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My name is Li Jing, I am 30 years old, an HR of a foreign company, and I am married to my husband Zhao Yong, who is three years older than me. We live in a not-so-bustling but peaceful neighborhood of Beijing. Our marriage, like many others, is plain but solid. But since the birth of our son, Xiaobao, everything seems to have quietly changed.
That afternoon, I came home from work as usual to find my mother-in-law sitting on the sofa in the living room, her face gloomy. My mother-in-law, Ms. Zhang, is a retired secondary school teacher who has always been strict. I knew something was upsetting her again.
"Quietly, we have to talk. The mother-in-law spoke lightly, and there was not much warmth in her voice.
I chuckled inwardly, vaguely guessing that this conversation would not be too pleasant. Zhao Yong was on the side, his expression was a little embarrassed. I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and asked, "Mom, what's the matter?"
"It's about Xiaobao. The mother-in-law said, "You know that I have been helping you take care of Xiaobao, and it takes me a lot of time and energy every month. Now I think that in that case, you should give me some living expenses as compensation. ”
I was a little surprised, I didn't expect my mother-in-law to make such a request. I tried my best to keep my composure and replied, "Mom, we are very grateful that you take care of Xiaobao, but our own life is also very stressful, and we really don't have any extra money......"
My mother-in-law interrupted me, "I spend at least 4,000 yuan on Xiaobao every month, and I think it's reasonable for you to give me 1,000 as living expenses." ”
I feel a little helpless, this problem doesn't seem to be so easy to solve. Zhao Yong has been silent, which makes me feel even more isolated. I tried to find a mutually acceptable solution, but in this delicate balance of family relationships, every step seemed extremely difficult.
I think back to my first love with Zhao Yong, how simple and happy we were at that time. But now, this thin layer of paper between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law seems to be punctured at any time, and our marriage is also crumbling in this delicate family entanglement.
I knew I had to make some changes, not just for the sake of our marriage, but for the sake of Xiaobao's future. However, I don't have an answer yet as to where this change came from.
That night, Zhao Yong and I didn't communicate much. He seems to be thinking about it, too, but the communication between us is not as smooth as it used to be.
The next day, I was in the company, absent-mindedly handling my work. I got a call from my good friend Xiaohong, who has always been outspoken.
"Jingjing, I heard that you have been doing something at home lately?" Xiaohong's voice was full of concern.
I sighed and told her about last night. Little Red listens
After that, he was silent for a while, and then said, "Jingjing, your mother-in-law's request is indeed a bit excessive. But you also have to think about it from her point of view. Retirement is not easy, and she needs some financial support. ”
I nodded, and though it was just a soft ringing on the phone, I knew Red could feel it. "I know," I said, "but we're not bank printers, and money is to be born." ”
Xiaohong smiled, "That's right." So what are you going to do?"
"I haven't thought about it yet, let's go home and talk to Zhao Yong again in the evening. I replied a little helplessly.
After hanging up the phone, I fell into deep thought. Yes, my mother-in-law's request was a bit excessive, but she did give a lot. Zhao Yong and I should find a time to talk about this matter.
In the evening, Zhao Yong returned
In the evening, after Zhao Yong returned home, I decided to talk about this issue straight to the point. We sat in the living room, Xiaobao had already slept, and the whole room was filled with a calm atmosphere.
"Yong, we need to talk about Mom. "I cut straight to the point.
Zhao Yong nodded, the expression on his face was a little complicated, "I know, she also mentioned it to me today." ”
"What do you think?" I asked.
Zhao Yong was silent for a while, and then said, "I don't think Mom's request is unreasonable. After all, she did spend a lot of time and energy taking care of Xiaobao. But our current economic situation does not allow us to take out such a large amount of money every month. ”
I nodded, feeling a little relieved, at least Zhao Yong wasn't completely on his mother's side. I came up with a compromise: "If we cut back on unnecessary expenses, such as eating out less or buying less non-essential items, we might be able to squeeze out some money." But I also hope that my mother can understand that we are indeed not particularly wealthy. ”
Zhao Yong looked at me with a hint of gratitude in his eyes, "I know, I'll talk to my mother tomorrow to see if I can find a plan that everyone can accept." ”
The next day, Zhao Yong had a long talk with his mother-in-law. In the evening, he came back and told me that my mother-in-law had agreed to our proposal, but her attitude was still a little stiff. We know it's not a perfect solution, but at least for now, it's the most realistic option.
As time went on, the atmosphere in our house slowly changed a little. Although my mother-in-law was still so strict, she began to try to understand our difficulties and occasionally gave us some space to take care of Xiaobao.
And the relationship between me and Zhao Yong is slowly warming. We started to talk more, not only about family, but also about work troubles and small things in life. These small changes make me feel that our marriage has regained a trace of its former sweetness.
But just when we thought everything was slowly getting better, new problems arose. My friend Xiaohong suddenly confided in me what was on her mind. She and her husband have been in a very tense relationship lately, and the reasons are somewhat similar to those in our family. The difference is that Xiaohong's mother-in-law not only asks for living expenses, but also asks them to buy a car and a house for her.
Listening to Xiaohong's confiding, I couldn't help but feel sad. It's as if our generation is struggling to balance family and marriage, personal and societal expectations. I gave Xiaohong some advice, but I knew in my heart that every family's problems need a specific solution.
This experience has made me deeply realize that the problems in family relationships are often not simply black and white, but require the understanding and compromise of both parties or parties. It's like the micro between me and Zhao Yong, as well as my mother-in-law
Wonderful balance.
As the days passed, the atmosphere in our house gradually eased a little. My mother-in-law began to try to understand our difficulties, and Zhao Yong and I cherished our time with each other even more. The relationship between the three of us, although still a little delicate, is at least no longer a tense situation.
However, at this time, some problems arose in Zhao Yong's company. Due to the market downturn, his department is facing a restructuring and his job is in jeopardy. This news is undoubtedly a heavy blow to us. We have tried our best to save, but if Zhao Yong loses his job, then our lives will be under great pressure.
Zhao Yong came back in the evening and told me the news with a solemn face. I looked at him with a lot of worry, but I knew he needed my support more at this point. "It's okay, we'll get through this together. "I tried my best to make my voice sound firm.
Zhao Yong hugged me, and we could both feel each other's uneasiness and persistence. At that moment, although the future is uncertain, we have a tacit understanding in our hearts that no matter what happens in the future, we will face it together.
In the following days, Zhao Yong began to actively look for new job opportunities. I also try my best to help him organize his resume and search for job information outside of work. Our lives are hectic and uncertain, but in the process, our relationships have become stronger.
At the same time, I also started to think about some side hustles to increase our income. I've always been interested in writing, so I started trying to write articles in the evenings and submit them to websites and magazines. Although the income was small at first, it became a way for me to relieve stress and achieve self-worth.
My mother-in-law also started to be more considerate and supportive when she saw how hard we worked. She even began to take the initiative to reduce some expenses, such as buying fewer snacks and going to fewer unnecessary gatherings. These changes in her have given me a new understanding and respect for her.
Zhao Yong finally found a new job a month later, and although the salary was not as high as before, it could at least ensure our basic livelihood. The job was also a new challenge for him, and he needed to learn a lot of new skills Xi. I am very proud to see him work hard every night to study Xi.
I've also started to have some small achievements in my writing, and some articles have been featured on the homepage of the site, bringing in some extra income. Although these incomes are not much, they represent my hard work and growth and give me a great sense of satisfaction.
In this way, our family became more united and stronger in the face of difficulties. We began to cherish each other more and understand the meaning of family more.
However, just as we were getting used to this new way of life, something went wrong with Xiaobao's school. Due to some management mistakes, the quality of education in the school is much worse than before. We began to worry about Xiaobao's education. It's a new challenge for us, but this time, we have previous experience.
We start accumulating
Participate in parent-teacher conferences to discuss solutions with other parents. Although we are busy with work, Zhao Yong and I both understand that Xiaobao's education cannot be compromised. After several meetings and discussions, we, together with other parents, made suggestions for improvement to the school and actively participated in some of the school's activities to ensure that the quality of education was improved.
At the same time, I also began to consider enrolling Xiaobao in some extracurricular tutoring classes to make up for the lack of school education. This undoubtedly increases our financial burden, but we feel that it is necessary for the sake of Xiaobao's future.
In the process, the mother-in-law also showed unexpected support. She not only helped take care of Xiaobao at home, but also offered to help share part of the cost of extracurricular classes. I was deeply touched by her transformation and made the family atmosphere more warm and harmonious.
Zhao Yong's new job is also gradually on the right track. He worked hard to learn Xi in his new environment, and his work performance was recognized by his superiors. Although the income is not as high as before, he feels a greater sense of job satisfaction and fulfillment than ever.
And I've made more progress in writing. My articles began to receive more attention and love from readers, and I was even contacted by a publisher hoping to publish a collection of my articles. This was a huge encouragement and recognition for me, and it also made me more convinced that I had chosen the right path to write.
Although our lives are still busy and challenging, we have learned not to give up in the face of difficulties, and we have learned to cherish the mutual support and understanding between family members more.
Just as we were getting used to and falling in love with this challenging but loving life, Zhao Yong's company suddenly took a turn for the better. Their marketing strategy was successful, and the company's performance began to improve. Zhao Yong was promoted to department manager because of his previous efforts and performance, which not only means an increase in income, but also means greater responsibilities and challenges.
This is undoubtedly good news for us. As the economic situation improved, we began to consider a better educational environment for Xiaobao. We discussed whether we wanted to change to a better school district room, or sign Xiaobao up for some better extracurricular classes.
Life is always changing, but these changes teach us how to face difficulties and how to grow under pressure. We also understand that no matter what happens in the future, as long as our families are united, nothing is unpassable.
In this series of changes, I have a deeper understanding of family, marriage, and life. I learned to stay strong in the face of difficulties and look for opportunities in the midst of challenges. And the changes of Zhao Yong and my mother-in-law also made me cherish our small family even more.
Life may not always be smooth sailing, but it is these ups and downs that make our lives so much richer
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