Fiction: Group 2
The Life of Chan Tai Ngau
Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Cheung, Sin Yue Chloe - 9, Fiction: Group 2
nce there lived a farmer named Chan Tai Ngau. He was a hardworking farmer born in 1925. Life
was very tough in Guangdong; everyone worked very hard but earned little money.
On a sunny afternoon, when he was twenty-five, Tai Ngau decided to stow away on a small
fisherman’s boat to Hong Kong because he had heard that Hong Kong could offer more chances and
opportunities to make money, and through all these years, from a small fishing harbour, Hong Kong has
already developed as an industrial centre. There were many kinds of factories: electronic, garment, watch,
toy…
When Tai Ngau arrived at Hong Kong, he found a job in a garment factory, where he learned
how to make clothes. Gradually, from a worker, he became the assistant manager. During this period, Tai
Ngau only ate plain bread and slept four hours a day; he worked diligently. He spent all his money on
further studies in English and Management with no entertainment for himself. After he got a degree, he met
a girl in the factory; they fell in love and got married. Not long after, they gave birth to a baby boy.
After working for twenty-five years in the factory, Tai Ngau decided to open a factory of his own.
While building the factory, Tai Ngau began to consider some issues. He observed that rivers were
polluted and people’s factories and cars were worsening the air pollution. One day, he saw a few men
chopping down a tree, he asked what they were doing and they just ignored him and kept on working. Tai
Ngau thought about his home. There, everyone cared for nature. Why did the men cut down the tree? And
why did the men just ignore him? In his home village people cared for one another. Maybe people are just
too busy these days, he thought.
Not long after Tai Ngau had finished building his factory, he made a lot of money and became a
successful entrepreneur. He lived in a big mansion. Since he hadn’t seen his parents for a long time, he
decided to go home and visit them.
When he arrived home, he bragged to his parents about the big TV he owned. “You know how
big my TV is? It can go on the web and you can watch all the channels in the world!” His mother said, “I
don’t understand a word of what you’re saying.” “Me neither!” exclaimed his father. Tai Ngau started to get
impatient when his parents failed to understand him every time he said something. As he was taking a stroll
around the village one day, he bumped into his old friend, Wai Sheng. “Long time no see, Tai Ngau! Do
you still remember when we were young and gazed at the stars together? Oh, the good old days! By the
way, I saw the Big Dipper in the sky yesterday; it was wonderful!” “Oh, whatever,” replied Tai Ngau,
“Anyway, I haven’t seen a star for a long time.” He turned away and walked home, leaving Wai Sheng in
stunned silence. After a few days, Tai Ngau returned to Hong Kong.
Tai Ngau worked tirelessly day in and day out. In the blink of an eye, he turned 65. He was very
tired and he felt that he was really growing old. He recalled what Wai Sheng had told him when he went
home last time; he thought of the simple life in Guangdong, he thought of his parents in his home village.
One day, he told his son, “Son, I have made up my mind. I’m going back to Guangdong with your mother
three days later, and I’m going to take a part of my savings home.” “Then who will take care of the
factory?” asked his son worriedly. “You, son, I have a lot of confidence in you.” “Yes, father,” said his son,
straightening his shoulders.
Back in Guangdong, he gazed at the stars with Wai Sheng and lived with his parents who were
then in their nineties. When he gazed at the beautiful shining stars, he remembered the times when he was
young and full of wonder. With a contented sigh, it dawned on him that he had made the best decision in
his life. Finally, he was where he belonged. He was home.
O
