Over 20 years ago, Tran Thi Hoang Linh (born in 1977, native of Dong Nai) and Tran Ba Linh (born in 1977, native of Dong Nai) were neighbors. Their two houses were nearly opposite each other, so they were very close.

However, neither ever expected that after life's unexpected turns, they would end up under the same roof as husband and wife. On episode 215 of the TV program Tinh Tram Nam (Love of a Hundred Years), the couple who share the same name (Linh) and birth year (1977) recounted their interesting love story.

Previously, as neighbors, Ba Linh frequently visited Hoang Linh's house to hang out. Even when he had a girlfriend, he brought her over to his neighbor's house to visit.

Later on, Hoang Linh got married, while Ba Linh remained single. After giving birth to a daughter, Hoang Linh experienced a broken marriage. She took her child back to live with her birth mother, helping her sell com tam to earn a living.

Knowing his neighbor friend had faced life upheavals, Ba Linh came over often to lend support. Through time spent interacting and talking, he realized his close friend shared similar traits and interests with him. He gradually grew fond of her and decided to pursue her.

Appearing on the show, Hoang Linh recalled: "Knowing I was helping my mother sell broken rice, every morning he would come to the stall to eat this dish. For two full years, he ate nothing but broken rice at my stall.

“He ate it so much that everyone in the neighborhood knew. My younger sister even spoke up, inviting him to eat something else because she saw he could barely finish the broken rice, yet he still ordered it every morning.

He wasn't romantic, but he always noticed what I liked and tried to fulfill those desires. Knowing I liked going to Da Lat but hesitated for fear of motion sickness, he offered to take me there on a motorbike.

His sincerity gradually touched my heart. Still, I had many apprehensions, having been through a failed marriage once. In the end, I felt I was still young, so I wanted to take a risk one more time. I opened my heart and accepted his affection," she said.

Meanwhile, choosing to love a single mother caused Ba Linh's family displeasure. Nevertheless, he decided to follow his heart.

20 years of happiness

After 2 years of dating, the two moved in together without holding a grand wedding. Although her husband's family was not very pleased initially, after the wedding, Hoang Linh was loved dearly by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

The couple lived in a modest single-story house. To make a living, Hoang Linh sold soft drinks, while Ba Linh worked in car washing before switching to driving trucks delivering food for industrial catering units.

Having a child from her previous marriage, Hoang Linh expressed to her husband that she did not want to have more children, wishing to dedicate all her love to her daughter.

Hearing this, Ba Linh did not object and continued to pour all his love into Hoang Linh and her child. Hoang Linh even noticed her husband loved and cared for her stepchild even more than she did.

Those affectionate actions moved her to decide to bear a child for him. The day he learned his wife was pregnant, Ba Linh burst into happiness.

He put everything aside to care for his wife. On the day Hoang Linh went into labor, he also took time off work to stay in the hospital to care for her.

"At that time, I already had relatives caring for me at the hospital, but he still insisted on staying by my side. After giving birth and returning home, he remained close by. When I lay on the bed, he would arrange my pillows, spread out a mat and sleep on the floor.

Those actions showed me he truly loved me. I told myself I had chosen the right person. To this day, aside from not being able to quit smoking yet, I see no bad habits in him," Hoang Linh confided.

At the end of the show, Hoang Linh shared that after 20 years of marriage, she and her husband enjoy a happy marriage together with their two children. She affirmed that Ba Linh is a model husband and father.

Ha Nguyen