Cheng Hui sat on the iron chair in the ward, her eyes slightly red, but her hands were still busy peeling apples for her mother Grandma Wu. Grandma Wu lay on the bed, her hands caressing her cheeks, sometimes tense, sometimes relaxed. Cheng Hui's mother has been hospitalized for three weeks after a stroke and needs to be taken care of every day.
"Mom, you eat slowly, don't choke." Cheng Hui said softly, cutting the peeled apple into small pieces and feeding it to her mother's mouth.
Grandma Wu bowed her head, "Huihui, it's not easy for Mom to know you, what about your husband and children, after so many days, aren't things in your unit delayed?" ”
"Mom, don't worry about it, I've handed it over to them at home, and there are colleagues in the unit to help with it, so you can recuperate with peace of mind." When Cheng Hui said this, she wished that everything would be as simple as she said.
Cheng Hui has taken a long vacation, and her husband Li Qiuqiang supports the order of life at home, but she can't see the daily life of her children with her own eyes, and she doesn't know if they do their homework on time and eat obediently. Despite this, Cheng Hui knew that as the only daughter, she had to be here, with her elderly mother.
"Huihui, can you cover me with a quilt? The air conditioning in this hospital is really cool. Uncle Zhang, who was in the next bed, suddenly spoke.
Cheng Hui hurriedly stood up, took the thick quilt on the balcony, and gently covered it for Uncle Zhang, "Uncle Zhang, if you feel uncomfortable, remember to tell me." ”
Uncle Zhang's children rarely visit because they are busy with work, and a septuagenarian looks very lonely in this white hospital. "Oh, Huihui, it's a blessing for us to have you as a girl." Uncle Zhang smiled and sighed.
"Uncle Zhang, you can see that the scenery over there is not bad, the leaves of the plane tree outside the window are gradually greening." Cheng Hui opened the curtains and tried her best to bring some warmth to the cold ward.
"Mom, let me tell you, you're well, let's go for a walk there together, okay?" Cheng Hui said to Grandma Wu that it was an expectation for her mother and a kind of sustenance for herself.
At night, Cheng Hui's mobile phone vibrate, and it was Xiaobao at home who sent a WeChat message: "Mom, are you done?" I miss you. ”
Cheng Hui's eyes warmed, gently wiped his tears, and replied: "Mom, I'll come back, you are obedient at home and do your homework." ”
She is well aware of the burden on her shoulders, with her bedridden mother on the one hand, and a family that needs to be taken care of on the other. She couldn't let any side fall, despite the pressure, Cheng Hui still stuck to her post, which was the cold iron chair next to her mother. With the passage of time, Cheng Hui's kindness in the hospital has gradually become known to more people. The medical staff nodded and smiled at her, and the patients often gave her grateful glances. Uncle Zhang's son, Zhang Qiang, learned from others about what this benevolent lady had done during a chance visit.
"Sister Cheng, I heard that you have been kind to my father these days, I really don't know how to thank you," Zhang Qiang carried a small gift and thanked Cheng Hui embarrassedly.
Cheng Hui smiled innocently, "It's okay Zhang Qiang, everyone is in the same ward, and it's normal to help each other." ”
Just as the hospital's reputation was improving, Cheng Hui's family and work were in trouble. Li Qiuqiang has been taking care of the children alone at home for many days, and life at home has become a little chaotic due to Cheng Hui's absence. Although Xiaobao and Xiaoyun are sensible, they lack the care of their mother, and they always seem a little uncomfortable in life.
"Huihui, the children miss you, and I'm tired too. When will you be back? Li Qiuqiang looked a little helpless on the other end of the phone.
Cheng Hui listened to her husband's complaints, her heart was sour and anxious, "I'm sorry, dear, bear with me, my mother's condition is still unstable, and I can't leave the hospital for the time being." ”
Problems also began to arise at work, and the projects she had just taken over began to stall due to her long-term absence, and her colleagues were trying to take over, but still revealed their dissatisfaction with her.
"Cheng Hui, we all understand your difficulties, but you are most familiar with this project, and it is really difficult to carry out without you." Mr. Li, the project manager, said worriedly on the phone.
Cheng Hui sacrificed her time and energy for her mother, but the price seems to be becoming more and more expensive. Her phone calls with her husband and children became less and less, and her communication with her colleagues became tense and distant. Every call is like a thin thread connecting her relationship with the outside world. But for Cheng Hui, these clues seem to be becoming loose and fragile.
Until one day, the laughter of children suddenly came from outside the ward, and Cheng Hui was stunned. She walked out of the ward and saw Li Qiuqiang coming with Xiaobao and Xiaoyun, "We miss our mother, so let's take a look." ”
Seeing the children's immature faces, Cheng Hui's eyes moistened, "Mom misses you too." She gently hugged Xiaobao and Xiaoyun, and Li Qiuqiang watched from the side, her heart full of complexity.
Li Qiuqiang turned his head to look, and Zhang Qiang was also standing there, looking at Cheng Hui and her children tenderly. The eyes of the two men met, and they seemed to be thinking about their responsibilities and concerns.
Cheng Hui knows that the situation at home cannot be ignored, and she needs to go home as soon as possible while not letting go of taking care of her mother. She was like a rope being pulled at both ends, both stable and pushing, and Zhang Qiang reached out at this time.
"Sister Cheng, I understand your situation, I will try to come as many times as possible these days to help you take care of Uncle Zhang, and you can go home and have a look." Zhang Qiang's words were like a ray of warm sun penetrating Cheng Hui's haze.
With Zhang Qiang's promise, Cheng Hui can finally relieve her pressure a little, but she knows in her heart that this balance is fragile and she needs to find a longer-term solution. Just when Cheng Hui was anxious about the balance between her family and her mother, Grandma Wu's health improved significantly. During the doctor's routine examination, Grandma Wu's condition improved greatly, and the doctor smiled and said, "Aunt Wu, this is a miracle, your recovery speed has exceeded our expectations." ”
Cheng Hui excitedly held her mother's hand, her eyes were rosy, and she said with a smile: "Mom, great, your body has finally improved!" ”
Grandma Wu also showed a long-lost smile: "Huihui, you have been taking care of your mother, and your mother's health is good, all of which are your credit." ”
However, in the midst of this sudden joy, tension and worry hit again. Uncle Zhang, who was next door, was seriously injured when he was rescuing a child who accidentally fell into the pool downstairs and was rushed back to the ward.
This sudden change made Cheng Hui's mood fall into a dilemma again: on the one hand, her mother's condition improved, and she looked forward to returning to family and work as soon as possible; On the other hand, Uncle Zhang's situation needs her care again.
Zhang Qiang anxiously walked into the ward, looking at his father Uncle Zhang lying on the bed, his eyes immediately turned red: "Sister Cheng, look at my father's ......"
Cheng Hui walked over and gently patted Zhang Qiang's back: "Zhang Qiang, don't worry, your father is a good person, he will definitely be fine." ”
This series of events complicated Cheng Hui's inner feelings. She has a kind of concern for Zhang Qiang that goes beyond friendship. Zhang Qiang's gentlemanly attitude, considerate attitude and the things they experienced together made Cheng Hui feel the emotional fluctuations that she had never experienced before.
"Sister Cheng, thank you very much this time, if it weren't for you......" Zhang Qiang looked at Cheng Hui, his eyes were full of deep gratitude and some indescribable emotion.
Cheng Hui felt a tightness in her heart, and she interrupted Zhang Qiang's words in time: "Zhang Qiang, we are all for our families and for the people we have to take care of. ”
At night, in the quiet of the ward, Cheng Hui sat on the edge of the bed and pondered, her inner struggle made it difficult for her to sleep. She cares about her family and respects her marriage, but she can't deny the special attention that Zhang Qiang brought her. She faces moral and emotional tests, and the conflict in her heart is like a surging river, which can't stop surging forward.
Cheng Hui buried her head deep between her hands, she knew that she couldn't do anything to be sorry for her family, but at the same time, she couldn't bear to refuse Zhang Qiang's thanks and dependence, this feeling made her more and more panicked.
Moonlight poured obliquely through the window on the floor of the ward, deserted. Cheng Hui looked up at the sky, and the sparkling light seemed to tell her: no matter what the wind and rain, she must stick to her post and make the right choice. After several twists and turns, with the warm sun of spring, Grandma Wu finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital and returned to her warm home. Cheng Hui seemed to be freed from the burden, and felt that the whole person was much more relaxed. At the door of the house, Li Qiuqiang and the children prepared a small welcome ceremony for his grandmother, and Cheng Hui looked at the smiling faces of the family and realized that she needed to rearrange her life.
"Li Qiuqiang, in the future, I will better balance work and family, and after my mother's condition is stable, I should return to work." Cheng Hui assured Li Qiuqiang.
"It's okay, Huihui. During this time, I also felt the mutual support between my relatives. I will support you in your work and we share family responsibilities together. Li Qiuqiang held Cheng Hui's hand and gave her firm support.
Uncle Zhang also recovered quickly, and when Cheng Hui went to visit him, the old man warmly held her hand: "Huihui, thank you for this child, if it weren't for you, I might ......"
"Uncle Zhang, you are too polite, we should help each other." Cheng Hui interrupted Uncle Zhang's words with a smile.
During the exchange with Uncle Zhang, Zhang Qiang also came to visit his father. He and Cheng Hui's eyes met, and both of them had indescribable emotion in their hearts.
"Sister Cheng, thank you so much for this time. I don't know how to repay you. Zhang Qiang's tone was full of sincerity.
"Zhang Qiang, we are friends now, I help you, you help me, this is part of our social life. We all take care of each other in this big family. Cheng Hui looked at him, smiling with some warmth and firmness.
In the days that followed, Cheng Hui balanced work and family, and her life was back on track. The opportunities for her and Zhang Qiang to meet gradually decreased, and they became friends who supported each other in the community. Their relationship transcends the entanglement at the beginning and becomes pure and honorable.
Walking on the way home, Cheng Hui watched the sunset gradually disappearing in the sky, and her heart was at peace. In the busy life of modern society, mutual assistance and understanding between people are undoubtedly the most precious emotional connection. Isn't it true that finding our own balance in this complex world and making love and responsibility go hand in hand?