五贵人（Five Noble Souls)

燕南（Yannan)

Apart from my parents, I have had five noble souls in my life.

#1: Dr. Yang & Xiulan （秀兰和大杨）

Dr. Yang & Sis Xiulan （https://yannanus.net/growup/fuzhou/friends/xiulan/xiulan.htm Chinese content）.  After I graduated from college in 1963, I was assigned (all graduates were assigned by the state at the time) to teach English at Provincial Correspondence and Broadcasting School within Fujian Teachers’ College (https://yannanus.net/growup/fuzhou/broadcast/broadcast-e.htm). It soon became my duty to travel all over the province to stop at our sub-stations to meet and tutor our spare-time students. Dr. Yang & Sis Xiulan worked at a hospital in Dongshang County, Dr. Yang is a surgeon and Sis Xiulan, one of our students, is a nurse.  Fuzhou being her hometown, she came to my college to visit me with her young daughter when she came home. And what a visit it was!  It was 1965, “class struggle” was in the air and “revolutionary spirits” was preached a lot.  Wearing a red hat like a bourgeoisie, she rode in a man-pedaled tricycle, none of it “revolutionary”. 

In 1979 in the aftermath of the “cultural revolution”, I became a graduate student of Xiamen University at the age of 38.  I saw Dr. Yang who happened to be in Xiamen training to be dispatched to Africa as a medical doctor.  Years later, he came back with honor and was named director in the prefecture’s hospital.  By that time, I was often touring the prefecture (Zhangzhou) to give lectures to English spare time students.  I visited Dr. Yang and Sis Xiulan to consult for one of my peasant friends who was suffering from cancer.  When I was in the States, my aging mother’s cataract began to blur her vision and she was unable to do the sewing work she had loved all her life.  Sis Xiulan helped arrange for my mom to get an appointment with a visiting eye surgeron from Guangzhou, and the cateract was completely removed.  During the operation, my brother and Sis Xiulan were by her side, my brother at her head and Sis Xiulan at her foot.  Between 2013 and 2018, I was able to pay my mom a visit almost every year, and every year Dr. Yang and Sis Xiulan hosted dinners for me and my friends.  Once Sis Xiulan sent a taxi driver to bring some very huge Dragon-Eye (each weighing 0.44 oz).

#2: Prof. LIN Yijin (林疑今)

Prof. LIN Yijin (林疑今) （https://yannanus.net/growup/xiamen/graduate/prof-lin.htm） was the department head of the Foreign Languages Departments, Xiamen University, and my tutor when I was a graduate student there. He liked his students, especially me.  In 1988 it was my turn to go abroad, but I needed a bondsman for a notarization paper with the Department. Prof. Lin signed the paper for me.  In the year I was in the US, each month Prof. Lin visited my domitory on the campus to check on my wife and handed her additional money. In 1990, my American friends visited Xiamen and met with Prof. and Mrs. Lin.  The photo below embodied what I love for them and the University: the couple so kind and so lovely, the campus so beautiful.  But I was not able to be at his bedside when he passed away in April 28, 1992.  I really missed Prof. and Mrs. Lin.

#3: Secretary LIN Yaoxin (林耀欣书记)

My wife’s 7th Aunt and Uncle were famed doctors in Xiamen, and through them, a lot of people in Xiamen University befriended us, among them Secretary LIN Yaoxin and his wife.  After my wife and younger son joined me here, our elder son was left behind.  Our former domitoary was taken back by the University and he was suddenly without a class to go to and without a shelter.  Secretary LIN Yaoxin and his wife kindly and timely offered both to my son.  How very gracious they were!  Secretary LIN Yaoxin was the Party secretary of the Phylosophy Department.  Below was a photo we took together in 1995 when I went back to visit.  Unfortunately he did not get to live long.  When we visited his home in 2007, what we saw was only his memorial tablet.

#4 Iral and Gwen Barrett

Iral and Gwen Barrett（https://yannanus.net/2024/Iral-Barrett-memorial.html） was my host family 35 years ago when they picked me from the Hazeldorf Apartment of Willamette University, drove me to their spacious home adjacent to Illahe Hills Country Club.  They gave me room and board, and a car, all free. After my wife and children joined me, they invited us to dinners a lot of times. The picture below was taken when Iral and Gwen brought a Christmas tree to our apartment after our younger son arrived in 1991.  The picture under it was during their 50th wedding anniversay in 2003 when they posted with our family and our friends.

#5 George Dyer

Mr. Dyer was my school principal.  In the first Thanksgiving after my wife’s arrival, I received a call from him.  He was in our apartment parking lot, with a Thanksgiving food basket to give us.  For me and my wife, from China, a boss giving gift to his subordinate was very much unheard-of.  We were really grateful, really impressed.  This, and many other observances, set the tone for our understanding, and love, of this great country.  Years later, we were both retired, and then we began to meet year after year. Mr. & Mrs Dyer graciously invited us to dinner every year for my birthday.  What a great honor!

除了父母，我一生还遇到五位贵人。

第一位，秀兰姐和大杨

秀兰姐和大杨（https://yannanus.net/growup/fuzhou/friends/xiulan/xiulan.htm）。1963年我大学毕业后分配到属福建省教育学院的函授广播学校教英语(https://yannanus.net/growup/fuzhou/broadcast/broadcast.htm)。英语教学上轨道后，我必须不时到各地函授广播站点巡回面授。秀兰姐和大杨当时在东山医院(照片在下)。大杨是外科大夫。秀兰姐是护士，是我们的学生。她老家在福州，回乡探亲时，曾到教育学院看我。当我看到她戴一顶红帽子和她女儿坐着三轮车来，我不由望了望四周。那是革命气氛隆隆，阶级斗争正盛的年代啊。

当我79年去读研究生时，大杨奉派援外，在鼓浪屿集训。我去跟他见了面。几年后他载誉归来(照片在下)，到漳州市医院当院长。我曾经到医院看他们，为一个九湖的农民朋友求药。我出国后，家母白内障影响视力，秀兰姐联系了广州来的医生。手术时，妈妈躺在病床上，弟弟扶着妈妈头，秀兰扶着妈妈脚。妈妈终于可以重新踩缝纫机，打毛线了。2013年至2018年间，我几乎年年回国探亲，都受到秀兰跟大杨的热情款待。有一年秀兰姐还请出租车司机从漳州带给我特大的龙眼(照片在下)。

第二位：林疑今教授

林疑今教授（https://yannanus.net/growup/xiamen/graduate/prof-lin.htm）是厦门大学外文系的系主任，是我读研究生(https://yannanus.net/growup/xiamen/graduate/xiamen_graduate.htm)的导师。他对学生极好，特别对我。我公派出国前需要跟系里办公证时，他亲自主持。我出国后，老师每个月到芙蓉三的宿舍楼去看望我的妻子，还给她钱。一九九0年间，我的美国朋友去中国旅游，并到厦大拜访了老师和师母。他们给我带回的一张照片(照片在下))，正是长存在我脑海里的定景：慈祥的老师和师母+美丽的厦大校园。可叹在老师辞世的时候，我没能去陪伴师母。但一九九二年四月二十八日下午二时四十五分这个时刻，以及老师和师母对我和我们一家的恩德，我们是永远不会忘记的。

第三位：林耀欣书记

在厦大时，我们由于丽卿的七叔与七婶的关系，结交了不少人。其中跟林耀欣和他妻子更有 多年的深交。丽卿和我来美后，小儿子来了美国，但大儿子迟迟来不了。我们一家原来在芙蓉三的住处被扫地出门后，林书记夫妇伸出了援手，独力给大儿子安排读书和宿舍，真是恩重如山。他是哲学系书记，下边是我1995年返厦大时跟他的合影。十分可惜，好人的他没有长寿，他后来病故了。当我们2007年回国时去他家拜访时，只看到他的牌位。

第四位：Iral and Gwen Barrett

Iral and Gwen Barrett夫妇（https://yannanus.net/2024/Iral-Barrett-memorial.html）也是我的恩人。他们是35年前慷慨收容我的美国家庭（host family)。他们当时（1989年）把我从威拉姆特大学公寓接到他们家吃住，还给我一辆汽车开，全部免费。丽卿和孩子来美后，我们多次得到他们的招待和帮助。小儿子顺利来美后，他们给我们送一颗圣诞树，并在我们的公寓拍了一张照片（(照片在下）。2003年他们五十年金婚时，我们全家人和朋友参加庆祝（(照片在下）。

第五位：George Dyer

Dyer先生是我任职的学校的校长。丽卿来美后的第一个感恩节，他开车到我们公寓停车场，用当时还稀罕的手机给我打电话。他是来给我们送感恩节食品篮的。老板给下属送礼，这让来自中国的我们十分感动，留下了深深的印象。以后我们都相继退休了。但退休后十多年，我们倒每年相聚--是他和他太太给我庆生日，年年如此！直到疫情爆发在我坚持下才停止。他是我地地道道的贵人。是我认识美国相信美国的扎实的基础。