Author: Huang Yixin 黃以昕
My grandpa comes from Yuanlin, Changhua, while my grandma is from Nantou. Although I do not know exactly how they met, fell in love, and eventually entered marriage when they were young, ever since I can remember, they have always been each other’s strongest support. Two people from different places met through fate, walked hand in hand through every stage of life, and built a family of their own.
After getting married, Grandpa and Grandma had three children: two sons and one daughter. My father is the eldest among them. He married and had children at a young age, shouldering both work and family responsibilities early in life. In order to improve our family’s living conditions, he worked tirelessly, but because of his busy schedule, he was unable to take care of us three siblings. As a result, Grandpa and Grandma once again took on the responsibility of raising us. From the time I was born until I was in Primary Four, we were raised entirely by them. They accompanied us as we grew up and taught us important values about being a good person.
Grandpa and Grandma did not live a wealthy life. In order to make ends meet, they took on many kinds of work. The most unforgettable memory for me and the greatest pride of our family is the starfruit orchard at home. The orchard was not merely a place where fruit trees grew; it carried their sweat and love. Through hard work and a frugal lifestyle, they managed to purchase a three-storey terrace house in Nantou. That house was not only a shelter from the elements, but also the playground of our childhood. Every corner holds echoes of our laughter and records the traces of Grandpa and Grandma’s hard work.
During harvest season, Grandpa would shoulder a ladder and nimbly climb the trees to pick the fruit, while Grandma sorted and packed the starfruit below. She often woke up in the early hours of the morning to drive to the market to sell them. The two worked in perfect division of labour; one harvesting, one selling, true life partners grounded in hard work.
Besides farming, Grandma also worked as a cleaner. Her petite frame bore heavy labour, and her hands were covered with calluses, yet she never complained of hardship. She often told me, “As long as you are willing to work hard, no hardship lasts forever.” This sentence deeply shaped my attitude toward life and work. Grandpa, on the other hand, was a calm and quiet man who rarely expressed his emotions, but protected our family through his actions. Every morning before dawn, he drove to the market to sell starfruit, and when he returned home, he would always bring back snacks we liked. That silent love was the gentlest care he showed us.
Today, the starfruit orchard still exists, but Grandpa and Grandma have grown old, and their movements have slowed. When I return home and see that Grandpa no longer climbs the trees and Grandma’s hands have grown drier and more weathered, I understand more deeply that they exchanged a lifetime of hard work for our carefree childhood.
From childhood to adulthood, Grandpa and Grandma were almost the closest pillars of support in my life. It was only after a traffic accident that required closer medical care that I moved to Changhua to live with my parents. Although we are now apart, my heart still longs most for Grandpa, Grandma, the starfruit orchard, and the memory-filled terrace house in Nantou.
Looking back, Grandpa and Grandma made countless sacrifices for the family. After raising their own children, they continued to nurture our generation, dedicating their entire lives to the family without ever retreating. They protected the happiness of our family in the simplest, most genuine way. Perhaps they were not successful entrepreneurs, nor did they achieve anything glamorous, but with their own hands, they built a warm and stable home. No matter where I go in the future, I will always remember the sunlight, the fragrance of fruit, and the laughter in the starfruit orchard. These are the most precious gifts Grandpa and Grandma left me. They taught me to be grounded, to face difficulties with courage, and to love my family unconditionally. Their life story is my most valuable role model and a strength I will cherish and carry with me for the rest of my life.
Now that Grandpa and Grandma are already in their seventies, I hope they can continue to live healthy and peaceful lives. I also hope I can spend more time with them. Chatting, listening to their stories, and walking together in the starfruit orchard. To me, this is not just companionship; it is my way of responding to a lifetime of their hard work and love.
我的爺爺來自彰化員林，而奶奶則來自於南投。雖然我不清楚他們年輕時是如何相識、
相愛並步入婚姻的，但從我有記憶以來，他們始終是彼此最堅定的依靠。兩個來自不同
地方的人，因為緣分相遇，攜手走過人生的每一個階段，建立起屬於自己的家庭。
爺爺與奶奶婚後育有三個孩子，兩男一女，其中我的爸爸是家中排行老大。爸爸很年輕
就結婚生子，肩上要扛起工作與家庭的責任。為了家裡讓生活條件更好，他當時全力打
拼，卻也因為忙碌而無法照顧我們三兄弟姐妹。於是爺爺奶奶再次扛起了養育我們三兄
弟姐妹的任務，從我出生一直到我小學四年級，都由他們一手扶養長大，陪伴我們成
長、教育我們做人的道理。
爺爺與奶奶的生活並不富裕，為了生活他們做過許多工作。其中我印象最深刻，也是我
們全家最驕傲的，是家裡那片楊桃園。楊桃園不只是果樹生長的地方，更承載著他們的
汗水與愛。他們憑著勤奮工作與生活中上的節儉，在南投買下了一棟透天房子。那棟房
子不只是遮風避雨的地方，更是我們三兄弟姐妹的童年樂園。每個角落都留下我們成長
的笑聲，也記錄著爺爺奶奶辛勤打拼的痕跡。
每逢產季，爺爺會扛著梯子，敏捷的爬上樹採果；奶奶則在下方分揀、裝袋，還時常凌晨
就起床，開著車到市場販賣。兩人分工合作，一個摘、一個賣，是最踏實的生命夥伴。
除了務農，奶奶還擔任清潔員。她瘦小的身軀承受著沉重的工作，手上長滿粗繭，但她
從未喊累。她常告訴我：「只要肯做，沒有辛苦不會過去。」這句話深深影響了我對生活與
工作的態度。爺爺則是一位沉穩寡言的人，不常表達情緒，卻以行動守護著我們的生
活。他每天清晨起身開著車去市場賣楊桃，回家時總會買我們愛吃的零食給我們吃，那
種無聲的愛，是他給我們最溫柔的關心。
如今楊桃園依舊存在，但爺爺奶奶逐漸老去，行動也慢了下來。回家時看著爺爺不再爬
上果樹、奶奶的手也變得更加乾枯，我才更深刻地理解：他們用一輩子的辛勞，換來我們
無憂的成長。
從小到大，爺爺奶奶幾乎是我生活中最親密的依靠。直到我某次因車禍需要更貼近醫療
照護，我才搬到彰化與爸爸媽媽同住。雖然分開，但我心裡依然最眷戀爺爺奶奶和那片
楊桃園，以及南投那棟充滿回憶的透天房。
回頭看爺爺奶奶為了家庭做出了非常多的犧牲。他們育養孩子後，又繼續拉拔我們這一
代長大，一生都在為家庭付出，從未退縮。他們用最樸實的方式，守護一家人的幸福。或
許他們不是成功的企業家，也沒有耀眼的成就，但他們卻用雙手打造出一個溫暖又安穩
的家。未來不論我走到哪裡，我都會記得楊桃園的陽光、果香與笑聲，那是爺爺奶奶留
給我最深刻的生命禮物。他們教會我：做人要踏實、面對困難要勇敢、對家人要無條件的
愛。爺爺奶奶的生命故事，是我最珍貴的榜樣，也是我一生都會珍惜與傳承的力量。
現在爺爺奶奶都已經70幾歲了，我希望他們能一直健健康康、平平安安的生活，也希望
自己能有更多時間陪伴他們，陪他們聊天、聽他們說故事、一起在楊桃園散步。對我而
言那不只是陪伴，更是回應他們一生的辛勞與愛。