Twenty years ago, in the spring, the Li family's old house was surprisingly quiet, except for the occasional wind passing through the old sycamore and the cries of vendors in the distance. On such a leisurely afternoon, Li Ming was flipping through the newspaper in his study, when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door, he raised his head and saw his nephew Li Qiang hurriedly walking in.
"Uncle, I have something urgent to tell you." Li Qiang's face was full of anxiety.
"What's wrong, Qiangqiang? What's the thing that makes you so anxious? Li Ming put down the newspaper and asked with concern.
Li Qiang swallowed his saliva and said hesitantly: "Uncle, I plan to start a company in partnership with a few friends, but now the funds are still a little short, I... I'd like to ask if you can lend me some first. ”
Li Ming didn't answer directly, slowly got up and walked to the window, and looked at the peach blossoms that were blooming outside the window. "You know starting a company is a big deal, and it's a lot risky. Have you thought it through? ”
"I've been thinking about it for a long time, uncle. I know the risks, but I believe I can do it well. Li Qiang's voice revealed a hint of firmness.
Li Ming turned around and looked at his nephew with a soft gaze. "I believe in you." After that, he wrote a check, "You can use this money first, but remember, whether it is successful or not, it will not affect our relationship." ”
Li Qiang was so grateful that he was almost speechless, and tears flashed in his eyes, "Uncle, thank you!" I won't let you down. ”
However, the days are like a kite with a broken string, drifting farther and farther away with the wind. Soon after the company started, Li Qiang seemed to evaporate from the world and almost never came to Li's house again. On the phone, I always hung up in a hurry after a few words of warmth. Even at the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, he would find an excuse to leave early.
Xiao Li Hao saw it in his eyes and had doubts in his heart. He asked his father, "Dad, why doesn't my cousin come to our house now?" ”
Li Ming smiled and touched Xiao Li Hao's head, "Maybe he's too busy." ”
Year after year, whenever the Li family has a weekend party, the children of other relatives will come, but Li Qiang seems to have evaporated from the world. Time passed silently, and Li Hao was no longer the child who didn't understand the world. As his knowledge of the world gradually increased, Li Hao realized that there seemed to be an invisible crack in this family, which was gradually expanding.
Li Hao didn't understand why a family would become so rich because of money. And Li Ming's answer to this question is always vague, sometimes just a sigh, sometimes a faint smile. Li Hao felt suspicious, but he couldn't ask.
Until one day, the dusty Li Qiang suddenly appeared at the door of his house, with a bit of vicissitudes and uneasiness of the years. "Dad, my cousin is here!" Li Hao ran into the house and told Li Ming excitedly.
Li Ming put down the teacup in his hand, his face was complicated, but he was still as gentle as ever: "Let him in." ”
On that sunny afternoon in the old house, on the sofa, two men talked freely, and determination and regret met in the air. Xiao Li Hao sat aside, looking at his father and cousin, his heart full of questions and curiosity.
As time passed, the Li family's party was missing a single person. Cousin Li Qiang seems to have evaporated from the world, and the occasional exchange of information is only a few innocuous greetings. The scattered greetings and sparse exchanges made Li Hao feel that there was a thick wall of ice between the two. Li Hao can often see his father Li Ming looking from afar in front of the window, as if he is looking forward to something. Li Hao was confused, and the atmosphere of the whole family became no longer as warm and lively as before.
One day as the sun set, Li Hao sat at the stone table in the courtyard, thinking about whether he should talk to his cousin Li Qiang and figure out why he was so alienated from his family. Li Hao remembered the happy times when Li Qiang used to tease him in the past, which was in stark contrast to the indifferent treatment now.
Li Hao's mother noticed his sullen appearance, so she came over and asked, "Haohao, what's wrong with you, is there something on your mind?" ”
Li Hao looked at his mother, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Mom, I'm wondering why my cousin always avoids us. ”
The mother sighed and said, "Maybe everyone has their own difficulties, let's just try to understand him." ”
Just as Li Hao was about to talk to his cousin, a sudden change disrupted his plans. One night, Li Ming was suddenly hospitalized due to illness, and the doctor said that the situation was not optimistic and needed immediate treatment. This sudden bad news hit Li Hao's heart like a heavy hammer.
In the ward, Li Hao held his father's hand, and his heart was full of anxiety and panic. It was the first time he had felt the coldness of life and death so closely. Li Ming opened his chapped lips and comforted him in a weak voice: "Haohao, no matter what happens, be strong, remember that your family will always be your strongest backing." ”
Li Hao's eyes were red, he held his father's hand tightly, and his voice was choked: "Dad, you must get better, we still have a lot to say and a lot of things to do." ”
Dad Li Ming gave him a comforting smile, but Li Hao saw a hint of helplessness in his father's eyes. He suddenly realized that there were some things that he really couldn't wait for any longer, and some words, if he didn't say them, he might never have a chance.
At the bedside, the sky gradually darkened, and Li Hao decided that no matter what, he would find his cousin Li Qiang, figure out the reason for all this, and return to that warm family. It's just that even Li Hao himself is not sure whether he can draw a successful end to all these disturbing stories as he wishes.
In the corridors of the hospital, a busy and tense atmosphere enveloped every family member who came to visit. Among them, the Li family became even more heavy and abnormal because of the news that Li Ming was seriously ill. Li Hao felt lonely like never before, he stayed in front of his father's hospital bed, his eyes full of reluctance and worry.
Father Li Ming's breathing became weaker and weaker, and the doctor's words were like a knife hanging in his heart, which could fall at any time. At this critical juncture, Li Hao knew in his heart that what he wanted most now was not the money owed by his cousin, but a complete home.
Just when Li Hao thought that the family relationship would completely collapse at this moment, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the corridor. The man walked in a hurry, as if he were coming from the end of a long tunnel. Li Qiang, his cousin, suddenly appeared here after many years.
The door of the hospital automatically slid open, and Li Qiang walked into the ward. His gaze quickly searched the room, and finally landed on Li Ming's body. For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
"Uncle, I'm late." Li Qiang's voice was choked and guilty.
Li Hao looked at his cousin, and the emotions in his heart turned upside down. He almost forgot Li Qiang's voice.
Li Ming opened his somewhat blurry eyes, saw Li Qiang, smiled slightly, and seemed to say, it's okay, it's okay if you come.
"Cousin, why?" Li Hao asked as calmly as he could, but the weight in his words was self-evident.
Li Qiang lowered his head, his voice was almost hoarse: "I know that I have done a lot of wrong things. Over the years, I've been running away, but I haven't forgotten that I owe my uncle more than just that money......"
Li Hao's heart swelled with indescribable sadness and relief. He finally understood that the reason why his cousin had stayed away from the family all these years was not only because of money, but also because of the heavy guilt and self-blame that he couldn't face.
"After so many years, in fact, what we care about most is never money." Li Hao walked up to Li Qiang and said softly.
At this moment, Li Qiang finally picked up the courage and decided to face the past. Outside the window, the sky was getting brighter, and a soft beam of sunlight shone through the window, sprinkling on Li Ming's tired but relieved face. The entire ward fell silent, as if even time had frozen. Three people, three different lives, at this time in this ward, the hearts have a moment of intersection.
Li Ming's hospital room was quiet. Through the dappled light and shadow of the window, Li Hao looked at his father's face, and the father who was always optimistic and open-minded in his memory seemed so tired at the moment. Cousin Li Qiang sat on the edge of the bed, holding Li Ming's hand tightly, and the tears in his eyes slipped silently.
"Uncle, I did a lot of wrong things, and I regret it." Li Qiang's voice choked, "I... I originally just wanted you to see that I could make it alone, but I... Failed. ”
Li Ming shook his head gently, "Strong, it doesn't matter whether we succeed or not, the important thing is that we are still a family." ”
In the days that followed, time seemed to pass very slowly. Li Ming's body is getting worse day by day, but his spirit is unusually good. He used his limited strength to talk to Li Qiang about the past, and the two seemed to make up for all the missed years. Li Hao listened silently on the side, and the conversation between his father and cousin was like a healing melody, which slowly calmed the pain in his heart.
Late one night, when the corridor of the hospital was empty, Li Hao came to his father's hospital room again. The moonlight sprinkled on Dad's face added a bit of sacredness.
"Haohao, life is short, and family affection is hard to find...... Don't let material things bind your hearts. Li Ming's voice was weak but firm.
Li Hao held his father's hand, tears blurred his vision, "Dad, I understand." ”
In his final days, Li Ming left this world quietly, with a satisfied and serene smile on his face. He knew that his beloved son had learned the most precious lesson of life.
Li Hao and Li Qiang stood in front of the window of the hospital, looking at the gradually brighter sky outside the window. In their grief, they felt a new bond - it was the most precious legacy left to them by their father. Since then, Li Hao has learned to forgive, learned to cherish, and he knows that many memories of those eventful years cannot be measured by money.
Family affection is like a bright light, burning forever in the hearts of Li Hao and Li Qiang. They reconnect with the long-lost emotional bond, and understand that in this rapidly changing world, those unchanging emotions are the ones that need to be cherished and grasped the most.