I’ve met dozens of amazing people while traveling around China but some of the most memorable stories are about people right in my own backyard—people like the teenage country girl whose dream was to be a Xiamen University (XMU) professor’s maid earning RMB22 a month, so that she could send half home to help her little brother study. She achieved that dream—and today that teenage maid with only four years education is a wealthy philanthropist who has started an international school in Xiamen, Beijing and Shenzhen, owns a biotechnology firm, has several real estate ventures (including a RMB1 billion project in her hometown), and has donated hundreds of millions to fight poverty, improve education and help every retiree in her hometown. And in her copious free time, she serves as the chairperson of the Beijing-Zhangzhou Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Yang donated RMB60 million to the Pinghe Charity Fund, and gave RMB5 million to help build Guangzhao Middle School, as well as RMB68 million to the China Children’s Fund. She’s built roads and bridges to help lift remote villages from poverty. And though she had never been to Ningxia and Tibet, when she heard children from the areas could not afford books, she sent funds to buy them.

Ms. Yang is not one to “watch the fire burn from the other side of the river”. She inspects villages onsite to help discover the unique causes of poverty and to help implement unique solutions. And she supports all 700 people aged over 60 in Gaoji Village, as well as 690 retirees in Donghuai Village, in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou.

“What motivates you to help so many people in so many ways?” I asked.

“I am a farmer’s daughter,” Ms. Yang said. “And it is my duty to care for the disadvantaged. Wealth comes from society, and you must be willing to give it back to society.”

Selfish with Self, Selfless with Others

I first met Ms. Yang at her home in the 1990s, when the Xiamen municipal government asked me to help start Xiamen International School (XIS). Yang Ying smiled and said, “Since you were coming, I dressed up a bit. I even put on a bit of make-up!”

For Yang Ying, ‘dressing up a bit’ meant neat but casual, and David Wei, vice headmaster of XIS, pointed out that she was still wearing the same RMB20 shoes she’d had for years. She smiled shyly (she still comes across as a country girl), shrugged, and said, “Well, as Buddhism and Christianity both teach, ‘selfish to self, generous to others!’ I don’t waste money like some wealthy people. I spend very little on myself, and when I eat out, I bring home a doggy bag.”

I could understand the doggy bag, of course, because Ms. Yang has known her share of hunger.

From Fields to Fortunes

The oldest of five children, Yang Ying was born in 1963 to a farmer’s family in Gaoshi Village, Shan’ge Town, Pinghe County (Lin Yü-t’ang’s hometown). Her mother could speak only the local dialect, and both her parents worked the fields. Yang Ying had to go to school with her baby brother strapped to her back with thin rags, which the baby often wet, leaving her back raw and sore. The teacher made her sit by the door, so that she could go outside when the baby cried, which was often. Yang Ying said, “Study wasn’t easy, that’s why my pinyin is so poor.”

Yang Ying left school in the fourth grade to labor in a sweltering brick factory for RMB1 per day, from which she had to pay for meals. She often went hungry, not only at the factory but later, while working as a maid, or baomu at XMU. “The XMU teachers treated me fairly, but they did not know that peasants who worked long hours needed more to eat than sedentary people. I often went hungry because when they asked if I’d eaten enough, I was too embarrassed to say no, since I’d already had more rice than them. Today, I make sure my employees don’t go hungry. My Ying Cai School cafeteria is non-profit, and food is half the cost of other places.”

Oysters and Fish

The XMU teachers who hired Ms. Yang as a baomu refused to give their child soft drinks, so every day after school the “little emperor” would extort it from Yang Ying by refusing to go up the apartment’s six flights of stairs, until she bought him a soft drink. “It was not easy for me on only RMB22 a month, but I had no choice — until I learned that people earned RMB8 to RMB10 in one day selling oysters in the market!”

Yang Ying wanted a job where she could eat her fill and dress warmly, she abandoned her baomu career to sell oysters, which earned her as much in two days as she did in a month caring for a juvenile soft drink addict. But to her dismay the oyster season ended right after Qingming Festival that falls on every April 5. She then tried selling dried fish. “But I was as ignorant about fish as oysters. The fish I bought were for feeding cats, not people. I lost my RMB10 that day and went home and cried.”

Yang Ying moved to off-island Haicang and sold noodles until she met and married a butcher. “He worked from sunrise to sundown slaughtering, butchering and selling. It was a lot of work for such a small return, so I suggested we sell wholesale. We moved to Lianban in 1986, setting up a meat cooperative, and soon handled 70 percent of Xiamen’s meat trade, but I had a grueling schedule.”

Although Yang Ying was “the boss,” she worked from 2:30 am until midnight and slept with the 40-plus workers housed in two rooms slapped together over some planks placed across the muddy, stinky pigsty. “The pigsty had row upon row of mosquito coils that were strong enough to kill people as well as insects. My friends said the conditions were inhumane — but we did what we had to.”

As Yang Ying’s toil bore fruit, prosperity brought trouble of its own. Her newly rich husband began squandering time and money with young girls. Yang Ying eventually divorced him, letting her husband walk away with all but RMB3 million.

In 1990, Ms. Yang founded the Xiamen Congying Corporation, entering the commercial and residential real estate industry. In 1993, she started the Xiamen Yingfa Economic Development Company, and then set her sight on the financial industry. “Back then, opportunities were endless, but no one had capital to exploit them,” she said. “On April 8, 1994, I started Xiamen Wanda City Trust Agency, a credit cooperative that I ran until the government took over commercial banks in 1996.” But by this point she had accumulated enough capital and credibility to expand further into real estate, education, and biotechnology industry.

Education and Sleeping Pills

A friend then told Yang Ying that China’s rapid growth would strain the resources of state-run education, creating a great need for private education. So, on September 1, 1995, Yang Ying started the K-12 Ying Cai School. “This school was not a money maker. The location in Xinglin was very remote, and we only had 300 students; we lost RMB50 million from 1995 to 1999.” But Yang Ying knew the importance of education, both for children and for the city, she not only refused to give up but expanded her education investments.

In 1997, Xiamen Mayor Hong Yongshi asked Yang Ying to start the Xiamen International School to provide education for expat’s children. Yang Ying said, “We lost RMB20 million during the first three years, but the campus I’d built was not useful for anything else, so I kept going because if I gave it up I’d have lost hundreds of millions. I didn’t have a car and lived in a poor home, but I never missed paying my teachers.” She paused, and then added, “but from 1997 to 1999 I had to use sleeping pills every night.”

In spite of her financial woes during the Asian economic crisis, Yang Ying refused to follow the practice of other international schools to raise tuition, fearing this would hurt foreign investment in China. She not only kept the tuition as before, but also gave a 25-percent tuition discount to Korean students to help maintain investments from that country.

The Real Pay-off

Even when Yang Ying had over 3000 students, it was still hard to turn a profit. She barely recovered her capital investment. “But even so the schools are important for me,” she said. “Firstly, we need good schools. Secondly, my success with schools gives me credibility with government and business, and makes it more likely that people will trust my business sense and work with me.” Ms. Yang Ying grinned and added, “And thirdly, consider the long term! If children enjoy and appreciate their few years at my schools, 10 years from now when they become leaders, maybe they will do business with me. Our alumni are already scattered around the planet like the stars in the heavens!”

China’s Model International School

Yang Ying’s high standards in hiring and compensation are paying off. In 2005, a Ying Cai student landed Fujian’s highest score for the national college entrance exam, and in 2006 another Ying Cai graduate earned Xiamen’s highest score. “We already have alumni at Harvard and Yale,” Yang Ying said. “Imagine what our school’s 30th anniversary will be like!”

XIS became one of China’s first schools with an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and had the lowest tuition of any accredited international school in China. The school is not only fully accredited with WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) in the US but also with NCCT (Curriculum and Textbook Development Center under China’s Ministry of Education. After visiting XIS, an NCCT official noted that “XIS is a model school for all international schools in China,” in terms of complying with Chinese accreditation standards for accounting, human resources practices, and the laws, etc.

Well reputed as an innovator in education, though, Yang Ying said, “I don’t interfere with the daily running of my schools because the administrators are professionals and I am not.” Vice Headmaster David Wei appeared to disagree, however, suggesting that her input is far more valuable than she realizes or admits.

Worries about Education

Ms. Yang is enthusiastic about education but also worries that today’s youths may put the wrong emphasis upon it. “So many young people think they should start out making high salaries just because they are highly educated. And they complain that they can’t find jobs, but the real problem is they just want to start at the top. Look at all the rural towns and peasants that need the help from college graduates. Start there and work up.”

“My motto is ‘Diligent First, Smart Second.’ If a job applicant brings up the subject of salary too quickly, I don’t hire him. I want them to first show what they can do for me. And I start them relatively low but reward well those who can prove themselves. For example, one man’s salary doubled in only one year.” But Ms. Yang learned this lesson the hard way. “A few years ago, I paid an employee RMB500,000 a year for a job worth only RMB100,000. I eventually had to fire him, and he has still not found another job because no one is willing to pay him what he thinks he is worth, and he is not willing to start low and work up. I’m more careful now.”

Graduates and Undergraduates

“One of my workers was a graduate of Qinghua University, and another was a vocational education school graduate. The vo-tech graduate did not have such a prestigious degree, but he knew what he was doing and worked hard, which to me was most important. I promoted him rapidly. But the Qinghua graduate worked hard only at what interested him, and sloughed off at other tasks. I let him go.” She added, “Sometimes undergraduates outperform graduates. Graduates are too high in their own eyes, whereas undergraduates are still learning and growing, and can learn the most important lessons: One, how to suffer (‘eat bitterness’), and two, how to work. I now think the best approach is to hire good undergraduates, let them prove themselves for three or four years, then send them to graduate school at the company’s expense. Those are the kind of graduate students we need!”

Not Reasons but Results

“I want results, not excuses,” Yang Ying said. “You can blame the rain for being late for work, or you can see it is raining and leave home early. It’s your choice. And everyone falls. Just get back up again. If you’re hurt when you fall but try to get up, a relative or friend can help you up. But no one can help a person who does not even try to stand. The keys to success are: One, seize opportunities, two, bear hardships, and three, be honest.”

Facing Life

Yang Ying fears that today’s youths lack the ability to bear hardships (chiku). She shared the story of a 12-year-old whose parents urged him not to play on the Internet but to study. The child said, “If you try to control me, I’ll make sure you have no one to carry on your name. I’ll jump off the roof!” This threat would hit a nerve for any Chinese parent having only one child — and he did jump. He didn’t die, but broke his legs and made his point. Ms. Yang said, “Some children are selfish and spoiled. Many have committed suicide nowadays. It’s easy for them because they’re not around to see the aftermath and their family’s suffering. We need to teach kids to face problems instead of running away, to develop persistence and stand on their own two feet.” Yang Ying’s son, a student in England, complained that other Chinese kids had tens of thousands of dollars in their bank accounts, while he had less than US$500. She remained unmoved.

When Ms. Yang’s son joined the military, friends encouraged her to visit the base and make some connections, or guanxi, to grease the wheels for her son. “People criticize me because I don’t interfere, but I tell my son, ‘You need to rely on who you are, not on who your mother is! If you have ability, you don’t need my help. If you don’t have ability, I’ll bequeath everything I have to society because you can’t handle it! Stand on your own two feet!”

She reminded me of the great Chinese patriot, Lin Zexu. I played Britain’s Captain Elliot in the TV series about Lin’s life and the first Opium War. My favorite quote from this brilliant man is “If my descendants are like me, why would I need to leave anything for them? And if they are not like me, why would I leave anything for them.”

In other words—they need to either stand on their own two feet or fall!

Ms. Yang is proud of Chinese young soldiers. “One reason our country is safe is because of our army’s attitude. Look at the news. Whether flood, quake, or SARS, the military is there first to help.” This is why she has given millions for the military’s relief efforts. She is intensely patriotic — but she keeps her patriotism in perspective.

Filial Piety and Patriotism

“Some people have skewed notions about patriotism. They say ‘Country first, family second.’ But will people who don’t care for their own parents care for their country? A man from my hometown visited me, looking for a position for his son. I asked him if he helped his mother and he said, ‘I don’t need to. You give her RMB150 a month.’ ‘But she’s in her 60s!’ I said. ‘RMB150 is just enough for her to get by!’ The man hurriedly left.”

Ms. Yang helps charitable causes throughout the country, but her goodwill begins right at home. Her 4-storyed home’s elevator was not installed as a luxury but for her aged father to use. And she treats workers like family. When she learned that I have had the same baomu since 1988, she beamed. “I respect you more for that than for anything else!” she said. “I’ve had my baomu since 1990 and don’t want to ever replace her. I bought her a house, and her husband works at Yingcai School. Many of my workers have been with me for decades. People’s performance depends on how you treat them.”

Other People’s Shoes

Yang Ying visited the XMU president to find the best teachers for Yingcai. “I seek the best persons, whether I want a baomu, worker or teacher,” Yang Ying said. “I treat them fairly and pay good wages because my success depends on them. I always try to put myself in other people’s shoes. When I built the school, I looked at it from a parent’s perspective — what kind of environment will my child have? I consider it from a teacher’s perspective — what will it be like to work here? I provide for them the best I can, and in return I expect them to give me their best. But I want them pressed, not repressed, yali but not yayi. A tired body is okay, but not a tired heart!”

Soul Mate

In 1999, Ms. Yang remarried. Her new husband has a master’s degree in architecture from Qinghua University. “My husband is like me: diligent and frugal. Every night from 9 pm to midnight he reads and studies. We both know that whatever you do, diligence and persistence are the key to success.”

“And he has a very compassionate heart. One night he roused me from bed so urgently that I thought he’d found a snake in the house. Actually, he had been moved by the plight of a woman who had lost four children to leukemia, and was pleading for help for a fifth child. She needed RMB200,000, so we immediately sent her RMB150,000. But that’s what Buddhists and Christians should do — care for others, not just for ourselves. Selfish to self, generous to others. I’ve heard that you Christians say that one must give 30 percent to others or you don’t see God?”

“I thought it was 10%!” I said. “If it is 30%, I doubt many people will see God any time soon!”

Ms. Yang said, “Although I’ve given much money to help the poor and sick, I don’t think I could do like the Christian workers who go to poor countries and help people face to face. That would be too much for me.”

I politely disagreed, because I can’t imagine anything being too difficult for this amazing lady.

Ms. Yang has slowed her pace a little since her remarriage. “No more long days for me,” she said. She spends mornings at the office making calls and plans and checking up on her projects. After lunch she runs the treadmill for an hour — “Three days on, one day off — I don’t want to overdo it!” And she spends more time now with family.

Success Secret

Just before I left Yang Ying’s home, I asked her again to divulge her success secrets, but once again she insisted that the only secret to success was to set a goal, work hard, and never quit. She said, “I was shocked to hear that half of Qinghua graduate students had no goals! What do they think they will do? Goals and attitude are everything! In 1982 my goal was to make RMB22 a month, so that I could give RMB10 to help my brother attend school. Today, two of my brothers have attended university. Now my biggest dream is to start a blood marrow bank.” Ms. Yang has lofty visions—and she thinks China is the perfect place to transform her visions into reality.

China—Land of Opportunity

Yang Ying said, “Although I often travel abroad, I will never obtain a foreign passport, and I don’t invest overseas. I made my money in China, and my money stays in China. I’ll help my children study abroad, but I will not support them staying there because China has greater opportunities than anywhere else on earth. We have a large, growing market, stable government and society, and inexpensive land and labor. Startup costs are low. Taxes are lower than those in Europe. I cannot see why our youths want to seek their fortune abroad when the entire world is coming to China! China has far more opportunities than Europe or the US. To seize them one need only set goals, work hard, bear hardship, and never quit.”

“And China is safe!” she said. “Chinese are being kidnapped in other Asian countries, but I can walk the streets in China without fear. And our news doesn’t center on problems, filling people with anxiety. No wonder the world is fearful, but China is safe, and peaceful. No other country can compete with us on this.”

“And China is now pretty much a market society,” she said. “In Jinjiang and Yiwu, for example, 90% of the enterprises are private. Nowadays people can buy planes, boats, ports — just about anything they can afford to pay for.”

After a long and rewarding afternoon, I took my leave of Ms. Yang, but before I left, she presented me with some fine tea—although she herself drinks only water—and a promise. “Professor Brown, when your grandchildren are old enough for school, I’ll pay for their tuition at XIS!”

My youngest son and his wife are doing volunteer medical work in Africa, I doubt their children will be attending XIS any time soon. But Shannon plans to return to China with his Xiamenese wife Miki after he finishes at Harvard—and I hope to someday take Ms. Yang up on her offer!