my history: endless love

Many people that go to China are amazed by the beauty of it, but not a lot of people know the history behind it. China is a very poor country with an overcrowded population. When World War II began, men in China who were over eighteen had to go to war and fight for their country. My grandfather was one of the unlucky drafted men. He had no choice but to leave his wife and children behind and head off to war. After my grandfather left, my grandmother became a strong woman and raised her children all by herself. On the other hand, my grandfather missed his wife and family during the war. It’s like a love story that makes everyone sob and cry. Nevertheless, even the war couldn’t break the strength of my grandparents’ love.


After my grandfather’s departure, my grandmother spent years waiting for him. Everyday she would be on the lookout for news about the war and the whereabouts of her husband. She had a lot of work to do on the home front like farming in the field, feeding her kids, and tending to the pigs. But she never forgot about her husband and hoped he was still alive. My grandmother was like many of the women who sat near the window with their elbow on the window sill longing for their husband to come home. No matter how long she waited, the results were always the same. She knew waiting didn’t work, so she began to write letters to him. She knew there was a small chance that he would receive the mail, but she still decided to do it. Maybe writing letter to him was a way to calm her down and reassure her that he was still alive.

My grandfather was very sorry for his departure, and he always missed his family. He always looked at his black and white family picture and thought about my grandmother and his children. Being away at war, he would often flash back into his memories when they both had good time with each other. He also received numerous letters from my grandmother. After reading the letters from his wife, he told himself to stay strong and keep himself alive in order that he could see his lovely wife and children again. He started to train himself to be very strong and fast so he could stay alive. Sometimes he would tell other soldiers about his lovely wife and family that he had. After a few years, thanks to the Republic of China and president Mao, my grandfather was finally free from the war and went home to his family.

The Republic of China brought my grandparents together. When my grandmother heard the news from the other people in the village, she was so happy. She was standing by the door and longed for her husband’s arrival. After a few hours of waiting, she didn’t see her husband’s shadow, so she went out the door and looked. She saw other soldiers were back and she began to worry. Then, she asked one of the people who passed by, and he told her that everyone was back from the war. My grandmother began to cry, but suddenly she saw a familiar person standing in front of her. She began to cry harder and louder once she realized it was her husband. My grandfather ran to her and hugged her. For the first time, they hugged each other so tight like they never had before. My grandmother was so happy that she made sweet dumplings to celebrate this joyous occasion. Sweet dumplings symbolize family reunion in Chinese culture.


Wars can break many families. After hearing the story of my grandparents during the war, I am so glad that I don’t need to face family departure. The love story between my grandparents still goes on. Even though my grandfather has died, my grandmother still misses him. She always takes out pictures of him and thinks about the good memories they had with each other. In addition, she always remembers his birthday and goes to visit his grave. In fact, she also enjoys telling the love story about her and my grandfather to my sisters and me.