In 1949, on the crowded gangway of Xiamen Port, young man Lin Chengjian let go of his sister's hand, and from then on he let go of his own life.
His father's last words before running into the crowd - "Chengjian, take good care of your mother and siblings", became the shackles and medals of his life.
For a promise, he took root in the mud of Taiwan's military community, using his fists to exchange for the dignity of survival. For a tuition fee, he lit up his college admission letter and danced with death in a mine that never saw the light of day. For the stability of his family, he crossed the ocean and became a commodity at the bottom of the gang in San Francisco's Chinatown, burning love to keep warm. For the oath of "I'm back", he threw himself into the blood and fire of the Vietnamese jungle, using one eye to buy the future of his family.
He carried a home with his back and buried his dreams with silence.
He sent his family to the other side of safety again and again, but he turned around and fell into a deeper abyss.
Until his temples turned gray, this man who had been crushed by the times, dragging his body with injuries, crossed the strait that had isolated him for forty years to find the first and final answer.
This is a tragic epic in which an ordinary person spends his life repaying one sentence.
Reader comments
I was deeply attracted as soon as I read the beginning. I am always worried about the fate of Lin Chengjian and his family. The author writes about the ugliness and sin of that era with simple and unpretentious descriptions. Under violence, people are so small and life is so humble. At the same time, we are satisfied with our current life and proud of our motherland.
It's a really good novel, every word is heavy! It feels very real and contains a story of blood and tears. In order to support the family, to treat the mother's illness, and to pay off the huge debt, he is gambling with his life at a young age!
I stayed up late to read the second half with tears in my eyes. It was so touching! The author's writing style depicts the characters very vividly and makes people cry! For the sake of a promise, he narrowly escaped death and finally died on the way to find his relatives. Fortunately, he found his sister. I don't plan to read this novel a second time, it will make me cry my eyes out! 2026.1.10 I don't know where to rate it, but I'll give the author 10 points.
This book is so well written that I couldn't stop crying when I read it at the end.
The writing is good, the struggle of the little characters in the big background, the warmth of family love
Beautiful and touching
I'll just read a few chapters and wait until I'm done with it before commenting.
The overall feeling is pretty good, give the author a thumbs up
That hard time is gone forever
I read this book in one sitting and couldn't stop crying at the end. The book is so beautiful and the contemporary scenes are touching and exciting.
It would be great to make into a movie, great article!
A heart-wrenching narrative in which the protagonist bears the responsibilities placed on family men in a special era.
That generation had a strong sense of responsibility. From the perspective of an ordinary person, it reflects the changing process of the times. The author's writing style is simple and unpretentious, but full of emotions, like a frame of black and white photos with clear contrast.
A real life experience that shocked me forever. I just watched the beginning.
The article is truly touching and very beautiful!
It's so beautiful. I like it. The author's writing is really good. Come on.
I was deeply attracted as soon as I read the beginning. I am always worried about the fate of Lin Chengjian and his family. The author writes about the ugliness and sin of that era with simple and unpretentious descriptions. Under violence, people are so small and life is so humble. At the same time, we are satisfied with our current life and proud of our motherland.
It's a really good novel, every word is heavy! It feels very real and contains a story of blood and tears. In order to support the family, to treat the mother's illness, and to pay off the huge debt, he is gambling with his life at a young age! I stayed up late to read the second half with tears in my eyes. It was so touching! The author's writing style depicts the characters very vividly and makes people cry! For the sake of a promise, he narrowly escaped death and finally died on the way to find his relatives. Fortunately, he found his sister. I don't plan to read this novel a second time, it will make me cry my eyes out! 2026.1.10 I don't know where to rate it, but I'll give the author 10 points.
This book is so well written that I couldn't stop crying when I read it at the end.
The writing is good, the struggle of the little characters in the big background, the warmth of family love
Beautiful and touching
I'll just read a few chapters and wait until I'm done with it before commenting.
The overall feeling is pretty good, give the author a thumbs up
That hard time is gone forever
I read this book in one sitting and couldn't stop crying at the end. The book is so beautiful and the contemporary scenes are touching and exciting.
It would be great to make into a movie, great article!
A heart-wrenching narrative in which the protagonist bears the responsibilities placed on family men in a special era. That generation had a strong sense of responsibility. From the perspective of an ordinary person, it reflects the changing process of the times. The author's writing style is simple and unpretentious, but full of emotions, like a frame of black and white photos with clear contrast.
A real life experience that shocked me forever. I just watched the beginning.
The article is truly touching and very beautiful!
It's so beautiful. I like it. The author's writing is really good. Come on.