The War on Saturday Morning

A house full of chaos is the norm, but warmth and happiness are what lie underneath.

This is for ordinary families like ours, and for the everyday moments that shine.

Dad Chen Jianming is gentle, though he gets muddled now and then. Mom Wu Min has a temper, but she notices every little thing. Big brother Chen Yu was so sensible at ten that it broke your heart. Little sister Chen Xiaonian is seven, mischievous and full of new ideas every day.

This is everyday life in an ordinary family of four: the morning battle for the bathroom, the battle of wits around the dinner table, weekend boating in the park, and late-night heart-to-hearts. A house full of chaos is the norm, but warmth and happiness are what lie underneath. The days pass one by one, ordinary yet shining.

This story was inspired by countless real moments in family life: the morning struggle to get a child to put on their shoes, the mutual incomprehension of helping with homework, the excitement and exhaustion of a weekend outing, and the brief peace after the children have fallen asleep. It isn’t about dramatic twists and turns, but the everyday business of life. It isn’t about heroic legends, but ordinary families. Because I believe the most moving stories are often hidden in the most everyday moments.