Nang Chong Stories : Deer Meat and Tragic Death

Fresh deer meat or venison from Sarawak is sold in the native markets from time to time.

Stir fried deer meat.

Have you ever heard of the story of a Foochow lady who was so angry with her good for nothing gambler of a husband that she bought 2 whole katis)the weights recognised by Sarawakians before 1970's) of deer meat, cooked with half a bottle of brandy...just to be HAPPY? And she was found drunk and dead the next morning by a neighbour?

The village sinseh proclaimed that there was no foul play because deer meat, brandy and ginger were too heaty as a food on a hot day for an angry person with high blood pressure. I was still a school going child and did not know the importance of post mortem or anything much else related to sudden death.

My maternal grandmother and aunties shook their heads and said some very kind words about the neighbour. How she was buried I would never know and whether the husband beat his chest and cried out out no one did say anything. By the time her coffin was carried out to a waiting motor launch for burial in Sibu, I was already back home in Sibu and at school.

Ever since that day, most of my relatives would not add brandy or too much ginger to deer meat!! Although we would always add a tablespoon or two of the less lethal but very delicious Foochow Red Wine whenever we cook exotic meat from the jungle.

This is a true story from Ah Nang Chong in the 1950's. A tragedy.