Li Mei held the remote control in her hand and pressed the TV button repeatedly, but there was only a flash of blue light on the screen, and there was no other reaction. She let out a long sigh, put down the remote control, and sat quietly on the couch. The television had accompanied her through countless lonely nights, and now it had chosen its destination. The house is surprisingly quiet, except for the "tick-tick" of the clock, which is extremely harsh.
In recent years, her husband Li Qiang has often traveled away on business due to work, and Li Mei is used to taking care of this home alone, starting from the busy breakfast in the morning to the caring phone calls prepared for her husband at night, the daily cycle seems to have become the whole of her life. And the company of TV has become her only pastime in her free time.
The mobile phone ringtone broke the silence, and it was a call from my friend Zhang Xiao. "Meimei, will you come to my house for dinner today?" Zhang Xiao's voice is always so warm and energetic.
"Oh, is it really good? I'm afraid to disturb your house. Although Li Mei was happy in her heart, she still responded reservedly.
"Where is it, how boring you are at home alone, come on, let's get some delicious food tonight, Zhao Gang said that he got off work early today, and he is going to try the newly bought oven." Zhang Xiao's enthusiasm is irresistible.
Li Mei hung up the phone, changed into a simple and clean outfit, quickly locked the door, and walked in the direction of Zhang Xiao's house. On the way, she felt a little excited, after all, time with friends can always make people forget the loneliness of daily life.
When I arrived at Zhang Xiao's house, a lively voice came to my face. "Meimei, come in!" Zhang Xiaoying came out and hugged her, like an old friend who hadn't seen her for many years.
"We have a lot of menus today, you need to help." Zhang Xiao smiled and handed her an apron.
The warm scene in the kitchen made Li Mei sigh that the tacit cooperation between Zhang Xiao and Zhao Gang was beyond words. "Seeing that you are smiling so happily, do you want to buy an oven to go home?" Zhao Gang looked at Li Mei and quipped.
"Hey, I'd better not add appliances at home, my family may not be able to afford it." Li Mei shook her head with self-deprecation.
During the dinner, the three of them talked and laughed and shared their life trivia. Li Mei almost forgot the passage of time and felt the warmth and joy that she had not seen for a long time.
After the meal, Zhang Xiao insisted that Li Mei stay and help clean up, and the two chatted while washing, and they were never tired.
"By the way, Meimei, my bracelet is missing, can you help me see if it has fallen into the living room?" Zhang Xiao suddenly remembered something, and was a little anxious.
"Okay, I'll check it out right away." Li Mei dried her hands and walked towards the living room.
After a while, Li Mei happily returned to the kitchen with the bracelet and pushed the door in, but she didn't expect that this push was like breaking into an invisible forbidden place, and the news of five thunderbolts suddenly hit her heart.
Li Mei returned the bracelet to Zhang Xiao, and the two continued to clean up the dishes and chopsticks after the meal. The warm atmosphere in the kitchen couldn't help but make Li Mei breathe a sigh of relief, and she seemed to have regained some kind of feeling of home.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality tonight, I'm embarrassed." Li Mei said as she cleaned the last plate, her voice full of gratitude.
"Where, if you don't feel convenient, just come a few more times." Zhang Xiao quipped, smiling.
In the midst of this relaxed and happy conversation, Zhang Xiao's mobile phone suddenly rang. It was a text message from Zhao Gang: "Xiaoxiao, I'm in the study, and I have something to tell you." ”
Li Mei originally wanted to go directly to the living room to wait, but when she saw Zhang Xiao stunned for a moment, she took the initiative to offer: "You go, I can clean it up here." ”
Zhang Xiao smiled and touched Li Mei's head, "Meimei is so good, I'll be back soon." ”
Li Mei put the last few dishes away and planned to go to the living room to sit for a while. But when she approached the study, she accidentally heard what Zhang Xiao and Zhao Gang were talking about.
"Have you read the company's layoff list this time?" Zhang Xiao's voice looked a little worried.
"Well, look, there's too much pressure to lay off employees, so I asked me to provide some lists as well." Zhao Gang's voice was full of helplessness.
"Is there anyone we know?" Zhang Xiao asked.
"Yes, Li Qiang's name is listed." Zhao Gang's words were like a thunderbolt from the sky, hitting Li Mei's heart.
Li Mei froze in place, her palms began to sweat, and she couldn't believe her ears. Her thoughts were in a mess in an instant, and Li Qiang's unemployment was undoubtedly a major blow to them.
She quickly returned to the living room, but her mind was thinking about what to do with this sudden news. Zhang Xiao also returned to the living room soon after, looking at Li Mei in a daze, a little worried: "Meimei, are you okay?" ”
"Ah, no, it's fine." Li Mei pretended to be calm.
"Did you hear what you just said?" Zhang Xiao's eyes were full of apologies.
Li Mei nodded and said softly, "What should I do, Xiaoxiao, do you think I should tell Li Qiang about this now?" ”
"This ......" Zhang Xiao looked very embarrassed, "I really want to tell him, it's not now, he's still on a business trip." ”
"yes, he's counting on this job out there." Li Mei's expression was complicated, and her fingers were tightly grasping the armrests of the sofa.
"Meimei, don't worry, I'll help you figure it out." Zhang Xiao hurriedly comforted.
"Thank you, Xiaoxiao. I need to calm down and think about what to do. Li Mei didn't let panic take over her heart, what she needed was a wise choice.
"I'll take you home, don't think too much about it tonight." Zhang Xiao stood up and left the living room with Li Mei.
Back at home, Li Mei leaned against the door, her mind echoing the conversation she had heard, and she knew she couldn't panic easily. Li Mei decided that she wanted to be smarter and more considerate of her family. She sat down on the couch, opened her notebook, and began to sort out her thoughts and possible solutions. It all starts with composure.
Li Mei woke up the next morning, and the shock of the night gave way to calm for the time being. She got up early and sat down at the dining table, sipping a light tea while pondering her plans repeatedly. With a decision in her heart, she cleaned up with her hands and feet, hoping to calm her inner fluctuations with labor.
When she was busy, her mobile phone rang, and it was a short message from Li Qiang: "Meimei, I'll be back next week, if you have anything to eat, tell me in advance." ”
Li Mei looked at her phone and replied with a vague message: "Let's talk about it when we come back, take care of your body." ”
The sun was warm outside the window, and she knew that she couldn't make Li Qiang feel unusual. Before deciding not to tell Li Qiang, she had to find out the most appropriate way to deal with it.
In the afternoon of the same day, Li Mei went to the local employment service center and pretended that she wanted to find a job. She quietly asked for career guidance, company recruitment information, and listened to the current job market. The service staff enthusiastically introduced all kinds of information to her.
"Companies are now paying more attention to the education and skills of their employees." The service staff admonished.
"So if you want to improve your skills, where should you start?" Li Mei asked seriously.
"You may want to consider taking some training courses or getting some relevant qualifications."
After getting enough information, Li Mei hurried back home. She knows that Li Qiang has been working steadily for many years, and he has long been out of the rhythm of the job market, and if he wants to find the next job quickly, he must be prepared.
Li Mei didn't stop, she began to consult various online courses, and screened out those useful materials for Li Qiang. Then, she called Li Qiang.
"Brother Qiang, I'm thinking, you have worked for so many years, should you also consider self-improvement?" Li Mei tentatively guided.
"Self-improvement? I'm so busy at work now, how can I have time. Li Qiang seemed unimpressed.
"Work is a part of life, but we also need to plan for the future. It's always a good idea to master more skills. Li Mei gently persuaded.
"You mean..."Li Qiang seemed to be touched.
"Yes, you see that lifelong learning is now popular, and you can increase your skills to improve your competitiveness." Li Mei continued to persuade.
"That's right, I'll think about it later." Li Qiang finally relented.
Hanging up the phone, Li Mei breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she was doing her best. She won't tell the truth, but she can help those around her prepare for the worst.
A few days later, Li Qiang returned as scheduled, and the family was lively again. Li Mei rarely mentions work in front of her husband, but she occasionally quietly puts some vocational training materials in front of Li Qiang after dinner.
Such days went on until one day, Li Qiang left a small message on the dining table, which made Li Mei's heart shake: "Meimei, I want to participate in a training course." ”
This simple sentence penetrated Li Mei's heart like a beam of light. She knew that her husband was on the right path and that she had done her duty as a wife.
The days flowed quietly like a stream, and gradually, Li Qiang became more and more interested in learning outside of work. The study of the course opened his eyes and made him more comfortable in his work; He began to take the initiative to update his resume and explore new career paths.
One night, Li Mei looked at Li Qiang buried in a pile of information, and couldn't help but joke: "Looking at your posture, do you want to change to a new environment?" ”
Li Qiang raised his head, and a new light flashed in his eyes: "Seriously, I have encountered a good opportunity." ”
"Oh? What is it that makes you so tempted? Li Mei asked as she pretended to be surprised.
"A friend introduced me to their company, and the position is quite similar to my current job, but the treatment is better." Li Qiang's voice was full of anticipation.
"So what did you think about? Ready to take on the challenge? Li Mei cautiously probed.
"I was thinking, maybe it's time for something to change." Li Qiang said, revealing his hope for the future.
The stone in Li Mei's heart finally landed, her concealment and efforts were not in vain, and she successfully led Li Qiang to a new starting point.
Time was in a hurry, Li Qiang successfully jumped to a new company, although the beginning was not easy, but his courage and new knowledge allowed him to quickly adapt to the new environment, and the new position rejuvenated him.
One day, Li Qiang called Li Mei on his way home from work: "Meimei, what do you want to eat at night?" I'm in a good mood today and want to cook you a big meal. ”
Li Mei replied with a smile: "Feel free, just have your home-cooked food." ”
In this dinner, the two tasted not only the food, but also the mutual support and understanding during this time.
After dinner, the two sat on the balcony, and Li Qiang suddenly said seriously: "Meimei, I want to say that this transformation is really important to me and a new starting point in my life, thank you for your continued support." ”
Li Mei held Li Qiang's hand and said softly: "We are a family, no matter the wind and rain, we must protect each other." ”
Under the moonlight, the figures of the couple are particularly warm, and the atmosphere of home is more rich and harmonious. Li Mei knows that this is the life she really yearns for in her heart.
Li Mei looked at the night sky in late autumn, her thoughts drifting away. She suddenly asked Li Qiang in a soft voice: "If I had told you everything at the beginning, would we be living like this now?" ”