Meeting the Ye Family Again

#2025-0607

Heart to Nature / 心向自然

~ ~ ~ 葉春光水墨創作展 ~ ~ ~

Yeh Chun-Kuang Ink Painting Exhibition

Today, Jean and I went to Nantou City to visit the ink painting exhibition of our old friend Mr. Chunguang Ye.

Hosted by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Nantou County Government (南投縣政府文化局), the exhibition runs from June 7 to 17 and features more than forty of Mr. Ye’s paintings, along with a few calligraphic works.

Among these masterpieces, my favorite was a painting titled Farm Field Symphony (農田交響曲) — a truly eye-catching piece, like many of the others. According to the artist, it was “inspired by the beautiful rice paddies in Chishang, Taitung County.”

What made the visit even more special was the rare opportunity to see Mr. Ye’s two daughters, Wanxuan and Zirong, again. They both learned English from me many years ago, when they were still in elementary school. This morning, they recognized me right away and said, “Oh, Mr. Liang, you haven’t changed at all! You look just the same, even after all these decades…” Could that really be true? We’re all much older now! I’m a grandfather of two. And, as I later found out, Wanxuan — Mr. Ye’s eldest daughter — now has a daughter of her own, who is already in university!

Today’s reunion with the Ye family reminded me of a short story I wrote in 2005, titled Lao Ye (meaning 老葉 in Mandarin). It was later included in my first collection of short stories, published in 2012. If I recall correctly, it was mostly based on real events, with only a few fictional touches. But these days, I seem to be forgetting more and more of the details!

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Lao Ye     (2010; originally, 2005)

2)  "A Story Untitled"     (2024)

3)  Waterfalls, Lunch, and the Cottage     (2016)