Memoirs in China
Season 1
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, in a small town in the south, Cao Ruqi, the outgoing county magistrate, was on the verge of death, surrounded by a large pot every day to make up for himself. He had a secret wound in his heart, that the little servant "Ear" was the son of Mrs. Cao and a tenant. Cao Guanghan, the second son, returned from Europe and aspired to revitalize the national industry. After several years, he finally created the Chinese own matches. But Cao Guanghan was arrested and imprisoned for naming matches "Guanghan" (meaning "Revitalizing Han" in Chinese) and was killed by the Qing government. His wife Zheng Yunan fell in love with a Swedish mechanic and gave birth to a child. However, she couldn't bear feudal oppression and jumped into a river to commit suicide. Zheng Yusong, Zheng Yunan's brother, is a member of the anti Qing organization Blue Scarf Association. Due to his misjudgment during an anti Qing operation, the Blue Scarf Association became suspicious of him. The Blue Scarf Association kidnapped his family and coerced him to assassinate a regimental commander. In order to save his wife and children, Zheng Yusong paid a heavy price and was forced to leave home with his family to join the revolutionary army and become a junior officer. The loyal "Ear" became matured after experiencing the bizarre life. After knowing his background, he walked into the Cao family as the master.
