On an ordinary morning, the sunlight crept into my bedroom through the cracks in the curtains. I, Li Gang, a retired worker who had just passed my 55th birthday, started my daily life step by step. My wife and I are dependent on each other, and our children are working in other places, and this small home has become the whole world of our retirement.
Habit makes me wake up at the first rays of sunlight in the morning. After I got up, washed, and prepared breakfast lightly, for fear of waking my wife, who was still asleep. Breakfast was simple, a few slices of bread and a glass of milk, and the days flowed in the ordinary, but there was no lack of stability.
After breakfast, I picked up the garbage bag that had been prepared at the door of my house and prepared to go to the garbage can in the community to throw it away. When I went out, as usual, I could see my neighbors with their garbage bags in front of their homes. Maybe it was because of a light rain last night, and some water had accumulated next to the garbage can, and the garbage bags in the vicinity seemed to be piled higher and more scattered than usual.
I was stunned, thinking that it must be inconvenient for the cleaner aunt to pick it up if it was such a mess. Thinking of this, my pace unconsciously quickened a little, and I began to pick up bags of neighbors' garbage and throw it into the trash can.
"Uncle Li, good morning!" a familiar voice came from afar. I turned my head and saw that it was Wang Ming, a young man in his 30s, who lived upstairs, thoughtful and serious.
"Mr. Wang, early, you went out so early today?" I asked with a pleasant face.
"yes, the company has a big project recently, and I need to get there early. By the way, Uncle Li, you are always so diligent and help us take out the garbage, I'm really embarrassed. Wang Ming had an embarrassed but grateful smile on his face.
"Everywhere, it's all neighbors, helping each other!" I said, but I didn't stop to sort out the garbage.
Afterwards, we chatted a few more words, and Wang Ming hurried to catch the bus. Looking at his hurried back, I felt a little emotional. Nowadays, the pressure on young people is getting bigger and bigger, and it is no wonder that there are some small negligences from time to time.
After cleaning up, I returned home and felt a little warmth when I saw my wife still sleeping sweetly. I gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, then got dressed and prepared to go for a walk.
"Slow down, don't worry. The wife said vaguely, her voice sleepy.
"Got it, I won't. I responded with a smile.
Next, breathe in the fresh air, every step is so affectionate, and every breath is filled with gratitude for life. That's my life, calm and fulfilling, and although there are occasional hiccups, I know that as long as there is love and the support of my family, these are nothing.
It's just that I didn't know that this small act of kindness to my neighbor would bring me unexpected troubles in the future. Life is like that sometimes, you never know what's going to happen in the next second, maybe just before you know it, the whole world changes.
Since that time, my neighbor Mr. Wang seems to have become dependent, and there are more garbage bags from his house next to the garbage can. At first, I didn't pay attention to it, thinking that maybe he was so busy with work that he forgot the time to collect the trash can.
However, as time went by, the garbage of Wang Ming's house appeared in my sight almost every day. So, slowly, somehow, I became a 'part-time cleaner' in Mr. Wang's family—I had to take care of his garbage every day, in addition to throwing away my own garbage.
In the beginning, I thought it was nothing, after all, people can help each other to bring a touch of warmth to this indifferent society. However, as time went on, I was a little overwhelmed.
One morning, I stood outside the door, looking at the garbage bag in front of Wang Ming's house, and a trace of boredom arose in my heart. Besides, retirement is supposed to be easy, so why bother yourself? I said to myself, "Today, I won't help." ”
With this determination, I planned to pass directly in front of Wang Ming's house and ignore the bags of garbage. However, as I passed by, a small protrusion caused me to stumble and almost fall. I looked down and saw that a small brocade box had fallen outside the garbage bag.
At this time, Wang Ming, who came out of the door, saw me and hurriedly greeted: "Uncle Li, what's wrong with you?
"No, no, I'm fine, it's just... Mr. Wang, how could you throw such a thing in the garbage?" I asked him puzzled, bending down to pick up the brocade box.
Wang Ming took the brocade box with a surprised face, and said embarrassedly: "Oh, this may be my lover accidentally put it on the side of the garbage bag, I'm really sorry for the trouble." ”
"It's very rare indeed, and it's the first time I've seen something like this in all my years. With a joking tone, I returned the brocade box to him.
This scene gave me a new idea, perhaps, my neighbor was a little different from what I thought. When I got home, I sat in my chair and felt a little uncomfortable. In the future, should I continue to help Wang Ming, or should I keep my distance and let him learn to be responsible?
The morning light of the community glows golden light outside the window, and the beams of light are projected on the floor through the window, reflecting the solid warmth. I looked at these spots of light, but the confusion in my heart became heavier and heavier.
A few days later, I passed by the door of Wang Ming's house again and saw a pile of waste paper peeking out of the garbage bag. Although I had resolved not to meddle in his family's affairs, my instincts kept me at bay. In the pile of papers, I casually saw an old envelope with a complex list of addresses written on it.
This curiosity was like a worm about to move, and I whispered in my heart, "What kind of letter is this, and what secret will it be?"
I looked around to make sure no one was looking, so I carefully picked up the envelope and lifted the dusty creases, the handwriting still legible. The content of this letter turned out to be about the family secret that Wang Ming's family had been hiding deeply.
In the narrative of the letter, I gradually learned that Wang Ming's family was not as harmonious as the outside world had shown. In fact, they are going through some kind of family crisis. As I read and read, an indescribable emotion welled up in my heart.
On the one hand, it was the privacy of being a neighbor, and on the other hand, the impact of that deep secret on my soul. I was faced with a stark moral choice: should I remain silent and maintain the semblance of harmony in their family, or should I expose the truth, even though it might destroy the original neighborhood ties in our community?
The scales in my heart wavered. Spreading out the letters in my hand, I seem to be able to feel the pain and helplessness behind each character from these words, and they are like silent sighs, through the long river of years, ringing in my ears.
Some of them wanted to go to Wang Ming immediately and communicate with him face to face, while the other part of me told myself that this was someone else's private matter and should not interfere. After all, their family will always find a solution, won't they?
I put the letter back in its place, as if that would put the waves in my heart with me. I turned around and walked away in silence, but my mind felt like I had knocked over a five-flavor bottle, sweet and sour, spicy and salty, and all kinds of flavors filled my thoughts. Since then, I have never helped to throw away Wang Ming's garbage, not only because of exhaustion, but also because of respect for privacy and a deep understanding of the complexities of neighborhood relations.
As time went on, my inner struggle intensified. I decided that I could no longer carry this weight on my own, and that I had to have an honest conversation with Mr. Wang.
Late one night, I knocked on Wang Ming's door. The moment the door opened, I saw his surprised face, I took a deep breath, handed him the envelope, and told him the truth about how I accidentally saw the contents of the letter.
Wang Ming was stunned for a moment, and then his face became ugly. He probably didn't expect that the secrets of his home would be spied on by his neighbors. He whispered to me, "Uncle Li, this... This is a private matter of my family, and since you know it, I beg you to keep it a secret. ”
I nodded in agreement: "Mr. Wang, I understand." I just think it's not good for anyone to hold such a thing in your heart. ”
Wang Ming's attitude began to turn cold: "Uncle Li, thank you." But I hope you can take care of your own business in the future. ”
My heart sank, and it was clear that things weren't going as I wanted them to. In the days that followed, communication between Wang Ming and me became less and less, and his garbage no longer appeared in my life. Although everything is normal on the surface, I know in my heart that the invisible wall has been quietly erected.
Time passed slowly, and the controversy of Wang Ming's family eventually spread in the community, and the atmosphere in the community became delicate.
After this experience, my attitude towards my neighbors changed radically. I've learned that when you're kind to others, you also need to set your own boundaries. Attentive care is wonderful, but over-involvement can be counterproductive. I began to re-examine the relationship called neighborhood harmony and realized that respecting everyone's privacy and space is the foundation of true harmony in this community.
At this point, I am still the helpful Li Gang, but I am no longer the Li Gang who always wants to solve problems for others. I began to focus on my life, enjoying every quiet morning, and my presence, in a more appropriate and peaceful way, integrated into the community.