we work very hard, and we just want to rest when we go home."
For a while, the atmosphere was a little tense, and I looked at my sister and brother-in-law, and mixed emotions surged in my heart. They also remained silent and seemed to be aware of the seriousness of the problem.
I can feel that the conflicts and disputes in the family have begun to come to light. I didn't know what to do next, but I knew I had to do something to solve the family's problems.
The next morning, I saw my sister and her husband hurrying out of the house. I tried to calm my inner turmoil, but no matter what, my inner grievances did not dissipate.
When my sister came back from work, she was dissatisfied, thinking that I was nosy, and she and her family could handle it on their own.
However, she got angry because of this, and I was a little overwhelmed.
This contradiction makes my heart even heavier. I don't really know what to do now. Perhaps, I did not find my place in their lives.
Maybe she didn't need my help, and I was causing her trouble.
However, just when I was deep in self-blame and contradictions, my sister's child Xiaojie suddenly came up to me and confessed to me that he was actually a little worried and lonely.
I was deeply touched by the child's words. I originally thought that this relationship was just a personal problem between me and my sister, but I didn't expect that even her children were resentful.
I walked into my sister's house sleepily, only to see a scene that shocked me. The nephew and his wife were arguing mouth-to-mouth.
I could clearly see my nephew earnestly persuading his wife, and she clenched her fists and tears flowed down her face. I couldn't help but get worried.
Suddenly, she ran over, hugged me, and began to sob: "Uncle, you must help me, I really don't know what to do."
She choked up and told me about their family's conflicts. It turned out that the contradiction between my sister's son and daughter-in-law had existed for a long time, and there was constant friction between my mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
My sister's son avoided me all the time, while my niece's wife complained about her misfortune. This really caught me off guard.
I froze there, my mind in a mess. I began to blame myself, could it be because my return to my hometown had disturbed their family's life?
I'm even starting to wonder if I'm responsible for all this.
At night, I meditate alone in my room. Faces of loved ones come to mind. My sister used to be gentle, my nephew was naughty when he was a child, and everyone in their family was my beloved family.
I sighed deeply. Perhaps, I should take the initiative to face the conflicts at home and try to mediate. Either way, that's what I'm supposed to do.
At the same time, I am also pleading for tomorrow to bring some turnaround, a possible solution.