But in the 60's, many Foochow women in Sibu bought their precious handbags from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Any relative going to Singapore would be asked to buy home a few handbags. One school teacher went to Singapore for a holiday.
As she was the mother in law of a rich man, she had quite a bit of money to spend. She bought a dozen, mostly for herself and one for a daughter in law. Of course her own daughter had probably many handbags in different colours which matched her shoes.
Although it would have been nice if this teacher had given her own mother in law a hand bag, she did not. And according to the village gossip, her mother in law was happy carrying a very old handbag given to her by her own daughter about a decade or two before.
Like this old mother in law, most Foochow women were very frugal. They would never buy a handbag if the old one was still good. Not torn yet.
However the old lady had preferred a simple purse. In fact her cash was kept in a hidden pocket underneath her Chinese blouse. For the simple things she needed to bring, she had either a rattan basket or a cloth bag, like another old ladies in those days.
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