With shoulder-length hair, the girl skillfully clipped a hairpin of the same blue color. That was teacher Lu Thi Xe, the newlywed wife of Senior Lieutenant Phu Gia Po, Captain of the Drug and Crime Prevention Team, Pa U Border Guard Station (Border Guard of Lai Chau Province).

Like many beautiful love stories of youth on the Lai Chau border, the love story of border guard Phu Gia Po and teacher Lu Thi Xe is always full of hope for the future. In 2018, after graduating from the Border Guard Academy, Phu Gia Po met Lu Thi Xe, a pure, simple, gentle Giay ethnic girl, a final year student at Lai Chau Community College. Since that meeting, their feelings have blossomed in their hearts, each text message conveys a deep longing. In love, they also sympathize with the hardships in the profession they have both chosen.

Senior Lieutenant Phu Gia Po and his life partner - teacher Lu Thi Xe. Photo provided by the character

Lu Thi Xe did not understand what her lover's daily work was, but she knew that he always had a "steel" spirit, ready to face all risks when fighting dangerous drug criminals, for the peace of the people. Phu Gia Po loved the determined young girl, who had been alone at Thao Giang Pho school for two years, without electricity, without phone signal, lacking water, taking care of the young shoots of the mountains and forests every day. During more than 4 years of long-distance love, the number of times they met could be counted on the fingers, because the road from the border guard station to the school was about 300km, far and isolated.

However, teacher Lu Thi Xe always trusts and is grateful to her lover for his warm feelings, concern, visits, and care for her relatives. During Tet 2019, Lu Thi Xe's brother unfortunately had a traffic accident, was seriously injured, and had to be hospitalized. Her family was short of people, and her parents were elderly. Senior Lieutenant Phu Gia Po spent his few Tet holidays at the hospital with her to buy medicine and treat him.

Three times the young couple planned to get married, the two families met and discussed, but all three times they decided to put aside personal matters for the common mission. One year, Senior Lieutenant Phu Gia Po was sent to study by his superiors; the other year, the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly came, and he and his teammates were assigned to block the border trail, preventing people from illegally entering and exiting the country...

Wherever she goes, teacher Lu Thi Xe always brings along simple, small gifts from her lover, such as a backpack, hairpin, or a green military mask, so that "it's like he's always by her side"... In November 2022, two souls who are in harmony and understand each other will become husband and wife with the blessings of their families and comrades... The wish of the young couple and both parents is to soon become fathers, mothers, grandparents, so that every time they reunite, the house will be filled with children's laughter and love.

MOON MINH