Lau Kah Jui's Vegetable Garden

 My mother's memories of her father were very clear throughout her life.

 She was sad for him because he did not live a longer life to enjoy the wealth he accumulated for his children and grandchildren. As one of the 1118 Foochow pioneers he had worked very hard to clear land and build houses in his younger days and was a totally generous Foochow man who had a very strong faith in God. He would not harm any one nor talk bad about others, although he did have a manly temper.

My maternal grandfather died in 1943, during the Japanese Occupation when my mother was only 17 years old. From then on my mother was both mother and father to her younger siblings, Yung, Sing and Teck. The eldest son Ping was already married with children, Hee, the eldest daughter was practising as a nurse in Sarikei with her doctor husband, Dr. Hsiung. The second son, Kui was in China studying, a third daughter, Toh was already married to Chang Chung Ching, also in Chinga. And together with my maternal grandmother they were stranded in the mainland by the war.

Ngie Gung, or maternal grandfather was a very hardworking Foochow man. He never stopped working even when he was quite ill towards the last few years of his life. He had hernia of the big intestines and no one could perform surgery during the war. It could have been very complicated.

He had to wear a stomach brace made from thick cloth for two years to reduce his pain according to our eldest uncle, Ping.

But in spite of all the pains, he continued to grow vegetables while my mother planted padi,reared pigs, chickens and ducks to feed the whole family .

This is a story from my mum.

In the 1930's my maternal grandfather Lau Kai Jui, made a living as a builder, carpenter and woodworker apart from tapping rubber. He had about 100 acres of rubber garden and employed several families. However he was most happy growing his own vegetables for the family of 4 boys and 5 girls, and a few grand children, especially in the last decade of his life.

He was very innovative. He planted vegetables in the water logged areas by making troughs in logs he collected from Rajang River. He was able to chisel the logs slowly and planted vegetables like yiu chai, gua chai and even creeping vegetables like long beans, petola. In later years, my mother never saw that kind of vegetable gardens any more.

My mother all through her life, missed her beloved father who also passed away too early in his life. She wished he had lived longer to see more grand children and enjoy good food and rest in his old age. But he died too young. Mum always felt that a person must always enjoy good food, eat well, to realise a good life.

If I lived by the river side I would do what my ngie gung did...grow vegetables in troughs made from logs.......how wonderful.