Bitter Vine

This film (drama)Also known as苦藤，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At1998Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin，Current Douban rating0.0(For reference only)。

The beautiful actress Chaolai, along with her childhood friend and senior brother Chen Jixin, the tyrant Liu Zongxu who occupies the Liu family, and the wealthy disciple Liao Qingyun who later appears, weaves a convoluted, thrilling, and heart-wrenching tale of love and tragedy. Throughout, the identity of the “fallen people” haunts their lives like a malevolent ghost, tormenting them and altering their fates...The story takes place in the 1920s during the Republic of China, in a village of fallen people in Eastern Zhejiang—Baiguo Village. The village girl Luhuanzi, beautiful and skillful, secretly admires Huichang, who has quietly shed his identity as a fallen person and makes a living playing the flute in an opera troupe, leading to Huichang's background as a fallen person being exposed and suffering under a heartless boss. However, they eventually unite, and despite her husband being very unwilling to leave a fallen “bastard,” Luhuanzi gives birth to a daughter.The son of the wealthy Liu family is paralyzed and sterile, and the daughter is turned over to the Liu family for adoption. Liu Zongxu, the nephew of Old Master Liu, covets the family wealth and seeks revenge for his father by using his cousin, Ning Liu’s son, as a hitman to kill Old Master Liu and his son, seizing the Liu family business and the mistress he has been having an affair with. The hitman mistakenly takes the young Chaolai believing her to be a descendant of the Liu family, and the despairing Huichang commits suicide, thinking his daughter has met with disaster. The hitman, under a false identity, moves to the county town and befriends Jixin's family, living in harmony. Unexpectedly, after seizing the family property, Liu Zongxu becomes the county magistrate, discovers the hitman, and kills them. Thus, Chaolai is adopted by Jixin's parents and grows up with Jixin. Liu Zongxu becomes infatuated with the beautiful Chaolai from the opera troupe, while Chaolai and her senior brother Jixin share an innocent and playful bond. On the night of forced marriage at the Liu residence, Chaolai's biological mother, now a servant in the Liu household, Luhuanzi, recognizes her long-lost daughter from many years ago. Yet she refrains from revealing her identity as a fallen person to prevent Chaolai from knowing. Eventually, Chaolai learns the truth about Liu Zongxu killing her adoptive parents' enemy and begins to seek revenge with madness.Chaolai leaves the Liu residence to return to the stage and encounters her former lover, rekindling their relationship. However, Luhuanzi recognizes the identity of Jixin's mother and prevents their marriage. Luhuanzi also tries to match Chaolai with a wealthy gentleman. When Chaolai learns of Jixin's fallen status, she is deeply pained and chooses Liao Qingyun. His malicious half-brother Ah Hu from Liu's house falsely accuses Chaolai and her mother to Liao Qingyun's father, Chen Huaichang, claiming they are the murderers of Liu Zongxu, leading to their imprisonment. In an attempt to save her mother and sister, she is killed by Chen Huaichang. On a rainy night, Chaolai gives birth to a son in prison. The weak Young Master Liao, in order to save Chaolai, agrees to marry Chen Miaowen to secure the release of Chaolai and her mother. Luhuanzi’s lifelong efforts to change her children's fate end in futility, leading her to drown herself in the river.