烈嶼行﹝4﹞/ 莊峻華

烈嶼行﹝4﹞/ 莊峻華 晚餐後，我們四位男士又到村頭舊餐館串門，四位就是仲龍，大公子，三 峽么女婿，和我，舊餐館就是剛來探問這家，整個后頭，均是方姓，都有 親戚關係，男主人解釋當年其父親，隻手經營餐館一事，我不曾花錢前來 銷費，但我有幾次，或僅一次，陪連輔導長來吃黃魚，是如此方式，我們 在村頭遇見小販，鐵馬前掛兩尾大黃魚，連輔買下一尾，當年約是拾元， 二十元新台幣，約有十幾斤重，很大一尾，他就將魚迅速帶到舊餐館，交 給老闆，老闆代為烹煮，是免費但是魚分一半，就是分一半，量仍然甚多， 可供兩餓漢，饜食而歸，老闆紅燒，許多細切蔬菜作料佐配，黃魚吃起來， 像豆腐一般細嫩，連上廚房，有很多烈嶼病戶，出院時贈送黃魚，大鍋菜 作不出如此口味，我提起舊事，41年前舊事，老闆已過世，小老闆仍舊憶 得這些往事曰，幫過其父經營，一直到駐軍撤出后頭，晚餐中有位豪飲者 亦在場，繼續邀么女婿喝高粱，么女婿不勝酒力，低聲懇求放他一馬，於 是大公子陪他，大公子在生日席上，為其父生辰宴，酒戰群雄，猜拳喝令， 已是強弩之末，輪到仲龍，他也超過其三杯幾次，幸好桌上有位貴賓，是 烈嶼島選出之女縣議員，年輕貌美，約是陪其夫婿來，或是舊餐館之媳婦， 她熟練之接下酒杯，回答我之好奇問，縣議員烈嶼幾席？大概僅一席，但 若有按照婦女保障額，應有兩席，然後分析大金門如何佔小金門便宜，影 響到烈嶼經費，觀察其談吐，誠懇信人，閩南語流利，表達無礙，我非常 佩服，家裡有電話來，督促切生日蛋糕。 晚上三女兒關照注意，幾位酒醉之男士，也安排好翌晨回台北之交通，我 跟她從后頭，搭二女婿座車到碼頭，上岸後改搭記程車到山外，搭飛機返 台北，三女兒住中和，我可以幫他運一行李，在山外機場買一條香菸給其 夫。我們在水頭，由記程車司機帶領，去拜望后頭老村長小女兒阿惠不果， 阿惠約是開小貨車送貨去也。在機場等候，遇見一位美婦，年紀七十，仍 舊非常迷人，認出三女兒，我呼其為雪樣，其夫為日本餐館大廚，因工作 講日語，連她都跟著學，她是位裁縫師，專門修改新娘禮服。我在旁邊聆 聽兩女士交談，我正好奇，如何錯過如此美貌之冰果店老闆娘？當日到木 柵訪義女家人，國忠嫂一下也想不出，說是可能是人家繼室。 雪樣帶我到中和一菜市場午飯，此素食店正在打烊午休，也是大金門移民， 詢問雪樣是否房屋自有，她點頭，金門人到台灣打天下，兢兢業業，令我 想起美國，到烈嶼旅行，勾起多少往事回憶。

烈嶼行﹝3﹞/ 莊峻華

烈嶼行﹝3﹞/ 莊峻華 我在金門兜留約是24小時，其中大部份在過去營房所在后頭村，我服 兵役大部份是生活在此村落和已廢棄之碉堡，村落已經煥然一新，但是 人煙稀落，部隊已去不在，而且村落人口，多半他去，留下來者，均為 長輩，老弱婦孺，台電和中華電信，投資在金門，期待小三通，可以帶 來一些過夜遊客，不想直航緊接，無需經過廈門到中國。我仍想描述我 這24小時之心得，我在仲龍岳父大人府上，乘車到碼頭附近之一餐館， 在岳父家過夜，在一舊餐館親妻家，聽一位貌美女縣議員談論，翌晨如 何回碼頭搭渡輪到大金門水頭，再回台北，一直到回中和，永和。 烈嶼原是廈門港之外島，自古平靜，冷戰期間有過緊張，我猜測其島之 開發，與五口通商有關係，廈門是其中一港，許多人經由此到南洋工作 ，仲龍岳父，未分得祖產，其宅土地屬長兄所有，家人無法擴建，長兄 已歿，其後人居汶萊，就是馬來西亞之一富邦，婆羅乃。過去我門營區 ，野戰醫院，都是在其領土上佔用，就是現在碉堡荒蕪廢棄，也不見土 地歸還民有，我想此與戰地政務，土地所有權，和台灣稍異，我一老友 國忠兄，離島期間，祖產土地一塊，被劃為公園，仍舊無法計較討回。 老人長子在台灣教書退休，邀請老父母移民到美濃定居，老人家寧可住 在烈嶼老屋。 生日宴席上，我被安排在一退休老師席，多半是大公子舊日烈嶼國中同 事，多半在台灣退休，因為烈中現在僅存80多位學生，我當兵時曾夢想 到烈中教書，營長反對，當年有位莊主任幫忙不果，我在餐桌上提到此公 ，他們都說身體欠安，已經搬到台灣，我素食，餐廳老闆對素食，特別興 趣，我們兩位素食者有福氣，過去看到大尾黃魚和馬加魚等均未見到，只 見到小只牡蠣，台灣和美國之蚵，均為大號，當然宴席豐盛，只不過我太 興奮，許多感觸，乎略飲食罷了，小金門人豪酒，高粱都是乾杯。 仲龍嫂阿秋，是位美女，連我當年都注意到，常到營房來取衣送衣，許多 醫官制服，都是交給村落小姐燙洗，阿秋領衣照顧弟妹，父親洗衣，非常 刻苦，這位岳父識字，過去幫村落人寫信到汶萊。家裏有許多兄弟姊妹，都 是一個照顧一個，無形中培養成一特殊之感情。仲龍為醫護兵，在病房照顧 阿秋之一姑媽，贏得芳心，這是很不容易之事，我高中一位小金門同學，思 想阿秋小姐，卻未得傾彩，仲龍曰也有醫官落花有意，只憾流水。兩人婚姻 開始非常艱困，一直到他考上中信職位，他說有鬱悶氣，則騎機車出野外。

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen(2)/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen(2)/ Charles Chuang There was a white laboratory across the street from the bus stop following a sitting lady and did not want to go away. He was so adorable. I walked across the street. She kept on whispering to the dog back home. The dog usually followed her to the bus stop for food and without food, he was not leaving. Actually, it was a bag of two pieces deep fly rice cookie which was my favorite as well. He concentrated eating the cookies. Something came in to my mind, I asked her that I knew. There was this soldier in my old company who married a local girl after I left. She told me, as a matter of fact, that this man was in the village for the time being to celebrate his father-in-law’s 96 birthday. She asked an old man on an electrical wheel to show me where the house was. I recognized the man instantly. He was drinking sorghum liquor with his brothers and sisters in law in the front court yard. I was received warmly and took him 30 minutes to recognize whom I was. He was assigned to our unit not too long before I was discharged. Chung Lung and our captain, as a matter of fact was a major, were with the same surname while the captain’s first name was Gin Lung which means golden dragon. After I was discharged, it was Chung Lung’s turn to be given all the hard time by the captain. In the army we called it a shock, electrical shock or whip, lash to receive discipline regularly. I have been very stupid and stubborn by birth and many people like to discipline me all the time. Luckily I met some officers from Santong, China, gave me some help to avoid bad consequences. He, Chung Lung, described a story which occurred after I left. He followed a first lieutenant Chen, the commander of a field hospital, to Kinmen for regular business. Chen decided to delay two days to return to our unit and was found guilty by a punishment of isolation in a closed barracks. There were many other surgeons in our company/filed hospital from , for example, draftees from civilian medical school graduate, graduate from military medical school such as Chen, and supporting army surgeons from the first army corporation etc. The Captain was not worry at all and in the name of discipline, both of them should be punished with no exception. Chung Lung has no regret what so ever for that punishment and I have no idea about Chen. One day there was an accident in training at Da Dan Island, the island adjacent to Leiyu even closer to Shamen, China that I would say about 4,000 meters away. The commander, a brigadier, accompanied the wounded rush to our field hospital. He demand to see the chief of the hospital as asking why he was absent from the hospital and report and brief the situation to him. The captain’s private was scared and responded with a full army reporting manner that the chief was jailed by the captain. The brigadier , also the vice division commander, pulled out his pistol and yelled to the captain, you set him free or I’ll soot you right on the spot. The captain and our new battalion commander all had a face like a color of pork liver. I stayed over nigh and attended the 96 birthday dinner and witnessed how the guests enjoying drinking. This reminded me that year when I was a guest of my old friend’s family for a local celebration dinner and got drunk. The liquor was made from sorghum. Because of the high quality, sorghum liquor production cannot meet the high demand from China. The next morning, he took me back to the village and took some pictures for my memory. Leiyu reminds me most difficult time of my life including the difficulty of my son Arthur’s defect birth difficulty. Where there is a will, there is always a way.

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Leiyu Island, Kinmen/ Charles Chuang A young staff at Wanhwa new immigrants center where I discovered a free Internet use helped me to check the schedule to fly to Kinmen, the old frontier; therefore, the next morning at 5:30 am I went to Dingsi station to take the first bus to Songshan airport. Someone advised me to wait till 6:00 am to take the first subway was better. I took the subway and changed at Chunshaw Fushin station and arrived at the airport very quickly. This airport was the one which I took off to the U.S. 39 years ago. It was very different in feeling in my mind. During 1971-1973, I was in the mandatory army service and my division stationed at Leiyu Island, Kinmen where in the cold war era was considered as the frontier. I always want to re-visit this island because of the hardship of life during those two years. After taking off, the aircraft flew over Taipei high rises and entered the Formosa Strait. It is the beauty of Taiwan. We landed at Sanwai airport one hour later. 42 years ago, our transporting ship landed the harbor right after midnight and our Battalion marched to the barracks at Sanwai on foot. I waited outside of the Airport for bus to Gincheng Township to be transferred to another bus to Shuitou Harbor to take a ferry across another strait between the big and small Kinmen. Along the highway, I could see the improvement of highways and buildings at the island which was very much different from another midnight march from Shanwai barracks to Shuitou harbor 42 years ago. At that time we took an old amphibious boat across. I took another bus to Houtou Village where I thought that I could walk to if necessary. It is all different now, it is much prettier. The village has been expanded a bit with new homes. They are very colorful. I asked a man who was washing a car for my old friend’s phone numbers in Taipei. He was very surprised for my effort coming all the way from the U.S. just attempted to get this information. He stopped his chore and find his i-phone without any success. He directed me to an old restaurant which had been closed and changed to a residence. They are relatives. The relative directed me to another relative who managed the abandoned house. One after another direction, finally I got the phone numbers. Before I left, I found the old barracks which had been abandoned for years and took some pictures. I was ready to leave. I ran into Mr. Bean curd a little bit away from the bus stop. Our company used to purchase bean curd from Mrs. Bean curd; she would come back to our kitchen to get our left over food to feed her hogs; we purchased her two hogs for the Lunar New Year feast etc. He invited me to their new house to meet Mrs. At their home, He called my friend in Taipei and verified me. They are relatives as well. My friend recognized me instantly. He remembered that he visited me at Huwei in 1974 and I visited him in Taipei in the same year. I took his youngest baby daughter as my adopted daughter at that time. She should be age 42 now. Mrs. Bean curd invited me for lunch and had some more conversation about the acquaintance at the village. She prepared a plate of vegetable. She also encouraged me to visit the younger daughter of a village head who resided at Shuitou harbor. She still ran a grocery and her husband was a retiree of an elementary school. I said farewell because that I did have an itinerary to follow before going back to Taipei that night.

烈嶼行﹝2﹞/莊峻華

烈嶼行﹝2﹞/莊峻華 車站過馬路，有一隻白狗，一直跟著一位女士不走，非常可愛，我走過馬 路，女士一直叫大狗回家，說是狗屬村頭人家，習慣來車站向她討餅吃， 餅不出來，狗仍舊不走，原來是一包兩片之炸米餅，我也很喜歡，狗認真 吃餅，令我問起另一位村頭小姐，此為義女阿姑之閨中摯友，約40年前 ，我到景美拜望老友，其妹告訴我有位澎湖兵，娶村頭這位摯友，我隨口 提起此事，女士告知此兵此刻正在村上，準備慶祝其岳父大人96歲生日， 著旁邊一位乘坐電椅之老者，引路帶我到此岳父家，一進門我就認出這兵 ，他正在前院和小舅連襟等人喝酒聊天，很親切之留下我，約30分鐘如 廁畢，始認出我是誰，我退伍時，他剛分發到連上。 仲龍兄和連長同姓，連長名金龍，連長在我退伍後，輪到整他，我們軍中 俗語曰電，或撻，鞭撻，用鞭子擊打，我人冥頑不羈，鋒芒外露，是許多 人打擊之對象，在軍中服役，倖有幾位山東長官幫忙，避過大難。因為我 被連長討厭，所以如廁時令他憶起，於是他描述一件事。有次，他隨一位 軍醫中尉組長，到大金門出差，組長要他一起兜留兩日不歸營，兩人都被 連長關禁閉，連是野戰醫院，許多軍醫，預官軍醫，軍團支援軍醫等，連 長有持無恐，持何也？軍紀，仲龍至今無怨無悔，不巧者禁閉期間，大膽 島有事，少將副師長親自護送重傷官兵來，不見野戰醫院院長出面報告， 責問連長傳令兵，組長何在？傳令是位基隆兵，當過遠洋捕魚船員，很會 唱台語歌曲，幾乎每一曲都會，歌詞都會，當時為氣氛所震嚇，曰報告師 長，組長被連長關禁閉，副師長大怒，掏出配槍斥喝，馬上放人，否則將 你斃掉，營長連長等面有豬肝色。 我留下一夜，參加4桌生日大宴，目睹小金門人豪酒，令我憶得當年拜拜 流水宴席，喝的是金門高梁，金門高粱品質佳，為中國人索購一空。翌晨 仲龍帶我再繞一遍后頭村，我再深入拍攝荒蕪之碉堡，過去之回憶。烈嶼 之服役期間，是我最困難之一刻，包括元兒之出生困難，我都覺得只要耐 心等候，全力以赴，有志者事竟成，我甚高興有此行。

烈嶼行/ 莊峻華

烈嶼行/ 莊峻華 我在新發現之萬華新移民中心，使用免費網路電腦，一位靑年職員，幫我 查詢飛往金門班機，於是翌晨五點半，我就到捷運頂溪站，準備搭車到松 機場，有位熱心者告知，應搭捷運。不久，捷運站開門，我在忠孝復興， 換車到松山機場，買上機票，機場等後登機，松山機場是我39年前登機 來美處，氣氛非常不同，1971-1973年，我服兵役期間，隨部隊駐紮烈嶼， 就是小金門，當年冷戰期間，是前線戰地，我一直想去拜訪，此一生中最 為艱苦之一段歲月。 飛機起飛，飛過台北後，就在台灣海峽，此為台灣美景，一小時後在山外 機場降落，過去我們運兵艦，黑夜在料羅灣靠岸，然後野行軍到山外營房 。我在山外機場門口，等候巴士到金城鎮換車，再搭另車到水頭乘渡輪到 小金門，沿路看到金門新建設，房屋馬路，整潔漂亮，和42年前摸黑行軍 到水頭搭水鴨兩棲艇，迥然不同。到小金門改搭巴士往後頭村，沿路景色， 完全和回憶中不同，我道是步行可達，過去曾走過這一段路，不想巴士繞上 一圈，包括八達樓子城門，後頭村已擴充許多，村落新穎，美麗色彩，有幾 座新建廟宇。我詢問一位洗車居民，我想找這位老友之連絡人，我一直無法 找到此家庭之台北電話號碼，只好親自來烈嶼詢找。這位先生放下工作，撥 翻手機不果，要我到街頭原飯館詢問，說是他們是親戚，飯館已經關閉改建 ，主人要我再到另一家，一家問過一家，我已經走過幾次朋友棄屋多次，稍 微有些回憶，許多舊屋牆闢，尚有撞球廣告，終於讓我找到老友木柵電話， 於是我準備離去，找到廢棄之營部連部和野戰醫院，正待離去。 有人語我在候車亭不遠，可以找到豆腐阿嫂，過去我們連向她購買豆腐，她 來廚房領餿水餵豬，過農曆年向她買豬加菜。在路上遇到豆腐伯走路回家， 邀我到其府上小坐，原來此為新屋，熟悉舊屋就在斜對面，兩老人都不便於 行，都驚訝如此不速之客，豆腐伯當場按號碼，打電話給我之老友，也是他 之親戚，老友一下就認出我，表示曾經到虎尾找過我，我也到過景美找過他 ，當兵時我認他小女嬰為義女，如今應是42歲矣。 豆腐嫂留下我午餐，特別為我準備一盤青菜，然後一直想回憶一些人物，我 仍舊憶得許多人，其中一位是村長小女兒，她說嫁到下船之水頭附近，仍舊開 雜貨店，先生是位退休老 師，應該順路去拜訪她，我因想當日趕回台北，於 告別，回車站候車。

Visiting Chusan, Nantou/ Charles Chuang

Visiting Chusan, Nantou/ Charles Chuang I had made an appointment to visit Chusan with Dr. Su on 11/17/2013 before leaving Houston for the trip to Taiwan. We would take of before day break from Tounan, his hometown, to Touliu to transfer to Chusan to visit a beautiful library. On the 16th, I was delayed by the rare opportunity to have a lunch and coffee with the old college friends in Hsinchu. I was late to catch the last bus to Huwei, my hometown, and was struggling between two railroad stations. I took another train south to Tounan, and was at midnight when I got to Dr. Su’s house. I was so sorry. The next morning, we took the same route in train back to Touliu to catch a bus to Chusan. We passed by a group of seniors who were doing Taichi exercises which he attempted to teach me some a night before. Hsin Jong library and Yu Lang culture center are in honor of their parents by four brothers. The building has been built on the parents’ land and with six hundred thousand US $ annual budget. Most of the volunteers are the retirees of government workers. They maintain the ground and garden regularly. One of the four brothers is Dr. Kao who is a co-founder of GPS, has donated US$125 million to the University of Tennessee and the state of Tennessee matches it to make US$250 million to build a six story college of electrical and computer science at Knoxville, Tennessee. It is one of the legendary talk in the USA. The bus started at Touliu passing through Yunlin hilly country and beautiful Villages. Su checked my Taiwanese language on the way by testing how I pronounced the names. It’s very difficult for me especially after so much Influence by Mandarin Chinese language. Most of the passengers were Farmers dressed very casual. At Chusan you could see some hiking tourists To hike at a forest nearby belonged to National Taiwan University. Chusan Is one of a larger townships in Nantou county named for its scenery, sweet potato, bamboo shout, and tea. The library was off on Monday, we did see many volunteers working outside for the yard and garden. I ran into a retired junior high principal who was still younger than me. He is a friend of my former colleague at Huwei Senior High. The world is so small that we can almost run into some one we know anywhere any time. Actually, Dr. Su has a property near Chusan downtown. We went to take a look and left for downtown market. It was persimmon season variety of products. I asked a vender how to make dry persimmon and he told me baking which is different from the one I know of. Taiwanese dry persimmon is better looking than mine at home. Because I had a dental appointment on the next morning at Wanhwa, Taipei, I was in a hurry to leave Chusan. We took a bus back to Touliu and separated, I transferred to another one to Huwei home. Three hours after arriving at Huwei, I was on my way back to the railroad station on my way to Taipei. This also included a dinner at a vegetarian café. I always think that if Dr. Su would allow me to stay at his abandon building at Chusan for a month in a year; therefore, I can visit those famous mountains and old temples at Nantou. I would re-paint that room for him.