On the way home, the moon was high in the sky. Under the moonlight, there were a few lonely figures on the hurrying bicycles. Zhang Weifang was holding Hu Zi and was not in the mood to talk.
It was almost 8:30 when she got home. Zhang Weishuang was waiting anxiously. She had been at home for a whole day and felt uneasy at all. She was always worried about Hu Zi.
"Sister, you're back? Where's Hu Zi?"
"Auntie, auntie..." Hu Zi stretched out his arms to hug Zhang Weishuang as soon as he saw her.
"Aunt, my brother stole Hu Zi's things." When Hu Zi saw Zhang Weishuang, he immediately hugged her and complained.
"Ah?" Zhang Weishuang held Hu Zi and looked at Zhang Weifang with worry in his eyes. Was Hu Zi really bullied?
"It's okay, I fought back and won't let Hu Zi go to their house anymore." Zhang Weifang simply recounted what happened.
"Sister, I will bring Hu Zi with me when I go home next time." Zhang Weishuang felt distressed and wanted to say a few more words, but when she saw Li Hongru, she shut up obediently.
After Zhang Weifang gave Hu Zi a bath, she took him to bed. She was very tired after a hard day.
Besides, she was in a bad mood and didn't want to bother with Li Hongru.
The next day after get off work, Zhang Weifang followed Li Hongru to a newly built small park with a small river, a few willow trees planted by the river, and some large rocks.
Zhang Weifang sat on a big rock, staring at the river in a daze, and Li Hongru also sat beside him without saying a word.
The breeze blew gently, the willow branches swayed, and ripples appeared on the river. A few willow leaves were floating on the river, swaying with the water.
Ten minutes later, Zhang Weifang stood up and said:
"Let's go home. I miss Hu Zi."
"Are you not angry anymore?" Li Hongru asked softly.
"Well, life is so beautiful, why should I have time to be sad?" Zhang Weifang was actually just a little depressed, but she soon figured it out and realized it was not worth it.
Li Hongru secretly took her hand and placed it in his palm, and promised solemnly:
"Weifang, I will definitely not let Huzi come to my house alone in the future."
"Well, let's go home." Zhang Weifang did not mention this matter again. After all, it was not Li Hongru's fault.
As autumn turns to winter and the weather gradually gets colder, Hu Zi has been unhappy because he can't go out to play these days.
That day happened to be Hu Zi’s birthday, so the family took him to the department store and bought him new clothes and shoes.
Hu Zi was particularly happy after "seeing the world", and Zhang Weifang even took him to a state-owned restaurant for a meal.
Seeing his elder sister spending money like water, Zhang Weishuang felt extremely distressed:
"Sister, let's go home. It's too cold."
Zhang Weishuang was afraid that her elder sister would continue to spend money, so she spent 20 yuan in a short time. It was really terrible.
Zhang Weifang laughed when she saw her sister's distressed look:
"Wei Shuang, don't feel bad. Money is meant to be spent. I didn't waste it."
"Sister, you spend too much. Our family doesn't earn much in a year."
"So, you have to know how to make money. You didn't want to go to school when I asked you to. If you had gone to high school, you could have found a job."
Zhang Weishuang felt overwhelmed when she mentioned going to school. She quickly waved her hands:
"Sister, please forgive me. I really can't concentrate on learning."
Life went on, and Zhang Weifang never forgot about introducing Li Zhuanqin to someone. She asked around about Shi Mingda, and he had a very good reputation. Apart from the heavy family burden, he had no other problems.
Unfortunately, when she went there last time, Shi Mingda already had a partner.
The matching degree of Li Zhuanqin's other red lines was not high, so Zhang Weifang did not take the next step.
One day, Zhang Weifang was warming herself by the fire in the office when she saw someone walk in. She looked up and saw that it was Shi Mingda.
"Hello, comrade, are you here for something at the Women's Federation?" Zhang Weifang asked politely.
"Hello, comrade. I heard that the Women's Federation is introducing potential partners. I would like you to introduce me to one."
"Ah? Okay, tell me about your situation and requirements first." Zhang Weifang thought to himself, it seems that he and his previous partner did not reach an agreement.
"My name is Shi Mingda, I'm 20 years old, and I work in a cannery. I live with my mother, four brothers, and four sisters. My requirements are simple: I want to cover the family expenses after I get married."
Zhang Weifang frowned after hearing this. She felt that this request was a bit too much. If she married him, would she have to take charge of all the chores in his family? When would that end? He was treating himself as the father figure of the family.
"Comrade Shi, I'd like to ask, if you mean that after marriage, you'll be responsible for all your household expenses, then what's the woman trying to gain by marrying you? You can't afford everything by yourself, so you need someone to help you share the burden?"
If Zhang Weifang wanted to introduce him to Li Zhuanqin, she had to ask clearly in advance.
Shi Mingda mumbled his words a few times, but in the end he didn't say them out loud. He remembered what his partner had said before:
"If you can't afford a family, don't get married. Women get married to live a good life, not to create a burden for themselves."
Shi Mingda's eyes brightened and dimmed, dimmed and brightened again, and finally he asked:
"Comrade, isn't it wrong for me to bear all the responsibilities of my family? I'm the only laborer in my family. If I don't take responsibility, who will?"
"Your idea is correct, but your situation is not suitable for marriage. Think about it, after marriage, you will have your own children, and the burden on the family will be heavier in the future. Can you bear it?"
"Also, will your younger siblings' education and marriage depend on you? Will your mother and your older brother also rely on you for their retirement?"
Shi Mingda was speechless. He didn't know what to say, but he couldn't ignore the family affairs. Wasn't there any woman willing to help him share the burden?
Zhang Weifang ignored his wild thoughts and gave him a suggestion directly:
"I have a suggestion for you. After you get married, you can divide your salary into two parts, one for your own family and one for your mother. As for how they spend the money, that's their business. You can think about it yourself when you get home!"
Zhang Weifang had inquired and found out that Shi Mingda's elder brother was deaf-mute, but he was a good worker and he got full work points every day.
In addition to working, Shi Mingda's mother also has to take care of a family of four, which is quite hard.
Shi Mingda works and earns a salary, which is the main source of income for the family.
But my younger brothers and sisters are all in junior high school. Not only do they spend money, but they also don’t take care of household affairs. These two are the biggest burdens.
It doesn't cost much to go to junior high school, but you have to go to high school and get married in the future, and Shi Mingda will be responsible for all of these, so it will be a bottomless pit in the future.
Shi Mingda returned home with a sad heart and saw his younger brother and sister eating in the house. They were both wearing thick cotton-padded jackets and were clean, not like rural children at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
