Country of origin Hong Kong No. of episodes 20 First episode date 3 April 1995 Number of episodes 20 Language Standard Cantonese | Original language(s) Cantonese Original network TVB Final episode date 28 April 1995 | |
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Starring Gallen LoKathy ChowEddie Cheung Opening theme "故地濃情" (Plain Love) byKelly Ho Similar Country Spirit, Rain in the Heart, The Criminal Investigator, Ambition, Old Time Buddy ‑ To Catch a T | ||
Plain Love (Chinese: 情濃大地, Mandarin: qíng nóng dà dì, Cantonese: ching nung daai dei, "Everlasting Earth") was a television drama series produced by TVB. The series takes place in Republican China, focusing on the lives and trials of a servant family. The series was released overseas in 1994 before broadcasting on TVB Jade in 1995.
Contents
Plot
The Fongs (方) were being servants of the Kwans (關) at the latter's farming estate. After Kwan Tin Fook (關天福) rapes the servant girl Fong Lap Cheun (方立春), and the Kwans notice their second eldest son Kwan Tim Jam (關天蔭) falling in love with her, they sentence her to be drowned in a basket. The ensuing grief drives one of the Fongs to commit suicide.
The villagers than despoil and raid the Kwan household. Noticing Tin Fook running away with his wealth, his relative Kwan Dai Mai (關大米) attacks him, but Tin Fook uses a flowerpot to crush his testicles so that he will escape. After some persuasion, the villagers instead restore the Kwans' household.
As a famine strikes the village, the father of the Fangs was killed as he tries to save his grandson from being snatched off. After some difficulty in the city, the Kwans return to the village. They force Lau Nga Choi (劉亞彩) to marry Fong Shu Gan (方樹根), who is elected as village headman. Shu Gan saves his village from starvation by bringing a cart of rice sacks, and ensues its prosperity.
Kwan Dai Mai and several villagers plan to drown a women from the Kwan family in revenge for the drowning of Lap Cheun, but was persuaded against such actions. Having failed to avenge Lap Cheun, he leaves, with some coins for the Fongs. Then, Tim Jam returns from the city from a bout of gambling. Having been beaten up for failing to pay his expenses, Nga Choi pays for Tim Jam.
Kwan Tin Fook returns to the village, this time as an army leader, to seize his farm village back. He harasses Shu Gan and falsely accuses him of murder, and tries to rape Nga Choi.
Tin Fook conscripts the men of his village, including Shu Gan and Tim Jam into his army, amid protests and attempts by the Kwans to stop him. He sells off Shu Gan's son Fong Ah-Tin to Nanyang. Tin Fook himself was later killed in battle.
In the present day, Shu Gan and Nga Choi meet again by their old village, near a tree, after some counselling. Ah Tin returns by his car to meet them.
Cast
Sequel
The 2001 series Country Spirit (酒是故鄉醇) is considered a sequel to this series, although it uses different characters.