Chapter 804 My eldest brother is known as a filial son
Fu Lili nodded and said, "Yangkou Ti comes from "Mencius Li Lou Shang".
Confucius had a student named Zeng Shen, also known as Ziyu, who was honored as the "Zong*sage" by later generations.
Zengzi's father once ordered that every meal must include wine and meat. When taking away the leftovers after the meal, he would always ask for instructions, "Who should I give the leftovers to?"
If Zeng Dian asked if there was anything left, Zeng Zi would definitely answer, 'Yes.'
Zengzi answered this to reassure his father, meaning that our family is very well off, and if you always have something to eat and use, it will not affect the quality of life of your children and grandchildren.
Zeng Dian died, and it was Zeng Zi's son who took care of Zeng Zi. Every meal must include wine and meat. But when the leftovers were taken away, they would not ask who to give the leftover food to. What if Zeng Zi asked if there was any left?
Zeng Yuan replied, ‘No more. If you still want to eat, then I will make another one for you.”
As a parent, of course you will say, "Oh, no need, I'm full..."
Zeng Yuan's behavior nourished his father's mouth and body, which is to nourish his mouth and body. Zeng Zi not only met his father's needs materially, but also gave his father respect spiritually and emotionally. This is called "nurturing Zhi"
.”
After Fu Lili finished speaking, she looked at him and said, "Bingkun, am I right?"
"That's very well said." Wang Lidong clapped his hands and applauded. Although his father-in-law did not join in the applause, he still showed an expression of appreciation. Fu Lili added, "The 'zhi' of raising one's ambition is the 'chi' of ambition, not
The second brother-in-law calls it the ‘wisdom’ of the mind.”
"Zuo Zongtang once said, 'It is better to nourish the mouth and body than to nourish the mind. When dealing with people, we must understand the fundamentals and get rid of the glitz." This sentence was said to Hu Yingyan.
Because Hu Yiyan's family was poor, he had not read many books since he was a child. From a waiter to a top businessman, Zuo Zongtang was afraid that he would go astray, so he said the above sentence to him.
The popular explanation of this sentence is that individuals should not only focus on external material comforts such as food, clothing, and housing, but also cultivate their own souls and improve their ideological and moral standards."
Wang Lidong looked at Feng Huacheng, who looked unhappy, and said, "No matter Mencius or Zuo Zongtang, they all disagree with what you said. You just claimed that 'filial piety, since ancient times, nourishes the mind and nourishes the mouth and body.' I think
Please tell me, when do you mean 'since ancient times' and which great sage did it come from?"
Feng Huacheng choked and didn't know how to answer. Seeing her husband in an embarrassing situation, Zhou Rong spoke out to save her, "Bingkun, Wang Yangming, a great scholar of the Ming Dynasty, once said that 'filial piety' has "three realms": nourishing the body, nourishing the heart, and
Nurture ambition.
Maintain your health and ensure that your elders have enough food and clothing;
Nurture the heart and make the elders feel happy. As the saying goes, the mother is worried when her son travels a thousand miles. It is best if the children can fulfill their filial piety in front of them. If not, they should always report to the family that they are safe, so that the elders can rest assured. Make achievements, honor the ancestors, and let the elders feel at ease.
Elders feel comfortable, which is a higher level of filial piety.
Nurturing ambitions allows the elders to live a meaningful life... This is what Hua Cheng means by ‘nurturing the mouth and body, nourishing the mind’.”
Her words were clear and convincing. After listening to them, everyone nodded, actually agreeing with Wang Yangming's statement.
Wang Lidong snorted and said, "The prerequisite for cultivating the mind is to 'cultivate the body.' Cultivating the body is the foundation. Putting aside the cultivation of the body and just talking about cultivating the will is just a 'castle in the air.'
The old man is hungry, can he use his face as food?
The old man is paralyzed in bed, can his face automatically clean up his feces, urine, and farts?"
Zhou Rong secretly spat, "Vulgar!"
"Bao Zheng passed the Jinshi examination at the age of 29. Because his parents were old and frail, he resigned and returned to his hometown to serve his parents (seven years). After his parents died, he followed local customs and built a house for his parents to observe mourning for three years, a total of ten years.
.
Doesn’t Bao Zheng, a Jinshi, know that nurturing the heart is a form of ‘filial piety’?”
Wang Lidong looked at Feng Huacheng and said, "Don't you just want to serve and support my parents? Just say so. Don't say so many vain things. My dad hasn't studied for a few years, and my mom can't even read."
know.
Fortunately, I have read several books and can understand what you mean.
In fact, you are worrying too much. My parents have a total of two sons and one daughter. My eldest brother is well-known as a filial son. He is a model of filial piety to his parents. My parents can't even take care of them in their old age, let alone me.
Forget about your son-in-law... It's a pity that my eldest brother is not here. If he were here, let him give you reassurance."
Zhou's father picked up the cigarette case, lit one, and took a few puffs. Zhou's mother lowered her head and carefully peeled the melon seeds. When a small handful was filled, she stuffed it into her eldest grandson's hand.
Feng Huacheng stood up with a leap, and the chair made a "sting" sound, which made the eardrums of everyone in the room hurt, "Maybe my expression was not accurate, and Bingkun misunderstood what I meant.
I am an orphan. When my father came to Guizhou to visit Zhou Rong and me and recognized me as the son-in-law of the Zhou family, I swore in front of Zhou Rong that her parents were my biological parents and that I would repay and honor my parents in this life.
.I won’t say any more, just watch my actions from now on.”
As soon as Feng Huacheng finished speaking, Zhou Rong immediately stated that she would not take the postgraduate entrance examination after graduating from college. She hugged her mother's arm and said, "Mom, I will return to Jichun to take care of you and dad."
"Mom is fine, I don't need you to take care of me," Zhou's mother still declined, letting her daughter study and work in the capital with peace of mind.
At this time, Little Watermelon in Zhou Zhigang's arms twisted uncomfortably. Zhou Zhigang quickly asked, "Little Watermelon, what's wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
Little Watermelon looked at her mother and said, "Mom, I'm hungry."
Zhou Zhigang looked at the wall clock and saw that it was already eleven o'clock. He hurriedly asked his wife to light a fire and cook.
"Yes, cook!"
"Hey, it's already past eleven o'clock. Let's cook."
In an instant, more than half of the room was emptied. Zhou's mother, Feng Huacheng, and Zhou Rong, who had not even done anything since returning from the New Year, rushed into the kitchen and took over the task of lighting the fire.
Fu Lili stood up and was about to go to the kitchen to help. Wang Lidong stretched out his hand to hold her and asked her to sit down again. Come closer now. If you don't appreciate it, they will find you annoying. Besides, they are guests today and they will just wait to eat.
Zhou Zhigang was fair to his in-laws, "Brother, can you play chess?"
Fu Jinshan peeled a peanut and said, "I know a little bit."
"Then let's have two games."
"good."
Zhou Zhigang found chess and set up a dragon gate formation with Fu Jinshan. Zhou Zhigang was not very good and Fu Jinshan was also a three-legged cat. The two bad chess baskets collided with each other, but they were half a catty to eight taels. They fought very happily.
...
After lunch, Zhou Zhigang wanted to bring his father-in-law to play two games, but Fu Jinshan could only refuse. He had to go to several colleagues' houses in the afternoon. The two met for a time and made an appointment at Wang Lidong's house on the sixth day of the new year.
, there must be a distinction between high and low.
"Dad, you and Lili go back first. I have something else to do." Wang Lidong sent his father-in-law and his wife to the small courtyard. Fu Jinshan glanced at his son-in-law. Although he couldn't guess why he stayed, it should be that he didn't
It's convenient to be there, otherwise I would have said it earlier. He nodded and said, "Okay, then Lili and I will go back first."
"Take the little watermelon back too."
Wang Lidong took his eldest son from Zhou's father, stuffed him into the small wooden chair in the back seat of his wife, and then helped the little boy put on his hood.
When the bicycles of his wife and father-in-law gradually went away, Wang Lidong turned around and entered the back room. Zhou Zhigang sat on the kang, crossed his feet, and looked at his youngest son, "What else can you do?"
Wang Lidong found that Feng Huacheng was still helping in the kitchen, so he said, "We'll talk about it when the great poet comes."
Zhou Rong said coldly, "What a great poet, he turned into your brother-in-law."
Wang Lidong lit a cigarette, "I don't have a sister, how can I get a brother-in-law?"
"Zhou Bingkun...."
Seeing that the brother and sister started to quarrel again, Zhou's father's face darkened and he slammed the kang table, "If you continue to quarrel, get out of here!"
The two glared at each other and each grabbed a handful of melon seeds.
When Feng Huacheng entered the room, Wang Lidong put down the melon seeds in his hand, looked at Zhou Rong and his wife and said, "In March 1976, you asked Guo Cheng to send Yue Yue home. Because of you two, my mother suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was in a coma.
I suffered from hemiplegia after the surgery... Fortunately, my mother was blessed with great fortune. After half a year of treatment, she recovered to a good extent, but her health was not as good as before.
It is too dangerous to live alone in this situation. After discussing with my eldest brother, I decided that my mother will live in my house during normal times and return to the old house during the Chinese New Year. Yueyue will also live in my house with her mother..."
Zhou Rong hugged her mother and burst into tears. Feng Huacheng bent down and bowed to Zhou's mother to apologize, "Mom, please forgive me."
Zhou's mother hurriedly asked her daughter to help her son-in-law up. Wang Lidong took a puff of smoke and said, "Since you came back for the New Year, you haven't apologized to your mother."
"I'm fine now, it's not a big deal," Zhou's mother comforted her daughter and son-in-law, telling them not to worry about such a trivial matter.
The couple asked about Zhou's mother's physical condition again, and learned that there was no serious problem except for occasional numbness in her right hand. After returning to the capital, the couple decided to use their connections to find a famous doctor to cure their mother's minor problem.
Zhou's mother smiled and told them not to worry about this matter. The couple are now in the capital. Zhou Rong is studying, and Feng Huacheng is the only one who has a salary. As the saying goes, it is not easy to live in the capital... money is needed.
Use it on the blade.
Zhou Rong peeled an apple for her mother and said, "Mom, don't worry about money. I now have a monthly scholarship of 14 yuan, and Huacheng's monthly salary is 70 yuan. In addition, a large amount of money was repaid to Huacheng two years ago.
Don’t save money for him on salary..."
Wang Lidong took out a yellow-covered notebook from his pocket and said, "Did you have a good life in your little life?"
Zhou Rong glanced at him and said, "No need to worry about it!"
Wang Lidong opened his notepad and flipped it to the middle. "In March 1976, Yueyue moved into my house. It has been three years. Please pay the expenses for the food, clothing, housing and transportation for these three years."
The room suddenly became quiet. Wang Lidong saw everyone looking at him in surprise, "Why are you looking at me like this? Is it weird? Feng Yue is Zhou Rong's daughter. I am just her uncle and have no obligation to raise her."
Zhou Zhigang took a puff of cigarette and said, "Bingkun, you are Yueyue's biological uncle. How much can a child eat and spend in a month? Do you have to calculate this amount of money clearly?"
"There is a saying that brothers will settle their accounts, let alone one generation apart."
Zhou Zhigang took another puff of cigarette, looked at him and said, "Then your mother has lived in your house for three years, does she also have to settle the score?"
"It's two different things. My mother gave birth to me, raised me, fed me, drank me, lived me. That's the only way to go."
Father Zhou blew out a puff of smoke and hummed, "You still have some conscience!"
"Whether I have a conscience or not is not up to you." Wang Lidong looked at Zhou Rong and his wife, "What do you two say?"
Just as Zhou Rong was about to speak, Feng Huacheng said first, "We will give you this money. How much is the total?"
Wang Lidong gently spit out a string of numbers, "1836 yuan, just give me 1830 yuan."
Zhou Rong almost jumped up, "Why is it so expensive?"
1,830 yuan for three years. On average, it costs 50 yuan a month. Now the salary of an ordinary worker is only more than 20 yuan. This is to treat them as the culprit!
Feng Huacheng's heroic face instantly stiffened. Wang Lidong slapped the workbook in front of the two of them, "This is Yueyue's detailed account of expenses. Every expense is recorded..."
The couple opened the workbook and flipped through the pages, "The monthly rent is five yuan?"
Zhou Rong said to her daughter beside her, "Yueyue, do you have a room by yourself?"
Feng Yue nodded.
"How big is the room?"
Feng Yue looked at the current room, "It's a little smaller than this one."
Zhou Rong looked at him and said, "The rent for such a big room is up to 2 yuan a month. I also mentioned the housing prices in Beijing."
Wang Lidong said calmly, "A single room that costs 2 yuan, does it have heating? Is there a private bathroom? Is there a TV? Is there a radio?"
Zhou Rong shut up and opened the account book again, "What about the tutoring fee? Five yuan a month?"
"Every day after school, Dudu takes Yueyue to play together. After Yueyue goes to elementary school, Dudu is also responsible for helping Yueyue make up lessons. Is 5 yuan expensive?"
Zhou Rong looked at the food and saw that there was meat every day, either beef or mutton, and there was milk every day. She asked her daughter in a low voice if it was true. Feng Yue nodded, "Every morning there is a glass of milk, two eggs, meat buns, and fried dough sticks.
....I basically eat fish at noon, and beef and mutton at night..."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The food is better than that of the couple, not just a little bit better. This kind of treatment is not something ordinary families in the capital can afford.
Not only was Zhou Rong a little confused, where did the third brother get so much money and notes, Feng Huacheng reminded him in a low voice, 'His father-in-law'.
(￣_,￣)
Zhou Rong flipped through a few more pages. The accounts were almost the same, so she sped up. Suddenly a big number appeared in front of her eyes. As if she had grasped a life-saving straw, she said excitedly, "What clothes cost 90 yuan a piece?"
Wang Lidong looked at Feng Yue, who was wearing a brand new cotton-padded jacket, "Yue Yue, I remember you were wearing a down jacket the day you came back. Where are your clothes?"
Feng Yue pointed at Zhou's mother and said, "Grandma has put it away."
Wang Lidong looked at his mother, and Zhou's mother was surprised and said, "Yueyue's clothes cost ninety-one pieces, what about mine?" As she said that, she looked at the coat on her body, and Wang Lidong said, "150 yuan."
Zhou's mother quickly took off her black down coat and found a lot of oil stains and scratches. She felt distressed. If she had known it was so expensive, she wouldn't be willing to wear it.
"Clothes are not just for wearing."
Zhou's mother changed out of her coat and put on a half-worn cotton-padded jacket. Then she found her granddaughter's down coat. He reached out and took it and handed it to Zhou Rong, "See for yourself, I think you can understand."
When Zhou Rong heard the word "down jacket" just now, she knew that Wang Lidong might not have fooled them. This product is not produced in China now and is all imported. When she went to You*Yi Store, she saw women's down jackets with beautiful styles.
, it’s also very warm, but the price tag for just one piece is not less than 100 yuan.
After hesitating for a long time, I finally decided not to buy it.
He reached out and took it. The clothes were very light. When he touched them, they were very delicate and warm. "For such expensive clothes, one is enough. Why buy 3 pieces?"
Wang Lidong said to Feng Yue, "Yue Yue, tell your mother, how many down jackets does Dudu have?"
Feng Yue said, "My sister has three pieces, the colors are the same as mine, one white, one black, and one pink."
Wang Lidong said, "If I buy one less item for Yueyue, my mother will definitely say that I am biased behind my back if she doesn't say it to her face. So every time Dudu buys something, Yueyue will also bring one."
Zhou's mother immediately retorted to her younger son that there was no such thing. Wang Lidong rolled his eyes, "Two years ago, I bought a new pair of skates for Dudu. Yueyue was too young, so I didn't buy them for her. You
I’ve been nagging for more than half a month.”
"Really? Why don't I remember?"
"Daughter-in-law, tell mom if you have any."
Zhou Rong and his wife looked at each other and felt their mouths were a little bitter.
Blame the mother?!
The mother was also kind-hearted, fearing that her daughter would be wronged at Wang Lidong's house.
But the cost is really staggering!
When he turned to the last page, he didn't find any major problems. Wang Lidong saw the two closing the ledger and asked, "Cash, or do you want to remit it to me after you return to the capital?"
Zhou Rong and his wife looked at each other. Their combined possessions were not that much money. If they had known, they would not have spent so much in the past six months.
Seeing their expressions, Wang Lidong made a guess, "You can't afford such a small amount of money, can you? I remember when Zhou Rong was in Guizhou, she wrote a letter and told her mother that your combined monthly salary is 38
Yuan, growing vegetables by oneself and buying grain from fellow villagers is not worth much. In ten years, this alone will cost more than 4,500 yuan.
Even if you spend half of it, there will still be more than 2,000 left, not to mention that Zhou Rong just said that a large amount of salary will be paid back."
Feng Huacheng immediately began to complain. In the first two years that he was locked up, Zhou Rong would send him rice, meat, and cigarettes every month. The money he saved in the previous few years was basically spent. Although he had a salary after he came out,
, but the price of goods in Beijing is much higher than that of Jichun, and his salary is not enough for the two of them. If it were not for the repayment of wages years ago, the two of them would still owe money to their colleagues...
Wang Lidong was not interested in listening to his grievances. He waved his hand and interrupted, "I am not your leader, nor your parents. You can save these words for the relevant people. I will ask you, this
Money, will you give it or not?"
"Here, I just don't have that much right now, can you give some of it first?"
"How many do you have now?"
The couple looked at each other and Feng Huacheng said, "We only have more than 800 left. For the travel expenses back after the New Year, plus next month's living expenses, I can give you 700 first, okay?"
"How long do you plan to pay off the remaining money?"
Feng Huacheng showed a troubled expression...
Wang Lidong waved his hand and said, "I can see that you are not going to pay back the remaining money."
"No, no, I'll definitely pay it back. It's just that we both have some difficulties now. Bingkun, don't worry, we won't miss the money. After your sister graduates and works..."
"A couple, with a salary of more than 800 yuan a month, told me that they are not enough. I think you just want to default on the debt." Wang Lidong stood up and said, "Forget it, don't give me 700 yuan. Wait until the New Year.
I'm going to the capital to find your leader..."
The expressions of Zhou Rong and his wife changed greatly. If Wang Lidong really found the capital, they would not be able to live in the capital in the future.
"Bingkun, if you have anything to say, let's talk. We are all one family..." Feng Huacheng stretched out his hand to stop him, but there was no way he could stop him. Seeing that Wang Lidong was about to go out, Zhou's father shouted,
"Come back, whatever you need, I will supply it to you."
Wang Lidong stopped, turned around and went back to the house. He looked at Zhou Zhigang, who had a dark face, and he took out more than a thousand as he asked... What a father's love!
Ten minutes later, Wang Lidong counted the money in his hand, "Not a penny more, not a penny less, everything is clear." He stuffed the money into his pocket and glanced at Feng Yue, "After the New Year, you take Feng Yue back.
Beijing, or should I let her continue to live in my house?"
The couple said in unison, "Bring them back to the capital."
"Oh, before you leave, come to my house and take away all Yueyue's things."
When she heard that she was going to the capital after the New Year, Feng Yue threw herself into her grandmother's arms and cried heartbrokenly, "I don't want to go to the capital, I want to live at my uncle's house, and I want to be with my grandma..."
"Yueyue, be obedient," Zhou Rong coaxed, "Don't you like living with mom and dad?"
The door clicked open, and Zhou Bingyi and his wife entered the room. "As soon as I entered the door, I heard Yue Yue crying. What's wrong?"
Feng Huacheng waved his hand and said, "Nothing, just a small matter."
When Father Zhou saw his eldest son and daughter-in-law coming, he patted the edge of the kang happily and said, "Bingyi, Chunmei, sit down quickly."
Zhou Bingyi looked around and didn't see Wang Lidong's wife and three nephews, "Where are my younger siblings and Xiao Xigua?"
Wang Lidong said, "I'm back, what happened?"
Zhou Bingyi nodded slightly, and then announced the good news to everyone, "Dad, Mom, Dongmei's parents are coming over tonight..."