The Record of Jiang Hai's Ups and Downs

In 1853, amid the gray-tiled roofs and white walls of Chang Le Town in Haimen, Zhang Jian was born into an ordinary family. From childhood, he yearned for knowledge and studied late into the night by lamplight. Even when he faced repeated obstacles on his path to education, including a scandal over using someone else's identity to sit for exams, he never gave up. With the help of benefactors and through his own tireless efforts, he advanced from elementary studies to academies, then step by step to the imperial examinations. After ten years of hard study, he earned the top score and became the palace examination's top graduate, with a brilliant official career seemingly within reach.

However, the smoke of defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War seared his eyes. Seeing how poor and weak his country had become, Zhang Jian resolutely left officialdom and devoted himself to saving the nation through industry. Along this path, he met an important partner, Shen Jingfu. As one of the founders of the Dasheng Cotton Mill, Shen brought practical business acumen to key matters such as raising funds and selecting a factory site. He and Zhang Jian worked together, sometimes disagreeing, but Shen remained steadfast in his support and became a strong pillar in Zhang Jian's industrial ventures. Tang Shouqian, a leader of the late Qing constitutionalist movement, differed with Zhang Jian over how to save the country: one might prioritize industry, the other political reform. Yet both were top graduates who had left government service to enter business. Amid the tide of change, they encouraged one another and sought a path to save their country together.