I'm Zheng Fanghua, and I'm in another phase of my life this year – retirement. When I was younger, fate was not lenient to me, and my husband left me early, leaving me and my young son to depend on me. In those days, a single mother lived with her children, and the hardships were unimaginable.
I took on all the responsibilities of the family alone, being both a father and a mother. I work hard to provide my son with a stable living environment so that he can grow up healthily with love and care. I never complain or regret it, because I know that it is my responsibility and mission as a mother.
Years of hard work have left me in a worse physical condition than my peers. I have suffered from many geriatric diseases due to years of fatigue, but I have always maintained an optimistic attitude and firmly believe that everything will be fine.
When his son became an adult, he chose to leave his hometown and work in a big city. There he met his partner, my daughter-in-law. I am very pleased with their union and I am very proud of my son's achievements.
After they got married, they made a home in the city. Occasionally, I would stay at their house for a while and enjoy the joy of family reunion. But more often than not, I chose to stay in the country, guarding the familiar land and the old objects that have accompanied me through countless days and nights.
I know that my son and daughter-in-law are facing a lot of pressure in the city, and they are overwhelmed by the monthly mortgage, living expenses, etc. But I never complained to them about how hard my life was, I just wanted them to be better. So, I tried not to trouble them and endured it all silently by myself.
Despite my advanced age and the fact that I am no longer young, I remain optimistic. I believe that as long as there is love in the heart, life is full of hope. I hope that in the days to come, I can continue to enjoy the good things of life, maintain a close bond with my son and daughter-in-law, and spend every happy time together.
Inevitably, I sensed my son's conversion. The doors he used to enter so often are becoming increasingly difficult to look forward to. The ringing of the telephone seemed to decrease with his pace, and the air in his home, which was once filled with his laughter, was now a little lonely.
The common saying that "the mother is worried about the child's journey, and the mother is not worried about the journey" has been profoundly reflected in me, and this sentence is vividly displayed in the actual situation in my life. I know that the focus of my son's life has shifted, and in his busy world, I am no longer the most central being.
However, what I never expected was that on a special day, I would experience this change so truly. It was my birthday, a day that was supposed to be full of blessings and laughter. However, I waited all day, but I never waited for a call from my son and daughter-in-law, not even a simple greeting. Gifts? That's not even more like that.
Eventually, I couldn't resist dialing my son's number. His voice came from the other end of the phone, a little busy and distant. He said he forgot, forgot that it was my birthday. At that moment, it was as if my heart had been struck down by something, and a wave of disappointment drowned out my joy.
I hung up silently and sat alone on the couch. The picture hanging on the wall catches my eye, which is what my son looked like when he was a child. His bright and innocent eyes, his dependent embrace, were in stark contrast to the indifference and alienation of his present.
Memories flood in. I remember those sleepless nights, when my son was not feeling well, how I got up again and again to take care of him, covered him with a quilt, boiled herbs, and guarded him until dawn. I remember the abandonment, the sacrifice, all so that he could grow up healthy and happy.
Today, the son has his own family and his own circle of life. He seems to have forgotten that I existed and that I had given everything I had done for him. The gifts he gave to his mother-in-law's house and the time he spent with his family became an indescribable pain in my heart.
I don't know what else to rely on in the future. All I knew was that I had to learn to face this change and learn to find my own joy and fulfillment in my son's absence.
I have always been a plain old aunt who lives a quiet life. I don't have many hobbies, except for nurturing beautiful flowers, taking leisurely walks, and listening to old songs on the radio. They have accompanied me through many peaceful and relaxing moments.
One day a few months ago, my son excitedly called me and told me the good news that his wife was pregnant!
However, the reality is not as rosy as I imagined. It was only a few days before I noticed that something was wrong with my daughter-in-law, she didn't seem to be very close to me, and even seemed a little sullen. I try to keep a low profile and don't want to cause any inconvenience to my son and daughter-in-law's lives.
One day, I quietly asked my son if I had done something wrong to upset my daughter-in-law. My son hesitated for a moment, then told me that they were considering a larger school district to provide a better educational environment for their future children. However, they are not in a good financial situation at the moment, and they are worried about this.
When I heard the news, I had mixed feelings. I know that my son and daughter-in-law are working hard for the future of my children, and I, as a father, should also do my part. So, I decided to take all my savings out and help them get through it.
This money is what I have saved hard all my life, a total of 100,000. It's not much, but it's also a part of my heart. I hope to be able to relieve my son and daughter-in-law of some of the burden, so that they can focus more on their future life and the development of their children.
However, when I handed the money to my son, he seemed a little hesitant. He knew that the money meant a lot to me, and he didn't want me to sacrifice my old age for them. But in the end, after some consideration, he accepted my help.
At that moment, I felt both relieved and sad. I am glad that I was able to provide some help to my son and daughter-in-law, but sadly, I realized that my responsibilities and obligations as a father never stopped. Even though I'm old, I don't hesitate to lend a helping hand when my children need it.
After I had completed my affectionate visit to my hometown, with a humble heart and a bowed head, I turned to my beloved sister and respected brother for help. As usual, with a broad mind and selfless love, they extended a helping hand to me and generously lent me 80,000 yuan. I am grateful to have consolidated these funds into a single bank card, filled with hope for the future and gratitude for my family.
With this hope, I am ready to hand over this money to my beloved son. However, when I visited in person, I found that my home was empty. I waited for their return in their spacious and quiet living room, basking in the joy of their imminent reunion.
However, fate played a cruel joke on me at this time. Just as I was immersed in the good anticipation, suddenly, I heard the conversation of the couple outside the door. The daughter-in-law's voice was full of incomprehension and resentment:
"This old woman's behavior is really incomprehensible, we invited her to stay because of financial difficulties, thinking that she might be able to help us. But what is she so stingy with keeping her money?"
Immediately afterwards, my son's voice joined in, his tone full of helplessness and disappointment: "Yes, my mother's daily frugality has reached the point where it is incomprehensible. Where is her money going? Perhaps, she really just wants to be a miser. ”
I froze on the couch, as if I had been hit by their conversation. I couldn't believe my ears, was this my son and daughter-in-law, was this the family I had given everything for and loved so much?
However, they didn't notice that I was sitting in the living room. When they entered, they looked surprised, then reacted and greeted me as if nothing had happened. I looked at their hypocritical smiles, and my heart was filled with endless sadness and disappointment.
I silently got up, turned and entered the room, silently packing up my belongings and preparing to leave their home. As I walked out of the room with my luggage, my son realized that I had heard their conversation. He tried to stop me and explained to me, "Mother, you have misunderstood us, things are not what you thought. ”
However, I have already heard their conversation with my own ears, can there be any other explanation?I looked at him coldly, and said sharply: "You only invited me to live for my money, so if I told you that I had nothing, would you expel me from the house?"
"No, Mother, how can you say that? You are my own mother. His face flushed, and he didn't know whether it was because of shame or anger. However, I have lost all trust and expectation in him.
No matter what he says, I don't want to listen to it anymore. I left his home without any nostalgia, because he didn't chase him out because of his spouse's objections.
I never wanted to rely on my children and his spouse for my old age, I just wanted them to have a better life. However, they are just eyeing my wealth.
That night, I returned the borrowed money to my sister and brother. They were amazed at how quickly I repaid my debts and asked me why I had paid my debts so quickly. I made a casual excuse for not being able to tell them the truth.
I meditated alone in a cottage in the country, reminiscing about my late partner's past. I feel deep sadness and disappointment that my son has failed to live up to my life's hard work and his father's expectations.
Later, my son, daughter-in-law apologized to me, but I really didn't want to be hurt by them again. Therefore, I directly told him that I would not lend him any more money.
I have figured it out that instead of gambling on his filial piety with my money, it is better to keep the money in my own hands. From now on, I will stay away from their lives and never expect anything from them.