CHAPTER 4: MUM'S STORY

What about my mother? How did she ended up in the Lim family? Unlike my father, my mother came from a more privileged home. Her father (my maternal grandfather) was already a successful trader by the time my paternal grandparents and family moved to Sri Gading. She had an older brother and 2 younger sisters. Her father operated a thriving sundry shop and also traded in rubber.

How did maternal grandfather come to Malaya? They were also poor in China. The family had 2 boys and a daughter. My grandfather was the younger son. His name was Lee Kim Fu. One day the 2 young men decided to go to the city to seek their fortune. When they arrived in Chao Zhou (Teochew) city, they could not afford to pay for their board. They found an abandoned house and moved in. They did odd jobs. The elder brother worked for a salt trader. Soon he started small time business trading in salt too. And his business began to expand and soon he was a wholesaler in salt trading. He travelled to different parts of China to source and trade in salt. He set up a salt factory. The younger brother was roped in to help the older brother in the business. The older brother then built a big mansion and invited his parents and younger sister to stay with him.  .

( contrasting images of old city of Chaozhou and the city in more recent times)

However, the younger brother was not happy to work for his brother. He wanted to venture on his own. Family loyalty and obligations prevented him from making the move out. So he thought of a plan. (This was related to my mother by her gu-gu or aunt, my maternal grandfather's younger sister). The new house was big - indeed it was a mansion. One night, he put on some clogs and moved about the house, making eerie sounds. Next morning, he reported that he heard some ghostly sounds. He feigned fear of ghosts and begged to move out of the house.  So, before the elder brother's return from his business trip, the younger brother quickly left for Xiamen. He quickly hopped on to a boat heading for Singapore. In Singapore, he worked as a shop assistant. The pay was 12 Straits dollars a month. He sent back 6 dollars to his parents and saved 6 dollars. Board and lodging was on the boss, and he didn't spend a cent on himself. This went on for a few years. He moved to Sri Gading and teemed up with 3 friends to set up a sundry shop. Business did not take off and the joint venture failed. They dissolved the company but remained friends. Each one of them then set up different companies dealing with different products. Somehow, my maternal grandfather's business took off and business began to boom. He was dealing as wholesaler in rice  and rubber at the same time keeping his sundry shop. Even his former partners took goods from him. He did very well and even the older brother ( who had forgiven him for running off) came and visited him. I think he must be proud of his younger brother too.

                                                                  ( Straits Dollar )

His parents arranged for him to be married to rich family. He went back to China, got married and brought his bride to Malaya.My maternal grandmother's name was Liew Sook Lan. My mother was born in Sri Gading in 1930.