In the spring of 2007, my uncle’s urn flew from Taipei to Nanjing, and was escorted back to his hometown by his son in Taipei and his wife in Taipei. That morning, I went to Nanjing Airport with my parents to pick him up.
Uncle was 86 years old. He was born in Shuyang, Jiangsu and died in Taipei. When he was young, my uncle served as a battalion commander in the old Kuomintang army. In the autumn of 1948, he went to Taiwan with the Kuomintang army. Before leaving, he rode a fast horse back home to say goodbye to his wife and four-year-old daughter. At that time, the uncle said to his aunt: "Wait for me at Sophora japonica. I will definitely wait for you." Come back!" At that time, my uncle was 26 years old and my aunt was 22 years old. My aunt said with tears in her eyes: "No matter how long I wait, I will wait for you to come back!"...
There has been no news from my uncle for 50 years, and my aunt has waited for him in vain.
In 1997, my family received a call from the Municipal Taiwan Affairs Office, saying that uncle Liu Kun from Taiwan would transfer to Hong Kong to return to mainland China to visit relatives tomorrow, and asked us to go to Nanjing to pick him up tomorrow. Our family was very excited. My mother quickly called my eldest cousin in Lianyungang . My aunt did not have a phone number, so my mother rented a car overnight and went to Xiaoliu Village in Shuyang to tell her.
Early the next morning, my parents and I took a van arranged by the city government to pick us up at the airport. My mother recognized my uncle at a glance in the departure hall. At that time, my uncle was wearing a red suit and was accompanied by a very fashionable woman in her 50s. The uncle introduced that this was his wife in Taiwan named Ke Jing, and I will call her Aunt Jing. In the car, my mother and uncle were telling stories about their old love. The car soon came to my uncle's hometown, Sangxu Town, . My uncle said that he still had memories, especially the river. When we entered Xiaoliu Village, we saw an old man at the entrance of the village from a distance. He was dressed in gray clothes, with silver hair, small feet and tied trousers. My mother said to my uncle, "This is my sister-in-law. She has been looking at this village for 50 years..." The uncle cried. As soon as he got off the car, he rushed up and hugged his uncle and said, "Sophora japonica, I'm back. I'm sorry for you and my daughter..." The whole family cried together. It took a long time for my aunt to cry loudly. She said: "Da Kun, you are back..." This "Da Kun" contained my aunt's calling to my uncle for countless nights and many affectionate expectations.
When we arrived at the low house in our hometown, our uncle solemnly introduced Aunt Jing to our aunt and cousin. Aunt Jing was a traditional woman. She knelt down to her aunt according to the old traditional etiquette of our country and said affectionately: "Sister, you have suffered a lot over the years!" My aunt happily pulled Aunt Jing, and my cousin also pulled the child to recognize her mother and call her grandma.
A large family sat around and talked about hometown, family ties and past events. The uncle asked: "Sophora japonica, how did you come here all these years?"
"After you left, our New China was established. The government gave us land. Life was difficult, but I could still support it. Many people advised me to remarry, but I didn't agree. Later, many people in the village moved to live in towns with good conditions under the arrangement of the government. The village also came to mobilize me, but I didn't agree. I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to find your home after I left. In 1960, there was a severe natural disaster in our country, and our family had almost no food rations. I dug some wild vegetables to satisfy my hunger. That year I contracted lung disease and had no money to treat it. I gave my daughter Xinhua to her aunt's house. After returning home, I found pesticides and drank them. I lay quietly on the bed and prepared to turn into a soul to find you. In my confusion, I suddenly heard your call: Sophora japonica! Sophora japonica! I suddenly got up and went outside to look for you, but I couldn't see your shadow. I realized that I couldn't die. I promised you that I would wait for you to come back. I climbed to the water tank and drank a lot of soapy water. , vomited all the pesticides, and I slept for two days, maybe I died for two days. Later, your brother-in-law got penicillin and streptomycin from the army to treat my illness. Thanks to the help of my sister and brother-in-law over the years, my illness was cured and my life was settled... When my daughter grew up and got married to Lianyungang, her son-in-law came to pick me up to live in Lianyungang many times, but I refused. I want to wait at home for you to come back. This yard, this old house, this old tree, and this water tank are still in their original state. My daughter wanted to renovate the old house many times and I didn't agree. I was afraid that you wouldn't recognize home when you came back..." Uncle Jing burst into tears.
It had been half a year since my uncle came back. There was still property to take care of in Taipei, and his son there called me many times to urge him to go back, so my uncle had no choice but to go back. Over the years, he had to go back to Hong Kong many times.
In 2004, my aunt fell ill, and both her uncle and Aunt Jing came to take care of her. Due to her serious illness, she finally passed away in her arms.
At the Nanjing Airport, my parents and I were waiting for the direct charter flight from Taipei to Nanjing. The plane arrived at noon. In the waiting hall, Aunt Jing was dressed in filial piety. Her son, holding the urn and portrait of his uncle, got into the car under our guidance.
As soon as we entered the village, we saw that the whole village was standing there, and the loudspeakers in the village were playing Fei Xiang's song: Clouds in Hometown.
Uncle's soul returns to his hometown.
