[2009.08.04] SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNES 50TH ANNIVERSARY: YUEN QIU'S ROLL CALL COULD NOT MISS ONE

In the film KUNG FU HUSTLE, Yuen Qiu's Landlady character reached the masses. Her lion roar put the fear in everyone, who avoided her like the plague. Yet her character's other side was loyalty came first as she helped the weak and the endangered. In reality, what kind of person is Yuen Qiu?

Perhaps the past from the Seven Littel Fortunes era can give us a better understanding of what kind of person Yuen Qiu, who is originally named Cheung Juen Nam, is.

When Seven Little Fortunes took the bus from the Man Wai Building to perform at the Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park, Master Yu in order to keep track of the disciples assigned Yuen Qiu the task of keeping count of everyone before departure. As soon as everyone was present then they departed. Once, Yuen Qiu counted and counted again and discovered one was missing.

Succumbed To the Pain, Yuen Heung Attempted Suicide

The missing was Yuen Heung, who was known as the "China Drama Academy School Flower". Yuen Qiu was in a panic and immediately reported the missing person to the Master. Yuen Qiu recalls, "Master told me to go back and see. As soon as I turned the corner, I saw the metal rack that we used to train our upper body strength. Yuen Heung was hanging from there, almost suffocating. Her eyes and tongue were all popping out. I was so scared that I immediately ran up and brought her down. I kept shaking her to see if Yuen Heung was conscious. Luckily she was fine, how scared was I! She even thanked me, 'Third Sister thank you for saving me!'"

In order to save Yuen Heung, Yuen Qiu did not even realize that she injured her hip. Luckily she disregarded her own well being and saved a precious life. Her heroic personality was thoroughly on display since childhood. Yuen Qiu was always direct. She said that Yuen Qiu survived a catastrophe and was bound to have good fortune later on. If she knew she would have hung herself too.

Those Who Survive A Catastrophe Are Bound to Have Good Fortune Later On

Yuen Qiu says, "Later I asked Yuen Heung, she couldn't take all the daily training and being scolded all day. So she chose to take her own life. However after that, Yuen Heung received special treatment from the Master. Not only was she not only scolded, she did not have to train anymore. She only had to focus on playing the diva well. If I knew, I would have hung myself. Too bad I lacked the courage. Actually Yuen Heung was truly pretty, so Master was favoring her!"

Perhaps Yuen Qiu's father knew about his daughter's personality in advance and named his daughter "Juen Nam" (Turning Male). Indeed, since studying with Master Yu in 1957, Yuen Qiu's personality has not changed. Two years later when the China Drama Academy was founded, Yuen Qiu became the Third Disciple. Always maintaining her principle of "I will not provoke unless I am provoked", she dares to rage and speak her mind. She is one of the Seven Little Fortunes with the most clear cut personality. (41)