周贻赓

Zhou Yigeng was born in the twenty-first year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (1895) during the Qing Dynasty, in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province. His father was Zhou Qikui, courtesy name Yunmen, pseudonym Panlong. His mother was Madam Lu, nicknamed Dagu. Records indicate that his family held a high scholarly reputation at the time, with several family members having achieved the imperial examination success, including Zhou He'nai, Zhou Songyao, and Zhou Jiaqin. Among them, Zhou He'nai was awarded the title of "Yixiangsheng" (official scholar), while Zhou Songyao and Zhou Jiaqin were designated as "Fugong Sheng" (additional examinee) at the Hanlin Academy with the rank of "Kongmu."

Early family upheavals once plunged the family into hardship. Zhou Yigeng's brothers included Zhou Shaogang, Zhou Yiqui, and Zhou Yigan. In 1895, his father served as the magistrate of Taoyuan (later renamed Siyang) County. The family also adopted Zhou Enlai. Zhou Yigeng had no children of his own but raised his nephew Zhou Enshou.

He graduated in 1913 from Shenyang Dongguan Model School, then moved to Tianjin, where he studied at Nankai School. In 1917, he was transferred to an institution in Heilongjiang Province, serving as Director of Public Debt Currency System and Head of the Currency Office, and was awarded the "Heilongjiang Provincial Finance Department Fifth-Class Jiayi Award." In 1921, he was promoted to section chief, with a relatively advantageous salary compared to his family’s circumstances at the time.

Regarding family life, Zhou Yigeng married three times: to Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Zhao, and Mrs. Yang, but had no children with any of them. Due to family tradition and ethics, he did not formally adopt an heir but regarded his nephew Zhou Enshou as his successor, arranging for him to study at home, demonstrating his sense of family responsibility. This arrangement also provided a familial foundation for Zhou Enlai’s subsequent growth.

In his later years, he moved to Tianjin. After the September 18th Incident in 1931, because he refused to serve the Japanese, his family relocated again to Tianjin. He died in the autumn of 1933 in Tianjin at the age of 61. After his death, Zhou Enlai recalled his educational influence in letters to him, expressing gratitude.

Zhou Yigeng was known throughout his life for his integrity, discipline, and strict self-discipline. His manner of education had a profound impact on his descendants. In modern Chinese history, he, as an important family figure, represented family culture and also made contributions in his professional field.