Emotional marriage stories
She worked at a Korean-owned clothing company and had exceptional embroidery skills.
Born in the countryside, she was frail and often ill since childhood. This gave her face a pale, delicate look that evoked both pity and sorrow.
The company dormitory was on the second floor, and in the evenings, the young people would gather in the corridor to chat. She would sit and listen for a while, laugh a couple of times, but rarely joined the conversation.
He was a designer at the company, slender and always well-dressed. One day, he was smoking and chatting animatedly. When he looked down, he realized his tie had a burn hole. He shook his head and was about to throw it away, but she stood up and softly said, “Give it to me.”
The next day, she returned the tie to him. The hole was gone, and in its place bloomed a red plum blossom, embroidered with the finest silk.
He was stunned and forgot to thank her. Before he could express his gratitude, she had already slipped away, her face blushing.
They soon became inseparable. He took her to midnight movies, street food stalls, told old jokes, and bought her inexpensive dresses. She was so happy she nearly fainted. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “You’re so good to me!”
She was easily contented and hoped life would continue like this. However, she resigned from her job because he wanted her to. He had started a small company.
He said, “I can design, and you can embroider. With a few more employees, won’t this company make a fortune?” He painted a rosy picture for her, his expression and tone slightly exaggerated, but she believed him. She believed everything he said.
The company soon ran into trouble. He lost all his money and borrowed another 100,000 yuan, which he lost again. Finally, creditors gave him six months to repay.
He was panicked, though he pretended to be unbothered in front of her. She saw through it and said, “Don’t worry, there will be a way.”
A solution did come. A foreign businessman liked the samples in their company and ordered 20 embroidered screens with plum blossoms. The delivery was due by the end of the year, and at 5,000 yuan per screen, it would just cover their debts.
He knew only she could meet the foreigner’s standards, and he also knew it was impossible for her alone to complete 20 screens in six months. But fearing the creditors’ threats to take him to court, he gritted his teeth and signed the contract.
When he told her the news, she nodded vigorously. “Of course, I can do it. It used to be harder in the countryside. What’s a little hard work? Once these screens are done and the debt is paid, we’ll go back to our jobs. By then, the plum blossoms will be blooming. We’ll go see them together, okay?”
He didn’t speak, just held her tightly.
She began working tirelessly, day and night. Her needle was their only hope.
Often, late at night, the needle would prick her finger, and she would let out a soft cry. He would take her hand and find her fingertips had developed tender pink calluses.
He stared at her face and noticed it had no color. He couldn’t help her; he could only do her laundry, cook, wash her feet, and hold her hands, crying. “Why are you crying?” she said. “Silly, things are so good now. You’re so good to me!”
Finally, the last screen was nearly complete. It featured a large red plum blossom; the branches were done, only the red flowers remained. She told him to buy more red silk, and in a few days, the debt would be paid.
He ran out excitedly and chatted with the shopkeeper for a while, thinking she could finally rest for a few days…
When he returned, it was late. He called out to her at the door but got no response. Entering the room, he saw her sitting there, still holding the needle, her face pale as paper.
She smiled at him, just a slight smile, then spat out a mouthful of blood. In an instant, the plum blossoms bloomed with bright red petals…
The doctor said she died from exhaustion…
He listened, his mouth agape, then suddenly wailed, banging his head against the wall and slapping himself hard.
Throughout the city, plum blossoms bloomed almost simultaneously…
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
