In the late 1990s, the urban-rural divide stretched across the fate of two generations.
Ruan Qingyan was born in a small town family that favored boys over girls. His father was an alcoholic and was slacking off at work, and his mother was devoted to her younger brother who had average grades. The family's meager income was planned to be used by her younger brother to attend a private high school and take tutoring lessons. However, she, who was in the upper middle echelon and studied hard, was ordered to drop out of school and work to support the family.
In a desperate situation, Song Chengyuan, who was making a living in Guangzhou, shouldered all the pressure for her. The boy dropped out of school early and took root at the bottom of the city. In addition to the heavy odd jobs, he stepped into the underground boxing ring to fight for income. Covered with old and new scars, full of unspeakable pain, the letters he sent back always offered peace, taking care of her rent and living expenses alone, and keeping a quiet desk for her to prepare for exams.
Mountains and sea separate us, and paper letters convey our feelings. She guarded the lonely lamp while writing the inscriptions, hiding every word of her family letter with heartache; he walked forward with a heavy load in the mud, placing all his expectations on her future. The tenderness of the brief encounter is the only light in the long suffering. The two are each other's only support in the dark night, silently running towards the same future.
As the years passed, Ruan Qingyan moved forward step by step, seizing the opportunities for further study that others envied, and the road ahead was bright. But the stubborn illness that had resulted from years of hard work had already gripped Song Chengyuan. He looked at the vast world within her reach and fell into a long silence.
They survived poverty and hardship, and saved each other with sincerity.
It's just that time brings fate, and some mountains and seas are difficult to cross in a lifetime.
Purpose: Based on the background of urban and rural changes in the 1990s, it writes about the life dilemma of young people at the bottom who are trapped by poverty and destiny. The male and female protagonists endure redemption in both directions, and use letters to maintain their deep love that spans thousands of miles. The male protagonist uses his flesh and blood to lift the female protagonist out of the quagmire of her origin and rush to a bright future; the story explores that true love does not necessarily have to be consummated, and deep love hides fulfillment and letting go. It depicts the regrets of ordinary people in this era and pays homage to the pure sincerity of young people who do not ask for anything in return.