The sunlight shone on Li Guoqiang's face through the gaps in the curtains, he opened his eyes slightly, and a new day began. Today means a lot to him because it's his birthday. He sat up from the bed, stretched, and a satisfied smile on his face. "Wife, you have to have a good rest today, and the affairs of the family will be handed over to the children." He said to Wang Guiying, who was busy in the kitchen.
Wang Guiying turned around with a kind smile on her face, "Don't worry, Guoqiang, the children are older, they will take care of it." She said as she continued her work.
At this time, Zhang Xiaomei, the daughter-in-law of the family, was also busy. "Xiaomei, you have to go to the market early today, buy some fresh vegetables and come back, let's celebrate." Wang Guiying advised.
"Mom, don't worry, I'll leave now." Zhang Xiaomei agreed, she put on her coat, picked up her handbag, and prepared to go out.
Li Ming, Li Guoqiang's son, also walked out of the room, "Xiaomei, do you need me to accompany you?" ”
"No need, Brother Ming, you can accompany your parents at home, I can do it alone." Zhang Xiaomei refused with a smile.
Li Guoqiang sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at his busy family, and his heart was full of warmth. "Dad, what do you want to eat today? I'll ask Xiaomei to buy it for you. Li Ming walked up to his father and asked softly.
"Whatever you eat, you decide." Li Guoqiang smiled and waved his hand.
Zhang Xiaomei walked out of the house, took a deep breath of fresh air, and was in a particularly good mood. She walked briskly towards the market, already thinking about what to buy.
The market was full of people, and Zhang Xiaomei shuttled between the stalls, picking fresh vegetables and fruits. "Boss, how do you sell this dish?" She asked the stall owner, scrutinizing a few tomatoes in her hand.
"Three dollars and five pounds." The stall owner replied.
Zhang Xiaomei nodded, put the tomatoes in the bag, "Weigh me this cucumber again." ”
As she selects the ingredients, she mentally recalls the evening's menu. "Well, make a braised pork, another steamed fish, and ......," she muttered to herself, fully immersed in the upcoming celebrations.
However, at this moment, Zhang Xiaomei's mobile phone rang. She took out her phone from her bag, glanced at the caller ID, and her face suddenly became a little solemn. "Hey, Mom, what's wrong?" She answered the phone, her voice shaking.
On the other end of the phone, Zhang Xiaomei's mother said something hurriedly, and Zhang Xiaomei's brows became tighter and tighter. "Okay, I see, I'll be right back." She hung up, the expression on her face becoming complicated.
She stood in the middle of the market, hesitated for a moment, and finally made a decision. She put the food in her hand back to the stall, said sorry to the stall owner, and walked briskly out of the market in the direction of her mother's house.
At home, Li Guoqiang and Wang Guiying are still waiting for Zhang Xiaomei's return, completely unaware that a family turmoil is about to be quietly staged.
Zhang Xiaomei's steps are getting faster and faster, and the anxiety in her heart is like a mess. The mother's voice was still ringing in her ears on the phone, and she needed to go back to deal with some sudden family affairs as soon as possible. She knew that this would mean that her father-in-law's birthday dinner might be affected, but at the moment, she had no choice.
"Mom, I'm in a bit of a hurry here, so I have to go back first." Zhang Xiaomei dialed her mother-in-law, Wang Guiying, and tried to make her voice sound calm.
"What's so urgent? Xiaomei, didn't you go grocery shopping? Wang Guiying's voice was full of incomprehension.
"There's something wrong at home, and I have to go back and deal with it." Zhang Xiaomei replied succinctly, she didn't want to reveal too much on the phone.
Hanging up the phone, Zhang Xiaomei quickened her pace, her heart full of guilt. She knew how important her father-in-law Li Guoqiang's birthday was to the whole family, and she, as a daughter-in-law, should have taken on the responsibility of preparing dinner. But now, she had to put that aside for now.
At home, Wang Guiying put down the phone and frowned. "Guoqiang, Xiaomei said that she had an urgent matter and wanted to go back." She turned to Li Guoqiang with worry in her eyes.
"Urgent? What's so urgent? Li Guoqiang's brows also furrowed, and he stood up, looking a little uneasy.
"I don't know, Xiaomei didn't say it." Wang Guiying shook her head, turned around and walked to the kitchen, continuing to prepare other ingredients that could be purchased without going out.
As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere at home gradually became tense. Li Ming noticed his parents' anxiety, he walked to the kitchen and asked softly, "Mom, hasn't Xiaomei come back yet?" ”
"No, I called her and no one answered." There was a hint of tremor in Wang Guiying's voice.
Li Ming's heart also swelled with uneasiness, and he decided to go out to find out. "Dad, Mom, I'll go out to find Xiaomei and see what happened."
Li Guoqiang nodded, his eyes full of worry. "Go ahead, be careful."
Li Ming walked out of the house quickly, praying secretly in his heart, hoping that everything would go well.
At this time, Zhang Xiaomei had returned to her parents' home, and her mother was anxiously waiting for her arrival. "Xiaomei, you're back, something big has happened at home." As soon as her mother saw Zhang Xiaomei, she said eagerly.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Zhang Xiaomei's heart tightened, she knew that it must be a very serious matter to make her mother so anxious.
Her mother told Zhang Xiaomei everything that had happened, and her face became more and more pale. She knew that this matter was related to the honor and future of her mother's family, and she had to deal with it immediately.
Zhang Xiaomei took a deep breath, she knew what she was going to face next. She took out her mobile phone and dialed Li Ming's number.
"Brother Ming, it's me, Xiaomei." There was a hint of tremor in Zhang Xiaomei's voice.
"Xiaomei, where are you? The family is worried about you. Li Ming's voice was full of concern.
"I... I'm at my mother's house, and something has happened at home, and I need to deal with it. Zhang Xiaomei tried her best to make her voice sound calm.
"What's wrong? Need my help? There was a hint of eagerness in Li Ming's tone.
"No need, Brother Ming, I'll take care of it." There was a hint of firmness in Zhang Xiaomei's voice.
Hanging up the phone, Zhang Xiaomei turned to face her mother, her eyes full of determination. "Mom, let's start, this matter can't be delayed."
At this time, Li Ming was standing on the street, and the phone in his hand gradually slipped down. His heart was full of doubts and uneasiness, he didn't know what happened to Zhang Xiaomei, and he didn't know what kind of impact this incident would have on their family.
At home, Li Guoqiang and Wang Guiying were still anxiously waiting for news, they didn't know that a family turmoil had just begun.
Li Ming stood on the street, his heart full of doubts. He tried to call Zhang Xiaomei's phone again, but there was still no answer. "What happened to Xiaomei?" He muttered to himself, his brow furrowed.
At the same time, some cold dishes prepared by Wang Guiying have been placed on the dining table at home, but without the ingredients purchased by Zhang Xiaomei, it always feels incomplete. Li Guoqiang looked at the clock and then looked at the door, looking forward to the return of his daughter-in-law.
"Wife, did you say Xiaomei was in any trouble?" Wang Guiying's face was gloomy, and the action of choosing vegetables in her hand gradually stopped.
"It shouldn't be a big deal, Xiaomei has always been steady." Li Guoqiang comforted his wife, although he didn't know the bottom of his heart.
At this moment, Li Ming hurried home and brought news of Zhang Xiaomei. "Dad, Mom, Xiaomei...... She went back to her parents' house. Li Ming's words revealed a hint of helplessness.
"Back to my parents' house? What about birthday dinner? Wang Guiying asked in surprise.
Xiaomei didn't say why, but she sounded anxious. Li Ming shook his head, worry written on his face.
Li Guoqiang was silent, he knew that his daughter-in-law would not usually be absent from family gatherings for no reason, especially his birthday. "Ming, you go to Xiaomei's mother's house and see if you can help." He commanded his son.
Li Ming nodded, turned around and went out again. He knew in his heart that no matter what happened, as a husband, he should stand by his wife's side.
When Li Ming arrived at Zhang Xiaomei's mother's house, he saw that the atmosphere at home was tense. Zhang Xiaomei's mother was comforting a crying Zhang Xiaomei, while Xiaomei's father was pacing anxiously on the sidelines.
"Brother Ming, you're here." Zhang Xiaomei raised her head, with tears in the corners of her eyes.
"Xiaomei, what's wrong?" Li Ming asked with concern.
Zhang Xiaomei hesitated for a moment, but finally told Li Ming about the sudden emergency at home. It turns out that Xiaomei's younger brother is in trouble outside and urgently needs a large amount of money to solve the problem, and as an older sister, she feels responsible to help her family tide over the difficulties.
After Li Ming listened, he had mixed feelings in his heart. He understands Xiaomei's difficulties, but at the same time he is worried about the situation at home. "Xiaomei, let's go back first, the family is worried about you."
Zhang Xiaomei nodded, she knew that she had to go back and face everything. She stood up, wiped away her tears, and returned to Li's house with Li Ming.
When Zhang Xiaomei returned home, she felt guilty in the face of her parents-in-law's concerned eyes. "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I'm sorry, I ......" Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Wang Guiying.
"Xiaomei, don't say it, just come back." Wang Guiying held her daughter-in-law's hand, her eyes full of understanding.
Li Guoqiang also nodded, "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read, let's find a way together." ”
A warm current surged in Zhang Xiaomei's heart, and she knew that she had married into a warm family. Although today's birthday dinner was not perfect, the understanding and support between her family made her feel extremely precious.
As night fell, Li Guoqiang's birthday celebration was not canceled because of Zhang Xiaomei's absence. Instead, family members sat around the table and started a special conversation.
"Xiaomei, we know that you must have a last resort today." Li Guoqiang spoke gently, his eyes full of understanding and tolerance.
With tears in her eyes, Zhang Xiaomei took a deep breath and began to tell her family members frankly about the predicament she faced today. Her voice trembled, but every word was full of sincerity and determination.
"I didn't expect to cause trouble to my family on this important day, and I'm really sorry." After Zhang Xiaomei finished speaking, she lowered her head.
Wang Guiying held her daughter-in-law's hand and comforted her softly: "Children, home is used to support each other. We are your family, and no matter what happens, we will stand together. ”
Li Ming also nodded on the side and expressed support: "Xiaomei, we are husband and wife, and the future is still a long way, let's face it together." ”
The understanding and support of the family members made Zhang Xiaomei feel extremely warm. She raised her head, and her eyes flashed with determination: "Thank you, I will work harder to participate in family affairs in the future, and I will not let this happen again." ”
Li Guoqiang smiled, although his birthday did not have a sumptuous dinner, he gained deeper emotions and understanding between his family. He stood up, raised his glass and said, "Let's toast to the harmony and unity of the family!" ”
The whole family responded in unison and raised a glass to celebrate. Although this birthday celebration is somewhat imperfect, everyone's heart is filled with gratitude and happiness.
It was late at night, and the glow of the birthday candle reflected every smiling face. Zhang Xiaomei deeply realized the importance of communication and understanding, and she secretly determined to cherish and maintain this warm family even more.