"I don't know where it came from, I don't know where it went. ”
This is a sentence on the lips of Xiong Bohong, the former defense minister of Honduras, and it is also the last words of his father before his death.
In 2013, Xiong Bohong came to Taishan, Guangdong, his father's former hometown, and met his half-brother Xiong Taowen, who was already a gray-haired old man at this time.
The years are merciless, and the thoughts are loud......
1. The wanderer's thoughts
Xiong Bohong's father, Xiong Bingrong, was originally from Dongshan, Guangdong, but in the twenties and thirties of the 20th century, China was constantly in turmoil, internal and external troubles, and he was so poor that he could not even fill his stomach, let alone take care of his family.
Looking at his yellow-skinned son Xiong Taowen in swaddling clothes, Xiong Bingrong felt deeply sad.
At this time, Honduras, a Central American country on the other side of the ocean, began to implement preferential policies to absorb foreign population in order to increase the domestic labor force and accelerate the development of its own economy.
As a result, some people in the mainland, especially in coastal areas, chose to go to Honduras to work, and Xiong Bingrong was among them.
"You wait for me, and when I earn the money, I'll come back, and then our whole family will be able to live a good life. Before leaving, Xiong Bingrong promised his wife.
"You go in peace, stay safe, I'll take care of my son." The wife admonished with tears in her eyes.
In this way, Xiong Bingrong left his wife and children and boarded a ship to Honduras.
At that time, he didn't know that his promise would eventually turn into a bubble, and he left this time and never came back.
After getting off the ship, Xiong Bingrong was as ambitious as other Chinese compatriots, but reality soon poured cold water on them.
The strength of the country has a deep impact on the status of the Chinese people in the international community, and the mainland at that time was obviously discriminated against, so the situation of the Chinese in Honduras was also very bad.
Whenever he was coldly looked down upon, Xiong Bingrong missed Dongshan's family very much, but it was this kind of longing that made him grit his teeth and persist in the midst of difficulties.
The emperor lived up to his wishes, and he finally earned a lot of money with his perseverance, and he wanted to take the money and go home immediately, but he quickly dispelled this idea.
"How can I go home with such a small amount of money? As soon as my career began, I wanted to end, I was dizzy. Xiong Bingrong said to himself, and decided to continue working hard in Honduras.
At this time in China, the movement of patriots to save the country from the suppression of the foreign powers had not yet been saved, but the fascist movement gradually affected Asia, and the War of Resistance against Japan began.
The wheels of history roll forward.
In Honduras, Xiong Bingrong is full of joy with his second child, Xiong Bohong, and at the same time worried about Dongshan's wife and children, but he has gradually realized that he can't go back.
As the sun rises and the moon sets, Xiong Bohong slowly grows up under the ridicule and white eyes of the locals, and vows to prove it to the Chinese, he was admitted to the law department of the National University of Honduras after graduating from high school, and then entered the army.
In 1996, Xiong Bohong became Honduras' defense minister, while her father, Xiong Bingrong, was on the verge of a limit.
"Remember what I told you, 'I don't know where he came from, I don't know where he went,' and you have to go back to China, go to Dongshan to see your brother, and tell him that I'm sorry for him. ”
Before dying, Xiong Bingrong held Xiong Bohong's hand tightly, and saw the other party nodding in agreement, so he swallowed his last breath with peace of mind.
"But how can I find him?" Standing in front of his father's grave, Xiong Bohong thought silently in his heart.
Second, the brothers finally recognized each other
"Did your father also immigrate to Honduras from Dongshan? Coincidentally, so did my grandfather, maybe they still came on the same boat!" On the train, Xiong Weiming and the passengers opposite him were pulling their homework.
"Maybe, what's your grandfather's name?" the other party was also pleasantly surprised.
"Xiong Bingrong. Xiong Weiming often heard his father Xiong Taowen chant this name, and he remembered it clearly.
"I know!" the person on the other side even slapped the table excitedly, "But he died two years ago, but he has a son, and now he is the Minister of Defense of Honduras!"
"Really?" Xiong Weiming was stunned by this sudden news, and he didn't know how to react for a while.
"Really, but it's also possible that someone with the same name and last name. The other party calmed down for a while, but still said something completely.
Xiong Weiming was silent for a while, and then said, "I write a letter, can you help me forward it to him?"
"Yes, we are destined, and we are fellow countrymen, so I'll help you with this. The other party replied enthusiastically.
A few days later, Xiong Bohong, who was holding Xiong Weiming's handwritten letter, was trembling excitedly, and he didn't expect his long-lost relatives to appear in front of his eyes in such a way.
He ran to his father's grave and said to his father underground, "My brother is still alive, I will definitely visit them, and you can rest assured in the spirit of heaven." ”
In May 2013, 66-year-old Xiong Bohong set foot on the land of Dongshan in Guangdong Province for the first time, and looked at the unfamiliar environment around him, but he seemed to hear the echo of blood.
According to the content of the letter, he met his half-brother Xiong Taowen as he wished.
At this time, Xiong Taowen was 87 years old, and his silver hair fluttered in the wind, but in the arms of his younger brother, he still couldn't suppress his tears.
As of 2023, Xiong Bohong has come to China six times to seek his roots, during which Xiong Taowen unfortunately passed away due to the epidemic, and he also sincerely mourned at the grave.
During Xiong Bohong's life, he devoted himself to improving the social status of the Chinese in Honduras, and with the growing strength of the mainland, his undertaking was considered a success.
In March 2023, the mainland and Honduras officially established diplomatic relations, and the relationship between the two countries reached a new level.