In the 1970s, Tong Lin, who had remained a bachelor because he was mute, found a baby girl outside his home. Though he could not speak, he was kindhearted by nature, so he adopted her and named her A Mei. Because of A Mei, Tong Lin’s sister, Tong Yan, pressured him into giving up his job and house. He moved out with A Mei and rented a place, making a living by collecting scrap and raising her alone on his meager income.
The happiest time each day for the father and daughter was when Tong Lin played the old instruments he had collected for A Mei. It was also the moment he treasured most. When A Mei was taking the high school entrance exam, her teacher encouraged her to apply to a music high school, but the tuition was so expensive that A Mei could not bear to burden her father further and refused. When Tong Lin found out, he made the decision for her and signed her up, determined to give her a better future. He secretly took on several more jobs, but years of grueling labor had left him with cancer. Filled with deep gratitude, A Mei sang “Jiu Gan Tang Mai Wu” for her father, Tong Lin.
