"Alley Years" tells the story of the life changes of Chen Jianguo and Li Xiulan's family in the seven years from 1983 to 1990. From the humble life in the alley in Fuxingli, to the difficult years when Chen Jianguo was laid off and went south to work, to the growing pains of Wei Dong's success in the college entrance examination and Wei Hong's running away from home, and finally to the happy reunion of moving into a new house, this work completely shows the living conditions and mental outlook of an ordinary working class family in the early days of reform and opening up.
Through the creation of seven main characters - Chen Jianguo (traditional father), Li Xiulan (tough mother), Chen Weidong (the eldest son of a top academic), Chen Weihong (the rebellious eldest daughter), Chen Weiguo (the naughty second son), as well as the group portraits of many neighbors and friends, the work truly reproduces the social scene and human relationships of that era.
Although "The Alley Years" has ended, the story of this family continues. In the upcoming second part of "Precarious", the Chen family will face more severe challenges: the impact of the market economy, the deepening of the reform of state-owned enterprises, the changes in social values... How will their fate fluctuate in the torrent of the times? Let's wait and see.
