Shenghehao Bank

In the late Qing and early Republican era, Shantou’s red-headed ships crossed the seas to Southeast Asia, carrying remittance letters and fortunes in silver. The Lin family founded the Shenghehao Bank, establishing itself in the world of commerce through the trustworthiness of the Teochew people.

A single deed of division lays bare the ambitions hidden in the blood of five brothers; a grand old mansion confines the helpless half-life of the Fourth Concubine.

The eldest young master of the Lin family lost his childhood sweetheart at a young age and turned to a life of reckless escapism, until he met the Fourth Concubine and his obsession took root, lasting sixteen years.

Within the family, brothers fight for power and undercurrents swirl in the inner quarters. Beyond it, foreign firms dump their goods, warlords extort them, and the sea routes are plagued by turmoil.

The clatter of the abacus shatters illusions, and silver dollars reveal the human heart.

Some betray their own flesh and blood for wealth, some give up their entire fortune for love, and some stake everything on their courage to protect Shenghehao’s century-old name.

Amid the sweeping tide of a great era, the Teochew merchant family’s bonds, greed, steadfastness, and regrets are all hidden in the bank’s yellowed ledgers.