Chapter 33 bleak hometown

Looking back, Taiming's life in the mainland, the land of his ancestors, is like a dream.After returning to Taiwan, Taiming felt at ease, but at the same time felt that he was being asked for trouble.This feeling followed him from his first steps on land in Keelung. Although he did not receive any special interrogation during the inspection by the Water Department and Customs, the extremely strict inspection method made people feel a little daunted. He did not do anything illegal, but he still felt panic in his heart.Especially when he stood in front of the criminal police officers, he couldn't help but tremble a little.He was used to the free and open atmosphere on the mainland, and he felt dull as if suddenly lost in a narrow alley from a vast place.

After getting on the train from Keelung, he still had this feeling.On the way, he got off the bus in Taipei, where he met a man with piercing eyes and pale complexion.Then on the bus, or in the coffee shop, that person always followed Taiming inseparably.When he was shopping in Ximen Market, he also saw that man.Taiming judged that the man must be following him.Taiming felt uncomfortable all over. He originally planned to stay in Taipei for a while, but changed his mind and went home immediately.And when he arrived at the station of the hometown he missed, because he didn't inform his family in advance, no one came to greet him, but an unpleasant rumor was heard from the station master. When he went to the luggage room to collect his luggage, The station master told him that someone wanted the station master to tell him to go to the police station.

Taiming felt perplexed, but followed the station master's instructions and went to the station's police station.But when we got to the police station, nothing special happened.The police at the police station treated him very courteously, and only asked him about various things about China, which was not considered an investigation.After leaving the police station, Taiming went home. Just when the situation in the mainland was critical, Taiming returned safely, and everyone in his hometown was overjoyed.No one in the village has ever been to the mainland, and only because Taiming has been to the mainland, the villagers are elated, and everyone's excitement is mostly out of respect, especially since he is a high school teacher in the mainland. He is a high-ranking official, so the villagers welcome him back with high spirits.People in the village talked about his return.And from the day after he came back, relatives or friends came to visit him one after another, asking him about the situation in China.

Taiming received these people, a little tired.And in the afternoon of the next day when he returned home, the police from the precinct visited and had lunch with him.Ever since he disembarked from the boat, he had felt that someone was following his mood, so the visit of the police made him even more uneasy.It made him feel a little aggrieved, as if he was blocked in all directions.It makes him feel that he can no longer live in his hometown as leisurely as before.It had nothing to do with Taiming's mood, the policeman asked what he wanted to ask and said what he wanted to say before leaving.

After Taiming came back like this, not all the surroundings around him made him feel happy.The appearance of the village has changed a lot from before. It is full of vitality. The eucalyptus trees have grown very tall. The vehicles of the fourth and fifth classes of buses exude a civilized atmosphere.And the number of young people has increased significantly. Most of them are not familiar with Taiming, and they only know each other when they ask their father's name.The clansmen surrounding the Hu family have also changed, which is even more overwhelming: the opium barrel passed away three years ago, Ah San became a ghost last year, Ah Si quit opium, and left the village with his son-in-law and his family.Cousin Zhida can no longer rely on lawyers to interpret and make ends meet. He is unemployed in the village and no one cares about him.Although Taiming's father, Hu Wenqing, is old, he is still in good health, especially because there are fewer Chinese medicine practitioners, more people seeking medical treatment (seeing a doctor), and doctors' work is more busy.And Hu Wenqing's second wife, Ayu, has a stable position in the family, so she no longer wears heavy makeup like before, showing the appearance of a good mother.And Taiming's brother Zhigang has been promoted by the villagers as Baozheng, and he has the power of Baozheng, and he seems to be very busy.

Because of the metabolism, the people in Lili Village have also changed because of their compliance with God.But only the Hu family's mansion still stood tall and pale. Taiming entered the mansion, lit incense sticks to worship ancestors, and prayed for grandpa's blessings, feeling infinitely moved.The flat forehead of the 'Gong Yuan' with peeling gold foil is covered with spider silk, and the metal utensils on the shrine show a dim and silent light.When Taiming went to the mainland, he was determined to bury his bones in the south of the Yangtze River and ask for the protection of his ancestors. Now that he has to come back, he feels ashamed of his ancestors.

In such an environment, Taiming made various plans for his future.Seeing Taiming's situation, his father, Hu Wenqing, advised him, "Although being an official has a decent status, you must not be persistent." Taiming didn't want to be an official, but he didn't have a job and lived a miserable life. He lived at home. For two or three days, he felt regretful and empty, and an indescribable sense of loneliness filled his heart, and he could not calm down. His mother, Ah Cha, was living with his younger sister Qiuyun's house at this time, and Taiming hadn't had the chance to see her.At first, Taiming planned to bring his mother back to live a peaceful life with him, but after he returned home and saw the situation, he felt that it would be better for his mother to let her live with his younger sister.In short, wait until you see your mother before making a decision.He had to go to see his mother earlier, but he was too lazy to go out. During the delay, his mother and sister came back together.

As soon as the younger sister saw Taiming, she forgot even the long-lost greeting, and said in a complaining tone: "Brother, you are too indifferent, mother waited for you so hard..." Mother Ah Cha said Said: "Taiming is back, I really never thought of it in my dreams, ah, this is also the blessing of the City God." 'She stared at Taiming with wide eyes, and wiped her tears with her hands frequently. Suddenly, Taiming looked at his mother's hand. She was carrying a basket with a boiled chicken and a bunch of incense sticks in it. She probably wanted to worship the land god or ancestors and tell Taiming that she had returned home safely.There is a bottle of peanuts in the bundle in my sister's hand.Taiming's mother's kindness can't help but feel the corners of his eyes heat up, and he wants to cry heartily under his mother's knees. When he thinks of his wandering journey, he doesn't know how sad he has made his mother feel. Taiming feels very sorry for her.

That night, his father Hu Wenqing and elder brother Zhigang were there, and the family reunited.His mother, Acha, was unwilling to step into the house of her husband's concubine, Ayu. Only tonight, because she wanted to see Taiming who had returned home, broke the precedent.Father Hu Wenqing felt very satisfied in the face of the long-standing reunion of the family. Only Ayu humbly did not eat together at the table.Although there was nothing particularly discordant between her and Ah Cha, there was still a little disharmony.Tai Ming couldn't help but feel sympathy for his mother Ah Cha's tolerant attitude.

The atmosphere at dinner was lively.Taiming ate his favorite peanuts, and talked about the scenery of the mainland while eating.His family asked him about the scenery of Suzhou and West Lake, but because he had never been there, he couldn't give a satisfactory answer.However, when it came to Shanghai and Nanjing, he talked endlessly, which was very interesting for everyone to listen to.His father, Hu Wenqing, was very happy and said that he hoped to visit the mainland once in his life.Mother just listened happily to what everyone had to say.His elder brother Zhigang boasted that he remodeled part of the house with Japanese tatami mats.His younger sister, Qiuyun, is already the mother of a child, and she still mischievously booed at her elder brother who became Baozheng: "Where are you going in the future, I will go with my elder brother." ''why? ''Because you are Baozheng, it is said that the person who is Baozheng can stop the train, right? His sister's taunting words, the mother listened, called "Qiu Yun" and gave her a benevolent look as if reproachful.Zhigang smiled wryly and said, "Nonsense, that was in the past."Baozheng does not have any privileges at present. When the bus is crowded, he can get on the bus first. Public officials are nothing more than that. 'He made a serious excuse, but my sister was silent.

In short, that night, Taiming's family forgot all the usual situations, and until late at night, they could still hear the cheerful laughter of the Hu family that they hadn't heard for a long time.Taiming decided to temporarily stay in Guangren Hospital where his brother-in-law was.Brother-in-law Lin Dongyue is still a young doctor with aspirations.His hospital, because of the kindness of the doctors and the cheap medicine, was well received among the nearby farmers, and it was known as the 'New Hospital'.Taiming stayed in Guangren Hospital, and since he had nothing to do, he began to help with the hospital's routine work.The so-called work is nothing more than receiving many visitors other than some patients. Then he discovered something abnormal, and for whatever reason, super high police officers or patrol officers visited Guangren Hospital almost every day.It was only later that they realized that they were not visiting Guangren Hospital, but Taiming. They also wanted to know the contents of the letter sent to Taiming from the mainland.But because they visited too frequently, Taiming and them felt at ease like friends and comrades.But each other tacit understanding. 'If traveling, please report to the branch in advance. 'The super high policeman said nonchalantly. Once Taiming was going to the south due to business, Taiming suddenly remembered that he was often noticed by the special high police, and he had done nothing wrong, so he decided to follow suit and report to the branch.When he arrived at the sub-bureau, the very familiar policeman did not listen carefully to what Taiming said about the trip, but jokingly said, "Why do you need to report this trivial matter..." Taiming was very disappointed.But when he set off on a trip, he realized that the Tegao police were absolutely unambiguous about his vigilance.He changed trains to Pingtung in Kaohsiung, got off at Pingtung, and waited for the next southbound train. At that time, he walked out of the station and walked on the street to pass the waiting time. While looking at the plants, he suddenly realized that someone behind him was staring at him. He turned his head in surprise, and at the same time saw a man quickly hiding under the shade of the tree.He was startled.That's the man he saw when he got to the precinct this morning.He suddenly felt uneasy and went back to the station.When the train came into the station, he was the first to get on.And that person was also sitting in the second car, following him like a shadow all the way.Taiming thought: 'Sure enough, he was being followed. When Taiming went to the sub-bureau to report, the Tegao policeman joked with him, pretending not to listen to Taiming's report carefully, but quietly sent someone to follow him secretly.Taiming felt that he had to be vigilant. 'In the future, we must try our best to avoid attracting attention. ’ He thought of self-discipline.And after returning from travel.He no longer appeared in front of people, and stayed inside to study.When people in the society gradually forgot about Taiming, the disturbing special high police stopped visiting him. 'Hey, that's reassuring. ' Taiming thought.But at that time Taiming heard that Taiwanese youths in the mainland were being deported back to Taiwan one after another and put in prisons.An unusual air that feels like a harbinger of a storm.