Founder of Chinatown Yusheng stall dies of heart attack and is found unconscious on bedroom floor, Singapore News
The founder of the street stall in the Chinatown Complex, Zhen Jie Gourmet, has died of a heart attack at the age of 77.
Zhang Lizhen (transliteration) was found unconscious at home on Monday (August 26), Shin Min Daily News reported.
In an interview, her daughter Liu Yanfen (transliteration) told Shin Min that her mother was living with two Vietnamese lodgers at the time.
One of them had found Zhang lying on the floor after noticing that a call on her cell phone had remained unanswered despite ringing for a long time.
“She collapsed on the floor and was unresponsive. When paramedics arrived, it was too late,” Liu said.
Zhang is the founder of Zhen Jie Gourmet, which is known for selling packets of traditional “Lo Hei” or Yusheng for Chinese New Year.
At other times of the year, the stall offers a variety of hot dishes, such as pig’s feet in vinegar, chicken in wine and pork offal soup.
Zhang opened the stall in the 1980s before handing over management to her daughter in the late 1990s.
Liu told Shin Min that her mother was independent and did not want to move in with her.
“She lived near Chinatown and often passed by the stall, so maybe she missed it,” said Liu, who also runs another drinks stall in the hawker centre.
The stall’s name, Zhen Jie (Chinese for “Sister Zhen”), has stuck over the years and refers to her mother, but it is also a nickname Liu has adopted because customers often confuse her with Zhang.
Liu said she used to work as an accountant at a construction company but was laid off in 1999.
“I was pregnant at the time and it was difficult to find a job, so my mother asked me to help out at the stall,” said Liu Shin Min.
A few years later, Liu discovered a business opportunity through the sale of Yusheng and focused her efforts on selling and marketing this item.
“If my mother hadn’t given me the opportunity to help, I might not have my own business now,” says Liu.
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