我三爺爺的衣錦還鄉

我三爺爺的衣錦還鄉

我三爺爺為他的恩人王老闆效力了三年，他從一個新手變成一個老手，從一個跟班變成一個領班。從東印度，又做生意到英倫。他替老闆賺了一大筆錢，老闆也給他分紅，算是他的第一桶金。

於是他終於可以衣錦還鄉了。王老闆雖然捨不得他離開，但是還是要放手，並且還額外給了他一筆優厚的報酬。

在歸國的船上，我三爺爺心裡得意洋洋，他從一個被人瞧不起的西府賴子的出身，和長了一臉麻子，從小沒有了父親，兩個哥哥又都早逝，在童年時就飽受屈辱。而如今，他有了成就，賺了一大筆錢，跑遍了大半個世界。

他想念著他可憐的母親，她少年喪父，中年喪夫，晚年喪子，忍受著命運對她的不公，卻又無能為力。現在她的小兒子發了，可以孝順她，供養她，讓她過過好日子了。

他想起他的大哥，因為受到小妹說了他一句“不孝”，受刺激而發瘋，變成了彪子。他常常發作而出門，在馬路上閒逛，有時還打人，我三爺爺流著眼淚在後面跟著他。後來他又中風癱瘓，躺在床上不能動，過了好幾年才去世。

他的嫂子（我的祖母），沒有讀過書，包小腳，體態豐盈，本來似乎是很有福氣的命，卻遭遇到如此的不幸。她任勞任怨的服侍病中的丈夫，和撫養她的獨生兒子（我父親），供他讀書。

他還有個妹妹（我的姑奶奶），他走的時候她才十二三歲，卻也長得越來越標致了，而且還有一雙小腳。本來也是很伶俐的，可惜那時候女子都不讀書，只學著做針線活和家事，等著找個好丈夫。

最後他想到他所鍾愛的侄子（我父親），他小時候白白胖胖的，非常可愛。但是他還沒有長大時，就遭遇到父親的不幸，在他的心靈中，一定藏著許多傷痛。他要鼓勵他好好讀書，將來可以跟他走同樣的路。

經過了一個多月的船程，經過了無數的港口，三爺爺所坐的輪船終於進入了渤海，開往煙台了。近鄉情更怯，正是三爺爺此時心情的寫照。

我曾經做過一個夢，夢中我三爺爺坐在一輛人力車上，他一身黑色西裝革履，梳了一個油亮亮的小分頭。人力車後面還跟了一群好奇的小朋友。我的父親也跟在最後頭，他那時候大概十來歲。

三爺爺下車的時候看見我父親，便叫他上前來，摸著他的頭。對我父親來說，他的這位三叔將會是他的救星。而在夢中，我也感覺我的三爺爺將是我的救星。

我的母親曾經告訴我，我的三爺爺對他母親非常孝順，所以他一回到家，打開門便呼叫他的母親，但是卻沒有他母親的回應。原來他母親沒有等到他回來，就已經病故，而他的家人都瞞著他，怕他一個人在外面會傷心過度。

「樹欲靜而風不止，子欲養而親不待也。」

过去了不能追回的，是岁月；逝去后想见而见不到的，是亲人。

My third granduncke’s homecoming with achievements

My third granduncle worked for his benefactor, Boss Wang , for three years. He changed from a novice to a veteran, from a follower to a foreman. From East India, do business to England. He made a lot of money for the boss, and the boss also gave him dividends, which is his first bucket of gold.

So he can finally return home. Although Boss Wang was reluctant to let him leave, he still had to let go of my third granduncle, and he gave him another generous reward.

On the ship that returned to China, my third granduncle was very proud of himself. He was born from a despised Xifu Laizi family, with a pockmarked face, had no father since he was a child, both of his brothers died young and he was fully humiliated since childhood. Now, he had made achievements, made a lot of money, and traveled through a great part of the world.

He missed his poor mother. She lost her father in her youth, lost her husband in her middle age, and lost her two sons in her later years. She endured the injustice of her fate, but she could do nothing. Now that her youngest son has made a fortune, she can filialize her, support her, and let her live a good life.

He remembered his big brother, because the younger sister said that he was "not filial", was mad and became crazy. He often went out and strolling on the road, sometimes hitting people, and my third granduncle followed him with tears. Later, he had a stroke, was paralyzed and unable to move, he had to stay in bed, and died after several years.

His sister-in-law (my grandmother), who was illiterate, had bound feet. She was plump, supposed to have a very blessed life, instead, she suffered such misfortune. She served the sick husband, and raised her only son (my father), and support him to study.

He also has a younger sister (my grandaunt). When he left, she was only twelve or thirteen years old, but she grew more beautiful, and she also had a pair of small bound feet. She was also very smart , but unfortunately women did not study at that time, only learning to do needlework, cooking and family affairs, waiting to find a good husband.

Lastly, he thought of the nephew he loved (my father). He was fat and very cute as a . Now he had grown up, he had encountered his father's misfortune. In his heart, there must be many painful memories. He wanted to encourage him to study hard and follow him in the same way in the future.

After more than a month of boat trips, after numerous ports, the ship that third granduncle took has finally entered the Bohai Sea and headed for Yantai. The feeling of being close to  home is very complicated.

I once had a dream. In my dream, my third granduncle was sitting on a rickshaw. He was dressed in a black suit and with combed shiny hair. The rickshaw was followed by a group of curious children. My father also followed at the end, and he was about ten years old at the time.

When third granduncle got out of the rickshaw, he saw my father, he told my father to come forward and pad his head. For my father, his third uncle will be his savior. In my dream, I also feel that my third granduncle will be my savior in the future.

My mother once told me that my third granduncle was very filial to his mother, so when he got home, he opened the door and called his mother, but there was no answer. It turned out that his mother did not wait until he came back, she was sick and passed away. The family hid the news from him, fearing that he would be overly sad abroad.

"The tree wants to be quiet but the wind won't stop. The son wants to be good to his parents but they no longer there.”

What cannot be recovered is the past of the years; those who wants to see and see no more are the passed away relatives.

我的祖母抱著大概一歲左右的我父親

這張照片的後面有一個日本憲兵隊的戳記，日期是1916年6月19號。我搞不懂的是為什麼會有這個日本憲兵隊的章。