Cross-Strait Adventure (I)

Autumn of 1946

On the large passenger ship from Shanghai to Keelung, Taiwan, the sunset reflected a very sunny young man on the deck. He was about twenty years old, with a long figure, dressed in a black student outfit, with a Parker pen pinned to his chest pocket, and the setting sun reflected his white and clean face, the high bridge of his nose, dark hair, long sideburns, and full of spirit. He lay on his elbows on the railing, watching the setting sun in amazement, motionless. He is Ah Tian.

Ah Tian hadn't been out for years, and he was excitedly watching the view of the Huangpu River on the deck greedily. The sunlight filled his whole body like a golden waterfall, and he seemed to have merged with this beautiful scenery. A breeze blew in, and he involuntarily relaxed his arm and muttered heartily, "It's so beautiful!" ”

Ah Tian's father, who runs a silk satin cloth shop, a Chinese herbal medicine shop and a candle shop on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, is a very wealthy family, he is the eldest son of the family, this time his mother accompanied him from Shanghai to Keelung, Taiwan to study. He was accompanied by his two younger brothers, the Wei couple and two maids.

Not far from the deck, Ah Tian's mother, Mrs. Gu, was chatting with several fashionably dressed female passengers. From time to time, they glanced at Ah Tian's side, as if they were talking about something.

After a while, I heard Mrs. Gu shouting over there: "Ah Tian, Nong come here!" Ah Tian heard the sound and ran over, and Mrs. Gu introduced herself to everyone: "This is my eldest son Ah Tian, and I took him to Keelung to study this trip." Ah Tian respectfully bowed to these wives, and a Mrs. Li said in a Ningbo accent: "Mrs. Gu, Nong is so blessed, Nong is handsome and handsome, and ga is young, and the future is immeasurable, Oh, Nong is waiting for the blessing to come." Mrs. Gu smiled happily and also threw a loving glance at Ah Tian.

Two children in Class A who were chasing each other crashed into Ah Tian's body. Ah Tian looked back, and a twenty-three or four woman smiled and followed behind the two children, saying to Ah Tian, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, the child is naughty." Ah Tian also smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Ah Tian asked the woman: "Listen to your accent as if it were from Hangzhou?" The woman said, "Yes, I grew up in Hangzhou." Ah Tian said happily: "Me too, I have read books in Hangzhou." The woman said, "So what are you?" Ah Tian said: "Our new home is in Taipei, and I came from Shanghai to Keelung to study. What about you? The woman said: "I work at the Taipei Railway Administration Office, and this time I am returning to Shanghai to visit my relatives." Ah Tian said, "Where do you go to work with your two children?" The woman laughed heartily: "I am not married, this is my cousin's child, he is in business in Keelung." Ah Tian said embarrassedly, "I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry! The woman said generously, "It doesn't matter! Don't you know! The woman's cheerful personality made the two see each other and be unrestrained.

During the small talk, Ah Tian learned that the woman's name is Yang Liyan, who has been working in Taipei for three years, whose parents are in Shanghai, and whose boyfriend is also an editor at the Shanghai News And Newspaper. The two talked and laughed and talked speculatively.

At this time, the maid Baozhu came to call Ah Tian: "Great Young Master, my wife told you to go to the restaurant for dinner." Ah Tian said, "Got it, go right away." Yang Liyan was surprised and asked, "Are you a big boy?" Can't see it?! Ah Tian smiled and said, "My father is doing a satin business on Nanjing Road in Shanghai." Yang Liyan quipped: "Oh, then you are the 'little k' of the silk satin village?" Ah Tian also smiled and said, "Still call me Ah Tian." Farewell first. Yang Liyan looked at Ah Tian's back appreciatively and couldn't take his eyes off it for a long time.

It takes three days and three nights to take a boat from Shanghai to Keelung, and with new friends, Ah Tian feels less bored.

The ship is huge with a restaurant and a ballroom. Ah Tian and Yang Liyan often meet, sometimes drink coffee together, sometimes dance together, time passes quickly, and everyone gets along very happily. The two also exchanged contact details.

The steamship gradually approached the port of Keelung, and Ah Tian saw that this place was completely different from when he had just boarded the ship from Shanghai, and there was a mess everywhere: there were still half-sinking and half-floating ships on the river, looking dilapidated, and Ah Tian was very surprised. Yang Liyan told Ah Tian: Keelung is a military port, originally stationed a lot of Japanese troops, last year the Japanese army invaded China announced unconditional surrender, and when they fled in panic, they abandoned the destroyed warships on the docks, leaving people with post-war desolation and embarrassment.

When the boat docked, everyone was about to get off the boat. Mrs. Gu and several wives have the opportunity to play mahjong together after meeting, and they are already in love.

Out of the harbor, just a cursory glance, I saw that at the exit there were already friends of Father Ah Tian's car coming to pick them up. Ah Tian disembarked with his mother and family at Keelung Pier.

Yang Liyan's cousin has also entrusted someone to drive to pick up the child. The two children were saying goodbye to Yang Liyan with their small hands, and shouted: "Cousin aunt, don't forget to come to see us!" Yang Liyan said, "Rest assured! Can't forget! Ah Tian also said, "Little Hairy Head, goodbye!" ”

Mrs. Gu and her two children, guards, maids, etc. got into the car. There is also a very luxurious "classic car" to pick up Yang Liyan. Yang Liyan invited Ah Tian to her car. Ah Tian readily agreed, got into Yang Liyan's car, and followed Mrs. Gu's car.

It's less than an hour from Keelung to Taipei.

Already, Ah Tian's father's friend rented a house for Mrs. Gu, and the car pulled up to a house with a small courtyard and stopped.

Two gentlemen were already waiting at the entrance of the hospital. After Mrs. Gu got out of the car, one of the gentlemen called out to Mrs. Gu: "Mom, are you here?" Hard work all the way. Mrs. Gu replied, "It's okay." While pointing at the gentleman, he said to Ah Tian, "Ah Tian, this is your brother who is a book." Ah Tianyi listened and said happily: "Oh, big brother-in-law, the first time we met, I always heard Mu Mama and Feng Baojie talk about you, but I haven't seen you yet." Qin Shuzi also said affectionately, "Younger brother Nong is good!" Ah Tian then introduced Yang Liyan to everyone.

Another gentleman interjected and introduced himself: "Mrs. Gu, I am a friend of Boss Gu, surnamed Sun, Boss Gu entrusted me to rent a house, I don't know if Mrs. Gu is satisfied?" Then he accompanied Mrs. Gu and his party into the house.

Ah Tian saw Feng Baojie's husband Qin Shuzi for the first time here and kept looking at him.

Ah Tian heard Feng Baojie say that Qin Shuzi is a Wenzhou native, looks like a table of talents, can calligraphy, write a good brush, can draw, but also carve with bare hands, casually pick up a stone can be carved out of a variety of fonts, and the carving is very good.

Mr. Sun, who is in charge of renting the house, told Mrs. Gu that most of the Japanese forces invading China in Taiwan have already returned to Japan, and the Chinese government is already sending their families back to Japan one by one.

When the Japanese moved away, the Chinese army sealed the house where the Japanese lived, and if someone rented it, they rented it to others to live in. Mr. Sun rented ah Tianjia a villa where a Japanese officer had lived.

It is a Western-style house, the house is very large, with two or three hundred square meters. The house is timber-framed, the stairs are high and the bottom is empty. The corridor was paved with wooden floors, the floor of the room was made of tatami mats, and there were necessary furniture in the room, which looked very comfortable, and Mrs. Gu showed a very satisfied look on her face, and immediately asked the maid to settle down.

Ah Tian's two younger brothers were still young, the second brother was twelve years old, and the third brother was nine years old. The two of them flipped their heads excitedly on the tatami.

Ah Tian and Yang Liyan ran to the yard, and they saw that there were a lot of rubber trees planted in front of and behind the house, as well as papaya trees, banana trees, betel nut trees, and many fruit trees and plants that Ah Tian could not name for a while. Although it is already late autumn, there are still bright and beautiful flowers everywhere, giving people a feeling of refreshment.

Ah Tian said to Yang Liyan: "This place is very different from Shanghai, I like it here. Yang Liyan also circled the ground and shouted excitedly: "Ah Tian, this place is so beautiful!" What a hideaway! It's so pretty! I'll be here often in the future! Ah Tian looked at her as happy as a child, and smiled and said, "Well, you are welcome to come often!" ”

When they returned to the house, they saw that their brother-in-law Qin Shuzi and Mr. Sun were about to leave for fear of disturbing Mrs. Gu's rest.

Qin Shuzi said, "Mother Mu, you and your brothers will take a break first, and tomorrow I will give you the wind and dust." Yang Liyan also resigned: "Mrs. Gu, Ah Tian, you will rest first, and I will also return to Taipei first, and I will come to visit another day." Ah Tian sent her outside the courtyard, and the two waved goodbye.

Ah Tian arrived in Taipei for a few days, and soon became familiar with the surrounding environment. He knew that his brother-in-law Qin Shuzi and his relatives and friends had opened a trading house in Keelung, and the business was doing well. After Mrs. Gu's family came to Taiwan, her brother-in-law often came to visit her home, and she also brought several wives to accompany Mrs. Gu to rub mahjong.

Once, Qin Shuzi brought two women. He introduced Ah Tian to One of Mrs. Zeng and the other of Mrs. Li. Later, the two of them often came to rub mahjong and eat with Mrs. Gu, and they came more often, so they were very accustomed to it, and sometimes they would stay in the guest room of Ah Tian's house at night.

(To be continued...) ）