ABSTRACT
My family background was similar to that of most Shanghaiese. My father, Ch'en Hsueh-feng, was a native of Chen-hai, commonly called Ningpo, a land renowned for its bamboo. He was a paper merchant dealing in a wide range of handmade native products. My mother was from the family of Wu, of Soochow. She was a very gentle and kindly lady, loved by all our friends, relatives, and neighbors. Mother stood out because she was literate and could explain the Chinese classics and write beautiful calligraphy. Many friends and relatives took advantage of her talent, asking her to write letters for them, to read letters they had received, or to explain some literary phrase. She was always willing to help everyone.
