BEIJING: A little girl from central China has touched millions of hearts online with a handwritten farewell message and money for her parents as they left for work.
Xinyu, a 10-year-old from Shangqiu, Henan province, is raised by her grandmother with her younger brother while her parents work in Suzhou, eastern China.
According to mainland reports, her parents only return home once a year during the Spring Festival, which this year ran from Feb 15 to 23, the longest holiday in recent years.
Before leaving for Suzhou on Feb 23, Xinyu’s father, surnamed Xu, informed his children of their plans.
When the couple went to take a final look at their children the night before leaving, they found a heartfelt note from his daughter and a stack of 805 yuan (US$120) in cash.
In the letter, Xinyu expressed her sorrow, writing: “I have cried many times in my room because I do not want you to leave, but I understand you are working hard for our family.”
She reassured her parents that she would not cry or stop them from leaving, knowing that doing so would only hurt them more.
Leaving all her lai see for her parents, Xinyu wrote: “This is the only thing I can do for you. Please use the money to eat and drink well, do not hesitate to spend, and stay safe. Do not be too tired or sick.”
She also promised to be a good child, study hard, listen to her grandmother, and care for her younger brother as the “little grown-up” of the family.
Xu and his wife were moved to tears after reading the letter and could not bring themselves to read it again.
“When my daughter received her lai see, she mentioned buying new things, but we never imagined she would leave it all for us. Her thoughtfulness really touches our hearts,” Xu told the mainland media outlet Xinwenfang.
In a video, the couple, who had planned to leave quietly, accidentally woke their children when they started the car.
Xinyu and her younger brother stood by the window, waving goodbye to their parents.
In another video shared by Xu, Xinyu proudly showed her father the certificate she received at school, holding it up to the family surveillance camera.
Xu expressed regret and helplessness about having to raise his children as left-behind children from a young age.
“For the sake of our livelihood, we had to be separated,” he said.
The couple reportedly plans to save money in 2026, hoping to return to Henan for work in the future.
The videos have garnered a total of over 10 million views on mainland social media.
One online observer said: “Little Xinyu must be an angel sent from heaven.”
While another said: “This brings back memories of my childhood as a left-behind child. I would eagerly await my parents’ return every holiday and look forward to their phone calls every weekend.”
Official data reveals that around 67 million left-behind children in China live without one or both parents, most of whom come from impoverished rural areas.
The country’s strict household registration system continues to restrict migrant workers’ children from relocating.
While educational opportunities and living standards for left-behind children have improved compared to previous decades, the psychological effects of parental absence persist. - South China Morning Post
