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was approached by a wealthy Honolulu merchant to be an opium agent in Kaneohe, he declined. He was a man of principle and honour; money could not tempt his integrity even when the going was rough. He was generous and a good provider. The family never lacked for food or snacks. After the children had had their dinner, Uncle would sit alone at the table, enjoying a peaceful interlude and slowly sipped a bowlful of Ng Ca Pei wine between mouthfuls of food. He seemed particularly fond of roast pork and could be heard chomping on the crisp skin. After dinner he would drink strong tea from a huge coffee-pot.
In contrast, Aunt, a short and plump woman, was easy-going and good-tempered. She seldom found it necessary to scold and discipline her children. She was a good cook and is especially remembered for her stuffed bitter melon and duck sautéed with pineapple slices. For Chinese New Year she would always send us a huge mochi pudding, about a foot in diameter and four to five inches thick. She would pound mochi rice in a large stone mortar with a huge stump of guava wood and use the flour for the pudding, which required a whole day of steaming. The mortar, a cow's horn that Uncle blew to summon the workers from the field at meal time, and a round whetstone operated by a foot pedal, were three pieces of equipment which fascinated me.
Uncle and Aunt retired to a life of peace and security, in a home free of encumbrances and with enough savings to be independent and to leave some to their children. Unfortunately, Aunt met an early death from a heart attack on 30 November 1941, at the age of 57. Uncle, on the other hand, lived to the ripe old age of 84, when he died from a stroke in 1962.
Grandfather suffered from rectal bleeding and intense pain before he died. The date of his death is not known to me. Uncle used to send money to him regularly and continued to support Step-Grandmother after Grandfather's death. I met her for the first time in 1919 when Mother took Dora and me to the sick bedside of Father, who had been welcomed by Step-Grandmother into her house. She was then widowed, living alone with her son, Tin Suk, then about seven years old. Her daughter, Mrs. Pong, had already been married but frequently spent a few weeks visiting her. A good and enduring relationship developed between us and these family members during the six months we stayed in Shekki. Step-Grandmother extended herself in making us comfortable and in cooking
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