Forty Years of Cherished Love

A patriotic poet of Song Dynasty, Lu You, is a member of the government official. He lives happily with his wife, Tang Wan, who is also his cousin. But due to corruption within the government, behaving officials like Lu You experiences quite a hard time. His superstitious mother blames Tang Wan for bringing bad luck to her son and force her daughter-in-law away to be a nun. Desperately, Tang Wan attempts to end her life but is saved by Zhao Shicheng, who marries with her soon after. Three years pass by, one day, while traveling with her husband, she bumps into Lu You. The sight brings so much grief for Lu You which he has to release it in the form of poem, the “Phoenix Hairpin”. After reading the poem, the sadness in it consumed Tang Wan so she falls sick. Happens that Lu You’s current wife Wang Chun’e comes by, Tang Wan attempts to return the phoenix hairpin to its now rightful owner but is refused. The grief of regret is too much for Tang Wan’s already broken heart, it finally gives up and has never been beating again. Forty years later, Lu You finally knows the government is too corrupted for anyone hoping for a better change. Lu You then resigns and revisits the Shen Garden, where he meets the old gardener Mr Deng, and where he has met his beloved one. The gardener hands Lu You the poem he wrote forty years ago. The poem is here, but the lady is gone, leaving a sorrow lingers on.