故事叙述富有的喜欢生物硏究的英国青年亨利，32年走进神奇的贵州山区，他宣扬真爱，制止血腥与残杀…传播主的福音，受到众多山里基督徒的裸拜和崇敬！
本故亊用基督的仁愛精神与共产党人血腥的“阶级斗争”相对比，彰显仁愛的力量：当共产党人要驱逐亨利牧师时，桀骜的双溪坪教徒爆发了反抗……许多扑朔迷离的山村故事，皆在此书中！
Zongming Zhang
张宗銘 著
Translated by Tangjin Xiao
肖唐金 译
Zhang Yong was too young to understand things. Anyway he was very hungry. Zhang Zhong seemed to know his mom’s heart and mind. Yet he thought there might be other rich men on that road, so the man giving charity acts could be someone else instead of Old Master Zhang. Zhang Zhong was hungry, too. He could not resist Zhao’s temptations and went with her as well.
As they approached the road, Zhang Zhong saw the familiar courtyard and house with a cross on its roof. The cross looked great in the grey and cold day. There were some cypresses with decorated flowers outside the gate of the courtyard. A crowd of people gathered before the gate, and held out their big, somewhat dirty bowls before a few boiling woks.
It looked like an exciting festival. Was it uncle’s birthday? Was it aunt’s birthday? Was it his cousin’s birthday? Zhang Zhong wondered. Seeing Madame Wang getting porridge for the others, Zhang Zhong dared not move ahead. Zhang Yong found this and stopped moving ahead, too.
Zhao dragged Zhang Yong ahead for a few steps. Then, she blamed them, “How silly you are! Why not get the food there? Do you want me to get it for you?” She pointed at Zhang Zhong, cursing, “Do you still regard yourself as a student who cares much about face? Don’t you know you are dressed in rags? Will you go with me?”
Zhang Zhong had to tell the truth, “Madame Zhao, I don’t think my brother and I should go there. This family was our relatives. My mom…”
Zhao was amazed at this, and recalled that Dai had rich relatives in
The two kids nodded.
Zhao went on, “The young master was once a Kuomintang general, right?”
The two kids nodded.
Zhao said with a sense of distrust, “Didn’t he attend the open criticism meeting against your daddy? Fuck him!”
The two boys nodded. Then, Zhao shouted at the cold rainy sky, “Damn! Why do you go begging given such rich relatives in town?”
The two boys came back with the empty bowls. Dai seemed to know the truth, asking, “Is it your uncle who is giving charity?”
The two boys were sad with tears in their eyes. They hoped their mom could take them to the courtyard. Nevertheless, Dai said, “Sons, let’s move away.”
Zhang Yong said, “Madame Zhao asked you to stay and wait for her here.”
Soon, Zhao came back with a bowl of hot porridge. She blamed Dai:
“I used to think you cared about face. In fact, you are worried that your relatives would find you beg. I don’t think you’ll live a good life back to the village. Why not care little about face but go to the courtyard? If Old Master Zhang had not given you land and houses at that time, you could not have lived a happy life. Go and tell them that you need their help now. They are rich and could help you in an easy way. Don’t care about face since you’re poor and miserable enough!”
Dai was unwilling to move ahead despite Zhao’s persuasion.
Zhao went on, “I don’t want to waste my time persuading you. If you insist on not going there, I can’t do anything about it. But don’t you want to let your sons have a good life? They need to go to school. What’s more, they are the kids of the Zhang family, not the Dai family. So why not let them go to their uncle and aunt’s house for a better living? They are in the same family.”
Dai listened to Zhao and cried. Zhao knew she was moved, saying, “Cry if you feel like crying. After that, take your kids to your relatives.”
Dai wiped her tears, saying, “Thanks for your persuasion. I’ll take my children there despite my face.”
Dai left Zhao and went toward the courtyard with her sons in the cold day. They passed by a crook. Dai could see her reflection in the water. What an awkward look she wore! She looked back at her sons. They trembled with cold. And their feet were swollen with cold.
Dai was determined to go to her relatives for help. She looked at the water, and told it her idea. She liked water since she was born and grew up in a village by the water.
She called her sons as if they were leaving their village for
