My name is Zhang Hua, I am 38 years old this year, and I am an ordinary office worker. Although the job is very stable and the income is okay, I have always lived a simple and frugal life. I thought I could take care of my small family, but I didn't expect my son to fall into trouble financially after graduating from college. My husband and wife were worried all day long, struggling to maintain a monthly mortgage of 8,000 yuan.
On this day, I was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen when I suddenly received a call from my mother saying that my mother-in-law was coming to my house as a guest. I felt a suffocation in my heart, she was a notoriously show-off and comparison-loving person. Sure enough, when my mother-in-law came to my house, she staggered and carried several large boxes full of all kinds of designer bags and jewelry. I sighed to myself, she was going to show off again this time.
"Mom, why did you bring so many things this time?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Gee, didn't you just come back from a trip to Europe and bought a lot of good things. Look at this bag, how beautiful it is, I bought one for you. The mother-in-law said as she took out a large shopping bag from the box.
I looked at her elated appearance and frowned in my heart. My husband and I have a combined salary of more than 20,000 yuan, where can we afford such an expensive bag.
"Mom, you're so polite. We really don't have any good things at home, so don't worry about it. I politely declined.
"Oh, how can you say that? I bought it for you, so you can take it. By the way, I've had a great trip to Europe, would you like to hear my travelogue?" My mother-in-law ignored my refusal and said with great interest.
Sure enough, after my mother-in-law finished talking about the interesting travels, she opened the box and took out all kinds of brand-name bags and jewelry, and showed them to me one by one. I felt more and more uncomfortable, afraid that she would ask about our family. I quickly looked away and pretended to look out the window with interest.
"Oh, why don't you speak? This bag is very valuable, you can take it!" When my mother-in-law saw that I didn't speak, she urged again.
"Mom, I really don't need it, you can keep it for yourself. I quickly declined.
"Why don't you need it? The mother-in-law frowned.
I panicked and said, "No, we really don't have any good things at home, so don't worry about it." "
When my mother-in-law saw that I repeatedly excused herself, a trace of displeasure flashed in her eyes. She took out a sparkling diamond necklace from the box and said, "I bought this necklace at the Vatican in Paris, and I chose it for your son's fiancée." Aren't you getting married? This necklace must be a good fit for her. "
I felt a pang of irritability, knowing that she was deliberately showing off, trying to make our family look poor. But I don't want to argue with her too much, for fear of affecting the relationship between my son and daughter-in-law. So I smiled and said, "Thank you so much, I'll pass it on to them." "
Just then, the son came back from outside. The mother-in-law immediately greeted her and said courteously, "Oh, my precious grandson is back! "
My son gave me a somewhat embarrassed look, then smiled and said, "Mom, you're so polite, we don't dare to accept such a valuable thing." "
The mother-in-law narrowed her eyes and said with some displeasure, "Why, don't you like what I bought? "
My son looked at me in embarrassment and quickly said, "Mom, of course we appreciate your kindness. It's just that we really can't afford such an expensive thing now, so you can keep it for yourself. "
Hearing my son's words, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am glad that my son is able to understand our situation. But on the other hand, I also felt a touch of shame and guilt. As parents, my husband and I have been working hard for our son's future, but we can't give him the life he deserves. And my mother-in-law's showing off is undoubtedly implying that our family is poor, which makes me feel very embarrassed.
I watched my son and mother-in-law stalemate, and my heart was even more mixed. I know that my mother-in-law must have heard about our family's financial situation, so she deliberately showed off. I was full of contradictions and guilt, for fear that my son would think that our family was too poor and affect his life.
Just when I was struggling in my heart, my mother-in-law suddenly turned her head and said word by word: "How did you get here all these years? Can't you even afford a brand-name bag?"
I was stunned, not knowing how to answer. She continued: "I see that you don't even have a decent house, and I am so embarrassed to give you a mortgage of 8,000 yuan every month!"
When my son heard this, a trace of embarrassment and anger appeared on his face. He said with a heavy face, "Mom, what you said is not right. My dad and I have been working hard and have never reached out to you even when life is hard. You give us a mortgage of 8,000 yuan every month, and we are always grateful. If you have an opinion on this, then simply don't give it anymore. "
When the mother-in-law heard this, her face sank and she said, "Hmph, I knew you would say that." I don't think you know how to value my kindness. I spent so much money to help you, and you didn't even have a thank you!"
Before I could finish my words, my mother-in-law sneered and said, "Hmph, you guys really know how to say nice things." I think you just don't know how to be grateful, eat my soft rice every moonlight, and don't want to accept my gifts. When you were going to get married, you didn't have a penny, and if I hadn't paid for it, you would have got married!"
Hearing this, my son finally had an angry look on his face. He frowned and said, "Mom, what you said is too much! You have contributed a lot of money to my wife's marriage, and we are very grateful." But that doesn't mean you can dictate our lives all the time, and you can't humiliate us in this way. We are always trying to be self-reliant, although we have limited conditions, and you should not have any resentment about this. "
The mother-in-law saw that her son's attitude was so tough, and her face became even more gloomy. She pointed at us and said angrily, "Hmph, you two are ungrateful. I think you deserve to be poor, and you don't deserve good things!"
I hurriedly stepped forward to persuade: "Mom, don't say that. You also know the difficulties of our family, and your mortgage of 8,000 yuan per month has been a great help. We don't need any more expensive gifts from you, we just hope you understand our situation. "
But my mother-in-law seemed to have completely disobeyed my advice, and still scolded angrily: "Understand your situation? Hmph, I think you are just too used to yourself, and you never know how to cherish the kindness of others." I'm so disappointed that I gave you so much money and you didn't want to spend any of it on me!"
My son and I looked at each other, and we both felt helpless and sad. We know that the real purpose of my mother-in-law's visit this time is probably to humiliate us by showing off her wealth. But we are a family after all, and I don't want to be too confrontational with her, for fear that it will affect my son's feelings.
Just as I was hesitating how to respond, my son suddenly said, "Okay, Mom, don't say anything more." I know it's true that our family is not doing well, but my wife and I have been trying to change the situation. If you have any problem with this, then we don't have to ask you to give us a mortgage in the future. We'll figure it out ourselves. "
I looked at my son's resolute expression, and my heart was mixed. I knew he wanted to preserve our dignity, but at the same time I was worried that my mother-in-law would be even more angry. Sure enough, when the mother-in-law heard her son's words, her face became even more gloomy, and she said angrily: "Hmph, that's good, I won't give you another penny in the future!
But my mother-in-law ignored my explanation and walked straight out the door. Before leaving, she said coldly: "Don't count on my money in the future, you can live well by yourself." With that, she closed the door angrily, leaving my son and I staring at each other and falling silent.
After a long time, I took a deep breath and whispered to my son, "You are doing the right thing, we really shouldn't let her support us all the time, that will make us lose our self-esteem." But I also understand that what you just said so directly may have made her very sad. After all, she is your mother, and we shouldn't turn against her. "
The son was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "I know, Dad." But I couldn't stand her humiliating us in that way. Although we have a difficult life, we have been working hard, and we are not 'ungrateful' as she said. I just wanted to preserve our dignity and make her understand that we were not who she thought we were. "
I nodded and said, "I understand what you're thinking, and I don't like the way she behaved just now." But maybe we can try to communicate with her, so that she understands our situation, and let her understand our difficulties. We're a family after all, and I don't want to affect our relationship because of that. "
The son pondered for a moment, and finally nodded, "Okay, Dad." Then we'll go to her house tomorrow and talk to her. I don't want to get too stiff with her over this. "
I smiled slightly, feeling that the burden in my heart had finally been lifted a little. I know that we have to take the initiative to resolve this conflict.
I paused, then continued, "But I understand that you are giving this money out of care and care for us. We should indeed be more grateful. So, if you are willing to continue to help us, we will definitely cherish it and will not let you down. "
Speaking of which, I felt some heat in my eyes. I know that we have been relying on my mother-in-law's funding all these years, and it is really a shame for her and ourselves to feel that we do not know how to be grateful.
After listening to my words, my mother-in-law's eyes were a little complicated. She was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, "I know you've been working hard and understand your situation. But seeing that your lives are so difficult, I can't help but want to help you. Maybe I'm too eager sometimes, and I make you feel humiliated. "
Speaking of which, her voice was also a little apologetic. I quickly said, "Mom, you don't have to blame yourself. We also know that you have good intentions, but we are too self-respecting to accept it. But we will definitely cherish your help and will not make you feel that we are ungrateful in the future. "
As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly. I quickly shook her hand and said, "Mom, we all know how kind you are to us. We really appreciate your help over the years and will definitely work harder in the future to make you proud. "
The son also nodded on the side and said, "Mom, I'm sorry, I spoke too directly yesterday." I know you're doing it for our good, it's just that I'm too self-respecting to accept it. But we will cherish your help and will surely make you feel relieved in the future. "
When the mother-in-law heard this, a few tears finally fell from her eyes. She pulled me and my son by, hugged us tightly, and whispered, "Kids, mom knows you've been working hard for life. You must be well, your mother will always be there for you to support you. "
The three of us quietly embraced each other like this, as if all the contradictions and troubles had dissipated without a trace. I felt a warm current in my heart, and the tension gradually relaxed.
From that day on, our family's relationship also became more harmonious. The mother-in-law no longer deliberately flaunts her wealth and cares more about our lives. Sometimes she would quietly deliver some groceries to our house, but she never forced us to accept them.
And we are slowly learning to be more grateful for what we have. Originally, we always felt that life was too difficult, and we had a strong desire for money. But after experiencing this incident, we realized that money is not everything in life, and it is more important to have a warm family.
Sometimes, I talk to my son about the precious gifts my mother-in-law gave us. Together, we will feel that those so-called luxuries do not bring real happiness, but make people feel more lonely and missing.
We are beginning to learn to live more simply, and not to pursue material satisfaction. We also cook together on weekends, chat with the family, and even go for a walk in the nearby park. These small things, which were originally insignificant, are now more and more precious in our eyes.
I've also found that since we're no longer obsessed with money, we've made our parent-child relationship more harmonious. We understand and support each other, and we are no longer separated by the pressures of life. Sometimes, I even rejoice that my mother-in-law's behavior has made us see the essence of life.
Time flies, and a few years have passed in the blink of an eye. My husband and I are still working hard, and my son is successfully admitted to graduate school. While our financial situation hasn't changed much, the quality of life for our whole family has improved a lot.
We are no longer too obsessed with money and material things, but more to cherish the time we spend with each other. We often cook together, go for walks, and share moments of each other's lives. Sometimes, we also discuss future plans, such as whether our son wants to find a good job after graduation, or whether he wants to change to a better house.
I've found that instead of dwelling on the immediate financial pressures, I should focus more on how to make life more meaningful. We are a family that supports and understands each other, which is more precious than any luxury.
When I think back to the scene when my mother-in-law visited, I couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. Although that incident made our family go through some twists and turns, it ultimately made us cherish each other more and gave me a new understanding of the value of money.
We must understand that the meaning of life is far more than material enjoyment, but more about inner wealth and family warmth. Perhaps in some ways, our lives are still difficult, but as long as we have each other's support and understanding, it is enough to make us feel happy and satisfied.
I sincerely hope that through our story, more people can realize that money is not the whole of life, but to know how to appreciate the simplest happiness in life. Only in this way can we live a more meaningful and rewarding life.