Talon Marks on the Snow

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內容簡介

The book tells the story of Chia family, and the traditional ceremonies that accompany marriage, death, and birth. The family& 39;s peaceful life is up-ended with the Japanese invasion and the family flees to the countryside. As the country falls into turmoil, the household head, Chia Hao-tz’u is kidnapped. The family’s burdens fall on the shoulders of his wife, Tu Hua. After the long war ends, civil war breaks out. The Communists take over the mainland and confiscate the family’s property. Tu Hua makes her way south to her youngest daughter Chia Chen& 39;s home. Together, they fly to Taiwan. Tu Hua lives on the island for several decades. She returns to the mainland to her older daughter Chia Wei& 39;s home. This title is author& 39;s second story and it took author more than ten years to finish, and is loosely based on author family’s experiences during the Chinese civil war and World War II.

名人推薦

作者花費十年時間，以英文為陳述語言，回憶檢視其家族從日本侵華戰爭開始的故事；作者一家從中國到臺灣、從臺灣再到美國，一部大時代的遷徙歷史──悲歡離合，歷歷在目，值得喜愛英美文學的讀者蒐藏──臺灣學人出版網

作者

Yu Lu

My name is Grace Chang, and Yu Lu is my pen name. Before moving to the United States in 1974, I was a certified junior high school teacher in Taiwan.

I graduated from Pima Community College with an Associate Degree in General Studies in 1984. In 1987 I received a B.A. in Literary Chinese from the Department of Oriental Studies at The University of Arizona, and received a M.A. from the same department in 1992.

Later, I decided that I wanted to write stories based on my experiences both in China and the United States. I knew this would be a difficult endeavor because I did not learn English until the age of 55.

In 2003, I wrote a short story and published it myself. I produced only a small number of copies for family and friends, rather than for commercial interest.

Now, I have finished my second story entitled "Talon Marks on the Snow." This novel took me more than ten years to finish, and is loosely based on my family's experiences during the Chinese civil war and World War II.

目錄

Table of Contents:
CHAPTER 1
The Dwelling of the Chia Family and Some of Its Occupants
CHAPTER 2
Chia T’ai-ching, the Householder
CHAPTER 3
The Marriage of Chia Ku
CHAPTER 4
The Two Marriages of Chia Hao-tz’u
CHAPTER 5
The Passing of Chia T’ai-ching
CHAPTER 6
The Establishment of the Monument
CHAPTER 7
Separating the Family Property
CHAPTER 8
The Birth of a Male Heir
CHAPTER 9
The Newborn Came on New Year’s Day
CHAPTER 10
The Continuous Accidents in Chia Chēn’s Childhood
CHAPTER 11
The Espousal of Chia Hao-tz’u’s Eldest Daughter
CHAPTER 12
The Last Child of Tu Hua
CHAPTER 13
The Two Younger Siblings
CHAPTER 14
The Jubilant Celebrations
CHAPTER 15
The Small New Year’s Day
CHAPTER 16
Spring Outing
CHAPTER 17
The Festival of May Fifth
CHAPTER 18
To Go on a Pilgrimage
CHAPTER 19
The Seventh Evening of the Seventh Lunar Month
CHAPTER 20
The Mid-autumn Festival
CHAPTER 21
The Betrothal of Chia Wan
CHAPTER 22
To Compose Poetry on a Snowy Day
CHAPTER 23
The Indelible Pain of Chia Chēn’s Heart
CHAPTER 24
Chia Min’s Disillusionment
CHAPTER 25
The Japanese Invasion Begins
CHAPTER 26
The Cause of China’s Later Weakness
CHAPTER 27
To Seek Refuge from Calamities
CHAPTER 28
The Marriage of Chia Min
CHAPTER 29
Going Home
CHAPTER 30
The Unfolding of Chu Liu’s Illicit Affair
CHAPTER 31
Disaster Before Dawn
CHAPTER 32
Chia Min, the Drug Addict
CHAPTER 33
The Marriages of the Chias’ Younger Girls
CHAPTER 34
The Death of Chia Lan and Her Daughter
CHAPTER 35
The Matriarch Returns to Heaven Aftera Long Life
CHAPTER 36
Winding up the War
CHAPTER 37
Civil Strife
CHAPTER 38
The Plight of Refugees
CHAPTER 39
Tu Hua Longing for Home
CHAPTER 40
A Midnight Dream

試閱

CHAPTER 1
The Dwelling of the Chia Family and Some of Its Occupants

Near the north part of the Yellow River, the population was dense. It was the region in which Chinese Civilization began. In this geographic location, there were many provinces. The biggest one was Lien Province. A town in the suburbs of its metropolis of Chou was called Plum Flower Spring. This pleasant name was derived from the town’s natural surroundings, for there were numerous plum trees in the area.

Each spring, when the trees bloomed, the star-like white and pink flowers were splendid and fragrant. They not only allured the butterflies and bees, but also attracted many visitors who enjoyed the beautiful sight.

Many of the sightseers knew that most residents of the town belonged to the Chia clan, who had lived there for several generations. One day, however, an inquisitive visitor, Kao Tou, unexpectedly encountered an old friend, Ting Sui, who was familiar with the area and acquainted with a certain family of the clan.

After the two men had exchanged the usual greetings, Kao looked at the surroundings and said, “Quite a scenic town here, isn’t it?” He asked, “Since you’re familiar with this place, would you please tell me something about it?”

Ting asked, “What would you be interested to know?”

“Whatever you’d like to tell,” Kao replied without any thought.

Ting said, “I think you already know the branches of the Chia clan are affluent. The householders include retired officials, intellectuals, and landowners. These people live and work in tranquility and contentment. The scholars have a lot of leisure time and enjoy their lives. Sometimes, they gather together to chat about all sorts of subjects, or to write poems and drink wine.”
Kao interrupted with, “I’ll bet this place is really something during the holidays.”

Ting gave his friend a smile, saying, “You’re right. When there are holidays, people hold feasts and celebrate with performances. The whole town is enveloped in a joyous atmosphere.”

Kao pointed at some houses and said, “The buildings are very crowded over there, a flaw that mars perfection.”

Ting glimpsed at the area and nodded, “I agree. Because the majority of the Chia families and other residents of different surnames dwell there, the houses are close to each other. Notice that various stores, restaurants, and even some schools all gather in that congested district, but show prosperity. Some of the inhabitants have complained, ‘Our houses are too packed together, and we always hear a hubbub of voices on the street.’ However, in the northern part of the town, near the huge gate of the city wall, the neighborhood is less crowded and rather quiet. A commodious mansion is situated on a plot of over 50 acres.”

“Who is the owner?” Kao asked.

Ting replied, “It belongs to Chia T’ai-ching, the richest member of the clan. The mansion was built in the traditional Chinese style. Instead of being one structure, the huge house was part of a compound that consisted of several buildings connected by courtyards and walkways.

“In front of the compound, a large grill gate looks toward the west. Outside of the compound’s portal, there is a street that travels through the gate of the city wall to enormous fields. Between the outer gate of the compound fence and the street is a corner where the elm and plum trees grow densely, giving a lot of pleasant shade in the summer. The family offers relief to the thirsty travelers by putting tea out there. Some faraway passers-by appreciate the family’s compassionate attention.”
Kao said, “Serving tea does not cost too much, but it is a kind deed.”

Ting nodded with a smile.

The two men were comfortably sitting under a big plum tree. Its interlocked branches spread out, putting up a large brocade umbrella for them. Fragrant smells drifted at intervals. Birds sang from time to time. The men were contented with the scene.
After a while, Ting said, “By the way, I forgot to ask you, would you like to see the compound? Haven’t you heard the saying that to hear about a thing many times is not equal to a single look at it with your own eyes?” He stretched his neck and peeped at the sky through the gaps of the luxuriant growth and continued, “What good weather! And it’s quite early. I would like to take you. Let’s go.”

Kao stood up and shook off the fallen flowers, saying, “Thank you so much. Let’s go.” An unexpected joy showed on his face.
The mansion was entered by the main door which faced south. Wide stone steps led up to the two heavy leaves of the door, and a pair of life-like stone lions guarded both sides of the steps. On one side, a lioness cradled her cub; across the broad stairs, a noble male stood proudly.

Children liked to sit astride the lions and had polished their surface to a smooth and glossy finish. A large wooden plaque hung over the door with the gilded inscription: “Chih Tung Kao Fenig.” The plaque was an award from the local government, given to praise the generosity of the family for opening its storerooms to help the famished refugees suffering from the floods in another province. Also, two couplets were painted on either side of the doorpost. The Chinese characters said:

To benefit the world,
with the heart of benevolence;
To practice good deeds,
for the affections of humanity.

On the walls of the entrance hall were posted many accounts of distinguished family members who had received official positions or passed the civil service examinations in the last dynasty. Kao saw several caretakers at the entrance-hall. Ting told Kao, “I have an old, intimate friend who is working as the accountant for the family. If he is at his office, we may be allowed to visit some areas inside the compound.” Then, he said with a deep voice, “I’ll go to ask ‘Monkey’.”

“A monkey?” Kao asked.

Ting grinned widely, saying, “You see the older man among the doorkeepers? That is him. Monkey is his nickname after his comical appearance: tall, thin build, small head, and rapid movements.” Ting pressed forward and said hello to Monkey and asked him if the accountant was there. He told Monkey that he had brought a friend, who came from a distance, to see the accountant.

Monkey told him that the accountant had not come that day because he was slightly ill. When Monkey saw the disappointment on Ting’s face, he said, “Since you gentlemen are already here, how about letting me open the door of his office, so you can take a rest and have some tea?”

Ting said, “That would be very nice. Thank you very much.”

After they passed the doorway, there was the first courtyard and some buildings. The room of the doorkeepers was just beside the right side of the main door, located opposite the entrance. The cashier’s office was big, with both front and back doors. As the visitors walked into the office, they observed that the rooms were spacious, neat and bright.

Monkey filled their cups with hot tea, and said, “Normally, the accountant’s assistants work with him to take care of the family’s detailed accounts. His youngest son often comes here to visit and do some work for him. Unfortunately, none of them are here now, but at least one of his aides will be back soon. He may guide you to see a few places in the compound if you like.” After Monkey left, the men started their random talk.

Kao asked, “Monkey just mentioned the accountant’s son. Do you know him?”

Ting said, “Yes, I do. But I can’t have a conversation with him.”

Kao curiously asked, “Why? What do you mean?”

“Because he cannot speak.” Ting began to narrate the story of the mute, explaining, “The young fellow is intelligent. His father usually says, ‘Although the boy cannot speak, he is just like any normal youth, and his mind is as sharp as a tack.’”

“Do you know what caused his disability? Nature or some disease?” interposed Kao.

“He was born with that deficiency. However, at a very young age, his father taught him to study and to compute with an abacus. He was not only skilled in accounting, but was also born with a sculptor’s hands; he engraved short plays on peach pits. People admired his craft. A schoolteacher said that his sculptures were so amazing and incredible that people had to use a magnifying glass to see his artwork.”

Indeed, the mute was a gifted craftsman, but he had no chance to develop his talent or to obtain any benefit from his work. In the old days, people did not desire to make profit from their artistic crafts and he, too, just gave his fine and delicate products away, especially to children.

After taking some tea, Ting resumed his story, “The young man is very much loved by his parents. He is a devoted son and has a nice marriage.”

Kao said, “Oh, he is married?”

Ting replied, “Yes, he is and has children. However, his relatives sometimes say, ‘His marriage looks all right because the two could not argue with each other. But their harmonious life is not above suspicion. There may be complaints deep in his wife’s heart.’”
Kao said, “That is possible. She may feel frustrated; a normal girl who became the wife of a mute. How was their marriage arranged?”
“Let me tell you about that,” Ting said. “When the boy was only one year old, he was engaged to the daughter of a family in a nearby village. You know it is a traditional Chinese custom that the marriage of children always depends upon the arrangement of their parents. At the time that the boy was about four years old, his parents found that he could not speak. His father went to see the little girl’s father and asked to annul the marital agreement. Yet, her willful, despotic father rejected the request and said, ‘No, although I feel sorry for your son’s disability, my daughter has to accept her fate.’”

“What a powerful blow! An extremely conservative man!” Kao sighed.

Ting continued, “After the two kids grew up, they married, and since then, they have been living with the mute’s parents and get along very well with them. His parents treat his wife so kindly that it makes their other daughters-in-law jealous. The young women talk about that with laughter. One woman remarked, ‘You see, how nice it is to be a mute’s wife! She seems to have priority over all of us.’

“‘Well, you’re right,’ the other responded. ‘It nearly makes me wish my husband were dumb as well.’ Their sarcastic remarks pushed the poor wife into depression and a life of sadness. Concerned about her unhappiness, the mute explained the cause of trouble to his parents through gestures. But in spite of the gossip, the young couple’s life still appeared pleasant, at least to outsiders. After all, there needed to be two voices for an argument.”

Kao nodded.

At that time, a tall, young man, Chao, one of the accountant’s assistants, stepped in. He greeted the visitors and said, “Monkey told me that we have guests.” Then he said to Ting, “I’m sorry to interrupt your narration. I’ve overheard some of your conversation about the accountant’s son. He is a nice guy. I often have nice long chats with him in writing. He has three lovable children, none of whom inherited their father’s shortcoming of silence. Sometimes, he takes his children to the compound to visit their grandfather. The kids like to come here because there are many extraordinary things for them. They’re especially interested in the generator.”
Kao said, “I live in the countryside and haven’t seen that kind of equipment yet.”

Chao said, “Oh, would you like to see it? It was installed in a hall just at the right of this room.”

When they walked over to the hall, Chao pointed at the generator and said, “It used to be a mysterious object to the children. They would like to stare at it and ask their grandfather, ‘How does this awkward monster have the mystical energy to emit light, making the mansion as bright at night as in the daytime?’”

Kao said with a smile, “To tell the truth, my knowledge is not better than the kids’, and I have the same suspicion about the generator.” His comments made the men laugh.

The visitors noticed that at the left of the hall were stables with several horses, mules, and one donkey. In the back of the stables were rooms for the stable boys and other male servants. Behind the men’s quarters, there was another courtyard where the cookhouses were located. Chao told them that the chefs and their assistants, who cooked for the family, occupied the large kitchen. Next to it, there was a medium-sized one in which some female and male cooks prepared food for the employees. At the rear of that courtyard, there were dog and cat houses, as well as coops for the chickens, geese, and ducks. All of these were the owner’s grandchildren’s favorite pets. One servant said, “There is a lot of work to serve these stupid creatures. But they’re the children’s cherished things.”

Chao mentioned that the big dogs were considered violent by strangers. If the dogs saw some unfamiliar people, especially the raggedly clothed poor who walked close to the mansion, they would bark wildly at them. Sometimes, the snobbish dogs even bit them. Therefore, the family always dispensed some medicine for dog bites to take care of the incidents. But for many years, there was not a single serious occurrence.

When Chao escorted the visitors on their way out, Kao glanced at the right wing of the compound where there was a side-door near a row of unoccupied rooms in the first courtyard. He inquisitively asked, “Where does this door go?”

“It is another door which leads toward the yard of western living-rooms. The door is always kept closed unless there are big occasions like wedding ceremonies, significant celebrations, and the patriarch’s big birthdays, celebrating the anniversary of each decade he lives.”

It was true. When the family celebrated Chia T’ai-ching’s sixtieth birthday, that side-door was opened for the continuous stream of guests. The festive banquets lasted for several days. A certain number of relatives and close friends arrived early. Those people took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the cheerful air and the good food. Among them, a country woman was the earliest to come. She talked to the gatekeeper and claimed, “My surname is Chu. I’m a remote relative of the Chias. I come from a long distance with my little granddaughter to offer congratulations on the patriarch’s birthday.” The woman dressed with plain clothes full of a rustic style. She had big feet and large features. A little girl timidly hid behind her back.

At the beginning, Monkey felt strange because he had never heard that the owner had this kind of relative. Then he thought, “Who knows? It is said that even the Emperor has poor relatives.” Because of his hesitance, the woman further stated, “Of course, I have never been here, but my deceased husband visited the family once. I just came to pay my respects to the householder and his family, and I have no other business.”

Monkey said, “Please wait here. I will notify the family.” After she waited awhile by one of the stone lions, the gatekeeper came back with a maidservant. Once they had exchanged polite regards, the young maid said, “Please come along with me.” They passed the main door, the second door, as well as the daily entrance, and went down a long walkway. Both sides of it were decorated with flowers of all seasons.

Mrs. Chu looked around and exclaimed, “I have never seen such a beautiful place! The whole compound must be very large and spacious.”

The maid nodded and replied, “Yes, it is.”

The visitor saw a small, exquisite living room with a round window, which was located at the left side of the walkway and beside an entry toward the other courtyards and buildings. She looked about curiously and asked, “Ku-niang, Miss, do you think that I could take a look at this place before I present myself to the family?”

The maid said, “Surely, you are the guest. The master has been in a good mood recently. I don’t think he would mind.” Then the maid led the woman and her granddaughter through the entry briefly to see the bigger living rooms, reading rooms, tutoring rooms, and the garden. The visitor saw some workers who were busily decorating the buildings with lanterns, colored festoons, and various adornments.

The main hall or reception room was huge and arranged superbly. All the furniture in that room was made of fine redwood. The room was adorned with valuable paintings, bronzes, jade, and porcelain antiques. A large porcelain goldfish bowl, at least three feet in diameter, was placed in the center. The bowl was silver-gray with blue flower designs and was the product of the early Ching Dynasty (1368-1644). It was set in a red sandalwood rack with hand-carved delicate birds and roses. A few golden fish swam comfortably, passing through the green plants and white gravel. The little girl could not help but touch the bowl. Her grandmother told her, “Be a good girl. Don’t touch anything.”

There were also other living rooms in the same square courtyard. They were a little smaller, but they were decorated similarly. The yard was enhanced with flowerbeds and different kinds of potted plants. Mrs. Chu looked confused and she asked, “Does the family need so many living rooms? Do they have a feast every day?”

“Of course not, but this is the way of rich people,” the maid replied.

The reading and tutoring rooms were located in the next courtyard. The reading rooms looked like small libraries full of ancient and contemporary books. The rural visitor appeared impressed by everything. She kept asking, “Here are millions of books. Do they read all of them?”

“I don’t think so. I heard the collection of ancient books is rare and very valuable.”

Mrs. Chu darted an approving glance at the maid and thought, “The young girl not only has natural manners, but seems to be more knowledgeable than myself. No wonder there is a common saying that ‘It’s better to be a rich, influential family’s maidservant than to be a poor, humble family’s daughter.’ The saying is quite right, I feel.”

The tutoring area had one large room in the north of the yard and two other rooms off to the sides. The maid voluntarily said to the guest, “This is the place where the family’s tutors teach the children.”

“How nice to stay here. It is quiet.”

“Because of the upcoming occasion of the master’s birthday, they have a few days break.”

Mrs. Chu observed that in the yard, there were only three types of plants. Two tall heavenly bamboo stood on each side of the big tutoring room. Some winter blooming plum trees were planted in front of the other rooms, and Chinese bamboo lined the patio wall. The maid told Mrs. Chu about the plants, “When the plum trees’ light red flowers blossom in winter and it snows, the contrast of white and pink, as well as the deep red berries of the heavenly bamboo, make the scenery more beautiful.”

The garden next to this courtyard was landscaped with many kinds of trees and flowering plants. An octagonal pavilion stood in the center with a round marble table in the middle, surrounded with several drum-shaped white porcelain stools, which were designed with colorful flowers. A small artificial hill stood at the north corner of the garden alongside the lotus pond with some pieces of granite scattered about. A winding corridor was at the north part of the garden with birdcages hanging over it. Mrs. Chu said, “Taking care of the plants and birds must require a lot of work.”

The gardener looked at the aviarist and told the visitor, “Yes, we are always busy.”

Next to the entrance of the living rooms on the walkway was yet another door which led directly to the “waist house”, its affiliated buildings, and courtyard. In Chinese, waist house means the buildings located in the middle part of the compound. The visitor saw that although this court was not large, the landscape was artistic and grand. The interior of these buildings was also decorated in a most refined manner. The owner’s wife, Kuan Tun-hu, and her servants occupied this area after she became a pious Buddhist.
The maidservant ushered the visitors in. The madam greeted them, “Welcome, thank you for coming from a long distance,” and then asked them to sit down.

Mrs. Chu bowed to the madam to pay her respect and repeatedly offered her thanks. The old lady also asked Mrs. Chu about her age, family, and countryside conditions. Then she smiled at the little girl, who became fussy until she received some sweetmeats from one of the lady’s maids. When the guests were about to leave, the lady told the maidservant, who guided the guests, to report to her daughter-in-law and let her arrange a room and set a lunch for them.

At the end of the walkway was the entrance named “the third door,” which led to the family members’ living areas. The ground of this courtyard, like the other yards throughout the compound, was covered with light or deep gray square bricks. However, the ornamentation of potted plants and flowers was more inventive and elegant.

The master lived in a two-story building with a wide and high stoop leading to the entrance. Flanking each side of the stoop were two slick sloping slabs where children played by sliding from top to bottom. When the maid saw the little girl staring at the slabs, she said, “Do you want to try?” The shy girl shook her head with a slight smile. Mrs. Chu looked up at the building, gasped in surprise, and said, “It is really tall. Who lives upstairs?”

The maid said, “No one lives there. It is used for storing suitcases, trunks, valuable furs, paintings, chinaware, and other items.” The downstairs rooms were done in a most graceful and refined style. Two gigantic mirrors stood against the wall of the sitting room which reflected one’s image no matter where one might walk in the room. A golden grandfather clock in the corner ticked tirelessly and chimed on every half-hour.

While Mrs. Chu was thinking about her remarks to pay respect to the householder, his personal servant announced that the owner just went out for a meeting. She quickly retreated and told the maid, “My eyes are dazzled by the variety of furnishings which I have never seen, especially the huge mirrors. In our countryside we only have small mirrors to see our faces. I have never seen my whole body like this. I feel dizzy and confused, as if falling into a maze.”

The maid continued to guide the visitors and indicated the other buildings one after another. Mrs. Chu observed there were side rooms in the area. The maid told her those were the children’s dwelling places. Two doors flanked the main building. The right one led toward the small but handy kitchen, which was used for the preparation of refreshments. Storage rooms surrounded it. There were also some guestrooms, working rooms, and sewing rooms in different courtyards. All of those rooms or buildings made up a half-circle in the compound. Two towers with gun sites were erected on the east and west corners of the mansion, and several watchmen who had fighting skills lived there to protect the family.

Mrs. Chu also noticed that the edifice was completed in the conventional Chinese mode with turned up “flying” eaves, painted rafters, and engraved beams. Many varieties of luxuriant trees and flowers planted around the compound provided beautiful views during the four seasons. Later, Mrs. Chu said, “Although I felt embarrassed among the costumed and bejeweled ladies at the banquet, I experienced the rich family’s life in a great mansion which I could only have seen in pictures. I feel my trip has not been fruitless.”

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詳細資料

• • 語言
  • 英文
  • 裝訂
  • 紙本平裝
• • ISBN
  • 9781625030429
  • 分級
  • 普通級
• • 頁數
  • 366
  • 商品規格
  • 2*15.2
• • 出版地
  • 台灣
  • 適讀年齡
  • 全齡適讀
• • 注音
  • 級別

中文書＞文學＞現代華文創作＞現代小說

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