The Journey: A Voyage

Plot

Facing internal threats and foreign aggression, the social and political instability of 20th century China forces her people to leave their country in droves to seek a living in Nanyang. Hakka immigrant, Hong Shi (Desmond Tan), sails to Nanyang to work as a tin miner and lives a thrifty life. Three years later, he returns to his hometown to marry his childhood sweetheart, Lin Yazi (Jeanette Aw).

Shortly after their marriage, the couple returns to Nanyang by boat. Also on board, are two penniless Hakka brothers from Yongding, Zhang Tianpeng (Li Nanxing) and Zhang Tianying (Allen Chen), who seek to make a fortune in Nanyang. Unfortunately, Tianying has just gotten on board before he falls ill and passes out. Using the recent spread of contagious diseases as an excuse, the boatman is persistent to throw him into the sea, much to Tianpeng’s resistance. Hong Shi helps Tianpeng to deal with the boatman. In gratitude, Tianpeng swears an oath of brotherhood to Hong Shi. Tianpeng suspects that Tianying has contracted typhoid fever and is aware that Nanyang immigrants possess an effective medication for this disease. He pleads with the passengers from the first-class cabins for medicine but a wealthy Chinese, Zhang Guangda (Terence Cao), drives him away. Out of sympathy, Zhang Guangda’s new concubine, Bai Mingzhu (Chris Tong), secretly gives Tianpeng the medicine. For helping Tianpeng, Mingzhu was violated by Zhang Guangda. It turns out, Mingzhu was abducted by brigands and her father had actually hired Tianpeng to rescue her. After succeeding in doing so, Tianpeng falls in love with Mingzhu, but she was already espoused to someone else.

The boat finally arrives in Nanyang. For no apparent reason, Hong Shi is framed for a robbery-murder case and remanded in prison. Out of desperation, Yazi seeks help with a Nyonya, Zhang Huiniang (Joanne Peh) and her “elder brother” Zhang Dong’en (Elvin Ng) as they work hand in hand to prove Hong Shi’s innocence. Dong’en is Zhang Guangda’s nephew. His father, Zhang Guangping (Desmond Shen), married a Nyonya, Huang Zhenniang (Carole Lin) years after his wife died. When Zhenniang married into the Zhang family, she brought along her god-daughter Huiniang, who being younger than Dong’en, addresses him as “elder brother”. The two of them were initially at loggerheads, but gradually grew closer. However, being “siblings” prevent them from overstepping the boundary. Dong'en's aunt, Han Xiuxiang (Priscelia Chan) is jealous.

Hong Shi returns to work as a tin miner after his release, while Yazi, like the other Hakka women, becomes a “dulang woman”, panning tin for a pittance. The mine owner not only plants opium at the mine area for profits, he also exploits his miners by enticing them into sex, gambling and opium-smoking to recuperate the wages he pays out to them. To help his relative repay gambling debts, Hong Shi is also lured into gambling and eventually incurs a huge debt of $600. At the same time, Supervisor Heilong (Pierre Png) lusts after Yazi’s beauty and attempts to possess her by destroying Hong Shi.

Tianying meets Huiniang and is mesmerised by her. Believing that he is an honest and simple man, Huiniang recommends a job to him in a medicinal herbal store, where he develops a master-disciple relationship with the elderly herbalist, Chen Kuang (Li Wenhai). The old master imparts prescriptions from his lifelong research to Tianying, exhorting him to produce affordable medicines to benefit the toiling masses. Tianpeng assists Tianying in establishing the business of manufacturing medicinal products which he markets tirelessly until they become a household name. The brothers never forget to donate money to charity and uplift the standard of life in their hometown.

Hong Shi becomes a fugitive after being framed by Heilong. He abandons himself to despair and is reduced to being a beggar living in the mistaken belief that Yazi has deserted him for Heilong…

Zhenniang helms the company when Zhang Guangping dies suddenly, while Zhang Guangda is indignant and schemes to take over it. Zhenniang grooms Dong’en painstakingly, sending Huiniang and him out to the School of Hard Knocks. Going through weal and woe together can only strengthen their relationship, and Dong’en realizes that his feelings for Huiniang have grown to be more than that for a “sister”…

Dong’en and Tianpeng lead an expedition into the deep forest in search of tin mines, and unexpectedly discover the legendary “Lost Granary of Tin Nuggets”, which purportedly makes one rich overnight. Dong’en returns home “in triumph”. He grows to be more mature by day and Zhenniang is pleased that he is competent to succeed in the family business. Zhang Guangda continues to plan on seizing the map to the tin mine from his nephew. Dong’en accepts an arranged marriage and prepares to visit his ancestral village to tie the knot, Huiniang is dejected. While Zhenniang accompanies Dong’en to the village to meet his prospective wife, Zhang Guangda finds his chance to harm them… With the family business already in his hands, Zhang Guangda spares no time to harm Dong’en. Suffering from mercury poisoning, Dong’en waits in agony for an opportunity to retaliate. He vows to regain his parents’ hard-earned business and to secure a life partner for Huiniang…

Episodic synopsis

For a more comprehensive synopsis, see List of The Journey episodes.

Trivia

2014 Accolades

A Voyage garnered 12 nominations for 10 awards in the Star Awards, behind The Dream Makers. It won two of them, the Best Director and Best Actor awards.The other dramas nominated for Best Drama Series and Best Theme Songs are The Dream Makers , C.L.I.F. 2 , 96°C Café & Beyond