 As the second surviving son of the family, Huang Kan showed strong interest in literature and books in general from a very young age and reportedly could memorize texts verbatim upon first reading.At the young age of four, his family hired Jiang Shuhai, a retired government official and a family friend, as Huang Kan's tutor.Huang Kan, who not only read but also memorized the many books he read, quickly became well known as a prodigy in the area.