This article is a fictional novel, the pictures are all network pictures, and the names of people and places are all apocryphal.
1
My name is Li Qiang and I am 34 years old.
Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of opening my own restaurant, and I felt that it would not only prove my ability, but also provide people with a great dining experience.
I have been married to my wife for 5 years, and with our little padded jacket, Xiaoqiang, I am only 3 years old this year.
originally lived an ordinary life, but the desire for his own restaurant in his heart has always burned like a fire.
After I talked to my parents about my idea of opening a restaurant, they didn't hesitate to lend me 100,000 yuan from the money they had saved.
At that moment, I knew I had to succeed and not live up to their expectations of me.
With this money, I immediately started to prepare the hotel as if I had a treasure.
I rented a nice shop in the city center and was so busy every day that I barely had time to go home.
At first, my wife was quite supportive of me, she thought it was my dream and she should support me.
During the preparation period, just like when we were young, we faced challenges together and were full of hope.
But gradually, as the hotel encountered more and more difficulties in operating the hotel, and the amount of money invested became larger, the family's already poor financial situation became more and more strained.
First, the water and electricity bills skyrocketed, then there were problems with the salaries of the employees, and finally there was even a delay in the delivery of goods by the suppliers, which made us almost unable to operate normally on several occasions.
These circumstances made me, who was originally full of hope, begin to feel depressed and anxious.
To make matters worse, conflicts between my wife and I followed.
Every night when I came home exhausted, my wife would start complaining, saying that I shouldn't have taken such a big risk with my parents' savings, that she had had enough of such days.
The warmth and trust that we had in the face of difficulties together at the beginning seem to have disappeared with them.
To make matters worse, my siblings began to complain when they learned that I had borrowed so much money from my parents.
They said my parents were partial to me because my parents never gave them that much money.
Even though I explained that it was borrowed, that I needed to pay it back to my parents in the future, and that I would do everything I could to make the restaurant profitable, their complaints still made me feel stressed.
2
In the past two years, the restaurant I opened has been like a pool of stagnant water, and there has been little improvement.
I run the restaurant every day, thinking about how to make the business boom, but it seems that no matter how hard I try, it will be in vain.
The daily expenses of the hotel and the salaries of the staff make me nervous every month.
I was so stressed that I was lying in bed every night with all sorts of bills and expenses and poor sleep quality.
My wife, Li Min, gradually turned into endless complaints about my support.
She was dissatisfied with our increasingly stressful life and thought that instead of clinging to the restaurant, I should find a stable job.
The arguments between us became more and more frequent, and she often blamed me for ignoring my family and only looking out for my dreams.
Eventually, she took our child, Xiaoqiang, and decided to leave me and go to live at her mother's house.
The day she left, I was completely confused.
The collapse of my family made me feel lonely and lost like never before.
In the face of the empty house, the sense of loss became even stronger, and I felt that all the efforts I had put in were in vain.
In the face of all this, I thought that my family would give me some support and comfort, but I didn't expect that my brothers and sisters saw my current downfall, and instead of reaching out to help, they began to sneer at me.
They said that I was too selfish, that I only cared about my dreams, that I did not care about the feelings of my family and my parents, and even accused me of recklessly borrowing money from my parents.
I tried to explain to them the current situation of the hotel and the pressure I was facing, hoping that they would understand me, but each exchange ended in an argument and our relationship became more and more stiff.
In the end, they treated me like a stranger, and the betrayal pained me.
Business didn't improve, my family was broken, my family was estranged, and I felt like I was falling into a bottomless pit.
In the evening, after the restaurant closed, I often sat alone in the dimly lit shop, drinking alone, thinking about everything in the past, and my heart was full of regret and helplessness.
I remember the passion and determination I had at the beginning, the happy time with my wife and children, and the trust and support from my parents.
However, now everything seems to be gone, leaving me with nothing but endless emptiness and pain.
I began to doubt myself and regret my choice.
That night, the alcohol blurred my eyes, but I clearly realized in my heart that all this pain and hardship was the result of my own choice.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I have to face this pain and hesitation, even if I am alone.
3
On that heavy night, I sat in a depressed restaurant, my mind full of chaotic thoughts.
I began to think back to every decision and every step I had made from opening the restaurant to the present, and all of a sudden, I woke up from a dream and was deeply aware of my past stubbornness and impulsiveness.
For the sake of my dream, I sacrificed my family and neglected family affection, and in the end, I was full of devastation.
Remorseful and exhausted, I decided to make a change.
I decided to quit and sell the hotel in my hands.
When I found a buyer, I felt both the relief and the pain of giving up.
The hotel eventually changed hands for 150,000 yuan, which was far less than the cost I put in, but I knew that some things could never be returned if they were lost, and I had to look forward.
I used the money from the transfer of the hotel to give my parents an IOU full of 500,000 yuan.
When I handed the IOU to my parents, their eyes were filled with relief and worry, but more with reluctance and love.
They said, "Son, money is not important, what matters is that you recognize your mistakes and know that there is a way to turn back." ”
I couldn't stop crying, knowing I owed them so much.
Early in the morning, with a few belongings and a full stomach, I set out on my way out.
Stepping out of the city means starting a new life.
I didn't have much money left, only 5,000 yuan a month for living expenses, but I told myself that I had to start all over again.
I chose a small town a few cities away to find a job again and start my new life.
I found a job with a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan, and although it was hard, every time I sweated, I would tell myself that this was my chance to regain the trust and respect of my family.
I knew that it would be a long and difficult road to repair my relationship with my family, especially with Li Min and Xiaoqiang.
I still haven't had much communication with Li Min, but every time my child's birthday, I silently send gifts, although I don't know if he can receive them.
In the dead of night, I often think back to the past, and my heart is full of thoughts for my wife and children and hopes for the future.
I know that I still have a long way to go, and that it will take more effort and time to save everything.
I deeply hope that one day, I will no longer be able to look at each other coldly, but be able to hug my loved ones again.
The road will not be smooth, but I am ready to take it one step at a time, no matter how difficult it may be.
I believe that as long as I have enough perseverance and determination, one day, I will be able to get out of this haze and win the understanding and love of my family again.
This story is purely fictional, the names and events in the story are fictional, and the purpose of using place names is only for the purpose of describing the plot and making it easy to read and understand.