Frost_edelweiss

You are describing the surviving clan traditions. I think this is much more constrictive in South East Asia than in China proper, where many historical movements bashed some of this outlook, although yes, it does survive in part for the "very rich" and connected.

If it is just "common folk", 老百姓，it is somewhat easier, although not always. If the partner is eldest son even from working or middle class : he'd have to be assertive and set boundaries clearly to go about with personal choices, which is not necessarily unfilial.

What is more unusual is to keep the daughter so much "on the leash" when she is past 25.

Also that said daughter agreed complacently to such a situation, so we can say Chenghuan is indeed in part responsible for what happened. Sure, she could not demand independence when she was 9 years old as the mother shouted, but she could have, at 22, or 23, shortly after she started working and earning her keep, instead of keeping her baby room at home, forcing her brother to make do with a folding cot between a window and a curtain.

Sure, renting an apartment to live in, in Shanghai, is outrageously expensive, but it is not a valid excuse for a courageous person.

Zhang Jingyi has risen meteorically (as I foresaw since Fall In Love and Lighter and Princess).
Yang Zi (not Zhi) is top too, but a costume romance does not necessarily top a modern one. It just happens that the modern one is, this time, less easy to binge watch than the costume one for various reasons, not so sweet as say, The Oath of Love which overtook costume dramas in the race to #1 at the time it aired.
Both Xu Kai and Hu Yitian have fans and haters. Since I hate no one, I watch them all, with pleasure, even mentioned in TLoSL comments that I was moving on from zhaozhao to aoao for next watch (and from dear Lin Gengxin to Xu Kai who is maturing and seldom shy, lol).
But I agree that BIA (and TLoSL) are the most outstanding for a good time drama watching, at this moment.
I believe Best Choice Ever will rise in ranking, once interaction between Xu Kai and Yang Zi reaches something different from now, with more than budding chemistry at least. To me it is already a story that I am eager to watch unfold.

Right. I had taken note of Zeng Li who also did "difficult mother" roles (she can also play deliciously doting one) or surrogate mom like the Immortal leader of the Legend of Shen Li.
Now I will also remember the name of He Saifei.

I was wondering if the still wet sheet had slipped from her hand when she waved the drops away, to fall on the ground so they'd have to re-wash it ! lol

of course, this is drama and not at all slice-of-life.

You mean the Xin sister? She wants the father and brother-heir to keep supporting the family with money, so that's why she meddles shamelessly, despite being married in another family (why she keeps living and eating at home with the Xin is somewhat of a mystery : perhaps she hates her in laws, after she did that business alliance marriage?)

you are watching BIA too, right ? :)
well other times, other mores, and pretty independent ladies in both.
BIA ranked #1 for this week and BF remains in the top ten webdramas :))
TLOSL remained top in the TV category to my approval, although as I wrote elsewhere, I would not mind it if WOF got top, just still content with its remaining #2 in that category, despite both have finished first run.

I find this drama very interesting in its direct use of some dialogues in Shanghainese! (ep.13-15 between Chenghuan's dad and mom when they get "heated up" lol)

Shanghainese is a form of Wu language, which is not at all that close to Yue (" Cantonese"). Perhaps the familiar feeling for some comes from the fact that Wu is a 5 tone language whereas Cantonese has 6 tones. Putonghua "Mandarin" has 4 tones, the "Meixian" dialect of Hakka which is spoken in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, also has 4 tones, but that does not make it any closer at all to putonghua...

Here is a map of the main "dialects" or languages in China btw :
https://ai.glossika.com/blog/introduction-to-tones-in-asian-languages#tonetable
(to which should be added the "minority languages" that often coexist.)

First time I noticed some slightly familiar Wu (I don't speak it but have family in the Jiangnan, so can understand some, from elders talk between themselves) was in "Forever and Ever", when the ML was speaking half and half with his teacher in Zhenjiang and with others in Wuzhen. But. It is well known that Wu is one of the most "dialectal" of the language areas. Each town has its variety!

Shanghainese is one -- or was, traditionally, because putonghua, like in most areas has been largely introduced as the language to learn in schools, so it is mostly old or peasant people who speak it now, despite (contrary to a fluctuating period where it was looked down on and discouraged in schoolyards) there now is some movement to preserve the unique language heritage. Young adults may understand it, but might answer in putonghua even inside family.

Still, a language never keeps isolated and in a time stasis : it is always evolving, whether it is dialect or recognized language. Depending on type of employment etc, there will always be variations.

Available now on the YoYo English channel with English + Chinese double subtitles :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4iwS4Juxf4
(ongoing new release)

Interesting theory. There will be some suspense to look forward to ! 🫢

Glad to see we both enjoyed XK in AMA 🤗.

Yes, there was the one for the Hua Family, https://mydramalist.com/photos/WP3pjW_3

and I just added the one for the Gu Family and Character relationship https://mydramalist.com/photos/1wEDk6_3

This one has a nice folk song feel tune !
Lyricist: Tian Xing (天行)
Composer: Shi Dong Ying (石栋颖)
Singers/Artists: Zhang Yun Jia (张耘嘉) & Zhang Le Jia (张乐嘉)
and of course, MV with Hanzi, pinyin and translation to English by Peachey Blossom

I don't agree. For people (men or women) who already have some property, or savings, even without being more than middle class, it can be a reasonable protection,for instance if a spouse becomes insolvent for a bad business deal or bad money management. It can offer a protection for the family so both spouses don't end up having to liquidate all they have in case of trouble. Depending on country's laws, it may be useful to have the safeguard of a contract, prenup, or trust outfit to keep some assets out of the in common marital property. It is quite ordinary to do so in some Anglophone countries and Europe such as France, not only America. Of course it must be discussed dispassionately, since it may reveal an inequality in financial terms and also differences in perception of the role of each spouse in the marriage.

Thanks ! Adding the link in the Notes for those who read them, and in case this gets lost in the avalanche of comments !
It was good: 2hrs+ entertainment and with subtitles :)

I was looking for it but only found the announce on YouTube ; do you have a link for it please ?

The composer Yang Bingyin 杨 秉音 has really created wonderful tunes, the BGM record is great, and also the Bicang battle song, the Wang Heye song (famous "leaf music tune" in the drama).
The other songs, composed by others for Zhang Bichen, Zhou Shen, Liu Yuning, are also very good.

Is that's so where you live ??? 🙄

AIRING NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtEh9V02VLA

one minute for WTM's airing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtEh9V02VLA