X.
     Although this is what he told people, my father had served as the county head for many years, and he clearly understood the intentions of the Japanese police. He wasn't sure how the police would react to his "advice." My father used to tell everyone, "This is the way...." But now, he wasn't confident enough to explain this Way to the police. The only thing he could for to protect his Way was to sacrifice everything he had. During this period of uncertainty, I came across my father weping several times.

     Under these tense conditions, a notice was sent out, annopuncing a meeting at one o'clock the next day. The meeting would take place at the Ma Zu temple in the center of town. Those who didn't attend would be serverely punished - - a warning was issued, and thus, every family head arrived. Several hundred people showed up. The temple was fairly large, and it was filled with people. That afternoon there were no classes at school, and I hid in the corner of the temple to watch the proceedings. Since I had seen my father weeping a few times in the past few days, I was worried for him.

     A bell rang, and a balding, pot-bellied man stood up on top of a table and started his speech. "In the interest of this county, our company has decided to open a large farm at the northern end of this village. We want to buy the land in that area. A few days ago we posted a map indicating the area of interest, and asked landowners in that area to bring their seals to our company for negotiations. Up to now, not one single person has come. We have visited all the land owners, but we suspect that someone has been plotting to destroy our company plans - - thus far, nobody has agreed to sell. This may be considered a plot conceived by all of you. But our company doesn't want to interpret it this way. If we interpet it as such, all of you would suffer the consquences.