Li Gang, a middle-aged man, dragged a heavy suitcase, had just finished a month-long business trip and stepped into a familiar and warm home. "I'm back!" He shouted loudly, expecting a warm hug from his family.
There was a sound of hurried footsteps from the living room, it was his son Xiao Ning, "Dad, why did you come back so early?" The child was surprised and puzzled, because Li Gang had planned to return next week.
"The work was done ahead of schedule, and I miss you and your mother." Li Gang touched Xiao Ning's head, his eyes were full of fatherly love.
Wang Hui, who was on the side, also walked out with an apron and greeted her husband with a smile: "Why don't you call in advance, I'm so prepared, now the house is in a mess." "
Li Gang smiled, put his luggage and walked towards the bedroom: "It's okay, it's good to be able to eat the food you cooked when you go home." I went to take a shower first, I was exhausted. "
Wang Hui looked at her husband's back, with an indescribable feeling in her heart, slowly turned around and returned to the kitchen, continuing to be busy preparing dinner.
Li Gang stepped into the bathroom and suddenly found a foreign object on the toilet seat of the bathroom. He bent down and picked up a long hair that didn't belong in the house and a shiny hairpin, which pierced into his heart like a cold needle.
He stood in front of the toilet in a daze, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his whole body seemed to be drained of strength. With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Gang tried to calm down and decided to ask Wang Hui for clarification.
Li Gang walked to the kitchen with the long hair and hairpins, he looked at his busy wife, his voice was calm but with a sense of depression: "Hui, look at what this is?" "
Wang Hui looked back, her face turned white instantly, and she stammered: "This, it may be... It was dropped last time my sister came..."
"Your sister?" Li Gang's tone was full of suspicion and incomprehension, "Isn't your sister's hair short?" "
Xiao Ning came over curiously, "Mom, this is so beautiful, is it a new toy for me?" "
This sudden question caused the air to freeze suddenly. Wang Hui quickly came back to her senses, and touched Xiao Ning's head with a forced smile: "Yes, a friend of my mother fell behind, let's play with you." "
Li Gang was not so easily fooled, he glanced at Wang Hui with a complicated look: "Let's talk about it after dinner." The implication is that this matter is not over yet.
The atmosphere at dinner was unusually silent, and Li Gang wanted to speak many times, but found that he didn't know where to start. He stared at his wife, eyes trying to find answers from her evasive gaze. After dinner, Li Gang called his wife Wang Hui and son Xiao Ning to the living room to sit down, and opened the prelude to the conversation with a blank face: "Don't you have anything to say about this hair and hairpin?" ”
Xiao Ning looked at his parents and writhed uncomfortably. He also noticed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere at home recently, but he still said hesitantly: "Mom, isn't there a friend coming to the house, is that hers?" ”
Wang Hui glanced at Li Gang nervously, and replied to Xiao Ning with a reluctant smile: "Yes, yes, it's a friend." ”
Li Gang's gaze became cold: "I asked your sister today, and she said that she hadn't come to our house for two months." Hui, do you have something to hide? ”
Wang Hui's eyes began to dodge, but she opened her mouth but couldn't speak. Li Gang stood up and said in a deep voice: "If you can't tell clearly, I'll go and ask the neighbors myself." With that, he picked up his coat and walked out.
Wang Hui panicked, and hurriedly grabbed him: "Gang, don't be like this, I... I'll explain it to you. ”
Li Gang stopped, but did not turn around: "Say it, I'm listening." ”
"That's... That's Zhang Nan's. Wang Hui finally told the secret hidden in her heart.
"Zhang Nan? You mean the guy next door? Li Gang's voice was full of disbelief, and anger spread in it.
Wang Hui's hands began to tremble, and she knew that once this secret was revealed, her family might collapse: "I... I'm just..."
Before she could finish speaking, Li Gang turned around violently, almost roaring: "Just what?!" ”
The tense atmosphere was mixed with Li Gang's anger and Wang Hui's crying, which made Xiao Ning feel scared, he grabbed the corner of Wang Hui's clothes, and asked puzzledly: "Mom, what is Dad angry about?" ”
Wang Hui tried to stabilize her emotions, and whimpered: "No... It's okay, Xiao Ning, Mom and Dad just have something to talk about. ”
Li Gang was already furious at this time, his heart was full of betrayal and pain, but he still reluctantly calmed down and said to Xiao Ning: "Xiao Ning, you go to your room first, your parents have something to talk about." ”
Xiao Ning reluctantly left, but Hua Ran still looked back at his parents, his heart full of worry.
"Now, tell me the truth of the matter." Li Gang took a deep breath, trying to maintain the last shred of sanity.
Wang Hui wiped the tears from her face and choked up to tell the story between herself and Zhang Nan. It turned out that Zhang Nan had just moved here, and he got closer to Wang Hui because of some trivial matters, and he also helped repair some household appliances at Li Gang's house. At first, they were just ordinary friendships between neighbors, but then somehow crossed the line.
Li Gang listened to his wife's narration, every word was like a pinprick in the face, and he felt as if his heart was being emptied: "Why am I blind, I don't see it..."
Wang Hui cried about her loneliness and helplessness, and expressed her intolerability for Li Gang's long-term business trip. However, these explanations could no longer be a reason for forgiveness for Li Gang.
The rope of the family, which was fundamentally overwhelmed, finally stretched to the limit tonight, and the originally peaceful home fell into an unprecedented crisis. In the living room after the silence, only the second hand of the clock ticked. The muscles on Li Gang's face tensed, and he took a few deep breaths, trying to suppress the anger in his heart. Wang Hui sat on the sofa, bowed her head guiltily, and twisted her handkerchief with both hands.
"Hui, did you really do that kind of thing?" Although Li Gang's voice was calm, the pain and disbelief in it were obvious.
Wang Hui raised her head, tears flashing in her eyes: "Gang, I know what I did wrong, I shouldn't... I shouldn't betray you and this family. "
Li Gang shook his head and smiled bitterly: "This family... Do you know what your actions mean to this home? "
"I know, I regret it, if only time could be turned back..."Before Wang Hui could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Li Gang.
"But you can't turn back time, Hui! The consequences of the act are to be borne. Li Gang's voice raised, unable to control his emotions.
Wang Hui bit her lip and finally cried: "Gang, please, give me a chance, for Xiao Ning's sake, we can't let him grow up in a broken family." "
Li Gang's anger gradually subsided, and was replaced by endless weariness. His eyes gradually calmed down: "Hui, you know, I'm not a person who can tolerate deception. But you're right, and Xiao Ning, he's innocent. "
Wang Hui nodded hurriedly, her eyes were hazy: "Yes, Xiao Ning is our son, we can't let him be hurt." "
Li Gang sighed, sat down, faced Wang Hui, and said slowly: "This time, I can choose to forgive you, but Hui, this is not just for Xiao Ning, but also because of the feelings of those years. "
Wang Hui looked at him gratefully, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes: "Thank you, just now, I will compensate you and this family well, from now on..."
"I don't need your compensation." Li Gang interrupted her, "I need an explanation, why did I get to this point?" I want more than just an apology. "
Wang Hui was silent. After a while, she slowly spoke: "I feel very lonely, you are always busy outside, I am so helpless and empty at home. I know it's not a reason, but..."
"So how do we move forward? How do we face Xiao Ning? Li Gang's eyes were filled with pain and urgency for answers.
Wang Hui hesitated: "We... We can try to start over, consult with a marriage counselor, be transparent, supervise each other, for the sake of Xiao Ning... For our home..."
Li Gang was silent, knowing in his heart that this marriage had been irreversibly damaged, however, for the sake of the children and those remaining feelings, he knew that he would try to forgive and repair all this.
Wang Hui saw that Li Gang did not react, and her heart was numb: "Gang, I'm really sorry, I will work hard to correct it, I am willing to do anything, as long as I can make you forgive me..."
"I need time to think." Li Gang stood up and wiped away the tears that suddenly fell, "As a father, I will think about Xiao Ning first, about us... Maybe time will give me the answer. "
The atmosphere fell silent again, although the couple had different sorrows in their hearts, but at this moment, they both understood that the road ahead would be more difficult. And the only thing they know is that Xiao Ning's smile is something they need to protect together. A few weeks have passed, and although the relationship between Li Gang and Wang Hui has not fully recovered, both are working together for family harmony. They started attending marriage counseling sessions to learn from each other how to communicate and understand better.
One weekend morning, a family of three sat at the table eating breakfast. Although the atmosphere is calm, it is no longer the relaxed and natural it used to be.
"Xiao Ning, your school has a parent-child activity next week, and we plan to go together, okay?" Li Gang tried to liven up the atmosphere.
Xiao Ning nodded happily: "Okay!" Mom and Dad are here, and I can show off to my classmates! "
Wang Hui responded to Xiao Ning with a smile, but her smile was a little reluctant: "Yes, my mother has learned a lot of games recently, and I can teach you when the time comes." "
After breakfast, the father and son went to the park to play football, while Wang Hui stayed at home to clean up the dishes, quietly looking out the window, and many complicated emotions emerged in her heart.
In the afternoon, Li Gang returned home with Xiao Ning, who was sweating profusely. Xiao Ning excitedly shows his mother the new trick he learned in the park. Wang Hui happily hugged him with a sincere smile on her face.
"I'm so happy today, can our family be so warm and happy?" Xiao Ning asked carefree.
"Of course, Xiao Ning." Li Gang squatted down and stroked his son's hair, although his heart was still heavy.
At night, Li Gang and Wang Hui sat on the balcony, looking at the stars in the night sky, and their hearts seemed to be closer.
"Just now, seeing Xiao Ning so happy today, I also feel down-to-earth in my heart." Wang Hui whispered.
Li Gang nodded and replied, "Yes, no matter what happens, we must protect Xiao Ning's happiness." "
Wang Hui held Li Gang's hand: "Thank you, Gang." It gave me the opportunity to sit here and look at the stars together. "
Li Gang felt very complicated, and his gaze turned from the stars to his wife's face, "I'm also grateful, Hui." We have a chance to start over, even if the road won't be easy. "
Their gaze was cast on the night sky again, and it was silent, save for the breath of the two of them and the occasional call of night birds. Their hands are still clasped tightly, but they both know that despite their choice to reconcile, the atmosphere in the family has changed irreversibly. The laughter, which should have been lighthearted, now seems to be a little more thoughtful.
No one has an answer about the future. Will it continue to hold on to its commitment to the family, or will it drift away with the passage of time – will time really heal all the wounds?