Episode 27

Is it me or am I softening EVEN more as I begin to pity not just Cho Ba, but even Hung? Of course she deserved the bad stuff but somehow I feel... well let me recap first before going into how I feel...

Hor Ma came home and immediately asked "Where's Sa?" and I think Hou or someone said "She came home but grandpa kicked her out" and grandpa confirmed the story by saying "Hou, forget that trouble maker! We are better off without her!" and Hor Ma, being the only human being with a heart in this series asked "I want to know what happened?" and I think it was Yuet who said "She lied Hor Ma! She would say anything to get her way! She said she did what she did to avenge you, that she slapped that woman because that woman slapped you" and Hor Ma being very patient asked "Tell me exactly what she said" and Hou said "She said she overheard your conversation at the buffet" and Hor Ma looked at Kelvin's mom, an understanding dawning on their faces...

Poor Sa was drinking alone by the pier, crying and being very frustrated no one believed her. She called Yan Chi but the phone was off. Then suddenly her phone rang and it was Hor Ma. She immediately took the call and said hurriedly "Sis, please believe me! Please listen. It wasn't how it was, I swear sis, please believe me!!" but Hor Ma sternly and calmly said "Sa, I have packed your bags. Come home to take them and before you leave, have dinner with us for one last time" and Sa panicked but Hor Ma ended the conversation by reminding her what she just said.

Sa was sitting amongst everybody as she ate slowly and it was very quiet when she couldn't stand it anymore and said loudly "I know I deserve to be punished but at least I must have a chance to explain myself! Sis, you must listen to me, sis..." and Hor Ma said unsmilingly "This place has become too noisy because of you. Do you know our neighbours have complained how loud we were? First with all the shouting of Lor Lui, then the arguments, the fights, we are complained so often I lost count. Sa, can we just for once have this dinner in silence? Tone down your voice please..." and Sa grimly said "Ok..." but not much later she turned to Ka Mei "Ka Mei! Your mother is being evicted! Your mother is being sent back to Portugal, alone, living in destitute! Have you no compassion for your mother? Ka Mei, help mother beg grandpa!" but everybody in unison "shhhhhhh" Auntie Sa. But Auntie Sa went on and they Shhhhhhh some more until Ka Mei suddenly choked on her rice with laughter. Sa cried "How can you laught at your poor mother's plight?" and suddenly grandpa too choked on his rice with laughter and Sa cried "Father, I know I am not your flesh and blood but you have taken care of me all these years so surely you must feel a little love for me. How can you laugh?" and everybody shhhhhhhh again and suddenly Sa understood and smiled widely and said "Ohhhhh, you all are playing a trick on me!!" and everybody laughed and Hor Ma smiled and said "When they told me you slapped Hung to avenge me, I knew you were telling the truth because I did tell Kelvin's mother during the buffet dinner at what happened to me. I remember your eyes were red during the buffet and remember I asked you what happened but you were very quiet? I now know why you were so quiet that night. Thank you for seeking justice for me" and Sa immediately ran to Hor Ma and hugged her and said "Sis, you're the best sister in the world!!". Then Ka asked "Auntie Sa, what were the pictures that you took of Hor Ma apparently?" and Sa said cheekily "oh I can show you the 1st one for free but the next you will have to pay.." and she showed the first picture and it was that one of the messy bed. Hor Ma looked at it and Sa explained the name of the motel and Hor Ma laughed "So I was secretly having an affair with Cho?" and then Sa refused to show the next picture but Hor Ma grabbed the phone and saw the crumbled money and immediately they recognised the pictures and laughed. Then the door bell rings and I think it was Yuet who said to Sa "Guess who's here?" and Sa looked and it was Yan Chi and his mom. Sa happily beamed as Yan Chi said "I have been communicating with your sister. I have decided to come back because I miss you" and Sa hugged Yan Chi happily as Hor Ma said "This is the reason why I asked you to come back for dinner".

So Sa is back with the family and Yan Chi really do love her for her.

Meanwhile boring story alert! Boring story alert!! Boring story alert!! Boring story alert!! Boring story alert!!

Sum passed by Ling in the hospital and she quickly ran to a corner and guess what she did? GUESSSSSSS........

Waterworks...she cried... yet again

I kinda understand why she had to cry everytime. Imagine missing out on your perfect man but does it make for good TV? Nope.

She was cycling with Hou and explained to Hou as they rested she needed to clear her minds of some burdensome memories. She needed a friend and Hou said "Well the amount of time I had to spend cheering you up, I suppose you do owe me from now on" and he SMS-ed to Sum how she is owing him 90 minutes of his time and Sum laughed and said "90 minutes? Come one, we just cycled for 60 minutes! That's not fair!" but Hou explained "Well if you're ok now I can leave and go back and make more pastries!" and Sum smiled, which is a welcome relief to simply crying.

Sum, why stick to an unavailable man when there's Hou, very very available?

Sum was having lunch with Hou in a restaurant when Ling and Weng Lam walked in and sat down and well, probably the most uncommunicative couple ever. Sum saw Ling and immediately panicked, with guilt and told Hou "I am not feeling very well, I have to go" and she ran out and Ling saw her and ran out also after lying to Weng Lam "I need to get some documents from the car". Outside Ling ran after Sum who again began to cry when Ling held her as she pushed away and he said "I am going to break off with her, I am doing that" and Sum stopped fighting and cried some more. Weng Lam realised Ling did not take the car keys with him and Hou who was at the door looking at Sum and Ling saw Weng Lam approaching and immediately ran to Sum, grab her and left and said to her "Don't look back, not now" and Sum dutifully walked away as Ling looked on forlornly and Weng Lam appeared, seemingly unaware of what just happened.

Sum cried some more as she told Hou "I tried Hou, I tried to forget him, but I can't! I just can't. I told myself I must not be weak, I must not surrender, but everytime I see him... I can't Hou! What should I do?!" as Hou held her and she cried her heart out.

I do pity her. I mean she truly loved Ling by now and yet confused as to what she should do. If she had been as forthright as her mother, ruthless as well, she probably would have stepped between Ling and Weng Lam. But she didn't want to be like her mom, so she ended up being neither here nor there. And Ling is to be blamed too; before go hugging Sum and confusing her, why don't he just break off with Weng Lam first? Why make Sum feel so guilty when he himself want to break off with Weng Lam? Adopt the Nike way; JUST DO IT!

Back to civilisation after flooding of tears.

During dinner at mansion, grandma sternly and curtly said to 2 nosy relatives who were about to sit down for dinner "Did I say I welcome you both for dinner? Get out of my sight!" and so they dutifully left. Then Hung said to Cho Ba and grandma "Cho, recently there has been too many arguments and too many conflict. I know I am at fault here but I do feel there are just too many bad luck going on. Maybe it is time to liven up the atmosphere a bit..." and Sum said "Mother I am not going to get married yet!" and Hung said "I have always had this dream of having a wedding ceremony. Cho we have been together for so long but we have never had a wedding before and I have never worn a wedding dress before..." and Cho Ba surprised said "But aren't we too old to dress up?" and Hung sadly said "My greatest regret is never to have celebrated my love and my life with you" and grandma too agrees with Hung over the ceremony and Cho Ba wanted to please Hung said "Ok whatever you want. Plan it the way you want it".

So Hung planned. She was trying on a nice but too loose wedding gown when she told Cho Ba "Cho, I am planning to invite all the company's workers, top executives and all to celebrate this important day with us" and Cho Ba exclaimed "So many?" and Hung said "Why not?" and then Hung slyly said "Cho, I would like you to invite the children, your former father in law and even Hor" and Cho Ba shocked said "I don't think I should invite her. Why make it hard for her?" and Hung said "So that the public will see how we have reconciled and friendly we are. Cho, please invite her, do it for me..." but Cho Ba was very reluctant and said "I think we just have the ceremony without Hor there". Hung angry called nosy male relative and said "You know people in the publishing industry? Publish what I am about to tell you now..."

At the mansion Hung was in tears and upset. Cho Ba didn't know what was going on when Yuen came in very angry and said "Cho Ba, you have to read the nonsense the magazines are publishing!" and Grandma said she couldn't see much and Yuen read the headlines "A man stuck between 2 women" and "48 year old shamelessly keen to wear wedding dress" or something like that. Cho Ba was upset and said "Who told them?" and nosy relative began to talk when grandma told them to shut up but the son continued "I will say what I have to say Cho. Cho you don't even know what Hung went through. They are calling her names, saying she is so shameless to want to marry at this age..." or something like that and Hung said "All I want Cho is for you to invite Hor. Now I am being humiliated, my husband everyone says is keeping his ex wife as a mistress and I at the age or 48 wearing a wedding gown." and she ran off crying.

A few days later Hung was still upset and Yuen and Cho Ba went to console her and then Yuen asked "Mother you need to make a decision on the deposit to be paid for those few shops in China" but Hung said "I am too upset to think about business, I am having a headache" and Cho Ba then asked Yuen "The deposit for the new shops in China?" and Yuen said "Yes, we have only 3 days deadline and Mother isn't handling the matter anymore. No one knows the details" and Cho Ba looked worried.

At night Cho Ba went to see Hor Ma who wasn't there and grandpa was back in hometown visiting relatives. All the children were there, including Hing. Sa sarcastically said to Cho Ba "Good that you're having a wedding and all. How fantastic that you should stab sis in the heart again and again and again your heartless man!" and Cho Ba said "Could you please not aggravate the situation?" and Sa said "Fine. I promise sis I will tone down my noise level!" and Yuet asked Cho Ba "How's the wedding preparation?" but rather in a sarcastic way and Cho Ba said "Oh fine fine...". They all sat down at the dinner table and Cho Ba said to Hou "Hou, I hope you will all go to my wedding. Also Hing invite your husband and his mother, here's a card. Also Sa your card..and for father also...a card... and...for..Hor..." and Ka immediately blew up "Cho Ba! How can you do this to Hor Ma? Haven't you hurt her enough? Isn't it obvious why this woman is doing this? She wants to flaunt to Hor Ma how she won, how she got you!" and Cho Ba said "No no it isn't like that" but Hou angrily said "Cho Ba, I will refuse to let Hor Ma see this! You can't expect her to attend the wedding like everything is fine between the 2 of them! Why do you always do what she asks of you? Don't you have the power to say no?" and Cho Ba guiltily said "It is just a wedding...moreover she is not taking care of the company. The shops in China are in trouble, I have spent too much of my life in this company to let it be destroyed..." and Hou angrily said "Cho Ba, you have made Hing cried so much do you know that? None of us will go!" but Cho Ba said "Please Hou, do this for..." and Hou angrily said "Cho Ba, I am so disappointed in you! You could say no to her! But you seem to say yes to everything she says. Sometimes Cho Ba, sometimes I feel you're as obedient as a dog..." and Cho Ba looked down sadly.. and Hou threw down the invitation cards.

Pause here.

I feel whilst Hou has a point, he was out of line calling his father a dog. I kinda feel for Cho Ba here, stuck between 2 women. Probably he already knew the children will scold him for doing what he did. Obviously he is doing this for the company as well since Hung is running the company and now having a hissy fit and so jeapordising the company. Isn't it time Yuen is trained to takeover the company? They're too dependent on her. Anyway I also understand Hou's anger. How can Cho Ba ask Hor Ma to go? Whilst it is ok to invite your ex spouse to your wedding BUT Hor Ma and Cho Ba parted in a bad way and Hung hasn't exactly been the nicest person ever. Remember the slap? So Hou was right to be angry.

Then suddenly Hor Ma came back as Cho Ba was hastily leaving and she saw the the card on the floor and Cho Ba left.

At the mansion, Cho Ba was eating and Hung was still not there. Cho Ba declared "I have decided. I will from now on go back to the company and run things. Yuen get me the files so I can follow up" and Yuen undecidedly said "But can you Cho Ba? You have retired so many years already..." and Cho Ba proudly said "Who says I can't? Don't forget I built the company in the first place! If I have to choose between Hung and the happiness of my children, I have decided to choose my children!" and grandma proudly said "I agree. Moreover I don't want to see Hou upset!" and so it was decided and nosy relatives rather surprised at the turn of events.

Grandma really love Hou eh?

Cho Ba was carrying some stuff and talking on the phone about some documents the executives haven't faxed yet. Saying he needed the stuff by tomorrow for meeting ...

Pause here...

I was very impressed with the car boot Cho Ba was driving. It was like automatic, like touch one button and the boot will close itself! So impressed! Kinda distracted me for a moment...

Anyway Cho Ba fell down, hard. Hor Ma saw what happened and rushed to him but Cho Ba said he is ok. I will guess Hor Ma will swallow the insult and humiliation and gloating for Cho Ba.

During dinner, Hor Ma indeed declared to Cho Ba "Cho, I will be attending the wedding dinner" and Cho Ba was surprised and so were the children (Kelvin's there by the way) and Sa said "Sis I don't care if you say I am contributing to the noise level here but sis, are you crazy?" and Hor Ma said "I was outside the other day listening to someone who loudly called Cho Ba a dog. Who was it? Hou, I demand you apologise to your father now for your rudeness!" and Hou said "I'm sorry Cho Ba" and everybody also said sorry but Cho Ba said "It's ok... it's ok" and Hor Ma sternly said "Cho, it is not ok. Remember when we were having a hard time with the business and you had to take on a part time job making egg tarts at a restaurant. You were so sick with egg tarts that you sworn off egg tarts forever, remember? And yet you continued with the job. Why? Because you wanted the children to have a more comfortable life. That is the way it is with a parent. Cho, I deeply regret something... remember I fell down on the mini bus and I sprained my back?"

Pause here.

Oh yes, the one where Hou scolded Cho Ba sometime before for not helping Hor Ma and just sticking with that woman and Hou had to help at the shop...

"I remember you came by to see me and gave me $200,000-00 (or was it $20,000-00? Anyway a lot of money back then) without Hung knowing but I threw the money at your face. I deeply regretted my reaction Cho, because I realise you just wanted to do your duty as a father should. I should have let you do that..."

and all was very quiet as they listened to Hor Ma and Cho Ba was in near tears. It is true perhaps Cho Ba tried despite his limitations and Hor Ma may have been justifiably hard on him. The children understood what Hor Ma said and Hor Ma continued "Cho, I am going for the wedding dinner. The children may choose to go or not to go, but I am going..." and Hou said "Cho Ba, I am going too" and everybody confirmed they're going, even Kelvin and Sa who said "Ka Mei and Yan Chi are going too" and Hor Ma said "Remember to sit me with the old workers you're inviting, I like to chat with them, it has been so long" and Cho Ba looked at Hor Ma gratefully.

Dinner day. Big place, same as Hing's wedding but smaller scale. Hung looked gorgeous in her wedding dress, Cho Ba smart looking and when Hung heard the children and Hor Ma were here, she rushed to them and kinda gloated a bit. She asked where was grandpa and Hor Ma said "Father is out of town visiting friends". I think asking grandpa to go would also be a tad too cruel and too much. As Hor Ma was to be escorted to her place, Hung said "Oh no, the children and Hor should sit at the main table!" and Hor Ma knowing Hung would humiliate her nodded and the children knew what was happening.

As with most Chinese wedding, Cho Ba and Hung sang their song, happily. Sickening to Hor Ma and children clapped unenthusiastically. Then Hung gave a long speech of how she had dreamed of this wedding, how she spent and will spend the rest of her life with Cho Ba and again they repeated their song. But Cho Ba's mind was elsewhere. Cho Ba looked at Hor Ma who looked back and Cho Ba remembered when they were very young and dating (Shirley Yeung as Hor Ma, looked remarkably alike but 5 seconds scene, LUCKILY) and Cho Ba slipped and in the ambulance Cho Ba was afraid of going blind and all and Hor Ma as the younger self said "I will tell father to retain you. Don't worry, even if you're blind, you can still make pastries" and then he remembered the day they delivered the patries at a wedding that I mentioned before much earlier and he remembered how happy he was and suddenly Cho Ba began to cry. Hung didn't notice, too busy gloating and Cho Ba cried as he looked at Hor Ma who noticed he was crying and she looked on sadly.

Pause here.

I kinda pity Cho Ba here. He remembered he loved Hor Ma and he remembered the past and it was rather sad as he knew he is stuck with Hung, probably because of the business more than the fact he loved Hung. HK has no divorce is it?

Anyway then the children were up there and sang their own favourite song (the one sang to Hing) and to toast the couple and when I say couple not the couple you think! Ka took the lead, stepped out and whilst toasting said "This is a toast to my father and my mother on their happiest day..." and Hung thought he was referring to her when Ka continued "To Cho Ba, my father and to my mother..." and he toasted Hor Ma. Then each children except Yuen I think toasted "To my father, and my mother" and they all toasted at the direction of Hor Ma as they all said "Happiness and togetherness always..." and Hor Ma a bit surprised and Hung was behind there, fuming at the public humiliation...

Next episode, Ka Mei is up to no good and poor Yuet suffers from Ka Mei's meaness whilst Ka is still hots over her physically...

That last scene was quite a direct insult to Hung. But then she deserved it. Why she must go to such great lengths to make it as uncomfortable for Hor Ma? Obviously the children all grown up would stand up for Hor Ma. I do pity Hung sometimes. I feel she has played her cards all wrongly. I have no doubt if she had been genuine with the children and not do all those little despicable things along the way, Hor Ma would no doubt be very friendly with her and even count her as a friend despite what happened for the sake of the children. So Hung moved the wrong pawn so to speak. And from how Hor Ma said, Hor Ma must have had quite a temper when she was younger, how she threw the money at Cho Ba who deserved the money thrown at her.

I especially enjoyed watching the scene where Cho Ba cried looking at Hor Ma. What a stupid man to throw away a perfectly good wife and wonderful marriage for a moment of lust and he knew it and she knew it and they both knew it. Hor Ma did what she did for Cho Ba and I think Cho Ba recognised that.

But still... Hung is not despicable enough. I want to see her anger unleashed in a more meaningful way, not doing small small stuff.

Anyway, everytime I am about to give up on this series because it is becoming way off tangent, comes this sort of episode to pull me back. An interesting episode except for that flooding of tears scenes.

Performance wise, however I dislike how Sum turned out to be, I feel Linda Chung gave a strong performance tonight. She can really turn on the waterworks except I just don't like how she pursed her lips when crying and mumbling her lines. Charmaine Sheh is still the best crier at TVB but Linda Chung isn't that ugly at crying I must say. Just stop pursing those lips.

Michelle Yim looked gorgeous tonight and that final scene she looked like she was ready to murder them all! Good performance.

The young ones are ok, significantly Raymond, Moses and Tavia, these 3 havin something to do more than the others, with Raymond taking the lead and I thought he managed well the angry scenes.

But this episode belongs to Lee Sze Kei for her controlled and dignified performance as the woman with sense and heart that is Hor Ma. For a time I thought she wasn't the Hor Ma I knew until tonight when she was very concerned about Sa and even tend to disbelieve what was said of Sa and how she handled the Cho Ba situation with grace. I believe if Hor Ma really exists and I believe there are gracious woman such as Hor Ma in real life, she is not really as complained by other reviews the do gooder perfect never wrong preachy Hor Ma. She isn't preachy but she is just stating facts, highlighting her own weaknesses, other's weaknesses and why she feels how she feels. Hor Ma is such a wonderful woman, such a reasonable person who as she grew older began to regret her younger days' actions. Like how she regretted her hatred for Cho Ba and all. What a giving woman and Lee Sze Kei, a woman with a kind face really owned this character and tonight really gave Hor Ma a very gracious and elegant representation. She can also be stern and sometimes way too quiet... I can't praise her enough...

And Har Yu also ruled this episode. His quiet guilty looks as Raymond's Hou scolded him was such good acting, but it was the crying scene as he looked at Hor Ma, the face filled with not just guilt but deep regret that said clearly what a fool Cho Ba was was such supremely great acting. I may not like Har Yu much because he tends to giggle too much and I definitely do like Cho Ba much but Har Yu gave Cho Ba a very human face today, a deserving feeling of regret. It was to me a great performance.

By the way did Shirley Yeung appeared in this series prior to this episode? I think I can stand her 5 seconds acting but beyond that... just glad she didn't appear much.

A very good episode, emotionally charged. When will Cho Ba return to Hor Ma? I am sick of anticipation, not because I want it to happen but because I want to see Hung going all out to destroy Hor Ma which would make for good drama.

Best scene? Not the toasting scene. That is just for pure dramatic reason. I like the subtle one...

I remember you came by to see me and gave me $200,000-00 (or was it $20,000-00? Anyway a lot of money back then) without Hung knowing but I threw the money at your face. I deeply regretted my reaction Cho, because I realise you just wanted to do your duty as a father should. I should have let you do that...

- Hor Ma to Cho Ba

I never did ask any of you this. So I am going to.

1. Any absolute favourite scene up to this episode? Even if you haven't seen, pick one from my episodic thoughts. Do share why...

2. Due to the lack of comments or rather overwhelming comments, I am just curious, to those who has seen and those who have not seen the series, what do you think of my episodic thoughts? Does it refresh your memory? Does it fill in the blanks for you? Do you find them helpful and informative? Or you find them rather pointless and draggy?