An adult who is a son, husband and father at the same time

It has been three years since my wife and I went back to our hometown. After giving birth to our second child, we felt most guilty. First, our child was too small and we were worried about the bumpy road.

His wife is a stay-at-home mom, his kids are growing up, and his finances are getting tighter.

The gap between income and expenditure grew wider and wider, and the more than six thousand yuan needed for a trip home gradually became an expense to be calculated carefully.

Although we have maintained telephone and video communication with our parents, our grandparents who can't speak Mandarin and our children who can't understand Sichuan dialect have not been able to communicate freely and smoothly. In the "translation" of my wife and I, we made gestures, spoke different words, and couldn't touch each other's cheeks, thus becoming the most familiar "strangers".

Parents say they don't care: "You two children now, the family burden is big, travel costs are not cheap, come back does not matter." But every time they call, they ask us, "Will you be back this year?"

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has suddenly made me realize that the most beautiful scenery on my way of life and work seems to be the health of my body and the reunion of my family.

Last year, the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day coincided with my father's 66th birthday and my mother's 58th birthday. I had never given my parents a birthday before, and I wanted to take my wife and children back to my hometown to celebrate their birthday.

When I told my wife the idea, she was so excited as a child that she "leaked" the news to her in-laws that night, and the next day took the two excited children shopping for gifts to bring home.

For more than ten days after my parents got the news, they asked us about our travel plan every day and explained the safety matters on the road. All of us were looking forward to, planning and waiting for the day of departure.

"Grandpa, we'll be back soon; Grandma, I made you a beautiful present."

"The doll is good, be obedient yo, when you come back, I will give each of you a big red envelope." My dad repeated that "promise" to them every time.

In order to save as much as possible, I chose to drive home, which is two or three thousand cheaper than flying and more than one thousand cheaper than taking the high-speed train. For adults, saving money is earning money.

Return as promised, our two big two small with a trunk full of gifts, with the wheel measurement of 1,800 kilometers, finally after 36 hours at 2 o 'clock in the middle of the night, safely appeared in front of the parents waiting for their parents at the gate of the district.

"Grandpa, Grandma! As soon as the children woke up, they recognized their grandparents, whom they had seen many times in the video, through the car window and jumped on them as soon as they opened the door.

'Ah! My dad agreed with a smile, his narrowed eyes brighter than the stars in the night sky, and embraced them with open arms. "You're all back, back...... "

My mother kept asking us if we were tired and hungry, looking up and down at her son and daughter-in-law.

"Mom, I told you not to wait for us. It's so late. Don't catch a cold." Wife side "complain", side like a child to meet up and scatter a jiao.

"Dinner is ready for you when you come back." My mother held my wife and me by the hand, her face was full of love.

My hand holding the pain of the waist, feeling the excitement and excitement in front of me, the heart of a sour quietly born: "a simple home, when should become so 'grand'......" .

Everyone crowded back to this familiar and strange home, just put down the luggage, my father took out two red envelopes into the hands of the two children, to fulfill his promise: "Come, grandpa has already prepared two big red envelopes for you, take to buy delicious fun ha."

My mother went to the kitchen and brought out the pre-prepared meal, urging us to eat.

While eating, the wife showed her mother all the gifts she had brought back and explained the matters needing attention.

My father and I picked up the wine glasses that had been overdue for three years.

My brother and sister-in-law, who just came back from Guangdong yesterday, also came out to greet us with their nephew.

The whole family of nine are talking, talking and laughing happily in the living room...... .

In the middle of the night, the bright moonlight illuminates the darkness, and a large family from all over the world finally gathers under the full moon.

Early the next morning, we discussed with dad the birthday party arrangements, choosing a hotel, booking a table, making a list, informing relatives...... .

"Everything is up to you." Pa smiled and said he didn't object to us paying for the dinner this time.

My mother also smiled: "You old thing, every day in the chanting children, this time are back, this you happy? !"

"That's that's a family of nine, and there's one more cupbearer at the table." I beat the words Dad had repeated so many times on the phone.

The party was a successful one, with everyone singing Happy birthday around my mom and dad, and the kids holding their drinks and Shouting "Happy Birthday to Grandma and Grandpa."

Tipsy, the father raised his glass and made a greater wish: "In two years, in my sixty-ninth birthday, everyone will come back, then all the money I will come out...... "

Everyone was laughing, happy and planning.

A tinge of sadness crept into my heart: If we could be home with them more often and financially, would we have to "plan" Dad's birthday in advance? He even has to think about money himself?

In the next few days, we ate together, took walks together, and listened to our parents' stories.

"The sons and daughters-in-law are back. The two big ones are the eldest, and the little ones are the second." My mom greets the neighbors with pride in her voice, warns her playful grandchildren to be safe, and tells her daughters-in-law what they're cooking for their next meal.

My father took out his newly made wolfberry wine for me and my brother to taste: "You are also the father of the people yo." His eyes have long since lost the stern strength of our childhood, unfurled brows reflect his heart's satisfaction.

The two daughters-in-law took out all the things they had brought back, gave Dad two bottles of old wine, and let Mom try on new clothes.

Time together is always too short, in the blink of an eye we want to return to the day.

The night before our departure, the baby had fallen asleep and my wife was mysteriously sent out by my mother. It took a while for her to return to her room.

"Mom gave me four red envelopes." The wife looked a little heavy, low voice to me, took out a few red envelopes to me.

"Mom said that she had saved this money by picking up waste products in the community for several years. Each red envelope was 600. One for each of our two children, and the rest of us give one to our younger siblings and one to Dad. Say we've come back as a token of our good will."

I don't know what to say, the heart suddenly a surge of bitterness, looking at his wife, her eyes are also some wet.

"What to do? Silence half Xu, the wife could not help but ask me again.

"How much cash do we have? How many red envelopes did my father give?" I asked her.

The wife quickly dug out the wallet and counted: "We still have more than 1800 cash, Dad gave two children a red envelope is 800 each."

"I'll tell you what, Dad gave us a red envelope of 200 each, on behalf of our acceptance; Then wrap a red envelope of 600 to my brother's children. The rest of the money is 4,800. Put it in a red envelope and put it under your pillow tomorrow. We won't tell them until we're gone." I laid out the plan.

"That's a good idea. Oh, I'm dying." The wife was relieved and praised me.

"Well, I didn't make any money. If we had, we wouldn't let them worry about subsidizing us." I said slowly, my heart aching.

"No, you work for all the money we use." My wife's eyes flashed a trace of love, smiled and patted my head to comfort.

Then she quickly began to arrange the red envelope: "You go to sleep, I will arrange the money."

...

Deep in the night, the sound of peaceful breathing, bright moonlight through the window, staring at this is about to go their separate small home.

I, sleepless all night, in the occasional passing truck roar, trying to suppress the grief and pain caused by the heartbeat.

...

When we got up the next day, my parents helped us put away the car early, rice, sweet potato, grapefruit, peanuts, rapeseed oil...... They filled up all the spare places.

We can't say no, we can't say anything.

"Dad, Mom, we're going."

"Come on, be safe on the way."

We all had a lot to say, but no one said another word. When the first corner of the shop covered my parents' hands, tears finally came out of my eyes.

"Daddy, when are we going home again?" The child asked me.

"Soon, and we'll be back more often." I tried to make it easy for them.

Engine in hard roar, navigation countdown mileage bit by bit to reduce, roadside scenery gradually become strange.

The winding highway has no end, but there are countless destinations, a white line quickly through the car, cast down how many wandering and miss...... .

"I've got it all, you can rest assured." As the children listened intently to a children's story, my wife leaned over from the back row and whispered.

"HMM." I looked at the road ahead, my mind was in chaos: "Gone again, a few days ago was also busy living room, kitchen and table, and only two old figure in the distance to watch."

We took a short break in a service area where I had driven more than 400 kilometers in a fit of rage.

I asked my wife to dial my mom's video: "Mom, there is a red envelope under the pillow in our room. That's what we left for you.

"What red envelope?" My mother's voice was surprised, and then she saw the picture on her phone shake, presumably to check.

My wife was nervous and looked at me with her mobile phone. I gave her an encouraging look.

"Mom, what do you do with your money at home?" I could hear my mother's voice rising a lot, reproachful in surprise.

"Mom, we took all the red envelopes you gave us. How can you want your money, we have money, that is the red envelope we leave you, you take to buy some delicious, good to wear...... " The wife spoke in a nervous voice, pretending to act pettish.

"You are a naughty boy. I wonder if you have any money. One earner for the whole family, and two children. That's for you. Why are you staying with us? !" My mom just threw it all at me.

"Who told you to leave us money? It's indecent!" I heard my father's voice, probably attracted by my mother's, "I'm at work. I can't spend all my monthly salary. How can we afford to live at home? Just give me your account number and I'll send it to you." Dad's voice was angry.

"Mom, we're going to drive. Let's not talk about it." My wife, on my cue, wanted to hang up the phone.

"Wait a minute, send your account to your dad...... " My mother got worried and shouted into the phone.

Before my wife could finish, she cut off the video and smiled at me with a shrug.

I tapped her on the shoulder and exhale as I watched the two children run back and forth across the service area like weights.

"Ding...... My phone rang. It was my dad. I hit the mute button.

For the next few hours, her phone rang again and again, and she pressed the mute button again and again; My phone rang over and over, and I hit the mute button...... over and over again .

At 9 p.m., we settled down in a small county near Henan.

My wife was busy washing the children, I dragged the tired body lying in bed, could not help but call my father's phone, with him safe.

"You two, you're parents and you're disobedient!" This was the first thing my father said to me when he got through. I heard his heartache and helplessness.

"Dad, we really have money. Why do we need your money...... " I anticipated their reaction, but a sudden burst of sadness made me choke up.

"Baby, it's not easy for you out there. We can save a little bit. It's time for you to spend money. My mother took the phone to me, and I could see her anxious expression, but her tone had lost its afternoon intensity.

"Mom, we really have enough money. Don't worry." Just come over the wife saw my eyes quietly slipping tears, took the phone to them easily said.

"You've spent a lot of money just coming back, we know that. We wish we could help you in any way we can. You are not obedient at all!" My mother's voice trembled, and I saw her raise her hand and quietly brush the corners of her eyes.

"Mom, we're going to come back and see you often." Although the wife's Sichuan language is a little uncomfortable, but I sound so sweet.

"You are not to come back next time!" My mother was angry, but soon laughed again.

In front of the daughter-in-law, my mother seems to have never lost her temper, "come back to spend so much money, but also play tricks with us, don't you come back." Mother said while blaming, face distressed.

"That's our old home. What do you care if we want to come back?" The wife simply "play a Lai".

Dad smiled, I smiled, we all laughed.

"Grandpa and grandma, father said that we should come back often." The two children pounced on them with bare feet and shouted joyfully at their grandparents on the screen.

"Good, good, listen to mom and dad, next time back grandpa will give you each a big red envelope." My father immediately changed his face and spoke broken Mandarin lovingly to his two granddaughters.

...

Autumn night with cool, everyone in the warmth of sleep. In our dreams, we are together again, laughing and enjoying together.