"Azhe, don't be angry, Tingting and Xiaojie have such tempers!" Zhu's father looked a little ugly, and Zhu's mother explained to Zhu Zhe.
Zhu Zhe sighed, shook his head helplessly, and said with emotion: "I just didn't expect that I, the eldest sister, don't even have any status in their hearts, not even the basic respect... Sigh!" As soon as Zhu Zhe said these words, Zhu's father and mother-in-law's expressions became even more unnatural. In fact, Zhu's father and Zhu's mother were not unreasonable people, but once their beloved son and daughter were involved, the steelyard in their hearts would inevitably be a little bit... Biased.
In the past, they only thought that their second daughter and son were just a little willful, but today they suddenly felt something different.
"Your mother and I have been too used to them these years!" Zhu's father said with emotion, looking at Zhu Zhe with apologetic and distressed eyes: "Thanks to you for working hard in the devil's capital all these years. Zhu Zhe's eyes flickered and he said softly: "I don't have the academic qualifications of others, and I don't have a family as good as others, so I can only rely on my own efforts. I used to still have thoughts in my heart, no matter how hard and tired I was, I didn't feel it. What, but Tingting and Xiaojie..." As he spoke, Zhu Zhe's originally bright eyes dimmed, and his eyes were mixed with disappointment, powerlessness, exhaustion, and sadness. .
Zhu's father only took one look and didn't dare to look again. He immediately moved his eyes away, feeling an unprecedented sense of shame and frustration.
Zhu's mother's face became more and more ugly, but the back of her hands was flesh, and the palms were even flesh. She pulled Zhu Zhe and persuaded her: "Tingting and Xiaojie are still young and ignorant. They will know in a few years." It's not easy for you, my sister." It's a good thing Zhu's mother didn't say anything. As soon as she said this, tears began to well up in Zhu Zhe's eyes, but after a moment, two lines of clear tears silently fell from the corners of his eyes. The painting The face that showed a bit of vicissitudes of life was full of loss.
"I work hard to make money, live frugally, and don't even want to buy new clothes, just to support their education. I hope that our family will have two college students, and that they will be successful after graduation and help our family. Reduce the burden and have a better future, but I didn't expect that they, they..." The more he talked about it, the more excited he became, and the tears in his eyes couldn't stop pouring out like springs. , his face was full of loss and grief, Zhu's father listened to his eldest daughter's heartfelt talk, but his heart that had been baptized by years and hardships felt like it was being held, and his old face was also green.
Seeing Zhu Zhe crying, Zhu's mother was also affected in an instant. Thinking of the willful behavior of her second daughter and youngest son, she felt sad for a moment and wiped her tears along with Zhu Zhe. The mother and daughter just sat there. On the sofa, holding hands and crying.
Father Zhu wanted to persuade him, but when the words came to his lips, he could not say them out. For a moment, the father and daughter looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
After a while, Zhu's father said, "Azhe, have you and Wang Zhong really decided to get married?"
"Yes!" Zhu Zhe nodded and said: "Do we have this plan?" Zhu's mother asked eagerly: "Do it with your sister?"
"Mom! How is it possible? It's just that Wang Zhong doesn't know the customs here. How can I not know it?" The custom in Zhu Zhe's hometown is not to marry two daughters in the same year. Those in the city You may have forgotten these customs a long time ago, but in rural areas, the older generation is still more particular about them.
"As long as you have an idea! Anyway, it won't be long until the end of the year. If you really decide to get married, you can do it early next year!" Mother Zhu said.
Zhu Zhe said: "By the way, Mom and Dad! What do you think of Wang Zhong's proposal just now?"
"What's going on?" Zhu's father and Zhu's mother were still in the mood just now, and their minds didn't turn around for a while.
"That's what Wang Zhong said just now. He gives you and my mother a thousand yuan every month, and uses this to replace the bride price." Zhu Zhe said.
"Instead of the bride price?" The old couple looked at each other, but this time they had different opinions. Zhu's father was a little moved, while Zhu's mother was a little hesitant.
"Think about it, even if Wang Zhong really gave a betrothal gift, it would only be a few hundred thousand at most. But if it is a thousand a month, it will be twelve thousand in one year and one hundred and twenty thousand in ten years. Dad, you are only five this year. Fourteen, my mother is only fifty-one, think about it, this is not much more cost-effective than getting a betrothal gift all at once!"
"And this way, the burden on Wang Zhong and I's shoulders will be lighter. You all know that it's not easy to take root in a big city like Demon City."
"Azhe, after hearing what you said, have you identified this Wang Zhong?" Zhu's father looked at Zhu Zhe and asked seriously.
Zhu Zhe said: "Dad! I am already thirty-two, and I have long passed the age where I can be picky. Besides, Wang Zhong is also very good to me, and I like him too."
"Xiao Wang is indeed a good person, but his ability to drink is not good enough." Father Zhu nodded. Zhu's mother bumped into Zhu's father. She was about to say something, but was interrupted by Zhu's father: "Okay, please stop saying a few words. Tingting is a college student and young. When she gets married, we don't care about the bride price from our son-in-law." , Ah Zhe is already this old, it’s okay if Xiao Wang didn’t know about it before, but now that he knows about it, if we still care about others asking for betrothal gifts, then we are just looking at others’ choices.”
"In the future, our A-Zhe will live with his little king for the rest of his life! Didn't you hear Tingting and Xiaojie say that A-Zhe still owes foreign debts?" Zhu's father's words directly made Zhu's mother say what she was about to say. They were all blocked back, the palms of the hands were flesh, the backs of the hands were also flesh, and Zhu Zhe, the eldest daughter, had done so much for the family over the years.
Sweat, youth... Zhu's father and mother-in-law themselves felt that they owed Zhu Zhe, but now that they were talking about this, how could the old couple be so embarrassed to drag Zhu Zhe down.
"Mom, Dad, you want the gift for Xiaojie, right?" Zhu Zhe, on the other hand, understood his parents' difficulties very well.
"Hey!" Zhu's father sighed and slapped his thigh. Mother Zhu forced a smile and nodded.
"Dad, Mom, I'm not telling you that Xiaojie doesn't even have a serious job now. Even if he really has a girlfriend, his family may not be willing to marry their daughter to him! Even if Wang Zhong gave him a bride price, the bride price How long will it take him to withstand it?" Father Zhu remained silent, but he knew in his heart that what Zhu Zhe said made sense.
Zhu's mother said: "Azhe, you have been in Magic City for so many years, and you must have met a lot of people. Why don't you let Xiaojie go to Magic City with you, and you can introduce him to a job?"
"I can introduce a job to Xiaojie!" Zhu Zhe said, "But I'm afraid that Xiaojie won't like the job I introduced!" As soon as these words came out, Zhu's mother didn't know how to answer the call. Zhu Minjie even He is a serious college student without a job, but Zhu Zhe graduated from a vocational high school and worked as a waiter in a hotel, sweeping and wiping toilets. If there was a better job, Zhu Zhe would definitely have gone there long ago. Well, how could Zhu Minjie, a college student, like the job introduced by Zhu Zhe?
"Would you like to go to a magical city? Isn't it good for Xiaojie in his hometown? According to me, just do what A Zhe said and let Xiaojie take the civil service exam. If he passes the exam, he will have an iron rice bowl and will have no worries for the rest of his life. Wear it." Zhu's father scolded Zhu's mother.
"Don't I know the benefits of an iron rice bowl? But the key is that Xiaojie himself doesn't want to take the exam! What can we do?" Mother Zhu said helplessly, with even a bit of anxiety on her face.
"Hey!" Father Zhu couldn't help but sigh again.
"Actually, it's not impossible!" Zhu Zhe said.
"Huh?" Zhu's father and mother all looked at Zhu Zhe. Zhu's mother couldn't wait to ask: "What can I do?" Zhu's father's eyes were also full of expectation.
Zhu Zhe's eyes jumped back and forth between Zhu's father and mother: "Actually, the key to the problem lies with you."
"On us?" Zhu's father and mother looked at each other in confusion.
"It's been so long since Xiaojie graduated and he has worked several jobs, but he quit after a few months each time. Have you ever thought about the reason?"
"Xiaojie refuses to do it because he doesn't like it and feels that those jobs are not suitable for him. There is nothing..." Mother Zhu forgot her words as she spoke.
"There is no room for improvement and no prospects for development." Zhu's father added.
"Then where does the money Xiaojie spends outside come from?" Faced with Zhu Zhe's question, Zhu's father felt a thump in his heart and seemed to realize something.
Zhu's mother said: "Some of it is his own salary, and some of it is given by us." Zhu Zhe did not say anything directly, but changed the topic and said: "Dad, I remember you said that starting from the age of fourteen, Did you go to the county to find work with a few uncles from the village?"
"Yeah!" Zhu's father nodded and said: "When your mother and I were young, the conditions were poor, and the family had a large population, so the food we grew would be enough to fill our stomachs. In order to improve the living conditions at home, your uncle and I, We didn’t have any skills at that time, so we had to do hard work to earn money.” Zhu Zhe said: “I still remember when I was a child.”
"Dad, do you think our Xiaojie is like this now, even if he really has a girlfriend and gets married, can he support the burden of the family?"
"Xiaojie is still young. When he gets married and feels pressure, he will change himself!" Mother Zhu said.
Facts have proved that most men are indeed like this. After getting married, while feeling pressure, they also begin to learn to take on family responsibilities.
Before and after marriage, the same man changes greatly.
"We are Xiaojie's family, so of course we can think so, but the parents and family of Xiaojie's future girlfriend may not think so!" Zhu Zhe said: "If we don't talk about anything else, let's just talk about me and Tingting. If Tingting's future husband is like our Xiaojie, who comes from a rural family and doesn't even have a serious job, and has to rely on his parents' financial support to survive, are you and my mother willing to let Tingting and I get married?" Zhu's father and mother-in-law were speechless by Zhu Zhe's words, and they didn't know how to answer it at all.
Zhu Zhe hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "Dad, Xiaojie is the only male in the family. Tingting and I will eventually get married. Our old Zhu family will still have to rely on Xiaojie to support us in the future! You and my mother How long can I help him at such an old age? If Xiaojie fails to live up to his expectations, even if Tingting and I can help him for a while, we will not be able to help him for the rest of his life!"
"Azhe, you have always had the right idea. What should we do now?" Father Zhu calmed down and looked at his panicked and helpless wife. After thinking about it, he decided that this matter could only be dealt with by the always sensible big brother. On the head of daughter Zhu Zhe.
Zhu Zhe said: "What else can we do? We have to find a way to make Xiaojie stand up and make him realize that he is under pressure and has responsibilities. Let him mature as soon as possible. He will no longer act like a child in his twenties. Same."
"But there's nothing we can do against Xiaojie!" Mother Zhu said helplessly.
"Dad, Mom, didn't you just say that the reason why Xiaojie dares to be so willful and change jobs is like changing clothes is because of you two."
"You mean because we gave him money?" Zhu's father said. Zhu Zhe nodded and said: "Yes, if you really want Xiaojie to grow up quickly, you must let him suffer and let him know that society is cruel. It is different outside than at home. If you look after him, you will continue to tolerate him, and you must let him know how difficult it is to make money."
"First of all, you and my mother have to be willing to stop giving him financial support, let him learn to be independent, make money to support himself, and survive on his own ability." Father Zhu was obviously moved, but Zhu's mother was still a little hesitant, mainly because she felt sorry for her son.
"Dad, Mom! I know you feel sorry for Xiaojie and can't bear to see him suffer, but you have to endure this hardship. Now you two are still young and can still help Xiaojie, but when you get old and can't do it anymore, What should we do then?”
"To put it bluntly, these are all based on the premise that our family has always been smooth sailing. But people have good luck and bad luck. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? If our family is unlucky, who will get something bad? If there is an accident, what will happen then?"
"As the old saying goes: We rely on everyone to support us. The only people we can really rely on are our own families."
"Even if Tingting and I get married, this is still our home. If we are wronged by our husband's family in the future, the only one who can support us and stand up for us is Xiaojie."
"But if Xiaojie is always like this, how will he support me and Tingting in the future?" Zhu Zhe's words were like a bucket of cold water poured on them in the winter, leaving Zhu's father and Zhu's mother devastated. It was cold from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, more like a sharp thorn, piercing deeply into Father Zhu's heart, making Father Zhu feel heartbreaking pain.
"Dad, Mom! There are still a few days until Tingting gets married. You two should think carefully about what I said in the past few days. My opinion is that the long-term pain is worse than the short-term pain. We must let Xiaojie grow up quickly. At least there must be A decent job with a stable income.”
"You guys think about it slowly, I'm going to see how Wang Zhong is doing." Zhu Zhe said, got up and left, poured a glass of warm water and entered the guest room where Wang Zhong was.
He had just sat down and wiped Wang Zhong's forehead with a towel. Unexpectedly, Wang Zhong, who was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes, raised his hand and grabbed Zhu Zhe's wrist, raised the corners of his mouth, and squeezed out He smiled and winked at Zhu Zhe.
Zhu Zhe naturally knew his father's drinking capacity, and he also knew Wang Zhong's drinking capacity, and he also knew his father's temperament. He and Wang Zhong would definitely have to get drunk before they would stop, so the two of them had discussed it from the beginning, and let Wang Zhong drink. Control it appropriately, and pretend to be drunk when you see it's almost over, so as not to get Zhu's father drunk.
