Xiaohong is a 52-year-old middle-aged woman who works as a nanny in a middle-class family. She worked hard, but was poorly paid and living on a tight budget.
Xiaohong is short, slightly chubby, and has a kind face. She always had a tired look on her face, and her hands were rough from years of hard work. Despite this, she maintains a positive and optimistic attitude towards life.
On an ordinary working day, Xiaohong does all kinds of household chores as usual. As she was mopping the floor, she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and fell to the ground. Just then, the employer's wife returned.
Mrs.: "What's wrong with you, Xiaohong, your face is so ugly!"
Xiaohong: "I'm fine, maybe I'm too tired. "
Wife: "You're so old, and you're still working so hard, I don't know how you survived. "
Xiaohong: "I can't help it, there is so much work in your family, I have to finish it quickly. "
Xiaohong's heart is full of exhaustion and helplessness. She understands that her salary is meager, but the living expenses of the family are all supported by her. Although the work is hard, she never vents her negative emotions on her employer and always does her duty.
Xiaohong slowly got up from the ground and patted the dust off her body. She took a deep breath and continued to mop the floor with a strong spirit. The wife saw it in her eyes, and her face was full of sympathy. Xiaohong's arms were tense due to long-term exertion, and fine beads of sweat oozed from her forehead.
Mrs.: "Little Red, you're really desperate. I see you've been in a bad state lately, is there something wrong with your body?"
Xiaohong: "I don't have any major problems, I just get tired a lot lately. "
Mrs.: "Then you should take a break? I can give you a long vacation. "
Xiaohong: "Thank you, ma'am, for your kindness, but I really can't rest, and my family is still counting on my salary. "
Xiaohong is indeed on the verge of physical exhaustion. She was busy every day from 5 a.m. and couldn't sleep until late at night. When she gets up, she has to make breakfast and do laundry for her family, and then rush to her employer's house to start the day's chores. In the evening, she returns to her home to take care of her elderly mother and young grandchildren.
Xiaohong's husband has long since passed away, and she is the only breadwinner in the family. Despite her meager salary, she never complained and worked hard to make ends meet. She knew that her situation was not easy, but when she thought that her family's life was all on her own, she cheered up and persevered.
The wife saw that Xiaohong was tired, so she thoughtfully asked her to sit down and take a breath first. As soon as Xiaohong sat down, she yawned unconsciously. She brushed her sweat-soaked hair, and the wrinkles on her face were particularly noticeable at this moment.
The wife brought Xiaohong a cup of hot tea. Xiaohong held the teacup in both hands and took a sip, finally showing a look of comfort on her face. Her eyes are dull and unfocused, as if she is in another world, which makes people feel pity.
At this moment, Xiaohong's mobile phone rang, and her face suddenly became melancholy after she picked it up. It turned out that her son had called, asking if she could get some more money to turn around recently. Xiaohong sighed softly, she knew that her son's financial situation had not been good, so she could only lend a helping hand again.
Mrs.: "Xiaohong, you really don't have energy today, and your face is very bad. You might as well take a leave of absence and rest at home. "
Xiaohong: "No, I'm really fine, I just didn't sleep well at night. "
Wife: "But you look like you're going to be exhausted. You're 52 years old, and your body can't stand such a big load. "
RED: "I know I'm older, but I don't really have a choice. I must finish your family's work, and my salary is also the lifeblood of my family. "
Xiaohong knew that her body was getting worse, but she had no way back. A month's meager salary barely supports the family's expenses. Her son's career is not going well and he often needs her help. My mother is very old, and her medical expenses are also a big expense. What is even more worrying is that her grandson has only just entered primary school, and the cost of education in the future is extremely high.
After Xiaohong's husband died, she shouldered the burden of the entire family alone. She worked in the factory for many years, but was forced to quit due to age and physical strength. Although the income of a nanny is low, she can barely make ends meet for her family.
Xiaohong knew that she was overdrawing her limited strength, but she had no choice. She didn't want to be a burden to her family, so she could only grit her teeth and persevere. Whenever she sees her family's carefree life, a warm current wells up in her heart.
Xiaohong stood there, her hands subconsciously wringing the apron on her body. Her eyes were glazed and seemed to be distracted. The wife stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder with concern, awakening her.
Xiaohong came back to her senses and continued the work at hand. She picked up the mop and began to tug limply across the floor. Sweat rolled down her forehead, and she wiped it haphazardly with the back of her hand.
When the wife saw it in her eyes, her heart was sunk. She knew that Xiaohong's situation was difficult, but she couldn't help it. Xiaohong is a man who has never complained and does not want to accept sympathy.
Rest on the sofa.
Mrs.: "Xiaohong, what's wrong with you?
Mrs.: "You can't do this, I have to call an ambulance right away!"
Xiaohong secretly made up her mind to hold on no matter what. She didn't want to be a burden to her family, and she didn't want to see her family's lives affected. No matter how tiring the work is and how low the salary is, she will not hesitate to do it. As long as her family is doing well, she is content.
Xiaohong sat on the sofa, her face was pale, and her breathing was still a little disordered. The lady poured her a glass of warm water, and she took a sip of it, as if she was slowly gaining a little energy.
The wife sat next to Xiaohong, her face full of concern. She looked at Xiaohong's hands covered with age spots, and her rough palms and fingertips were already calloused. Thinking that Xiaohong had to work at this age in order to maintain her family's income, she couldn't help but feel sad.
Xiaohong's gaze was a little glazed, as if she was distracted. The lady gently patted the back of her hand and pulled her back to reality. Xiaohong came to her senses and tried to stand up and continue working. But her body was on the verge of overdraft, and she couldn't use her strength at all.
Seeing her helplessness, Mrs. hurriedly stopped her: "Let's rest today, I will do the work at home." It's your body that counts. Xiaohong nodded weakly, her eyes darkened.
Mrs.: "Don't talk stupid, how can you continue to work in your current state? Just rest for a few days and wait until you are better." "
A few days later, Xiaohong's health improved slightly, and she decided to return to work.
Xiaohong: "Madam, you've been working too hard these days, I'm really sorry to let you share my work." "
Mrs.: "Don't say that, your body is the most important thing." But seeing that you're much better now, I'm relieved. "
Xiaohong: "yes, I'm much better. I'll be careful not to let myself be so exhausted anymore. "
Mrs.: "You have to keep your word." If I try as hard as I did before, I'll really have to hire a babysitter to replace you. "
Xiaohong secretly congratulated herself that she was only a little physically tired this time, and there were no major problems. However, this experience made her deeply realize that her body really could no longer be as unrestrained as before.
She began to reflect on her lifestyle. In order to earn this meager salary, she worked almost day and night, never stopping. She put all her energy into her work, but neglected her own physical condition. It wasn't until this accident that she realized that her body had reached its limit.
Xiaohong made up her mind to take good care of her body no matter what. She knew that her family would still be dependent on her income, but she had to learn to combine work and rest and rest properly to avoid a recurrence.
Red got back to work, but this time, her pace slowed down significantly. She is no longer the enthusiastic workaholic she used to be, but a three-step break, a five-step stop, and sit down from time to time to catch her breath.
The wife saw it in her eyes, and although she was relieved, she still had a trace of worry in her heart. After all, Xiaohong's age is not young, and this kind of labor is indeed a bit beyond her ability to bear.
When Xiaohong mops the floor, her movements become calm and slow. She no longer used to exert herself as brutally as before, but lightly, for fear that she would accidentally overdraw herself again. From time to time, there would be a trace of tiredness on her face, which made her wife feel very distressed.
Whenever Xiaohong felt a little struggling, her wife would step forward to share some of the work for her. Although Xiaohong is grateful, she also has a trace of guilt in her heart, feeling that she should take full responsibility for this housework.
Mrs.: "Xiaohong, just take your time now, don't force yourself too much." I'll do some of the heavy lifting. "
Xiaohong: "No, I'll do it myself, don't worry about it." "
Mrs.: "Look at you, you're just too stubborn." If you're really struggling, let me help. "
Xiaohong: "I know you mean well, but it's my job after all, and I can't always rely on you." "
Mrs.: "Then you must at least promise me that if you are really tired, you will stop and rest immediately, and stop being as reckless as last time." "
When Xiaohong said this, her tone was full of helplessness. She knew her health was getting worse, but there was no way back. This meager salary is the only source of income for her and her family, and she must survive, even at the cost of her health.
Just as Xiaohong is gradually returning to work, an unexpected news arrives, which makes her life difficult again.
Son: "I'm helpless, can you lend me some more money to tide over this?" "
Xiaohong put down the phone and fell into deep worry. Her son has always been her biggest financial burden, and now that he has lost his job, his future life will undoubtedly fall into an even more difficult situation.
Xiaohong recalled how she gritted her teeth and worked diligently in order to support her family over the years. She thought that as long as she survived her son's past few years, she would be able to breathe a sigh of relief, but she didn't expect to encounter such a big challenge now.
Xiaohong knows that her salary is meagre and she can't support the expenses of two families at the same time. But she had no way out but to continue to do her best. She secretly determined that she would try to earn more money no matter what, even if it was to overdraft her body.
Her family's life depends on her, and she must not fail at this juncture. Xiaohong said to herself that as long as she persevered for a while longer, she could breathe a sigh of relief when her son was re-employed.
Mrs. couldn't help but be a little worried when she looked at Xiaohong working so hard. She stepped forward and grabbed Xiaohong and said, "Xiaohong, what's wrong with you? Why are you working so hard again? Didn't I tell you to be more careful?"
Xiaohong raised her head, and the wife noticed that her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just cried. Xiaohong wiped the corners of her eyes, cheered up and said, "It's nothing, it's just that my son has encountered some difficulties, and I have to work harder." "
As she spoke, Xiaohong resumed the work at hand, and her movements were more neat than before. When the wife saw her like this, she could only sigh secretly, praying that she would not be exhausted like last time.
Mrs.: "Xiaohong, I'm worried about your current state, you have to think twice." "
Xiaohong: "Don't worry about me, madam. I have my own sense of proportion, and I will never be as strong as I was last time. "
Mrs.: "That's good, as long as you can control your own rhythm." If you really feel like you're struggling, just let me know right away, and I'll take care of it for you. "
Xiaohong: "I see, thank you, ma'am." However, I promise that I will pay attention to it this time and will never let myself have any physical problems again. "
When Xiaohong said this, her tone was firm and powerful, and she seemed to have made up her mind. Seeing the tenacity in her eyes, the wife could only nod her head and pray to herself that she would keep her promise.
Xiaohong turned around and continued her work. She knew she was about to face an uphill struggle, but she was determined to endure no matter what, for the sake of her family and the dignity on which she depended.