NABC Chapter 121 Beating the Wife
Chapter 121 Beating the Wife
"dajun, xiao jun... and xiao lei, you... you've all come back?" grandma liu was overwhelmed with emotion. she reached out to hold the hands of the children, with tears continuously streaming down her wrinkled face, bringing a poignant heartache to all who saw.
it was the first time in years that the family had gathered like this, bringing an overwhelming sadness and pain to everyone present.
xiao han stood to the side, filled with countless emotions. the elderly woman had struggled to raise the children on her own, never expecting that once they grew up, they would never return to her side, unable to even gather once in a year.
"mom, i will stay and take care of you!" liu xiaolei grasped grandma liu's hand and said, "i've decided to stay in lj city and take care of you in your old age."
liu dajun secretly wiped away tears.
"big brother, let's talk about this," said liu xiaojun at that moment.
"speak," nodded liu dajun.
"well, since our sister is willing to stay and care for our parents, we as older brothers should also express our support," said liu xiaojun. "i think it's time we start providing financial support for our parents. what do you think?"
"right!" liu dajun, being a straightforward person, quickly said, "xiao jun, how do you think we should go about it?"
"let's each contribute a thousand per month," suggested liu xiaojun. "that makes two thousand in total, to be deposited into xiao lei's account each month. what do you say?"
"agreed!" nodded liu dajun.
"what's agreed?" liu dajun's wife immediately objected, "our family is under such financial pressure, with the monthly mortgage for the house in sh costing us seven to eight thousand. where would we have the spare money? we can't afford to pay this."
"wife!" liu dajun immediately became frustrated and said in a rush, "supporting our parents is the duty and responsibility of their children. we should pay this amount."
"that depends on whether we can afford it," retorted liu dajun's wife.
the atmosphere suddenly became tense. liu dajun remained silent, but his face turned livid. at home, he was always compliant, especially since he had married a woman from sh, who are known to be assertive and domineering. not only was she formidable, but outright tyrannical.
liu dajun's wife was a typical woman from sh; she worked there and made over ten thousand a month, a few thousand more than liu dajun, thus wielding even more authority at home.
at home, liu dajun took on all the household chores. not only that, but he even dutifully washed his wife's undergarments. washing clothes, cooking, doing dishes, sweeping the floors... he did it all, while his wife only had to eat, snack, and play with the children every day.
a man who has lost his status in the family is a deeply pitiable and tragic figure, virtually cornered into a hopeless situation.
"sister-in-law, you can't be like this!" liu xiaolei stood up and said, "if you won't support the elderly now, your children won't treat you well in the future either."
"i will have a pension in the future," laughed liu dajun's wife.
"so what?" chuckled liu xiaolei. "you won't be happy in the future. not only will your children not support you, but they will also come asking you for money."
now that liu dajun had decided to divorce that woman, liu xiaojun was very supportive. but then, someone disagreed. old liu had witnessed everything and said leisurely, "dajun, a man should prioritize his family. you've hit and you've yelled. go back and apologize to your wife. let's forget about the divorce.
after all, there's a child involved."
"dad, i can't live this life anymore," liu dajun shook his head and said, "i have already decided to divorce."
"why?" old liu asked.
"anyway, i don't want to continue like this," sighed liu dajun, "so stop trying to persuade me. what should be separated must be separated. separating now is still timely, at least i still have the chance to serve and care for you two. i fear 'a son's desire to support but the parents are gone.' by then, i would regret it."
"you're all grown up, so make your own decision," old liu shook his head and then said, "we are old too, and we can't manage you anymore."
"big brother, you're still too impulsive," liu xiaolei glanced at her elder brother.
"little sister, i might as well stay in the future," old liu smiled and then said, "how can the responsibility of taking care of the parents be absent of a son?"
hearing this, liu xiaojun said with a wry smile, "big brother, aren't you scolding me?"
"xiaojun, i didn't mean that!" liu dajun shook his head and said, "you have your business out of town, and that's a necessity. besides, having only me at home would suffice. that's enough to take care of our parents. plus, if there's any issue, you still have to contribute money and effort."
"no problem!" liu xiaojun immediately nodded.
xiao han watched all this and took it to heart. it seems that in choosing a wife, it's really important to find someone understanding and considerate. otherwise, the one who suffers is not just oneself but also potentially one's parents.
"kids, we don't ask for much," old liu tapped his pipe and then said, "we just hope that you can visit us old folks during the holidays. actually, your mother and i don't need much money, nor do we need you to take care of us in our old age. we have our pensions, and if need be, we can ask for help from the government and go to a nursing home.
even if we truly can't manage on our own, legs pointed up, the government will still take care of us. our needs are truly modest; just seeing you and having you come back to chat with us and play chess... that would be enough. when people age, who wouldn't wish for their children to be by their side... we don't need money..."
old liu's words, sharp like needles, pierced into the hearts of the three liu siblings, filling them with great sorrow.
"dad, i won't ever leave again, i'll stay by your side every day!" liu xiaolei spoke up.
"me too!" liu dajun said, with tears in his eyes, his resolution to divorce his wife fortified.
in his mind, liu dajun recalled many things from his childhood. he remembered the reluctant look in his mother's eyes when he went to university, and the handful of change in her withered hands. he couldn't forget those tender eyes; the sweat stained on every banknote; nor his mother's every nagging word.
as a child, one should be filial.
this has been the tradition and lesson since ancient times. how can chinese people forget the traditions of the ancients, how can they forget the lessons handed down from time immemorial?
the realization seemed to dawn suddenly on the three liu siblings, who felt very guilty and ashamed. they had not been able to return from out of town as their parents aged. if it hadn't been for the help of the next-door neighbor this time, they might well have been forever separated from their mother by life and death.