In the early morning, the sunlight shines through the windows of the old house and sprinkles on the neatly arranged offerings, and the whole room is filled with a solemn and peaceful atmosphere.
The son's family and the little nephew were dressed neatly and stood solemnly in front of the ancestral tablet, ready to start the ancestor worship ceremony. Today is my father's death day, and the matter of demolition money needs to be properly handled, so I called my son's family and my little nephew's family, asking us to come back to worship our ancestors, and they all agreed.
As the elder of the family, I presided over the whole ceremony, lit the incense candles, and then respectfully bowed to the ancestral tablet three times. My son and daughter-in-law also took the children and followed my movements, while the little nephew stood aside, his eyes revealing his admiration for his ancestors.
"Ancestors, please bless our family with peace and prosperity for our descendants. I prayed softly, and then slowly sprinkled the drink on the ground as a tribute to my ancestors.
After the ancestor worship, we set up a sumptuous meal in the courtyard, and everyone sat together, chatting while eating, and the atmosphere gradually became warm and pleasant. I looked at these familiar faces, and a warm current surged in my heart, but at the same time, there was an indescribable heaviness.
After the meal, I took out a bank card and said to my little nephew: "Xiao Lei, there is 700,000 yuan in this card, which is the compensation for the demolition of our old house." I plan to keep 200,000 yuan for my retirement, and the remaining 500,000 yuan, I want to give it to you, in the future, when your children get married or have other needs. ”
The little nephew was stunned, obviously he didn't expect me to say this, he hurriedly waved his hand: "No, no, uncle, I can't ask for this money." ”
I insisted on stuffing it to my little nephew: "This money originally belonged to your father, he is gone, and you, as his son, should inherit this money." ”
When the son and daughter-in-law heard this, their faces changed suddenly, and the son said angrily: "Dad, what do you mean by this? This money belongs to our family, how can you just give it?"
Not to be outdone, the daughter-in-law screamed: "That's it, you have your brain in water, right? This money should be ours, why should you give it all to him?"
I looked at their angry appearance and felt a pang of sadness in my heart, but I still insisted on my decision: "This money belongs to your uncle, he is gone, and naturally it should be inherited by Xiao Lei." ”
The son and daughter-in-law refused to give up, began to quarrel loudly, and even tried to snatch the bank card. As I watched this scene, I felt more disappointed and angry than ever before.
The little nephew was on the side, looking very embarrassed, and he kept persuading: "Brother, sister-in-law, don't quarrel, I really can't ask for this money." ”
But the son and daughter-in-law did not listen at all, and the quarrel became louder and louder, even alarming the surrounding neighbors. As I watched all this, I felt a deep sense of powerlessness and sadness in my heart.
I stood up and walked into the courtyard, looking at the clouds in the sky, and an inexplicable emotion swelled up in my heart. This money was originally intended to make the family's life better, but it turned into a farce.
I am reminded of the teachings of our ancestors and of what they expected of us. I know they want us to live together and love each other. But I let them down.
I sighed, and a deep sense of helplessness welled up in my heart. I know that this argument will not lead to results, it will only further alienate the relationship between the family.
When I returned to the house, I looked at my son and daughter-in-law, who were still arguing, and my little nephew, who was full of embarrassment, and felt a deep sense of guilt. I knew that I, as an elder, should have handled all this, but I didn't expect it to be like this.
I picked up the bank card, walked up to my little nephew, and said earnestly: "Xiao Lei, you take this money, I know you have your own principles and bottom line, but this is a little bit of my heart as an uncle, I hope you don't refuse." ”
The little nephew looked at me, a trace of emotion flashed in his eyes, but he still said firmly: "Uncle, I really can't ask for it, this money should belong to everyone." ”
I looked at his determined eyes and felt a sense of relief in my heart. I know that he is a man of backbone, and he has his own principles and bottom line. I know that he will not give up his dignity and principles for the sake of money. However, as a person, I should also have my own bottom line, and I can't do anything to be sorry for my eldest brother.
In a small mountain village in Hubei Province, on February 14, 1950, I, Yang Lin, was born. The village is surrounded by green mountains, and the early morning mist often lingers in the valleys, like a fairyland. I have an older sister and an older brother, and our childhood, like the stream that runs through the village, is clear and cheerful.
My brother is the eldest son in the family, and he is always like a big tree, sheltering us from the wind and rain. The affection between us is deeper and longer than any stream in the mountains.
In 1971, I met the other half of my life and we decided to get married. However, the old man made a request for a dowry, which was an essential etiquette at the time. My family was not wealthy, and when I was anxious about it, my brother silently handed over all the family's savings to me.
"Brother, you ...... What are you going to do with yourself?" I held the heavy sum of money in my hand, and my heart was mixed.
"It's okay, you get married first, I'm not in a hurry. My brother smiled and patted me on the shoulder, and there was no trace of complaint in his smile.
In this way, my brother's wedding was much later than mine, but he never complained, and this brotherhood is deep, and I will remember it.
Soon after we got married, my wife and I welcomed our child, a lively and cute little boy. In order to give this little life a better future, my wife and I decided to take him out to work. We left the familiar mountain village behind and embarked on a journey into the unknown.
The days of working outside the home are not easy, but our hearts are always concerned about our hometown. In the dead of night, I always think of the mountains and rivers of my hometown, my brother and sister, and my elderly parents. As for the brother and sister-in-law, they silently took on the responsibility of taking care of their parents at home.
"Brother, my parents will ask you. "I wrote in my letter, filled with guilt.
"Don't worry, I'm at home. "My brother's replies are always so short and forceful.
Time flies, my wife and I have been working hard outside for many years, and our son has gradually grown up. Our economic conditions have improved, but our longing for our hometown has never diminished. Every Spring Festival, no matter how busy we are, we will take our son back to that familiar mountain village to reunite with our brothers and sisters.
"Grandparents, aunts and uncles, we're back!" the son's immature voice echoed in the yard, and the smile of the brother and sister-in-law was warmer than the spring sun.
We sat around the fire, talking about our lives, sharing each other's joys and sorrows. My brother always listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a few words, and his words were always so simple, but so intimate.
"Brother, I've worked hard for you all these years. "I looked at my brother and my heart was filled with gratitude.
"Anyway, we're family. The elder brother smiled and waved his hand, and there was no hint of claim in his smile.
In 1994, my son got married, had a son and a daughter, and my wife and I began to revolve around our grandchildren.
I continued to work part-time to provide financial support for my son's family, while my wife was busy taking care of the children and handling household chores. Although our life is hard, our hearts are full of satisfaction and happiness when we see our children grow up day by day.
As time went on, I made a big decision to sell my hometown house in order to help my son and daughter-in-law buy a new house.
That was where my childhood memories were, and it was my wife's haven for years to come. But for the sake of our children's future, we feel that all the sacrifices are worth it.
"Dad, Mom, thank you, we will definitely honor you well. "When my son and daughter-in-law moved into their new home, their eyes were full of gratitude.
However, in 2015, I suffered the hardest blow of my life - my wife passed away. Having lost my closest partner, I felt lonely and helpless like never before. My physical condition also started to decline and I could no longer help them with household chores as much as I used to. On top of that, I also need them to take care of me, which makes my son and daughter-in-law dislike me more and more.
My daughter-in-law's patience gradually ran out, and she began to show resentment at my inability to do anything.
"Can't you take care of yourself? We have our own lives to live. The daughter-in-law's tone was reproachful.
I felt a deep sense of loss and heartache, but what saddened me even more was that my son also began to dislike me.
"Dad, we need some space. My son's words were like a needle that pierced my heart.
In early 2016, I was kicked out of my house after a heated argument. In the cold winter, I returned to my hometown alone and with a heavy heart.
Luckily, my eldest brother was still there, and he gave me his newly built building. My little nephew often came to visit me, brought me food and drink, and his care became a trace of warmth in my loneliness.
"Uncle, you have to take care of yourself, I will come to see you when I have time. The little nephew's words were simple, but full of sincere emotions. However, my own son was like a kite with a broken string and never came back.
In 2020, my eldest brother also passed away due to illness. I felt more lonely than I had ever been, but my little nephew still came back to see me once or twice a year. When I was sick and hospitalized, my little nephew was also by my side. My son and daughter-in-law seemed to have disappeared, ignoring my life and death.
I lay in a hospital bed, looking out the window at the sky, my heart full of mixed emotions. I feel sad for the indifference of my son and daughter-in-law, and I am also warm for the filial piety of my little nephew.
Not long ago, due to land requisition, my hometown was demolished, and the building that my eldest brother gave me was also within the scope of demolition. Since the news of the demolition came, my life has not been peaceful.
My son and daughter-in-law began to call frequently, their tones full of concern, but I could tell that behind it was the attraction of the demolition money.
"Dad, my hometown is going to be demolished, we want to come back to see you, and help you deal with some affairs by the way. The son said on the phone, his voice sounding a little urgent.
I held the phone with mixed feelings. I knew what they meant by "helping out with some errands", but I was no longer the one who could be easily swayed, and I decided to reject their "kindness".
"No need, you're busy with yours, I can handle it myself. I replied calmly, trying to keep my voice firm.
The son and daughter-in-law didn't seem to expect me to refuse, and there was silence on the other end of the phone for a while, and then the daughter-in-law took the phone.
"Dad, we don't worry about you alone in your hometown, the demolition is very complicated, let's come back and help you." There was a hint of flattery in the daughter-in-law's tone.
I took a deep breath and decisively refused. After that, they called me more than a dozen times, asked me about the demolition money, and cried to me that I was poor, saying that the children needed money to spend, but I ignored them.
After recalling this incident, I interrupted my son and daughter-in-law who were arguing, stuffed the bank card to my little nephew, and said in an unwavering voice: "I said, this building was built by Xiao Lei's father, I just live temporarily, Xiao Lei's father is no longer there, and the demolition money is Xiao Lei's." ”
Seeing that I "don't eat oil and salt", my son and daughter-in-law angrily dropped a sentence "You will regret it, don't expect us to support our old age in the future" and walked away.
When my little nephew found out about my situation, he insisted on taking me to his house for the elderly. His home, though small, is full of warmth and care.
"Uncle, just go home with me, and I'll provide for you. "My little nephew's words were simple but firm, and they made me feel warmer than ever.
I looked at him with gratitude. In this era of material supremacy, there are still people who can stick to family affection and morality, how precious it is.
I packed my simple luggage and followed my little nephew back to his home. His family took great care of me and made me feel at home.
My son and daughter-in-law never contacted me again, and they seemed to have forgotten about me as a father and grandfather. But I don't care anymore, I have the company of my little nephew's family, and that's enough.
(The story material is provided by the people around the author, and the love is responsible for sorting it out.) If you'd like to share your story, please let us know. ）