Our Heritage (III)

舅舅繼續說故事…

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Our Heritage #3: Why we lost contact with my father's side relatives

Your Grandma now sleeps in peace at the cemetery overlooking the ocean(*1). You all have been there. My sister and I put it together. Although we did not discuss it nor openly let others know, this location is going to be the beginning of a new Lins and their progeny, you are all included unless you are having other arrangements.

Does my father have a resting place of his own? Well, as a missing-in-action person, there is no physical remains at all. About the time your Grandma passed away, the bigger kin of Lins decided to put up a group cemetery where all related Lins were put together in a shrine-like cemetery. My father or your Grandpa did have a place of his own there, though not physically. And as the only heir to my father, I am supposed to have a place booked already. We contributed to its buildup as requested, but had no intention to play any role in future. Our worship of ancestor will begin with your Grandma as the first progenitor.

Now what happened? The poor my uncle side's family continued to stay at farms after the war, but after the land reform, they had a windfall of having speculators buying up their farm land at a price they never had seen before. Legally and by traditions, the farming Lins would have to share with Lins now living in Taipei. Your Grandma asked for a small fair share, about NT$10k, enough to buy a small one floor shack in Taipei to live in. Our guess is their share was at least several times of that. They agreed, but never coughed up the money. Over years, it becomes such a bad faith that both sides decided not to talk to each other. But how did they inherit the land without our consent. We later found out: they proclaimed to the court that my father was missing and no heir, that's me, available to take his place. After so many years of proclamation, the court awarded the land right to them. Obviously it was fixed-up.

My uncle side still lives not far away from the farm. Once they even told me that I would have a piece of the house land, now that farmland already sold. But even that piece of house land was ever given to me. Most of them remains undereducated and may be living just like regular workers. In the past, sometimes they will call us to let us know there is going to have a cemetery worship. But they do not invite us any more.

How about the other sisters of my fathers? They are also uneducated and most living in the country sides. One of my aunts is exception. We call her Sugar because her name is Lin Sugar in Chinese. She married a farmer growing vegetables on the other side of Tamsui river across Taipei city. They became quite prosperous because of the land, the location is now one of subways station. Her sons also became vegetable wholesalers and are all doing very well.

That is for my father's side. Will share my mother's side story in the next episode.

(To be continued…)

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註釋：
(*1) 老劉的外婆現安眠於淡水的北海福座，山明水秀，可遠眺淡水海景；