不久很多大员回到江南公干，把妻儿安顿在环境较好的杭州。弘道中小学是达官贵人子弟的首选。但不像以前有外国租界的上海，小三就开始学英文，杭州的小学没有英文课，家长深怕一旦他们的工作转往上海，孩子转学时会跟不上英文课。1946年初，他们要求校方开一班课后英文班。校长为这事伤透脑筋，因为条件很严，必须思想纯正，有靠得住的背景，英文也必发音正确。。。我的二姨是校长中学时代的好同学，又都是基督徒，有一次闲谈中问起可认识合适的人，二姨就推荐了我。面谈被接受之后，我就开始教这班的11位四五年级的小学生。当我和他们一一谈话之后，才知道他们的来头真不小，孝文，孝章是蒋总统的孙辈，经国先生（当时在南京任职）的儿女，还有省主席沈鸿烈和市长周象贤的子女。另有一位西冷饭店主人的儿子劳则成。（前几年看见他参加远志明十字架的制作工作，还经友人在美国找到了他，和他通了电话）。
我从ABCD教起，每天一小时，因为很会用比方，讲故事，很快就赢得学生的信任。过了两个月，有一天孝文对我说，“张（我的本姓）先生，我爸爸叫我问一下你愿不愿意给我们担任家教。英文课完了，张先生和我们一起回家，吃了晚饭再送张先生回家。”我很喜欢这个孩子，就欣然答应了。
为什么当时我一点畏惧的心都没有呢？这可能和我成长过程中的见识有关。小时候在乡下我们有栋大房子，当地的警察局长和督察长两家都分租和我们住在一起。我的性格外向，他们都很喜欢我，连我的小名也是一位太太所取的。我想我的大姐应有一点印象。初高中住在上海二姨家，二姨在哈同路教会带职事奉，我和同他一起事奉的倪柝声，汪佩真，李渊如姐妹都很熟。主日下午有空闲时，唐守临，张愚之等长辈会打打乒乓球，我也会参加他们。这些都是受人敬仰的属靈伟人，而我却有机会置身於他们中间，这增长了我很多胆识。
去蒋家之前，我好好的想想该如何为自己定位，以避免莫须有的困扰。我给自己装备起来，做了几件新旗袍，皮包，皮鞋，手表，太阳眼镜，一应具全。等看到蒋方良女士时，从容应对，顺利地过了关。
每天到蒋家，我们会直接去孝章的房中，先吃点心再帮他们兄妹温习当天学校的功课和做作业。通常晚餐之前已经补习完毕，我们三人就轻松地聊天或出大门到西湖边走走，欣赏落日的美景。
经国先生在家时，常邀一些好友如空军官校校长胡伟克等一起用餐。菜肴是很普通的家常菜，谈的是当时的社会现象。孝文总喜欢坐在我旁边，亲热地和我说笑，而我也很自然地参加他们的谈话，一点压力也没有。
蒋先生是一位毫无架子的人，他家的副官随从在饭桌边侍立时都可以加入说话。如果没有客人同桌吃饭，当大碗汤上了桌，他就会站起来舀汤，第一碗给太太，第二碗给我，然后才给自己。有一次星期六中午饭后我要去和兴华约会，蒋先生就说，“我送你去好吗？”於是司机坐在后面，他亲自开车送我到劳动路第一纱厂大门前。后来他做了总统，有人问我他真是如此亲民吗？我就说他本性如此，装不了那么久的。
蒋太太是经国先生在苏联西伯利亚工厂里认识的，无产阶级出身，没有官太太的架子，也不善交谈，讲的是浙江奉化的方言。她没有什么朋友，几位蒋家的妇女教了她打麻将，所以总听到她在打牌。那时杨森的女儿常和她在一起，我并没有和她有太多互动。
蒋孝文（在家里叫Alan)是个俊美可爱的小男孩，和我感情很好。我带他去主日学，教他唱诗歌。我们常谈起某某大官的儿女如何仗势欺人，他说，“张先生，我以后一定不会这样。”可惜后来他在成长过程中受小人包围，父亲国务繁忙，疏于管教，变成花花公子，英年早逝，令我十分痛心。
孝章(Amy)是个很特别的女孩子，话语很少，但出言就有威势，连较长的孝文对她都有些顾忌。她生性简朴，橱里挂满了各式小衣裙，但穿来穿去只有那两三件。她最得爷爷的喜爱。听说有一次蒋公生气无人能劝，宋美龄还嘱经国先生带孝章坐飞机去爷爷身边逗爷爷开心。
1948年夏天蒋太太怀第四胎孝勇时，全家要去莫干山避暑，邀我同去。我考虑再三，辞了这份工作。理由是五月我已和兴华订婚，他将去广州做事，我迟早也会去那边，我想多点时间和住在杭州乡下的父母相处。
两年以后在台北，我们夫妇抱着老大以理坐在三轮车上，在总统府前的介寿路，正巧经国先生开了吉普车经过。他看见我就停下来和我打招呼。我介绍了兴华给他认识，他告诉我他住在长安东路18号，叫我有空去坐坐。但兴华并不想和高官来往，我也就此不提。
经国先生的谦和，与我之前任教的另一个家庭的男主人形成强烈的对比。他是个官拜中将参赞的袁先生，肥头大耳，声如洪钟，眉毛倒竖，很是凶悍。战时只带着姨太太在身边，太平了，还是把原配留在老家，把四个十多岁的孩子从乡下接出来和他同住。他们进入了杭州这么文明的社会，实在跟不上，所以要请一位全职家教，住在他家，白天教姨太太一些礼仪习俗，晚上教孩子。
住在他家唯一的好处是吃得好，就是早餐也有火腿肉松，蒋家是无法与之相比的。袁先生整天凶神恶煞地坐在天井里的一张大藤椅里 （复原后他好像不需要上班），守着大门不准太太随便出去，孩子回来亦像老鼠见了猫一样。虽然满桌大师傅烧出来的佳肴，大家在无声中进食，甞不到美味。我这样生活了两个月，心情变得郁闷不堪。春假前有两个大学同学来找我，问我要不要和他们一起去南京中央大学找以前的同学，我不假思索就答应了，不顾后果地向袁老请假一个星期，如同小鸟冲出笼子，飞向蓝天。在南京上海玩了个痛快，回去就看到一张臭脸在等着我。我也很识相，第二天就辞职不干了。现在回想起来，年青人生活真容易，不怕找不到事，再不然，回父母还是二姐家总有饭吃的。
如果当时有多一些官员像经国先生，国家可能不会搞到一团糟，而人民也不会吃这么多苦了。
World War II ended in 1945. China was ecstatic over the hard fought victory, but the end of war also spelt the end of my carefree college life. The university set up by the Wang Jin Wei regime folded and my family couldn't afford a college education in another city. I started tutoring to support myself.
As the government moved back to Nanjing, so did the high ranking officials. Many set up homes in Hangzhou for its higher quality of life. The school of choice for their children was Hong Dao Middle and Primary School. Unlike Shanghai schools which offered English lessons from 3rd Grade onwards, Hangzhou schools had no English lessons in primary schools. Some parents were concerned about their children's English standard and asked for an English class after school. The principal had a hard time to find someone he could trust and could teach English. He asked my aunt who was his classmate for reference and she recommended me. So I started teaching the 11 kids in that special class sometime in 1946.
Only after I got to know the kids did I learn that they were all from powerful families, including Chiang Kai Shek's two eldest grandchildren and the children of the governor and mayor. A couple of months into the class, Chiang Xiao Wen (Chiang Jin Guo's eldest son) asked me if I could go to his home to give extra tuition to him and his sister. I was happy to do so as he was a lovely boy.
Why was I not nervous about working for such a powerful family? Maybe it had something to do with my background. My parents had a large house in the countryside and the most powerful person in the area, the police chief, and his family used to rent part of the house from us. When I attended primary and middle schools in Shanghai, I lived with my aunt. She was much respected in church and worked closely with the church leaders revered by the congregation. Because of my special connection and my outgoing personality, they all treated me like family and I was not awed by their positions.
Before starting work for the Chiangs, I made a few new qipaos and bought new bags and shoes. I knew full well servants in that kind of family would judge a person by what she wore.
I gave tuition to the two kids everyday except on Sunday. The routine was to go to Xiao Zhang (the girl)'s room when we got to the residence, have afternoon tea and then revise the work taught in school that day and supervise their homework. Usually the tuition would be finished before dinner, and we would chit chat or step out to the Westlake to watch the sunset.
Dinner at the Chiangs was simple. Often times Mr Chiang would have a couple of friends over if he was home. They would casually talk about what was happening at the time and I would join in as well. I felt no pressure at all. Xiao Wen always sat next to me.
Mr Chiang had no air about him. When there were only family members around, even the servants could join in the conversation. When soup was served, he would stand up and ladle bowls of soup, first for his wife, then for me, and then for himself. Once after a Saturday lunch, I had a date with Charles and he offered to give me a ride. He actually drove the car himself while the driver sat in the backseat. When he rose up the ranks and eventually became the president in Taiwan, friends used to ask me whether he was really such a humble and personable person. I told them that it was in his nature and there was no way a person could put up the pretense for so long.
Mrs Chiang was Mr Chiang's sweetheart in a Russian factory when he was sent by his father to learn about the socialist ways. She was from a workers' family and didn't talk much. The language she used was the dialect of Chiang Kai Shek's hometown. She had few friends and played mahjong most of the afternoons with Chiang's relatives while I was there.
Xiao Wen, or Alan as he was called at home, was Chiang's eldest son. He was a beautiful boy with a lovely temperament. I used to bring him to Sunday School and teach him hymns. I remember we sometimes talked about the unruly behavor of some children of high ranking officials and he would say,"I would never become like them when I grow up!" Unfortunately later in Taiwan he was surrounded by yes men and didn't amount to much. He had a reputation of a playboy and died in his early 50's. I feel a tinge of sorrow everytime I think of him.
Xiao Zhang, Amy, was quite a unique character. Like her mother, she was of few words, but she had a certain aura of authority about her that even her elder brother defered to her. She was of simple taste and always wore the two or three outfits she picked out although there were many others in the closet. I understood that she was Chiang Kai Shek's favorite grandchild. Once during the war, Soong Mei Ling flew her to Chongqing to cheer up the grandpa.
In the summer of 1948, the Chiangs were off for summer break in Mo Gan Shan. Mrs Chiang invited me to go with them. However, I had just gotten engaged and Charles was about to leave for Guangzhou. As I would be getting married soon and mostly likely move to Guangzhou, I wanted to spend some time with my parents. So I resigned from the job.
Two years later, in Taipei, I was in a trishaw with Charles and baby Daniel when Mr Chiang's jeep drove pass us. He saw me and stopped to say hello. Mr Chiang gave me his address and asked us to visit. But Charles was never a social climber and disdained hanging on to the rich or powerful, so I never suggested keeping in touch with Mr Chiang.
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