For stay-at-home children, love is not missing

I have grown up, you can work in peace

Narrator: Li Likun, stay-at-home child in Pingshan Town, Huaining County of Anhui Province; student at Anqing Quanxin School

Before, close to the Chinese New Year, my parents would bring home big and small packages, and our family would prepare to celebrate the Spring Festival full of excitement. Now, our home is a bit lonely, grandpa made a lot of special purchases for the Chinese New Year, including my favorite lollipops and White Rabbit candies. This makes me finally feel like there is a Spring Festival atmosphere.

Every time my parents came back, they would bring me snacks. One year, they gave me a pink teddy bear, which is still in my room. Every time I see it, my mind is filled with images of when my parents stayed with me. This year, my parents sent me a very pretty purple sweater by mail, I like it very much.

Actually, what I expect the most during the Spring Festival is to sit at the doorsteps of our home, watch a bus drives by, and feel the excitement of seeing my parents exit from it. For the Chineser New Year's Eve dinner, mom would cook a whole table of dishes, dad would also prepare his best dish of spicy chicken. Our family would eat while watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV. It is extremely warm and sweet.

A few days ago, when I was video-chatting with my mom, she said she can't come back this year. Looking at my sad face, she promised to take me to Jiangxi Province in the summer, where she will cook for me every day. She also told me, a lot of people are spending the Chinese New Year holiday in their places of work, like her and dad. This is not just for the safety of our own family, but also to do their part in helping the nation combat the pandemic.

I know that my parents work very hard. During the video chat, I saw that they both grew thinner, which broke my heart. In the new year, I will study hard and not let my parents, who are away in Jiangxi, worry about me.

New Year's Message: Mom, I am in grade 7 now and I am already a big kid. You can celebrate the Spring Festival in peace where you are. I will take care of my younger sister with my grandparents, you must also take care of yourself and of dad. If there are work that you cannot do by yourself, then let dad help you. This year, you and dad must stay healthy! For myself, I wish to improve on my studies this year, and I hope to happily go to Jiangxi to find you in the summer.

New clothes represent Mom's longing

Narrator: Li Tingting, migrant worker from Pingshan Town, Huaining County of Anhui Province; breakfast shop owner

This year, my husband and I will stay in Jiangxi for Chinese New Year. On one hand, we are responding to the government's call. On the other hand, due to the impact of the pandemic, we had not come out to work until almost July last year, and we wanted to make more money during the Spring Festival holiday.

My husband and I have been migrant workers for over 10 years, we have worked in Fujian, Qinghai, and Anhui provinces. In our hometown, our two daughters are living with their grandparents, one is in grade 7, and the other is only over two years old. We video chat with them every day at dinner time, which has become my living habit. Seeing our parents and children’s smiles in the videos alleviated my longing for them.

Every day, my husband and I get up at 2:00AM, we make steamed buns and Siu Mai, and we don't finish until 10:00AM. In the afternoon, we go back to work and continue until nighttime.

When we celebrated Chinese New Year at home, we cooked at most 18 dishes for the dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve. Last year, we also cooked 12 dishes. This year, we don't have to work on that day. We plan to have a good rest, and cook a simple Chinese New Year's Eve dinner for the two of us.

What makes us feel relieved is that back at home, our village prepared a "happy children's homeland" for stay-at-home children. In it, there are many toys, a library on the second floor, and they always organize abundant activities. My mom would call me through video chat and tell me that my daughters are playing happily in the “homeland”, which eased my heart.

This Chinese New Year holiday, we can only keep our words of longing at heart. I sent many things to eat and wear back home. I prepared a full set of new clothes for my elder daughter, Likun, and also a few pairs of shoes. Although we cannot accompany them in person, our love for our children will never be absent.

New Year's Message: Likun, mom can't go back for Chinese New Year this year, but I know that you will understand us. In the summer, when the pandemic is over, we will bring you to visit Jiangxi. It is a new year, I hope your grandparents will be healthy, and you and your sister will grow up safe and sound. My biggest wish is for you to study hard and attend university like your aunt, have a stable job, and live a better life.

Contributed by: Wang Meiying, Ding Yiming, Feng Fan, Wang Simin, reporters of Guangming Daily; Yao Jianghnog, Lu Ting, correspondents of Guangming Daily

Translated by Zhang Junye