If you have a house, don't rent it out.

Author: Liu Yi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: This is a light comedy that subtly and calmly conveys the value of filial piety. The protagonist is an illegitimate daughter, with fraternal and sisterly relationships to her siblings. Driven by her love for her father and her affection for her half-siblings, she brings this peculiar family closer together. In our Chinese culture, the fundamental traditional values are filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, and trustworthiness, with filial piety and fraternal duty taking precedence. This perfectly aligns with the Confucian principle of governing the family well before ruling the state and ultimately achieving peace under heaven—home is where everything begins.
An elderly person who had worked diligently and built a life from scratch passed away, and everyone held them in high regard. At this moment, a strange woman appeared—she was the elderly person’s illegitimate daughter! Suddenly, the world lost its balance. The illegitimate daughter was merely a catalyst, as the play portrays human nature that every family might encounter: the communication difficulties between mothers and children, the stubbornness of the elderly toward their lifestyle and the conflicts among the children, the neglect of the elderly by young people busy with their own work, and the conflicts of interest among siblings. These issues are layered within the dramatic story, continuously creating conflicts that drive the plot to its climax, nearly causing the entire family to split apart. Isn’t life like that? The play “Rent an Apartment, Don’t Let It Be Empty” tells the story of great love in ordinary life. Love isn’t defined by life-or-death rescues on the edge of a cliff, but rather through cautious mutual inquiries, bitter-sweet grievances and jealousy, and the deep gazes exchanged when parting. Love gradually reveals itself in these ways.