During the Dragon Boat Festival in 1976, Hu Lian, a tough general who lived in Xindian in New Taipei City, Taiwan Province, China, called his children and grandchildren to the hall.
Hu Lian took out a family tree, drew a map on the paper, and said to her children and grandchildren, "I have a wish." ”
What do you want?
That is, the leaves fall back to the roots and return to the mainland hometown.
Hu Lian was a first-class general in the Nationalist Army. He was a famous general in the late period of Chiang Kai-shek's rule over the mainland, and he was called "Erhu" together with Hu Zongnan.
At the end of 1949, the old Chiang Kai-shek was defeated. Hu Lian, who was very foolish and loyal to Chiang Kai-shek, followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan Province, China.
In Taiwan Province, Hu Lian served as "deputy commander-in-chief of the army", "ambassador" to South Vietnam, and "strategic adviser to the presidential office". In 1974, he officially retired from the army and began retirement.
After Hu Lian retired, as he grew older, he grew older day by day. At this time, he has infinite nostalgia. His feelings and longing for his hometown grew day by day. What he missed most was the hot land of his hometown. The nostalgia of the leaves falling back to the roots always haunts the heart.
Hu Lian missed his hometown, The Village of Beihui, Huitongfang, Chishui Town, Hua County, Shaanxi Province.
Hu Lian was born in 1907 to a poor peasant family in Beihui Village, Huitongfang.
In 1925, Hu Lian left home to apply for the Whampoa Military Academy, and his mother Wang sent her son to the village.
Wang Shi took Hu Lian's hand and said with tears: "Son, you can do anything when you go out, but don't be a soldier." ”
Hu Lian listened, and with tears in her eyes, she took a few nests made by her mother on the road.
After graduating from the Whampoa Military Academy, Hu Lian fought all the way and eventually became a famous general.
Due to years of fighting, Hu Lian had no time to set foot on his homeland. It was only after being wounded in the army in his early years that he returned to the village to recuperate.
At that time, Hu Jinlu, Hu Lian's brother, when he saw him, said angrily, "You, don't listen to your mother." My mother died in tears. You come back and don't farm, just eat idle meals! After that, Hu Lian never set foot on the homeland of Huaxian Again.
After Hu Lian followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan Province, China, he always missed his relatives back home. But at this time, there were not many relatives in his hometown in Hua County, mainland China. Only his older brother Hu Jinlu is still farming in his hometown.
In 1958, an artillery battle broke out in Kinmen. Hu Jinlu learned that his younger brother Hu Lian was in Kinmen, and he took the initiative to go to Xiamen.
In Xiamen, Hu Jinlu shouted to his younger brother Hu Lian in Kinmen. He shouted, "Brother, we are doing very well in our hometown, and I hope that you will lead your troops to surrender and return to the mainland." You come back. ”
Hu Lian heard the shouting and was very surprised. After that, Hu Lian asked her eldest daughter Hu Zhibing to send a letter to her hometown. In the letter, Hu Lian asked her brother Hu Jinlu if he was in good health, the situation of other elderly people in the village, and the villagers.
Subsequently, Hu Jinlu's son, Hu Zhiju, returned a letter on behalf of his father, attached a photo of his father Hu Jinlu, sent it to the United States, and then transferred to Taiwan Province. When Hu Lian saw the letter, she was very excited and said to her wife and children, "Oh, it's true." My brother is still alive. There are still people in our hometown, and we have a chance to go home to see! The family burst into tears after hearing this.
In his later years, Hu Lian's homesickness became increasingly strong, and he always wanted to go back to his hometown to see, but for various reasons, his wish to return to his hometown has not been realized.
In 1976, the Dragon Boat Festival, the whole family reunited.
During the meal, Hu Lian took out a family tree and drew a map of the location of his hometown in Huaxian On a piece of paper. He said emotionally to his children and grandchildren: "I have a wish, that is, to go back to my hometown." But I couldn't go back. One day in the future, you must go back and see! Your second generation, your third generation, your fourth generation... You can definitely go back to your hometown! ”
Hu Lian also said that there is only one China, and he believes that people should have a long-term vision and cannot live in Taiwan Province for a lifetime.
On June 22, 1977, the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, Hu Lian died of a heart attack in Taipei. He died on December 31, 2012 at the age of 7
More than ten years later, with the relaxation of cross-strait relations, in 1991, Hu Lian's eldest son, Hu Zhiguang, returned to his hometown in Huaxian County with his children to visit the villagers, pay homage to the ancestral graves, and fulfill Hu Lian's wish.