That winter, the snowflakes floated down as if they didn't want money, and they felt like God wouldn't give us a breather. My house was as cold as an ice cellar, but my heart was even colder. My brother, who usually likes to brag, screams like something, and suddenly one day, he sat opposite me, his head was as low as a quail egg, and his voice was shaking like sifting chaff, and said to me, "Sister, you have to do my brother a favor." I looked at him and chuckled in my heart, feeling that this was not easy.
My brother usually likes to play small cards, and he doesn't win or lose, and his family turns a blind eye. But this time, the panic in his eyes knew at a glance that it was a big deal. "What's wrong, brother?" I tried to make my tone sound light, but in my heart it felt like a big stone had been crushed.
My brother raised his head, his eyes were as red as rabbits, and his lips trembled as if he had eaten chili noodles, and said, "I...... I owe a gambling debt, and it's not small, those people ...... Those people said that if they didn't pay it back, they would ...... ......He couldn't speak, and his hands were clutching the corners of his clothes, like a child who had done something wrong. As soon as I heard this, my heart sank to the bottom. Gambling debts, that's a bottomless pit, and I can't pay it off.
But no matter what, that's my brother, can I watch him cornered? "How much?" I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. My brother said the number in a hurry, and when I heard it, I almost fainted. That's an astronomical amount to me. Where do I get all that money? Even if there is, it is the money that my husband and I have worked hard to save to buy a wedding house.
"Sister, you can help my brother this time, I promise, I will never touch that thing again." When my brother saw that I was silent, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, begging me with a handful of snot and tears. I looked at his familiar and unfamiliar face, and my heart was mixed. I knew my brother was a good gambler since I was a child, but I didn't expect to gamble to such an extent. But what can I do? With family affection on the one hand and the future on the other, how should I choose?
In those days, I felt like I had lost my soul, I couldn't eat or sleep. When my husband saw me like this, he was also anxious and asked me what was wrong. I hesitated for a long time, but I told him about it. As soon as he heard this, his face pulled down, and he was silent for a long time, and finally sighed and said, "You can make up your own mind about this matter." But you have to figure it out, if this money is given to your brother, our little nest will be in vain. I understood that he was trying to persuade me, but my heart was like a mess, and I didn't listen to it at all. I thought about it over and over again, and the more I thought about it, the more aggrieved I felt. Why is my brother so uncompetitive? In order to gamble, he didn't even care about his sister's future. Finally, one day, I mustered up the courage to ask my brother out. I want to talk to him and see if I can find a compromise. But as soon as I mentioned this, my brother became anxious, his eyes widened, and he said, "Sister, how can you be so ruthless?" I'm your brother! If you don't help me, I'm going to have no way to live! As soon as I heard this, the fire in my heart came up. Am I ruthless? For this reason, I can't eat, I can't sleep well, I'm about to drive myself crazy, am I still ruthless? I pointed at his nose and scolded: "You still have the face to say that I am my own sister?" In order to gamble, you don't even care about your sister-in-law, do you still have the face to say? My brother was scolded by me and couldn't speak, and finally left a sentence: "If you don't help me, I'll die to show you!" And he walked away without looking back. I stood there, looking at his back, with mixed feelings. This is my brother, the brother who grew up together. He didn't even want his life for the sake of gambling, what else can I say? That night, I had a long conversation with my husband. I told him everything about my brother, including his threats. My husband listened and was silent for a long time, and finally sighed and said, "You can make your own decisions about this matter." But you have to think about it, if this money is given to your brother, the future of our two will be in suspense. "I knew he was trying to persuade me, but I already had a plan in mind. I can't watch my brother go to a dead end, even if it means I have to give up my nest, even if it means I have to fall out with my husband. But I never imagined that it would turn out like this. My brother actually found my husband's unit and threatened my husband in front of so many people, saying, "If you don't let your wife take out the money, I will let you both have a good life!" "My husband is an honest man, where have you ever seen this meeting? When he came back, he said to me with a pale face, "Let's get a divorce." "Oh mom, when I heard this, I was stunned. I didn't think that my brother's stubborn temper could force me and my husband to this job. Looking at his face, it looks like it's familiar with something, and it's so strange like something, the taste in my heart is really mixed. That's it, my brother and I have completely turned faces. I told him that I would not give him a penny, and that if he died by himself, then he would die by himself, and I would not shed any tears. Since then, I have cut off contact with my brother. I know he hates me, and I hate him, but what's the use? I wish he had woken up sooner and not put his whole life into it for the sake of gambling.
Since then, our family's life has been like a big tear, and the cold wind is blowing in. The family is not well-off, and my brother's mess has made our family even worse. The neighbors all knew that my brother had a lot of gambling debts, and they pointed fingers behind his back and talked about it. My mother cries like tears all day long, muttering that my brother and I are her sweethearts, why is it so worry-free. My relationship with my husband is also getting more and more strained. He didn't say anything, but I could feel his distantness. It's not good for anyone to put this on them. Sometimes when we lie in bed at night, we are both silent, and it feels like we are separated by a wall.
As the days passed, things got worse and worse on my brother's side. During the three days of debt collection, there was a lot of noise at both ends, and the chickens and dogs jumped at home. My mother was so angry that she fell ill and lay in bed unable to move. As for my brother, he hides in Tibet all day long, and he can't even see a shadow. I looked at the mess at home, and my heart felt like a knife. I know that this matter can't just be dragged on, I have to find a way to solve it. But I'm a woman, what tricks can I have?
Just when I was anxious, my husband suddenly said to me: "I have a friend who is a lawyer, why don't we ask him for help and see if we can solve your brother's matter." When I heard this, I immediately felt hopeful. I hurriedly nodded in agreement, and I was so grateful in my heart. Within a few days, my husband invited the lawyer to his home. After learning more about my brother's situation, the lawyer sighed and said, "This matter is a bit tricky, but it's not completely out of the question. "We have to find your brother first, talk to him well, and let him sign the repayment agreement. Then, I thought about how to communicate with those buddies who asked for debts to see if I could give us a chance to breathe. Hearing this, the stone in my heart fell to the ground. I quickly told my mother the news, and she was so happy that she said that this time I finally saw the light. In the following days, my family and I will look for your brother everywhere. We went to the place where he used to hang out and asked his buddies, but they all said they didn't see him. Just when we were about to run out of tricks, our family suddenly answered a phone call, saying that he had seen your brother in a corner Internet café. The two of us hurried over, and sure enough, we found him in the corner. He was as thin as a ghost, and his eyes were hollow, as if he had lost his soul. I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder, and he looked up at me and lowered his head again. "Brother, let's go home." I try to make my voice sound as steady as possible. My brother looked up at me with a hint of mixed emotions flashing in his eyes. He nodded, stood up silently, and followed the two of us out of the Internet café.
When I got home, when my mother saw your brother, she was so excited that she cried. She took your brother's hand and chanted vigorously, "It's good to come back, it's good to come back." "The lawyer also rushed to our house and told your brother in detail about the repayment agreement. After hearing this, your brother was silent for a long time, and finally nodded and said, "I am willing to sign." After signing the agreement, the lawyer began to communicate with the buddies who collected the debt. After a lot of effort, those buddies finally agreed to give us a grace period and let us pay it back slowly. Although the matter has not been completely resolved, at least the family has calmed down for the time being. Our mother's illness is slowly improving, and your brother has also started to look for a job to make up for his mistakes. My relationship with our family has also slowly warmed up. We both understand that although this incident has brought us a lot of pain and trouble, it has also made us cherish each other more. We decided to work together to rebuild our home. As the days passed, the situation at home got better and better. My brother can be regarded as finding a stable errand this time, and began to pay off the debts he owes step by step. My mother's body is getting stronger and stronger, and she is so happy that she can't close her mouth every day. I and I have also regained that sweetness and happiness. When I think of those difficult days, my heart warms. I understand that as long as our family thinks in one place and works hard in one place, there is no hurdle that cannot be overcome. The little bump between me and my brother slowly disappeared with the passage of time. Although we are not as sticky together every day as we used to be, at least we can still eat around the same table and talk about family life. After all, blood is closer than anything else!