Feature actress Zhao Liying as the protagonist , a rural woman seeking justice.
Many people believe that, for women, their wedding day is the happiest of their lives. But for He Xingfu, the protagonist in the TV series, The Story of Xing Fu, whose name literally means "happiness", it represents the darkest of days－witnessing her younger sister being indecently assaulted by a group of villagers.
For centuries, naohun, or wedding hazing, has been part of a traditional wedding ceremony. It is the practice of teasing the bride and groom with its main purpose－to lighten the mood and break the ice. But in some areas, the old ritual has evolved to become somewhat vulgar and even obscene, often triggering heated debates online when news of such things is reported.
As the latest outing of Zheng Xiaolong, a prolific director renowned for the smash hit Empresses in the Palace, The Story of Xing Fu delves into these old customs and the changes in the mindset of locals in rural China. It also provides an in-depth look at topics such as farmland requisition and the development of countryside tourism.
Currently soaring as one of the most popular dramas, the 40-episode TV series has been airing on Dragon TV and Beijing Satellite TV, as well as on the streaming site Youku, since late June and has earned 7.3 points out of 10 on the online review aggregator Douban.
Adapted from author Chen Yuanbin's novel Qiuju Chuanqi (The Story of Qiuju), the TV series stars A-list actress Zhao Liying as He, a brave rural woman who embarks on a tough journey to pursue justice for her younger sister, a recent college graduate who serves as a bridesmaid at He's wedding.
Because the man responsible is the son of an influential villager, who leads residents in the establishment of a lucrative enterprise, He's family members, including her husband and his parents, all try to convince her to drop the issue. But the hardheaded woman refuses to give up her fight for justice and finally propels a ban on the shameful tradition.
For Zheng, a veteran director who has shot a lot of real-world TV series, such as Red Sorghum (2014) and Medal of the Republic (2021), the TV series hooked him around six years ago, when he read the story outline written by Zhao Dongling, an award-winning scriptwriter with a 2015 Golden Rooster Award to her name.
"In the last few years, the domestic film and TV industry has produced a lot of tales reflecting how villagers have shrugged off poverty to lead a prosperous life," says Zheng. "But what makes our story a bit special is that it highlights that, aside from pursuing economic development, rural areas should also enhance their juridical system infrastructure and modernize societal behavior."
The latter part of the TV series sees He and her husband depart the village to find work in the city, escalating family tensions over whether they should return home or continue striving in the city.
"China has seen a lot of changes taking place, both in the cities and rural areas, in recent decades. The TV series also endeavors to explore the influence of the country's urban-rural integration effort," explains Zheng.
"In the drama, audiences will see that China's rural areas have achieved a lot of progress in multiple areas, such as environmental protection and rising job opportunities, hence making the countryside more appealing to the younger generation," he adds.
Filmed between September 2020 and early 2021, the TV series was shot in Ningbo in Zhejiang province, as well as Huangshan in Anhui province.
Zheng reveals that he maintained his trademark habit of eating fried melon seeds on set, as a method to reduce stress and spark inspiration.
Liu Xuesong, who codirects the TV series with Zheng, recalls that he was invited to join the project after the script was finished.
Visualizing the scenes in his mind, Liu says the series has a unique story to tell, shaking off stereotyped narratives to re-create a realistic view of the complexities of life in rural China.
He comments that actress Zhao, who has a large fan base from portraying beautiful and powerful heroines in a string of hit costume dramas like The Journey of Flower (2015), found her feet in the role quickly, matching the protagonist's temperament thanks to her own personal background as a native of rural Hebei province.
"As a talented actress, Zhao has spent a lot of time researching her character, exemplified by details like always putting her hands in her pockets while walking or speaking, mimicking the gestures typical of a rural woman," says Liu, adding that such details also hint at the character's complex inner emotions.
After serving the People's Liberation Army in the far-flung areas of Yunnan province for seven years, Liu says he got used to rural life thanks to the multiple jobs he did during his time in the military, which helped him to master cooking, farming and the maintenance of livestock.
Those years prepared him for the TV series based on rural life, Liu says, noting that he has also learned a lot from local farmers, ensuring that all the details in the series, from village home designs to characters' costumes and props, look as real as those in a Chinese village in the late 2000s.
In line with China's rural revitalization vision, recent years have seen a greater number of TV series set in rural areas, and many center on poverty elimination, says Liu.
"What is also important is to get rid of 'poverty' in the spiritual sense. We hope the new series will raise awareness about changing biases and indecent traditions in rural areas," he says.