In their 19th year of marriage, Luo Qing called her husband's company on their anniversary and found out that Chen Zhiming had already resigned and had been living away from home for three months without telling the whole family.
A phone call tore open the cracks that had accumulated in the marriage for many years. The debt left behind by her husband's guarantee for her younger brother, the old man who is gradually losing his memory, the daughter who is facing subject selection, the younger son who is always ignored by adults, and the career opportunities that Luo Qing is unwilling to give up anymore, all squeeze into this ordinary family one after another. Everyone says they are here for family, but they have also used silence, concealment and self-righteous responsibility to push the people closest to them further and further away.
When life no longer allows anyone to shoulder everything alone, the middle-aged couple can only relearn a seemingly simple thing: speaking out their fears, clarifying responsibilities, and allowing children and the elderly to have a place to express their wishes.
There are no standard answers to marriage, and life doesn't suddenly get easier. But as long as someone is willing to speak, is willing to go home, is willing to extend a hand before the light goes out - there is still light in the house.
