Yang Bing-Yi was born in
Yuanping in China's northern
Shanxi province in 1927 and immigrated by himself to Taiwan at the age of 20 during the
Chinese Civil War in 1948. He took a job to make oil deliveries. When he was 13 years old, Japan occupied his city during the
Second Sino-Japanese War. Shortly after the Japanese surrendered in 1945, he went to the
county seat to further his education. With the assistance of a
matchmaker, he got married at 19 years old to his first wife. After the
Chinese Civil War began, Yang feared for his safety. At 21 years old, he took leave from the army, moved to Taiwan under the pretense of studying there, and sought to meet up with his uncle who was living there. Yang traveled by Hualien Ferry () to the
Port of Keelung in the summer of 1948. After walking through mountains and rivers, he met up with his uncle. His uncle's Shanghai wife connected him to the Shanghai owner of the oil company, Heng Tai Fung (). Surnamed Wang, the owner put him to work on delivering oil during the day. At night, Yang helped Wang's brother, an importer, deliver
Shaoxing wine. After two years of working at the oil company, he received a promotion to work at the counter. He dated Lai Penmei (), a woman who took care of the Wang's children. They dated around three or four years before getting married when he was 28 years old. The Wangs officiated their wedding. The newly married couple worked for the Wangs for another three to four years. == Business career ==