Li Ming stood at the door of the banquet hall of the luxury hotel, his heart full of anticipation and joy. Today is the big day of his son Xiao Li, and their family has booked 40 tables, each costing 1,200 yuan, striving to give Xiao Li an unforgettable wedding. At the weddings of friends and relatives, Li Ming has always been generous, and this time he expects that generosity will be reciprocated. Friends walked into the banquet hall one by one, Li Ming greeted him warmly, silently looking forward to this human exchange to deepen everyone's friendship.
As the wedding progresses, the ballroom is filled with an atmosphere of joy and blessings. Li Ming is busy everywhere, making sure that every guest can feel his warmth and thoughtfulness. Looking at the hall full of relatives and friends, Li Ming's heart was full of warmth. At the wedding, the blessings of friends continued, and the atmosphere reached a climax. While dealing with the guests, Li Ming recalled in his heart every wedding he had attended, and each time he generously gave a gift of 1,000 yuan, and he believed that this generosity would be responded to today.
However, when the wedding banquet was coming to an end, Li Ming began to pack the gift box, and the numbers revealed by the red envelopes gradually made his heart sink. Most of the gift money was far lower than his expectations, 200 yuan and 400 yuan, and even a few people he regarded as friends gave only 600 yuan to 800 yuan. The loss and incomprehension in Li Ming's heart began to spread, and he couldn't understand why he had given so generously in exchange for such a return?
In the process of sorting out the gift money, Li Ming's mood turned from initial surprise to anger and disappointment. He tried to contact a few close friends to ask why, but the answers he received were mostly explanations about financial stress and the cost of living. Li Ming's heart was full of doubts and uneasiness, could it be that in this materialistic society, the emotional connection between people and mutual help has become so weak?
Li Ming sat in a corner of the banquet hall, holding the gift list that made him feel cold, and he couldn't help but start to reflect on his outlook on life and values. Once, he believed that relationships between people were built on mutual help and generosity, but reality hit him hard. This is not only a denial of his personal generosity, but also a challenge to the attitude he has adhered to for many years.
At this moment, Li Ming realized that perhaps he needed to re-evaluate his view of the world and how to position his relationship with his family in this complex society. He decided that this would be a new beginning, moving away from simply expecting an equivalent reward from human contacts, to a greater focus on the value of genuine emotional connection and mutual support.
When the banquet hall was almost empty, Li Ming sat there with mixed feelings. The gift list in his hand seems to have become a mirror, reflecting the warmth and coldness of this society and the cruelty of reality. Suddenly, Lao Zhang walked in, he was Li Ming's old friend for decades, and when he saw Li Ming's lonely back, he stepped forward to ask what was going on.
Li Ming confided in Lao Zhang and talked about his disappointment and anger. Lao Zhang was silent for a while after hearing this, and then said softly: "Ming, people's hearts are separated from their bellies, and we can't expect everyone to value human feelings as much as we do." He handed Li Ming a red envelope, saying that it was an extra preparation he had prepared, hoping to make up for some of the losses a little.
Li Ming opened the red envelope and saw that the amount in it was more than that given by other guests, but it still did not reach the standard of 1,000 yuan. At this moment, Li Ming's heart sank completely. He realizes that even his closest friends may have reservations about the measurement of human affection. This realization had a great psychological impact on Li Ming, and he began to question whether his understanding of human affection and friendship over the years was too idealistic.
This wedding is not only a test of Li Ming's outlook on life, but also a profound awakening of his cognition of social reality. What I received from Lao Zhang was not only a red envelope, but also a heavy revelation of the changes of the times and the changes in people's hearts.
Li Ming was in an unusually heavy mood on the way home. At home, the quiet night contrasted sharply with the waves in his heart. He sat in front of the window, looked at the twinkling stars in the night sky, and took a deep breath. After today's events, he realized that he needed to have a new understanding of the emotions and courtesies between people.
He decided that in the future, he would no longer simply pursue material rewards in his interpersonal interactions. Sincerity and care will be his new measure of friendship. Li Ming believes that while human affection may be as thin as paper, true emotional connection and mutual understanding are the cornerstones of interpersonal relationships.
Although the experience of this wedding disappointed Li Ming, it also allowed him to grow. He understands that in the real society, only by maintaining a sincere and open heart can he live a more calm and fulfilling life.
This story is not only Li Ming's mental journey, but also a reflection on the warmth and coldness of modern society. Finding a balance between the material and the spiritual is perhaps a topic that everyone needs to face.