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.
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