Romantic love story in poverty
At that time, he was the kind of boy described in stories as “the last one to go to the cafeteria.” Because he was poor, being last meant he could get away with just two steamed buns, occasionally a cheap dish, without having to endure the astonished or sympathetic gazes of his classmates.
Yes, poverty. Poverty was his entire concept of life from childhood to adulthood. Changing poverty became his motivation for studying hard.
Six months ago, he entered this famous university with excellent grades. His father had sent him to the station and tearfully handed him some money, which, after paying for one semester’s tuition, left very little. From then on, he lived in a semi-hungry state while studying, doing tutoring on weekends to save up for the next semester’s tuition.
He never ate breakfast. His lunches and dinners were similar: two steamed buns and a dish that was either leftover or discounted because it was old.
He was thin but handsome, poor but excellent in his studies, winning the highest scholarship, and never complained.
She gradually started to like him, the silent yet outstanding boy.
She wasn’t from a privileged family either; her parents were workers in a small factory in their hometown. University fees were a huge burden for such a family. To lighten her parents’ load, she also chose to work while studying, often doing promotions in malls with her roommates.
When she started to like him, she had just signed a contract with a company selling oatmeal, promoting small packages in a large supermarket on weekends. Some of these were freebies, given to customers who bought a certain amount.
One weekend morning, on her way to the cafeteria for breakfast, she ran into him. He was off to do tutoring early, rushing to save the one yuan bus fare. His thin figure made her heart ache.
That day, she kept thinking about him while enthusiastically greeting customers. Looking at the pile of oatmeal freebies, an idea struck her.
That evening, after work, she packed the unsent free oatmeal into her big backpack. Apart from regular products, there was no exact record for the distribution and return of freebies. She decided to secretly bring the oatmeal back and give it to him. Though he never complained about his hardships, a girl in love could easily sense his poverty.
She wanted to help him but feared hurting his pride and didn’t know how to do it. Now, she had a way.
Monday afternoon, she sat in a corner of the cafeteria, waiting. Finally, when all the students had finished eating and left, he walked in, as usual, getting two steamed buns without even getting pickles this time. She also bought food, two steamed buns, and some pickles, pretending to run into him and called his name.
He blushed, but she pretended not to notice, sat down, and started eating. She didn’t ask why he only ate steamed buns, acting as if everything was normal.
She acted well, and his expression returned to normal, eating silently. Casually, she passed him a piece of pickle, saying, “Too salty, I can’t finish it.” He hesitated but didn’t refuse, putting the pickle in his bun and taking a big bite.
He finished eating first, silently stood up to leave. She stopped him, pretending to remember something, “Oh, I brought some oatmeal today. Too much, I’ll give you some.”
He seemed confused, looking at her. She smiled playfully, “They’re promotional freebies. Couldn’t give them all away, so I brought them back. I don’t like oatmeal, you can help me out, have it for breakfast.”
He stayed silent, his usual habit, clearly refusing.
She pouted and said, “It’s so heavy, next week I’ll have to bring it back to the supermarket if I don’t finish it. It’ll spoil over time, help me out, okay…” and pouted her lips.
He couldn’t help but laugh; she was so cute. She didn’t have the arrogance of a city girl or the sensitivity of a rural girl. Despite his poverty, he didn’t dare approach this adorable girl. But at that moment, how could he refuse her?
Seeing him smile, she quickly stood up, took the oatmeal from her bag, and handed it to him, then turned and ran away.
She finally gave him the oatmeal, and that night, she smiled secretly in her sleep.
After that, she would give him small packs of oatmeal every so often for breakfast. She knew it wasn’t enough for him, but the oatmeal had milk and sugar, at least adding some nutrition.
Half a year passed, and one day, as she handed him the oatmeal as usual, he suddenly held her hand and said, “In the future, I’ll give you the best life, treat you well forever.”
Before, they never mentioned love. She didn’t dare to say it, fearing his rejection, not even letting him feel it. But at that moment, his words, direct and clear, were not just recognition but an undeniable promise.
She cried with excitement. She didn’t know why he suddenly dared to love. She didn’t know that day he accidentally learned from her roommate that she was fired for “embezzling” freebies. The oatmeal she later gave him was bought with her saved living expenses, disguised as freebies. She did this carefully to protect his pride while struggling in poverty.
That day, he ran to a place with no one and cried loudly. He finally realized he had the most precious love in his poorest days. So, he decided to accept her kindness, her love, not just accept but repay it. This, as a man, was what he should do, not escape or pretend not to know.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
