My Father's Stories (1) Ninth Uncle

 My father's Stories (1) : The Ninth Uncle (A Japanese War Foochow Story)

the Hua Hong Ice Factory was run by a family group consisting of my great grand father, grandfather and two of great grandfather's nephews by marriage, the Wong Brothers.

It was a small set up but slowly in a few years, the complex grew in the 1930's.

the management had a very good accounts clerk in Tiong toh siong, the Number 9 among the Tiong cousins from 14 Du Minqing. He was affectionately called Uncle No9 by all my father's siblings, by all the cousins from Sg. Bidut, ie the children of all the "Kung" generation, i.e. all the Tiong young men who had names ending in "King". The Tiongs from 14 Du were clannish in those days.

9th Uncle was a quiet and honest man who ran a tight ship and my great grandfather loved and trusted him. He was with the company until the war broke out and he and his young family had to move to Bukit Lima to grow vegetables, rear domesticated animals. Bukit Lima was considered far from towm, far from the Japanese soldiers.

But he decided to grow tobacco ,which became a really good cash crop at that time.

It was a successful war time cash crop.

He was a man who could be trusted and was very well respected by all who knew him. He also had a very good business acumen which was passed on to all his children who started the Rimbunan Hijau group.

so this is a bit of history about 9th Uncle, a man who was trustworthy, a good family, from Minqing 14 Du. Many people have written great stories about him too. But this is a small story from my father who loved and honoured him in the 1930's.

My father adhered to the principles of honesty and uprightness.