permittoleave,theauthoritiesseizedonthefactthathehadoncejoinedaNationalistgroupincollege.Hewassentencedtothreeyears'housearrestinhismother'smodernisticmansion,whichtheytooktheopportunitytosearch,probingthesofasforAmericandollars.Hehasallcomforts,evenservantstostandinlineforthedailyrations.ButthreeyearswithMotherisevidentlyconsideredenoughpunishment.
Iheardaboutmymother'sfamilyfromonofmyuncle'smarrieddaughters,theonlyoneout.Theothertwostayedinbecausetheirhusbands,adoctorandthesonofahighNationalistofficial,chosetostay.Oneofthesistershaddied.
"Sodidmybrother'swife,"saidmycousininHongKong."Andbothmenremarriedbeforetheirwives'boneswerecold.Fatherdiedofcancerafterlosingeverythinginthelandreform.MotheriswretchedlivingwithBrother.Hedoesn'tearnenoughandhisnewwifeisashrew.WeHuangsarefinished."
Lookingback,Isawhowmyfamilyandrelativeshadallbeentaughtbyourancestorstohangontoland,theonlycleanandsolidthing,bycomparisontowhichallotherpossessionsareshowy,immoral,thereforeimpermanent.Nomatterwhatfoolsone'schildrenwere,aslongastheydidnotslaplanddeedsonagamblingtabletheyweresafe.Despiteancestraladmonitions,intimeofcoursealltheirdescendantstriedtheirhandsatotherinvestmentsforbetterandquickerprofits.Manysoonfoundtheywerenotcleverenoughandresignedthemselvestotheyearlyincomefromtheland?acutdownbywars,famines,inflations?aandgrewpoorerandpoorer.TheCommunistsmerelyhastenedtheend.
NooneIknowisinacommuneorknowsanybodywhoisinone,withtheexceptionofaCantoneseamahwhowentbacktosweepthegravesthisspring.Herfamilybelongstothevillagecommune.Itisstillthefarmers,alwaystheworstoff,whoaregettingtheworstofit.Havingheardofthefoodshortage,theamahbroughtinabitofcookingoilandsaltedfishofherownuse.
Whenshearrivedforatwentydayvisit,thecommuneallowedhertobuyalargequantityofriceandsmallquantitiesofcookingoilandporkasaspecialfavor.Theporkwasdividedamongherfamilyandneighborsbecausetheyhadnottastedmeatallyear.Sowenthersaltedfish