"Family First" - A Joyous Occurrence at Home

Author: Xiao Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Wei Da happily raised the cup of wine poured for Hou Fei, holding it high above his head and said, "Come, for the health of the old man, for Tao Lan and Lan Lan to come home, for Hou Xiang finally finding a girlfriend, and for me, a Hong Konger celebrating the New Year in Beijing, let's drink!" Everyone responded in unison, and the clinking of glasses produced a rhythmic and crisp sound. At this moment, the sound of "crackle and pop" of firecrackers came from outside the window, the fireworks lit up the sky outside the window, and under the of snow, they appeared even more magnificent. In this festive atmosphere, the traditional Chinese festival—the 2004 Spring Festival—had arrived.
Hou Xiang is a "taxi driver" in the capital city. He lives with his father and older brother, Hou Fei, in a siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), leading a ordinary life like the people of the city. Due to his stutter, Hou Xiang often faces discrimination and suffers repeated setbacks in his love life. The siheyuan is about to be demolished, and to maximize the area, Hou Fei goes to great lengths, first by adding a small kitchen and then by getting a fake divorce with his wife, Tao Lan. To avoid adding trouble to his sons, Hou Shi Chang, Hou Xiang's father, voluntarily moves into a nursing home. Due to the developer's mistake, when Hou Xiang bought the house, he drew the same lucky number as Su Qianqian, the supermarket cashier, and secured a discounted housing unit. In the struggle for the right to use the house, the two gradually developed feelings for each other and eventually became lovers. The Hou family moved into their new home, Hou Fei and his wife got remarried, and their father, Hou Shi Chang, was also brought back from the nursing home. The whole family celebrated joyfully, setting up a New Year's Eve dinner in their new home.