Filial son

Author: Xue Xiaolu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "Filial piety" is a traditional virtue in China. Today, many traditional moral standards are challenged, but "filial piety" is still respected as a mandatory behavioral norm. People may engage in corruption, breach of trust, or fraud, but they cannot refuse to practice filial piety. This universal moral standard gives the play a broad audience base. Although people inwardly believe in this firmly, with the intensification of social competition, population mobility and urban concentration, the implementation of the one-child policy, and China's aging society, fulfilling filial piety is gradually becoming more difficult. The pressure of work and the inability to care for parents at the same time make it a dilemma for only-children to face the responsibility and obligation of caring for and burying their parents, which brings them an unavoidable predicament. Every family has parents, every family faces the same issues, and every family has its own difficult story to tell about elderly care. This is also an important reason why the play will have social resonance. At the same time, changes in attitudes toward elderly care are an unavoidable topic in "filial piety." Views on nursing homes, the dilemma of maintaining life versus maintaining life dignity, and other issues will also be discussed in the play.
Liu Ying and Qiao Zanyong have two sons and two daughters. The eldest daughter, Qiao Shuilan, is now in her forties, and the youngest son, Qiao Haiming, has reached his thirties. Their children have all established their own families and are not living an easy life. Liu Ying, a strong-willed woman, is the pillar of the family. For decades, she has managed all the affairs of the family, although her education level is not high, she has kept the family well-organized and peaceful. The story begins when the eldest son Qiao Haiyang's wife, Xie Yan, becomes pregnant. At the age of thirty, Xie Yan, after much difficulty, finally becomes pregnant. Qiao Haiyang, who is engaged in business, is not doing well, and his wife shows signs of gestational hypertension, suffering from both internal and external pressures. At this time, her third sister-in-law Fan Le calls to tell her that her mother has suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and has been hospitalized. The pillar of the Qiao family has fallen, and their peaceful life is disrupted, with all the children and their families thrown into chaos. It reflects the traditional Chinese understanding and expression of the concept of "filial piety." After the old mother is saved, she is left with paralysis on one side. Liu Ying, who has always been strong-willed, falls into an unprecedented misery, relying on others for her daily needs, and the focus of the conflict shifts to how the four children will handle the care of their two elderly parents. The eldest son's husband is a local director, and although the eldest daughter holds a lot of sway at home, only she knows the hardships she faces. The second son, Qiao Haiyang, has his wife Xie Yan pregnant again, and his business is facing numerous difficulties. The third daughter, Qiao Shuilin, whose husband Fan Le has been laid off, not only faces financial hardship but also a decline in her status at home. The youngest son, Qiao Haiming, returns from studying in the United States, completely immersed in American culture, even his views on family bonds are Americanized. Moreover, the elderly are not like children; although they are unable to care for themselves, their minds are still sharp, and they have their own opinions, not taking whatever is given to them. The intense conflicts are self-evident.
Filial Piety chooses such an ordinary yet often overlooked angle in film and television, depicting the entire process of four siblings caring for and burying their parents, showcasing the Chinese people's emphasis on family bonds and the difficulties, disputes, sorrows, and love they experience in the process.