Song of China 天伦

Description:

A wanderer long absent from his hometown (played by Shang Guan-Wu) returns as his aged father lies dying. His father's last words charge him to take up the duty of providing for his wife and children, and to extend the love of family to all others, which brings him to a sudden awakening. Twenty years later, he himself has grown old, while his son (played by Zhang Yi) holds high office and a generous salary, spending his days among the powerful and wealthy with his wife (played by Lai Cheuk-Cheuk), forgetting his duty to his parents. At the lavish birthday banquet his son holds for him, he gazes out the window at the poor, cold and hungry, and tears fall; he then moves with his old wife (played by Lin Chu-Chu) and the whole family to the countryside, where they establish a charitable institution to take in orphans and the elderly. Before long, his son, unable to adapt to country life, resolutely leaves with his wife and children, while his daughter (played by Chen Yan-Yan), devoted to her sister-in-law's cousin, also slips away. Many more years pass; his grandson (played by Zheng Jun-Li) marries and establishes himself, and in order to fulfill his filial duty, quarrels repeatedly with his parents and returns with his wife to his grandfather's side. The daughter who left is also abandoned and comes home. The old man, worn out by his labors, takes to his sickbed, and to save his grandfather the grandson, on his own authority, uses funds from the charitable institution to engage doctors and treatment, which brings some improvement to the old man's condition. The son and his wife also return at this time to visit.