Leung Yuk Jan

In those days, the small barges and fishing boats in the Triangle Pier were not motor-driven. They were towed to move by a tugboat on stormy days. Business was best when typhoon signal no. 7 or no. 8 was hoisted. To protect the boats and cargoes, boat owners would have their cargo boats towed to typhoon shelters as soon as possible. They would pay whatever price to Leung's grandfater, a tugboat owner, asked.  

Leung Yuk Jan could read at the age of eight or nine. She took the adopted brother to Kau U Fong where they borrowed comic books at one cent each. The stories they read included Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xue Rengui’s Expedition to the West, Di Qing Storms Three Passes and Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Romance of the Three Kingdoms was Leung Yuk Jan’s favourite. The comic books were extra-curricular reading. She and her brother read them for hours on a wooden stool. When they were hungry, they would eat at the cooked food stalls on the street. They could spend a few hours on streets.

When Leung Yuk Jan studied in To Chi Girls’ School, she once joined a school picnic in Shatin. She remembered that they had to shut the windows, while the train entered the mountain tunnel, because of the strong smell of burnt coal. 

Leung Yuk Jan had this plan with two classmates: The one who got the highest grade in the examination would be awarded with snacks and peanut candies. 

After discussion with her sister, Leung Yuk Jan eventually chose Lai Chack Girls’ Secondary School because she could save more for pocket money. In secondary school, Leung Yuk Jan got good appetite for lunch. She joined swimming classes with her sister. So she chose to go to school on foot so that she could save money for food and swimming.  

When Leung Yuk Jan studied in Lai Chack Girls' Secondary School, she took a seat in the first row because she was short. The Chinese Language teacher, Mr. Yu, smoked the Luzon cigar taking advantage of his seniority in age and status as the former teacher of the school principal and other teachers. Leung Yuk Jan used baby banana a metaphor of the cigar he smoked. Nevertheless she got good grades in the Chinese Language. Mr. Yu always talked to her in the lessons but she hated the smell of the cigar.  

Before the Japanese Invasion of Hong Kong, one day Leung Yuk Jan went for a picnic with a tailor of foreign clothes. Tey went to Diamond Hill for hiking. They prepared canned food, bread and soft drinks for lunch. At last they could not finish all and take them back home.

Leung Yuk Jan described herself an optimistic character, things came her way from birth to adolescence. She admitted that life had some pain but a life with ups and downs was exciting.