Waiting for Happiness

This film (drama)Also known as守候幸福，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2007Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating8.1(For reference only)。

It's the weekend, and the elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctor Xu Zhongmian and his partner have once again gone to great lengths to prepare a large table of dishes, but as usual, four out of their five children called, saying they were too busy to come home for dinner. In a fit of anger, Xu Zhongmian fell ill and was hospitalized for emergency treatment. In the hospital, Xu Zhongmian's old friend, Dr. Zhou, informed the children that their father had only about a year left to live, and in this final time, the elderly man's only wish was for the children to come back and spend time with him. To fulfill their father's wish, the children tried to return home every day. Gradually, Xu Zhongmian realized that he hardly knew his children; they appeared to be successful in their careers, but each had their own struggles, and life was not easy for anyone. His expectations of his children seemed too harsh. The eldest son, Xu Bojiang, was originally a factory manager who worked hard all year, but the factory was on the brink of bankruptcy due to a triangular debt. He had used the money meant for buying a house to cover the medical expenses of former employees, but was not understood by the workers; not only did he fail to buy a house, but he was also beaten by the workers and later forced to resign. The second brother helped him find a decent job, but the eldest quit out of anger when he learned that his new boss was a key player in the triangular debt. The eldest daughter-in-law, Gao Ge, was originally understanding and empathetic, but now was struggling with menopause... The second son, Xu Botao, was the owner of a private company and appeared to be thriving, yet the home was frigid and unwelcoming. It wasn't that he didn't have a wife; it was just that his highly educated wife had never cooked a meal since their marriage. The family of three seemed indifferent to each other, and no one knew where the others were or what they were doing. Beneath the calm exterior lay a brewing volcano, which finally erupted when Xu Botao hit his wife, Ru Yun, in front of the entire family, leading to their divorce. He once believed that getting a divorce would lead to happiness, but was surprised to find himself feeling worse after the split. When he wished to reconcile, he discovered that Ru Yun's childhood friend had returned from abroad to pursue her... The third child, Xu Boqing, was the only daughter of the couple, and her husband, Li Ping, was a seasoned police officer. Xu Boqing had always been the one in charge at home, and their life had been peaceful until one day she noticed that Li Ping was becoming evasive, eventually discovering a beautiful young female police officer by his side... The fourth child, Xu Bohong, was divorced and had returned from studying abroad to work in a foreign company. He worked tirelessly but never received recognition from his foreign boss. A girl named Lin Xiaodan was fond of him, but he was too afraid to accept her feelings. Just when he was finally prepared to be with Lin Xiaodan, his ex-wife fell terminally ill and returned to Xu's house with their daughter, unraveling the mystery of Xu Bohong's past... The youngest son, Xu Bohan, was the only one in the family to inherit his father's practice; he was dedicated to researching Chinese patent medicine and aspired to produce results soon. The elderly couple was quite satisfied with his work, but the youngest had been married for several years without wanting children. Both he and his wife were over forty, and now his wife unexpectedly became pregnant, causing yet more headaches for the elderly couple... As the days passed, the children faced and dealt with one life challenge after another. Yet, in the spirit of "filial piety above all," they all stayed dutifully by their parents' side. In response, Xu Zhongmian resolved to do something practical for his children. He and his partner devised a plan to "communicate" with them. The elderly couple devoted themselves to doing what they could for their children in their own way. They were busy and fulfilled; there were tears and laughter, bittersweet past memories, and the unavoidable realities of today, but ultimately, the care of the family made everyone's life warmer... However, the knot in Xu Zhongmian's heart tightened even more...