Aunt Li gently pushed open the door of Mr. Zhang's house, and after a busy day, she always tried to keep quiet, so as not to disturb the family's peace of night. As the door creaks shut, the warmth of home comes to you. The faint aroma of tea, mixed with a little residual temperature in the kitchen after dinner, made Aunt Li involuntarily relax her tense nerves.
When Mrs. Zhang saw her enter the door, she smiled and said a little apologetically, "Aunt Li, I have worked hard for you again today, I was supposed to clean up after dinner, but Xiaobao's homework is relatively tight, so I will accompany him." ”
Aunt Li waved her hand: "Hey, Mrs. Zhang, you're polite, this is what I should do." Xiaobao's homework is important, and children's learning cannot be delayed. ”
While talking, Xiaobao jumped to the living room with a stack of books, saw Aunt Li's eyes light up, and rushed over to take her hand: "Aunt Li, you're back! I got a perfect score in math today, look!" The child's tone was full of expectation and pride.
"Yo, that's great!" Aunt Li smiled so much that her eyes were bent into crescent moons, "I knew that my Xiaobao was the smartest!"
"Aunt Li, let's celebrate together, shall we?" Xiaobao shook Aunt Li's arm excitedly.
Mrs. Zhang also smiled and agreed: "Yes, the family is happy, and we must always celebrate." ”
Although Aunt Li was tired in her heart, when she saw the smiling faces of Xiaobao and Mrs. Zhang, she couldn't help but feel warm in her heart, and hurriedly agreed: "Okay, okay, then wait for Mr. Zhang to come back, let's eat something good together." ”
Time passed quietly in the busyness of day after day, and Aunt Li became an indispensable part of the Zhang family. Mr. and Mrs. Zhang often work overtime until late at night, and Xiaobao goes to school, gets out of school, does homework, eats, sleeps... Almost everything needs to be taken care of by Aunt Li. In this small family, she is both a cook, a cleaner, and a temporary tutor for Xiaobao.
Maybe it was getting older, or maybe it was too much pressure, Aunt Li began to feel not only backache, but also sleep fragmented. In the dead of night, everyone in the family fell asleep, but she tossed and turned in bed, full of thoughts. She wondered when she would be able to sleep peacefully like Mr. and Mrs. Zhang.
The next day, Aunt Li got up early in the morning again and prepared to make breakfast for the three members of the Zhang family. She skillfully fried eggs and fried vegetables, and at the same time, she kept looking at the wall clock out of the corner of her eye, thinking about the time when Xiaobao would go to school. Her hands and feet involuntarily quickened the pace more and more, just to make everything perfect as usual.
In this way, life has accumulated a little emotion and fatigue in the ordinary. Aunt Li's figure is like a part of the warm lights in this home, unknown but indispensable.
Aunt Li, as usual, quietly walked into the kitchen of Mr. Zhang's house and started her day's work. Mrs. Zhang hurriedly ate breakfast with some documents, looked at her, and said gratefully: "Aunt Li, the family has been relying on you recently, do you feel too tired?"
Aunt Li smiled and waved her hand: "Mrs. Zhang, you are too polite." You and Mr. Zhang are busy, and Xiaobao also needs someone to take care of him, so I should do this. ”
Xiaobao interjected while nibbling on bread: "Aunt Li, are you a super energy robot? ”
Aunt Li smiled: "Our little Poke is really good at joking, of course Aunt Li will be tired, but seeing that your family is good, my tiredness will fly." ”
However, with the increase in work, Aunt Li felt more and more strained physically. The gardening in the backyard, the late-night hygiene, and the pick-up and drop-off of the children made her hardly have a moment to rest. Mr. Zhang noticed Aunt Li's hard work, so he said to her on a busy and late night, "Aunt Li, you have paid so much, we have decided to increase your salary." ”
Aunt Li's eyes widened in surprise: "Really, thank you so much, Mr. Zhang!"
"Of course it is. But on the other hand, we would like you to take care of a few more chores in the community. I know it's a challenge, but I'm sure you can do a good job. Mr. Zhang smiled and patted Aunt Li on the shoulder.
Aunt Li has mixed feelings in her heart, and she understands that the increased salary means more workload. She is grateful to Mr. Zhang for his appreciation and does not want to lose this job, but her physical strength is indeed not as good as before. She sighed in her heart and said to herself like a gamble: "Try it, maybe you can hold on." ”
Gradually, the pace of life at home became faster and faster, and Aunt Li felt more and more powerless. The continuous overtime and excessive workload made her tired and exhausted every night, and she could immediately fall asleep when she lay down in bed. Until that stormy night, she had just helped with an urgent family gathering and rushed back to her home late at night.
Auntie Li stood in front of the deserted hut, the rain dripping down her hair, she looked up at the dark clouds in the middle of the night, and only felt that her figure looked extremely lonely under the yellowing street lights. Suddenly, her steps trembled a little, and she seemed to be unable to support it anymore. She shuddered and unlocked the door, and the moment the lightning rang, the whole world lit up, illuminating her hollow and haggard countenance.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands covering her wrinkled face, tears streaming involuntarily. She sobbed and muttered to herself, "I... Am I really old... How long can I last like this?"
That morning, Aunt Li got up early as usual, made breakfast, folded clothes, and prepared Zhang Xiaobao for school.
"Aunt Li, we thank you for your dedication during this time. Mr. Zhang's tone was serious, and Mrs. Zhang nodded in agreement, "That's right, you've really helped a lot." "
In every corner of the Zhang family, Aunt Li has left traces of her hard work. Even the flowers in the house are gently swaying in the breeze, as if they are silently testifying to her efforts.
"But we want to elevate our home, so we hope you'll be able to take on more things. Mr. Zhang continued, "We are planning to add a garden in our backyard and more tutoring classes for our children, all of which require your support. ”
These words were like the last straw on Aunt Li's back, she knew in her heart that her physical strength and energy were close to the limit, and she couldn't bear it any more. Aunt Li was silent for a moment, knowing that the next conversation might decide her fate.
"Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang. Aunt Li raised her head and looked at me firmly, "I appreciate your trust and generosity in me. But really, I'm out of my power. ”
After hearing this, Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Zhang's faces were a little surprised, and Mrs. Zhang hurriedly comforted, "Aunt Li, is there anything wrong with you?
Aunt Li shook her head, she knew that she had to stick to her opinion, "It's not a problem of illness, my workload now is beyond my capacity." It's not fair to me or to you. ”
"But we still need you, and we can raise our salaries again. There was a hint of pleading in Mr. Zhang's voice.
Aunt Li sighed, looking so determined at work for the first time, "Yes, the salary is a big attraction, but my health is also very important. I'm afraid this job will eventually bring me down. ”
Silence enveloped the kitchen, Mrs. Zhang's eyes flashed with a complicated light, and Mr. Zhang's expression was more severe than ever.
"We have seen your hard work for so many years," Mrs. Zhang's voice choked, "If it is really bad for you to go on like this, we will not force it." ”
A hint of gratitude flashed in Aunt Li's eyes, "Thank you for your understanding." She knew that maybe she would leave the house soon, but she knew better that she had to take responsibility for her own health.
As the day of Aunt Li's decision drew closer, Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Zhang appeared unusually silent. Until that afternoon, when the sky was blue and the faint clouds were writing goodbye verses, Aunt Li sat down with the two employers in the living room, ready for a final conversation.
Mr. Zhang opened his mouth to break the silence, "Aunt Li, we understand your decision, and thank you very much for your care and help to our family over the years. ”
Mrs. Zhang added, "Yes, we really don't know how we would have handled without you. Xiaobao is also very reluctant to you, this period has had a great impact on him, his grades have improved, and his habits have improved a lot. ”
Aunt Li sighed lightly, "Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang, I am also very reluctant, you are all good people, and Xiaobao is a good child." But I thought about it for a long time, and my body really got to the point where it had to rest. ”
"We totally understand what you mean, no matter how important your work is, your health comes first. Mr. Zhang nodded thoughtfully, and his tone revealed respect and understanding for Aunt Li.
Having said that, Mrs. Zhang's eyes flashed with tears, "Without you at home, it will definitely be very different." But be assured that we will always treat you as part of our family. ”
Aunt Li touched Zhang Xiaobao's hair, the child's eyes were reluctant, and she said softly, "Xiaobao, take care of yourself and listen to your parents." ”
Xiaobao hugged Aunt Li tightly, "I will miss you, Aunt Li, you have to take care!"
This scene is like a sincere farewell for a family. Aunt Li smiled, although her mood was a little complicated, but more relieved. At the moment of farewell, she stepped out of the door of Zhang's house, and the sun shone on her body, warm. She knew she would take the blessings and respect of her family to find a new beginning – a work environment that would work at a more paceful pace.
In this way, Aunt Li embarked on a journey to find new opportunities with a new understanding of family and work. Her departure is not only a new beginning in her personal life, but also a deep memory and gratitude to the Zhang family.