Lang Ing and Little Plums

 

When we were still walking a lot before MCO at the Luak Bay area, from Jalan Bakam to Jalan Navia and then to the Luak Fishermen's Cove we were all ready to swap stories of our life's experiences.

Cousin Lau Lang Ing was the font of wisdom and the source of the best Foochow stories. And I kept them in my heart, once in a while to take them out to share with others.

Here is her story of little plums which filled her stomach.

The 1940's were still bad times of hunger, civil strife and poor governance in Fujian. Those who joined the Communist Party wore red scarves and marched with Mao while those left in the villages lived out each day. Raids by bandits were quite often although landlords were getting fewer in numbers. There was even news that many would be migrating overseas to America or England.

The poor remained poor although some with relatives in the Nanyang might be called to migrate if money was remitted and received. It was hard for any of the youngsters to imagine leaving the countryside.

One of the memorable experiences of Lang Ing was when bandits made a raid in their village and all the youngsters were asked to hide in the hills because their parents and guardians did not want them to be kidnapped and sold to snakeheads.

The youngsters had to catch wild rabbits to bbq in the evenings and in the day time they had to fill their stomachs with wild plums.

And to pass their time up in the hills they would sing all the songs taught to them in school while some could remember the songs taught to them by the Communist party comrades.

(Note: In1952 Lang Ing's adopted mother received a sum of money for the passage of Lang Ing to Sibu as she was a child bride and her "husband" had made enough money to send her passage money and some pocket money for her family and his own family. Travels were still allowed in those days between China and Sarawak. An official letter had come from the headman in Sibu for her "to carry on her body". I believe that year my Aunt Ik Ding and another cousin came out to Sarawak to be reunited with their families in Sarawak. The Chinese government then also allowed this "reunion" of families on humanitarian grounds. And as far as I know these three relatives of mine live well in Sarawak...Praise God.)