A Begonia Love Affair

In the misty rain of Republican-era Suzhou, the crabapple blossoms in the western courtyard bloomed and withered, hiding a love that spanned half a century.

She was the daughter of the once-wealthy Shen family, now fallen on hard times. In the depths of despair, as rain beat down on the crabapple blossoms, she met him: the Lu family’s second son, caught in an awkward position but full of righteousness. A rescue born of a sudden accident and a silver crabapple hairpin brought to light the wrongs suffered by their fathers, a family conspiracy, and a forbidden attraction.

He fought the powerful to clear her family’s name; she held fast to her principles for his sake, defying convention. From the shackles of being known as her sister-in-law’s husband to standing together through life and death; from the upheaval of Republican-era China to the peaceful years of four generations under one roof, their love endured storms and the passage of time, blossoming brilliantly through the years, like autumn crabapple flowers.

On their golden wedding anniversary, after fifty years together, the crabapple blossoms filling the courtyard bore witness. This is a Republican-era legend of love and redemption, justice and legacy, and a heartfelt confession lived out over a lifetime.