In a blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve. According to the usual practice, the three members of He Jin's family would go to his grandma's house to celebrate the New Year, along with his aunt, uncle, and uncle's family.
He Jin's mother is the eldest daughter of his grandmother, but He Jin is the youngest among his siblings.
However, only my uncle's daughter, Zhang Xiaomiao, was at my grandma's house that day. His aunt's two children were married and went to the husband's house for the New Year. There was also a cousin named Li Yuedong, who was three years older than He Jin. I got an ordinary undergraduate degree, and I graduated last year to work, but I didn't come tonight.
My aunt and his mother are helping grandma cook the New Year’s Eve dinner in the kitchen, complaining about Li Yuedong’s disobedience, not going home all the time since college, learning to smoke and drink, and hanging out with a bunch of cronies in other places after graduation... My aunt speaks all kinds of hatred It means that iron does not become steel.
Mother He said: "I told you at the beginning, children have to be strictly controlled since childhood! If you don't care about him, he will go astray and learn to be bad!"
Auntie: "I don't care, but if I say one word to him, he can beat you ten times, and every sentence can make you mad! I really don't care!"
Mother He: "You didn't beat him when you were a child. Let me tell you, a child is born by beating. A filial son is born under a stick. He needs to be beaten since he was a child. If he loses his temper, he will be obedient."
He Jin felt a chill in his heart, and said, if this is the so-called filial piety, then how could he hate his mother
Auntie: "I just can't bear that heart. You see, he is so used to it now... I guess he won't know when I die someday! Hey, every time I see your family, He Jin, I envy him. Li Yuedong wants to If He Jin is half-behaved, I can burn incense!"
Mother He lowered her voice and said sadly: "Isn't this also a lesson I learned from the boss..."
The aunt whispered: "It's been so many years, don't think about it after it has passed."
... Boss means his brother? He Jin immediately pricked up his ears, but they stopped talking. After a while, Mother He changed the topic to the matter of his aunt and daughter, asking her how her life was after marriage and whether she had children...
But He Jin was full of thoughts about what his mother meant by "a lesson learned from the boss". Didn't his brother die of illness
Before dinner in the evening, grandma took two lucky red envelopes for the master to send to Zhang Xiaomiao and He Jin.
He Jin took the red envelope and was taken away by his mother when he changed hands. He Jin is also used to handing in the lucky money every year, but this time it was met by Zhang Xiaomiao. She said strangely: "He Jin, I will return the lucky money to you Mom?"
He Jin gave a "hmm", never thought that the New Year's money should be his own.
My aunt was also stunned when she heard this: "Elder sister, Ah Jin is so old that you still take care of his money?"
Mother He proudly said: "That is, He Jin won the scholarship and handed it over to me."
Zhang Xiaomiao said in surprise: "Auntie, you are wrong. This money should have been given to He Jin by your grandmother. How can you hide it? You still hide his scholarship? Doesn't he have any money himself?"
Mother He glared at her: "I'm saving for him to buy a house. I don't care what he wants, and I will naturally give it to him. Everything in my life will be given to him after I die. I can still bring it to him." Can't you go in the coffin?"
Zhang Xiaomiao gave He Jin a sympathetic look. Mother He was a little unhappy when her authority was questioned, so she immediately pointed the finger of discipline at Zhang Xiaomiao and said, "It's you, haven't you graduated? Why are you still talking to me?" Grandma takes New Year's money?"
Zhang Xiaomiao is one year younger than Li Yuedong. She just graduated and worked this year, but she didn't study very well since she was a child. She didn't pass the college entrance examination, only an art school. For this reason, He Jin often listened to his mother scolding this girl at home. , it is said that she has not had a serious job since she graduated. She sleeps at home all day until the sun rises, and does not go out until two or three o'clock. I heard from my uncle that she is a model in a gallery and has her own income, but because it is not like a normal job She worked nine to five like that, so Mama He always felt that there was something wrong with her.
Zhang Xiaomiao said: "That's because grandma loves me, right grandma?"
He Jin's grandmother responded with a smile, and He Jin's mother said relentlessly, "Grandma loves you, why are you so ignorant?"
Zhang Xiaomiao said with a dark face: "Why am I so ignorant? I also buy things for grandma after earning money!"
Mother He said: "You should be filial to grandma, but it's your fault to take the old man's money when you already have a job."
Zhang Xiaomiao was so angry that her face turned pale, and Mother He continued, "And your job, let me tell you, are you stable now or not?" Mother He looked at her with raised eyes, "I said you To be a good girl, I still have to find a stable job, and then take advantage of the capital now, find a steady man to marry as soon as possible!"
Zhang Xiaomiao slammed the chopsticks: "Aren't you annoying? I don't care what I like. My parents don't care about me. Don't you get tired of caring so much?"
Mother He was stunned, and said with a trembling mouth: "You, you... I'm not doing this for your own good!"
Uncle glared at Zhang Xiaomiao, came out to smooth things over and said, "Why are you talking to your aunt?"
When Mother He saw someone speaking for her, she immediately became angry: "That's right, you are so unruly at a young age. Look at you piercing your ears and dyeing your hair. It's no wonder you can't read well. Now What kind of model... "
Seeing that He Jin's mother was talking too much, my aunt was not happy: "Sister, Xiao Miao is engaged in art work, not what you said."
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit tense, the people at the table hurried to smooth things over, and grandma also said: "For those who are celebrating Chinese New Year, don't say a few words and eat."
After the meal, the whole family sat around in the living room to watch the Spring Festival Gala. He Jin next to Zhang Xiaomiao whispered, "Sister, don't take what my mother said, she's just like that."
Zhang Xiaomiao chuckled, and whispered beside him: "How did you survive all these years? If I want to have such a mother, I can't stand it for a day."
He Jin smiled wryly: "I can't bear it either, but I can't help it. She is my mother."
Zhang Xiaomiao glanced at his mother: "I thought you were the only one who would turn to her."
He Jin also wondered, yes, why didn't he even turn to his mother
He didn't know when he began to question what she said slowly, even if she had all sorts of reasons to try to convince him, he no longer recognized her point of view... Maybe it was the school education he received, from childhood to adulthood. His teachers and classmates let him see another world, a relatively objective and correct world. Because of what he sees and thinks, he gradually has the ability to distinguish right from wrong, so that he will not be completely trapped in that narrow cage. inside.
The program of the Spring Festival Gala is not as good as every year. After a while, the uncle and his family left first. He Jin shrank in a corner of the sofa while sending messages to Fire, while listening to his mother chatting with his aunt without saying a word. They were talking about a Bending a girl who I knew through three or four relationships.
Auntie: "This child is so filial that there is nothing to say! I heard that her father had a stroke last year, so the child immediately took a half-year leave, rushed back from school, and stayed by the hospital bed every day, washing her father's body with excrement and urine. foot… "
Mother He: "Where's her mother?"
Auntie: "It's poor that she died early... But her natal family is very rich and has left two houses. You don't need money, right? If you change a girl from another family, you can hire a nanny and you'll be done. But the child How filial, I also heard that she is very frugal in school, other college students spend at least 2,000 a month, and she only spends 800!"
Mother He nodded again and again to express her approval: "What school does this girl go to, and how old is she?"
Auntie: "He Jin is one year older than your family, because he took half a year's leave, and now he has stayed in the first grade. He is still in his junior year, but he is a teacher. When he comes out to be a primary school teacher, he gets off work early, and there are winter and summer vacations. The key It’s because the salaries of teachers are very high now!”
Mother He frowned: "One year older..."
Aunt: "Happy one year older, girls will love you!"
The alarm bell in He Jin's mind rang beeping, one year older? Will it hurt? What does it have to do with me
Mother He: "That's right."
The aunt whispered: "If you think it's okay, I'll go and find out for you. Seeing that your family's He Jin is in such a good condition, I guess people are rushing to ask for it!"
Mother He: "Well, that's okay..."
He Jin was stunned when he heard this!