Li Hua stuffed the last box of luggage labeled with the travel destination tag into the trunk of the taxi, and glanced at the door that was no longer familiar. After decades of family life, the father-son relationship between him and his son Xiao Li is facing an unprecedented test.
"Dad, what are you doing here? Are you really going to cut off my mortgage? Xiao Li still couldn't believe it, and asked with a hint of pleading and a hint of surprise.
"Yes, I've decided." Li Hua replied categorically, with unquestionable resoluteness in his tone.
"How can this be, do you know what I should do with my mortgage this month without these 6,000 yuan?" Xiao Li tried to keep his voice steady, but he couldn't hide the anxiety in it.
"You solve your own affairs by yourself, and you are in your thirties, so you can't always rely on your father." Li Hua turned around, not wanting to see the helplessness on Xiao Li's face.
"I also want to be independent, but..." Before Xiao Li's words were finished, Li Hua interrupted him.
"But what? If you have hands and feet, you can't solve your life problems by yourself? Today's young people are used to it. Li Hua obviously didn't want to continue the topic, he turned around and said to the driver, "Let's go." ”
"But what's going on in our house? Is it right for you to do this now? Xiao Li chased out of the door, and his emotions gradually became excited.
"Xiao Li, when I worked to make money in the last century, I didn't earn as much as you do now. The house is yours, the family is yours, and the responsibility should be yours. My travel is my own business, and it has nothing to do with you. Li Hua further explained, trying to make Xiao Li understand the good intentions behind this.
Xiao Li lowered his posture and tried to beg: "Then you at least tell me, where are you going, how can I contact you in case of something?" ”
"I have a cell phone, it's an emergency, it's calling. However, I hope you call me to tell me the good news of how you solved the problem, and not..."Li Hua's tone gradually softened, but his words still revealed his insistence on letting his son grow up independently.
Xiao Li watched helplessly as the taxi drifted away, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. Li Hua's actions completely shattered his sense of security, but this may be exactly what Li Hua hoped for - to promote his growth into a real family pillar in this way.
The sudden change made Xiao Li's heart tremble, and he never understood Li Hua's actions today; But he had to start thinking about how he would have solved the problem by himself without his father's monthly subsidy, how to take on the role of a husband and a soon-to-be father.
The taxi disappeared around the corner, and Xiao Li returned to his empty home with mixed emotions. Xiao Fang watched her husband silently hang up the latch, and asked softly, "Xiao Li, did your father really go on a trip?" What about the mortgage? ”
"Yes, the old man said to leave this time, and we can only find a way to get a mortgage." Xiao Li sat down on the sofa with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
"So what do we do now? You know my salary, barely enough for our daily expenses. Xiao Fang sat next to him, cautiously asking.
Xiao Li let out a long sigh, "I'm thinking, why don't we try to rent out the room?" It just so happens that the guest room has been empty. ”
"But what about privacy?" Xiao Fang's brows were tightly knit, slightly worried.
"There's no way, you can't let the house be collected, right? And now there are not many people engaged in the sharing economy, and we have no choice but to do it. Xiao Li tried to make his voice sound more powerful.
"That's right, but... You also need to be careful about finding reliable tenants. Xiao Fang made her own suggestion.
In the next few days, Xiao Li and Xiao Fang began to clean the guest room, take photos and upload them to the rental platform. They often argued, because Xiao Li didn't seem to care much about the privacy issues at home, which caused Xiao Fang's inner dissatisfaction.
"Look, isn't that more comfortable? Tenants won't stay long anyway. Xiao Li fiddled with the decoration in the room while trying his best to convince Xiao Fang.
"How can you be so sure? What if people live there for a long time? You can't just save something without thinking about my feelings! Xiao Fang's voice revealed obvious unhappiness.
Xiao Li spread his hands helplessly, "Fangfang, we are now dancers on the tip of the knife, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but we have to solve the problem in front of us, right?" ”
"I know, but I can't ignore the safety and privacy of my home." Xiao Fang retorted quietly.
Just when the two were at a stalemate, the mobile phone suddenly rang, and it was the message prompt of the rental platform. A young couple expressed interest in their listing.
Xiao Li quickly opened the message, "Fang, look, someone is going to rent our house!" Looking at the message sent by the smiling young couple, there was a rare joy on his face.
"Let's meet then, but I'll have to talk to them about the rules." Xiaofang's attitude softened, after all, the problem of housing loans was imminent.
The tenant soon came to see the house, and Xiao Li received him nervously and politely, explaining in detail the facilities and rules of the home. Xiao Fang took the child to observe and interject from time to time.
"That's my studio over there, so please don't enter it at will." Xiao Li pointed to a door and explained to the tenant.
"No problem, we'll respect your private space." The young tenant man nodded in agreement, and they seemed understanding.
Xiao Fang looked at the young couple from the side, looking at their refreshing smiles and polite manners, and gradually let down a little guard in her heart.
In this way, under the joint operation of Xiao Li and Xiao Fang, the current mortgage crisis was finally alleviated. But Xiao Li's contradictions and struggles have not diminished, and he often meditates alone in the dead of night, thinking about how to go further on the road to financial independence, how to live up to his father's expectations, and become a man who is truly worthy of his family's dependence.
The travel abroad not only failed to relieve Li Hua, but gave him more time to immerse himself in his worries about his son. He looked out the window at the flowing scenery and had a lot of thoughts. On the day he was about to leave for home, he received an anxious call from Xiaofang.
"Uncle, it's me, Xiaofang. When will you be back? Something's wrong, it's my dad..."On the other end of the phone, Xiao Fang's voice choked.
"What's wrong? Take your time and don't rush. Li Hua's heart suddenly lifted.
"My dad, he... He was in a car accident and is now hospitalized and needs surgery. Xiao Fang's words were filled with helplessness and panic.
"I'll be here tomorrow, don't worry too much about the medical bills." Li Hua comforted Xiaofang in a calmer voice as much as possible, but he was sweating profusely when he hung up the phone.
The next day, Li Hua stepped into the house and saw Xiao Li and Xiao Fang sitting on the sofa with solemn expressions.
"Dad, you're back." Xiao Li got up and stepped forward.
"Well, I heard Xiaofang say about the matter, how is it, how to deal with it now?" Li Hua asked, handing over the luggage he brought.
"Fangfang's father's surgery fee, we can't make up enough for the time being." Xiao Li's tone was low, and his eyes revealed guilt.
"You... Ever considered borrowing? Li Hua blurted out, but he already regretted it before he finished speaking.
"We'd like to, but... Dad, you know where we are now. Xiao Li tried to maintain his calm, but the slight tremor of his hand betrayed the uneasiness in his heart.
Li Hua was silent, and after thinking for a long time, he finally made up his mind, "Okay, Dad will help you." ”
"But, didn't you say before..."Xiao Li didn't finish speaking, but was interrupted by Li Hua.
"Some things are more important than principles. Isn't it natural for family members to help each other in times of difficulty? Li Hua's eyes flashed with determination.
Xiao Li and Xiao Fang glanced at each other, and the gratitude in their eyes did not need to be said.
In the white corridor of the hospital, Xiaofang's father was lying quietly on the hospital bed, and Li Hua and others were busy dealing with various procedures before the operation. Li Hua said to Xiao Li: "Xiao Li, if you encounter this kind of thing in the future, you must not hesitate to lend a hand." ”
"I see, Dad." Xiao Li nodded, his eyes revealing a new firmness and maturity.
Faced with the blow of an accident in their in-laws, Xiao Li and Xiao Fang realized the difficulty and importance of responsibility as the pillars of the family. Li Hua's choice is not only a financial support, but also a profound education for his son. Home, the word has taken on a new definition and weight in everyone's mind.
Xiao Fang's father had a successful operation, and Li Hua and Xiao Li visited the hospital almost every day. In the ward, the atmosphere gradually changed from tense to warm.
"Dad, thank you." At the end of a visit, Xiao Li said to Li Hua affectionately.
"Silly boy, what else do you say in your family?" Li Hua waved his hand, but he couldn't hide a relieved smile on his face.
"Yes, uncle, you are really our great benefactor." Xiao Fang sighed on the side.
Li Hua looked at his in-laws who had recovered well, and the changes in Xiao Li and Xiao Fang, and felt a peace in his heart that he had never felt before, "This is what we should do, it's not a big deal, right?" ”
A few days later, the whole family gathered at Xiao Li's house. Li Hua handed Xiao Fang's father an IOU that had been paid off, "This is the medical expenses of your previous operation, and now I have helped you pay it off." ”
Looking at Li Hua's serious and firm eyes, Xiaofang's father burst into tears, "Li Hua, I can't let you worry about it anymore, if there is anything in the future, it will be my business." ”
"Yes, Dad, don't worry. No matter what happens in the future, I will stand up as soon as possible and take up this family. Xiao Li clenched his fists, his eyes full of determination.
Xiao Fang also nodded in agreement, "That's right, let's work together in the future, for this family." ”
After the dinner, the whole family gathered in the living room and sat face to face, no longer having the tension and anxiety of the past. Looking at each other, the eyes of the family members have unprecedented understanding and trust.
Li Hua's gaze gently swept over every face, and finally fixed on Xiao Li, "Xiao Li, what do you think is the most important thing as a man in a family?" ”
The gentle rhetorical question echoed in the room, and there was no longer an answer, because every eye contact, every silent support, had already told everyone the answer.