Lao Li opened the window, and the spring breeze blowing in front of him was a little cool. He looked out at the noisy streets, and his heart was mixed. The pothos on the windowsill is still lush, as if telling the silent passage of time. Today is his 53rd birthday, but this special "gift" is a bit heavy - the news of the lack of pension is like a bolt from the blue, disrupting his peaceful life.
"Happy birthday, Dad! This is the cake I picked, you can taste it. Xiao Li pushed open the door, carrying a delicate cake box in his hand and a relaxed smile on his face, trying to break the dull atmosphere in this way.
Lao Li smiled reluctantly, but he had a different feeling in his heart, he knew that his son's salary was not high, and the burden of the family had actually been pressing on the shoulders of their father and son. Lao Li took the cake box and said with some emotion: "Alas, you have grown so big, you have to let you worry about it." ”
Xiao Li sat down next to his father and patted him on the shoulder, "Dad, don't think so. We are manly husbands, and we have not passed any difficulties. We will definitely be able to solve this matter. ”
Lao Li bowed slightly, but he knew in his heart that although his son's words were good, the reality was not optimistic. The private company collapsed, and the pension that had been under the banner of "compensation" drifted away, and now it can only rely on the meager social security payment, plus Xiao Li's monthly part-time job allowance to barely survive.
Aunt Li, a neighbor, walked in with a basket of eggs and smiled innocently: "Lao Li, I heard that today is your birthday, this is the fresh eggs laid by my hen, send you a snack." ”
Before Lao Li could speak, the old-fashioned phone at home rang.
"Hey, is it me, Lao Li? I'm Brother Wang. An old friend's voice came from the other end of the line.
The two of them chatted, and the conversation was short, and finally Brother Wang joked, "I heard that some of you are going to boycott the factory, hey, if you get a compensation or something, divide it with me." ”
Lao Li sighed softly, he knew that Brother Wang was just joking, but the stone in his heart was still heavy, "How can it be so easy, everything is unstable now, at our age, it would be good to have a stable and secure old age." ”
After putting down the phone, Lao Li absentmindedly fiddled with the eggs, the sunlight outside the window had gradually slanted to the west, but his heart was extremely gloomy. Without a pension, what is the way forward? Lao Li looked up at the afterglow that was gradually fading in the sky, and his expression was full of helplessness and worry.
Time passed quietly like a stream, and it was the weekend in the blink of an eye. The living room of Lao Li's house is brightly lit, today is a long-lost family gathering, the hall is lively and lively, and the atmosphere seems to be harmonious.
Lao Li's eldest sister, Aunt Liu, was chatting with her relatives sitting next to her while nibbling on roast duck legs. "You know what? My nephew, Lao Li, is comfortable now, and I heard that he will have a pension of 13,000 every month when he lies down! Aunt Liu believed it and didn't realize that she had fallen into the unintentional rumors of her neighbors in the community.
Those words were like pebbles thrown into a pool, stirring up ripples in circles and circles. When the relatives heard this, their eyes suddenly lit up, and they talked about it.
"Oh my God, Lao Li is so lucky? I'm almost working with the company until I can't retire, and I haven't heard of such treatment. ”
“13000？ This is not a small number, Lao Li will really enjoy it, I think I will have to borrow some money from him next time. ”
The little sister next to her was nibbling on chicken wings, and pretended to be relaxed and joked to Lao Li: "Uncle, I heard that you are lying flat now and your wallet is bulging, are you going to travel?" ”
When Lao Li heard this, he almost dropped the teacup in his hand, and just wanted to explain, but was interrupted by Xiao Li.
"Don't listen to her nonsense, how can Dad have a pension of 13,000, it's all nonsense from neighbors." Xiao Li said as she looked at her eldest sister, Aunt Liu, with helplessness in her eyes.
Aunt Liu was stunned, obviously she didn't expect her words to cause such a big wave. The expression on her face changed from surprise to embarrassment, and she hurriedly said, "Oh, I didn't listen to what people said casually, and I didn't verify it, don't take it to heart." ”
Although Lao Li didn't want to make the Manchu relatives know about his financial situation, he didn't want everyone to be unhappy because of his own affairs. He tried his best to put a gentle smile on his face, "It's all relatives, it's okay if there is a little misunderstanding." Let's get together today just to have fun, and we'll talk about other things later. ”
However, the misunderstanding in the words is like an open bottle, which cannot be stuffed back. After the party, Lao Li knew that the misunderstanding was far from over, and had spread among relatives.
Back in the room, Xiao Li looked at his father, whose face was as heavy as water, and said distressedly: "Dad, don't take the words of relatives to heart, we know our own situation best." ”
Lao Li took a deep breath, nodded, and then his eyes became resolute, "You're right, it doesn't matter what outsiders think." But we can't just leave it at that, I have to do something for my pension. ”
In the early morning of the next day, Xiao Li and Lao Li rummaged through the documents and promises given to employees by the unfortunate private company. They want to find a solution, not just for money, but for this dignity.
The sky was getting darker, and the atmosphere in the living room was tense with the sound of quarrels. Lao Li's face was pale, and he was-for-tat with his son Xiao Li. "Why can't I borrow money from my relatives? When I get my pension back, I'll give them back! Lao Li's voice trembled a little with anger.
"But Dad, you're all at this age, and you don't know if you can recover your pension, so now go borrow money..."
The sound of the two arguing echoed through the room, and in an instant, a thick folder fell from the bookshelf and scattered to the floor. Xiao Li hurriedly bent down to pick it up, and pages of letterheads and documents came into his eyes, and a question suddenly surged in his heart.
"Dad, what is this?" Details of unpaid wages'? What have you been recording all these years? Xiao Li looked at Lao Li in surprise.
Lao Li's anger seemed to be extinguished at once, and he sat back on the sofa tiredly, "Yes, I haven't missed any of the salary owed by that private company, but I don't know if there is a chance to come back." ”
Xiao Li took the document, didn't speak again, and looked through it carefully. Suddenly, his eyes lit up: "Dad, look here, isn't this the signature of the boss back then?" This can be used as proof! ”
Lao Li was stunned for a moment, and then there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Really? Did you find this helpful? ”
"Of course!" Xiao Li was full of confidence, "Dad, we can't give up, just rely on this, let's go to a lawyer for consultation." ”
In this way, the father and son got up and went to the law firm, the tight lines on Lao Li's face gradually relaxed, and his mood seemed to improve with the bright color that gradually appeared in the gray sky. During the consultation, the lawyer listened carefully to their statements, and then took the folder and looked at it for a long time.
"Mr. Li, your records over the years are very detailed, and you also have the autograph of the boss, which is very beneficial to the case." There is certainty in the lawyer's words.
Xiao Li clenched his fists, full of excitement: "Then what should we do now?" ”
"You need to gather more evidence, and this document is a good place to start. At the same time, if more employees in the same situation can be contacted to file a lawsuit together, the probability of success will be higher. "The lawyer gave them a course of action for the future.
Coming out of the law firm, both father and son had a long-lost smile on their faces. Although there is still a long way to go, there is direction and hope. The sky was completely dark, but their hearts were bright, for they knew that the darkness would pass and the dawn would come.
The spring breeze blew through the small courtyard of Lao Li's house again, but this time, spring was strong. At the moment of the court's verdict, Lao Li felt that the whole world lit up. He finally waited for the pension he deserved, not only in numbers, but also in the word "dignity".
"Lao Li, brother, I was wrong last time, I misunderstood you." Aunt Liu walked over, her face filled with sincere apologies.
Lao Li smiled and waved his hand, and said gently: "Where is it, we are a family, there will always be misunderstandings, the key is that everyone is okay now." ”
Relatives nodded their heads, the atmosphere was harmonious, misunderstandings dissipated, and family ties were stronger than before.
"Dad, we can finally open a store! It's called 'Lao Li's Little Chef', right? Xiao Li excitedly discussed the snack bar.
"Good! Our own snack bar will have to be run well in the future, and we can't live up to this difficulty. Lao Li's eyes flashed with longing.
Not long after, the opening ceremony of the snack bar was held in the crowd of family and friends. Lao Li wore a white hat, and the spatula in front of him danced quickly. Xiao Li greeted and saw off the guests on the side, and the tacit cooperation between the two fathers and sons was commendable.
"Grandpa, this fritter is so delicious!" The little granddaughter took a bite of the fritters, her eyes narrowed into slits, and her face was filled with a happy smile.
"Dad, seeing that the snacks you make are so famous, do we have to consider opening another branch?" Xiao Li joked with a smile.
Lao Li also smiled, looking at the lively shop, his heart was full of satisfaction, "Let's come step by step, don't worry." Let's get this shop done first. ”
In the evening, the street lights outside the small shop gradually turned on, and Lao Li and Xiao Li packed up their things and prepared to close. The warmth and busyness of the store still swirl in the air.
Xiao Li patted the flour on his body, turned his head to look at his father, and suddenly asked, "Dad, you say, this is the life we want, right?" ”