[2009.06.19] SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNES 50TH ANNIVERSARY: SI LEUNG TREATED YUEN YU WELL, NO DISPUTE WITH "SECOND"

In wuxia films, the Master's image is always cold and strict, rarely talks or smiles. Si Leung's is gentle and attentive. In reality,the strict Yu Jim Yuen also had a gentle and friendly wife. She was the silver screen heroine of a generation Yu So Chau's birth mother, Seven Little Fortunes' Si Leung Yu So Yim Hung.

Different from the second wife Si Mo who was shrewd and capable, first wife Si Leung Yu So Yim Hung was a kind elder. Perhaps in the hearts of disciples, Master Yu was a bad guy, Si Mo showed both kindnessand might, Si Leung however was a super nice person with any combativeness.

Treated To Great Meals, Worshipped As Food God

In order to take care of her beloved daughter and big star Yu So Chau and to avoid disturbance from the troublemaker army Seven Little Fortunes, Si Leung and Yu So Chau lived elsewhere on Prince Edward Road. Perhaps because of Si Leung's gentle nature, perhaps because it was easier to meet than to live together, Seven Little Fortunes' impression of Si Leung might be blurry but ultimately was kind and friendly.

Yuen Ju said, "Si Leung was an extremely gentle person. She was very mild mannered, didn't hit people. No one would be particularly afraid of her, but everyone would respect Si Leung a lot. Normally we rarely saw a chance to see Si Leung, when we did we would greet her."

With two women and one man, most would imagine jockeying for positions against each other, fighting for favors and feeling jealous. Yet Si Leung had a big star daughter with favors galore but was not arrogant because of her. She treated Si Mo's daughter Yuen Yu as her own. She never abused her power and was thoroughly generous.

Yuen Yu said, "Big Ma truly treated me great, she really liked me. She always asked Sister Juk (Si Leung's maid) to call me, telling me that she wanted to take my daughter out to play. Big Ma would even change my daughter's diapers. She would say to me, 'Let me change her, actually I haven't even changed my own daughter.'"

Back then Seven Little Fortunes mostly filled their stomachs with catfish. Luckily Si Leung was their Food God. Children never disguised themselves. Whenever they visited Si Leung's home on the Lunar 2nd, they would be filled with passion and very eagar. Yuen Sum said, "Si Leung's home of course had much better food because Sister Juk was a top notch cook. Every Lunar 2nd, we definitely would pay our Lunar New Year visit. Simply put, we did it for the food. Sister Juk cooked both Cantonese or Shanghainese food very well, gluten, shellfish, meatballs, mung bean sheets, fish head, they were so good our ears wiggled."

Strong And Independent, Perfect Elder

Si Leung although was frail and often ill, she was strong and independent. She could rival modern women. Back then Master Yu was stuck in the U.S., disbanded the group and settled there, Si Leung did not follow her husband like Si Mo did. Instead she preferred to stay in Hong Kong. In the hearts of Seven Little Fortunes, Si Leung never fought for attention and was a perfect mother. (9)