Our small alley, Water-flooded Alley, has been quiet most of the time. In 1932 our Dad went out to join the Communist Party to become an underground courier. He died for it on the eve of Liberation and has been buried in the Mausoleum for the Martyrs in Xiamen. During the first years after his death, government officials did come and pay tribute, and gave us grocery baskets on the eve of Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year. Soon, nobody cared to visit with grocery baskets. The only thing we received from the government over the years was red couplets to be posted on door for the new year. Then not even red couplets were presented to us. During Mao's Cultural Revolution, our home was ransacked and Mother was kept captive in the make-shift prison for a couple of days. Then when red couplets appeared again on the eve of Spring Festival, they were addressed not to martyr's family, but to enlisted soldiers. That happened after the country established a Martyr's Day in 2014.

Then, several weeks ago things were beginning to change for the better. Our family suddenly came to the attention of local bloggers. A few articles were published, and enthusiasm aroused. Local Party and government officials began to pay us visits, and with gifts. First from the town and neighborhood administrations, then the city too. We were honored and elated of course. So it looks like we are going to have a festive Spring Festival, even though Mother, now at close to 99, is not doing very well with her leg and back pains.

The second group of pictures were the birthday party my grandson just had in their home at Vancouver, Washington.

浸水埕这条小巷，沉寂了很多很多年。1932年爸爸从这条小巷走出去加入共产党，当地下交通员（见民政部证书），从此走上不归路。1949年10月16日厦门解放前夕，他为新中国就义，而后被埋葬到厦门虎园烈士陵园。解放后头几年的春节前夕，会有敲锣打鼓的队伍来慰问，留下菜蔬和猪肉。没有几年，小巷就寂寞了。春节前夕的慰问品往往只剩下一副对联。文革期间，小巷有一天又热闹起来。黄开发主政下的龙海食杂公司的队伍，来到这条小巷，抄了我们家，抓走建立新中国让他有一份官做的烈士的遗孀，把她关押到一间窗户全部用大字报遮盖起来的黑房子。文革过去后，妈妈仍然是烈士遗孀，我和弟弟仍然是烈士子弟，如此而已。未成年时我们不曾得到政府一分钱的经济补助。成年后我们早已习惯自生自长自立。小巷里的妈妈更加寂寞了。有那么几年，政府完全忘记她的存在，连对联也不给一副。后来给了对联，却把给“军属”的拿来充数（见2014年10月的照片）。那可是中央专门设立“烈属节”以后的事啊。

我们开始不寂寞是最近一两个月的事。鹭客社连发二文：“石码记忆：浸水埕被遗忘的谍战英雄”和“石码故事：妈妈就要一百岁了”。网络上获得很多关注。解放西社区和石码镇领导们来看望妈妈了。社区陈书记更成了常客，像儿女般地嘘寒问暖，还给妈妈添置了许多防寒衣物。我们的母校实验小学送给我们一副十分精致的对联挂到客厅里。石码镇党委和政府送了对联挂到大门口。今天（2017.1.23）龙海市、石码镇和解放西三级党政领导都来了。

真是春进小巷。

近100岁的妈妈高兴了，虽然她现在腰痛腿痛浑身不舒服。爸爸的在天之灵应该也会高兴的，毕竟这是他牺牲68年后首次得到重视，首次让家人因为他献身而获益。这果然是一个温暖人心的春节。

第二组照片是远在美国的小孙子庄星词在自己的家里（华盛顿州温哥华市）召开的七岁生日派对。

（本文的）鹭客社版：石码故事：浸水埕的春天