Girl in China pens viral heartfelt note to parents who only return once a year, gives them $150 cash

When you only get to be with your parents for a little over a week every year, no amount of time is enough.

Knowing this, a girl in China decided to give her parents a handwritten letter to express her gratitude and love for them, according to multiple Chinese media reports starting in late February.

Xinyu from the Henan province in Shangqiu, China, lives with her grandmother and younger brother.

The 10-year-old's parents work in Suzhou, which is approximately a four- to five-hour journey by train to Shangqiu, and only return home during the Spring Festival, which ran between Feb 15 and 23 this year.

Speaking with China media outlet Xinwenfang, Xinyu's father, surnamed Xu, shared that he and his wife had planned to return to Suzhou on the evening of Feb 23.

Concerned that their children would be reluctant to part with them that night, they had informed both Xinyu and her seven-year-old brother two days prior.

Before they departed, Xu went to check on his children one last time before their trip, only to find a letter his daughter had secretly left at the door.

Attached to the letter was 805 yuan ($149.61) in cash - the ang bao money she received over the Chinese New Year, West China City Daily reported.

'If I cry or make a fuss, it will hurt your hearts too'

Xinyu wrote: "I know I can't stop you, and I know you're going out to work hard to earn money for me, for my brother and me, and even more so for this family.

"I won't cry, I won't make a fuss, and I won't pester you to leave. Because I know that if I cry or make a fuss, it will hurt your hearts too."

Addressing the money she left for her parents, she wrote: "This is the only little thing I can do for you."

She also expressed concern towards her parents, urging them to eat and drink well, not be stingy with the money they spend on themselves, and not overwork themselves so they remain healthy.

Xinyu also promised to listen to her grandmother, study hard, take care of her younger brother and be mature while she waits for them to return.

"Mum and dad, I'll think of you every day and recognise your hard work, so that it won't be in vain.

"I love you, I really love you very much. Your child will always be missing you and waiting for you to return."

Upon reading the letter, Xu and his wife were moved to tears and could not bear reading it another time, QQ News reported.

Xu shared that Xinyu had secretly gone to her parents' bedroom door multiple times that night just to take one more look and make sure they had not left.

As they left, their vehicle woke up Xinyu and her brother. Xu and his wife saw their daughter and son standing at their window, waving as they bid them farewell. Xu shared the video of his children waving goodbye on Chinese social media. 

@asiaone 10-year-old Xinyu sees her parents only once a year. When time came to part again after Chinese New Year ended, what she did just makes tears flow. 😭 brb. Grabbing a tissue. #news #China #Parents #Children #Growingup #Work ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

In another video he uploaded, Xinyu can be seen proudly holding up a certificate she received at school to the home surveillance camera. The videos have garnered more than 10 million views. 

Xu also revealed that he had a new goal in life, along with his wife - they intend to work hard and save money, so that they can return to Shangqiu to work, making up for lost time with their children. 

There are approximately 67 million children in China who are left behind by one or both of their parents due to work-related migration, which is equivalent to thirty per cent of the children in rural areas; they are often cared for by grandparents. 

China's strict household registration system makes it difficult for migrant workers to bring children to cities, where they would lack access to public education and healthcare.

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