this is the story

Preface

I often thought that I am a fortunate one, fortunate for being belonged to a generation which witnessed the making of modern Chinese history or being close to those who still had vivid memory of what had happened to China during the past century.

"Modern Chinese history has been knitted with blood and tears".  Such xpression of being sorrow and hopeless under foreign oppression was pretty common several generations ago.  Yet, it bears no interest to my children as to other youngsters who are living in such fast changing and totally materialized 21century.  However, life is aa continuity of past.  without knowing where one's family came from and many things happening surround it, we won't be able to fully understnd what we are and why we are different from others in thinking, in feeling and among in many other ways.

As a common person i will avoid to get into Chinese history too deep for fearing not be able to interpret it objectively.  but one man's past is always inter-crossed with others and deeply influenced by what was happening in the society and in this case, the fate of his country.  Thus, I will tell the story the way I know, since the purpose of writing this book is merely for my two Canadian born children to know their Chinese roots and to be proud of it.

Chapter One: A Trip That Never Returned

1949 was the year that China saw itself once again falling into a tremendous turmoil.  Only 5 years earlier China had survived from an eight years of bloody war with invading Japanese.  The hope of  being finally able to embracing a peaceful new life was shattered by the horrible civil war.  Left alone, from the last war, the paintful memories were still burdening every saddened heart.  But one more time, people were moving from one province to another and from inner cities to the coastal towns.
 
Flooded with million of refugees from all over China, Quangzhou sunk deeply into a chaos.  To those who had no gold bullion nor connection the anticipation of grabbing a seat was turned into agony as time went by with the departures of one ship after another. xxxxxxxto be continued