URS: Grandpa – The Hakka Village Doctor
曾叔叔讲故事：我的爷爷，一个客家村医 （Dixia 翻译）

Not that many people know much about their ancestors, especially from the 19th Century or earlier, and they might seem so mysterious, especially if they lived in the “old country.” So, I feel very blessed to be able to find out some information about my grandparents of that era, which is fun for me to share with you, on the presumption you might be stimulated also to find out more about your own ancestors.
很多人对自己的祖先所知不多，尤其是19世纪或更久远的那些，生活在“前朝”的他们似乎有些神秘。因此我为能找到我祖父母辈的信息而倍感蒙福。我乐于分享，也希望籍此鼓励各位去寻溯自己的根。

Grandfather indeed grew up in the 19th century, in the same Hakka (Kejia) village in old China that my dad would later grow up in. You can read about Hakkas from URS “We are all Hakkas.” However, I can surmise his Confucian upbringing, during the time of the Qing Dynasty, was surprisingly, already becoming infused and fused with Christian values. To put this into perspective, it is recorded in missions annals, that the first Hakka Christian in his region was converted in 1865, a year before grandpa was born (during the period of the American Civil War). Basically, grandpa grew up, as Christian faith and values began their birth and growth in the area.
爷爷于十九世纪生长于中国一个客家乡村，我的父亲也长大于此。你可以在我的“我们都是客家人”一文中了解更多客家人的信息。但令人惊讶的是，受清朝儒家文化熏陶的爷爷居然深受基督价值观的影响。根据宣教年鉴的记载，当地第一个客家基督徒在爷爷出生前一年，即1865年信主（当时正值美国内战）。爷爷成长过程中，基督信仰和价值在当地渐渐生根发芽。

In the 1860s and 1870s, around 150 years ago, mission workers especially from the British Isles, had been working faithfully in many areas of China, beginning first on the coast, but reaching soon to even remote little villages further inland. In the mountain village of Wujinfu (formerly Wukingfu), my grandfather’s home village, they built, as was common, both a Mission Boys School and a Mission Girls’ School. There was even a Mission Women’s School, since women at the time were often neglected, received no formal education, and especially needed “catch up” up for their missed education.
150年前，即十九世纪六，七十年代，从英伦半岛来的宣教士们在中国大部分地区忠心服事，他们由沿海很快向内地偏远地区发展。在我爷爷的老家山村五经富，宣教士们一如既往建立了男童教会学校和女童教会学校。他们甚至建立了妇女教会学校， 当时的社会男尊女卑，女子不能接受正规教育，妇女教会学校刚好补上了这个缺口。

Mission schools in China, and indeed all over the world, have been widely credited with raising whole new generations of Christian young men and women. From China, these have often subsequently migrated to many Southeast Asian countries and the world, usually bringing new perspectives of hope and discipline, from very humble beginnings, even a small village in China. My family was just one small illustration of this mission school spark.
与世界其他地方一样，中国的教会学校在培养新一代有基督信仰的年轻人方面，作出了卓越的贡献。这些年轻人中，很多人出生贫寒，后来移居东南亚及世界各地，为所到之地带来充满希望和训练有素的新视角。我的家族就受益于这些教会学校。

Grandpa was also one of the very few Chinese then who became doctors in western medicine.  He served most of his life primarily in the Christian Gospel Mission (Fu Yin) Hospital of Wujingfu. The doctors and nurses would include foreign Christians, so he must have had a very novel worldview perspective for his time, and I would guess some foreign language skills, even then.
当时中国人学西医者寥寥无几，而我爷爷就是其中之一。爷爷毕生在五经富基督福音医院行医，他的同事中有不少来自国外的基督徒医生护士， 我想爷爷肯定在当时属于有新思维的普世视角者，应该也会说点外语。

Photo 1: Very distinguished grandfather and grandmother. Grandfather was village doctor and Christian elder. I like that silver mustache!
图二，正襟危坐的爷爷和奶奶，爷爷是村子里的医生，也是教会长老。我喜欢爷爷的银白胡子。

He obviously earned the respect of many, both foreigners and local staff, in order to be later appointed the Hospital Director of the Wujingfu Hospital, replacing the need for a foreign director from overseas. He also became director of the nearby Taibu (Taipu) Hospital, when the Wujingfu hospital had to close for a while. This was at a time of civil war, and soldiers and guerillas roamed the areas, punishing the local population at will, even kidnapping people, especially Christians, and demanding ransom. Practically miraculously, I found a trove of great information from a book on that mission era, which had been picked up by my pathologist cousin, Lilian, in London. She just happened to be scouring a London old books store, and found the book, buying it very cheaply. Presumably many old books in the store were destined for the dustbin, but not this one, which is a treasured item in our small Newcastle home library!
爷爷显然赢得了中外同事的好评，因而被任命为五经富医院院长，从此就不需要从海外差派人来当院长。后来五经富医院被迫临时关闭，爷爷转而成为临近的大埔医院院长。当时正值中国内战，兵荒马乱，土匪横行，他们敲诈勒索，而基督徒首当其冲也成为受害者。奇迹一般地，我居然在当年的一本书上找到爷爷的一点信息。这本书是我在伦敦的表姐发现的，她是一名病理学家，当时她在伦敦一家旧书店里找到了这本书并以极低廉的价格买到。一般来说旧书店里的很多书最终被当垃圾丢掉，但这本书不同，在我位于西雅图纽卡斯尔的家庭图书馆里奉为至宝！

Grandpa and others were appointed as elders of the newly established church, which he served faithfully for much of his life. Obviously, being selected as elder was a highly significant step, indicating great respect for him as a leader of his community. Traditionally, Asian church elders have been considered similar to ministers in terms of community “authority and respect,” except most elders were, and are, usually self-supported from another profession.
爷爷被任命为当地新建的教会的长老之一，他大半生都在那里忠心事奉。显然被选作长老是件了不起的事，说明当地人们尊他为长者。传统上，亚洲的教会里长老被视同传道人一样在社区德高望重，只是大多数长老一般另有一份工作养活自己和家人。

When Grandfather and Grandmother died, their funerals were very different from traditional ones. There were no Buddhist rites, no professional wailers for days, and no worship of the deceased. I am certain Christian pastors, missionaries and choirs, were a significant part of the funeral service, including a call by the minister, as always, for attendees to prepare themselves for the next life. This was revolutionary for the times, and likely may have provoked discomfort among villagers, who felt our grandparents had “eaten the foreign religion.” I am assuming, however, the respect they had from the community helped alleviate the discomfort. We understand there were huge crowds of mourners from far and wide, who may have trekked days, over hills and valleys, to come and pay their respects, mostly former patients, or Christian congregations from surrounding villages. Of course, they had all to be hosted and fed, at least for a day or two, so the effort apparently was a very taxing one, lasting by tradition, for weeks!
我的爷爷奶奶过世时，他们的葬礼与众不同：没有佛教仪式，没有几天几夜专职哭丧的人，也没有对亡者拜拜。我想基督教牧师们，宣教士们，还有诗班肯定参加了葬礼，牧师讲道，提醒生者考虑准备死后往哪里去。这在当时肯定是激进有悖传统的，也会让村民们不舒服，他们会觉得爷爷“吃了洋教”。但是，出于对亡者的敬重，村民们可以稍得安慰。我知道吊丧者从四面八方翻山越岭赶来，来作最后的告别，他们当中有很多是爷爷以前的病人，还有附近村庄的基督徒。当然，主家得招待奔丧者至少一两天，给他们提供吃住，所以这葬礼是非常累人的，按传统前后得搞几个星期。

Photo 2: Grandmother’s Christian Tombstone in the village, with grandfather sitting elegantly in the center, my American born mother, and me in the very front of him, next to mom’s hat.
图一：村子里奶奶的十字架墓碑，爷爷居中正坐，我妈妈与我坐在爷爷脚前，妈妈的草帽旁的就是我.

Both grandparents were commemorated, each with rather large Christian style tombstones, including the highly symbolic Christian cross. This was at a time when the Christian faith was a distinct minority, and persecuted on and off, by officials and common people. So, like the Christian funeral services, the memorials were additional bold statements of the great changes happening in the village.
爷爷奶奶都被下葬，各有不小的基督教墓碑，还有有象征意义k意义的十字架。要知道在当时基督信仰者凤毛麟角，他们还时不时被官府及乡民迫害。所以，就如他们的基督教葬礼，爷爷奶奶的墓碑大胆见证了村子里信仰影响下的移风易俗。

At the time of his passing, grandpa also did something really shocking. He placed much of his financial legacy in a trust, with emphasis on distribution for Christian ministry. This was probably unheard of in the village before, since the custom of thousands of years (even today) was to give everything, after one dies, to children and family. Undoubtedly, he had given this great thought and consulted with wise leaders before this momentous step, since such steps are not taken lightly, against such ingrained traditions.
爷爷过世的时候，他有一个惊人之举。他把他的相当部分财产放进了一个信托以供基督教事工之用。这在当时的村里是前所未闻的，几千年来的传统至今都是死后一切归子嗣。毫无疑问，这惊世骇俗之举之前，爷爷肯定经过深思熟虑并征求过智者长者的意见。

As another novel step, he assigned executive powers for the trust, not to the oldest son, which at least might be more consistent with tradition, but to his second son, my father, the Western trained doctor. This was, likely sensible, since he was the most scholarly son, but, understandably, objected by the eldest son, who felt that he was bypassed, and deprived of what he felt was, by tradition and culture, “rightfully his,” especially when he realized that the inheritance was mostly set up as a trust. I heard he actually was so upset he even pulled out a gun (yes, people owned guns, usually for protection against brigands, and for hunting), when grandfather’s will was announced.
爷爷的另一不同寻常之举，是指定他做西医的二儿子，亦即我的父亲，为信托执行人，而不是按传统让长子优先。从一个角度讲，这也是可以理解的，因为二儿子学识最高，但这遭到长子的反对因为他被越过了，他觉得他被剥夺了长子的权利及按传统按文化本当属他的财产，尤其是当他意识到爷爷相当部分遗产被放到了信托。我听说当爷爷的遗嘱被宣布时，伯父愤怒至极，甚至当场掏出枪来（那会儿人们可拥有枪支，用来防土匪或打猎）。

The story was that he stood at the top of the stairs, brandishing the gun, in our ancestral home in the village, and threatening anyone who dared to contradict him. Fortunately, no one was harmed, things somehow calmed down, but the trust document disappeared in the chaos, and the mysteries of the past. Culture clashes often provide colorful drama, either today, or 70 years ago, especially around legacies and funerals.
传说伯父在我家祖屋的楼上，站在楼梯口挥着枪，威胁胆敢跟他唱反调的人。好在事情渐渐平息，没有人受伤，但是混乱中那份信托文件不知所踪，关于过去的秘闻亦随之而去。无论是现今还是70年前，文化冲突常导致形形色色的戏剧化事件，尤其是涉及遗产和葬礼。

Since we moved to Seattle, my mother’s birth place, I have even learned a bit more about her parents. It turns out that my maternal grandpa was also trained as a physician in Shantou, China, but he was asked to be one of the first pastors of the first Chinese church, the Seattle Chinese Baptist Church. He moved his wife, and first 2 daughters over from Shantou, while later, my own mother Josephine, and her 2 other sisters were born in Seattle.
自从我们搬家到西雅图，我母亲的出生地，我知道了更多我的外祖父母的事，发现我的外祖父也曾在汕头学过医，但后来他被邀成为西雅图第一个华人教会 — 华人浸信会的首任牧师之一。所以他携妻子和两个女儿搬到了西雅图。我的母亲，Josephine，和她的两个妹妹出生于西雅图。

While at first surprising, maybe it really isn’t surprising, that in both of my grandfathers, there is this strong connection between medicine and spiritual service, even from humble origins in China. Medicine and spiritual ministry have been tightly connected, from the time of Jesus, who was, not only the Greatest Teacher, but also the Great Physician, with many documented healings recorded in detail in the Gospels. And that is likely why wherever the faith goes round the world, there is always the combination of good teaching and medical care.
我的祖父和外祖父都是医生，这乍一看让人惊讶，但实际上也不惊讶，因为医学和属灵的事奉密切相关，哪怕是你出生于中国的寒门。从既是伟大的教师也是伟大的医生耶稣的时代, 福音书就记载了很多治病救人的实例。所以当信仰传至世界各地，所到之处就总有良好的教导也有先进的医治。

Photo 3. A page from the mission annals, The “Stranger People,” by Rev Bernard Paton. Grandfather’s name was TSEN Sit Chin. Hakkas were literally “strangers.”
图三： 宣教编年史中的一页， 在巴纳德。巴顿Bernard Paton牧师写的“异乡化外人”一书中，提到了爷爷的名字曾席珍。客家人的字面意思就是“异乡化外人”。

Which is also, likely why, for my own life, I have loved the fascinating combination of both disciplines, and to encourage young people to consider helping careers that include this meaningful interaction.
这也是为什么，我自己毕生热爱这两者的结合，也热爱鼓励年轻人考虑从事这么有意义的帮助人的职业。