Ling Zifeng Movies

A young girl's coming of age under the watchful eye of her caring grandfather lies at the center of the bittersweet period drama Bian Cheng (Border Town). After the death of her parents, young orphan Cuicui was sent to the small West Hunan town of Chaton to be raised by her grandfather. Now 14 years old, Cuicui has grown into an attractive, determined young woman who assists her grandfather in his job as ferryman. Though all is well for now, her grandfather worries for the future, especially as Cuicui is quite close to the marriageable age of 15. For that reason, he is quite pleased when his granddaughter catches the eye of a young man named Da Lao while attending a nearby boat race. The stubborn Cuicui rejects any idea of marriage, however, and her grandfather does not force the issue. Time passes, and Cuicui attracts the attention of another young man: Da Lao's brother, Er Lao. Er Lao, however, is being encouraged by his family to instead marry the daughter of a prominent man. Despite her grandfather's gentle probing, Cuicui refuses to take action, until an unexpected tragedy changes her life forever. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

With few other real options, when the young village woman in this story is offered an arranged marriage with a kindly but mildly retarded shopkeeper who lives in a nearby town, she readily accepts. Once she has settled into her new home, she becomes involved with her new husband's patron, a man involved in some underworld trading activities. Eventually, their relationship becomes so heated that the man moves in with her with her husband's consent. Meanwhile, since it is the 1890s, China is facing all sorts of unrest, from the Boxer Rebellion to ferocious military rivalries. Even her new lover is facing dangerous threats from a business rival. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi