Lao Li was lying on a rattan chair in the courtyard, looking at the thick pile of bank statements in his hand repeatedly, and the 1.1 million deposit was lying quietly in the account, which was the crystallization of his life's hard work. His wife died of illness at an early age, leaving him and his three children, and now the children are all married, but Lao Li feels indifferent and distanced.
Lao Li remembered the warmth of the three children sitting on his lap and telling stories when he was a child, and his eyes couldn't help but show a trace of worry. The boss Li Gang is busy with his own business and is running around all year round; The second Li Ming is a middle-level manager of a company, and he will never fall behind in the comparison of the workplace; The third child, Li Xiao, is an ordinary clerk, although his life is ordinary, he attaches great importance to his family.
"Dad, how are you doing?" Li Xiao would come over to visit Lao Li from time to time and bring some home-cooked food.
"Hey, Xiaoxiao, Dad is a lot older, how good can it be." Lao Li sighed deliberately.
"Don't say that, Dad, I think you're very tough." Li Xiao said with concern.
"Tough? What can be done by being tough, now I don't even have the money to retire with peace of mind. Lao Li said this, but in his heart he was making his own little calculations.
"Dad, don't worry, although our family is not rich, the children will not let you suffer." Li Xiao comforted.
Lao Li showed a smile at this time: "Yes, you are all fine, I will be at ease with the old man." ”
The scenes in front of him are all reminding him that he should do something. Lao Li wants to test the children to see if their attitude towards themselves is still as innocent as before. For the rest of his life, he didn't want to spend it in suspicion and disappointment.
After dinner, Lao Li called the boss Li Gang: "Just now, how is the business recently?" ”
"Business, Dad, you have to keep an eye on it all the time. Recently, the market has been bad, and it is not easy to make money. Li Gang naturally complained.
"Well, times have changed, and it's not as good as you were then." Lao Li nodded in agreement.
"That's right, Dad, your old man has to pay attention to his body lately." After speaking, Li Gang was busy answering other calls.
Immediately afterwards, Lao Li called the second Li Ming again: "Ming'er, you have to take care of yourself in the company." ”
"Dad, don't worry, I'm middle-level now, and I'm very stable." Li Ming's tone showed his pride.
"That's good, I'm just afraid you'll work too hard." Lao Li implicitly expressed concern.
On the other end of the phone, Li Ming answered a few words casually, and then hung up the phone in a hurry.
The phone call, which looks familiar, is actually so strange. Lao Li looked at the sunset in the courtyard and decided to start his own little drama. A week later, Lao Li deliberately spread the news that he was seriously ill. When the three children heard about it, they immediately rushed to the hospital to visit. As soon as the boss Li Gang entered the ward, his face was full of worry: "Dad, what's wrong with you?" Why did you suddenly get sick like this? ”
Lao Li was lying on the hospital bed, looking extremely weak: "Hey, just now, the doctor said that I was sick and spent a lot of money, and you are all busy, and I don't want to drag you down." ”
Li Gang hurriedly comforted: "Dad, don't say this, you have to treat it no matter how much you spend!" ”
The second Li Ming also answered at this time: "Yes, Dad, although our family is not rich, we can still afford the money for treatment." ”
The third Li Xiao held Lao Li's hand tightly: "Dad, don't worry, I will try my best to take care of you." ”
Lao Li knew that what the children said was only superficial, and he needed to verify it further. He coughed a few times and said weakly: "I'm afraid the little pension I saved is not enough." ”
As soon as these words came out, Li Gang and Li Ming looked at each other, and the abacus in their hearts began to turn sharply. Li Xiao responded sincerely: "It's okay Dad, just keep your money, and our brothers will find a way." ”
A few days later, Lao Li's condition "worsened", and the rising hospital costs became a top priority. Li Gang and Li Ming began to discuss in private: "Now that Dad is sick like this, I don't know what to do with his deposits." ”
Li Ming's eyes flickered, "We have to find out how much savings he has first, and we have to have a plan." ”
When Li Xiao called to greet them, the two quickly put away their whispers.
"Dad, how are you feeling now?" Li Xiao's voice came through the phone.
"It's not good, Xiaoxiao, the medical expenses are getting more and more expensive, are you going to stop the medicine?" Lao Li choked up deliberately.
"What kind of medicine! My brother and I are here, don't worry. Li Xiao's anxious voice was full of sincerity.
At noon one day, Lao Li saw Li Gang and Li Ming secretly looking through their passbooks and bank bills. Li Gang whispered: "I heard that the Linyuan ward is free and the conditions are good, but the cost is a lot. ”
Li Ming responded: "What, the conditions are good, the cost is naturally high, but as long as we can get a share of Dad's money......"
Li Xiao came in to deliver food, and the two immediately stopped the topic. Li Xiao looked at the two elder brothers suspiciously, but didn't ask more.
In the evening, Li Gang and Li Ming proposed to change Lao Li's passbook in order to better manage expenses, but Lao Li still pretended to be seriously ill and said in a weak tone: "This matter, wait until I get better......
Li Ming was anxious and persuaded: "Dad, if you don't handle it now, if you ...... it in the future"
Lao Li flatly refused: "I know my own affairs, so don't worry about it." ”
Li Gang didn't say much when he saw this, but his eyes showed dissatisfaction.
A few days passed, Lao Li's "condition" became more and more serious, making the three children more and more anxious. And Lao Li is reading their hearts more and more. This scene is getting deeper and deeper, and Lao Li knows that there will be a break after all. Time flies, and a year passes quietly. Lao Li's "condition" miraculously stabilized, and the three children also returned to their own lives. One leisure afternoon, Lao Li went to the bank to deal with some trivial matters, and inadvertently asked the teller to check his deposits, and when he saw that the account balance was a large amount less than he remembered, his heart sank.
"What's going on? I haven't touched this money! Lao Li said anxiously to the bank teller.
The teller patiently helped him check the transaction records: "There is a transfer record here, which shows that it was operated by your son Li Gang half a year ago." ”
Lao Li's face turned pale, and he felt that something was spinning. He hurriedly called the boss Li Gang: "Brother Gang, have you ever touched the money in my bank?" ”
On the other end of the phone, Li Gang looked a little nervous: "Dad, that, I... I pitched for a project, and I happened to be short of money, so I used it first. ”
"Invest in projects? Why don't you talk to me! Lao Li's voice was mixed with disappointment and anger.
"Dad... The project is very good, I thought..."Li Gang was interrupted by Lao Li before he finished speaking.
"You think you'll be able to use my hard-earned pension?!" Lao Li's mood is extremely complicated.
Li Gang was silent for a moment before he whispered: "Dad, I was wrong, the project failed, this money..."
Lao Li didn't wait for him to finish, hung up the phone, and he decided to hold a family meeting.
That night, Lao Li's house was brightly lit, and all three children arrived.
"Dad, there's something wrong with me about this, I'll find a way to pay it back to you." Li Gang was the first to break the silence and said embarrassedly.
"Brother, how can you do this?" Li Xiao's eyes were full of incredulity.
Li Ming also persuaded: "Gang, this matter really shouldn't be, but what matters now is how to solve it." ”
Lao Li sighed, looking a little tired: "I didn't expect that the money I saved would make you like this." ”
"Dad, I know it's wrong, and I'll take the consequences." Li Gang bowed his head and said nothing.
"The consequences? How do you bear it? This money is Dad's life's work! Li Xiao was emotional.
"We can discuss a solution, it's better to—" Li Ming tried to ease the atmosphere.
"Discuss? Is it still useful to say this now? Lao Li couldn't help but raise his voice, "It's not a matter of money, it's your heart!" ”
The air in the room froze, the three children bowed their heads, and no one spoke. The conflict between family affection and money is like a demon mirror, reflecting the greed and selfishness in everyone's heart.
In the end, Lao Li said slowly: "In this family, apart from money, we don't even have the most basic trust." ”
His words hit the hearts of children like a hammer. The night is long, and the family under the lights no longer has the warmth and harmony of the past, but is replaced by a bleak and silent. After the silence, Lao Li stood up and slowly walked to the window, looking at the starry sky outside the window, as if looking for an answer. Turning around, he looked at the three children calmly: "I have decided, I will donate the rest of the money to charity." ”
"Dad, are you serious?" Li Gang is incredible.
Lao Li nodded: "This money has made me see a lot of things clearly, and donating it to those in need can at least make it work better." ”
Li Ming tried to persuade: "Dad, the money is donated, you old man ......"
Lao Li smiled slightly: "I can still live my own life, you don't have to worry about it." ”
Li Xiao looked at his father, and admiration flashed in his eyes: "Dad, I support you." It makes a lot of sense. ”
Li Gang and Li Ming exchanged a look, and finally Li Gang sighed: "Dad, it's good that you think about it, we respect your decision." ”
In the days that followed, Lao Li donated the money to the welfare home to help the orphans and the elderly. His act of kindness was reported in the local tabloids, and people in the community praised his generosity. And this incident also gave the three children a deep reflection.
Time flies, and the children gradually realize their father's painstaking efforts. They began to take the initiative to go home to help, and the family atmosphere gradually eased. On his birthday, the three children came back and sat around Lao Li, they talked and laughed, and the long-lost family affection warmed everyone's hearts.
"Dad, I'm sorry, we used to be so ......" Li Ming choked up a little.
Lao Li waved his hand: "Let the past pass, we still have to look forward." ”
"Thank you, Dad, you've taught us so much." Li Xiao's eyes were full of gratitude.
"Yes, Dad, no matter how much money you have, if you don't have your family by your side, it's meaningless." Li Gang said with deep feelings.
Lao Li smiled, looked at the three children, and said gently: "Money is something outside the body, and family affection is the most valuable wealth in life." What do you think? ”