Zeng Xianzi, a person whose fate was changed by the Communist Party and New China. From a child from a poor family to a well-known entrepreneur in Hong Kong, his life experience is legendary. However, his sincerity and dedication to the country is more admirable than the self-made business miracle. At the celebration of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, he was named one of the "pioneers of reform", which shows his special contribution to the motherland. But how did he grow from a poor kid to a giant businessman? And how did he dedicate his great wealth to the motherland? What kind of story is hidden behind his legendary life experience?
The hardships of childhood forged an unyielding fighting spirit
On February 2, 1934, Zeng Xianzi was born in a poor small village in Meixian District, Guangdong. His father died at an early age, and the family's life fell into extreme poverty. With great difficulty, his mother sent him and his brother to the only primary school in the village, preventing them from becoming illiterate.
Despite this, Tsang's childhood was unusually difficult. After finishing primary school, he had to herd cattle and chop firewood, plough the fields and farm the fields, and work hard to get by. The poor living environment undoubtedly made him suffer, but it also exercised his tenacious and hard-working character.
Whenever he was discriminated against and bullied by others, Zeng Xianzi made up his mind to change his fate. At a young age, he cherished the dream of breaking free from poverty and was determined to live a good life by his own efforts. This indomitable fighting spirit, which was formed as a child, became a strong driving force that supported him to start his own business all the way.
In the years before liberation, Zeng Xianzi's family lived in embarrassment, and it was common for them to have insufficient food and clothing. However, no matter how difficult life was, my mother still insisted that the two brothers go to school. As a poor student, although Zeng Xianzi only studied in primary school, he also learned from his mother the concept of cherishing knowledge and attaching importance to education.
Although his family was poor, his mother's teachings made Zeng Xianzi understand since he was a child that only through knowledge change can he finally change his fate. It is the guidance of this educational consciousness that made him always insist on learning and innovating on the road of entrepreneurship in the future, and finally got rid of poverty and achieved an extraordinary career.
The educational opportunities given by reform and opening up have changed fate
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zeng Xianzi's life underwent earth-shaking changes. Seeing that he was diligent and studious, a comrade in the land reform work personally sent him to school and asked the teacher to take more care of him. Since then, relying on the state's monthly stipend of three yuan, Zeng Xianzi has been able to study until he graduated from the Department of Biology of Sun Yat-sen University.
While studying at Dongshan Middle School, Zeng Xianzi learned the song "Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China" with tears in his eyes. His classmates often ridiculed him for coming from a poor family, but he gritted his teeth and "boasted about Haikou" and made a solemn promise to fund the construction of his alma mater in the future.
It was the educational opportunities given by the party and New China that gave Zeng Xianzi the opportunity to change his fate. From a poor child who did not have enough food and clothing to a student who could live in the school for free and receive financial aid, this kind of life was turned upside down, which left a deep impression on him at a young age.
From the age of 17 to 27, the state funded Zeng Xianzi's education for 10 years. Later, he often lamented that if the Communist Party had not been in power, there would have been no New China, and he would not have had such a good opportunity to change his life. It is the cultivation and support of the motherland that allows a child who should be poor and destitute to regain hope and vitality.
After obtaining higher education, Zeng Xianzi was assigned to work at the Guangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences as he wished, determined to contribute to the construction of the country. But it didn't take long for his life trajectory to take an unexpected turn.
Because of the family inheritance dispute, Zeng Xianzi had to temporarily leave China for Thailand. As an out-and-out patriotic young man, when he crossed the border, his heart was full of pain and self-blame. However, it was the knowledge and education given by the reform and opening up that allowed him to be self-reliant and difficult to start a business in a foreign country in the future, and finally achieved an extraordinary career with diligence and wisdom.
The arduous journey of entrepreneurship
Due to a dispute over his family's inheritance, Zeng had to temporarily leave China for Thailand. As an out-and-out patriotic young man, when he crossed the border, his heart was full of pain and self-blame. Before leaving, he repeatedly asked himself if he was worthy of the country's nurturing grace.
When he first came to Hong Kong, Zeng Xianzi could not speak and had nothing, so he could only live in his aunt's house and work as a male nanny to make a living. Later, in order to find a better way out of life, he came to Thailand with his wife and children to join his brother, who had achieved a little success there. However, his brother and his wife had a cold attitude towards Zeng Xianzi's family and often gave them a look. Eventually, they were ruthlessly evicted and had to rent a modest house in a slum.
After being forced to leave the small factory run by his brother, Zeng Xianzi sold his only watch and camera, borrowed a sewing machine, and started a tie business. Despite the hardship of life, he still refused his uncle's financial support, preferring to work hard with his own hands.
In order to survive, Zeng Xianzi had to take over the fabric of his uncle's suit, which was originally to be made, and processed it into a tie for sale. In order to subsidize him in disguise, his uncle gave him ten times the normal processing fee, but Zeng Xianzi insisted on charging only the part he deserved, which won his uncle's trust and favor.
Before the Spring Festival in 1968, Zeng Xianzi returned to Hong Kong with his family and set up a "Golden Lion Tie" workshop in a 60-square-meter house. He creatively integrated production, operation and residence, and at the same time developed an innovative "stall" marketing model, selling ties along the street, and rapidly expanding his popularity.
Patriotic feelings after a successful career
Although he was forced to leave China at the beginning of his career and worked hard in a foreign country, Zeng Xianzi's love for the motherland has never wavered. He sincerely thanked the Communist Party and New China for giving him the opportunity to change his destiny and regarded him as a lifelong mentor.
In 1990, Tsang donated 80% of the company's equity to the state free of charge, and at the same time shifted the focus of business from Hong Kong to China. Since then, he has donated funds to build schools, hospitals and other public welfare facilities in key construction areas in many countries, and repaid the cultivation of the motherland with practical actions.
In 1994, in response to the call of the CPC Central Committee to "let the mainland compatriots make more money", he transferred a large amount of funds from the enterprise to the domestic investment and construction of factories. By 2001, his company had more than 100,000 employees across the country, creating considerable economic benefits and jobs for the country.
Zeng Xianzi insisted on singing the song "Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China" on various occasions to express his infinite love for the motherland and the Communist Party. Whenever someone asked him about the secret of his success, he would solemnly say: "The country raised me, and I am a member of the Communist Party."
Even in the business battles of the shopping mall, he never forgot his patriotic feelings. Once, a foreign businessman said to him, "You are making money for the country", and he did not hesitate to retort: "The country raised us first, and we should do things for the country." ＂
Over the years, Zeng Xianzi has been using his actions and words to explain to the world what a true patriot is. His deep attachment to the motherland stemmed from the fact that the Communist Party and New China had changed his destiny and given him the opportunity to survive and develop.
The great decision to dedicate great wealth to the Motherland
In 2003, at the age of 78, Tsang Hin-chi made an astonishing decision - he donated all his remaining personal property of 300 million Hong Kong dollars to the motherland for poverty alleviation.
This huge amount of money was mainly used to subsidize the poor areas of Guangdong Province, Zeng Xianzi's hometown, to build a number of primary and secondary schools, build a number of inter-village roads, and improve the living conditions of the local people.
This decision not only surprised everyone, but even Zeng Xianzi's children strongly opposed it. However, he patiently explained: "I am a real poor man, and it was the Communist Party and New China that pulled me out of the cowshed. When I give the money to the state, I return the money to the grace of nurturing. ＂
In fact, as early as the early 90s of the last century, Zeng Xianzi had donated 80% of the shares of the enterprise he had controlled for many years to the state free of charge. The reason why he once again gave away all his personal property at an advanced age was because he firmly believed that the Communist Party would always be a party that worked for the interests of the people.
"The Communist Party is my organization, and New China is my home. Giving money to the motherland is equivalent to returning it to the family. Zeng Xianzi often explained his approach in this way. He once said with emotion that if it were not for New China under the leadership of the Communist Party, how could he have today's achievements? It was the state that gave him the opportunity to survive and develop.
Today, although he has donated all his wealth, Zeng Xianzi lives a carefree life, and the state will give him a considerable amount of living expenses every month. He often said that his greatest wish in life is to use money where it should be used, not to accumulate wealth for the sake of excess.
Until the last moment of his life, Zeng Xianzi used practical actions to interpret the pure heart of a communist who is infinitely loyal to the party and the motherland. He used his life to compose an ordinary and extraordinary patriotic hymn.