Tong Wei was from Xunyang, and sold salt for a living. He was an excellent swimmer and boatman as well. Thus, he earned himself the nickname 'Cave-emerging dragon' (出洞蛟).
Tong Wei and his younger brother Tong Meng went around selling salt and eventually settled down together with Li Jun in Li's home. Once, Song Jiang was exiled to Jiangzhou and passed by Jieyang Mountain. At the foot of the mountain, Song Jiang rested in Li Li's inn. Li Li had Song Jiang knocked out by the drugs in his wine but Li Jun and the Tong brothers appeared in the nick of time and rescued Song.
