Bitter Vine

This film (drama)Also known as苦藤，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At1998Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin/Chinese，Current Douban rating0.0(For reference only)。

The beautiful actress Chaolai finds herself entangled in a complicated love and life tragedy involving her childhood friend and senior brother Chen Jixin, the bully Liu Zongxu who has taken over the Liu family, and the wealthy disciple Liao Qingyun who appears later. Throughout this journey, the identity of a "fallen citizen" acts like a cursed ghost, ravaging lives and altering destinies... The story takes place in the 1920s during the Republic of China, in the fallen citizen village of Bai Guo. The village girl Lv Huanzi, known for her beauty and skill, admires Huichang, who has quietly shed his fallen citizen status and now makes a living playing the flute in a traveling troupe. This causes Huichang's fallen identity to be exposed, leading to his torment by a heartless boss. However, the two eventually come together, and despite her husband’s unwillingness to leave behind a fallen “bastard child,” Lv Huanzi gives birth to a daughter. The son of the wealthy Liu family, who is paralyzed and infertile, adopts this girl. Liu Zongxu, the nephew of Mr. Liu, covets the family's fortune. He uses the son of Mr. Liu's cousin, Dao Minglang, to avenge his father—killing Mr. Liu and his son, seizing the Liu family's assets and his affair with the young mistress. Dao Minglang mistakenly kidnaps young Chaolai, thinking she is a descendant of the Liu family, leading Huichang, believing his daughter has perished, to commit suicide. Dao Minglang, assuming a new identity, arrives in the county and befriends the Jixin family, living in harmony. Unbeknownst to him, after Liu Zongxu seizes the family property, he becomes the county magistrate and discovers Dao Minglang, resulting in his demise. Thus, Chaolai is adopted by Jixin's parents and grows up alongside Jixin. Liu Zongxu becomes infatuated with the beautiful Chaolai, while she and Jixin share a pure childhood friendship. On the night of her coerced marriage at the Liu residence, Chaolai's mother, now a servant in the Liu household, recognizes her long-lost daughter from years ago. However, fearing that Chaolai will learn of her fallen citizen identity, she refrains from revealing herself. Chaolai eventually learns the truth about Liu Zongxu being the murderer of her adoptive parents and begins a frenzied quest for revenge. Chaolai leaves the Liu residence to return to singing on stage and unexpectedly reconnects with her former lover. Meanwhile, Lv Huanzi recognizes Jixin’s mother's identity and prevents the couple from marrying. Lv Huanzi also tries to match Chaolai with a wealthy young man. Devastated to learn of Jixin's fallen citizen status, Chaolai chooses Liao Qingyun. The malicious Ah Hu from the Liu household falsely accuses Chaolai and her mother of being the murderers of Liu Zongxu, leading to their imprisonment. In the struggle to save her mother and sister, she is killed by Chen Huaichang. On a rainy night, Chaolai gives birth to a son in prison. The weak Liao Qingyun, unable to save Chaolai, concedes to marry Chen Miaowen in exchange for the release of Chaolai and her mother. Lv Huanzi, in a lifetime of efforts to change her children's destinies, ultimately finds it all in vain and chooses to end her life by drowning in the river.