Before the first rays of sunlight on an early summer morning could light up the entire city, Li Fang was already busy in the kitchen, preparing a delicious breakfast for her family. Such days are commonplace for her, because she has to take care of their only precious grandson, Zhang Peng, with her father-in-law Wang Qiang. Zhang Peng has just turned one year old this year and is at an important stage in his life, whether it is food or play, he needs to be taken care of by adults.
"Uncle, Zhang Peng made a lot of trouble last night, is there a problem with the supplementary food he ate?" Li Fang asked Wang Qiang, who was walking down from the upper floor, while he was busy.
"Well, I'm going to take a look at the brand of milk powder I bought yesterday. Nowadays, children are more expensive. Wang Qiang sat on the sofa and replied while looking through the family group chat history on his mobile phone.
At this moment, the phone rang suddenly, which was particularly harsh in this quiet environment. It turned out that his son Zhang Peng called, "Mom, how are you doing lately?" Xiaowen said that the family's expenses are a bit large. ”
Li Fang thought for a moment, then replied, "Oh...... The child is very good, but the cost of raising a child is really more than expected. ”
After hanging up the phone, Li Fang's mood was a little heavy, and after a while, she said to Wang Qiang: "Shouldn't we talk about food expenses?" ”
"Aren't you usually responsible for your family's expenses?" Wang Qiang replied nonchalantly.
Coincidentally, when Li Fang was reporting family expenses in the family group, she accidentally clicked on an unfamiliar document - it turned out to be a screenshot of a bank deposit slip, and the amount of "deposit" displayed on it was as high as "30,000" yuan.
Seeing this number, Li Fang's heart was suddenly shocked, "Hey...... Am I dazzled? Yesterday, I just took out 10,000 yuan to sign up for various courses for my child. ”
All morning, Li Fang was immersed in doubts and uneasiness. At noon, sunlight pours into the room through the cracks in the window – a secret hidden in the afternoon sun like a seed, silently taking root and sprouting, making people feel extremely nervous and curious.
After lunch, Auntie takes over the housework, and you ask, "Auntie, did you put that piece of vegan soap imported from Japan on the edge of the table?" By the way, remember to do the cleaning of toys periodically. ”
The aunt smiled and nodded and replied, "Madam, don't worry, I have taken care of it properly." ”
Immediately afterwards, the bill slowly invaded the daily expenses of each family like a tick-tock needle injection - piano lesson fees, English initiation class fees, baby playground membership fees, etc., and these trivial expenses gradually formed a heavy burden called life, which was deeply imprinted on the couple's schedule.
Life's surprises are always endless. You dialed Zhao Wen's phone and said as calmly as possible: "Xiaowen, please tell Zhang Peng not to be too stressed." Problems such as daily expenses at home are indeed unavoidable......"
Although he said so, he had mixed feelings in his heart.
When the sunset gradually set, Li Fang was left alone in the living room quietly drinking tea and thinking, and the birds on the branches sang happily, as if waiting for the night to come.
As time passed, Li Fang felt more and more the gap in understanding brought about by the change in family structure. In terms of diet, she prefers the traditional steaming and stir-frying method, hoping that children can eat healthy and simple; However, her mother-in-law, Wang Qiang, often proposes to eat out, and she feels that trying various delicacies is also an integral part of her child's growth.
"Daughter-in-law, I understand that you are concerned about your child's nutritional intake, but it's good for us to go out occasionally for a change of taste." After dinner one night, Wang Qiang said.
However, the silent increase in spending actually adds an invisible pressure to our otherwise comfortable lives. Whenever the bill at the end of the month suddenly appeared in front of her, Li Fang couldn't help but sigh: "Son... Can we find ways to save money in other ways? ”
Zhang Peng always replied with his usual calm attitude: "Mom, don't worry... We'll take care of that. ”
At the same time, differences in the concept of education are beginning to emerge. Zhao Wen attaches great importance to the effect of children's early learning of foreign languages, and firmly advocates the purchase of higher-priced online education resources: "Dear, you look at the introduction of this courseware, it is really attractive!" I want to help Dudu lay a good foundation for the language as soon as possible. ”
Although Zhang Peng felt embarrassed, he also understood that there was no point in arguing, so he had to compromise and say: "Okay, Xiaowen... Then do what you think. ”
As the family's various expenses increase, discussions and quarrels are more frequent than ever. At a family finance meeting, the great aunt raised her concerns: "I carefully calculated and posted ... We seem to have overspent a lot this month. ”
Behind this statement lies a question about whether you should save money or increase your savings. However, no one expected that such a seemingly simple problem would gradually bury potential contradictions.
This accumulation of family chores has also unconsciously changed everyone's way of thinking and behavior - sometimes it feels like a cold wind in winter, and sometimes it feels like the sunshine in spring warms people's hearts.
In the dark of the night, the raindrops beat against the windows, as if the compact drumbeat heralded an imminent outburst of emotion. Li Fang's damp mood contracted even more tightly due to the high cost of education and training courses. Pushing open the door, the yellowish lights and dense furniture atmosphere in front of you form a picture of life that is both familiar and unfamiliar.
"Mom, you're back!" Zhao Wen's voice came from the living room.
Li Fang nodded stiffly, "Yes... Xiaowen, is there anything wrong with this late hour? ”
"There is something I want to discuss with you and Zhang Peng about financial management." Zhao Wen said as she gestured to Zhang Peng, who was sitting on the sofa holding his head and thinking.
As soon as the title of "uncle" was settled, Li Fang was deeply puzzled: didn't it mean that Wang Qiang was usually called his father-in-law? Her brow furrowed slightly, and she sensed that something unusual was brewing.
Wang Qiang, who was silently sorting out the bills, couldn't help but look at the two of them when he heard this sudden change, "Here's the thing... In terms of capital planning for next year...", he was interrupted by Zhao Wen before he could finish his words.
"Wait, uncle! Why don't you help us with all the money we need to invest all our savings in our children's future education? On the contrary, I have saved so much but I am not willing to take it out to help? Zhao Wen asked with obvious indignation.
The scene suddenly became tense, and there seemed to be a hint of gunpowder in the air. The once mild family relationship has been plagued by money problems. No one could have imagined that the problem of cost allocation would intensify on a stormy night.
Zhang Peng looked a little flustered: "Xiaowen, this is our joint decision, not against anyone..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Fang stopped them with a reproachful look: "How can you do this? Shouldn't everyone discuss and solve the big things at home? ”
Wang Qiang took a deep breath: "We really haven't communicated well on this issue, and I should take on many things." ”
The night sky is not black, but in the windy and rainy environment, reflecting a series of shocking images and sensitive and heavy words.
After this stormy night, the whole family seems extraordinarily quiet, as if it is a short break after a storm, but it also contains deep thoughts on the future. After a heated discussion, Li Fang took her son's hand and sat on the sofa and was silent for a long time.
"Son, do you think our family can go on?" There was a hint of worry and unease in her tone.
Zhang Peng watched the subtle changes in his mother's facial expression, and replied in a low voice: "Mom, there is no difficulty in this world that cannot be overcome. The most important thing in a family is to understand and support each other. ”
Zhao Wen snuggled up to her husband tightly, her face showing guilt: "Mother-in-law... I was a little too excited last night. ”
The living room fell silent again. Li Fang slowly opened her mouth, "We all want our children to live well and our families to be happy, maybe there is something wrong with my way..."
Wang Qiang gently tapped on the armrest of the chair and broke the silence: "Indeed, as Xiaowen said, in terms of educating children and managing money, we should have more meetings and consultations. After all, it's not just a matter of saving for a family, it's about our shared future. ”
Zhao Wen nodded in agreement and put forward her own suggestion: "Education investment cannot rely on the strength of one party alone. We need to plan our daily expenses wisely, both in pursuit of quality of life and in terms of economy. ”
After Zhang Peng took a deep breath of air, he said firmly: "I'm going to sit down with Xiaowen and re-examine the financial planning of the two of us." ”
In this increasingly harmonious environment, everyone agrees that the family's financial situation can only be stable if the family takes responsibility together through enhanced dialogue and understanding. At the same time, we advocate giving children more freedom when it comes to their future education and adjusting expectations for them according to their specific circumstances.
Sunlight streams through the windows and onto the freshly put together ledgers – the numbers are not just cold records of consumption, but the result of deep conversations and empathy as a family.