The courtyard: the atmosphere of human life

Chapter 200: Separation in Two Places

Ruyi had just arrived home and before she had time to tell Darong that Xiao Huya proposed to her, she heard Darong's complaints first.

"Your dad has been called to a meeting again. It's only been a short while, but he has already changed his ways just to take care of your grandpa."

"Ah? What's wrong? What time is it now?" Ruyi frowned and looked at the wall clock.

It turned out that she was the nanny hired to take care of Mr. and Mrs. Zhong. After being thrown down by Mr. Zhong today, she refused to do the job no matter what.

After the nanny left, Zhong's mother had no choice but to call Zhong Yunxing again and ask him to come over to discuss what to do.

Mr. Zhong's cerebellar atrophy is getting worse. His noise day and night is already unbearable for the nanny. Now he has made another mistake. The nanny has found a reason to quit her job.

"I think she fell down on purpose. How strong can your father's legs be?" Mother Zhong said with a helpless sigh while sitting on the sofa.

"No matter if it was intentional or not, the person has left and we can't hire him back. Let's go hire someone else tomorrow."

After Zhong Yunxing got home, he found out that his mother had only called him back, and did not call his other brothers and sisters.

"Daxing, I don't want to find a babysitter anymore. I just want to follow you."

As Mother Zhong spoke, tears began to flow down her face.

In fact, as soon as Zhong Yunxing walked in and found that Zhong's mother only called him back, he already had a prediction in his mind, but he also has his own family and his own difficulties.

Seeing that Zhong Yunxing just sat on the sofa with his head down and didn't say anything, Zhong's mother's mood slowly dropped to freezing point.

"Mom knows this is difficult for you. It's not that I don't love you, but I'm old. Your dad makes a fuss every day without knowing right from wrong. If he continues like this, I will have to be ahead of him."

"Or else let's take turns to be on duty." Zhong Yunxing sat for a long time before uttering these words.

"You all have to go to work. Even if you agree to take turns, you still have to let your wife come over. Besides Fu Rong, who won't bother me if she comes, are there any of those two who are easy to deal with?"

In fact, Mother Zhong knows everything in her heart, but as for people, there are really many things that cannot be evaluated.

Finally, Zhong's mother persuaded Zhong Yunxing to quit his job and stay at home to take care of the elderly. Zhong's mother went to talk to several of his brothers and sisters and asked them to continue giving money to Zhong Yunxing.

In this way, Mr. and Mrs. Zhong can be properly taken care of, and Zhong Yunxing will not be without a source of income.

When Zhong Yunxing returned home, it was almost 11 o'clock. Darong was sitting in the living room waiting for him. Ruyi was also sitting by Darong's side because she was worried that there would be conflicts between her parents.

"You're back? What new plans have you come up with this time?"

Darong didn't know that Zhong's mother had called Zhong Yunxing home alone, and thought that the brothers and sisters had gathered together for a small meeting.

As soon as Zhong Yunxing came back, he began to question him in a sarcastic tone.

Zhong Yunxing didn't say anything, he just changed his shoes and went into the bathroom.

For Zhong Yunxing, although he had already promised Zhong's mother, he really didn't know how to approach Darong. After all, Darong was his daughter-in-law, and she would care about gains and losses, which far exceeded the tolerance between mother and son.

Zhong Yunxing sat in the toilet for a long time. Darong did not urge him and did not say anything else. In fact, from Zhong Yunxing's expression when he entered the room, she knew that this time her family would definitely suffer the consequences.

But Darong never expected that Zhong's mother would ask Zhong Yunxing to quit his job and go home to take care of the elderly.

"Zhong Yunxing, aren't you going too far? We are the same sons, why should I let you leave?"

Zhong Yunxing sat on the sofa with his head hung, listening to Darong's scolding without saying a word.

Darong originally thought that at most Zhong Yunxing would have to take care of the elderly when he was off work. She had even prepared herself mentally to make a few extra trips after get off work to help Zhong Yunxing. Unexpectedly, Zhong's mother simply asked Zhong Yunxing to resign and stay at home.

This time, she has completely given up the idea and will stay at home full-time to take care of the elderly. What's even more infuriating is that Zhong Yunxing agreed to it without discussing it with Darong, which made Darong even more unacceptable to such an arrangement.

Ruyi sat aside, not daring to say a word. In her impression, Zhong Yunxing and Darong seldom quarreled, especially after she grew up, there had been almost no disputes between them.

Moreover, Ruyi and Zhong Yunxing did not experience as much emotional shock as Darong, because their identities were different and they inevitably looked at the problem from different perspectives.

Ruyi felt that since Mother Zhong had already promised to let her uncles and aunts continue to contribute money, then the income from Zhong Yunxing's work outside and taking care of the elderly at home was not much different, and there was nothing difficult to accept.

But Darong doesn't think so. She is the daughter-in-law. To her, it is unfair to ask Zhong Yunxing to go home to take care of the elderly while everyone else can go to work with peace of mind.

Caring for the elderly requires much more energy and hard work than working. It is not only physically demanding, but also a psychological burden. There is no moment of relaxation.

"I've already promised mom that I'll go to my company and resign tomorrow."

After listening to Darong's scolding for a long time, Zhong Yunxing just replied with this sentence in a sullen tone, then turned around and went into the room to lie down.

After Zhong Yunxing entered the room, Darong lay on the sofa with a dark face and looked angry.

"Mom, calm down. My dad must have no choice. He came back so late. It must be because my grandma said that he couldn't refuse anymore."

Seeing that Darong looked unhappy, Ruyi could only try to plead for Zhong Yunxing, but Darong just kept her eyes closed and didn't say a word.

That night, Ruyi did not tell Darong about Xiao Huya's proposal to her. She was just caught between her parents, feeling embarrassed and at a loss as to what to do.

Ruyi just felt that neither of them seemed to be wrong, but it seemed that something was wrong. In short, Ruyi at that time could not understand the helplessness that only middle-aged people would have.

Zhong Yunxing fulfilled his promise to his mother and quit his job to take care of the elderly at home full-time.

Darong’s bottom line is that she can no longer bring Mr. and Mrs. Zhong to her home.

From then on, Zhong Yunxing lived in Zhong's mother's house, while Darong and Ruyi stayed in their own home. After many years of marriage, the couple began to live separately for the first time.

"This time, after half a lifetime, we're now living apart." Darong snorted coldly and said to Ruyi.

Ruyi didn't know how to respond and could only smile awkwardly.

"Mom, he proposed to me."