In a small town in the south of our country, there is such a quiet corner, where lives a couple, Li Guihua and Zhao Tiezhu. Their lives are just like this town, ordinary and peaceful, there are no thrilling legends, but their lives are full of care and stability.
These two seniors lead a regular life, day after day. When they wake up in the morning, they come to the small vegetable garden in front of their house to refresh their muscles and smile, and then look up and smile at the rising sun. Then came the light time for breakfast, and the table was filled with leftover steamed buns and freshly cooked rice porridge from the previous night. During the meal, I will also take the opportunity to talk about the weather conditions in the last few days and interesting anecdotes about the neighborhood.
"Honey, what do you think we should do interesting today?" His wife, Li Guihua, was busy cleaning up the dishes and chopsticks, and suggested to her husband.
Zhao Tiezhu leisurely sipped his old tea on his chair and replied, "I think we might as well go out for a walk." ”
Although the town is not big, no matter where you go, you can meet familiar neighbors. They chatted and smiled at each other on the side of the road and became a habitual daily way of communication.
Whenever it was close to noon, when the sun was at its warmest, a group of old men would gather under the big locust tree at the east end of the town, and they would gather together to brag and play cards. The same was true this morning, with everyone gathered in a circle and enthusiastically discussed all sorts of gossip.
"Mrs. Li" walked into that circle and said to her husband, "Lao Zhangtou invited me to join them in a few games!" ”
"Oh? Didn't you say you weren't interested in it before? Zhao Tiezhu asked with some surprise.
She smiled and responded, "People always have to try new things." ”
As she approached the people who were playing, a mysterious greeting rang in her ears, "Here we go!" Come and layout! ”
On the one hand, she was very interested, and on the other hand, it was also to add a little fun to her ordinary life, so she started playing poker games. For several days, playing cards became an integral part of her daily routine. The afternoon sun shone down on the tables, and everyone had a happy smile on their faces. But there seemed to be a little trace of annoyance in their smiles.
Time is like a magician, inadvertently changing the gossip of the people in the town. As the sun rises and sets, Li Guihua's obsession with card games grows. Zhao Tiezhu's face was full of worry, and he kept shaking his head, but he didn't dare to interfere too much. Gradually, a delicate dividing line gradually emerged in the lives of both of them.
One day, a rumor from the village reached the house, and it was inadvertently mentioned at a family dinner: "You know what? That old Mrs. Li at the east end of town has won a lot of money lately. The son sitting next to him couldn't help but interject, his tone full of dissatisfaction: "It's important to make money, but it's not good to just play cards all day." Zhao Tiezhu was silent for a long time, and then suddenly put the bowl in his hand on the table, "I've been patiently watching her toss herself like this." Every time I come home and see nothing on the table, what's going on in the cold kitchen! The daughter-in-law gently advised the uncle to calm down, "Dad, don't be angry. Mom is old, so it's time to enjoy it. "Enjoy? You young people always say enjoy! Now she's a joke in the eyes of her neighbors! His voice grew more and more agitated. The controversy put everyone in an awkward position. There was a tense and oppressive atmosphere throughout the dinner.
This is just a pivotal moment in the development of the whole story - the existence of three views between family members crosses a huge gap, and the pressure from the public and traditional values is more prominent.
Just a week later, one night, the impasse was brought to the fore: as night fell, the sound of mahjong hitting the table was echoing in the living room; Li Guihua went home late at night and gently pushed open the door, but failed to get any warm greetings from the cold and warmth; The leftovers in the kitchen that had not yet been cleaned up lay quietly on the stove, exuding an icy smell; Zhao Tiezhu, who was sleep-deprived, walked out of the room in a daze, muttered a few words and then turned his head and continued to sleep.
In the days that followed, the relationship between the two became more and more strained, and the irreparable rift gradually widened. Whenever the neighbors greeted the elderly, all they got was an awkward smile and a hurried departure – all of which was interpreted as a symbol of misunderstanding and helplessness.
The children try to alleviate the situation: "Mommy! Dad actually cares about your health! You should also consider the good intentions of others. ”
"Isn't it clear to me how I should live my own life?" Li Guihua replied in a firm tone, "But he is more and more in charge!" ”
While the estrangement between them continues to deepen, the eyes of the gray-haired couples, the female elders who have never worn military uniforms, also reveal deep worry and calm anticipation in their eye contact......
In the dead of night, the hustle and bustle outside the window has gradually dissipated. However, the oppressive atmosphere in the house intensified. Li Guihua walked into the house as usual, but was surprised to find that Zhao Tiezhu was sitting alone on a chair in the living room, quietly smoking a pipe.
Seeing his wife return, he said slowly in a hoarse voice: "You always say that you want to enjoy the beauty of life... Do you think what you're doing right now? ”
"Building bridges, climbing hills, playing cards... Isn't it clear to me? But you see them as pleasure in life? It's just too low-level fun, isn't it? Zhao Tiezhu stomped his feet angrily, stood up and roared.
My wife was slightly stunned, and then she began to be a little angry, "Yes, I am the boring and stubborn old man in your eyes!" So what do you really want to do? "
The scene is like icy flames colliding, both tense and painful. The two of them were breathing more and more rapidly, and the atmosphere became heavier.
"If it weren't for the neighbors telling me, you've been coming home late lately..." Zhao Tiezhu stared at her with big eyes.
Li Guihua suddenly realized that the people in the whole town were secretly talking about her playing cards behind her back. This made her feel very embarrassed and angry: "I didn't even know about it! Do you even think I'm just having fun? "
Shame poured into her heart like a tidal wave; She never imagined that she would be the target of accusations.
"I've endured it for a long time, Katsura! How can you be the way you are, so arrogant and unreasonable? Zhao Tiezhu raised his trembling hand and gently stroked his forehead.
"Humph!" Li Guihua snorted coldly, and an angry expression appeared on her wrinkled face: "Of course I have heard those whispering mockery. "
The air in the room seemed to freeze, dreary and suffocating; It was evident that the dispute between the two old men was escalating.
Suddenly, only to hear a bang, the classic line "female virtue in the blood" in "Niang Dao" seems to have been deeply imprinted in his heart - his eyes flashed with tears, and he asked: "Then please tell me now, before you lose the so-called fun in your heart..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.
"What a lot of fun!" Her eyes were resolute and unshakable, and the silver threads above her head seemed to tremble violently, "This is what I like to do the most!" Do you want me to be like those boring people who just wait for the sunrise and sunset to work?"
The room was dead silent at first, then bustle in a hot furnace, full of accusations and rebuttals.
The couple swayed in this stalemate atmosphere and silence,
Behind that cracked smile, there is endless loneliness and loneliness; The children's phones never rang again,
Until everything is gone, leaving only memories drifting in the wind of the night—
After a long night of tossing and turning, the town slowly woke up at dawn, and the sunlight passed through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows in the courtyard of Zhao Tiezhu's house. After some deliberation and late-night phone conversations, both Li Guihua and her husband began to understand each other's positions and feelings.
"I know you care about me very much, during this time I..." Li Guihua sat in front of the shabby but warm dining table, and took the initiative to bow her head to apologize to her husband for the first time.
Zhao Tiezhu was silent for a while, "I also understand your intentions. Maybe... It's that I'm thinking too complicated. ”
The estrangement between the two seems to have gradually melted with the first rays of sunlight in the morning, and the atmosphere at home has become much more relaxed. The children were also very relieved to hear the news.
The old people in the town are still playing cards and chatting under the big locust tree, but Li Guihua has learned to be indifferent to the gossip outside: "Let them say what others say!" I only care about the joy of my game. ”
In order to enrich her later life, with the support and companionship of her children, she participated in more community activities – from tai chi classes organized by nursing homes, calligraphy and painting classes to newspaper reading groups.
The storm at home has finally passed, but everyone is still a little worried in their hearts. This incident made our family start to think about how to better communicate and understand each other, especially how to communicate and understand each other better, especially how to communicate with our parents..."Mom, Mom, Dad...", well, it was my son's lovely daughter, she whispered, "You have to talk to each other often." ”
Then, Zhao Tiezhu began to reflect: "Our husband and wife have spent almost a lifetime together all the way..."He looked at the already elderly wife in front of him and said.
"Hmph, that's easy to say!" She sighed slightly, "It's not like we've quarreled once or twice. ”
Time slipped away like sand between your fingers. The two children gathered around their parents and listened carefully to their stories. The living room was dyed a warm orange by the setting sun, shining on the faces of this family of four. Their eyes were filled with regret, relief, and deep gratitude...
As the days passed, it was not only the two elderly people who were adjusting their mentality, but also the process of re-establishing intimacy with the whole family. It's autumn in the town—blue skies and white clouds, falling leaves, and two old men walking hand in hand, forming a picture of the quiet years.
Every corner of the house began to gradually come back to life: melodious singing came from the courtyard again; The photo album on the bookshelf was opened again...