Thirty-Five This Year

Three women who had once been classmates had not seen one another for a long time because of work, family, and various other reasons. On the occasion of their thirty-fifth birthdays, they arranged a trip together. Each carrying her own troubles, they completed a less-than-wonderful journey. Only after heading to the high-speed rail station did they discover that the trains had been suspended because of flooding and landslides. The three women could only stay temporarily at a small hotel near the station, but with so many travelers, they had no choice but to share a room. Their already tense relationship shattered instantly. Xu Hong, who had always presented herself as a “career woman,” was exposed as merely a small manager at a private company, facing the possibility of being laid off at any time because of shrinking business. Yu He, who had always presented herself as a “happy mother who keeps her husband under control,” was exposed as having a child with a congenital illness, while her mother-in-law constantly pressured her to have a second child and her husband's work was also in trouble. Sheng Min, who had always presented herself as an “independent childfree woman,” was exposed as someone who had never worked a single day in her life… After Xu Hong lost her job, the three women reunited in Beijing. Yu He's husband, Wang Yihan, unexpectedly introduced Xu Hong as a “resource” to his company's single colleague, Chang Qing. Huang Guanyang, the romantic encounter who had once crossed paths with Sheng Min, also ran into Sheng Min again because he was friends with Chang Qing. As Sheng Min separated from her husband, Xu Hong was transferred to Beijing by her new company, and Yu He's father-in-law, whose son had once run off with a middle-aged woman, arrived, the three women's lives descended into utter chaos. Sheng Min began living with Huang Guanyang but was constantly subjected to the silent treatment and verbal put-downs. Chang Qing and Xu Hong began dating, only to discover that Xu Hong's personality had been deeply warped by her family background. Meanwhile, after her father-in-law arrived, Yu He's child, who suffered from a congenital illness, nearly died…