Affection on the dock

  One day in August 1932, the Tianjin Port dock was bustling with people coming and going. Not far from the dock, rows of rickshaws were crowded on both sides of the road, and the drivers were carefully wiping every corner of their vehicles, occasionally glancing out at the distant sea surface. They all hoped to pick up a few more passengers from the Japanese ship "Daihonzan Maru" arriving from Osaka, Japan.

  In the distance, the sound of a ship's whistle could be faintly heard on the surface of the sea. A white shadow slowly appeared before people's eyes, and as the hull became clearer, those waiting to receive passengers on the shore all looked up with anticipation, hoping that the ship would dock quickly so they could see their loved ones sooner.

  In the crowded crowd, a ten-year-old 'girl' stood in front of a middle-aged man, also tiptoeing and anxiously looking at the approaching ship, occasionally turning around to ask a few questions, but the man remained silent, staring at the distant ship.

  A middle-aged man named Zhao Chuanfu stood beside a 'girl' who was his 10-year-old 'daughter', Zhao Yidian. They had arrived early from Beiping because their son, Zhao Zhibang, was returning home today after studying in Japan for four years. In those days, only extraordinary families could afford to send their children abroad to study. He wore a traditional Chinese long gown and looked no different from ordinary people, but his demeanor seemed more like that of a school teacher. Although Zhao Chuanfu was not a wealthy merchant, his antique business, 'Huafu Hang', had branches all over Beijing, Tianjin, and the three eastern provinces. After the September 18th Incident, most of Huafu Hang's assets in Northeast China were seized by Japan, and the business was no longer as prosperous as before. However, thanks to several shops in Tianjin, the family's life had not changed much.

  "Dad, do you think Brother still recognizes me?" Zhao Yidian asked with some concern as she lifted her foot to take another look at the approaching ship, but Zhao Chuanfu seemed not to have heard, still standing upright with his eyes fixed on the front.

  "Father..." Seeing that her father didn't even notice her, Yidan felt a bit annoyed and pulled on his long robe to get his attention.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I said, Brother has been out for so many years, does he still recognize me?" Zhao Yidian said with a pout, seeing that her father hadn't listened to her at all.

  "Oh, haha... of course I recognize him, no matter where he came from? No matter how many years he's been out, he is still Chinese, still a descendant of the Zhao family, and still your brother!" Zhao Chuanfu said with a smile, patting his 'daughter' on the shoulder, before turning his gaze back to the sea.

  "With a long, mournful sound, the three blasts of the ship's whistle before docking immediately set off an uproar on the already bustling dock. The police maintaining order on shore had also moved out to drive away some anxious people who had exceeded the safety line."

  "Dad, did you see my brother? Why hasn't he come out yet?" Zhao Yidian looked at the people walking down from the boat one after another, but still couldn't find the person in the photos she had been looking at all night, and became anxious.

  "Don't worry, your brother will be out soon, let's wait a bit longer..." Zhao Chuanfu said with his mouth, but in his heart, he was repeatedly asking 'why hasn't he come out yet?'".

  "Hey, Butterfly, look! Is that your brother? Quick, over there!" After waiting for a long time, he finally saw the figure of his son. Zhao Chuanfu's voice was already choked with emotion as he pointed to a young man wearing a white shirt on the bridge, while his right hand wiped away tears from his moist eyes.

  "It's really him... my brother..." Following her father's guidance, Zhao Yidian finally saw the brother who often smiled at her in photos. Her memories of him were no longer very clear, after all it had been four years since they last met and she was only five years old back then. She excitedly waved her hands and shouted loudly.

  "Eh, little sister... Ha ha..." Hearing his sister's call, Zhao Zhibang also waved the coat in his hand and shouted loudly, following the sound of laughter to arrive in front of the two.

  "Dad...... My child is back!" Zhao Zhibang put down the suitcase in his hand, looked at Zhao Yidian who was hiding behind him due to shyness, and said with tears in his eyes.

  "Ah, it's good that you're back, now that you're back, Dad can rest assured." Seeing his son cry, Zhao Chuanfu patted his shoulder and took a deep breath before saying so. It was clear that he was also very emotional, not just taking a deep breath before speaking, possibly tears had already fallen at this time.

  "Dad, Mom is okay? Why didn't I see Mom come?" Zhao Zhibang wiped away his tears and pulled out his slightly shy sister from behind his father's back to hug her in front of him.

  "Mom has been preparing food for you at home, knowing that you're coming back. Mom hasn't slept well for several days... Brother, mom misses you so much! I've seen her looking at your photos and secretly crying many times!" As soon as Zhao Zhibang heard this, he quickly looked up at his sister with tears in his eyes. After hearing his sister's words, Zhao Zhibang's heart ached again, and tears fell from his eyes once more.

  "Alright, now that we're back, our family is finally reunited. Let's go home, I'm sure your mom is waiting anxiously." He said as he reached for the leather suitcase on the ground.

  "Oh, wait a minute... I almost forgot... This is Xingzi, Xingzi, this is my dad. And this is the little sister I often mention to you - Yidi." Zhao Zhibang said as he took over the suitcase from his father's hand and pulled out a 'girl' from behind him.

  "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Yidian." The girl looked a bit embarrassed, lowering her head and slightly bowing to greet them. She appeared to be in her early twenties, wearing a white dress, with fair skin and the latest popular hairstyle, clearly from a wealthy family, attracting many people's attention.

  "Xingzi sister is good, Xingzi sister is so beautiful, brother...... Is this the sister-in-law you found for me?" Zhao Yitian struggled out of her brother's arms and said with a hint of envy in her eyes.

  "This girl... Hehe..." Zhao Zhibang didn't deny it, but pinched his sister's face and said with a smile, "You're making Xiaozi even more embarrassed and her face is turning red."

  "Haha... haha... okay, okay, haha... oh dear, you see this kid Zhibang, he's so busy chatting with us, and I've neglected you... really sorry about that!" Zhao Chuanfu saw the flush on Xingzi's face and guessed that she was probably around 19 years old. Looking at the beautiful and elegant girl in front of him, Zhao Chuanfu's face lit up like a blooming flower.

  "Come on, come on, give me the box... Let's hurry home, or your mother will go crazy at home... Haha..." He said with a smile as he took the suitcase from Xingzi's hand amidst the envious glances of the people around.