Knowing nothing more than the working-class life he is born into, headstrong Lu Xiao Lu reluctantly starts down the path he is expected to follow. At age nineteen in 1990s China, he feels pressure to follow suit with those around him and takes a job at the town’s saccharin factory. Slowly, he adjusts to the bureaucratic factory routine, making the best of the situation by bonding with coworkers, flirting with girls, and refusing to give in completely to the expectations of those around him.
As Lu Xiao Lu finds his way, a startling portrait of an economically expanding China comes into view; the propaganda of a common goal gives way to a bottom-line system that he sees as indifferent to individual happiness. But thanks to the relationships he develops, Lu Xiao Lu decides to fight for the life he wants.
(Source: Goodreads)
Adapted from the novel "Young Babylon" (少年巴比伦) by Lu Nei (路内).
Episodes: 26
Duration: 45 min.
Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Ratings: 8.3
Jiang Tian left home to work as an interior designer in Beijing and was transferred out to a branch in her hometown of Suzhou where she meets her 60-year-old roommate and fellow colleague, Wu Jing Fang. They establish a deep friendship through many setbacks while realizing their plan to help renovate old houses.
Jiang Tian's plan to return to Beijing falls through when she not only gets dumped but also loses her job. Brokenhearted and unemployed, Jiang Tian has no choice but to stay in her hometown. Wu Jing Fang accompanies Jiang Tian out of her darkest days and becomes her assistant in order to learn how to design.
Under Wu Jing Fang's influence, Jiang Tian finds a way to achieve a personal breakthrough while integrating into her hometown. Wu Jing Fang also rediscovers her self-worth in her sixties and reenters the competitive society. While helping others build their ideal homes, they have also determined the path they will take in the future.
(Source: ChineseDrama.info)
Episodes: 37
Diao Shun Zi leads a team behind the scenes that engage in a stage production. He has a gentle and virtuous wife in Cai Su Fen and a hoarder of 'worrisome' family members, thus making way for a story filled with laughter and tears.
Diao Shun Zi devotes himself to every aspect of stage work to ensure that the stage will always be perfect. They've worked with opera troupes, weddings, and funerals to encounter people from all walks of life. No matter what others think, Shun Zi is passionate about what he does and believes that his job is an art form.
In his middle age, he is surrounded by many people. His fierce eldest daughter Ju Hua who is spoiled and stubborn, his non-blood-related second daughter Mei who is innocent and kind, his big brother Diao Da Jun who has wandered about for half a lifetime and finally, the kind-hearted Cai Su Fen who suddenly appears in his life.
Even as their neighborhood is in danger of being demolished, what remains unchanged is Shun Zi's principles and his responsibility towards his loved ones.
