In 1987, a Taiwanese veteran finally realized his long dream of returning home. When he set foot on the land of his hometown, he found that his hometown had regarded him as a martyr and hero. For years, he has harbored endless guilt for the former People's Liberation Army. What kind of fate did he go through? Why are you so obsessed with your choice back then? What kind of historical entanglements are hidden behind this veteran's story? Let's take a closer look at this touching past.
A generation of heroes, the twists and turns of the red era
The Eighth Route Army turned over the serfs and kindled the house, and the broadsword swept the way to show its heroic nature. Yu Xiju was one of those who embarked on the road of revolution in such an era. He was born in a poor peasant family in Dong'e, Shandong, with 4 brothers in his family, and was eager to change his fate in the dire era.
One evening in 1937, 13-year-old Yu Xi gathered on the edge of a field near his home to keep the family's only few lambs. In the distance, several Communist guerrillas dressed in blue cloth uniforms passed by, and one of them stopped and walked over when he saw Yu Xiju. "Young man, would you like to join us? Throw your head for the people and shed your blood for the revolution. When the young Yu Xiju heard these passionate words, his fighting spirit was immediately ignited, and he agreed to join the army without hesitation.
After a short period of training, Yu Xiju joined the famous Huaye Column of the Eighth Route Army and began his revolutionary career. In the war-torn era, Yu Xiju and his comrades-in-arms moved when they heard the artillery, and traveled to Shandong and Henan provinces to fight with the enemy. He has stabbed countless Kuomintang warlords' personal soldiers, and has also experienced the bloody encirclement and suppression of the enemy many times.
Sincere love, a touching fate through time and space
In the smoke of war, Yu Xiju accidentally met Zhang Mingzhu, an Atayal girl he had never met, and started a touching love story.
On a midsummer afternoon in 1959, 13-year-old Zhang Mingzhu and a girl from the village were playing in the Wulai River. Their families are small, and they have no hope of food and clothing when they work all day long, and it is hard to imagine that they can get a little food to satisfy their hunger in the hot noon. There are so few passers-by that they can only have some expectations for every pedestrian they pass by.
Suddenly, a tall, well-dressed soldier approached. This unit has been stationed in Wulai Township for some days, and although Zhang Mingzhu is young, he has long been familiar with the dress of soldiers. Hungry and thirsty, she finally mustered up the courage to shake the iron lunch box in her hand to the soldier, and issued a dry cry for help: "Brother Bing, we are too greedy, can you give me something to eat?" ＂
It turned out that this soldier was Yu Xiju. After years of fighting, he has long been accustomed to the vicissitudes of life, but in the face of such a pitiful scene, his heart can't help but feel a burst of compassion. So he nodded, walked briskly to the barracks, and soon returned to the river with two hot steamed buns, and handed them to Zhang Mingzhu and her companions.
In this way, Yu Xiju, who fell in love at first sight, gradually fell in love with this lively and lovely girl. In just a few years, the two met, knew each other, fell in love, and finally officially married in 1965, starting a marriage with ups and downs.
During the day, Zhang Mingzhu and Yu Xiju traveled with the army and wandered everywhere; At night, they live in a simple straw hut. Although the military career was poor, the love between the two was never extinguished. With the passage of time, Zhang Mingzhu gave birth to three lovely children successively, and although the family's life was difficult, it was also happy.
Starting anew, the buried past gradually unfolds
In October 1949, he lost the Battle of Kinmen and was captured in Xiju, starting a period of exile.
After being captured, Yu Xiju was absorbed by the Kuomintang army and forced to leave the ranks of the People's Liberation Army. Due to the special environment at that time, Yu Xiju avoided talking about his own experience, and even his wife Zhang Mingzhu and son Yu Guanhua knew nothing about it.
After being discharged from the army, in order to support his family, Yu Xiju began to wander around. In 1960, he came to Wulai Township, Taiwan with the army. At that time, Zhang Mingzhu's family was extremely poor, and the family could only rely on odd jobs to survive. Seeing this, Yu Xiju took the initiative to take out part of his meager military salary to support Zhang Mingzhu's family.
In this way, under the care of Yu Xiju, the life of Zhang Mingzhu's family has finally changed. The two met, fell in love, married, and had three children. However, a military career left the family in displacement, often moving from place to place.
After retiring from the army, Yu Xiju opened a small local freight company, and later opened a small shop selling handmade dumplings from Shandong. Due to its craftsmanship and sincerity in treating its customers, this small shop is popular with locals. The family can finally live and work in peace.
At this moment, Yu Xiju was suddenly held by his dying wife and said something that shocked him: "Xiju, after you retire, we must go back to our hometown in Shandong to have a look and sweep the graves of our parents...... ＂
Hearing this, Yu Xiju was like being struck by lightning, and the tragic past of being captured came to his mind. For many years, he had always harbored strong guilt and self-reproach for being captured and betraying the revolutionary cause. And now, his wife's words have undoubtedly torn open a hole in the hidden pain in his heart.
Wandering in a foreign land, the torture of the soul of crime and punishment
After being captured, Yu Xiju began a wandering career. After leaving the revolutionary army, he felt extremely guilty about the choice he made back then, which also became a lingering knot in the second half of his life.
After being captured, Yu Xiju was initially imprisoned in a dark, damp cellar. Refusing to swear allegiance to the Kuomintang, he was subjected to prolonged torture and interrogation, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. It was not until 1950, persuaded by relatives and friends, that he reluctantly agreed to join the Kuomintang army.
After being discharged from the army, in order to make a living, Yu Xiju came to Taiwan. In his first few years, he worked as a coolie in the suburbs of Taipei, working as a dock stevedore. Due to malnutrition, his health deteriorated and his life was in trouble.
At this time, Yu Xiju inadvertently met a fellow friend, and through his introduction, he came to work in a well-known logistics company in Wulai Township. With extraordinary perseverance and diligence, Yu Xiju soon won the appreciation of his boss and was exceptionally promoted to manager.
In 1969, Yu Xiju relied on years of salary savings to open a small freight company in Wulai Township, and began to gradually embark on the road to prosperity. A few years later, he opened a Shandong handicraft restaurant, and Shandong snacks such as steamed buns and soup were very popular in the local area. In this way, the life of Yu Xiju's family finally entered a stable track.
But at this moment, he overheard Zhang Mingzhu's words, and the unspeakable wound in his heart was torn open again - he was once a soldier of the People's Liberation Army, who shed his blood for the revolutionary cause, but in the end he turned his back on the army and became a prisoner. This secret has always haunted his heart, and it has become a lingering demon in his heart.
Return to your homeland and ask your ancestors for the end of their lives
It wasn't until 1987 that Yu Xiju finally returned to his hometown in Shandong in his later years, but he fulfilled a long-cherished wish that had been hovering in his heart for many years.
After retirement, Yu Xiju began to fulfill his wife's wish for many years, asking him to return to his hometown in Shandong to sweep the graves of his ancestors. After the Spring Festival in 1987, the family bought a train ticket to return to their hometown and embarked on the road home with anxiety.
After arriving in Jining, Shandong, Yu Xiju's family did not return directly to their hometown, but stayed there for a few days. Through inquiry, they finally found several distant relatives, and only then did they learn the detailed address of their hometown. After some searching, they finally came to Yujia Village and met their aunt Yu Xiulan, who was over the age of old.
I haven't seen each other for more than 60 years, and we have long been unrecognizable. Yu Xiulan stared at Xiju for a long time, and finally said in a choked voice: "Xiju, you can be regarded as back!" After you left, your grandparents became sad and fell ill, and they passed away a few years later. As she spoke, she handed an old cloth bag into Yu Xiju's hands.
It turned out that this cloth bag contained the relics of Yu Xiju's enlistment: an old military uniform, a dilapidated August 1st military flag, several letters from home, and a diary. When I opened the diary, I saw Yu Xiju's delicate handwriting when he was young, recording some interesting things before joining the army.
Flipping through these old events, Yu Xiju has mixed feelings in his heart. For years, he had been haunted by the fact that he had been captured, and now that he returned to his hometown and saw his father's relics, feelings of guilt and self-blame came flooding back.
end
Early the next morning, Yu Xiju took the whole family to the empty cemetery at the head of the village, picked up the ancestral graves, and religiously swept the graves to pay respects. After doing all this, he finally let go of the last knot in his heart.