In everyone's impression, retirement should be about fishing, playing chess, and traveling with a few old friends, enjoying those peaceful and long days.
My old comrade-in-arms Li Liqiang is 62 years old this year, and he is a veteran who has not yet enjoyed a few years of retirement.
Just as he was about to go out for a walk after dinner, a phone call arrived, which completely changed the trajectory of his future life.
Note: In order to facilitate everyone's reading perception, the following are narrated from a first-person perspective.
01
His son Xiaoqiang's voice on the phone was a little anxious and said, "Dad, can you come over and help us bring Xiaobao?" The two of us are too busy with work now, and we really don't have the skills. ”
As much as I am attached to retirement, I think that family should come first, especially for someone who has just retired, and helping to take care of grandchildren seems to be a responsibility.
So I just replied, "Okay, I'll come." ”
That day I took only the most necessary luggage and boarded the train to the Northeast, and I went from the south to the north, jumping from a familiar environment to a completely unfamiliar place.
For someone my age, this change is not just a geographical migration, but also a huge change in lifestyle and mentality.
On the day I arrived, I was greeted with my son by a sudden heavy snowfall.
As I stood in the snow and looked at the snow-covered streets around me, I felt something indescribable, and I couldn't help but think that it wouldn't be particularly difficult to help my son take care of the children, right?
But the next few weeks of life have taught me that every day with children is like being challenged, Xiaobao has just turned one and a half years old, and anyone who has taken care of children knows that children at this age are very lively.
Xiaobao ran around all day long, and I, a grandfather, could only follow behind all the time, for fear that he would fall and bump into him.
Although there is a nanny at home, taking care of children, especially children of Xiaobao's age, is a manual work for everyone, and it is a patient job.
However, I didn't expect that because of the different ages, there are also different ways to take care of the children, and when I use some of the methods of our older generation, the nanny will quietly write them down and tell them one by one when my daughter-in-law comes back.
Just because of the children's outfits, my approach also caused their dissatisfaction, and perhaps my daughter-in-law also saw my embarrassment, so she simply made a list.
It clearly states how the child should be cared for, and while it would be helpful to think about that list now, I thought it was a constraint at the time.
In order to be able to better see Xiaobao's state, the daughter-in-law also installed a monitor at home, and sometimes there was a slight mistake, and the daughter-in-law made a phone call.
If it's good, it's to protect Xiaobao, but if it's ugly, isn't it proper surveillance?
In addition, the son and daughter-in-law are not at home during the day, and they are tired when they come back at night.
Slowly I began to wonder how long these days would last, I thought I would come here to help take care of my grandchildren and enjoy the warmth of family at the same time, but the reality is that I feel lonely like never before.
I try to have some fun, like walking around the neighborhood and trying to chat with my neighbors, but the language has a strong southern accent that stands out here.
The neighbors were friendly, but I always felt like I was an outside observer rather than a part of the place.
As the days passed, my heart became heavier and heavier, and I began to miss the warm sunshine of my hometown and the casual gatherings of my friends.
It was business as usual that night, and I sat at the deserted dining table and watched Xiaobao yawn sleepily in my son's arms.
My son and daughter-in-law exchanged a few words about work, and then they went about their business, leaving me alone to clean the table.
Then I suddenly felt that this was not the life I wanted, I loved my grandson, but this kind of day made me feel suffocated.
After clearing the dining table, I walked to the living room window and looked out at the dark night sky, a thought of escape swirling in my heart.
I remembered my dreams before retirement, those plans that I had not yet had time to realize: to go fishing in the southern sea, to visit the famous mountains and rivers in China, and to see the vastness of the world.
I went back to my room and barely slept that night.
With my life constantly replaying in my head, I was angry and helpless about my current situation, and finally in the dead of night, I made a decision.
I needed to get my life back, even if it meant making some tough choices.
02
Early the next morning, instead of getting up as usual to prepare breakfast, I quietly packed my bags and left a letter explaining my decision and why.
I knew it might be disappointing for my son and daughter-in-law, but I was sure they would understand me eventually, so I put the letter on the table, put on my coat, and quietly walked out that door.
As soon as I stepped out of the door, the air seemed to freshen up instantly.
Instead of going straight to the station, I took a slow walk around the nearby park, thinking about my decision.
I knew that leaving so suddenly would cause a lot of distress to my son and daughter-in-law, but I also knew that if I stayed there, my mind and body would slowly collapse.
After sitting on a park bench for a while, I took out my phone and dialed an old friend's number.
When he heard my voice in his hometown, he looked very surprised and said, "Li Liqiang, what's wrong with you? Call me so early." ”
I whispered, "Dude, I've decided to come back, I can't take it anymore, I need to go back to my own life." ”
The friend was silent for a while, and then said, "Then you can come back, this is still your home." ”
After hanging up, I felt a sense of relief that I hadn't felt in a long time, and I stood up and walked towards the train station with a determined step.
Not far from the train station, the sky was getting brighter, and I bought one of the earliest tickets to get ready to go home in the south.
In the waiting room of the station, I looked around and looked at the crowd of people, and my heart was filled with mixed emotions.
I realized that this choice might cause a rift in my relationship with my son, but I also knew that it was a price that had to be paid for my own happiness.
The train started slowly, and I leaned against the window and watched the world outside the window recede little by little.
My heart beats to the rhythm of the train, and every heartbeat reminds me that I am finding my life again, a relief, and a new beginning.
Note: This story is purely fictional, the names and events in the story are fictional, and the purpose of using place names is only for the purpose of describing the plot and making it easy to read and understand
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