Nguyễn Thị Quế, 91, have been married for 61 years.

Their love has never diminished.

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Couple married for 61 years inspires those around them

May 01, 2016 - 17:42

Sài Gòn native Nguyễn Đức Đạm, 101, and Hà Nội native Nguyễn Thị Quế, 91, have been married for 61 years.

Their love has never diminished.

Sài Gòn native Nguyễn Đức Đạm, 101, and Hà Nội native Nguyễn Thị Quế, 91, have been married for 61 years.-- Photo thegioitre.vn

HCM CITY --  Sài Gòn native Nguyễn Đức Đạm, 101, and Hà Nội native Nguyễn Thị Quế, 91, have been married for 61 years.

Their love has never diminished.

Quế, with failing eyesight, feeds and bathes her husband daily, and though she can rely on others for help, she prefers to do it herself.

Such devotion and love has left a deep impression on their neighbours.

Đạm, a Confucian scholar, first came to Sài Gòn in 1955 with his family.

As Quế recalls, he would stop by her working place to pick her up and take her home. Though the offer left her somewhat speechless, she agreed.

He then began to stop by regularly.

“Initially, I thought he just was passing by on his way somewhere,” she says. “But I wasn’t aware at the time that our hearts were for each other.”

They decided to get married, but her family opposed the union because Đạm was poor. However, after Quế’s insistence, the family finally relented.

Đạm did not have a gold ring to make an offer of marriage. All he could give Que was a bunch of areca nuts.

Over the years, despite poverty and war, the couple insisted that their children attend school.  

Đạm says that his father was also Confucian, and that he wants all of his six children to become teachers.  

With such care shown by Quế, including taking Đạm to church and around the neighbourhood, the neighbours can only look on in envy.-- VNS

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