The morning before yesterday, the sun was dappled on the machines through the windows of the garment factory. I was intently operating the sewing machine, and the sound of the machine running and the rustle of fabric was heard in my ears.
Suddenly, the ringtone of the mobile phone cut through the monotonous background sound, and it was my husband calling.
I pressed the answer button, and my husband's voice carried a hint of anxiety: "Dongmei, Mom called to say that something happened at home, let's go back quickly." ”
"What's wrong?" I asked hurriedly, and my heart suddenly rose to my throat.
"She didn't say anything, she just kept urging us to go back, the sooner the better." My husband's voice was full of helplessness.
I stopped what I was doing and looked around, my colleagues were busy, and no one seemed to notice my anomaly.
I took a deep breath and tried to make my voice sound calm: "Then let's go back, anyway, she's your mother, what if something really happens at home?" ”
My husband was silent on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then said, "Okay, I'll arrange it, don't worry, I'll pick you up right away." ”
When I hung up the phone, I couldn't calm down for a long time. My mother-in-law, although she has done a lot of disappointing things to us in the past, is her husband's mother and the elder of this family.
I couldn't help but wonder, what was going on at home?
I packed up my tools, asked the team leader for leave, and sat on a bench at the factory gate to wait for my husband to arrive. The sun was still warm, but I felt a chill.
My name is Zhou Dongmei, 53 years old, and I fell to the ground in 1971 in a remote mountain village.
My mother's family is not in good condition, my parents are farmers facing the loess with their backs to the sky, and the family's income is meager. I have two older sisters and two younger brothers, and I have a lot of children in my family, so I had to drop out of school after finishing primary school and work in the fields with my family. At that time, I didn't have much culture, but I had the strength to not admit defeat.
In 1993, when I was 22 years old, the matchmaker came to the door to propose, and my current husband and I met in this way. His first impression was that he was loyal, honest, hardworking and capable, and had a steady personality.
It was almost love at first sight, and I agreed to this family affair without much thought. At the end of the year, we had a simple wedding, and I entered the palace of marriage with great anticipation.
However, soon after I got married, I realized that I had neglected the situation of my in-laws.
My in-laws have two sons and two daughters, my husband is the eldest son in the family, and there is an older sister, a younger sister and a younger brother. Especially the little brother-in-law, who is eight years younger than her husband, is the pearl of her in-laws, and they dote on him very much, almost to the point of doting.
In my mother's small mountain village, the idea of patriarchy is deeply ingrained. I grew up in such an environment, but I never imagined that such a concept would become an insurmountable chasm in my married life.
In 1996, I gave birth to a daughter named Xiaofang. Her birth was supposed to be a happy event for the whole family, but the attitude of her in-laws chilled me. They refused to even hug Xiaofang, always speaking coldly, as if her birth was a shame.
"Dongmei, you have to have another one, it must be a boy." At a family gathering, my mother-in-law did not shy away from saying in front of the whole family, "Without grandchildren, how can our family's incense be inherited?" ”
I looked at my husband, who was holding my hand tightly, his eyes full of determination and protection. I know that he doesn't agree with his in-laws, but he is the eldest son in the family, and he is also very difficult to face the expectations of his parents.
During the confinement period, my mother-in-law not only did not take care of me, but began to plan to give Xiaofang away. She said: "A girl's home, sooner or later, it will be someone else's, it's better to send it out as soon as possible, and you can concentrate on giving birth to a boy." ”
I was firmly against it, and my husband was on my side. But the persecution of the in-laws did not stop, and they even began to inquire around, wanting to find a "good family" for Xiaofang.
"Dongmei, we can't let them do this." In a late-night conversation, her husband's voice was low and firm, "Xiaofang is our daughter and our baby, and we can't give up on her." ”
In order to protect Xiaofang, we decided to leave. My husband got a job in the city, and we rented a small house in the suburbs and started a new life.
Since we decided to leave the small mountain village, my husband and I have started a hard life of working outside the home. Our goal is simple: to create an environment for Xiaofang to grow up without prejudice and stress, while also accumulating some future security for our small family.
When I first arrived in the city, everything seemed so strange and huge. The small house we rented was located on the edge of the city, where the streets were narrow and crowded, and the houses were low and dilapidated.
Our room was small, with only two beds, a wardrobe and a small table, but it was enough for our family of three.
My husband got a job at a construction site, and every morning, before dawn, he had to get up, put on his white-washed overalls, put on a hard hat, and ride that second-hand bicycle through the streets and alleys of the city to the construction site.
His work was very hard, often carrying heavy building materials or working on high scaffolding. In the summer, his clothes are always soaked with sweat; In winter, his hands were covered with chilblains.
I got a job as a sewing worker in a nearby garment factory. Every day, I sit in front of the machine, repeating the same movements, sewing one garment after another.
Although the work is monotonous, I feel extremely satisfied when I think that my work can buy Xiaofang a new book or a new piece of furniture for her home.
Even though we all work hard, we never complain. We know that every bit of hard work is to enable Xiaofang to have better living conditions and a better future for our small family.
However, life is not always smooth sailing. Sometimes, the payment of my husband's salary will be delayed for various reasons, and at this time, our lives will become stretched.
I remember one time, when the rice bowl at home was about to bottom out, and my husband and I were not paid for a long time.
That night, our family of three sat around a small table with only a bowl of gruel and a few slices of pickles. Xiaofang sensibly didn't complain, but looking at her thin figure, my heart was full of guilt.
"Dongmei, don't worry, everything will be fine." My husband held my hand, and although there was a hint of tiredness in his voice, his eyes were still determined.
At that moment, I deeply felt the love and trust between us. Yes, life is hard, but as long as we support each other, there is nothing we can't overcome.
Over time, our lives have gradually improved. My husband's salary gradually stabilized, and I was promoted in the garment factory, and our lives began to improve. We saved up an education fund for Xiaofang and made some plans for our later life.
Over the years, my husband and I have been working outside the home, and although it is full of sweat and tears, it is also full of love and hope.
With our own hands, little by little, we have built a warm nest for our little family.
When night falls, our family of three sits around the small table and shares the joys and sorrows of the day, which is our greatest happiness.
Life in the city is hard, but the connection with our in-laws often reminds us that no matter where we go, the shadow of that small mountain village always lingers. The phone call of the in-laws has become a discordant note in our lives, and every time the bell rings, it is like another scar of the old days has been revealed.
I remember one time, my husband had just finished a day's work and returned home, and his work clothes were still stained with dust from the construction site. Before he could sit down, his phone rang, and it was a call from his mother-in-law.
"Boss, the house at home is too dilapidated and needs to be renovated, otherwise how will your brother's family live? See if you can send some money back? The mother-in-law's voice came through the telephone line, with an unquestionable order.
My husband's face became a little pale, he looked at me, then at Xiao Fang, who was doing his homework, took a deep breath, and replied in a calm tone as much as possible: "Mom, it's not easy on our side, Dongmei and I are both working hard, but the income is not high." ”
"What are you talking about? Your brother's affairs are the most important, how can you be so selfish as your brother and sister-in-law? The mother-in-law's voice was raised, with a crying tone, "If you don't help the family, how can I explain to your brother and daughter-in-law?" ”
I looked at my husband, his hands were clutching the phone tightly, and his knuckles were a little white. I know that he is very unhappy in his heart, but he doesn't want his in-laws to worry, and he doesn't want them to affect Xiaofang.
"Mom, let's do it, I'll try to raise some money here, but maybe it's not much." My husband finally compromised, he was always like this, and he didn't want to embarrass his family.
After hanging up the phone, my husband was silent for a long time, and I didn't know how to comfort him. We all know that this will not be the last, and the preference of the in-laws for the younger son is like an insurmountable chasm, making every aid we give seems so powerless.
Sometimes, my mother-in-law would even cry on the phone, telling her and her brother-in-law how difficult it was while we were living a good life outside. Her cries and whining, like needles, pierced our hearts. My husband and I work hard and save money, but in the eyes of my in-laws, none of this seems to matter, they only care about the comfort and happiness of my brother-in-law.
"Dongmei, we can't go on like this." In a late-night conversation, my husband had firmness in his eyes, "We also have to think about Xiaofang and our future, and we can't always sacrifice ourselves." ”
I held his hand tightly, my heart filled with gratitude. Yes, we must be strong, for the sake of our own little family, and for Xiaofang to have a better future. We can't always live in the shadow of our in-laws, we have the right to pursue our own happiness and stability.
Since then, we've started working harder while also managing our finances more carefully. We learned to say "no" and set boundaries for our own little family. Although the in-laws' phone calls still come from time to time, we are no longer a tool for their emotional blackmail.
Time is like a silent river, and before we know it, our daughter Xiaofang has grown up.
She inherited our tenacity and diligence, and her academic performance was always at the top, and she was finally admitted to a major university with excellent results. My husband and I are extremely proud of this, and it also strengthens our determination to continue working part-time. We want to save some security for Xiaofang and for our own life in old age.
"Dongmei, you see how competitive Xiaofang is, our hard work has not been in vain." My husband looked at me at a dinner with tears in his eyes and said.
I nodded, my heart filled with mixed emotions. Yes, our efforts have finally paid off, and Xiaofang's future is full of infinite possibilities.
As Xiaofang grew up, our lives gradually stabilized. We have been working in garment factories for longer and longer, and our income has increased. I began to think that maybe we could relax a little bit and save some money for our retirement so that we could have more peace of mind in our old age.
At the end of last year, Xiaofang got married. At the wedding, she wore a white wedding dress and was as beautiful as an angel. My husband and I sat in the front row, looking at her happy appearance, with both joy and reluctance in our hearts.
"Mom, thank you and Dad for your continued support and love." Xiaofang hugged me tightly before the wedding, with tears in her eyes.
I stroked her back, and my heart was full of emotion: "Xiaofang, as long as you are happy, your mother will be satisfied." ”
At the wedding, we asked for a bride price of 80,000 yuan according to custom, but as a dowry, we gave Xiaofang 200,000 yuan. This is our love for our daughter and our blessing for her happy life in the future.
However, shortly after the wedding, my husband told me that my mother-in-law called him almost every day and asked us to collect an extra bride price so that she could take it back to her little grandson to marry his wife.
My husband's face was a little ugly, but he said to me firmly: "Dongmei, I refused my mother's request, Xiaofang's happiness is more important than anything else." ”
I held my husband's hand, and my heart was filled with gratitude. Yes, we cannot allow the shadow of the past to loom over our families again. Xiaofang's happiness is what we care about the most.
With Xiaofang's marriage, our lives have entered a new stage. We began to pay more attention to our quality of life and cherish each other's company more. We know that although there are still many unknowns in the future, as long as we are a family of three, there is nothing we cannot face.
While reminiscing about the past, I packed my things and planned to go back as soon as possible.
"Dongmei, don't clean up, we don't need to go back." My husband's voice interrupted my movements, and he stood in the doorway, his face full of doubts and displeasure.
I stopped what I was doing, looked up and asked, "What's wrong?" Is something wrong? ”
My husband walked into the house, sat across from me, sighed and said, "I made a call to my neighbor, my hair." It turned out that my mother kept urging us to go back because my little nephew was in trouble on a blind date. The woman asked to buy a house in the provincial capital, and she also needed a bride price of 150,000 yuan, which added up to at least 500,000 yuan. Mom actually patted her chest and promised that it would be done as soon as possible. ”
I was stunned, and I had mixed feelings. I asked, "What about the little uncle?" They farm for a living, and they don't make much money all year round, do they know that? ”
The husband shook his head and said, "They must know and know Mom's plan very well." Needless to say, I can think of it with my toes, and my mother must want us to pay for it. ”
I felt a wave of anger and helplessness in my heart, and my mother-in-law's partiality and my brother-in-law's greed made me feel sad.
I took a deep breath, tried to calm my emotions, and then said to my husband, "Forget it, we won't go back, and we won't care about this matter." Xiaofang has just gotten married, and we should start enjoying our lives. ”
I stood up and put my half-packed stuff back in place. My husband also stood up and tidied up with me. Our hands touch from time to time, and each other's warmth conveys comfort and strength.
"Dongmei, when we have saved enough money, we will go on a trip and see the outside world." The husband suddenly proposed, his eyes flashing with childlike excitement.
I smiled, and a warm current welled up in my heart: "Okay, I've always wanted to see the sea and the places I haven't been." ”