River of Wine (2011)

All members of the wine industry in Jiujiang are busy preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival ritual, yet the Wine Guild Chairman SUNG CHING-YIU has not yet turned up, causing a chorus of grumbles from his uncles SUNG TO and CHU KWOK-HUNG. YIU is actually having an audience with the Canton Prefect CHOW SAI-FUN, in an attempt to enlist his help in fighting against the corrupt Magistrate TSANG KIN-LEUNG. LEUNG CHING-HONG, LEUNG SAU-YIN and KWAN WAI-LAN of the Leung Kei River Food Stall are busy cooking, in the course of which LAN encounters a problem but HONG manages to get it round soon afterwards. Leung Kei and Tsui Yau House are bidding for the catering contract for the Dragon Boat Festival and both agree to take part in a cooking competition. The two entrants are neck-and-neck and YIU is about to cast his deciding vote. Leung Kei ends up winning the bid……

TO reminds YIU that he is no longer a member of the LEUNGs and should stay out of the dispute for the sake of the SUNGs. YIU comes to see LEUNG with the supporting documents, urging him to release HONG as soon as possible. His request is not granted, so YIU offers to pay LEUNG a sum of money, with which he hopes the dispute will soon be resolved. LEUNG is so angry with YIU that he has HONG beaten up severely, in a bid to coerce him into making a confession. PIK is shocked to learn that TO has incited the manager to store up all the necessary food ingredients so that the LEUNGs will not be able to make decent dishes for the Dragon Boat Banquet. LAN has prepared an array of dishes for the banquet but the attendees insist on trying HONG’s cooking. Luckily YIU and HONG manage to come back just in time. The LEUNGs arrive at Sze Yuen Winery which they purchased earlier, and are all surprised by its remoteness and inaccessibility……

CHING burns her dowry after returning home, saying that she has no more expectations of marriage, which worries YIU no end. HONG is heading for Canton to purchase rice. Along the way he runs into CHING again, who has secretly run away from home. To protect her from being harmed, HONG decides to stay with her. YIU discovers that all the essential ingredients for wine making have been withheld by LEUNG. Although LEUNG allows YIU to get them back, the ingredients end up being all destroyed by the magistrate in secret. CHING is sent to the brothel by the abductors, but finally gets rescued by HONG with the money he was going to use for the purchase of rice. YIU locates CHING’s whereabouts and decides to go to Canton at once to look for her. CHING is completely shocked when she sees the famine victims fighting for the rice. Among the famine victims is a little girl, who is wandering around looking for her mother……

YIU finally finds out the truth and the misunderstanding between the brothers is soon resolved. While enjoying the tea eggs together, both YIU and HONG recall their childhood days with LAN. The brothers get inspired by the food stall owner and decide to make wine yeast with bay leaves. CHING has dropped her wallet, and HONG offers to help look for it and the bamboo tag kept inside. CHI-TSUN who has stolen CHING’s wallet is shocked to see the bamboo tag. Immediately he recognizes it as a gift he made for his younger sister when he was a kid. Knowing that his family is still alive, TSUN is resolved to go back to Jiujiang to seek reunion. YIU is still having a bad cough, so PIK offers to cook him some herbal soup. YIU notices that PIK’s bracelet has gone. Although PIK does not say much, YIU quickly realizes that the bracelet has been passed to CHEONG for debt settlement……

YIU is still having a nasty cough, which worries PIK no end. In the name of the Jiujiang Wine Guild Chairman, YIU has bought HONG a set of wine utensils as a gift to celebrate the grand opening of Sze Yuen Winery. This has come as a great thrill to LAN. Due to its remoteness, Sze Yuen Winery has failed to achieve satisfactory sales on its first day of operation. But instead of grumbling, HONG asks NGAU and YIN to look for a fresh water source for wine making. YIN and NGAU find the severely injured TSUN at the riverside and immediately bring him back to their house for recuperation. TSUN notices how YIU has rejected a winery owner’s credit request outside Tsui Lung Winery, leaving him a very bad impression of the man. As a token of thanks for the wine utensils, HONG treats YIU to a glass of fresh-brewed wine. YIU coughs up blood all of a sudden and is said to be suffering from tuberculosis……

KAM asks PIK which girl YIU would like to marry but PIK explains that YIU is not ready to tie the knot yet, as this would ruin the girl’s life for sure, whoever she may be. CHING who passes by has overheard their conversation. She suggests doing charity work in the name of the SUNGs, believing that this is another great way to ward off bad luck. TSUN sees CHING distributing free rice in the street and tries to reunite with her at once. Unfortunately he is regarded as nothing more than a con man and gets beaten up again. LOK-TO manages to get YIU some western medicine through his friend in Hong Kong, and YIU seems to be feeling better after a few doses. LEUNG reveals that he is going to attend the birthday banquet for the Honorable TUNG of the Imperial Household with the wine produced by the twelve wineries, taking it as a great chance to promote the Jiujiang wine. His proposal is enthusiastically supported by all winery owners……

LEUNG accompanies TSUN to the SUNGs’ mansion to seek family reunion. Following the reunion, YIU brings TSUN to the winery to have a look. Knowing that Tsui Lung Winery has been making wine yeast for the TING’s Lei Lung Winery, TSUN gets a little unhappy. YIU then explains to him why his father had to establish Lei Lung Winery at the very beginning. In an attempt to sow discord, TO reveals to TSUN how PIK’s family managed to occupy the SUNGs’ land by stratagem decades ago. NGAU and YIN go to get some fresh water for wine making, during which they get bullied and beaten up by Mr KAM, who is the owner of one of the twelve wineries of Jiujiang. As instructed by LEUNG, a group of policemen have come to arrest the TINGs on suspicion of fraud and murder, which worries PIK greatly. TSUN approves of how LEUNG handles the case, and thus gets rebuked by CHING and KAM for being so heartless……

CHING offers to cook TSUN some soup as an expression of encouragement. TSUN is resolved to serve the family and promises to do his best to make up for what is lost over the past two decades. HONG is looking for an illustrator who can help draw posters for his new wine, and CHING offers to lend a hand as gratitude for his efforts in saving YIU. TSUN stays in the winery overnight asking an old worker for tips on making wine yeast. The following day, he goes to see YIU in a bid to impress him by showing what he has just learnt. CHING is amazed at LAN’s excellent cooking skills, and would like to learn how to make fried rice with assorted ingredients. CHING asks PIK and YIU if she can use the kitchen in Tsui Yau House so that she can make a massive batch of fried rice for the poor. A rice retailer from Canton has come to see HONG asking about his relationship with CHING……

Fearing that they will offend LEUNG and get caught up in trouble, YIU urges TSUN to disclose FONG’s whereabouts as soon as possible. CHING locates FONG and has a word with her in secret. FONG is surprised to hear that LEUNG has come to the SUNGs’ mansion to look for her. Knowing that she has caused the SUNGs so much trouble, FONG is filled with regret. LEUNG asks TSUN out for a chat. Feeling touched by his love for FONG, TSUN finally reveals to LEUNG why FONG had to run away. TSUN and CHING manage to convince FONG to move to her late mother’s bungalow. On their way to the bungalow, they encounter a gang of bandits, who happen to be TSUN’s foster parents and their henchmen. FONG and CHING are kidnapped by the bandits. HONG who is collecting herbs nearby is shocked to discover that CHING and FONG have been kidnapped. He follows the bandits to their hideout and tries to rescue the girls……

Thinking that she has killed SHUN, CHING is scared out of her wits. HONG discovers that SHUN is still alive, so he tries to comfort CHING at once. CHING is very worried about TSUN while YIU, believing that TSUN is a good-natured lad, promises to find the best lawyer for him. TSUN is finally released and returns home safe and sound. He praises LEUNG for his perspicacity and apologizes to YIU for all the trouble he has caused. TSUN comes to Sze Yuen Winery with a pack of medicinal herbs. To avoid any further misunderstanding, HONG insists that he and YIU are two separate individuals and not related in any way. TSUN follows LAN to the riverside to have a water and wine tasting lesson. He purposely praises LAN for her extensive knowledge in wine making. But in return for his compliments, LAN suggests he should be more considerate with YIU……

TSUN blames HONG for causing the misunderstanding between CHING and Mr TSUI and in turn the cancellation of their engagement. He himself is also suspicious of the relationship between HONG and CHING. CHING reveals to PIK that she is in love with HONG but she understands that he only treats her as his little sister. FONG has bought CHING some hair ornaments and asks to join her for the free rice distribution. HONG has successfully purchased a Yixing clay vat from the pottery shop owner LAW, and offers to name his new wine “Wai Heung” in commemoration of LAW’s late wife. TSUN asks TO and HUNG out for a word, from whom he wants to find out more about the relationship between YIU and the LEUNGs. TO hints that someone has been casting a greedy eye on the SUNG’s property and will seek every opportunity to seize it……

Although his wine stall at the temple fair is doing quite well, HONG still looks so puzzled. YIU is shocked to the core when he knows that the final bidding price turns out to be so much higher than the original one. He has a word with LEUNG about this and comes to suspect that it is TSUN who has revised the tender application. TSUN admits everything and YIU warns him that the revised bidding price is so high that it will lead to a huge financial loss unless their wine is selected as the royal wine. CHING disapproves of TSUN’s business practices. She takes out the late Mr SUNG’s notebook and asks TSUN to have a look at the business guidelines their father has set for them. HONG and CHING have finally resolved the misunderstanding and become lovers. FUN and LEUNG are busy preparing for the royal wine selection session. FUN is so amazed at HONG’s creativity when he notices that his firecrackers have attracted such a large crowd……

YIU shows great support for CHING and HONG when he knows that they are dating. FUN is going back to Canton soon and LEUNG offers to hold a farewell dinner for him. Knowing that FONG has joined CHING for the free rice distribution campaign, FUN takes out a jade pendant and donates it to them. TSUN spots CHING painting a picture, and wonders if she can draw some promotional posters for Tsui Lung Winery as well. KAM goes to buy new clothes for TSUN, during which they discover that quite a number of their existing customers have ordered HONG’s Wai Heung Wine. TSUN notices the wind chime and the poster hanging inside HONG’s winery, both of which look very familiar. TSUN reveals to FONG that his poor education background has given him a strong sense of inferiority. FONG sympathizes with him and offers to be his private tutor. LAN is utterly shocked when she sees HONG and CHING distributing free rice together……

While YIU and LAN are having their reunion dinner, TSUN turns up suddenly and makes a formal apology to the LEUNGs. FONG would like to take a trip around Canton. For this reason, LEUNG has asked FUN to take care of her during her stay in the city, which FONG finds very annoying. YIU and PIK catch CHENG KAU-KONG, a foreman with Tsui Lung Winery, gambling with a group of workers. Later YIU and LOK-TO discover that more than 100 jars of wine have been stolen from Tsui Lung Winery. Knowing that YIU is looking to expand business, TSUN suggests he seek collaboration with an existing, well-established winery. YIU agrees with TSUN and asks him to look for a suitable business partner for their winery. TING SHEUNG-WING holds a birthday banquet at Tsui Yau House, in the midst of which TSUN urges the TINGs to return Lei Lung Winery to the SUNGs and rebukes them for illegally occupying their land for two whole decades……

HONG comes to ask the SUNGs for CHING’s hand in marriage. LAN and KAM do not say much about the arrangement while TSUN insists that HONG has to give up his own identity to become an adopted son-in-law of the SUNGs as requested by the late Mr SUNG. The two families end up failing to reach a consensus on this matter. FONG is furious to learn that TSUN has kept CHING under surveillance. FONG manages to break into the SUNGs’ mansion with her identity as the Magistrate’s daughter, and tries to get CHING out as soon as possible. The TINGs come to see YIU at Tsui Yau House asking for his help and YIU promises to repay part of the debts for them. TSUN delivers a batch of wine to Canton for the royal wine selection session but gets attacked by bandits along the way. The vat is broken in the confusion and the wine spills all over the ground. LEUNG has arrested the bandits but they insist that they were only acting under instructions……

PIK tries to intercede with YIU on behalf of the TINGs, hoping that he can return the brewery site to WING. Despite her persistent requests, YIU rejects her. TSUN has come up with a number of promotional campaigns for Tsui Lung Winery, and has impressed YIU a lot with his creativity and business mind. Wai Heung is the only wine from Jiujiang to be selected as the royal wine. Sze Yuen Winery has attracted hundreds of new customers overnight. According to LEUNG, Sze Yuen Winery needs to close down temporarily for quality assessment. LAN is afraid that such an arrangement will cause a substantial financial loss while HONG blames LEUNG for being too unreasonable and inconsiderate. CHAU sneaks back to the winery and tries to convince the police to let him in and get back the ingredients for wine making, but in vain……

TSUN feels so guilty about WING’s death that he turns to LEUNG for help. He fears that the truth about how they have framed WING will be revealed somehow, and his conversation with LEUNG is all overheard by LAN. PIK comes to know about YIU’s feelings for her. She explains to LAN that she and YIU have never had any secret affair, but LAN points out that even pure affection between the two is serious enough to constitute an offence. PIK decides to put up at a nunnery and entrust Tsui Yau House to CHING. YIU goes to see PIK at the nunnery, still hopeful that she will have a change of heart. Tsui Yau House is doing well under CHING’s supervision, but the girl does not pay enough attention to her customers’ dietary habits and causes one of YIU’s clients to suffer from skin allergy. TSUN decides to organize an arranged marriage for CHING as soon as possible, which infuriates her no end……

HONG tells CHING that they can finally get married. Having learnt about TSUN’s request, CHING flies into a rage and rebukes him for taking advantage of HONG. As YIU is still unclear about TSUN’s motive, HONG has already made up his mind. Not wanting to close down Sze Yuen Winery indefinitely, HONG finally agrees to TSUN’s request. TSUN is busy preparing dowry for CHING, and KAM suggests giving her a certain number of shares in Tsui Yau House so that she can enjoy a higher status in her future husband’s family. CHEONG who is dressed in mourning clothes has come to wreak havoc at CHING’s wedding. HONG forbids TSUN to dismiss the old workers unless he is willing to pay every one of them three months of wages as compensation. HONG reveals that he would like to sell the remaining 40% stake as well as the wine license to TSUN. HONG takes CHING to the riverside, confiding that she is the only thing that matters to him……

YIU asks HONG out for a word. HONG says that there is nothing to regret now that Wai Heung has become the only royal wine from Jiujiang. FONG warns TSUN that CHING will get angry with him and the two of them will not be friends any more if he really manages to acquire Sze Yuen Winery. Knowing that Sze Yuen Winery is allowed to reopen soon, TSUN is gearing himself up for a few big projects. YIU goes to see FONG at the garden, during which he asks her to stay with TSUN and guide him back to the right path. TSUN comes to Tsui Yau House stating that he will give all the shares of the restaurant to CHING as compensation. Upon requisition of the restaurant, HONG and CHING rename it “Reunion House”. LAN and her family have made some new desserts with the lees. Inspired by the desserts, HONG decides to apply for a new wine license for the sale of a new wine……

YIU goes to see PIK at the nunnery. Knowing that YIU has found CHEONG, PIK decides to move to the Benevolence Hall so that she can look after her brother. Master YEE, one of Tsui Lung Winery’s most prominent customers, is not happy with the wine quality and needs YIU to pay him a great sum of compensation as stipulated in the contract. Fearing that YIU will find out the truth about the poor wine quality, TSUN turns to LEUNG for help. CHING falls down in a faint and is later found pregnant. The whole family is thrilled by the news while CHING is anxious about whether the baby will be born in good condition. YIU and PIK try to help CHEONG recall where the wine license is kept, but CHEONG manages to sneak away within a few seconds. YIU reveals to LAN that he would like to transfer a sum of capital from Tsui Lung Winery to Reunion House, so that TSUN will not lose all the money in one go……

TSUN discovers that HONG has launched a new wine and been issued with a wine license recently. LEUNG’s subordinates arrive at Reunion House and take off the wine license which they describe as fake. LAN is arrested, but luckily FUN comes along in the nick of time and offers to accompany her to the police station. HONG asks YIU out for a chat and shows him a jade pendant which CHAU bought him earlier. Looking at the jade pendant, YIU comes to realize what CHAU was really after. FUN and his friends come to see YIU. YIU promises to keep their identity secret, but would like them to move to the Benevolence Hall for security purposes. KONG tells TSUN that he is suspicious of the relationship between YIU and PIK. Knowing that YIU has arranged for FUN’s friends to put up at the Benevolence Hall, TSUN believes that he is trying to enlist FUN’s support……

YIU comes down with tuberculosis again. SIU MUI tells PIK that YIU is seriously ill, so PIK rushes back to the SUNGs’ mansion to have a look. While PIK is looking after YIU inside his bedroom, TSUN and the rest of the family come back. TSUN accuses YIU and PIK of committing adultery while KAM is willing to risk her life to prove their innocence. Not wanting to get KAM into trouble, YIU offers to step down as the family leader. LAN is shocked to see YIU lying unconscious outside the door, but is utterly thrilled to know that he can finally return to his real home. Shocked by the rumor about YIU and PIK, CHING asks to go back to her maiden home to find out what is happening, but is stopped by LAN. Accompanied by a group of relatives, TSUN goes to the ancestral temple and deletes YIU’s name from the genealogy book……

LEUNG and the rest of the winery owners hold a banquet at the brothel for TSUN, wishing him success in the Wine Guild Chairman Election and the Premier Wine Selection. FONG catches TSUN flirting with a prostitute inside LEUNG’s mansion, and LEUNG means to emphasize his bad side and describes him as a typical womanizer. YIU goes to meet a man in secret, from whom he learns that TSUN has spent a lot of money on the Premier Wine Selection. KAM cannot bear to see PIK tortured by TSUN, and decides to help her escape. TSUN is furious to discover that PIK has fled. HONG’s wine is highly appreciated by a customer, which makes him decide to export the wine to Southeast Asia for sale. While HONG is still puzzled as to how to get the export permit, YIU has submitted the application through FUN. HONG follows YIU to an inn and is shocked to learn that he has been in contact with revolutionaries……

Tsui Lung Winery is made to close down and TSUN hurries back to stop it. The police have come to search Reunion House for the name list of the revolutionaries. HONG manages to escape with the name list but is later caught on the hill. LAN is so worried about HONG that she turns to YIU at once. TSUN blames himself for misunderstanding YIU, and HONG reveals that TO and HUNG are going to drown YIU to death as the punishment for committing adultery with PIK. TSUN offers to take the blame for harboring the revolutionaries but is rejected by YIU, as he has promised the late Mr SUNG that he will protect every member of the family. Not wanting to be left alone for the rest of her life, PIK asks to be punished together with YIU. Before the execution, LAN recognizes PIK in public as her daughter-in-law, which has moved PIK to tears……