李黃嬋英
我父母親一直留守在龍安鄉鎮有數個月，以表示沒有抗衡政府的新政策，其實是有便衣公安一直在監控著我們。孩子們有時隨著父母親輪流出入龍安數次。最後實在不宜長期久留，怎能在這樣的沼澤地帶生活呢？既不可能有工作又不能種植。不是中毒生病，就是坐以待斃，沒活路。
大雨過後，有一個晚上，日落後天色暗淡，霧氣上升，發現四圍低窪的沼澤有水漲的現象，父親以為不會殃及到房子。但數小時之後，水逐漸滲入房子內，後到沒到膝蓋。父親對母親說：「我們要盡快離開此地」，於是就上了一艘原居民的小木船過去對面的河岸。母親是不懂遊泳的，在對岸住有一些原居民，而且地勢高比較安全。當時有一小群像我們一樣的都市商人，連夜想要逃離這沼澤地帶，公安發現了朝天開槍警告，但都制止無效，因情況危急人人都要逃命。我父母親留在河岸上，無眠了一整夜。第二天眼見沒有退水的跡象，鄉鎮政府才容許讓大家返回都市避難，這塲水災總算告一段落。
房塌用品全被人搶空
約過了兩三周，父母親再度返回龍安鄉鎮觀察，結果發現整棟房子都歪塌、霉爛。屋內的家具，並所有用品全被人搶光，連承裝我們爺爺骨灰的骨灰罐都不見了。相信是當地貧困原居民所為，趁火打劫。警察和盜賊都是蛇鼠一窩。然而當地政府全無監管作為，視而不見，對許多家庭所有的損失沒有表示任何歉意，或作出任何補償。後來我們輕易地離開，永別了這個難忘的爛泥沼澤地。
房子無錢財空
父母親返回城市重操舊業，舊屋所在是一個街市。母親做回老本行，在一個寬容的鄰居家門前，擺地攤做布料生意，父親也擺地攤賣家居用品雜貨。他們每天勞碌奔波、日曬雨淋為著子女的生活，同時要面對鄉親鄰里的冷眼看待，也要硬著皮頭撐下去。我們暫住在舅父家，孩子又沒有資格上學，夜長夢多的日子要怎樣過呢？不知哪裡突來的念頭，父母親想出一計，希望全家一起偷渡，離開這個傷心的家園，出外謀生。他們透過接洽到我一個表哥，他的未婚妻父母是與開船偷渡生意有連繫的。我父母親將所有的積蓄用在偷渡的船費上。除了付足自己一家的船費以外，還有餘，又能幫補其他親友不足的船費金額。當年偷渡一個成人的市價要付15両金塊，小童半價。我們自己一家的船費已超過百両金塊。錢付過數後，船家馬上承諾很快會開船。當時偷渡生意是屬於「半公開」的操作，意思是必須由政府批準才能開船，不可以鋪張宣傳收顧客，名額也有規定。後來船主拖延了幾個月都開不了船。又經常失信，前言不對後語，一拖再拖延。最後才揭穿船主自己根本是沒有資本又沒有船，據說他收集了我們所有資金才去買木材製造船，其間許多私吞，賄賂蛇頭、和公安等。數月之後，所有我們的資金血本無歸。父母親一生的積蓄化為烏有，這從一開始就是一個虛假的騙局。
虛浮的錢財
難怪聖經上有一處說：「你要囑咐那些今世富足的人，不要自高，也不要倚靠無定的錢財；只要倚靠那厚賜百物給我們享受的神。」(提摩太前書 6:17)
主耶穌也教導跟隨的門徒「不要為自己積攢財寶在地上，地上有蟲子咬，能銹壞，也有賊挖窟窿來偷；只要積攢財寶在天上，天上沒有蟲子咬，不能銹壞，也沒有賊挖窟窿來偷。因為你的財寶在哪裏，你的心也在那裏。」(馬太福音6:19-21)。人因為財多，心被蒙蔽，就忘了賜福的源頭和創造萬物的上帝，也不去感謝祂。人的思念會變為虛妄，無知的心就昏暗了。
作者：李黃嬋英師母出生於越南堤岸。少年信主後，移居北歐瑞典，修社工。婚後與夫婿移居美國。
李黃嬋英。〈【小趣奇遇】返回都市 重操舊業〉《真理報》(美東版) (2024年1月)。
https://nystm.org/nytm2401-05/
李志成傳道 / 博士、李黃嬋英師母
作者／講者
¤ 李志成傳道／博士
▪︎前美國國家氣象局 NOAA 氣象預測科研組長
▪︎前紐約短宣中心拓展部主任
¤ 李黃嬋英師母
▪︎瑞典卡羅林斯卡醫學院社工學系畢業，曾任瑞典養老院護理工作
▪︎前紐約短宣中心義務同工
【小趣奇遇】壓迫商家驅逐去新經濟區
當我們一家被迫拋屋棄貨被驅逐到龍安省（Long An）的一個小鎮墟（Thu Thua）之後；我們的戶口被取消，孩子同時也被取消在城市內上學的資格。四哥與我、弟妹都要輟學。
[Storm Buster] Storm Surge
![[Storm Buster] Storm Surge](https://eresource.ifstms.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Hurricane_Kate_2003-_Good_pic-860x500.webp "[Storm Buster] Storm Surge")
Storm surge causes inundation of large swaths of coastal land. Eleven years ago, storm surge from Hurricane Sandy havocked large damages in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ). Today, some of those destructions are still noticeable and remain unrepaired.
[Interesting Adventures] The New Economic Development District Policy in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government had planned well ahead and prepared many makeshift-hut developments such as the one we were sent among all the villages and provinces.
[Interesting Adventures] Suppressing the Merchants (Part II)
![[Interesting Adventures] Suppressing the Merchants (Part II)](https://eresource.ifstms.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/oppressed-Merchants-2-web-edited-800x500.jpg "[Interesting Adventures] Suppressing the Merchants (Part II)")
Upon the confiscation of our family-cloth-business, there was an undercover policewoman stationed at our home for three weeks every day from 7:00 am till 6:00 pm. Our every move was scrutinized⋯⋯
[Storm Buster] Autumn Foliage Forecast
![[Storm Buster] Autumn Foliage Forecast](https://eresource.ifstms.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-10-30-at-11.05.07-PM.jpg "[Storm Buster] Autumn Foliage Forecast")
Autumn is pleasant. It has many public holidays for the most populous countries in the northern hemisphere. In the U.S. we have Labor Day, Columbus Day and the Veterans Day. In China there are Mid-Autumn Festival and Double-Yang Festival.
[Storm Buster Series] Preempt Wildfires
![[Storm Buster Series] Preempt Wildfires](https://eresource.ifstms.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/nytm2310p-72.jpg "[Storm Buster Series] Preempt Wildfires")
We were all stunned by the apocalyptic scenes of devastation and destitution caused by wildfires in Maui, HI. The utter sense of desolation and desperation was overwhelmingly sad. It destroyed the idyllic Island of Maui. Many people are still in denial and disbelief when they look at the news reports.
[Interesting Adventures] The Oppressed Merchants (1)
![[Interesting Adventures] The Oppressed Merchants (1)](https://eresource.ifstms.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/nytm2310p-71-700x500.jpg "[Interesting Adventures] The Oppressed Merchants (1)")
Mom and dad ran a textile and cloth business for thirty years. Their humble street hawker beginning was never remote. Only through thrift living and hard work did mom and dad gradually expand their business and eventually proudly owned a retail shop in the middle of the vegetable markets.
【小趣奇遇】民族之間文化的差異
我父母親年輕未婚時來自潮州；但我們六個兄弟姊妹都是出生於越南。全家一直住在華人聚居最多的「堤岸」。華人都是做大小生意為生的。連本地越南人都學會說粵語，特別需要在生意上能用粵語溝通，他們也讓自己孩子去華文學校讀書。
Heatwaves
Heatwaves in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere captured the public’s attention. The inadequacy of the central air conditioning units in many of the northern cities testifies to the unexpected increase in air temperature across Northern Europe, Asia and America.
Cultural Divide
Born in Vietnam, my siblings of six including myself, lived in a Chinese town called “Cholon”. Cantonese was the business dialect that even the native Vietnamese learned to speak. Many of the Vietnamese natives sent their children to Chinese schools.
【小趣奇遇】教學混亂與民間迷信
在1975年南越政變後，我和二哥（榮光）和弟弟（榮南）就讀的「同心」中小學，从私立成了公立學校，取消了學校制服。由於不夠老師，加上政府監控學校制度，又撤銷所有華語課堂，規定只准許學習當地越南文。
The Unfathomable Deep Space and Seas
Man is an adventurous creature. In the pre-pandemic year of 2019 the US travel and tourism industry generated 1.9 trillion dollars in economic output. That was a startling 9% of the nation’s corresponding GDP of 21.38 trillion dollars in 2019.
Chaotic schools and rampant superstitions
When the communists took over Vietnam in 1975, my second eldest brother (David), I and my younger brother (Kevin) were studying in the “Same Heart” middle-and-elementary school in Cholon, Vietnam. Originally a private school, it was changed to a public school under the communist government.
Calmness after the War (Part II)
My parents ran a textile and clothes retail shop from our home. Under the new communist government after the Vietnamese civil war, every home was eager to sew the new national flag. Therefore, all of a sudden our home business was thriving beyond our wildest imaginations.
【小趣奇遇】戰亂後的平息（下集）
父母親是做買賣布料的家庭式生意。內戰後的新興政府，規定家家戶戶都要買布料縫裁新國旗。突然間，店舖的生意好到忙不過來。我的大哥（雁榮）想幫父親的輕型電單車加油，去了附近一公哩以外的油站加油。
Pollen Allergy Becoming a Mainstay
Pollen allergy is more commonly known as hay fever. Medically speaking, it is called seasonal allergic rhinitis —- a provocation of the immune system to overreact to pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds. Hay fever occurs mainly in the spring and fall when pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds are in the air.
Calmness after the War (Part I)
In the May issue we mentioned the civil war between North and South Vietnam. It finally ended on the so-called “Liberation Date” on April 30, 1975. The North united the country into a communist country.
![[Interesting Adventures] The Oppressed Merchants (1)](https://eresource.ifstms.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/nytm2310p-71-580x420.jpg "[Interesting Adventures] The Oppressed Merchants (1)")
