Nang Chong Stories : Foochow Roofs

My old uncle used to describe simple rustic homes as  chuo or house with Lan Piek Ngua (A shaped Roof), meaning a simple roof, made up of two parts, joined at the top, forming a broad A or Chinese word for Man, Ren. This was the simplest of a hut or house built by a Foochow in the olden days. It would be basic enough to keep the rain out and the family warm.

The photo below shoes two houses with the simple two panel roof. Any extension at the sides could be a simple one panel roof added to one of the walls.

Thus in Foochow dialect, adding extension roof would be "piek another Ngua" at the side of the house. When my youngest aunt got married she chose to stay on with my grandmother. So my grandmother added a roof to the side of the main house. This little extension became the best place for all of us to gather. It was the kitchen my aunt enjoyed having. It was also the place where she prepared her lessons as she could use the wooden dining table as her work station. One side of the kitchen had a wall with an opening below which was an wood bench. Another wall formed the "racks" with the kitchen sink. A mud Foochow stove stands at perpendicular to this wall. The third wall has no window (for security, as no one could climb into the the kitchen) but a door which could be locked. 

This kitchen was like every part of the building. It stands on belian stilts. When the river overflowed, the water would rise to about two to three feet below the kitchen floor.

Sweeping was so easy. We just swept all the rubbish and dust through the cracks.

We loved the two stroke roof of the kitchen. With good ventilation, my grandmother often steamed Foochow cakes using this kitchen. Besides, because my aunt brought in a teacher's salary, she was able to buy more food for every one.