My grandfather Tiong Kung Ping had always been a very frugal man. He taught us from an early age to save "one cent, which would soon be ten cents. Save the ten cents which would soon be one dollar. And save the one dollar notes which would soon be Ten Dollars...." We were taught by him to be future oriented. Girls especially had to study hard so that we could be independent.
All his life he was a good coach and was helpful to the poor with his advice. He was always very careful with his money. He did not mind people laughing at him because he said that if a man was doing the right thing and following a good cause, God will be with him. Like his father, my great grand father Tiong King Kee, he was a devoted Methodist. He donated land in Binatang and Sg. Merah to the church for church building.
Most importantly he would never spend extra money on himself. A butcher told us that he would come by his stall to get his favourite pig tail, a cut which was very economical in those days.
"Ten years or twenty years ago, a pig tail was only 50 cents and your grandfather would get only one!!"
He once brought a pig tail to our house, and asked my mother to cook it with black beans for lunch, and he shared it with my father.
He believed that pig tails were very nourishing and good for one's back bones. And indeed we never heard of him having back aches, although he was a very tall and heavy built man.
Later in life, I learned from a Hakka friend in Miri the many benefits of eatig pig tails.
Pig's tail helps elders improve their lower back strength. The Hakkas recommend pig tail with little ironweed (vernonia cinerea ) or in Hakka Xiao San Fu . 嘯山虎
A good Foochow meal would be a packet of Pak Tin or Chao Yi Jar with one or two tails. I still like a pig tail soup with black beans.
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