Zhao Qiang sat on the sofa in the living room, his fingers tapping his knees lightly, and his eyes looked out of the window from time to time. His mother Li Fang and two nephews, Zhao Tian and Zhao Haigang, came to the city from their hometown and planned to live here for a long time. Zhao Qiang's mood is complicated, on the one hand, he is happy to be reunited with his family, and on the other hand, he also knows that it will bring a lot of changes to his life.
"Qiangzi, you see, Tian'er and Hai'er's schools have been found, but the tuition is a bit expensive." Li Fang said to Zhao Qiang while packing her luggage. There was a hint of anticipation in her tone, and there was some subtle concern.
Zhao Qiang nodded, but he was thinking about it in his heart. He and his wife Zhang Li are ordinary office workers, and their monthly income is not much except for the mortgage and daily expenses. Now with the tuition fees of the two nephews, it is undoubtedly worse.
"Mom, I know, I'll figure it out." Zhao Qiang tried his best to make his voice sound calm and firm.
In the evening, when Zhang Li returned home, she saw that there were two more people in the family, and her brows furrowed slightly. She is a straightforward person and doesn't like to beat around the bush, but in the face of her mother-in-law and two nephews, she still squeezes out a smile.
At the dinner table, everyone sat together, and the atmosphere was a little awkward. Zhang Li served vegetables to her two nephews, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes. She knew that the family was going to have another burden.
"Li, look, Tian'er and Hai'er will be studying here in the future, and our family will be lively." Li Fang said to Zhang Li with a smile.
Zhang Li smiled and responded, but she was beating the drum in her heart. She and Zhao Qiang's salaries are not high, and now there are two more mouths in the family, and she doesn't know if this family can hold up.
At night, Zhang Li lay on the bed, tossing and turning and couldn't sleep. She looked at Zhao Qiang beside her, and felt a little resentful in her heart. She knew that Zhao Qiang was a filial son, but she also hoped that he would think more about his small family.
"Husband, do you think we can really afford it?" Zhang Li finally couldn't help but ask.
Zhao Qiang was silent for a while, and then said, "I know it's difficult, but we are a family, and we always have to help each other." ”
Zhang Li didn't say anything more, but her heart became more and more uneasy. She knew that the family might be facing a storm.
As time passed, the relationship between Zhang Li and Li Fang became more and more strained. Zhang Li expressed obvious dissatisfaction with Zhao Tian and Zhao Hai's long-term residence and the ensuing tuition problems, and she began to frequently mention her concerns to Zhao Qiang.
"Husband, it's not a way to go on like this, our own lives are already very tense, and now we have to pay their tuition, I really can't afford it." Zhang Li expressed her worries to Zhao Qiang after a dinner.
Zhao Qiang was caught in the middle, in a dilemma. He understands his wife's concerns, but as a son, he can't bear to refuse his mother's request. He tried to communicate with his mother and wife, but both sides stood their ground and there was no room for compromise.
During a family dinner, Zhang Li and Li Fang had an argument over their nephew's education. Zhang Li believes that children should learn to be independent, while Li Fang believes that as elders, they should be supported by their families.
"Mom, the children are not young anymore, they need to learn to solve problems on their own." Zhang Li was blunt at the dinner table.
When Li Fang heard this, her face sank, "Daughter-in-law, they are still children, we can help if we can." ”
Zhao Qiang sat between the two of them, feeling very embarrassed, he knew that any word could exacerbate the conflict. He could only eat in silence, hoping that the dispute would pass as soon as possible.
At the suggestion of a friend, Zhang Li began to consider more radical measures to resolve family conflicts. She believes that only through clear action can Zhao Qiang and Li Fang realize the seriousness of the problem.
Late one night, Zhao Qiang stumbled upon his wife's plan. He saw Zhang Li quietly changing the door lock in the living room, and he knew what it meant, but his hesitation kept him from stopping it in time.
The next day, when Li Fang, Zhao Tian, and Zhao Hai found out that they were locked out, the family conflict reached a flashpoint. Zhang Li stood at the door and said coldly: "Mother-in-law, I am also for the good of all of us." ”
Since Zhang Li expressed her dissatisfaction with Zhao Tian and Zhao Hai's long-term residence, the atmosphere at home has become tense. Li Fang also seemed to feel this change, but she didn't say anything directly to Zhang Li, but pinned more expectations on her son Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang struggled between work and family, and he tried to communicate with his mother, hoping that she would understand Zhang Li's difficulties, but Li Fang always insisted on her position on the grounds that "families should unite and help each other". At the same time, he also tried to communicate with Zhang Li, hoping that she would show more tolerance and understanding, but Zhang Li felt that too many concessions had been made.
During a family dinner over the weekend, Ms. Zhang and Ms. Li argued over whether their nephews should bear part of their own tuition. Zhang Li believes that nephews should learn to be independent, while Li Fang believes that as a parent, she should fully support her children. Zhao Qiang sat between the two, feeling torn between them, and he didn't want either party to feel ignored or disrespected.
"Mom, what Zhang Li said also makes sense, can we think about it?" Zhao Qiang tried to break the deadlock.
"Son, you're turning your elbow out." Li Fang said with some dissatisfaction.
Zhang Li responded coldly: "Husband, you are finally on my side." ”
After dinner, Zhang Li, at the suggestion of a friend, began to consider more radical measures to resolve family conflicts. She believes that only through clear action can Zhao Qiang and Li Fang realize the seriousness of the problem.
That night, Zhao Qiang stumbled upon his wife's plan. He saw Zhang Li quietly changing the door lock in the living room, and he knew what it meant, but his hesitation kept him from stopping it in time. He knew in his heart that this move could completely change their lives.
The next day, when Li Fang, Zhao Tian, and Zhao Hai found out that they were locked out of the door, Zhang Li stood at the door and said coldly: "Mother-in-law, I am also for the good of all of us." This sentence brought the originally tense family relationship to a breaking point.
Zhang Li's decision was like a bombshell, setting off huge waves in Zhao Qiang's home. Fang and her two nephews were locked out, and in the face of this sudden change, Li Fang's eyes showed disappointment and anger, while Zhao Tian and Zhao Hai looked a little confused and helpless.
"Son, is this your home? Is this your wife? Li Fang's voice trembled, and her eyes were full of disbelief.
Zhao Qiang stood at the door, facing his mother's questioning, he felt unprecedented powerlessness and struggle. He knew that at this moment, he had to make a choice. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke: "Mom, Zhang Li is indeed a bit radical in doing this, but what she said is not unreasonable. We need some time to rethink our families and our futures. ”
Li Fang was silent, a trace of pain and helplessness flashed in her eyes. In the end, she chose to leave, took Zhao Tian and Zhao Hai, and temporarily returned to her hometown.
Zhang Li and Zhao Qiang's home once became unusually quiet. The two began to try to rebuild their relationship, and Zhao Qiang was also thinking about how to better handle family problems. He knew that he couldn't let his little family fall apart because of everyone, but at the same time, he couldn't ignore his responsibility to his mother and nephews.
In the days that followed, Zhao Qiang kept in touch with his mother and nephews, and he began to seek the possibility of reconciliation. At the same time, he is also making plans to help his nephews solve the problem of tuition fees, and he does not want the children to be affected by conflicts between adults.
Through this incident, Zhang Li and Zhao Qiang gained a deeper understanding of family responsibilities and personal boundaries. Their relationship became stronger as a result, and they began to learn how to communicate and understand each other better.
At the end of the story, Zhao Qiang is sitting at his desk, and he is writing a letter to Li Fang, which is full of apologies and determination. He recognized the importance of balancing family and personal needs and was determined to do better in the future. He hopes that through his efforts, every family member can feel loved and respected.