The villagers viewed the deaths with superstition, and some

began to suggest that Leung’s family was cursed. When her third

son died, Tai Po demanded that they move to another house,

thinking that the very ground on which their shack stood must

have been cursed by an evil spirit, but no one would buy it –

everyone knew about the baby boys and was afraid that they too

would be jinxed if they bought the house.

It’s difficult for twenty-first century Westerners to grasp how big

a blow it was for my great-grandfather to lose those baby boys one

by one. In Chinese families, even today, boys are treated like kings.

I’m one of four – three girls, and a boy who was born last and to a

real fanfare, even in our not-so traditional family. The whole

household celebrated his birth for several days in grand style,

toasting his future and congratulating themselves on having a male

heir at last. It shows the influence of our home culture – the son is

the one who will carry on the family business and look after the

parents when they are too old to work. For my great-grandfather

Leung to lose three sons was disastrous.