1915: Evening boats

Maple Bridge Night Mooring by Tang dynasty poet Zhang Ji, who attained the stature of Imperial Scholar in 753. He wrote many things but not many poems stood the test of time.

Moon hidden, crows caw, frost fills the sky,
River maples, fishing lanterns, hard to sleep.
Outside Aunt Su* City: Cold Mountain Temple,
Midnight, bell toll reaches the visiting boat.

*name for Suzhou


1915 - age 14

Teacher Li Xiqiao and Mr Wu had a discussion about me attending a new school in a city. But the trouble was, they don't know which one I should go to. That year at lunar new year, I went to a place several miles away to pay respects to the Wu family. One of the Wu cousins, Mr Deng, joined me and I told him about my situation. Mr Deng was a current student at a school in Wuchang called Liberal Culture School. He offered to make introductions to an elementary school established by a church. This school accepted students throughout the year. Both Mr Wu and his wife agreed. They asked me to go home and ask my parents for their opinion. So I quickly went home and did so. 

At the time, my family's financial situation was very difficult and we had a lot of debt. Most of the time, we could not even pay the interest on our loans. Our clothes were patched and ragged. We didn't have any way to support extra expenses like travel and tuition. But my parents really valued education to improve our standing in life. So with clenched jaws and gritted teeth, they said yes. 

I quickly went to the Wu's house and talked to Mr Deng, telling them my parents said yes. So we made arrangements for Mr Deng to meet me in Wuchang. In the meantime, my parents borrowed money from any relative they could. My mom sewed all the clothing and bedding available into a bundle. We went to all our cousins and relatives, asking whoever could spare some money, and collected fifty dollars. 

We picked a day for me to say goodbye to the ancestral shrine and my elders. My dad carried the bundle and crossed the river to Jioujiang and bought me a ticket on a boat, the company was Taigu. We bought a ticket to Hankou. I took the Taigu boat because my dad had a friend named Mr Tien who worked on this ship. He could take care of me. Mr Tien's job was to manage who sat where, and he assigned me a bed where I could put my things in a cabinet and sleep. This way, I didn't have to pay the charge that Mr Tien waived. To this day, I am still very grateful to Uncle Tien.* 

On the afternoon of the next day, we arrived in Hankou. Because Uncle Tien had a lot of jobs to do, he carried my bundle and took me to the place to catch a smaller boat to Wuhan. This ferry picked up passengers all along the river. By the time it arrived in Wuchang, people were lighting their lanterns. I carried my bundle and hired a rickshaw to Liberal Culture School to meet Mr Deng. At the school, there were many security guards to tell that I was looking for Mr Deng. I finally found him and Mr Deng gave me the necessary documents and hired another rickshaw to take me to Cultivating Goodness (Xiusan) School. Mr Deng had already asked people to look out for me--Mr Zhang and his wife--who took me to my dormitory. This was the first day I attended the new school. 

*My mom recalls my grandfather telling my dad that Mr. Tien, when it came to meal times on the ship, would give him an extra portion.