The carpenter's name was Zheng Lao Er, a child from a genuine rural poor family — so poor, he couldn't afford to have a proper name.
Zheng Lao Er had originally hoped to follow Hong Xiuquan to wealth and change his name to something more prestigious, but unexpectedly ended up in America.
He first worked in the silver mines of San Francisco, and later, was sold to a farm in the state capital.
After slavery was abolished, Zheng Lao Er had nowhere to go and could only congregate in the slums with the large group.
Most of the Han Chinese were in the same situation; they first needed to find a place to settle, then consider the future direction.
They already had a destination in mind — San Francisco, where industry was a step ahead and there was an urgent need for a large number of workers.
Lately, you could often see intermediaries recruiting workers in the slums, but the effects weren't ideal.
