How I Went from the Richest Man in the County to Having Nothing

With his wife’s help, Chen Cang built his fortune from nothing, working hard for half his life to establish a vast family estate. His two sons both made him proud: one entered government service, while the other inherited the family business. By the third generation, the Chen family had produced an imperial examination graduate and a skilled physician, reaching the height of its power. Then, in the fourth generation, it all came to an abrupt end, leaving a sense of sorrow. Through eighteen brief biographies, this book records the rise and fall, triumphs and failures, honors and setbacks of four generations of one family.