Stories: The “Warmth” of Love Sweater
A man worked far away, only returning home for the Chinese New Year. His wife stayed in their rural home, managing the household and taking care of their six-year-old son.
Before the New Year, the wife called the man and said that tickets would be hard to buy during the holiday and suggested he come home early if possible.
The man replied that he would come home after his job was done, as working one more day meant earning one more day’s wages.
The wife said that after a whole year, he only returned home during the New Year, and left in a hurry afterward. She said their child might not even recognize him anymore.
The man said, “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you and our child. I dream about you both every night.”
Hearing this, the wife smiled and said, “We both miss you too. It’s cold, so make sure to keep yourself warm. Is the sweater I knitted for you warm enough?”
The man replied, “It’s warm, very warm and cozy.”
The sweater the man wore was hand-knitted by his wife with wool, much better than any store-bought sweater.
One year, during the New Year, the man had mentioned that his store-bought sweater wasn’t warm enough, so the wife knitted one for him.
She remembered the first time he tried it on; it fit perfectly. The man hugged her and spun her around a few times, saying that the sweater she knitted was the best fit and the warmest.
Hearing this, the wife felt ripples of happiness in her heart. During the winter, wearing the sweater knitted by his wife, the man felt surrounded by her love.
On the twenty-eighth day of the last lunar month, the man finally returned home. His wife and child were overjoyed.
The man handed over his earnings to his wife, saying she had worked hard at home.
With a joyful face, the wife said, “Why talk about hard work in a family? Home is always good; it’s tough being away. You’ve had it hard too.”
During the New Year, the family of three enjoyed their time together.
The first few days of the New Year had exceptionally good weather. On the third day, the man felt hot and wanted to take off the sweater.
The wife said, “It’s better to be a little hot than to take it off.” But the man didn’t listen and took it off anyway. On the fourth day, he went to visit relatives. Seeing the nice weather, the wife washed the slightly dirty sweater and hung it out to dry.
When the man returned from visiting relatives and saw the washed sweater, he said, “I’ll be leaving on the sixth, and it won’t dry in time. I’ll be freezing on the train.” The wife sighed and said, “Oh, how could I not think of that?”
On the fifth day, the weather was gloomy, and the sweater was still damp, especially the cuffs. The wife spent the whole day blaming herself. While cooking dinner, she held the sweater by the stove to dry the cuffs.
The man said, “As long as the cuffs are dry, it’s fine. A bit damp is no big deal.”
On the morning of the sixth day, when the man put on the sweater, he found it completely dry. He asked the wife what happened. She said she had kept the sweater under the covers all night. The man was deeply moved upon hearing this.
The man had trouble buying a ticket and could only get a standing ticket. On the evening of the sixth, he squeezed onto the train, standing in the aisle, where the wind was strong. It wasn’t very cold at first, but by midnight, he was shivering. All the way, he thought about how if his wife hadn’t dried the sweater, he would be suffering more.
Upon arriving in the city where he worked, the man called his wife to report his safe arrival.
The wife said, “As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.” She then asked if he was tired from standing on the train all night.
The man said he was very tired and exhausted.
The wife then asked if he was cold on the train at night.
The man said, “It was a bit cold, but my heart was warm.”
The wife laughed and said, “You’re cold but feel warm in your heart? Come on.”
The man said, “The sweater you dried and kept warm for me feels warm against my heart, making me forget the cold. I’ll cherish the sweater you knitted for me.”
The wife said, “I really regret washing it. I was so worried it wouldn’t dry before you left. I could’ve slapped myself for it.”
Hearing this, the man couldn’t help but shed tears.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
