Author: Chen Jilin 陳紀霖
My grandparents are from Kinmen. Ever since I was little, they often took me back to Kinmen to visit. At that time, I didn’t really understand what a “hometown” was. I only felt that being able to travel with them was really happy. Every time we flew to Kinmen, I would feel especially excited, because I knew that during those few days, I would be able to go to the seaside again, eat good food, and listen to them tell stories.
The place Grandpa and Grandma loved taking me to the most was the seaside. Grandpa often said that it was the place where he felt most relaxed in the past. When he was young, whenever he had free time, he would go to look at the sea. Grandma would smile and say that she used to help Grandpa pick up seashells there. When I listened to them talk about these things, even though I didn’t really understand the era they had lived through, I could feel that they had very special emotions toward that stretch of sea.
Besides the seaside, they would also take me to many historical sites, such as Juguang Tower, the Guningtou Battle Museum, Deyue Tower, and the Zhaishan Tunnel. Grandpa would always tell stories as we walked, talking about what had happened there in the past or sharing things he had personally witnessed. Grandma preferred to talk about everyday life. At that time, I was still young and couldn’t fully understand much of what they said, but I felt their stories were very interesting, and I also felt that people of their generation were truly amazing.
What left a deep impression on me was that every time we returned to Kinmen, we almost always went to the same places. Each trip involved those familiar attractions, yet I never felt bored. As long as I was with them, everything felt fun. Even though we walked the same roads and saw the same scenery, the stories they told and the conversations we had were always a little different each time, creating new memories.
Once, we went to the seaside to fly a kite. That day, the wind was extremely strong, and my kite got stuck in a tree. After Grandpa saw it, he actually climbed up himself to help me retrieve it. Grandma stood nearby laughing and scolding him, saying, “You old rascal!” I still remember that scene very clearly. Although it was just a small incident, that feeling of being cared for and loved still makes me feel incredibly happy whenever I think about it.
Later on, as I grew older, I returned to Kinmen less frequently. Grandpa and Grandma also became older, and their movements were no longer as convenient as before. However, every time Kinmen was mentioned, their expressions would change noticeably. Grandpa would smile and say, “That’s our home.” Grandma would also tell me that I should go back to visit often in the future. To them, Kinmen is not just a place where they lived, but the memories of their entire lives. It holds their youthful efforts, their family and friends, and the life they walked through together.
As for me, although I didn’t grow up there, because of their stories, Kinmen has also become a very important part of my childhood.
Looking back now, I realize that the places they took me to were not just tourist attractions. They were using their own way to tell me about their lives. Even though I was still young then and didn’t understand history or emotions, those memories have slowly settled deep in my heart. Every time I see the sea or hear the sound of waves, I think of my grandparents; thinking of them holding my hand and walking with me along the seaside. Those scenes may be ordinary, but they are truly filled with happiness.
我的爺爺奶奶是金門人，從我小時候開始，他們就常常帶我回金門玩，那時候我還不太懂什麼
是故鄉，只覺得能跟他們一起出去玩真的很開心，每次搭飛機去金門的時候，我都會很期待，
因為我知道那幾天一定又可以去海邊、吃好吃的、聽他們講故事。
爺爺奶奶最喜歡帶我去的地方就是海邊，爺爺常說那是他以前最放鬆的地方，年輕的時候只
要沒事就會去看海，奶奶會笑著說，她以前都在那裡幫爺爺撿貝殼，聽他們講這些故事的時候
，我雖然不太懂他們經歷過的年代，但我可以感覺到他們對那片海有很多特別的情感。
除了海邊，他們也會帶我去很多歷史古蹟，像是莒光樓、古寧頭戰史館、得月樓、翟山坑道這
些地方，爺爺總是邊走邊講故事，說以前那裡發生過什麼事，或者講一些他親眼看到的事情，
奶奶就比較喜歡講生活上的小事，那時候我還小，很多內容都聽不太懂，但我覺得他們的故事
很好聽，也覺得他們那一代真的很厲害。我印象很深的是，每次回金門，我們幾乎都去差不多
的地方，每一次都是那些熟悉的景點，但我從來不覺得無聊，因為只要是跟他們一起，就覺得
很好玩，即使走一樣的路、看一樣的風景，但每次他們講的故事、聊的內容都不太一樣，每次
都會有新的回憶。有一次，我們去海邊放風箏，那天風超大我的風箏直接卡在樹上，爺爺看到
後居然自己爬上去幫我拿下來，奶奶在旁邊一直笑，還罵他你這個老頑童！那一幕我到現在
都還記得，雖然只是小小的事情，但那種被關心、被疼愛的感覺，我現在想起來都覺得很幸
福。後來我長大了，回金門的次數變少了，爺爺奶奶年紀也越來越大，行動不像以前那麼方便
，但每次提到金門，他們的表情都會變得很不一樣，爺爺會笑著說那是我們的家啊，奶奶也會
叫我以後要常回去看看。對爺爺奶奶來說，金門不只是他們住的地方，而是他們一生的回憶，
那裡有他們年輕時的努力、有他們的家人、朋友，也有他們一起走過的生活，對我來說雖然我
不是在那裡長大的，但因為有他們的故事，金門也變成我童年很重要的一部分。
現在回想起來，我覺得他們帶我去的那些地方，其實不只是景點，而是他們在用自己的方式告
訴我他們的人生，就算那時候我還小，聽不懂什麼歷史或感情，但那些回憶已經慢慢留在我心
裡。每次看到海、聽到海浪聲，我都會想到爺爺奶奶，想到他們牽著我的手、跟我一起走在海
邊的樣子，那些畫面雖然平凡，但真的很有幸福。