On the evening of April 19, Wuxi Shuofang Airport , a pick-up team composed of 12 Suzhou people was particularly eye-catching. Leading were two elderly people over 70 years old and full of silver hair. The two old men held a large pennant in their hands and looked at the pick-up area early. From time to time, people secretly wiped their tears in the team.
People keep dragging their suitcases out, but they are not the ones they have to wait for. The two old men kept raising their arms, holding up the banner, staring at every figure at the exit, and did not dare to relax for a moment. Finally, a middle-aged man with a haggard face walked out, with a heavy backpack hanging on his chest, and he walked with his hands carefully protecting his bag.
"Middle leader!" the leader shouted excitedly.
Then, in the airport hall, the twelve Suzhou people fell to the ground in one go, feeling mixed emotions and burst into tears. The middle-aged man, whom they called "Middleman" was named Liu Dewen, from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The backpack on his chest was the urn of veteran Sun Huilin.
Suzhou TV reporter Li Qiuyue Photo by
Leaves fall, but they cannot return to their roots
1949, a family in Dinghui Temple Lane, Suzhou heard a bolt from the blue for them-Sun Huilin, the eldest son who was an apprentice in a hardware store in Shanghai, suddenly disappeared. Sun Huilin's parents searched desperately, but they still found nothing and were in great pain. There was a saying in the old days that as long as a relative who left home was still alive and nailed his shoes to the beam of the house, the relatives would eventually come back by themselves. Sun's mother then nailed a pair of Sun Huilin's shoes on the beam of the old house, hoping that her son would go home every day.
Family family members were looking forward to Sun Huilin going home, but they didn't know where he was. Sun Huilin knew where his home was, but he couldn't go back. In 1949, after finishing work in a hardware store, Sun Huilin went out for a walk. Suddenly, someone went out to catch a strong man, so he forced him away and took him to a boat. Only after the ship docked did he realize that he was taken to Taiwan. He was asked to replace another person's identity, his name and date of birth were changed. Sun Huilin, a native of Suzhou, disappeared inexplicably. But his heart is still in his hometown.
Straits are separated, and this separation lasts for a full forty years. In 1989, Sun Huilin, who was nearly 60 years old, returned to his hometown Suzhou, looking for his relatives he missed day and night. I found the old house in Dinghui Temple Lane, but my family no longer lived there. He went back and forth to find his cousin and his aunt's house. After the three of them recognized each other, his cousin and aunt immediately took him to the house. At this time, Sun Huilin's father had passed away. When Sun Huilin's mother heard the news that her son was back, she couldn't believe it at first.
Sun Huilin is with her family in Suzhou. Photo provided by Sun Meiyun
Sun Huilin will return to Suzhou to fulfill his filial piety every year. In 2001, Sun Huilin told his family that he had returned to Taiwan for an operation, and then he was about to settle down in Suzhou. However, his wish to return to his hometown to settle down could no longer be realized. In 2002, Sun Huilin died of illness in Taiwan.
Hearing the news of Sun Huilin's death, his family in Suzhou was deeply saddened. Sun Huilin's sister Sun Meiyun wanted to bring her elder brother's ashes back to Suzhou for burial, but encountered another big problem. Because after Sun Huilin was arrested and taken to Taiwan by a strong man, she replaced another person's identity, and information such as name and date of birth were modified. Sun Meiyun could not prove her kinship. The leaves fall but cannot return to their roots. Faced with this extremely regretful reality, Sun Huilin's family set up a tomb for him next to his parents' grave to express his grief.
The person with the back of the ashes
The Taiwanese who brought Sun Huilin's ashes back to Suzhou was named Liu Dewen, who was the chief of Xianghe Lily in Kaohsiung City Zuoying District. In the community, Liu Dewen often sees elderly people burning incense and paper money on the roadside to the mainland during the "Qingming Festival" or other times. In 2004, an 80-year-old soldier found Liu Dewen and said to him, "Can you take me home after I leave?" A year later, the veteran passed away. Liu Dewen carried his urn and sent him back to his hometown in Hunan. After the news spread, more and more veterans found Liu Dewen. Over the past decade, Liu Dewen has helped more than 100 Taiwanese veterans return to their roots, and has traveled to the mainland three times in just one month.While searching for the veteran’s cemetery, he also fell from the mountain and broke two ribs. Liu Dewen's deeds touched many people, and he was also called the "ferryman of the soul."
In Suzhou, Sun Huilin's younger sister Sun Meiyun accidentally saw the report about Liu Dewen, and her hope of bringing her elder brother's ashes back to her hometown was rekindled. After contacting Liu Dewen through the Toutiao "Search for Relatives on Cross-Straits" project team, Liu Dewen immediately ran around and ran back and forth between various departments and completed the procedures. It took several months to finally move Sun Huilin's ashes back to the mainland. The night before leaving for Suzhou, Liu Dewen suddenly felt unwell and had a high fever of more than 39 degrees. After taking some drip and taking medicine, he decided to board the plane on time. At the airport, Sun Huilin's two sisters, 82-year-old Sun Qiwen and 76-year-old Sun Meiyun, solemnly delivered the banner of "love for veterans and enthusiastic about public welfare, great love without boundaries and good virtues forever" to Liu Dewen.
Sun Huilin's family presented a banner to Liu Dewen by Xu Qing. Photo by
On the morning of April 20, Sun Huilin was buried again. "I have been wandering outside for 70 years and finally come back." Sun Huilin's family said with great emotion.
Liu Dewen and Sun Huilin's family are better than relatives. Not long ago, the Hualien earthquake occurred, and Sun Meiyun quickly contacted Liu Dewen to care about his safety.
After sending Sun Huilin back to his hometown, Liu Dewen is about to prepare for the next stop. He will go to Liaoning next month to deliver the ashes of another veteran to his relatives. ( Suzhou City Taiwan Office Xu Qing)
