Born in 1913 in Shantung province, Sung originally studied sericulture, made and sold twisted fritters of fried dough (a Chinese delicacy known as Yu Tiao) and then had a spell as a civil engineering contractor, before taking up a post at the China Pottery Arts Co. in 1965.
來台後不久，他就離開了軍隊。剛開始曾在基隆賣過油條，後來到台北改做土木包工的生意，這一做做了十幾年，卻並沒有成功，是為什麼呢？