Prologue

The Story that happened before Agnes

 

   The roots of 陳燧棠  is  廣東省東莞, the northern part of Hong Kong.


    His father is Cantonese and had come to Hong Kong for business. His business was sausage making
臘味店.   陳燧棠 was born in Hong Kong in 1920(?) and he was the third son in the family.


 
   陳燧棠 went to a junior high school then a senior high school in Hong Kong. He was a good student. His junior high school was the famous  英皇書 院 King's College. He was the first to graduate from the King's College which was founded in 1926. Originally the school was known as historic 西營盤 Sai Ying Pun Anglo-Chinese School, dated back in 1879. He has aquired accomplishment of English here.


    later, he went to the mainland. It's probably after 1938, supposing he went there after he graduated the high school. If it's true, Japan-China war should have already begun. It's about when
蔣介石 Chiang Kai shek moved his Anti-Japanese Nationalist government from 南京 Nanjing to 重慶 Chungking.


    When he went to
遵義 Zunyi in 貴州 Guizhou where is famous for Zunyi Meeting assembled by 毛澤東 Mao Zedong, he met a young girl from Guizhou.Her name is 彭端淑.


  
彭端淑 was born in present 貴州貴定縣沿山鎮 on Nov. 25th, 1926. Her
 father was a government official. She came from a well respected family
and was the only daughter of the fifth child in the family.
   She was also a high-achiever student when she was in her elementary
school. She went to junior high school in 
貴陽 Guiyang, a Capital of
 Guizhou. Then to a nursing school in Zunyi where she met 
陳燧棠 there.
   It started off as a simple friendship, but when they had come across
each other again in the city of Guiyang - they fell in love.


  
陳燧棠 moved to Chungking and served as an immigration officer. At this
 time the Japan-China war had entered the second half, so it seems
Chungking was also seething. To such place,
彭端淑 came in pursuit of 陳燧 棠. Indeed, woman in love will be strong in any period.


   The Japanese Imperial Army had an operation plan to attack Chungking and it proceeded to the preliminary stages. Fortunately, the operation plan had changed due to the situation changing in the southern battlefront. What would have happened to this couple if it wasn't.


   The Japan-China war came to the end in 1945. The couple got married in Chungking the following year. At the time, husband 
陳燧棠 was 26 years old and his wife 彭端淑 was 19 years old.


   
陳燧棠 returned to Hong Kong where it was liberated from Japanese Imperial Army's rule, but he was implored to go to the mainland again. It seems that was about when 1951, and his first son 柏齡 and first daughter 依齡 had been already born. Before long,端淑 went after him. Chiang Kaishek had been already driven out of the mainland in 1949 and the Communist China had gain the political power.


   In the mainland, where the Communist Party had taken controlled, the couple had experienced hardships. 
陳燧棠 was a member of Nationalist Party but understood the doctrine of the Communist Party. But he was opposed the Mao Zedong's political agenda. After all, he did not become a member of Communist Party.


   In 1954, they finally escaped from the mainland to Hong Kong. At this time, they probably had their second daughter 
曦齡, so it seems they had many troubles with the runaway trip with small child.


    
陳燧棠 got a job at post office in Hong Kong, and reached considerable position. After that, he started a business in dealing with household products such as water boiler.


    In Hong Kong, they lived with his father, mother and brothers. It's a big family. But it's not uncommon in Hong Kong at that time.


    Taoism (Confucism) had strong influence in the southern of China including Hong Kong, and there was a tendency for people to cherished the bonds tied parent and child, and relatives together. And there was also a tendency of paternal blood relation policy centered around agnate group. Women's status was low, so even if she got married into family, the status as a member of the family was not promised unless she had given birth to a baby boy.


    As other people do, parents of 
陳燧棠 expected 彭端淑 boy baby. The first baby was a boy.  Then a girl but she died of a heart failure at a month old. Then came another two baby girls.


   When she carried her fifth baby, they had an expectations that the baby would be a boy this time, despite of
彭端淑's concern. But they were betrayed completely. The baby who was born at 贊育 Hospital, was a girl.

   Her name is 
美齡 Meiling, future Agnes. It's August 20th, 1955.