Liquorice or Gang Chao

 Before the war and after the World War 2, the Foochows of Sibu and surrounding areas suffered economically because rubber prices were not good. And the Japanese Occupation took its toil more than what the people had expected as politically Sarawak's fate changed dramatically.

Many girls were married off as early as 14.  One of my distant aunts was married at 14 not long after her first mensturation. She said she was just a child. She used to laugh about this. While we talked about child brides from China, she was a child bride from the Japanese Occupation. She had a hard life because her husband did not treat her well.

You can imagine the abuses and the loveless marriage. She suffered mentally.

But on the other hand, young men were abused and were forced to do hard labour. 

My own mother told us tales of the Japanese Occupation. Food was scarce and even clothes were thread bare by the time the Allied Army came to liberate the country. She said that some poorer people had to go without shirts. Some women were bare chested by the time the Allies came. They brought clothes to distribute among the people, each one only ONE piece. My mother was delighted to get one too. She had to queue for the clothes distribution she remembered.

However my aunt remembered the agonies of  sick children most. She was only 15 when her first baby was born and was hardly able to take care of the baby. While the war was raging, many young children suffered from diseases. One of the easiest herbs Foochow mothers could get from the backyard or jungle was the wild licorice or gang chao.

I had asked my maternal aunts to tell us stories. They said that before the war my China born grandmother used to boil the roots and asked children to drink the sweetish tea to reduce fever. In fact children and even adults who had difficulties to sleep and lots of nightmares often had their problems reduced by drinking this tea. Most China born elders were knowledgeable about herbs and health plants.

My aunts told stories of village children who suffered from very high fevers, so high that they became delirious during the war. My cousins born during the war were not spared. There was no ice to lower temperatures.

One young girl even attempted to jump from the window according to a sinseh in Sibu when she related how difficult life was in Sibu in those days.

She said that it was good that women whispered among themselves and learned by word of mouth how to cure ailments by paying only a few cents for Chinese herbs.

Many Chinese sinseh went to the forest to look for suitable herbs during those 3 years and 8 months to help reduce illnesses.

It was important to know about herbs and curative plants at that time.

Years later when epidemics like JE, bird flu and other diseases spread people remember the importance of a humble herb like gang chao. 

Now on Sundays, the tamu in Miri sell herbs and curative plants, and this is how common local knowledge is passed on from one generation to another. However you have to believe, if not the knowledge will all be lost.

So far with the Pandemic raging, no one has claimed any natural cure for the virus. Hot lemon juice seems to be a popular drink.