Plain Love (1995)

China is an agricultural country. The relationship between Land and Men is so close that passion germinates in men's hearts in the presence of land.Moreover land draws people together and "Plain Love" aims at showing this particular idea. In 1990s, real estate becomes a new business in Tung Kuen. However there happens a touchinq story of a woman protecting the land. LAU AH CHOI is an old woman and she protects the land for love, hoping that her husband will return one day. FONG SHU KAN returns but he is unable to recognize CHOI. Does it imply that CHOI's efforts are in vain? CHOI is confused and memories recall in her mind. CHOI helps her father in the field and learns to be fearless. However her life changes. As her father wants to save a villager, he is swallowed in a flood...

With CHOI's help, her father is not drowned. However the flood has destroyed their home. They are forced to leave and at last her father is killed. CHOI family has lost the main support and they have to wander from place to place. CHOI's mother is tricked and her brother is taken away by tricksters. Her mother feels guilty and kills herself. CHOI becomes a lonely gir1. She se11s herse1f so as to bury her mother. She is bought by a landlord KWAN HOK YU and is adopted as KWAN TIN CHUEN's wife. However CHOI is told by fortune-tellers that her fate is not good and thus she is looked down upon by the others...

Time passes quickly and CHOI has grown up. She meets the second son of YU-YAM. Their huckleberry friendship continues. Being instructed by YU, VAM handles YU's land with his brother FOK. YAM meets KAN who does not like landlords and they have misunderstanding. YAM is tricked by KAN but he can overcome as CHOI assists him secretly. After the harvest, YU holds a banquet to celebrate with farmers. All enjoy the festive atmosphere. CHUEN loses his way and CHOI goes to find him. She is entangled by FOK who wants to rape her...

MAU arrives and spoils FOK's plan. ON the other hand, CHUEN falls into the river and is nearly drowned when he is playing. CHOI is blamed but she cannot tell what has happened. YAM suspects it and questions her. YAM finds that FOK wants to rape CHOI. He goes to tell YU. YU is angry and decides to make FOK get married so as to supervise him. FOK blames MAU and forces him to pay debt. As MAU has no way to escape, he and his family eat poisonous sugar soup so as to accuse FOK on FOK's wedding day.

MAU's unpleasant experience shocks the whole village. KAN leads other villagers to accuse FOK. YU is angry with FOK and he feels guilty. He asks YAM to handle the case. YAM does not know what to do. On the other hand, as CHUEN has not recovered, FOK's wife LAN advises to arrange the marriage between CHOI and CHUEN to bring good fortune. In fact she is discontented to know that FOK lusts for CHOI. YAM is shocked and he rushes to tell CHOI his love. CHOI does not know what to do. She is trapped in a dilemma - eloping with YAM or marrying CHUEN to cure him?

For CHUEN's sake, CHOI married him. However CHUEN dies during the ceremony. CHUEN's mother believes that CHOI has cursed CHUEN. She tortures CHOI and CHOI tolerates. FOK comes across KAN and KAN cannot tolerate his humiliation and fights FOK. Hatred grows in FOK's heart. YAM's eagerness touches CHOI and she promises to run away with him. FOK discovers their plan and tries to catch them.

In order to stop the love between YAM and CHOI, YU and the others decide to keep CHOI CHUEN's widow and appreciates her loyalty. YAM is locked up. CHOI receives no help and she jumps into the river. YAM thinks that CHOI has died. He is depressed and YU sends him to the city. In fact KAN has saved CHOI and sends to YU. YU does not know what to do and accepts LAN's advice to make CHOI marry KAN. CHOI is angry but she cannot escape. On the other hand, KAN sleeps with CHOI, being persuaded by his father, though he does not like her.

After sleeping with CHOI, KAN finds that CHOI is a virgin. He feels guilty but he does not know how to apologise. CHOI feels being hurt and wants to kill herself. Luckily she is stopped by YING - KAN's mother, who tells her that she should treasure her life. CHOI accepts the cruel reality. CHOI and KAN are laughed at by other villagers. KAN fights for CHOI's fame and CHOI knows that KAN treasures her. At last CHOI decides to stay with KAN to open more farm land.

CHOI Taints when she is working in the field. It is found that she is bearing KAN's baby. Everyone is excited and KAN takes good care of her. On the other hand, KAN's sister LAP CHUN is jealous. CHUN has left her boyfriend MI. Being fooled by FOK, she sells her soul and sleeps with him. She bears FOK's baby but FOK refuses to admit. Instead he asks her to have abortion. Luckily CHOI stops and saves her. LAN is jealous to learn about CHUN's case. She discloses the case and CHUN has to run away with MI. However she is caught by LAN. CHUN is sentenced to be drowned.

CHUN is drowned and MI is exiled. As there is no evidence to prove that FOK is involved, FOK is not punished. However YU is shocked and angry. YU asks YAM to return, hoping that he can handle his fortune. YAM returns and learns that CHOI has married KAN and is bearing KAN's baby. However he misses her. CHOI tries to stay away from YAM. In order to end YAM's entanglement, CHOI decides to talk to him. However she gives birth to a baby at the moment and YAM helps her. KAN arrives and this creates an embarrassing atmosphere.

As YAM has helped CHOI when she is givinq birth to the baby, this creates a scandal. YAM and KAN feel embarrassing. YU is sick and his wife's nephew MAN HIN knows that there may be a change in the master, he chases after KWAN SHEUNG SHEUNG and becomes YU's son-in?-law. He helps FOK and their behaviour makes YU so angry that YU dies at last. FOK is in charge Of the fortune. He treats the farmers bad. YAM is discontented and argues with him. However FOK does not listen to him. At last YAM leaves as he fails in his family and love affairs.

After YAM's leaving, FOK increases the rent and all farmers are discontented. MI returns to seek vengeance. MI leads the angry villagers to get into FOK's house. MI wants to kill FOK but FOK has escaped. CHOI learns the farmers' act and convinces them to give up the fortune taken from FOK's house. As there is a drought, the villagers do not know what to do. CHOI' s son is nearly stolen but is saved by KAN's father. However KAN's father is killed. As they want to stay away from famine, KAN and his family decide to run away.

KAN is unable to find a job in the city. For the sake 0f the family, CHOI works as a maid in a brothel. There she meets YAM who tries to help them. KAN is unhappy to see YAM. He wants to earn more money. He works so hard that he is exhausted and is hurt. CHOI becomes the pi11ar of the family. KAN feels inferior and indulges in gambling. A merchant lusts for CHOI and tricks KAN. KAN loses so much that he has to sell CHOI to the merchant.

The merchant goes to carry off CHOI. CHOI is shocked to know that she has been sold by KAN. CHOI is saved by YAM"s classmate YUEN SHAN. CHOI hates KAN and YAM tries to calm her down. Knowing that YAM admires CHOI, SHAN tries to bridge them. After consideration, CHOI decides to stay with KAN. Meanwhile as the drought is over, KAN wants to return to lead a new page of life.

In the village, KAN is disappointed to see that people are still struggling in the difficult t situation. One night, the KWANs are robbed. In fact MI leads the gangsters to take vengeance. CHOI begs him to leave the people. Having been helped by CHOI,MI leaves. The KWANs thank CHOI and they promise not to collect any rent from the farmers. Being led by CHOI and KAN, after a few years, the village becomes well off and KAN becomes the new landlord. YAM has not led a successful career and returns in despair.

YAM indulges in drinking as he has no hope in life. CHOI knows that she should be responsible and she encourages him. KAN also gives a hand as he has mercy on him. With KAN and CHOI's assistance, YAM is able to confront the real world again. This makes KAN feel being endangered. As convinced by HIN, KAN believes that YAM still loves CHOI, so he beats YAM up.

CHOI is angry with KAN's reaction and this widens the gap between them. HIN wins KAN's trust so that he can get KAN's fortune. CHOI suspects HIN and she and YAM discover that HIN has swallowed KAN's money. They want to tell KAN but SHEUNG beg them to give HIN a chance. HIN wants to run away so YAM goes to catch him. In chaos, HIN dies.

YAM thinks that he should be responsible for HIN's death. CHOI calms him down. Meanwhile KAN suspects the relationship between CHOI and YAM and they go out frequently together. Therefore KAN suspects that CHOI bears YAM's baby. KAN is shocked and changes his attitude. He forces the villagers to pay high rent. This sparkles off a rebel. The farmers avenge by kidnapping CHOI's new baby. Thinking that it is YAM's offspring, KAN refuses to pay for it. CHOI is in great anger but it is too late. Her baby has been buried in rice and dies...

CHOI loses her hope and decides to leave KAN. YAM learns it and goes to explain in front of KAN. KAN knows that he has misunderstood CHOI. He begs for CHOI's pardon but CHOI does not accept. Meanwhile FOK returns and he has become a captain in the troop. He wants to get KAN's fields and money but in vain. He uses HIN's death to frame KAN but his plan is spoiled by YAM. FOK has another trick. He recruits KAN and YAM into the troop and takes them away. As KAN is going to leave, CHOI rushes to see him off, showing that she has forgiven him. KAN asks CHOI to look after his fields and waits for him...

FOK does not let CHOI go. He entangles CHOI. CHOI feels helpless and LAN learns it. LAN has been helped by CHOI and she is angry with FOK's filthy tricks. At last LAN kills FOK but she dies too. After FOK's death, everything is all right in the village. In the battle?field, YAM and KAN help each other and they plan to run away. However KAN is shot and buried. YAM thinks that KAN has died. Time passes and CHOI has become an old woman. She is depressed when she recalls her unpleasant experience. On the other hand, YAM goes to see KAN, hoping that he can make KAN remember CHOI. KAN agrees to see CHOI and when they stare at each other, memory gradually comes back in KAN's mind. They grasp each other's hand but there is no need to use any word to explain. They look at the land which bridge them together.