We used to have roof on our head, but not any more.

When I went for my graduate studies in Xiamen University in 1978, Liqing and two kids found shelter in a school dorm shared by three other teachers. Wei was too small to go to kindergarten yet, so he would stay by himself in the dorm when his mom was gone teaching. One day when I came back from Xiamen, Mrs. Lin, a very nice office clerk, told me that she just spent some time with Wei on the stone staircase.

At times Liqing would bring two kids to see me at school dorm shared by four graduate students at Xiament University. When they showed up, the other three would move out for the night, and Liqing and I would share the bottom bunk while the two kids would happily occupy the upper one. One summer vacation, I borrowed the room the deparment secretary owned in our dorm building. The roof was a single layer of concrete block, and the sun seemed to pierce through. It was steaming hot. At night, we had to leave the door wide open, barring the entry with one bicycle, several chairs, and a few pots and pants. At the time, electric fans were not available, much less air conditioning.

So, my biggest desire was to own a home on the campus. One evening I was riding my bike taking narcissus stems to my teachers, lights came out of roadside apartment windows like a beacon, warm and sweet, giving me much longing and anticipation.

Finally, twenty years later, in America, each of our three families was rooted and roofed. Still I had a dream: can our two children pool resources to buy a beach home some time in the future? It doesn't have to be big, doesn't even have to be by the sea. Just close to, and just roofed.

It never occurred to me that this dream was to be realized so soon, so full and so good. A three-storey building of 3758 square feet, all floors looking out to the sea. Three bedrooms and four bathrooms, plus a three-car garage, up on a small hill by itself. All deeds and paperwork were completed on October 31, 2017.

Home, Sweet Home

我们曾经头上有瓦片的，但后来没了。

1978年我去厦门大学读研究生时，丽卿带两个孩子住到龙海一中教务处楼上的集体宿舍。那时小儿子伟还小，连上学的资格都没有。丽卿去上课时，就留他自己在宿舍里。有一次我从厦门回来，教务处的林淑老师就告诉我，她刚刚陪伟在石阶梯上玩呢。

我在厦大读书时，丽卿曾经带两个孩子来看我。我们挤在研究生宿舍的双层铁架床上。我跟丽卿睡下铺，两个小兄弟睡上铺。一个暑假，他们都来了。我向外文系秘书借了他在囊萤楼的小宿舍。屋顶上是一层水泥板，太阳光辐射下来，热极了。夜里，我们得把宿舍门开着。我用椅子和自行车堵门，还放了几个铁盆铁罐当警鈴。 那个时代没有电风扇，更没有空调。

因此，我的最大愿望就是在厦大拥有自己的家。有一次我拿水仙花束送人，回来的时候经过一栋栋宿舍楼，窗户里灯光暖暖地透了出来，给寒风里骑车的我带来万分的惆怅和向往。

终于，二十多年以后，我们在美国有了立锥之地。终于，各自头上都有瓦片了。几个月前，我突然想到，要是两个儿子能够协力在海边买个房子多好。不必大也不必看到海。就讨一个离海不远，晚上头上有瓦的地方。

曾经有梦，但不敢梦到这样的华屋。 三层楼，层层向海。三房四浴，外加可停三辆车的车库，居住面积1145平方米（3758 平方英尺），独处一座小山头。产权交接于2017年10月31日完成。