As a child, Huang loved reading Tang poems. Sadly, his father died young, and as his mother was neither strong-willed nor capable enough to maintain the household, finances deteriorated to the point where the family took on debt to survive.
小時候黃友棣最愛讀唐詩，可惜父親早死，母親性格軟弱，又不善理家，家中景況每下愈況，最後竟以借貸度日。