Chapter 3 - Sewing and build up wealth
第三章 -密密「唧」，密密「積」
20th February, 1963
Today is my eighteenth birthday. I just woke up, and mummy held a big cardboard box in front of me. She said it was a birthday gift for me, and this gift was expensive, which could cover the house rent for three months!
Since my brother was born, our family life is becoming more difficult. After the 1956 Hong Kong riots, martial law was introduced in the Sham Shui Po district. We could not leave our home, let alone work, and thus our economic income stopped, which worsened my family’s financial situation…
While I was still thinking about why mummy bought this big gift for me, my brother opened the cardboard box excitedly. However, he walked away melancholy. I took a look inside the cardboard box, and found out that the “gift” was a sewing machine.
20th August, 1963
This sewing machine has become my partner in earning money. Although using the sewing machine repeatedly every day makes me feel exhausted, the feeling of supporting my family's economic situation is good!
Maybe I'm too hardworking; the fabric storage at home has become inadequate. I shall order my brother to help me buy fabric from Ki Lung Street. However, my brother only likes to veg out instead of helping me!
I took out a pack of biscuits from my drawer. This glutton was finally willing to help me after he ate the biscuits!
1963年2月20日
今日是我18歲生日，早上一睜開眼就看到媽媽捧著一個大箱子到我面前，說是給我的生日禮物。聽她說這禮物很貴，足足夠付我們三個月房租呢！
在我的記憶之中，自弟弟出生以後，我們家就過得更加拮据。而雙十暴動發生之後，我家附近實施戒嚴令，我們不能踏出家門半步，無法工作，沒有經濟收入，令家裡的經濟情況更為雪上加霜⋯⋯
還未想為甚麼媽媽要買這麼貴的東西給我，只見我弟興奮地打開我的禮物，卻失落地走了。
原來是一台「衣車」...
1963年8月20日
這台衣車已經成為了我的掙錢好夥伴。「唧唧復唧唧」的生活雖然疲憊，但能夠幫補一下家計，感覺還是不錯的！
但可能我太勤快了吧，家裡的布料都即將用光了。我只能讓我的弟弟幫我去基隆街買些回來，不料這個臭小子居然在耍廢！
呵！還好我抽屜裡有一包餅乾，這貪吃鬼吃了還不是乖乖去跑腿？
Biscuits? 餅乾?
The geographic location of factories further facilitating public housing estate residents earning money. The family industry can increase productivity and promote community harmony. Sometimes the factory would be busy, the workers would bring their remaining tasks home. The father was responsible for cutting the sign, and the kids were responsible for cutting the lines. According to oral history, parents will use biscuits to attract their children to help them. After their children receive the biscuits, they will help their parents to finish the tasks willingly. If the tasks still could not be finished, the family would request help from their neighbour, and the family would give them money to appreciate their contribution.
工廠地理位置優越，四周都被徙置區包圍，亦令居民走過對面就可以賺錢養家。而家庭式工廠可以增加生產力，也能促進社區和諧。有時工廠生意興隆，工人便會拿餘下的工作回家做。爸爸剪招牌，孩子剪線頭。根據口述歷史，父母會用餅乾利誘孩子協助他們工作，而孩子得到餅乾後亦願意全力協助父母。如果全家總動員也無法消化所有工作，就會叫鄰居幫忙，完成後便會給她們報酬。因此，亦造就了全層的家庭都「低頭剪線頭」的光景。
1
Textile and Garment: Hong Kong’s Family Industry
When it comes to the family industry, people will definitely think of the nickname of it, cottage factory. In fact, if we want to know more about Hong Kong’s cottage factory culture in the past, we need to get more information about the originality of Hong Kong’s textile industry first. In 1949, after the Chinese Civil War, two social problems appeared in Hong Kong, namely the slow development of the Hong Kong industry and the uneven population distribution. Yet, the Chinese Civil War attracted many internal immigrants to Hong Kong to start their new life. They provided financial support to Hong Kong’s textile and garment industry and provided new technologies and labour forces. Thus, the development of Hong Kong’s textile and garment industry flourished and was fostered.
At that time, the textile and garment factories were divided into large-scale and small-scale. Most large-scale factories are located on Cheung Sha Wan Road and Castle Peak Road; For small scale, most are located separately on Pei Ho Street and Un Chau Street. Large- and small-scale factories have a common ground: they are surrounded by public housing estates—for instance, Shek Kip Mei, Lei Cheng Uk, and Tai Hang Tung Estate.
The geographic location of factories was perfect since they were all surrounded by public housing estates, which further facilitated how public housing estate residents earned money. The family industry can increase productivity, stimulate the economy, and promote community harmony. Sometimes the factory would be busy, and workers could not breathe in such a dynamic environment; even working overtime could not finish all the work. Thus, the workers would bring their remaining tasks home. Their family members would place a rubber cushion on the floor and start working together. The father was responsible for cutting the sign, and the kids were responsible for cutting the lines. If the tasks still could not be finished, the family would request help from their neighbour, like both younger and older ladies. After they finished their jobs, the family would give them money to appreciate their contribution. Hence, there was always a picture of the neighbourhood helping each other in the public housing estate.
The family industry saved over a hundred families in Hong Kong and built a harmonious atmosphere in the community. Thanks to the family industry for creating such a beautiful Hong Kong for today.
2
3
The above photos were the sewing machine mostly used by the family industry, and the receipt for buying the sewing machine.
上圖為當時家庭式工業使用的衣車，以及購買衣車時的收據。
紡織和製衣：香港的家庭式工廠
每當提到香港家庭式工廠，人們都會必定想到家庭式工廠的別稱 – 山寨廠。其實，要認識香港昔日的山寨廠文化，我們首先便要認識一下香港的紡織業起源。早於1949年起，國共內戰完結後，香港出現了兩大社會問題：工業發展滯後、人口分配不均。但國共內戰則吸引了大批國內移民來了香港開展他們的新生活，同時亦為香港的紡織業和製衣業注入了大量資金，亦提供了新技術與大量勞動力，令香港紡織業及製衣業更為蓬勃，亦加速了工業發展的進程。
當時，這些紡織及製衣工廠分為大型及小型。大型的多數是建立於長沙灣道、青山道；小型的，則是多數分散地建立在北河街、元州街等等。而不論大型工廠，還是小型工廠，都有一個共同點：附近都是公共屋邨，例如有石硤尾邨、李鄭屋邨和大坑東邨等等。
工廠地理位置優越，四周都被公共屋邨包圍，亦令住在公共屋邨的居民走過對面就可以賺錢養家。而家庭式工廠可以增加生產力，能夠刺激經濟，也能促進社區和諧。有時工廠生意興隆，工人忙到透不過氣來，加班也沒辦法把工作做完，便會拿餘下的工作回家做。家庭成員會在家裡「打地攤」，在地上鋪上軟墊，然後就全家總動員，爸爸剪招牌，孩子剪線頭。如果全家總動員也無法消化所有工作，就會叫鄰居姐姐、年邁的婆婆幫忙，完成後便會給她們報酬。因此，亦造就了全層的家庭都「低頭剪線頭」的光景。
家庭式工廠養活了香港數百個家庭，也為社區建立了和諧的氣氛。多虧有家庭式工廠，才有今天的香港。