Chapter 1 — A Social Insurance Sheet

The village committee has just set up a chat group to inform the villagers, and immediately announced the list of people who have not yet participated in insurance. By chance, I saw my name in there. After asking, I learned that since I got married, for ten years, my husband has paid health insurance for the whole family, from the elderly to children - except me. I cried and asked my husband what this was all about. He calmly said: "It doesn't matter if you need to use it, it's okay if you don't pay it."

“What if I get sick?”

He smiled coldly and said nothing. My son innocently said: "If you're sick, why don't you go find your grandparents? You're their biological daughter, they can't help but worry about you!" Rural health insurance is only four hundred a year, the village committee supports three hundred and fifty, each person only needs to pay fifty more. Yet I have worked hard to take care of this house for more than ten years, and in the end, even a health insurance for only fifty dong is not worth it! …

1

I was cooking in the kitchen when I accidentally heard my husband and my parents talking about health insurance. When I brought out the food, as soon as they saw me, they immediately fell silent, no one said another word. I felt something was wrong, but I didn't pay much attention. My son finished eating first, then picked up my husband's phone to play games. The phone keeps "pinging" continuously. I told my husband to see if anyone was looking for a job. The son said: "It's a message from a large group of newly formed villagers!" I curiously peeked in to see what the group was talking about, but my husband immediately grabbed my hand.

“Don't watch! There's nothing worth watching!”

After speaking, he immediately snatched the phone from his son's hand and stuffed it into his pocket. Could it be that he has some secrets in his phone? Waiting for my husband's parents to go out for a walk, I took advantage of my husband going to the bathroom and secretly turned on his phone. I discovered that a large group of villagers had his "notifications turned off" mode. I clicked on the group, and what caught my eye was an announcement from the group: "Those who have not yet paid health insurance, please go to the village committee to pay the fee as soon as possible." In the list attached at the back, my name is clearly there. I immediately sent a private message to the village chief, and this is when I realized - during more than ten years of marriage, my husband has never paid health insurance for me even once. If it weren't for this group, I probably would still be blindsided and not know anything! I was so angry that my whole body was shaking, I rushed to the bathroom, and grabbed my husband's collar.

“Why don't you pay for my insurance?”

My husband was clearly a little guilty, but still pretended to be bewildered: "What are you saying? I don't understand."

“I saw the announcement in the group!”

"If you see it, you'll see it, why bother? I'm really not doing it, so what?"

He pushed me, cursed as he walked out of the bathroom. I quickly chased after him, grabbed his hand, cried and asked: "Why don't you pay insurance for me? Am I not a member of this house?" During the struggle, my son ran to pull me back.

“It's just that I don't pay insurance, is there a need to overdo it?”

Unexpectedly, my son took his side. As soon as my parents-in-law entered the house, they saw me sitting down on the ground crying. The mother-in-law's face immediately darkened: "What are you crying for? It's peaceful and healing." making a fuss like there's a funeral? The son quickly said: "Grandma, mom found out dad doesn't pay insurance for mom!" I thought my husband's parents would scold my husband a few times, but I didn't expect them to say anything and calmly went straight into the room. My husband saw me crying so much and lost patience and said: "You won't use it, why waste money in vain?" Losing money in vain? I've been married to him for so many years, taking care of my parents-in-law, taking care of my husband and children, but even fifty dong to pay for my insurance is considered a waste of money in vain? The son continued: "Mom, tell your grandparents to pay for you!" I didn't expect my child to say such words. I was so angry that I gave him a strong slap. The boy burst into tears. My husband's parents panicked and ran out to comfort him, while comforting and scolding me: "You really are the kind of person who doesn't know how to love your child and is not worthy of being a mother!" It's because they have drilled that thought into my child's head for so many years that he looks down on me more and more. My parents-in-law and husband treat me like a maid, and my children also follow them. I argued with them countless times, but to no avail. I didn't bother arguing anymore, coldly turned around, and slammed the door. Outside, my husband's parents continued to hint sarcastically, but I pretended not to hear. I thought my husband would come in to comfort me, but by midnight there was still no sign of him. It was almost morning when I was able to sleep a little. My husband stood outside the door and called me up, saying that his sister would come for dinner this afternoon, urging me to go to the market early to buy things. Since marrying to the next village, my brother-in-law has come home seven or eight times a month. Every time I come I'm empty-handed, but when I leave I always carry all sorts of things, eating as I go. Sometimes I even complain about being in need, then sweetly ask my husband for some pocket money. I always considered her a member of the family, never calculating.

"You can buy it yourself, I'm not feeling well, I don't have to worry about lunch!"

Every time my brother-in-law comes home, I have to make a whole table full of food. But they always eat first, no one waits for me. Sometimes no one even bothers to order a pair of chopsticks for me. The resentment over the insurance issue has not yet subsided. Thinking back on the years of hardship, my heart becomes even more bitter. Seeing that I didn't move, my husband got angry and went out to buy things. Not long after, her brother-in-law arrived with her two children. Hearing her call, I didn't want to lose face so I reluctantly responded. They whispered something, probably discussing insurance. At noon, it is very rare for the mother-in-law to go to the kitchen to cook rice. My brother-in-law came and called me out to eat.

“Why, I've already scolded my parents and my brother. They know it's wrong, please be generous and forgive them."

People have gone to the water, I don't want to make things difficult, so I have to respect myself and eat. My sister-in-law sat next to me, sweetly calling me "sister-in-law" one sentence after another, and continuously served me food. I feel warm inside. For all these years, I've always considered her as my younger sister. She finally knows how to think. Unexpectedly, before saying a few words, she mentioned borrowing money for her husband to invest in his business. The father-in-law immediately spoke up: "Son-in-law is doing business, of course our family has to support it!" Mom and Dad are old, don't have much, we contributed 30,000, don't think it's too little!" Mother-in-law smiled, glanced at my husband: "How much do you lend?" I thought it was my husband would discuss with me first, unexpectedly he immediately raised five fingers generously.

"Can you give me fifty thousand? If it's not enough, just say so!"