Beijing's skies are grey as usual, but they don't affect the city's hectic pulse. Xiaoya dragged her tired body home from work, and before she could take off her heavy coat, her husband Fang Xiang greeted her, full of excitement: "Xiaoya, let's go to my dad's tonight, he said that he has something to discuss with everyone." ”
Xiao Ya's heart tightened, the Fang family's party had never been very to her appetite, and since marrying Fang Xiang, the oppressive family atmosphere had made her feel more and more cramped and uneasy. But she still tried her best to squeeze out a smile: "Okay, I got it." Then I'll go take a shower and change my clothes. ”
In the restaurant, steaming home-cooked dishes exude tantalizing aromas. When Xiao Ya and Fang Xiang arrived, the Fang family's living room was already bustling. The elders sat around the living room, and the topics discussed quickly attracted Xiaoya's attention.
"Xiang'er, you're here, hurry, sit here." Fang Wei was sitting in the main seat and pointed to the position next to him. Xiao Ya smiled slightly, but noticed that there were no empty seats at the table, and the male elders of the Fang family were already seated.
Fang Wei's eyes fell on Xiao Ya, and his eyebrows raised, "Xiao Ya, you don't have to sit here, help, see what other hands you need in the kitchen." ”
Xiaoya suddenly felt like she had been slapped by a time machine, back to that feudal era, and women couldn't even have a place at the table. She replied unwillingly: "Dad, I'm also a member of this family, can't I participate?" ”
Fang Wei waved his hand with a serious face: "This is a matter for elders and men, girls from families, they don't understand this." Some of the uncles next to him also glanced at Xiaoya sympathetically, but none of them spoke out against it.
Fang Xiang took Xiaoya's hand and whispered in her ear: "Don't be angry, I'll talk to you about my thoughts afterwards, let's go to the kitchen." While speaking, the strength was strong enough for Xiaoya to know that this was not a discussion, but a decision.
In the kitchen, several aunts were spreading, and as soon as Xiaoya came in, an enthusiastic aunt dragged her, "Xiaoya is here, come and help me do it." ”
Xiaoya is calm on the surface, but she has mixed feelings in her heart. She was chopping green peppers, and in the buzzing sound in her ears, the words of the aunts inadvertently revealed the secrets of the family. It turned out that Fang Xiang had a crush back then, but he gave up at Fang Wei's insistence.
Xiao Ya's heart was turbulent, and in the face of this sudden emotion, she almost cut her fingers into minced vegetables. Xiao Ya's fingers trembled unconsciously under the light of the knife, and her mood began to become very heavy. The lively kitchen is more like a suffocating secret room for her.
"Miss Xiaoya is really diligent," an aunt complimented, but inadvertently mentioned Fang Xiang again, "Do you know? Back then, our Fang Xiang almost got engaged to Xiao Man. ”
Xiaoya stopped her movements stiffly and smiled as naturally as possible: "Really? Why didn't it work out? ”
The aunts glanced at each other, and there were some things that obviously could not be said in front of this junior. But one of the chattering aunts didn't have anything to hide in her mouth, "Oh, it's all the old thinking of the old party, and the suspect's family background is not good enough, so he has to intervene in the child's marriage." ”
Xiaoya felt an unknown annoyance in her heart, and she began to try to change the topic: "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read, let's talk about something else, I really haven't made this potato roast beef, can my aunt teach me?" ”
Seeing that Xiaoya didn't want to continue the topic, the aunts diverted their attention and began to instruct her in cooking.
At this moment, Fang Xiang walked in from outside, wiped his hands and said to Xiao Ya: "Xiao Ya, I'll go out to answer a phone, you help here, and we'll go back after eating." ”
Xiao Ya's face was pale, and she knew that Fang Xiang was unlikely to go out just to answer the phone.
At the dinner table, the topic became more and more heavy, and the elders discussed family affairs, Fang Xiang's work and future family responsibilities. Although Xiaoya was not present, her heart was like a knife.
She stepped aside, tears beginning to roll in her eyes. The pressure of the workplace, the family's disacceptance, and her husband's concealment, all of these are like heavy chains around her heart.
Xiaoya suddenly put down the kitchen knife in her hand and said to the aunts in the kitchen, "I'm sorry, I want to go wash my hands first." ”
She walked to the bathroom tremblingly, and after closing the door, Xiaoya finally burst into tears.
After the tears, she looked at herself in the mirror, slowly calmed her emotions, and wiped the marks on her face. She said to herself, "I can't be so weak, I have to be strong." ”
Ten minutes later, Xiaoya returned to the kitchen, her face was a little ruddy, she took the cutting board handed to her by her aunt, and continued to get busy, but she secretly made up her mind in her heart that she must find an opportunity to have a good talk with Fang Xiang and make all this clear. The meal was eaten in an eerily silent manner, the atmosphere in the dining room was like still water, and people's expressions looked a little unnatural in the light. Xiao Ya sat at the small table that had been added temporarily, her heart was mixed, chewing on the dishes she had made, and she seemed to feel that there was no taste at all.
At this time, Fang Wei's voice broke the stiff atmosphere: "Okay, I'm almost done, Xiang'er, you and Xiaoya go and settle the bill." ”
All eyes fell on Xiao Ya. Fang Xiang looked at Xiao Ya with some embarrassment, and Xiao Ya seemed to be prepared.
She stood up, looked at Fang Wei firmly and said, "The person who treats the guest pays, this is the most basic truth. I didn't sit at the main table today and didn't enjoy this meal with everyone. I don't know why you ended up asking me to pay for it, but it's clearly not appropriate. ”
Fang Wei's face sank, he didn't expect Xiaoya to confront him in public, "Xiaoya, you work in a foreign company, and your income is not less than our Jiaxiang, what's the big deal about buying this meal?" ”
Xiao Ya smiled slightly, but her tone was extremely firm: "The amount of income and the nature of the work are not the criteria for measuring whether you should pay for it. Isn't it? ”
In the corner of the living room, the young cousins began to whisper. Most of them are also a well-educated generation, and they can't help but feel a little bit of agreement with Xiaoya's words.
Fang Xiang stepped forward and tried to ease the atmosphere: "Dad, what Xiaoya said also makes sense, today is your treat, according to custom, it is more appropriate for you to settle the bill." ”
Fang Wei hesitated, the depressing atmosphere permeated the restaurant, and everyone's expressions looked a little uncomfortable.
Finally, a brother-in-law who usually speaks little speaks: "Actually, Xiaoya is also justified in saying this." Lao Fang, it's time to change our macho tradition. ”
These words seemed to open the conversation, and other young people began to echo: "Yes, Dad, what age is it now, you can't always be like this." ”
Fang Wei's face changed unpredictably, looking at the ups and downs of discussion in his seat, he was silent, obviously experiencing some kind of psychological struggle.
Finally, he picked up his wallet and said to the crowd, "Okay, I'll pay for today's meal." Xiang, Xiaoya, so are the two of you, if you have anything to say in the future, don't hold back. ”
Fang Xiang looked at Xiao Ya, his eyes were full of apology and emotion: "Xiao Ya, I'm sorry for making you feel wronged tonight." ”
Xiaoya smiled slightly and waved her hand: "No need to apologize, something happened, what we need is to solve the problem, not avoid it." ”
Fang Xiang sighed and expressed the worry in his heart: "I know that my dad has his own set of thoughts. I also thought, maybe I had come forward and spoken up sooner, and it wouldn't have been like this tonight. ”
"Don't say that," Xiaoya shook his hand, "it's not all your responsibility. We all need time to adapt and change. The important thing is that we can face it together, isn't it? ”
Fang Xiang looked at Xiao Ya, and a trace of determination flashed in his eyes: "Yes, I will support you more in the future, whether it is at home or outside." We should be dependent on each other. ”
Their conversation was gently carried away by the wind, gradually precipitating in the night. After returning home, Fang Xiang took the initiative to call his father Fang Wei and expressed his feelings and thoughts about tonight's events.
On the other end of the phone, Fang Wei's voice seemed to have a slight mutter: "Xiang'er, you're right. As a father, I always try to arrange everything in my own way, but I ignore what you young people think. ”
The next day, Fang Wei took the initiative to find Xiaoya, and his attitude softened a lot: "Xiaoya, I didn't think about paying the bill last night. You can understand that it is not easy for an old man to change his mind, right? ”
Xiaoya tried her best to make her tone appear calm: "I understand." Each generation has its own way of life and values. I am also willing to give you time and we learn and progress together. ”
Fang Xiang and Xiaoya stood aside, witnessing all this, and each other's eyes revealed relief. Although Fang Wei's attitude is still a little clumsy, it is undeniable that the family's emotions are slowly harmonizing.
That night, the lights of the Fang family were as warm as ever, but they revealed more understanding and support. And Xiaoya silently reminded herself in her heart that change sometimes requires a little courage, but also perseverance and patience.
The end of the story seems to tell the world that no matter how times change, understanding and communication are always the cornerstones of human relationships. Maybe at the next meeting, Xiaoya will sit at the main table and discuss the future of the family with the elders, who can say?