How did the Song family become prosperous in the Republic of China?

The Song family in the Republic of China specifically refers to the families of Song Ailing, Song Qingling, Song Meiling, Song Ziwen and others. The Song family had the honorary title of "the first family in the Republic of China" at that time. Charlie Song had three sons and three daughters. They all had prominent backgrounds and influence in the Republic of China. So how did the Song family become prosperous?

The ancestral home of the Song family was originally in a small village in Guluyuan Village, and Song Yaoru, the father of Soong Ching Ling's brothers and sisters, was not originally named Song, but Han. At that time, six years after Song Yaoru left his hometown of Hainan, he wrote several letters in English, in which he mentioned that his father's name was Han Hongyi.

Yao Ru is Song Jiashu’s character, and his natal Han Jiaoquan is accurate. Since Han Jiaojun's family was poor at the beginning, he traveled across the ocean to the United States to live with his uncle when he was 12 years old. Han Jiaozhun's uncle's surname was Song. He had no son, so his uncle adopted Han Jiaozhun as his adopted son. From then on, Han Jiaozhun changed his surname to Song, his first name was Jiashu, and his alias was Jiaozhun.

After Song Jiashu changed his surname and joined American Christianity, he gradually became prosperous and became the "Song Family" with influence at home and abroad. Three years after Song Jiashu changed his surname, he went to Boston and worked as an apprentice in a silk tea shop; during this period they made some friends who were studying in the United States.

Friends all advised Song Jiashu to go to school and open the door to knowledge. But his uncle firmly opposed it, so Song Jiashu secretly ran to a government anti-smuggling ship anchored in Boston. Perhaps it was because Song Jiashu was young and bold and wanted to start an independent business that moved the captain. Instead of punishing him, the captain not only did not punish him, but also let him work as a handyman on the ship.

After that, Song Jiashu followed the captain to North Carolina in the south of the United States and met the pastor of the local church. In 1880, Song Jiashu received extreme baptism and was known as Charlie Song from then on. Song Jiashu then entered Duke University in North Carolina and transferred to Vanderbilt University Divinity School one year later.

In 1885, after returning to China, Song Jiashu preached in Suzhou, Shanghai and other places, and taught in mission schools. Hu Shi was also a student of Song Jiashu. Two years later, Song Jiashu founded the Meihua Press in Shanghai, printed the Chinese version of the Bible, and participated in the founding of the Chinese YMCA. He also served as the manager of Shanghai Fufeng Flour Mill.

Song Jiashu preached and set up industry in Shanghai. He also met Sun Wen and others. Song Jiashu strongly supported the revolution and followed Sun Yat-sen for more than 20 years. It was through Song Jiashu's accumulation bit by bit that the Song family gradually grew and became famous in Shanghai and even the entire Republic of China.