In an inconspicuous small town in the south of the Yangtze River, spring is getting stronger. A family of three moved into a new home here - Li Haiqiang started a new life with his wife Yuan Mei and ten-year-old daughter Li Xiaomeng because of a job transfer.
On the side of the busy street, Li Haiqiang looked up at the community that had not yet faded the smell of new paint, and said with a smile: "Meimei, you see how good our new home is, Xiaomeng will have a better learning environment in the future." Yuan Mei replied softly while helping to move things: "Yes, it's a good start." I hope we can make a home here. ”
Just as they were busy settling down, Yuan Mei's mobile phone suddenly rang, it was her mother's phone. "Hey, Mom, what's the matter?" asked Yuan Mei.
On the other end of the phone, her mother's voice was heavy: "Meimei, your cousin Zhang Wan had an accident, she passed away last night." Yuan Mei could hardly believe her ears, and her face turned pale in an instant.
"Mom, what are you talking about?Zhang Wan, isn't she okay?" Yuan Mei's voice began to tremble, "Mom, didn't you say she just had a cold?
Mom sighed: "Yes, we didn't expect that the condition suddenly deteriorated, and the doctor said it was severe pneumonia..."
Yuan Mei couldn't hold it back, leaning against the wall, tears rolling in her eyes. "Zhang Wan, she... What about her husband, Gao Tao? He must be very sad. ”
The mother sighed on the other end of the phone: "He is also very sad, you know, Zhang Wan has always been his world." ”
Zhang Wan, Yuan Mei's cousin who grew up together, her relationship with her husband Gao Tao has always been the object of Yuan Mei's envy. Zhang Wan's circle of friends before her death was like a happiness exhibition hall, always filled with sweet selfies with her husband, which made people envious. The sudden bad news was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Li family, who had just moved over and had not yet adapted to it.
Li Haiqiang walked over, saw his wife's tears in her eyes, and asked softly, "What's the matter, Meimei, what's wrong with your cousin?" and added, "Should we do something?"
Yuan Mei wiped her tears and tried to calm her emotions: "Let... Let's finish moving our things first, and then we'll go to see Gao Tao together in the evening and give him some support. ”
Li Xiaomeng ran over and grabbed the corner of her mother's clothes with her little hand: "Mom, why are you crying? Is your cousin Zhang Wan gone?" The child's innocence pierced Yuan Mei's heart like a needle.
Yuan Mei looked into her daughter's eyes and tried to be strong: "Xiaomeng, cousin... My cousin went to a far away place, a place we can't get to now. ”
"Will my cousin come back?" Xiao Xiaomeng's thorough eyes were full of confusion.
Yuan Mei stroked her daughter's head, smiling with tears: "No, baby, but we can think of her in our hearts and remember her." ”
At that moment, the joy of a new home becomes a reminiscence of the past, the evening breeze blows silently in this complex world, and the joys and sorrows of life are intertwined in an instant. Time flies, it has been three months since Zhang Wan's death, and the grief seems to have long been drowned out by the noisy daily life. In the community, Gao Tao's frequent comings and goings and socializing began to cause people to whisper.
"Meimei, have you heard? Zhang Wan's husband, Gao Tao in our community, has always been late in the past few days. The neighbor's aunt said to Yuan Mei on the bench downstairs.
Yuan Mei smiled apologetically: "Auntie, we don't have a lot to talk about other people's private affairs." ”
Despite this, Yuan Mei still felt a faint pain in her heart. Not long after Zhang Wancai's death, Gao Tao's actions are really incomprehensible.
At a family dinner, Yuan Mei revealed her doubts to Li Haiqiang, with dissatisfaction and questions in her voice: "Qiang, you say, is it really good for Gao Tao to be like this? Zhang Wan just left us..."
Li Haiqiang stopped the chopsticks in his hand, pondered for a moment and said, "Meimei, everyone's way is different, maybe he is using his own way to release his sadness." ”
Yuan Mei disagreed, but she couldn't refute it.
Unexpectedly, the next news shocked the community even more, Gao Tao actually remarried. The news, like a typhoon in the summer, caused an even bigger storm.
Lying in bed at night, Yuan Mei tossed and turned, her heart full of doubts and uneasiness: "Qiang, you said that this new woman, is it Gao Tao's money?"
Li Haiqiang shook his head: "Meimei, we don't know about this matter, let's not speculate." ”
At the same time, Li Xiaomeng also heard this topic at school. On the way out of school, my friend Xiaofang gossiped and said, "Xiaomeng, have you heard? Zhang Wan's husband is married again." ”
Li Xiaomeng was a little confused: "My mother said that people should respect each other and not talk about others behind their backs. ”
Xiaofang stuck out her tongue: "But my mother said that Gao Tao got married so soon, there must be something hidden." ”
The children's voices are quieter, but their doubts about the complex emotions of adults are getting deeper.
A few days later, Yuan Mei and Li Haiqiang took time to visit Gao Tao, intending to find out the situation in person. knocked on Gao Tao's door, and there was a sound of cautious footsteps through the crack in the door.
The door opened, and a strange and gentle female voice said, "Hello, who are you looking for?"
Yuan Mei observed the bride carefully and responded with a smile: "We are relatives of Zhang Wan, and we came to see Gao Tao and get to know you by the way." ”
The woman was a little cramped, but she also politely invited them into the house, shouting, "Tao, your friend is here." ”
Gao Tao walked out of the kitchen, his expression was a little embarrassed, and his tone was low: "Oh, it's Meimei and Qiang, come in and sit." ”
There seemed to be an awkward atmosphere in the living room, but Li Haiqiang still tried his best to maintain his relaxation: "We heard that you have a new life, congratulations." Don't you want to have a wedding drink?"
Gao Tao smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Thank you, those forms don't mean much, so we'll do it simply." ”
Yuan Mei couldn't help but ask: "Gao Tao, are you so fast..."
Gao Tao obviously didn't want to talk more about this matter, and interrupted: "This is my decision, I know you may not understand." But... There are some things that we can't fully control. ”
Seeing that Gao Tao was reluctant to say more, Li Haiqiang played a round: "Okay, Meimei, everyone is an adult, and they have their own ideas and choices." ”
After dinner, Li Haiqiang and Yuan Mei said goodbye, and Yuan Mei was contemplating throughout the return trip. The lights in the house were warm and quiet, and Yuan Mei said softly to Li Haiqiang: "I always feel that Gao Tao he... There seems to be a hidden secret. ”
Li Haiqiang responded: "Yes, people's hearts are separated from their stomachs. Who knows, maybe one day we will understand. ”
At that moment, the gossip and suspicion in the community seemed to be gently blown away by the wind of this summer night, and people returned to their own lives, and the cycle continued. It was another sunny weekend, and Yuan Mei took her daughter Xiaomeng to the supermarket to buy things needed at home. Just as they were busy selecting vegetables, Yuan Mei suddenly caught a familiar back in the fruit area, and when she looked closely, it was Gao Tao's new wife Wang Li.
Yuan Mei hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage to step forward and say hello: "Wang Li, it's you." ”
Wang Li turned around, smiled and nodded: "Oh, Sister Yuan, it's you, recognize me?"
"Yes, I met at your house that day. Yuan Mei asked tentatively, "Why did you come to buy vegetables alone?"
Wang Li sighed, with a little helplessness in her tone: "He has been busy with work recently, and he has to take care of the elderly at home, so I came by myself." ”
Yuan Mei asked in surprise: "The old man in the family, why haven't I heard of it?"
Wang Li inadvertently revealed some information: "Yes, Gao Tao's father is not in good health and needs to be taken care of, and we also hope that there will be one more person in the family when we get married." ”
These words made Yuan Mei suddenly realize, and she finally understood the hardships behind Gao Tao's rapid remarriage. Back home, Yuan Mei relayed the conversation to Li Haiqiang.
"Qiang, listen to this, I met Wang Li today, it turns out that there are so many things in Gao Tao's family. ”
Li Haiqiang nodded and said with emotion: "It seems that we all misunderstood him before." ”
Soon after, the Li family held a small family gathering, and Yuan Mei and Li Haiqiang decided to take the opportunity to let everyone know the real situation of Gao Tao and Wang Li.
After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, Li Haiqiang raised his wine glass: "Everyone, we are gathered together today, in addition to celebrating our gradual integration into this warm community, Meimei and I have something else to share with you." ”
Yuan Mei took over the topic cooperatively: "We had some misunderstandings about Gao Tao before, his remarriage was not as simple as everyone thought, but out of responsibility to the family. ”
Li Haiqiang explained in detail Gao Tao's actual predicament, including his father's physical condition and his own financial pressure.
A neighbor's aunt exclaimed: "Oh, you can't just look at the surface when looking at people, it turns out that Gao Tao has so many hidden secrets." ”
An uncle also said: "Yes, we really shouldn't talk behind our backs, it seems that he also has difficulties." ”
According to Li Haiqiang, after that meeting, the atmosphere in the community has changed a lot. The neighbors who had criticized Gao Tao before began to change their attitudes, and some neighbors even began to offer help.
This matter gradually spread in the community, and people no longer have too much criticism of Gao Tao's newlywed life, but have more understanding and support.
And Li Xiaomeng's ignorant mind also learned a lesson of growth from these adult things. She witnessed how far there is a gap between misconception and truth, and also understood the importance of respect and understanding. As time passed, the original speculation and gossip in the community gradually subsided. The efforts of Li Haiqiang and Yuan Mei made the real situation of Gao Tao and his wife Wang Li understood by everyone, and the neighborhood relationship became harmonious and harmonious.
That night, Li Haiqiang's family sat around the dining table, and Yuan Mei said with emotion: "Look, Qiang, since that party, everyone's attitude towards Gao Tao has changed. ”
Li Haiqiang smiled and nodded: "Yes, sometimes a small misunderstanding can have a big impact. To be a human being, we still have to be tolerant and understanding. ”
Li Xiaomeng leaned her head on her mother's shoulder and asked curiously, "Mom, why did everyone misunderstand Uncle Gao Tao at the beginning?"
Yuan Mei stroked her daughter's hair: "Because everyone doesn't really understand him, they always guess others with their own ideas." ”
"Therefore, in the future, before we talk about others, we must first put ourselves in the shoes of others," Li Haiqiang looked at his daughter seriously, "We must learn to look at problems from other people's standpoints." ”
Li Xiaomeng nodded, she seemed to understand something. A few days ago, there was a little friction between her and her friends at school, but now I think about it is also because of a lack of understanding and communication.
Children with simple hearts have a world that is not as complicated as adults, but this experience taught Li Xiaomeng a lesson in growing up. It's not just about respect and inclusion, it's also about the process of growing up.
The elderly who jogged in the morning, the women who chatted in twos and threes, and the noisy children who returned from school returned to their lives were calm and harmonious.
At the end of the story, Yuan Mei and Li Haiqiang sat on the balcony, admiring the community at sunset, Yuan Mei asked reflectively: "Actually, does everyone in this world have their own hardships and difficulties, and we just see the surface?"
Li Haiqiang quietly took a sip of tea, looked up at the distance, and said with a smile: "Maybe, each of us is groping our way in the sea of life, isn't it?"