《Spring Breezes and Autumn Rains Inside the Bamboo Fence》
At this time, Ashan's eldest sister had already graduated from high school. Due to circumstances, she took a job at the Ministry of National Defense to earn some money and help with household expenses. After all, as a young woman, she also needed money to buy nice clothes.
During a military event, Ashan's sister met an Air Force pilot. He was very handsome and a member of the Thunder Tigers, a renowned aerobatic team. Many young women admired Air Force pilots, and Ashan's sister was no exception. Under his intense pursuit and her own interest, they quickly fell in love.
As her younger brother, Ashan often ended up as the third wheel. Ashan ate quite a bit of the ice cream he treated and tagged along to the Eastern Circus with them. At home, Ashan often had to cover for his sister, as their parents were quite traditional.
The Air Force pilot, Ma Yingding, had retreated to Taiwan with the military in 1949 as a young soldier. His parents and family remained in Shandong, China. After arriving in Taiwan, he joined the Air Force Junior School and then the Air Force Flight School. Besides admiring the freedom of flying among the clouds, he believed that becoming a pilot would give him a chance to revisit his homeland and alleviate his homesickness.
Brother Ma, as Ashan called him, was tall, had a heroic air, and was an excellent pilot. He was chosen by the then Air Force Commander, Wang Shuming, nicknamed “Tiger Wang,” to be a member of the Thunder Tigers. The Thunder Tigers were well-known among aerobatic teams worldwide. Their members were young and attractive, captivating many young men and women, including Ashan.
One day, Brother Ma officially visited Ashan's parents. Ashan was busier than anyone, hosting him warmly at home and introducing him to his friends in the village. The kids surrounded him, asking questions and admiring his flight badge. They listened in awe as he recounted stories of flying over Taiwan's mountains and the Taiwan Strait.
Sharing in the pride of having a hero around, Ashan couldn’t help but feel proud. He thought of his second brother. If he were still around, with his kite-flying skills, he surely would have made an excellent pilot. In some ways, Brother Ma filled the void left by Ashan's second brother in his heart.
Ashan's parents did not oppose the relationship between Brother Ma and his sister. Perhaps, it somewhat alleviated their longing for their second son. They even made some dumplings and dough pieces, traditional Shandong dishes, to satisfy this young man’s cravings.
《竹籬笆裏的春風秋雨》
大姐此時已經高中畢業。因為環境的關係，就先到國防部去做雇員，也好先賺點錢貼補家用。何況女孩子大了，總要花點錢買漂亮衣裳。
就在一次勞軍的場合，大姐認識了一位空軍飛行員。人長得很帥，又是「雷虎小組」的一員。當時許多年輕女孩子迷空軍飛行員，大姐也不例外。在對方的猛烈追求，及大姐本來就有意的情況之下，兩人很快的熱戀了起來。
當然做為老弟的阿三，也當了不少次的電燈泡。吃了不少對方的福樂冰淇淋，也夾在兩人中間看過東方大馬戲團。所以在家裏多多少少總要為大姐掩護一些，因為阿三的爸媽還是蠻古板的。
這位空軍飛行員馬英鼎，是卅八年 (1949 年) 隨部隊撤退到台灣來的少年兵。父母及家人都陷在大陸山東沒有出來。所以來台後就進入了空軍幼校，然後再進了空軍飛行學校。除了仰慕空軍在空中自由翱翔、徜徉於藍天白雲外，他認為也只有做飛行員，才會有機會能夠駕機探訪故鄉，一解其思鄉念親之愁。
阿三口中的這位馬大哥，人長得挺拔，又帶著一股英氣，飛行技術又是一流的，所以被當時空軍總司令王叔銘 “王老虎” 選為「雷虎小組」的一員。當時中國空軍的「雷虎小組」，在世界各國空軍的特技飛行小組中相當有名。「雷虎小組」中的成員既年輕又帥氣，風靡了不少青年男女。他們真是當時青少年們眼中的英雄，當然阿三也不例外。
終於有一天，馬大哥正式來拜訪阿三的父母。阿三比誰都忙，除了在家裏殷勤招待外，還把馬大哥介紹給村子裏的伙伴們。一群小蘿蔔頭圍著馬大哥問東問西，又用欽佩及羡慕的眼光，撫摸著馬大哥胸前所配戴的飛行徽章，聽著馬大哥訴說著在台灣山嶽間及海峽上飛行的故事。
阿三在一旁分享著英雄的驕傲，也難免露出得意的表情。他心中也不免想到了二哥。如果二哥還在，以他飛風箏的技術，一定也是一位傑出的飛行員。於是馬大哥也就在阿三的心中，多多少少填補了二哥的位子。
阿三爸媽對馬大哥及大姐的來往沒有反對。也許是彌補了一些對老二的思念，所以也做了些餃子、麵疙瘩之類的麵食，來解這位山東小伙子口腹之饞。
