Classic Heartwarming Love Story: Love Expressed Through a Card
As the light summer rain refreshed the French sycamores lining the road, Da Gang suddenly remembered that tomorrow was his third wedding anniversary with Xiao Xiao. He thought to himself that he must give her a surprise.
From the time Da Gang and Xiao Xiao started dating to the present day of their marriage, they had never had a serious argument, not even raised their voices at each other. They were a loving couple, with only one small imperfection: Xiao Xiao, focused on her career, had been reluctant to have children. She planned to wait until they were in a better financial position, after buying a house, to consider starting a family.
That morning, as Da Gang walked into the office building, he heard that the company was planning to lay off some employees, and the list had already been drawn up, just waiting to be officially announced. To his dismay, he heard that his own name was on the list. This was a huge blow. He and his wife had been planning to take out a loan to buy a two-bedroom apartment, but if he lost his job, they wouldn’t be able to manage the mortgage. Their beautiful plan would be shattered.
In truth, Da Gang was a very dedicated worker. He had been with the company for over four years, during which time he had always worked diligently. Apart from a three-day hospital stay, he had never been late or left early, nor had he made any mistakes that caused the company any financial loss. He had even been recognized twice as an outstanding employee. So why was he among the first to be laid off? Da Gang thought it over thoroughly but couldn’t understand it. In the end, he comforted himself, thinking that if he was indeed let go, it must be because the leaders had no other choice. He sighed, thinking, “Well, if it happens, it happens. There’s always a way out.”
After work, Da Gang went home and honestly told Xiao Xiao about the possibility of his layoff, mentioning that the list of those to be let go would be announced the next day, and advised her to be mentally prepared. Xiao Xiao was stunned at first, followed by a long silence. The harsh reality was like walking a tightrope, keeping you on edge every moment, with the risk of falling from a great height if you weren’t careful—a situation beyond their control.
The night was unusually quiet. Da Gang and Xiao Xiao didn’t say a word to each other. They could only hope for a miracle.
The next day, Da Gang went to work early as usual. He believed that as long as the list hadn’t been announced, he was still an employee and had a duty to perform his job well. He wasn’t going to slack off just because of rumors about his layoff.
Seeing Da Gang diligently cleaning the office, the department head sighed and said, “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have sent you out today. I know the news about the layoffs has everyone on edge, and you probably already know. But I have no choice. Right now, there’s a problem with the elevator in Building 6 of the Green Neighborhood. The residents haven’t paid their maintenance fees, so no one has repaired it, and it’s been out of order for three days. Yesterday, the residents called the TV station to complain, and my phone hasn’t stopped ringing. Could you do me one last favor and take care of it?”
Da Gang smiled and said, “Sir, there’s no need for formalities between us. As long as the company hasn’t officially let me go, I should work diligently. Don’t worry, this isn’t a big issue. I’ll resolve it quickly and won’t let you down.”
When Da Gang arrived at Building 6, he first apologized to the residents on behalf of the company, promising that the elevator would be fixed that day and that other issues could be discussed later. He then asked the repairman to find the problem with the elevator. The repairman fixed it in just over an hour. The residents gathered around Da Gang, saying, “If only you were in charge of our neighborhood’s maintenance! We wouldn’t delay paying our fees if we had someone like you looking out for us.”
Da Gang replied, “We all have the same goal—to do our jobs well. If you don’t delay payments, our work is easier, and when we do our work well, you won’t feel the need to delay payments.”
To thank the repairman for his cooperation, Da Gang treated him to a meal. By the time Da Gang had taken care of everything and returned to the office, it was already afternoon. Being a person with strong self-respect, Da Gang quietly started packing up his belongings, preparing to leave as soon as the list was announced.
While he was packing, the department head walked in, beaming, and quietly told Da Gang, “Da Gang, the company finally accepted my suggestion. They’ve decided to keep you on!”
Da Gang couldn’t believe his ears. The sudden good news made him feel like the whole world had brightened, and his previous despair vanished.
Da Gang was so overjoyed by the news that he forgot about his wedding anniversary. He left work, whistling all the way home with empty hands.
When he opened the door, he was stunned. The dining table in the living room was already set with various dishes and beer, and Xiao Xiao was busy in the kitchen. Da Gang guessed that the department head, who was a high school classmate of Xiao Xiao, must have called her with the good news to make her happy.
At that moment, Da Gang suddenly remembered it was their wedding anniversary, but since he had come home empty-handed, there was nothing he could do about it. He decided to take Xiao Xiao to a karaoke bar after dinner, so he quickly went to the bedroom to change out of his work clothes and then headed to the kitchen to help.
When Da Gang returned to the living room, he noticed that there was suddenly a bouquet of roses on the table, filling the room with a faint fragrance. A beautifully crafted card was attached to the flowers, with the words: “Honey, congratulations! I always knew you were the best!”
Soon, a delicious meal was ready. At the dinner table, the two toasted each other and shared the food, as if they were back in their early days of dating.
After dinner, Da Gang suggested taking Xiao Xiao to a karaoke bar. Xiao Xiao, who loved romance, was delighted and immediately agreed, saying she wanted to sing her most beautiful songs for Da Gang.
While Xiao Xiao was changing clothes, a card unexpectedly fell from her pocket. Da Gang quickly picked it up and found it was a card that had come with the flowers. On it were the words: “Honey, being laid off is no big deal. I believe you are the best, and we will definitely get through this together!”
Da Gang could no longer hold back his emotions. He hugged Xiao Xiao tightly.
In fact, Xiao Xiao had no idea about the changes at Da Gang’s company. She had prepared two cards with different messages, intending to choose one based on Da Gang’s mood and expression. And that small card alone was enough to make Da Gang happy for a lifetime.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
