[Episodes 8- 9] New beginning
Featured food: Steamed clams with wine
Aunty Lian is the only drunk guest that the diner boss will entertain. Her story starts with her many years ago, running away from a bunch of loan sharks. They were after her presumably to pay off the debt that her husband owed. Aunty Lian runs with Ah Zhang, her son in tow and finally reaches the beach.
In her desperation, she thought of committing suicide by drowning in the sea. She was halfway into the sea when Ah Zhang started to call her from the beach. She turns around and runs back to safety. She meets an old couple living by the beach who offered them some steamed clams. It was the best clams that she and Ah Zhang had ever tasted. From there, she decided to live a new life, to bring up Ah Zhang. Ah Zhang also promised his mother that one day he will carry her piggy back instead...
Back to the present, Aunty Lian is always drunk and demanding the diner boss to serve her steamed clams with wine. Diner boss doesn't want her to be even more drunk so he mixes the wine with water before steaming. Hahah! Aunty Lian complains that it is tasteless and even makes a ruckus with the other diners.
It is a normal everyday event for Aunty Lian. Diner boss will call Ah Zhang, her son. He will carry his drunk mother home each time. Yes, he is all grown up now! Ah Zhang is a school coach and he has a stable relationship with another teacher. Both of them had applied for a higher position in another school away from their current location. However, Ah Zhang had not told his mother about his future plans yet.
To be honest, I find this story a bit unbelievable. What I mean is that if Aunty Lian had worked as a bar singer or nightclub hostess, so being drunk all the time can be acceptable. However, it is narrated that she had worked as a truck driver, delivering goods such as chicken and eggs throughout the night in order to bring up Ah Zhang. She even saw him through to university and he is doing well now.
That's why I find that it doesn't make much sense. Unless the writers are trying to say that Aunty Lian is suffering the empty nest syndrome that's why she started to drink. Again, as a mother you would know that someday your son will get married and have his own family. I really don't get this part.
Anyways, to cut the story short... Ah Zhang had to make the ultimate decision. To choose his girlfriend or continue living with his drunk mother. He was so stressed out that one night as he was driving home he was hit by a vehicle coming from the right side. Aunty Lian's drunken world had it's abrupt awakening. She rushes to the hospital only to find out that her son is in a coma.
Aunty Lian wanted to commit suicide again... (I know right?! What's wrong with this lady! -_-) But this time she is stopped by the diner boss. He yells to her from the beach, offering her steamed clams with wine.
After some heartfelt chat with the diner boss, she decides to become sober again. The next scene shows her visiting her son in the hospital. It has been two months and Ah Zhang was still in a coma. Of course there is a happy ending! Ah Zhang awakes one day to a scene where he never saw before, his mother and girlfriend chatting together!
There is a celebration at the diner after Ah Zhang's recovery. The diner boss serves Aunty Lian a different style of steamed clams, ones steamed with ginger strips instead of her usual wine ones. Aunty Lian smiles and the story ends with her beginning a new life as a traveller. Ah Zhang and his girlfriend successfully moves to the new school as well.
I haven't seen so many steamed clams in a show before! Hahah!! Aunty Lian was eating so many clams... You would also wish that you can have a taste of it too!
No comments:
Post a Comment