Author: Not Written
In our family, Grandma is a person who is deeply admired and respected. She is not the kind of elder who delivers long moral lectures or grand speeches, but her entire life is the most genuine life lesson of all. She was born into a very ordinary family with poor financial conditions and had to face the hardships of life from a young age. Although she never received higher education, she used her own hands and unwavering determination to support the whole family and, in doing so, created her own value in life.
Childhood Hardships: A Girl Raised in the Market
When Grandma was young, her family was poor, with many siblings and heavy living expenses. Before she was even old enough to attend elementary school, she had to wake up early to help her family sell vegetables at the market. While other children her age were attending school, doing homework, or playing jump rope, she carried a wooden basket and sold vegetables along the roadside. Unsold vegetables and the chill of the early morning air became the most vivid memories of her childhood. She often said, “Back then, there was no such thing as dreams. Being able to eat and go to school was already good enough.”
Although her years of schooling were few and her education only reached the elementary level, she had a deep understanding of the idea of “relying on oneself.” She often told us grandchildren, “I didn’t study much, but you must be hardworking and down-to-earth. Only then will life get better and better.” These words may sound plain, but they were the belief she held onto throughout her entire life.
A Turnaround in Life Beginning in the Kitchen
Perhaps because she had to help take care of her younger siblings from a young age, Grandma showed exceptional talent with food. When she was younger, she worked in households that were better off, gradually learning how to cook various dishes and manage daily life. For a woman who had little formal education, these life experiences became her lifelong pride. Relying on her cooking skills, she once opened a self-service restaurant. Every day, she would wake up at three or four in the morning to prepare ingredients and cook, only getting a brief rest after noon, before heading to the river in the afternoon to wash clothes for others. She said that her greatest wish at the time was, “To let my children eat their fill and go to school, so they wouldn’t have to suffer like I did.”
She was never afraid of hardship or exhaustion, only afraid that her children would not amount to anything. Even when she returned home very late at night, she tirelessly supported and raised her three children.
Holding Up a Family Alone
The greatest challenge in Grandma’s life was raising three children on her own. She separated from Grandpa early on and had no one to rely on, yet she never blamed fate. She never complained about life being unfair, nor did she have time to dwell in sorrow, because life had to go on. For the sake of her three children, she relied solely on her own hands, step by step, to build a home.
She was both mother and father. School fees, living expenses, even rent and utilities. All were supported by her hard work. There were times when she slept only four or five hours a day, cooking during the day and washing clothes at night. What is most admirable is that she managed to buy two houses in Banqiao—during an era when prices were soaring and single-parent families were still discriminated against. She never took financial management classes nor understood investment jargon, yet she knew how to be frugal and plan carefully. Through honest, practical effort, she provided her children with a stable home.
A Woman of Both Strength and Tenderness
Grandma may appear stern, and her words can sometimes be blunt, but her heart is incredibly soft. What she loves most is seeing the family gathered together to eat. Every Lunar New Year or festival, she would head to the market early to prepare a lavish spread of dishes. The aroma of her braised pork would fill the air, the braised eggs rich and flavourful, with grandchildren scrambling to eat them. She would smile from the side and say, “Eat more, you’re all too skinny.”
Scenes like these are the warmest family images in our hearts. Although Grandma never spoken words of love, her love was hidden in every bowl of soup and every dish she cooked. She spent her entire life proving that maternal love does not need romantic expression, actions themselves are the deepest form of emotion.
Grandma’s Wisdom and Attitude Toward Life
As she grew older, Grandma’s wrinkles increased and her body aged, yet her spirit remained steadfast. She often said, “People must not be afraid of aging, and must not be afraid of change. When you’re old, slow down a bit. Do what you can, and rest when you can’t.” Her philosophy of life is simple yet real. She believes that as long as one has goals, love, and responsibility in their heart, life will not be lived in vain.
Her story made me rethink the definition of “success.” Society often measures a person’s value by money, status, or education, but Grandma’s life taught me that true success lies in not giving up under difficult circumstances and still being able to create happiness. She may not have read many books, but she understood the deepest truths of life.
The Continuation of Life
Now, although Grandma is no longer busy with work, her influence continues to live on in every family member’s heart. My mother learned her frugality and strength, as well as her grounded nature. We, the grandchildren, learned to cherish and to be grateful. Whenever I encounter setbacks, I think of Grandma’s words: “Take it slow. Life is never smooth sailing, but there will always be a road to walk.”
Grandma’s life may not have been filled with glamorous chapters, but it is one of the truest and most moving life stories. She wrote her own chapter through action and helped us understand that the value of life does not come from external achievements, but from the unyielding courage and the power of love when facing adversity.
在我們的家庭裡，阿嬤是一個令人敬佩且受人尊敬的人。她不是那種會講大道理或長篇
道德勸說的長輩，但她的一生，就是一部最真實的生命教材。她出身一個非常普通的家
庭，家中的經濟條件不好，從小就必須面對生活的艱辛。沒有受過高等教育，卻用一雙
手和滿腔的毅力，撐起整個家庭，也成就了自己的人生價值。
一、童年的辛苦：菜市場長大的女孩
阿嬤小時候家裡窮，家中兄弟姊妹多，生活開銷重。還沒上小學的年紀，她就得早起幫
忙家裡去市場賣菜。當其他同齡的小孩在上學、寫功課、玩跳繩時，她只能提著木籃在
路上賣菜。賣不完的青菜、清晨的寒氣，都是她童年最深刻的記憶。她常說：「那時候哪
有什麼夢想，能吃飯、能上學就不錯了。」
雖然她念書的時間不多，學歷也只有國小畢業，但她對「要靠自己」這件事卻有深刻的體
悟。她常對我們孫子輩說：「我沒念什麼書，但做人要勤快，要腳踏實地，這樣日子才會
越過越好。」這句話，看似樸實無華，卻是她一生的信念。
二、從廚房開始的逆轉人生
也許是從小就得幫忙照顧弟弟妹妹的關係，阿嬤對食物特別有天分。年輕時，她曾在家
庭條件要優渥的家中幫忙，慢慢學會煮各種菜餚與打點生活。對一個沒念太多書的女人
來說，這些人生經歷是她一輩子的驕傲。靠著這份廚藝，她曾開過自助餐店。每天凌晨
三、四點就起床備料、煮菜，直到中午過後才能稍微喘口氣，下午又必須到河邊幫人家
洗衣服。她說那時候最大的願望就是：「讓孩子們能吃飽、讀書，不用像我一樣那麼苦。」
她不怕苦、不怕累，只怕孩子沒出息。即使晚上回到家都已經非常晚了，她還是不辭辛
勞的將三個孩子扶持長大。
三、獨自撐起一個家
阿嬤一生最大的挑戰，莫過於獨自撫養三個小孩長大。與阿公分開得早，她沒有人可以
依靠，卻沒有怨天尤人。她不曾抱怨命運不公平，也沒時間悲傷太久，因為生活得繼續。
為了三個孩子，她硬是靠自己的雙手，一步一步把家建立起來。
她既是媽媽，也是爸爸。孩子上學的學費、生活費，甚至房租水電，全都靠她的雙手打拼
支撐。她曾經一天只睡四、五個小時，白天煮菜、晚上洗衣服。最讓人佩服的是，她竟然
能在板橋買下兩間房子——那是在物價飛漲、單親家庭還被社會歧視的年代。她沒上過
理財課，也不懂投資術語，卻懂得節儉、懂得規劃，靠著實實在在的努力，讓孩子有安身
立命的家。
四、堅毅與柔情並存的女人
阿嬤外表看起來嚴肅，講話有時直來直往，但內心卻非常柔軟。她最愛的事，就是看家
人聚在一起吃飯。每逢過年過節，她一定早早去市場採買，準備一桌豐盛的菜。她煮的
滷肉香氣撲鼻，滷蛋入味，孫子們都搶著吃。她會在一旁笑著說：「吃多一點，你們都太
瘦了。」
這樣的場景，是我們心中最溫暖的家庭畫面。阿嬤雖然不會說什麼愛的話，但她的愛，
藏在每一碗湯、每一道菜裡。她用一輩子的時間證明：母愛不一定要浪漫的表達，行動本
身就是最深的情感。
五、阿嬤的智慧與人生態度
隨著年紀漸長，阿嬤的皺紋多了，人也漸漸老了，但她的精神依然堅定。她常說：「人啊，
不能怕老，也不能怕變。老了就慢一點，能做就做，不能做就休息。」她的生活哲學簡單
卻真實。她相信，只要心裡有目標、有愛、有責任，人生就不會白活。
她的故事讓我重新思考「成功」的定義。社會上常用金錢、地位、學歷來衡量一個人的價
值，但阿嬤的一生告訴我，真正的成功，是在艱難的環境中仍不放棄、仍能創造幸福的
能力。她或許沒能讀多少書，卻懂得生活最深的道理
六、生命的傳承
現在，阿嬤雖然不再忙於工作，但她的影響仍在每個家人心裡延續。媽媽學會了她的節
儉與堅強，也學會了她的腳踏實地，而我們孫子輩，則學會了珍惜與感恩。每當我遇到
挫折時，就會想起阿嬤那句話：「慢慢來，人生哪有一帆風順，但總會有路走。」
阿嬤的一生，或許沒有華麗的篇章，卻是一段最真實、最動人的生命故事。她用行動寫
下了屬於自己的篇章，也讓我們明白，生命的價值並非來自外在成就，而是面對困境時
那份不屈不撓的勇氣與愛的力量。