My Children, My Home

This film (drama)Also known as我的孩子我的家，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2010Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating4.4(For reference only)。

From 1978 to 2009, these were thirty tumultuous years of great change in China. Through Aunt Yao's family, the story encompasses not just their lives, but also the resilient and extraordinary struggle that Chinese people experienced during these three decades. In 1978, Chongqing. Pregnant Aunt Yao kneels at the factory gate with her five children, seeking justice for her husband Uncle Yao, who was dismissed due to alcoholism. Eventually, she persuades the factory director to allow their eldest to take over Uncle Yao’s job when he grows up, although she gives birth to twins at the factory gate during this turmoil. Aunt Yao originally had five children, named in hopes of prosperity: the eldest Lin Fan, the second Lin Rong, the third Lin Chang, the fourth Lin Sheng, and the youngest, a quiet and stubborn girl, Lin Jing. With so many children, life was already tough, and now they had lost their main breadwinner—Uncle Yao, who had become incapable of work due to alcohol poisoning. Aunt Yao must rise to support the family. Unable to care for the newborn twins, she decides to give them away but loses one on the way. Enduring great sorrow, she brings the remaining twin home; she becomes the sixth child of the Lin family. Aunt Yao begins to work hard with her five children, making and selling Doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) but has no money for ingredients. She cannot escape the harassment from Old Liu at the supply and marketing cooperative and faces attacks from Aunt Wu, who also sells Doubanjiang. Her brother-in-law Lin Jianshe, a rural youth returning from the city, tries to defend Aunt Yao’s dignity with his fists but only invites more gossip. Rumors spread, comparing Aunt Yao to Pan Jinlian, Old Liu to Ximen Qing, Uncle Yao to Wu Dalang, and Lin Jianshe to Wu Song, who supposedly seduced Aunt Yao. Uncle Yao fails to quit drinking, and his frustrations with Lin Jianshe turn into public mockery. In anger, Lin Jianshe smashed the windows of all the rumor-mongers and sought revenge on Old Liu, but Aunt Yao blocked him, recognizing Old Liu's past help to their family. After being released from detention, Lin Jianshe left home, while Aunt Yao became enemies with Lin Jing due to the rumors. Lin Jing grew to resent Aunt Yao for the reputation their family endured. Aunt Yao utilized her various survival skills as a woman to raise all six children. The eldest, Lin Fan, turned eighteen and was supposed to take over Uncle Yao’s position at the factory, but he was only focused on studying and wanted to attend university—something their family could not afford, which led to him burning his admission letter. The second, Lin Rong, was vain and even stole a classmate’s new clothes, attracting harassment from that classmate’s brother. The third Lin Chang and the fourth Lin Sheng had the best relationship, always getting into trouble together with their mischief. When Lin Rong was harassed by a thug, Lin Chang and Lin Sheng went to rescue her, but Lin Fan accidentally killed the thug in the process. Aunt Yao decided that Lin Fan must be the family’s breadwinner and hope; he could not go to prison, so she drew lots among the other children to see who would take the blame for Lin Fan. The result showed Lin Sheng drew the short straw, but in fear, he secretly swapped it with Lin Chang, who went to prison, forever changing their lives. Afterward, Aunt Yao’s worries never ceased; Lin Rong stirred up a scandal by falling for a young painter, Ding Song. When her nude sketches were discovered and posted publicly, Lin Rong took the blame for Ding Song, claiming it was her coercion. The societal pressure caused her mental breakdown, making her afraid to leave the house for years, spending her days knitting and keeping company with the cat. Lin Sheng stole parts from the factory to sell for money, but when Aunt Yao discovered it, he was caught returning the parts; Lin Fan was the one who apprehended him while on duty. This also led to Lin Fan’s dismissal from the factory. Lin Jing fell in love with the piano and had great musical talent. In a moment of cruelty, Aunt Yao bought her an electronic piano but mistakenly accused Lin Jing of stealing money for it, which humiliated Lin Jing further. In anger, Lin Jing smashed the electronic piano and became Aunt Yao’s biggest opponent. Even Uncle Yao, after a bout of alcohol poisoning that required hospitalization, reunited with his former lover, Feng Yuting, and under his mother’s persuasion, divorced Aunt Yao to live with Feng, trying to reclaim his manhood. However, Feng swindled all his money, and Uncle Yao realized he could not escape Aunt Yao. Lin Jianshe returned, this time in glory, having become a factory director. He sought revenge on Old Liu and Aunt Wu and wanted to take Aunt Yao's family out of Chongqing to live at his factory. However, Aunt Yao ultimately refused; she could not abandon Lin Chang, who was in prison, and hoped the missing youngest child would return one day. More importantly, she could not leave her homeland. Lin Jianshe had to depart in disappointment.