My name is Zhang Hua, I am 32 years old, and I have been married to Weiwei for five years in this small city. Our lives are as unpretentious as the average millions of families in this city, but they are different enough because of a small "AA system".
"Weiwei, this month's water and electricity bills add up to 660, and we are three hundred and three per person, you see. I checked the ledger and said to Vivi, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room and scrolling through her phone.
She glanced up at me, "Well, I'll transfer it to you on WeChat." ”
That being said, I know she must be secretly laughing in her heart, and she likes the AA lifestyle between us, but she just likes to tease me.
Just when I was thinking about whether to buy some snacks for the weekend, my phone suddenly rang, and it was a call from my mother-in-law. I thought to myself that it was so late, it couldn't be that something had happened.
"Mom, is there anything wrong with calling so late?" I answered the phone with some concern.
"Hey, Huahua, this time I have a birthday, and I want to take your uncle and his family over to your side for a get-together. There was an excited voice from the mother-in-law.
"Oh, this, no problem, I'm here to prepare. Having said that, I was calculating the sudden expenses in my heart.
"Then it's decided, there will be 18 people, you guys should prepare well. ”
After hanging up the phone, I turned to look at Weiwei, "Weiwei, my mother said that she was going to come here for a gathering on her birthday this time, and your uncle's family would also come, a total of 18 people." ”
"18 people, we can't sit so many people at dinner. Vivi put down her phone and frowned.
"Let's book a private room in a hotel, we have to celebrate the festival anyway. "I sat on the couch and started searching online for hotels nearby.
"Book a hotel?" Wei Wei suddenly smiled, "How much does this cost, have you calculated?"
"This ...... "I was stunned, because I really didn't count.
"To be honest, Huahua, we have to pay for this money ourselves, but we can't let the two of us out, right? I think we can try to collect three hundred per person, anyway, we have always been AA system, this is not too much, right?" Wei Wei looked at me, as if there were stars twinkling in her eyes.
"Is this, is this appropriate?" I blurted out, which seemed to be a departure from what I understood to mean at home.
"Ha," Wei Wei smiled, "Look at you, discussing problems is always as serious as doing math problems, take it easy!"
"I know, you are afraid that everyone will have opinions, but you also know our living situation, and it is not that there is extra money to be squandered willfully, so it is better to use this opportunity to let everyone know about our way of life, maybe you can get everyone's understanding and support. ”
I looked at Weiwei, and my heart was both moved and a little conflicted. She's right, but I'm still worried about whether it will hurt the harmony. However, looking at her determined eyes, I finally nodded.
"Okay, just do as you say. ”
At this time, the moonlight shines through the window, shining on us who have just made plans, like an upcoming family dinner, bright and warm.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the day before the reunion banquet, Vivi and I are still arguing over the cost.
"Huahua, I decided, three hundred per person, so that we will not suffer, our family is not a bank, and we cannot provide it unlimitedly. Vivi took out her calculator and calculated how much she should be charged.
I scratched my hair, "Weiwei, is this appropriate? Let's have a meal together, but you collect money, will it seem that we are too petty?"
Vivi stopped and looked at me, "Even if you forget it, we can say yes this time, what about next time? What about next time? Don't forget that we are AA made." ”
I was speechless, but deep down I still felt a little uncomfortable. At this moment, the laughter of Lao Wang and Lao Li came from the courtyard. They are our good neighbors, and they usually play cards together and talk about their parents' shortcomings.
"Brother Hua, I heard that your family is going to have a big banquet?" Lao Wang laughed and joked about the topic.
"Yes, Huahua, can we have a meal?" Lao Li also took a stubble.
Wei Wei greeted her with a smile, "Come on, come on, don't joke about the two of you, our family's affairs are a headache." ”
Seeing this, the two neighbors also became serious. Lao Wang asked, "What's the matter, do you want us to come up with an idea?"
Vivi and I looked at each other, she nodded, and I started talking to both of them about our troubles.
"Brother Hua, I think your idea of an entrance fee is quite novel, but you think about the consequences. Lao Wang took a puff of his cigarette, "In our place, we pay attention to the excitement of doing things, aren't you so cool to the scene?"
Lao Li also interjected, "But then again, we are all ordinary people, life is not easy, and when the expenses are large, it is also appropriate to cut back on food and clothing." ”
I looked at Xiang Weiwei, who was smashing her mouth, as if she was thinking about something.
Seeing this, Lao Wang smiled, "What, is it difficult to really consider this plan?"
Lao Li frowned, and seemed to agree with Wei Wei: "In these years, no one can always pay for you, and it's a good thing to let your relatives know as soon as possible." ”
Wei Wei sighed softly and raised her head, "Then we have decided, charge by the head, we can't always suffer." ”
I had to smile wryly, thinking to myself what kind of reunion this would be.
In the end, we decided not to tell our relatives until we got to the banquet. After all, this kind of "novel" idea needs a suitable time and way. Looking at Lao Wang and Lao Li in the courtyard, when they nodded and left, I thought that no matter what the result is, life always needs a little courage.
Finally, on the day of the reunion feast, the sunlight poured into the spacious living room through the window, but it didn't seem so warm to me. While I set up the tableware, I kept thinking about how to explain to my family the upcoming "300 per person, pay to enter" rule.
Soon, relatives had arrived, and laughter and conversation filled the living room, but that didn't ease the tension in my heart. My parents walked up to us with a smile, "Huahua, Weiwei, it's all hard work, it's not easy to have such a big family banquet." ”
Vivi smiled and nodded, but I knew she had a stone in her heart, heavy.
A table of sumptuous dishes was arranged, and just as everyone was about to take their seats, Weiwei suddenly stood up, "Relatives, there is something I need to say in advance. ”
The eyes of the whole family were focused on her, and the living room was silent for a while.
"We have prepared a lot of good dishes for today's banquet, but in view of the actual situation of our family, we plan to implement a new rule for today's banquet..."
"New rules, Wei'er, tell me about it, what's the fun?" my uncle always likes to joke.
Wei Wei smiled, her voice trembling slightly, "Well, the new rule is that our family banquet is charged per person, three hundred per person." ”
In an instant, the air in the entire room seemed to freeze, and all laughter and laughter came to an abrupt end. The eldest cousin frowned, "Three hundred per person, is this a dinner, or is it open for business?"
My dad also had an ugly look on his face, "Weiwei, what do you mean by this?
I hurriedly played a round, "Dad, Weiwei didn't mean anything else, she just thought we should have an order, can't..."
At this time, the little nephew ran over, holding a painting in his hand, his innocence gave this stiff occasion a hint of life, "Uncle Zhang, look at the landscape I painted for you!"
The attention of the whole family was suddenly diverted by him so much. There is a big sun in the painting of the little guy, and below it is a warm little home, and there are several big words written on the side: "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read". It seems that he has awakened everyone's hearts with his immature brushes and thoughts.
The eldest uncle stood up and patted me on the shoulder, "Huahua, this painting is a good painting for our little nephew, every family has a scripture that is difficult to read, and everyone understands it." Then he turned his head to look at Wei Wei, "Today, even if I invite it, I will take care of these 18 people, how about it?"
For a while, everyone was moved by the eldest uncle's boldness and sensibility, and the atmosphere began to slowly ease. Weiwei looked at her eldest uncle with emotion, and I was deeply relieved.
At this moment, we seem to have found the true meaning of home and prosperity, and we have also re-realized the value of tacit understanding between family members.
The atmosphere of the reunion banquet gradually eased after the eldest uncle's words. At this time, Lao Wang stood up, knocked on the table, and put forward his thoughts: "Listen to me, since we are a family, why don't we just have fun? Home and everything is prosperous, isn't it?" Lao Wang's words were like a spring breeze, warming people's hearts.
"Uncle Wang is right, so that everyone will have a meal and make a joke in the future, and it will not be too embarrassing. Vivi saw everyone in the room, especially my cousin, who was notoriously stingy in the family, and he nodded in agreement at the moment.
"Yes, that's it, we're not just relatives, we're more like friends, right?" said my cousin with a smile.
Everyone looked at each other and smiled, and their faces were filled with strong family affection. My mother filled a bowl of soup and handed it to Weiwei, "Child, you have worked hard too." In fact, home is not just to be warm and understandable. ”
Dad also raised his glass and sighed, "Today can be so successful, in fact, I am still grateful to Huahua and Weiwei." As the saying goes, 'a golden nest and a silver nest are not as good as your own kennel', and home, no matter what, is the best harbor. ”
The reunion banquet is gradually getting better in the laughter and talking, the wine has passed three rounds, the food has passed five flavors, and our family affection is like the foam of the wine bottle, gently touched, releasing more joy and warmth. The small turmoil in the family has dissipated, and the relationship has become closer. Vivi met with understanding, and her intimate thoughts were intertwined with the warmth of her family, creating the true meaning of this reunion feast.
At the end of the banquet, our family took a group photo under the cherry blossom tree. Those smiling faces, the quiet night sky, and the warm cherry blossom rain sealed the memory of this day in everyone's heart.
At night, in bed, Weiwei suddenly asked me, "Huahua, you say, this is the meaning of home, right?" I looked at her and suddenly realized that this ordinary night meant a lot to us.
"Yes, Vivi, this is home. I held her hand tightly, and my heart was full of gratitude and warmth.
And the cherry blossoms outside, gently swaying in the night breeze, seem to ask: What is home? What is love?