Adapted from Ba Jin's novel "Rest Garden". The Yang family was once a prominent figure in the local area. Their son, Yang Mengchi, indulged in all kin[Expand All]
Adapted from Ba Jin's novel "Rest Garden". The Yang family was once a prominent figure in the local area. Their son, Yang Mengchi, indulged in all kinds of activities such as eating, drinking, gambling and prostitution. Soon, he squandered the family's fortune and had no choice but to sell their last garden residence, Qiyuan, to Yao Guodong. Although Yang Mengchi regretted it, he had no determination to start anew and eventually ended up on the streets. Only his youngest daughter, Han 'er, often visited him. One day, Han 'er sneaked into the Qiyuan Garden to pick a few camellia branches for her father, but was severely beaten by Xiaohu, the son of Yao Guodong's ex-wife. Wan Zhaohua, the second wife of Guodong, felt very sympathetic towards the misfortune of Han 'er's family. This made her think of the naughty Xiaohu and determined to take on the responsibility of a mother to save Xiaohu. However, her good intentions were not understood by her family; instead, she was ridiculed from all sides, which caused her great pain. Finally, Xiaohu died an unnatural death due to his improper behavior. Zhaohua was deeply shocked and nearly had a miscarriage. At this point, Guodong was taken aback and realized that the couple had made up as before. In the drama, there is a scene where Xia Meng, who plays Zhao Hua, is holding a copy of Ba Jin's "Family" and reading it until she shed tears. It should be Mr. Zhu Shilin's tribute to the late Mr. Ba Jin. From today's perspective, some of the distinct expressions of character and morality in this film might seem a bit outdated. The set design of the recording studio is an artificial one that can be recognized at a glance, yet it has a unique literary tension and charm.[Collapse]
