From Penghu to Qiao'ai Village

In 1956 the government finished the second batch of dependants’ villages built after coming to Taiwan, at Songshu Jiao near Daxi in Taoyuan, close to Bade, named Qiao’ai New Village.

I heard it was built with donations from overseas Chinese worldwide, at Madame Chiang’s call, for the families of the three services.

Our Penghu unit was also allotted houses. The unit announced that anyone willing to move to Qiao’ai should register. Nine families signed up. Like me, these dependants were willing to bring their children to Taiwan themselves so their husbands could work without worry, and so husbands would not wear themselves out helping with children and housework.

After we decided, the unit told us to be ready: whenever a morale troupe flew to Penghu and the return flight was empty, it might carry us to Taiwan.

One day in August 1956 my husband came home from work and said that in three days a plane would take us back to Taiwan and we should start packing the next day.

My feelings were mixed. We had only just been reunited in Penghu for more than three years; now we would part again, with no knowing when we could be together.

For my husband’s peace at work I gritted my teeth and accepted separation once more.

On departure day we caused a scene at the airport.

Life was hard for everyone then; everything at home was treasure. Some people even bundled their cooking stove and firewood to load on the plane.

Baggage was stowed but we had not yet boarded when the pilot climbed up, took one look, and came storming down to confront the officer who had let our luggage aboard without weighing it.

He roared at him, “Sacrifice my one life if you must—but there are nine families here; can you answer for them all?” The officer flushed, said nothing, and hurried to remove the less important items to send on a later flight.

Goodbye to Penghu, to Dongwei Li, after more than three years.

From take-off to landing at Taoyuan airport was forty minutes.

On the plane everyone was tense. When the announcement said we had landed safely, hearts eased and we happily boarded army lorries with our children straight to Qiao’ai New Village.

This was my second new life in a dependants’ village.