Opening: I'm a wonton seller.
My cousin often came to me to eat wontons for free when he had nothing to do, but after a while he suddenly disappeared.
I was confused until I heard that he had made a fortune and got a BMW.
It wasn't until I got home on my own that I understood the reason behind it.
Text: In 2016, my wife and I tied the knot.
We spent nearly 200,000 yuan on the whole wedding, of which 100,000 yuan was used as a bride price, and the rest of the money was used for holding the wedding, taking wedding photos and other miscellaneous expenses.
We are both from the town, and we have a five-story house that was built in 2015, so we didn't buy a new house, but used it as our wedding house.
In this regard, my father-in-law and mother-in-law also expressed their understanding, they think that as long as we live happily, it is okay to live.
Our love has lasted six years, and it has been consistent.
Both of us didn't have a high degree of education, we were both high school classmates, she went to college, and I chose to work because I failed the college entrance examination.
After saving enough money, I mustered up the courage to add the WeChat account of my high school crush Qingwen.
Unexpectedly, during the exchange, I found out that she also had a crush on me back then.
In the best time of youth, two people who have a crush on each other can come together, what a wonderful thing.
After several years of long-distance relationship, until she graduated from college and worked for two years, we finally entered the palace of marriage.
After getting married, my wife worked as an accountant in a company, and because I didn't have a high education, I worked as a team leader in a factory, and my income was not high.
In the second year of marriage, one morning, my wife woke up feeling very tired and had frequent nausea and vomiting.
She told me that she has not been interested in greasy food at all lately, and she is disgusted when she sees it.
I thought she just ate the wrong thing.
Me: Did you eat something bad, should you go to the hospital to see it?
Wife: No, wait two days to see if it gets better.
But two days later, not only did her condition not improve, but she vomited in the morning.
At that time, I handed her a glass of water.
Wife: Am I pregnant?
I thought about it: yes, your period is already a week late.
Wife: Let's go buy a pregnancy test and try it.
Me: Okay, wait a minute.
I immediately grabbed my car keys and went with my wife to buy a pregnancy test.
While passing near my uncle's house, I happened to meet my cousin, who happened to be having breakfast.
When he saw me, he greeted me.
Asked politely: "Brother Yu, do you and your sister-in-law have any arrangements today?" You don't have to work today, do you? ”
I replied, "Oh, nothing special, my sister-in-law isn't feeling well, and I'm about to take her to buy some medicine." ”
The cousin said with concern: "If you are unwell, you must deal with it in time, and it is best to go to the hospital as soon as possible." ”
I agreed: "Yes, we're ready to go now." ”
Then, the cousin changed the subject: "By the way, Brother Yu, how is your recent economic situation?" I want to get a new phone, my old one is broken, can you lend me some money? ”
Since I was in a hurry, I asked him directly how much he needed: "I have a little over 8,000 on hand at the moment." ”
The cousin said, "Then lend me 5,000, and when I get a job, I'll pay you back." ”
I agreed: "Okay, I'll give it to you when I get back." ”
The cousin expressed understanding: "Okay, you guys are busy first, I'm not in a hurry." ”
My wife and I then walked to the side of the car, and she quickly got into the car.
After the car started, my wife expressed her dissatisfaction: "Why did you lend him money again?" The 10,000 yuan he borrowed before has not been repaid. ”
I comforted her: "It's okay, we are a family, and he will definitely pay it back if he has the ability." ”
My wife retorted: "He hasn't worked for a long time, he hasn't found a job since the Chinese New Year, and you always help him." Obviously I have no money to buy an expensive mobile phone, if it were me, it would be enough to buy a mobile phone of more than 1,000 if I don't have money, and there is no need to pursue famous brands. ”
I tried to change the subject: "Okay, don't talk about it, we're almost there, let's go buy medicine." ”
My wife got out of the car to buy medicine and returned to the car shortly after.
We rushed home, and in a hurry to find out if I was pregnant, I withdrew the money and went home immediately.
When I got home, my wife went into the house, and I gave the money to my cousin.
When I found my cousin, he was already playing games in his room.
I handed him 5,000 yuan: "This is the money lent to you." ”
He said gratefully: "Thank you, brother, I will pay you back when I get my salary." ”
I reminded him, "Don't worry, but don't play games all day, don't your parents urge you to find a job?" ”
He replied while playing the game: "It's useless for them to urge, it's not easy to find a job now, and I plan to try it in Shenzhen after a while." ”
I had just left my cousin's house, and I couldn't help but feel a little heavy about the situation of my uncle's family. The uncle and his wife have three children, the first two are daughters, both of whom are married; Only their 24-year-old cousin lives with them. My cousin started working part-time after graduating from junior high school, but he never stabilized, and often changed jobs in less than two months, which made my uncle often complain to my father that his son did not understand the family's efforts and bitterness.
Uncle works as a security guard in an electronics factory every month, earning only 3,200 yuan, including lunch, but no social security; The aunt works as a cleaner in the hotel, with a monthly salary of 2,800 yuan, although the three meals and accommodation are solved, she chooses to go back and forth every day to spend the night with her family. They work tirelessly for the future of their families, living in this small county town where the housing price is about 4,000 yuan per square meter, and dreaming of owning a house of their own.
The cousin's previous relationship fell through because of his unstable job and lack of property, and the woman's parents insisted that their daughter break up. The uncle's family currently has savings of 200,000 yuan and hopes to buy a house, but they are worried that they will not be able to bear the risks of the mortgage due to the unstable income of their cousin. The current situation of the whole family made me feel that it was difficult for them, and at the same time, I was worried about the future of my cousin.
My aunt and uncle were anxious about their cousin's marriage, and they tried their best to raise money for the marriage, hoping that he would get married before the age of 28. However, in addition to the efforts of their two elders, the cousin himself did not take active action, not only did he not make money, but he often reached out to the elders to ask for money, which is really a headache.
With that in mind, I went home. My wife saw me and greeted me with a smile on her face.
She asked me, "Guess if I'm pregnant?" ”
I replied that seeing her so happy, she must be pregnant.
She smiled and told me that it was true, that she was pregnant and that we were going to be parents. I said we need to work harder to prepare for the children that are coming.
However, when I mentioned the money I had lent to my cousin before, my wife's face changed, and she blamed me for lending him money without her consent and sternly told me not to do it again in the future.
I reassured her and promised that I would listen to her in the future.
That night, my parents were very happy to know the good news about us. My mother immediately gave us 10,000 yuan to buy supplements and prenatal check-ups to ensure the health of the baby. The wife expressed her gratitude and promised to have regular prenatal check-ups. My mom said that taking care of her was what we should do because she was pregnant with the baby in the family.
Last night, my wife and I discussed our finances, and our combined monthly income was only 8,000 yuan, and our savings were gradually decreasing. Considering that the baby is about to be born and there will be more expenses, we discussed the possibility of quitting your job and starting a business.
The wife is worried about the risks of starting a business and the loss of her existing savings. I pointed out that there are no shops selling ravioli and dumplings near our county, and that it is close to a large industrial area, where many young people prefer to order takeout and do not want to cook their own food, and there is a lack of breakfast nearby**. Based on my previous experience of working in a well-known wonton shop in Guangzhou for two years, I suggested that we could open a wonton shop.
Despite my wife's hesitation and concern about the consequences of a failed venture, I explained that we could use our savings as start-up capital, and even if we failed, we would only lose our savings. If successful, not only will the income increase significantly, but the wife will not have to work hard every day to commute, and she will be able to take better care of the children in the future.
Eventually, my wife was convinced by my idea and agreed to our plan to start a business together.
Without resigning directly, we chose to inspect the store together on the weekend, and conducted a market analysis to compare the surrounding ** situation.
In the end, we settled on a store that was not far from home.
Next, we spent more than 60,000 yuan to renovate, and the total investment reached 100,000 yuan including the purchase cost.
It was only after we had all the required materials in place that we finally decided to leave.
My departure process was relatively smooth, while my partner experienced some difficulties. But in the end, we all managed to resign.
After leaving, we spent a few days making various fillings in the store until we were satisfied, and then we started a soft opening.
The trial operation period lasts for three days, and the ** period is set at one bowl of one yuan.
In the early days of our business, our business was so busy that it was so full every day that I had to ask my parents for help.
Then it entered the official business, and the ** was adjusted to: 10 yuan for ordinary bowls, 15 yuan for medium bowls, and 20 yuan for large bowls.
In the first month of opening, our turnover reached 15,000 yuan.
It rose to $27,000 in the second month.
The next three and fourth months were very stable.
My cousin, who came to visit me when he learned that I had opened a wonton shop, had not yet found a job.
Every time we come to the store, we are embarrassed to let him go back empty-handed, always bring him a bowl, he never refuses, and leaves directly after eating, never checkout.
At first, my partner didn't have much of a problem with this, thinking that his visit would increase the popularity of the store.
However, as business gradually improved, and he came to the store almost 5 times a week, my partner began to feel dissatisfied.
One night, when she got home, she expressed her displeasure with me.
I have to agree, in order to avoid making my wife angry, after all, she is pregnant, and both body and mood are important. She urged me to talk to him and ask him to repay the loan as soon as possible, as our child was about to be born and the family needed money urgently. In addition, the small store we opened was not profitable yet, and the finances were really tight, so she insisted that he pay him back.
Although I was a little reluctant because he was a member of my family, it always felt a little inappropriate to ask him for money. Moreover, lent him 1Although 50,000 yuan is not a small amount for us, it is always a little embarrassing to recover. However, my wife's words were orders, and I had to do it head-on.
That night, after the shop closed, I went straight to my uncle's house. I noticed that my uncle and aunt were eating a simple dinner, and I couldn't help but sigh at their state of life. I asked about my cousin and learned that he had gone upstairs after a few bites of food, and that he had been addicted to games lately, much to the great worry of my uncle. Uncle hopes that I can persuade him not to waste his time like this again.
I went upstairs to find him, and he was a little surprised to see me visiting. I offered to go out for a drink and change the environment, and he quickly agreed, ready to go out with me.
That night, I went out with him, and he called a few friends to join him. From what they say, I suspect that they may be deeply involved in the world.
We chose a barbecue restaurant and ordered some barbecue, porridge with preserved eggs and lean pork and fried snails, as well as a few cases of beer.
Originally, I was going to mention the loan, but his arrangement made me feel that it was not the right time.
Enjoy the food while chatting.
During this period, they mentioned the idea of starting a business together.
Listening to their plans, I was suspicious and worried about financial troubles, and with their unruly attitude, I was not optimistic about it.
But my cousin seemed intrigued by the idea, and they discussed it until three o'clock in the evening.
When it was time to pay, no one took the initiative, so I had to pay out of my own pocket, and six people spent a total of more than 1,500 yuan.
On the way home, I asked my cousin if he really considered working with them.
His answer was hesitant.
When I got home, I told my wife that the money hadn't come back yet, and she was obviously not very happy, so she didn't talk to me much after that.
Since then, my cousin hasn't come to our store for breakfast.
Until I was busy with the newborn and work, I didn't ask my cousin about it.
It was only on the day of the child's full moon that I learned from my mother that my cousin is now very successful, has bought a BMW, a house in the city, and even has a girlfriend. We had a banquet that night.
I immediately contacted my cousin.
* Connected quickly.
I asked him if he would come back for the banquet, and he said that he was not in his hometown and could not come back in time, but he expressed his blessing to me.
After the guests dispersed, we invited the uncle to have a supper with the leftovers.
At the dinner table, I noticed that the uncle was full of energy, no longer the decadent appearance he had before.
When it comes to my cousin, he is really proud.
Once, a relative curiously asked about his cousin's occupation.
The uncle replied that he did not know much about the specifics, but it was said that the income was quite considerable.
I joked that I should let him come back to share some of his thoughts and help us out.
The eldest aunt smiled and said that she would discuss it when he returned. She also mentioned that my cousin is very sensible now and will send 5,000 yuan a month to the family, and then asked me how much money I can give my parents every month.
This made me feel a little embarrassed, because I didn't actually give money to my parents, I just paid for the family's food, about 3,000 yuan a month.
I explained that I was short of money and could only give my mother 3,000 yuan a month for living expenses, and it seemed that my cousin was more capable.
My aunt was delusional that our shop made a lot of money, and thought that our family's expenses were only 3,000 yuan, and we could hardly eat meat. She reminded us to spend more, especially now that we have a baby, my mom needs good nutrition to ensure breastfeeding.
My wife was embarrassed by this.
She replied to the aunt, "We are really nervous. Now that my cousin's financial situation is improving, we still hope that he can repay the money he lent him as soon as possible, so that we can live more comfortably.
The eldest aunt said lightly, if it is only a few thousand dollars, don't worry too much, thinking that we should not care about such a little money.
My mother immediately responded that our family is not wealthy, and she really cares about these thousands of dollars. Since the cousin can send them so much money every month, maybe they can help pay it back.
The uncle proposed not to discuss the issue again, and waited until he had a chance to communicate with his cousin, emphasizing that it would be more appropriate for the cousin to settle the debt problem himself.
My dad also agreed not to continue the topic.
Eventually, the eldest aunt left with displeasure.
I began to understand why my cousin stopped patronizing our wonton shop, he had found a way to make money, was no longer short of money, and left his hometown.
But the $15,000 he owes us has not been repaid, which is puzzling to me.
I didn't rush him again.
It wasn't until late last year, when I came home, that my mom mysteriously told me something.
I said that I was so busy that I didn't even have time to drink water, so it was impossible to know how my cousin was doing.
My mother revealed that my cousin had taken the wrong path, was addicted to gambling and was in debt. There were creditors who came to collect debts before.
I asked in surprise, didn't he say that he made a lot of money and bought a car and a house?
Mom explained that although she bought it, she had to sell her property to pay it off because she owed too much debt. She asked if the money I had lent him earlier had been repaid.
I replied that no, and I wondered why he hadn't paid me back when I had heard that he had made a lot of money.
My mother suggested that if he came back for the Chinese New Year, I should urge him to pay back the money immediately, and not let this matter drag on.
I agree, and decided to see the situation later.
During the Spring Festival, he really went home.
However, a fortuitous reminder sparked an altercation.
He retorted, "Are you really going to put pressure on me when I'm in trouble? 1.50,000 is not a big number for you, why do you always force me? Don't worry, I'll pay you back, don't keep asking, I owe money, not life. ”
I explained, "I didn't mean to, I just wanted to ask about your situation and remind you to stay away from the dangers of gambling for your own good." ”
He replied dissatisfiedly: "Well, I know that you live better, have a family and a job, and you feel that you look down on me?" ”
I made sure he understood what I meant and didn't take it lightly.
At this point, my aunt joined in and seemed to understand what was happening, and she asked me why I couldn't be tolerant, pointing out that family members should help each other and not worry too much about money.
I responded, "Auntie, I'm not here for money. Even if it is a request to pay back, it is reasonable. But I want him to understand the importance of living honestly. ”
My aunt advised me to leave, believing that my presence would only add to his burden.
In order to avoid further disputes, I chose to leave.
I thought it about it and realized that if I had listened to my wife's advice earlier and had not lent him money so easily, perhaps he would not have indulged in the idea of getting rich easily.
The current situation is helpless, and I have no hope for the $15,000. If he can give up gambling and go back to a normal life, that's more important than any possessions.
As his own cousin, I sincerely hope that he will be able to turn over a new leaf, earn a living through honest work, and become an upright person.
When I debated with my cousin and expressed my opinion to my aunt, my aunt always thought that I was at fault. However, I don't think I'm at fault. The initial help was only well-intentioned, and his subsequent choice of gambling was a purely personal decision, and I should not take that responsibility.
What do you think? Does this rephrase meet the requirements and does not change the original meaning?