Dear Hsiao-en,
Your mother tells me you are writing a report on our family, so here is what I remember.
Your great-grandmother came south alone at seventeen and worked as a maid for a family in Tainan. She married at twenty-four and had six children; two of them died as infants. The old photograph on your grandmother's wall was taken the week the youngest was born.
She never learned to read, yet she insisted that every daughter finish school. Your grandmother became the first nurse in the village because of her.
Come on Sunday and bring a notebook. I will find the box of letters in the attic before you arrive.
Love,
Aunt Mei
小恩：
你媽媽說你在寫一份關於我們家族的報告，所以我把記得的事寫下來給你。
你的曾祖母十七歲時獨自南下，在台南一戶人家幫傭當女僕。她二十四歲結婚，生了六個孩子，其中兩個在嬰兒時期夭折。你奶奶牆上那張老照片，是最小的孩子出生那一週拍的。
她從沒學過認字，卻堅持每個女兒都要念完書。你奶奶之所以成為村裡第一位護理師，就是因為她。
星期天過來吧，記得帶筆記本。我會在你到之前把閣樓裡那箱信找出來。
愛你的
阿美姑姑
Family History Workshop — City Library, Room 3
Bring any old photographs, letters or name lists you already have. Names of living relatives are never copied or shared. Children under twelve must come with an adult. Places are limited to twenty-five; register at the front desk before 8 October. This workshop will not be repeated this year.
家族史工作坊 —— 市立圖書館 3 號室
請攜帶你手上既有的老照片、信件或名冊。在世親屬的姓名一律不會被抄錄或外流。未滿十二歲的兒童須由成人陪同。名額限二十五位；請於 10 月 8 日前至櫃檯報名。本工作坊今年不會再開。
In many towns the person waiting at the school gate is not a parent but a grandparent. As more couples take jobs in distant cities, children are left in the care of the older generation. Officials in one county say that almost one child in five now lives this way.
The arrangement has clear benefits. Grandparents pass on dialect, cooking and family stories that a busy household often loses.
Yet the burden is heavy. Many carers are over seventy and manage the housework alone. Support groups now offer them free health checks, and one afternoon a week when somebody else looks after the children.
在許多鄉鎮，在校門口等待的人不是父母，而是祖父母。隨著愈來愈多夫妻到遠方的城市工作，孩子便交由上一代照顧。某縣的官員表示，現在幾乎每五個孩子就有一個是這樣長大的。
這種安排有明顯的優點。祖父母會把方言、家常菜和家族故事傳下去，而這些常在忙碌的家庭中流失。
然而負擔很重。許多照顧者已年逾七十，還得獨自打理家務。互助團體現在提供他們免費健康檢查，以及每週一個下午由別人代為照顧孩子的時間。
A city office asked 1,000 households who does most of the daily housework.
| Main person | 2005 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | 68% | 44% |
| Father | 9% | 21% |
| Grandparent | 18% | 19% |
| Paid helper | 5% | 16% |
Exactly the same question was asked in both years.
The same households took part both times, and almost all of them replied.
某市府單位訪問 1,000 個家庭，詢問誰負責大部分的日常家務。
| 主要負責人 | 2005 年 | 2025 年 |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | 68% | 44% |
| 父親 | 9% | 21% |
| 祖父母 | 18% | 19% |
| 付費幫傭 | 5% | 16% |
兩年所問的問題完全相同。
兩次都是同樣的家庭受訪，而且幾乎全部都有回覆。