“You raised a daughter—let her help,” Valya said with a smirk. “I’m not breaking my back over someone else’s cucumbers.”
Valya closed her laptop and stretched in her chair. Her workday in online sales had ended successfully—several large orders had brought in a good profit. An income of sixty-two thousand rubles a month allowed her to feel financially secure, especially when combined with Pavel’s salary. Her husband worked as a driver and earned around fifty-five thousand rubles, and together they had no trouble paying the mortgage on their two-bedroom apartment.
Pavel returned home at around seven, tired after a long-distance trip. They had dinner and discussed their plans for the weekend. Then the phone rang—it was Valya’s mother-in-law.
“Hello,” Valya answered when she saw Lidia Petrovna’s name on the screen.
“Valyechka, I have a suggestion. Let’s all go to my sister’s country house together. There’s a lot of work to do there right now. It’s summer—the busiest time of the year.”
Valya exchanged a glance with her husband, who raised his eyebrows with a tired expression.
“What needs to be done there?”
“Oh, the usual garden work. The vegetable beds need weeding, the potatoes need hilling, and water needs to be carried for irrigation. You know, my sister rarely manages to get out there because of work and things she has to do in the city. And the plot is large—she can’t manage without help.”
“When are you planning to go?” “This weekend. We’ll leave early on Saturday morning. I thought you and Pavel were young and energetic, so you could handle the heavy work. My sister and I will find something lighter to do.”
Pavel took the phone from his wife.
“Mom, who’s paying for the trip? The gas and the food?”
“Oh, Pavlik, honestly. You didn’t buy the car for me. And as for food, everything grows there.”
Valya took the phone back.
“Lidia Petrovna, who owns the land? And who gets the harvest?”
“The land belongs to my sister, of course. And the harvest… Well, everything is shared among us. We’re family.”
After the call, Valya sat beside her husband on the sofa.
“Pavel, do you understand what this is about? Your aunt owns a country house, doesn’t go there herself, but takes the harvest. We’re being invited to work for free and pay our own travel expenses on top of that.”
“Going there a couple of times isn’t a problem. We need to help Mom.”
“Mom? Pavel, your aunt isn’t my family. I’ve never even seen her in my life. And your mother talks about sharing the harvest, but I doubt we’ll get so much as a bunch of dill.”
“Valya, don’t exaggerate. We’ll probably get something.”
“This matters to me. I only have two days off a week. I don’t want to spend them working in someone else’s garden.”
Pavel shrugged and turned on the television. The conversation ended there, but Valya could see that her husband had not understood her position.
The following day, Lidia Petrovna called again.
“Valya, I’ve been thinking. We’ll leave very early on Saturday morning, around six. That way, we can get more done before it gets too hot.”
“Lidia Petrovna, I’m not going.”
“What do you mean you’re not going? Why?”
“Because I have my own plans for the weekend.”
“What kind of thing is that to say? Women used to be different. They wouldn’t sit around arguing. They would simply go and help without asking who they were helping or why.”
“Women used to do many things because they were forced to. Times have changed.”
“What kind of upbringing do young women receive these days? My son brought a wife into his home, but she’s no use at all.”
Lidia Petrovna hung up. Valya remained sitting with the phone in her hands, feeling a mixture of irritation and hurt.
That evening, Pavel returned from work and immediately approached his wife.
“Mom called. She said you spoke rudely to her.”
“I wasn’t rude. I was honest.”
“Valya, these are close relatives. We’ll go just once. What will it cost you?”
“Pavel, explain something to me. The country house belongs to your aunt. Your aunt also takes the harvest. What exactly has she done to deserve my free labor?”
“At least do it because Mom is asking.”
“Your aunt isn’t my family. I don’t know her and have never met her. And if your mother wants to help her, she can go herself.”
“It’s difficult for Mom. She’s not young anymore.”
“And it’s easy for me? I work all week, just like everyone else. The weekend is the only time I have for myself.”
“But you work from home. You don’t sit in an office.”
Valya felt every muscle in her body tense. It was the same old song about working from home not being real work.
“Pavel, I earn more than you do. And I work no less than eight hours a day. Just because I do it at home doesn’t mean I’m resting.”
“But it still isn’t as demanding as physical labor.”
“How would you know? Have you ever sat in front of a computer for ten hours straight?”
Once again, the conversation reached a dead end. Pavel went to take a shower while Valya remained in the kitchen, thinking about the situation.
The next day at work, Valya told her colleague Natasha about the family conflict.
“Listen, maybe you really should go,” Natasha suggested. “Just once, to keep the peace in the family.”
“Natasha, you don’t understand. If I go once, they’ll take me there every weekend until autumn. Then they’ll make me dig up the potatoes too.”
“Surely not every weekend.”
“Every weekend. I know this tactic. First, they ask as though it’s a favor. Then it becomes an obligation.”
On Thursday, Lidia Petrovna called Pavel at work.
“Pavlik, I’ve been thinking. Maybe you could go alone. We’ll leave Valya at home since she’s so principled.”
“Mom, don’t talk about Valya like that.”
“How am I supposed to talk about her? She clearly said she wouldn’t break her back over someone else’s cucumbers. That’s what wives are like these days.”
“Mom, Valya works a lot. She gets tired.”
“Everyone works and gets tired. But wives used to support their husbands instead of resisting their family responsibilities.”
Pavel came home upset.
“Mom is upset. She says you offended her.”
“How did I offend her? By refusing to work for free?”
“By refusing to help the family.”
“Pavel, what family? When was the last time you saw your aunt?”
Pavel thought about it.
“At our wedding. Three years ago.”
“Exactly. She hasn’t called us once in three years or asked how we were doing. But now she suddenly needs help, and we immediately become family.”
“But Mom is asking.”
“Mom is asking on her behalf. Not for herself, but for her sister. What does that have to do with us?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it really is unreasonable.”
On Friday evening, Pavel packed a bag.
“I’ll go alone. I don’t want to upset Mom.”
“All right. Go.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Mind what? You’re an adult. You can decide for yourself how to spend your weekend.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Work. I have an important project with a Monday deadline.”
Pavel kissed his wife and left. Valya stayed home alone, but she felt relieved. She had not needed to convince anyone or ruin her weekend.
On Saturday morning, Pavel left with his mother for his aunt’s country house. Valya began working—she needed to prepare a presentation for an important client. She sat at her computer until lunchtime, made herself something light to eat, and continued working.
At around four, her husband called.
“Hi. How are things?”
“Good. I’m working. How are things there?”
“I’m exhausted. We’ve been weeding the beds since morning, then we hilled the potatoes. We carried water for irrigation too. The well is far away, so it’s hard work.”
“What were your aunt and your mother doing?”
“They sat in the shade and talked about the neighbors. They said they’re too old for heavy work.”
“I see. Did they give you anything to eat?”
“Yes. Boiled potatoes and cucumbers. Mom said that was the food from the garden.”
“Generous.”
“Valya, could you come tomorrow after all? There’s still a lot of work, and it’s difficult for me to do it alone.”
“Pavel, I already explained. It isn’t my country house.”
“But we’re family…”
“What family? Your aunt didn’t even say hello to me when you handed her the phone.”
“She’s shy.”
“Or she simply doesn’t consider me worth speaking to. Which is more likely?”
The conversation ended coldly. Valya returned to work, but her mood had been spoiled.
On Sunday morning, Lidia Petrovna called again.
“Well, Valya, have you changed your mind? It’s difficult for Pavlik to work alone, and there’s enough work for another entire day.”
“I haven’t changed my mind.”
“Why are you so stubborn? We need help.”
“Lidia Petrovna, your sister needs help. I have nothing to do with it.”
“How can you have nothing to do with it? You’re my son’s wife.”
“And what does that mean?”
“It means you have to support the family.”
“I do support my family. I support Pavel, and I support you. But I’m not required to support complete strangers.”
“Strangers? How dare you!”
“Lidia Petrovna, your sister is a stranger to me. We don’t know each other and have never spoken. Why should I work for her?”
“Because that’s what normal wives do.”
“Normal wives do many things. But working in strangers’ gardens isn’t one of their responsibilities.”
Lidia Petrovna hung up again. Valya understood that the conflict was only getting worse.
Pavel returned on Sunday evening, dirty and exhausted.
“Well, did you get a lot done?”
“A lot. We weeded the entire plot, hilled the potatoes, and watered the beds. Tomorrow, Aunt Nina will come to collect the first harvest.”
“Tomorrow? When did you collect anything?”
“We didn’t. Mom said that wasn’t our concern.”
Valya looked carefully at her husband.
“So you worked for two days, and your aunt gets the harvest?”
“Well, yes. It’s her country house.”
“Pavel, do you understand that they used you?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s very simple. You were free labor for two days. They didn’t even feed you properly.”
“Come on, Valya. We’re family.”
“What family? Your aunt didn’t even thank you?”
Pavel thought about it.
“No, she didn’t. But she was probably embarrassed.”
“Or she considers your work something she’s automatically entitled to.”
The following day at work, Lidia Petrovna told her colleagues what an ungrateful daughter-in-law she had.
“Can you imagine? I asked her to help my sister, and she refused. She said she wouldn’t break her back over someone else’s cucumbers.”
“Is your sister ill?” one of her colleagues asked.
“No, she’s healthy. She simply doesn’t have time to go to the country house.”
“And who gets the harvest?”
“My sister, of course. It’s her land.”
“Then perhaps she should do the work herself. Or hire someone.”
Lidia Petrovna pursed her lips. She did not like the direction the conversation had taken.
Meanwhile, at home, Valya received a message from an unfamiliar number.
“This is Nina, Lidia Petrovna’s sister. I wanted to thank your husband for helping. He was a great help.”
Valya replied politely.
“I’ll tell him. Pavel is always ready to help.”
“Why didn’t you come? Lidia said she invited you.”
“I was busy working.”
“I see. Will you be able to come next weekend? There’s still a lot to do.”
Valya stared at the message. So this had only been the beginning.
That evening, her husband returned from work tired but pleased.
“Did Aunt Nina message you?”
“She did. She thanked you for helping and immediately invited us for the next weekend.”
“Well, you see? They liked the way we worked.”
“The way you worked. I wasn’t there.”
“Valya, maybe you could go at least once? Just for appearances, so you don’t damage the relationship.”
“Pavel, explain to me again—who am I supposed to maintain a relationship with? A woman I saw once at our wedding?”
“With the family.”
“I get just as tired from work as you do. Spending my rare weekends in the dirt isn’t my idea of a good time.”
Pavel shrugged and went to eat dinner. As usual, the conversation led nowhere.
The following weekend, Pavel went to the country house again. Valya stayed home and decided not to waste her time. She had long wanted to try earning extra money through online marketplaces by selling products online. She registered on a platform, researched popular product categories, and contacted suppliers.
During the weekend, she managed to post her first listings and receive several orders. The work turned out to be interesting. It required attention to detail, but it also offered good earning potential.
Pavel returned on Sunday evening, as usual, dirty and exhausted.
“How did it go? Did you do a lot?”
“We picked all the raspberries and currants. We also weeded the onion beds. Aunt Nina will come tomorrow to collect the berries.”
“Tomorrow again? Did they give you anything?”
“They did. A jar of jam from last year.”
Valya nodded and continued working at her computer.
“What were you doing?” her husband asked.
“I started a side business. I’m selling products online.”
“Why? Don’t we have enough money?”
“We have enough. But it’s better to spend the weekend doing something useful than sitting around doing nothing.”
A month later, the side business was generating a stable income. Valya established relationships with suppliers, studied demand, and optimized her processes. During July, she earned an additional twenty thousand rubles.
Pavel continued going to the country house every weekend. He came home exhausted and occasionally brought vegetables or berries. But everything disappeared almost immediately—his mother took it for herself, her sister, and her neighbors. Their own household received only scraps.
At the beginning of August, Pavel returned from the country house with a large crate of tomatoes and cucumbers.
“Look how much I brought! Aunt Nina said it’s for Mom.”
Valya looked at the crate and smirked.
“For Mom? So tomorrow, all of this is going to Lidia Petrovna?”
“Well, yes. But she’ll leave something for us.”
“A couple of cucumbers from a crate you picked yourself. How generous.”
“Valya, stop being sarcastic. We’re family.”
“What family? They’re using you as a free laborer, and you’re still grateful.”
Pavel placed the crate on the floor and went to take a shower. He did not want to continue the conversation.
The following day, Lidia Petrovna collected the crate of vegetables. Valya and her husband were left with two tomatoes and one cucumber.
In the middle of August, her mother-in-law invited the young couple to a family dinner. Everyone gathered together—Pavel and Valya, Lidia Petrovna, and her daughter Yulia with her husband.
During dinner, her mother-in-law talked about how well things were going at her sister’s country house.
“The harvest is excellent this year. Yulia has been wonderful—she goes there every week and helps. She spends entire days planting, watering, and doing everything that needs to be done.”
Valya raised her head from her plate.
“Yulia goes to the country house every week?”
“Of course. She understands that you have to help your family. Some people around here only know how to sit in an armchair.”
The final words were clearly aimed at Valya. Yulia smiled awkwardly, while her husband stared down at his plate.
“Lidia Petrovna, does Yulia receive anything in return for her work?” Valya asked.
“What do you mean, receive something? She isn’t an employee.”
“Who gets the harvest from the country house?”
“Aunt Nina, of course. It’s her land.”
“So Yulia works for free at someone else’s country house, while the owner takes the harvest?”
“What kind of thing is that to say? She’s helping her family!”
Valya stood up from the table and picked up her bag.
“Excuse me, but I need to go home.”
“Where are you going? Dinner isn’t over yet!”
“I’ve eaten enough. And I’ve heard enough too.”
Valya left the apartment without waiting for anyone’s reaction. Outside, she took out her phone and called a taxi.
Pavel returned home late and upset.
“Why did you leave so abruptly? Mom was offended.”
“Am I supposed to care?”
“Valya, she didn’t mean any harm. She’s simply used to everyone helping.”
“Not everyone is helping. Everyone is working for free while Aunt Nina takes the results.”
“But we’re family.”
“Pavel, family means everyone benefits from what they do together. When some people work and others only take the results, it’s called exploitation.”
Her husband remained silent for a moment and then sighed.
“Maybe you’re right. But what are we supposed to do now?”
“Nothing. Keep going there if you want to. But don’t invite me again.”
That weekend, Pavel went to the country house again. Meanwhile, Valya processed a large order, prepared packages for shipment, and signed a contract with a new supplier. In August, the side business brought in another twenty-two thousand rubles—a total of forty thousand rubles in additional income over two months.
When her husband returned from the country house, Valya was sitting at the computer processing more orders.
“Is business going well?” Pavel asked.
“Excellent. Today alone, I processed orders worth twelve thousand rubles.”
“Why do you need all this? You already have enough work.”
“Because I like being independent. And I’d rather develop myself than crawl around vegetable beds for someone else’s harvest.”
“Cabbage. Aunt Nina said it would be useful for pickling.”
“Whose pickling?”
“Mom’s, probably.”
“Of course. And once again, we’ll be left with the cabbage stalk.”
Pavel looked carefully at his wife.
“Valya, could you actually be right? I work there every weekend, but there’s no benefit.”
“You’ve finally realized it.”
“But Mom says it’s a family duty.”
“A family duty means helping your parents when they need it. It doesn’t mean working for free on someone else’s land.”
In September, the same pattern continued. Pavel went to dig up potatoes while Valya developed her business. Her husband returned with sacks of potatoes, which his mother immediately took away.
At the end of the month, Pavel brought a sack of potatoes home.
“They left this for us. Aunt Nina said we’d earned it.”
Valya looked at the sack.
“Thank you. But I want you to understand that I don’t owe anyone anything for this. No trips, no gratitude, and no obedience.”
“What do you mean you don’t owe anything?”
“It’s very simple. You decided to help your aunt—that’s your right. But it doesn’t mean I’m obligated to do the same.”
“But Mom will be offended.”
“Let her be offended. Lidia Petrovna is used to dividing people into family members and service staff. I don’t want to be part of the staff.”
Pavel thought about it. A flicker of understanding appeared in his eyes.
“You know, you’re right. Mom really does treat people that way.”
“I’m glad you finally understand.”
Beginning in October, her mother-in-law called less frequently. Lidia Petrovna no longer invited Valya to the country house because she had realized that the answer would be no. Pavel continued going, but with considerably less enthusiasm.
One evening, her husband said:
“You know, Aunt Nina asked why you never come. I told her you were working.”
“What did she say?”
“She said work could be postponed, but family was more important.”
“The family that invited me over once in three years?”
“That’s exactly what I told her. Aunt Nina was offended.”
“Let her be offended. At least she knows now that not everyone is prepared to work for free.”
By the end of autumn, Pavel was going to the country house less frequently. Apparently, his enthusiasm had diminished once he realized that his labor was being taken for granted.
In November, her mother-in-law called Valya.
“Valyechka, how are you? We haven’t seen each other in a long time.”
“I’m doing well. I’ve been working a lot.”
“We’ve been thinking about next year’s gardening season. Maybe you’ll finally join us?”
“Lidia Petrovna, I already explained my position. It hasn’t changed.”
“Why are you so principled? We’re family.”
“Family means the benefits are shared. It doesn’t mean some people work while others enjoy the results.”
“Why do you keep talking about benefits? Is it so terrible to help relatives?”
“No, it isn’t. But help should be mutual. What you have is one-sided exploitation.”
Lidia Petrovna fell silent and then said goodbye coldly.
During the winter, Valya continued developing her online store. By spring, its monthly revenue had reached seventy thousand rubles, while the net profit was around thirty thousand. Her side business had become a serious enterprise.
In March, when Lidia Petrovna began planning the new gardening season, Valya immediately told her husband:
“If I get a vacation this summer, I’m going to a holiday resort with my friend. I’m going to have a proper rest.”
“What about the country house?”
“Nothing. The people who receive the harvest can do the work themselves.”
“Mom won’t understand.”
“Mom understood a long time ago. She simply doesn’t want to admit it.”
“What if she gets offended?”
“Pavel, your mother has been offended for three years already, and she’s still alive. She’ll survive this too.”
Her husband nodded. Apparently, he had also grown tired of the endless and pointless trips to the country house.
In May, Valya really did go to a holiday resort with her friend. She spent a week in comfort—swimming in the pool, getting massages, and reading books. She did not dig, weed, or carry buckets of water for anyone.
During that time, Pavel went to his aunt’s country house, but without his former enthusiasm. He had finally realized that family responsibilities should not be one-sided.
When Valya returned from her vacation, her husband met her at home.
“How was your holiday?”
“Excellent. Now that’s what I call a vacation.”
“I was at the country house. Probably for the last time.”
“Why?”
“I’m tired of it. You work like a slave, and no one is grateful. Aunt Nina didn’t even offer me tea. She said drinking hot drinks in warm weather was unhealthy.”
Valya embraced her husband.
“You’ve finally understood what a real family is—people who care for one another instead of using each other.”
“I understand now. I’m not going there again.”
And he really did not go back. The gardening season passed without them. Lidia Petrovna remained offended, while Aunt Nina searched for new helpers. Valya and Pavel spent their weekends exactly as they wanted—without dirt, sweat, or someone else’s cucumbers that were not worth breaking their backs over.