In a small town in the north, the gate of Lao Liu's family was crowded with black vehicles, and almost everyone in the town knew that this represented the end of an era - Lao Liu's grandmother was gone.
The grandmother of the old Liu family is a legendary figure, and the people of the whole town respectfully call her "Grandma Liu". Grandma Liu was self-reliant when she was young, leading the entire Liu family to stand up from suffering, so even if she was dying, the whole town was still full of respect for her.
"Uncle, is this wreath appropriate to put here?" A man in his thirties carefully placed the wreath and turned to ask a middle-aged man with a serious expression.
Uncle frowned, he was the eldest grandson of the old Liu family, and now the elder of the family, "Well, let's put it here, remember to remember the list of families who sent wreaths." ”
As the uncle's words fell, the neighbors in the town entered the compound of Lao Liu's family with gifts, or gathered together in twos and threes to talk in a low voice, or sat quietly under the eaves in silence.
"Cousin, what do you mean by that, Dad? How do you still contribute to the family? A girl with a low seniority but a very assertive voice whispered to her cousin next to her.
The cousin looked around and replied in a low voice: "You also know Dad's temper, he has accepted the traditional concepts of the older generation since he was a child, and at this time, it is even more important to pay attention to family etiquette." ”
The night of the town gradually fell, the lights and mourning music broke the silence of the night, and people's faces were written with mourning for Grandma Liu.
"Second uncle, are you ready for tomorrow's ceremony? What do I need to do? The uncle's son, the young and promising Xiao Liu, asked with concern.
Uncle nodded, but his tone was a little heavy: "Everything is arranged, you can accompany your mother, she has not been in a good mood for the past two days." ”
In the courtyard, with the ups and downs of mourning, some people whispered and some sobbed. The back room is brightly lit, and a neighbor is helping to register the details of the gift money and gifts.
"Dad, I'll help you get some tea from the back kitchen." Xiao Liu's cousin, Xiao Fang, gently pulled the uncle's sleeve.
The uncle nodded in thanks, looking at the busy figure of the family, but his heart was mixed. Grandma Liu often said before her death that everything is prosperous at home. Now that she is gone, he is not sure whether the family she left behind can still be as united as before.
The busy family members did not notice the uncle's worries, and they continued the work at hand, hoping to give Grandma Liu the most satisfactory farewell. After the warm and solemn farewell ceremony, the white curtains posted in the living room of the Liu family were gradually put away by the family and replaced with some quiet family atmosphere. The uncle stood in the center of the living room, holding the gift slip he had just received tightly in his hand, and the expression on his face was very serious.
"So many relatives and friends have come to condole, we must remember this love." The uncle's voice was calm, and his eyes swept over every family member present.
"Uncle, what are you going to do with every item on this gift list?" Uncle's brother-in-law, Uncle Zhou, who was helping to tidy up the house, asked.
The uncle raised his head and said in a firm tone: "According to the family rules of our old Liu family, the distribution of this gift money and materials depends on the generation and contribution to the family. The elders must get more. ”
Uncle Zhou frowned, he had never agreed with this distribution method in private, but in front of the uncle, he was inconvenient to say more.
The sunset outside the window was like blood, but the controversy inside the house began to heat up.
"Uncle, is this division fair? Mom has been taking care of grandma at home for so many years, isn't this a contribution? Xiaofang retorted dissatisfiedly that her mother was the younger sister of the uncle, who had not been married all these years and was dedicated to taking care of the aging Grandma Liu.
The uncle looked at Xiao Fang, and his voice softened: "Yes, I know your mother's dedication." But this gift money is not only a reward for the effort, but also a respect for the generation. ”
In the courtyard, Xiao Liu and his cousins gathered together to discuss in a low voice.
"This old rule should have been changed a long time ago, what era is it now, and it is time to pay attention to fairness and reasonableness." One of Xiao Liu's cousins said dissatisfied.
Xiao Liu sighed: "Looking at the uncle's attitude, I'm afraid no one can persuade him." ”
As time passed, the disputes between the family members over the distribution became more and more intense.
"If you have a higher rank, you should have more points? It may have worked before, but now no one is convinced! Xiao Liu's cousin said angrily to the uncle.
"Okay, okay, stop fighting." The uncle's wife came out to play a round, "The uncle also wants to handle the matter most properly, let's calm down first." ”
"Okay? I think it's conservative! We have to adapt to the new era and pay attention to fairness! Xiao Fang stood stubbornly and did not back down.
In the following days, the atmosphere in Liu's family was extremely tense. The condolences and materials sent by relatives and friends became the fuse of the family dispute. Each member has their own opinions and positions, and the older generation's adherence to tradition is difficult for the younger generation to understand.
As night fell, the gathering of the extended family fell silent. Everyone knew in their hearts that if this matter could not be handled well, family harmony might break down.
Looking at the stars outside the window, Xiao Liu remembered what his grandmother taught them before his death, "family and everything is prosperous", and he didn't want the family to have discord because of the gift money. One chilling night, he decided to talk to his uncle. Under the heavy night, the lights in the Liu family's old house were particularly warm, but the uncle's room was filled with a tense atmosphere. Xiao Liu stood in front of the uncle and said firmly: "Uncle, is it really fair and reasonable for you to distribute it like this?" Nowadays, we should emphasize the emotional connection of the family, rather than simply the seniority. ”
The uncle's face was solemn, but he seemed to be a little shaken under Xiao Liu's resolute gaze: "You mean to say that I pay too much attention to the old traditions?" ”
Xiao Liu nodded, trying to find the soft part of the uncle's heart: "Uncle, I know that you respect tradition, and we all admire you. But when my grandmother died, we should think more about how to unite the family, shouldn't we? ”
"But this is a rule passed down from our ancestors..." There was a hint of confusion in the uncle's voice.
"Rules? Rules always have to keep up with the times. What we need now is to adapt to the rules of the new era. Another voice joined the discussion, it turned out to be Xiao Liu's cousin Lingling, who also expressed her support for Xiao Liu's position.
Lingling sat on the sofa and grabbed her uncle's hand tightly: "Look at my cousin, he is already a master's student, and even he thinks that such a distribution is unreasonable, and our younger generation also thinks so." ”
"But tradition..." Uncle has some arguments.
"Tradition is also set by man, uncle. Times have changed, and tradition has to move forward with us. Xiao Liu interjected.
Uncle looked at these young faces, and their resolute or earnest gazes made his heart fluctuate. This is something he has respected all his life, and now he is gently questioned by these juniors, but he always feels that there is a faint truth in the words of these young people.
"Uncle, we who have a good family education really don't want to see the family quarrel over a little material." Xiao Liu continued to persuade.
There was silence in the room for another moment, and the uncle's inner struggle was clearly visible.
Eventually, he sighed, "Okay, let's sit down again and discuss the distribution of this gift." ”
In this way, the uncle finally softened his position and gathered the younger generation of the family, as well as those who disagreed. In the living room, a discussion about tradition and modernity unfolds.
"We're not saying that we want to make the uncle abandon the tradition, we want to make the tradition more reasonable." Lingling's voice was tactful and firm.
"We know the specific situation of each family, so why can't it be distributed according to the actual situation?" Xiao Fang looked at the relatives sitting around her, and everyone was seriously participating in the discussion.
Each of their proposals reflects the changing times of the times, respecting the past contributions of family members and echoing the new ideas of the younger generation. In the frank discussion, the uncle's attitude gradually softened, and the bridge between tradition and modernity was built little by little.
That night, the old house was lit up late, no longer for the sake of memorials, but for the future—the future of a more reasonable and loving family. After a night of in-depth discussions, a new day arrived in the Liu family's old house with reconciliation and new hope. Outside the window, the morning sun was warm and warm, and the uncle sat in the main seat of the living room, looking calm, and it was clear that after thinking last night, he had made an important decision.
"I thought about what each of you said for a long time last night." The uncle's voice was softer than usual, and his eyes swept gently across the room, "I have decided to redistribute this gift money fairly according to the actual situation of each family. ”
The air in the room froze for a moment because of the uncle's words, and then gradually burst into gentle applause. The faces of the family members were filled with smiles of relief and gratitude.
"Uncle, we are all grateful for your decision." Xiao Liu broke the silence first, he walked to the uncle, and said sincerely.
"Yes, uncle, this is the real family unity." Xiao Fang smiled and agreed.
Uncle nodded, and instead said: "This is a decision made by our big family together, my thoughts may be a little stubborn, thank you for your honesty and persuasion." ”
Lingling walked over and patted Uncle on the shoulder: "Uncle, the current decision not only reflects the respect of tradition, but also conforms to the trend of the times, which is the best combination." ”
Everyone took their seats and began to discuss how to deal with the distribution of the gift money. The aroma of coffee wafts through the room, and the sound of discussion is warm and vibrant.
With the joint efforts of the family, the gift money was quickly distributed fairly in the new way. Everyone agreed and satisfied with this decision, and the uncle's choice made every family get reasonable comfort and consideration.
In the afternoon, everyone had a warm family feast together, and the sound of laughter and conversation was intertwined, symbolizing the deepening of the emotional connection between the people.
After the meal, the uncle stood in the yard with far-reaching eyes, watching the generations of descendants of the family frolicking in the yard, and he asked himself: "Is this decision I made really so that this family, as Grandma Liu expected, can continue in harmony?" ”