In the dead of night, Liu Xiuying lies in bed, and her ears always echo the laughter of her grandson during the day. In the past 9 years with her grandson Liu Hao, she has devoted almost all her efforts. However, the attitude of her daughter-in-law Wang Fang towards her made the old man feel a deep sense of loss. Just after cleaning up the dinner table, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the kitchen had a little conflict.
"Daughter-in-law, are you still used to eating today's meal?" Liu Xiuying tried to open the topic in a calm tone.
Wang Fang was busy washing the dishes, and her answer seemed a little absent-minded: "Well, it's okay." ”
"If there's something that doesn't suit your taste, just say it, don't hold back." Liu Xiuying continued.
Wang Fang didn't stop what she was doing, but responded lightly: "Got it, mother-in-law." ”
This kind of dialogue is not the first time for Liu Xiuying. At first, she tried to convince herself that this was just that her new daughter-in-law was not familiar with this new home enough, and it was a normal phenomenon during the run-in period, but as time passed, Wang Fang always seemed to ignore it like this.
Sometimes, Liu Xiuying also tries to communicate these issues with her son. One afternoon, when Liu Hao was watching cartoons in the living room, Liu Xiuying took the opportunity to whisper to her son Liu Wei, who was working on work documents in the living room: "Husband, can you tell your daughter-in-law that life is warmer for me, and it is not easy for me to take my grandson." ”
Liu Wei looked at the documents in his hand, sighed helplessly and said, "Wife, she may also have a lot of pressure at work, so you can take care of it more." ”
Liu Xiuying knows the dilemma of her son being caught in the middle, but she always feels in her heart that the atmosphere of family harmony seems to be gradually passing.
Just last weekend, when the whole family was sitting in front of the TV watching a variety show, Wang Fang suddenly proposed to work overtime next week and may not have time to take Liu Hao. Liu Xiuying felt that she could no longer bear such indifference, and she raised her voice: "You are the mother of the child, how can you always leave the child to me because of work?" It's your responsibility. ”
Wang Fang seemed to be a little dissatisfied, and retorted: "Mother-in-law, haven't you been taking Liu Hao all along?" I'm working hard, too. ”
Seeing this, his son Liu Wei immediately came forward to ease the atmosphere: "Mom, what my wife said is also reasonable, you can help for a while." ”
Such small frictions happened more and more often in this house, and after each dispute, Liu Xiuying would sit alone on the balcony, looking at the starry sky in the distance in a daze.
But no matter what, Liu Xiuying didn't think about leaving this home. All she has is helplessness and grievances, the expectations and disappointments in the hearts of an ordinary Chinese old man who loves his son and grandson.
On a hot summer afternoon, Liu Xiuying sat in front of the electric fan turned on by the window, and the needlework in her hand didn't seem to make her feel much cold. Her thoughts always drift back to the old days of mutual support, when the home, despite the difficult conditions, was full of warmth and laughter. She couldn't help but feel a sense of loss in her heart as she compared it to the present. Lately, she has felt more and more that her place in her home is like a forgotten corner.
On this day, her grandson Liu Hao happily told her that the school was about to hold a parent-teacher meeting and hoped that she would be able to attend. Liu Xiuying knew in her heart that this was her daughter-in-law's responsibility, but Wang Fang always used her busy work as an excuse, and rarely attended such family activities. Although there was an indescribable disappointment in her heart, she still showed a relieved smile to Liu Hao: "Okay, okay, grandma will definitely go." Observing Liu Hao's happy expression, she sighed silently in her heart.
Soon, the atmosphere at home became tense over a trivial matter. Liu Xiuying found a torn shirt in the laundry room, which was her son Liu Wei's favorite one. She found Wang Fang with her shirt distressedly, hoping to remind her daughter-in-law to pay attention to the way she washes clothes in the future.
"Daughter-in-law, look at this shirt, is it washed too violently?" Liu Xiuying tried to soften her tone as much as possible.
"Mother-in-law, I don't have time to carefully inspect every piece of clothing. I'm also very depressed when this happens. Wang Fang said as she prepared to cook dinner, unapologetically.
The dissatisfaction in Liu Xiuying's heart arose: "You are the daughter-in-law of the family, you always have to pay attention to housework." ”
Wang Fang replied angrily: "What do you mean by this?" I have to take care of my family in addition to work, and you are always picky. ”
At dinner, Liu Wei noticed the unusual atmosphere at the table: "What's the matter, the table is so silent today?" ”
Liu Xiuying just silently picked up the dishes, but Wang Fang directly explained the reason. Liu Wei had to comfort: "Mom, it's not easy for my wife, understand more." The contradiction was calmed, but the knots in Liu Xiuying's heart became tighter and tighter.
The disharmony in the air seemed to be intense day after day, and whenever night came, Liu Xiuying felt a deep loneliness in her room. She always asks herself, "Am I doing something wrong?" Is it impossible to have a happy home like before? ”
Faced with these contradictions and incomprehension at home, Liu Xiuying became more and more confused, feeling that she could no longer find the feeling of being needed by her family. Although his son Liu Wei will mediate every time, he cannot solve the root cause of the problem. The undercurrent in the atmosphere is gradually accumulating, the warmth and harmony of the home are being eroded little by little, and under the turbulent undercurrent, friction and unhappiness are brewing a family storm.
One weekend evening, Liu Xiuying sorted out the family account books in the living room, and the expenses were clearly recorded. When she tried to discuss the family budget with her daughter-in-law Wang Fang, she never expected to trigger a family conflict that was on the verge of exploding.
"Daughter-in-law, our expenses this month are much higher than last month, what do you think is going on?" Liu Xiuying frowned, with a little strangeness in her voice.
Wang Fang walked over and took a look, her face expressionless: "It may be that I recently bought some children's learning materials, plus the daily expenses of the family." ”
"But this number is too far off, is there a miscalculation somewhere?" Liu Xiuying's tone was a little reproachful.
Wang Fang was displeased: "I said what the reason might be, mother-in-law, you always like to worry about money." ”
When Liu Xiuying heard this, her heart felt like she was burned by fire, "I'm careful? I don't know the financial situation of my family? Something is clearly wrong with the money. ”
Wang Fang sneered: "Am I still greedy for this bit of household use?" ”
Liu Xiuying was emotional, and her voice gradually raised: "I don't dare to say if you are greedy, but do you have a sense of responsibility for your family?" ”
At this time, Liu Wei, who came back from outside, heard the quarrel in the house, and hurriedly came in and asked, "What's wrong?" Are you two arguing again? ”
"Husband, look at your mother, every time she treats me like this, you know that she picks on me in matters of money." Wang Fang was a little aggrieved.
Liu Xiuying said angrily: "I'm not wrong, it's you who always don't take charge of your home." ”
The father and son stood aside and listened, Liu Wei looked at the two helplessly, trying to ease: "Mom, wife, calm down, let's sit down and talk about this matter." ”
However, both women's emotions were already extremely excited. Years of backlog and dissatisfaction are like a flood of beasts out of control, and the home instantly becomes like a battlefield, with scolding, crying, and complaining one after another.
Eventually, the quarrel ended, but the residual atmosphere was suffocating. The rift in each other's hearts is also more difficult to heal. Liu Xiuying is completely lost after such a conflict, she feels that she no longer has a place in this family, and she is no longer respected and understood. On a quiet night, she made the decision to leave the house and go to live alone in a rented house, perhaps to regain a little self-esteem and peace.
On the edge of the city, Ms. Liu rented a simple bachelor apartment. Everything here is completely different from the old family life, no quarrels, no loud laughter of grandchildren. In this space that belongs only to her, Liu Xiuying began self-reflection that she had never had for a long time.
Every evening, Liu Xiuying will hold a cup of hot tea on the balcony and gaze at the lights of thousands of homes gradually lit up in the distance. She remembered the disputes with Wang Fang, and remembered how her son was in a dilemma between the two women she loved the most. In addition to being sad, she also began to understand her daughter-in-law's hardships and hardships.
As time passed, Liu Xiuying's mentality slowly changed. She realizes that sticking to her own ideas is not necessarily the solution to the problem, and maybe trying to understand the other person and letting go of the previous grievances will be the beginning of family harmony. Everyone has their own roles and responsibilities, and understanding and respect are the most important things among family members.
One day, Liu Xiuying received a call from her son Liu Wei, and on the other end of the phone, she could feel her son's worries. "Mom, are you still used to being outside? Without you at home, it feels like a lot of things are missing. ”
"Husband, I'm doing well, what about you? Is there still chaos at home? Liu Xiuying asked with a smile, with a hint of warmth in her voice.
"Mom, we all miss you, Fangfang didn't mean to, can you two have a good talk?" Liu Wei's tone was full of anticipation.
After a long period of thinking and self-adjustment, Liu Xiuying decided to return to her home and sit down with her family to communicate openly and honestly. On the day she moved back, Wang Fang prepared a sumptuous meal for her. Liu Xiuying looked at her daughter-in-law, and what surged in her heart was no longer resentment, but a kind of hope for the future.
After sitting down face-to-face, Liu Xiuying took a deep breath, and then said, "Daughter-in-law, let's not mention the previous things first." I've thought a lot about it during this time, and I think we're all a family, and we all have things that we don't do enough, and we all need to tolerate and understand each other. ”
Wang Fang had tears in her eyes, and she also looked a little excited: "Mother-in-law, I know that I am also at fault, but I care too much about my emotions." I hope that in the future, we can communicate more and have fewer misunderstandings. ”
Liu Xiuying nodded and helped Wang Fang's hand: "Let's work together for this family." ”
In this way, that night, in this small family, the seeds of communication and understanding quietly sprouted in secret. Although there were still many uncertainties and challenges ahead, at least that night, they sat together like a real family, looking forward to the common future.