Zhang Lei, 33 years old, is an accountant in a state-owned enterprise with a monthly salary of 6,500 yuan. Shen Yan, 30 years old, is a clerk in a company with a monthly salary of 4,000 yuan. They have a three-year-old daughter who is in kindergarten. Zhang Lei's unit has generous benefits, and there is a kindergarten in the factory area, so he can easily pick up and drop off his daughter to and from school every day.
On this day, Zhang Lei took his daughter home, and Shen Yan was already busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. Xining put down her schoolbag and shouted excitedly: "Mom, I'm back!" Shen Yan responded with a smile, and delicious food was already on the table. Xining saw the cherries on the table, her eyes lit up, and she was clamoring to eat. Zhang Lei touched his daughter's head dotingly, and said gently: "Okay, dad will change your clothes first, and then eat with mom." ”
However, in Xining's laughter, Zhang Lei's heart was a little heavy. It's almost the Chinese New Year, and the family's expenses are getting bigger and bigger, but the savings are almost non-existent. The monthly mortgage is 3,500 yuan, the living expenses are 2,000 yuan, and various other expenses, so that their salary is almost left. During the Chinese New Year, he always wanted to give his parents some money to buy some new clothes and good food, but now it seems that this has almost become a luxury.
Xining took Zhang Lei's hand and yelled to eat big cherries. Zhang Lei picked up the cherries and washed a plate, the purple-red cherries were full and attractive. He carefully put a cherry into his daughter's mouth, and said with a smile: "Xining, be careful, don't eat the kernel, otherwise a small fruit tree will grow in your stomach." Xining responded vaguely, with an innocent face.
At this time, Shen Yan walked out of the kitchen with the dishes and glanced at Zhang Lei with disgust: "Don't bully my daughter." Zhang Lei smiled and helped serve the dishes, but Shen Yan couldn't help complaining: "Ah Lei, now the price is so expensive, this braised beef is so expensive, you still buy so much." Zhang Lei smiled and didn't say anything. He knew that the money had already been spent, and it would not help to say anything more.
At dinner, Shen Yan raised the question of whether to go home for the New Year. Zhang Lei sighed and said, "Let's transfer 2,000 yuan to my parents and let them buy some delicious food by themselves." Shen Yan was a little dissatisfied: "Ah Lei, it's 4,000 in this way, how can we have so much money?" Zhang Lei nodded: "I know that there is a year-end bonus in the factory, although the benefits are not good this year, but there are still 10,000 yuan." ”
When Shen Yan heard this, a smile appeared on her face: "Really? I thought there weren't any of them this year. Do you want to get me a new phone? The people in our office have bought themselves gifts, which is a reward for a hard year. Zhang Lei was a little embarrassed: "Yanyan, can you change it in a few months?" In addition to giving money to parents during the New Year, there are also several happy events, and there is a lot of money for these gifts. ”
When Shen Yan heard this, her face suddenly sank: "Ah Lei, I'm busy all year round, I usually don't want to buy this or that, can't you buy me a gift at the end of the year?" Look at my colleagues, who isn't having a chic life? Zhang Lei lowered his head to eat, and felt bitter in his heart. His monthly salary is so much, and the mortgage plus supporting his family has left him with no extra penny. He thought for a while and said, "Yanyan, I'll go to the leader to see if I can let you go to work in our company, the salary is higher than your current salary, and the benefits are better." ”
Shen Yan was furious when she heard this: "Zhang Lei, what do you mean?" Do you think I'm earning less or I'm spending more? You look at our family, these days, I am reluctant to go out for a good meal every month, I can't go out to play every year, and I take my children to an aquarium as a celebration, don't you think it's too cold? Zhang Lei was silent and didn't look at her, but said: "Yanyan, I want you to go to work in our company, just want you to leave the current environment." He raised his head and looked into Shen Yan's eyes and said, "Yanyan, we are ordinary people, now we have a mortgage and children, and we have to spend every penny." ”
Shen Yan sneered: "Zhang Lei, in fact, don't you think it's because you're useless and can't give me a better life?" Do you think I should suffer with you, in order to save a penny, I dare not eat strawberries or barbecue for a year, and I should not buy a set of cosmetics, right? Zhang Lei sighed: "Yanyan, I didn't say that, I just think that this family is the two of us, and we need to work together." He paused and said, "You're right, I'm useless, I can only earn so much a month now, but I'm already taking the CPA exam, and I can raise my salary when the time comes, what else can I do?" ”
Shen Yan listened to Zhang Lei's words, and felt a sour feeling in her heart. She knew that Zhang Lei had done his best, but the words he said pierced her heart like a needle. She suddenly felt as if she had really changed, and she was no longer as happy as she used to be. She looked at Zhang Lei's familiar and unfamiliar face, and a complicated emotion surged in her heart.