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My name is Zhang Xiaoming, I am 35 years old, and I am an ordinary employee of a small company. Ever since my parents died, I have been living with my wife, Li Na, and my mother-in-law, who is in her 80s. Although life is poor, we live a fairly stable life. Li Na is a virtuous and capable daughter-in-law, who gets up early every day and works greedily at night, keeping the house in order. My mother-in-law is old and not in good health, but she has a gentle personality and rarely causes us trouble.
On the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, I had just woken up when I heard a commotion outside the door. It turned out that my sister-in-law Wang Fang suddenly came to my house with a large family. She had a loud voice, and while throwing her luggage into the house, she shouted: "Brother, it's the New Year, I'll come to your house for a few days to eat." "
I hurriedly went out, and my heart was already starting to feel a little irritable. Wang Fang's family background is not good, her husband is a gambler, and he is idle all day long. They have a family of six, and their lives are all supported by Wang Fang's meager income. Every Chinese New Year, Wang Fang likes to drag the family around as gifts, eating, drinking and having fun.
"Fangfang, you came so suddenly, the family is not ready......" I was about to explain, but Wang Fang interrupted me.
"Brother, don't be verbose, my brother-in-law and I both know that you are in good condition, so you should be able to accept us, right?" As she spoke, she took matters into her own hands and arranged for the children to live in our only two bedrooms.
"Brother, don't sell it to me. Wang Fang interrupted me and said confidently, "Didn't your company pay double salaries? Besides, there are old and young people in your family, how can you save your life?"
I was about to refute, but my mother-in-law spoke for Wang Fang on the side: "Xiaoming, your aunt has a point. If you change to a new TV, we elderly people can also watch the show at home, how nice. "
I was annoyed by my mother-in-law's favoritism, but I couldn't attack in front of Wang Fang, so I had to forcibly suppress my anger. Seeing this, Li Na hurriedly played a round and said, "Mother-in-law, our expenses this year are too large, so we ...... them for the time being."
"No, no, no, why are you young people so petty?" Wang Fang interrupted Li Na's words again, "Look at me, if you drag your family alone, you have to be gifted by others during the holidays, how embarrassing!"
Wang Fang's unreasonable request made our family very helpless. I tried to explain our actual situation to her, but she just didn't listen and rightly accused us of being stingy. My mother-in-law actually followed her and said cool things, which made me feel very disappointed and angry.
"Xiaoming, don't be embarrassed Fangfang. When my mother-in-law saw that I wanted to speak, she said, "Her family depends on us for the New Year, you should always be considerate and considerate of her difficulties, right?"
"But mother-in-law, you also know our economic situation, where is there so much money to buy TVs and refrigerators?" I finally couldn't help but retort.
"You're a stingy person, you know how to be in a mess!" After hearing this, Wang Fang became even more arrogant, "Brother, you have been working for so many years, why don't you even have some savings?
Li Na saw that my face was flushed, and hurriedly gave me a look, signaling me to calm down. I took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in my heart, and was about to explain a few more words, but my mother-in-law then said to Wang Fang: "Fangfang, what you said is too reasonable. Xiaoming is young and vigorous, but they are too stingy. I'll talk to them later. "
My mother-in-law's words undoubtedly drove me to a dead end. My face was hot, my eyes were red, and I felt intense anger, helplessness, and grievance. As the pillar of the family, I worked so hard and saved money to make my family live a stable life. But now even my mother-in-law has accused me in turn, which has devastated and hurt me.
While I was still struggling, Wang Fang began to make things bad again. She saw that the three of us mother and son were looking at each other, so she deliberately led the topic to money: "Brother, you are the pillar of the family, you should be more considerate of me as a sister." If you really can't come up with that much money, why don't you lend us some for the New Year?"
"Borrow money?" Fangfang, you're really ......" I was about to retort, but she preemptively said, "Brother, don't be a little angry." If we pay you back after the New Year, you should be subsidizing us to have a good New Year. Besides, isn't your family rich, what's the big deal about borrowing some money?"
Wang Fang's words hit me hard like a hammer. My face turned white with a bang, and I was speechless for a while. I looked around the room, Li Na was looking at me with sympathetic eyes, and my mother-in-law was looking at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to come out with the money.
Seeing my helpless appearance, Wang Fang saw the opportunity even more. She began to take her mother-in-law's hand and put on a pitiful look: "Mother-in-law, you can help me." Xiaoming is too stingy and does not understand our difficulties at all. You all know the situation of our family, relying on my meager income alone, where can I afford the expenses of the New Year?"
My mother-in-law was coaxed by her words, and she really began to pry me: "Xiaoming, what your aunt said also makes sense. If you really can't come up with the money, you'll have to find a way to borrow some. Isn't it just a few thousand dollars? Whether your aunt's family can have a good year or not, they are counting on you. "
When I listened to my mother-in-law's words, I was so angry that I trembled all over, and the green tendons on my head burst out. I glared at Wang Fang fiercely, and was about to have a seizure, but Li Na grabbed me from the side and motioned me to calm down with pleading eyes.
I took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the anger in my heart, and said in a calm tone as much as possible: "Mother-in-law, don't be deceived by Fangfang. Our family's expenses for the New Year are already very high, so where can we lend her extra money? Besides, it's too much for their family to rely on us for a whole year, right?"
"You're a stingy person, you know how to drill the horns!" Wang Fang saw that I was confronting my mother-in-law, and became even more confident, "What are you embarrassed about? Just think of it as a subsidy for us to celebrate the New Year, and I will definitely pay you back with interest after the year!"
"Not necessarily. I sneered and said, "Your family knows how to eat, drink and be merry all year round, and you can't rely on it at all." If I lend you money again, I'm afraid that even the capital will be indefinite. "
"You!" Wang Fang was enraged by my words, pointed at my nose and scolded, "You stingy ghost, you know that you are clustered, and you don't understand my difficulties at all! If you don't lend me any more money, we will leave, and we will never see me again!"
Wang Fang's words were like a heavy blow, hitting me hard in the sore spot. I grew up with her since I was a child, and although she is obvious to me, after all, it is a brotherhood, and I still care about this family affection.
"Fangfang, don't say that. I said with difficulty, "As relatives, we still have to be considerate of each other." If you are really in trouble, I will do my best to help. It's just that now you know the financial situation of our family, don't always force us to ...... like this."
"Hmph, what else do you have to considerate?" Wang Fang didn't listen to my explanation at all, but became even more excited, "You have money, power, and status, but you look down on us poor relatives! I think you just think our poor relatives are too ashamed, so you don't lend us money, right?"
"Fangfang, why are you talking like that?" I was irritated by her words, and I couldn't help but raise my voice, "Your family knows how to eat, drink and have fun all year round, and never worry about life, this is the root cause! Where do I have any money and power, don't you always talk nonsense, okay?"
"Hmph, you just dislike us for being too poor! I think you are villains, forgetting your former relatives!" Wang Fang was even more arrogant, pointed at my nose and scolded, "You people are hypocritical and pretentious, and you say that you are considerate, but in fact you look down on us poor relatives!
I was so angry by Wang Fang's words that I trembled all over, and I was about to pounce on it. At this juncture, Li Na hurriedly grabbed me, so as not to do something hurtful. My mother-in-law, on the other hand, stood on the sidelines, watching us quarrel, but never said a word of justice.
After all this tossing, I was already so angry that I almost lost my mind. I stared at Wang Fang deadly, gasping for breath, and was about to rush up to reason with her. Just then, I suddenly saw a takeaway ad on the TV, and a ridiculous thought flashed through my head.
I took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the anger in my heart, and said in a heavy tone: "Okay, Fangfang, since you think we are too stingy, then I will make a big deal, from now on, I will order takeout for my mother-in-law every day, you can eat, drink and have fun at my house!"
"What did you say?" Wang Fang was shocked by my words and didn't react for a while.
"You heard you right. I gritted my teeth and said, "From now on, I will order a few nutritious takeaways for my mother-in-law every day, and you can eat, drink and have fun here! Since we are so rich, then be generous, and you don't need to spend any money!"
My resolute words were like dropping a bomb, and the atmosphere in the room instantly stiffened. Wang Fang and her mother-in-law looked at each other, obviously not expecting me to make such a decision.
"Brother, what do you mean by that?" Wang Fang was the first to react and asked puzzled.
The meaning is literal. I gritted my teeth and said, "You think we are too rich, then I will be generous, from today onwards, I will order a few sumptuous takeouts for my mother-in-law every day, and you can eat, drink and have fun here!"
"But...... But that's going to cost a lot of money!" Wang Fang was frightened by my determination and was speechless.
"Isn't money a problem you say?" I sneered and said, "Anyway, you all think we have a lot of money, so let's spend it generously." Besides, isn't that the way you want to live, to be carefree all day long, to eat, drink and be merry!"
"But Xiaoming, it's too extravagant and wasteful for you to do this. The mother-in-law also opened her mouth to dissuade her, "Where do we old people need to eat such good things......?
"Mother-in-law, don't worry about them. I interrupted my mother-in-law, "Haven't you always been partial to them, then I will do my duty as a daughter-in-law to take care of your life and let you eat the best." "
As I spoke, I took out my mobile phone and ordered more than a dozen nutritious meals directly on the takeaway app, with prices as high as thousands of yuan.
"Okay, the order will be delivered shortly. I closed my phone and said expressionlessly, "Mother-in-law, you can wait at home to eat, we have to let you eat and drink well, don't treat you badly." "
Seeing that I really made up my mind, Wang Fang's face became extremely difficult to look at. She didn't expect me to take such an extreme approach, and for a while I couldn't say a word. My mother-in-law was even more frightened by my determination, and looked at me with trepidation, as if she were looking at a stranger.
"Brother, what do you mean?" After a long while, Wang Fang stumbled and spoke, "It's too wasteful for you to do this, isn't it?" And mother-in-law, she is old, where can she digest so many things?"
"Oh, don't you say we're rich?" I said coldly, "In that case, then you should be generous, serve your mother-in-law well, and let her eat the best things." Don't you think we can't do it?"
"That's not going to work!" Wang Fang's voice became a little flustered, "You are too extravagant and wasteful in doing this! Besides, mother-in-law, she is so old, where can she digest so many greasy things? If you really do this, her body will definitely not be able to bear it!"
"Oh, isn't that the way you want to live?" I asked, "Aren't you carefree all day, eating, drinking, and merrymaking? Now that I've given you a chance, what are you not satisfied with?"
"But...... But it's too extravagant!" Wang Fang's voice became more and more flustered, "Our family has that meager income all year long, how can we afford such a big expense of yours? If you really do this, how will we pay you back in the future?"
I didn't answer, but just took out my phone and showed her the amount of the takeout order. When Wang Fang saw the sky-high figure, she was suddenly pale with fright and couldn't say a word.
Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang. I walked over and opened the door, and the delivery man had already brought in more than a dozen meals, giving off an enticing aroma. I pointed to the meal and said to Wang Fang, "Come, Fangfang, this is the life you expect, enjoy it." "
Wang Fang's face became extremely ugly, she opened her mouth, but she couldn't speak. My mother-in-law looked at me with frightened eyes, obviously frightened by my determination. And Li Na also looked at me with complicated eyes on the side, as if she couldn't understand my intentions.
In this atmosphere, Wang Fang finally lowered his head and whispered, "Brother, I'm sorry, let's go back." "
With that, she began to scramble to pack her things, and soon left my house with her family in tow. Looking at her embarrassed back, my mood finally calmed down.
After Wang Fang's family left, my mood gradually calmed down. I looked around the house and suddenly felt extremely tired. The contradictions and entanglements in the past few days have tormented me, and I have also been deeply disappointed in my mother-in-law and Wang Fang.
I sat down on the couch and let out a long sigh. As the head of the family, I work so hard and save money, just hoping that the whole family can live a stable life. However, what Wang Fang and her mother-in-law did made me feel extremely sad and disappointed.
Wang Fang's family was carefree all year round, eating, drinking and merrymaking, and never worried about their livelihood, which is indeed their problem. However, she is always vexatious and criticizes us, our hard-working relatives, which is too much. What made me even more disappointed was that my mother-in-law blindly favored Wang Fang and couldn't listen to my explanation at all, which made me feel aggrieved and sad.
I know that the reason why Wang Fang is like this is because she has always lived a soft life and has never lived a hard life. And the reason why her mother-in-law favored her was also out of pity and sympathy for her. However, although sympathy is valuable, it cannot completely indulge her unreasonable behavior.
I looked down at the delivery bill on my phone, and I had mixed feelings. Although my approach was a bit extreme, I was also forced to be helpless. If Wang Fang and her mother-in-law had respected our family's efforts and understood our difficulties, all this could have been avoided.