Chiang's spirit of self-motivated study deeply influenced Chou. Chiang gave him classics to read, such as Spring and Autumn with Commentary, The Songs of the South, and The Historic Records, and sometimes quizzed him.
江兆申的自學精神對他影響甚深，江兆申會開書單要他研讀，包括《左傳》、《楚辭》、《史記》、《資治通鑑》等，偶爾還會抽考一下。