The Grain King of Guandong

Zheng Laohan, once the richest man on Siping Street, was known by the name Qingyi and the courtesy name Hanshan. At sixteen, he ventured into the Northeast and built a business of his own. This novel tells the story of his remarkable life. Taking advantage of Zhang Zuolin's rise to power in the Northeast and subsequent push into the Central Plains, he used a grain shop with just 4,000 yuan in capital to take on deals worth millions. He became the agent for the Yihe Shun grain depot, which stood alongside Siping's Eight Great Grain Merchants. Seizing the unprecedented agricultural boom of the 1920s, he expanded his capital through the production, processing, and trade of grain, with three kinds of soybeans at the center of his business. Despite being squeezed by both bureaucratic and foreign capital, he successfully grew his enterprise. He moved with ease between the futures and spot markets. Even when a global economic crisis left many people destitute through speculative buying and selling, he profited handsomely. During this period, he also entered the general merchandise trade, opening the Yihe Hou Department Store and building another major business group spanning procurement, production, and sales. Zheng Laohan was strict in his personal life. He had two concubines over the course of his time in Siping, and their stories were full of drama. His complicated relationship with his first concubine is especially compelling. Many tales about him have been passed down, including the story of Zheng Laohan buying a bridge, which people still love to recount. There are many versions of the story. This novel portrays Zheng Laohan based on firsthand accounts gathered from people who worked for him at the time.