Chen Mo and Meiting

This story about a young village boy and a girl from the city takes us to Beijing at the turn of the century. Chen Mo, who was brought up by his older brother after the death of their parents, is looking for work so he can pay for his brother’s operation. Meiting, who has just run away from her aunt and uncle, makes money as a hairdresser. The young couple, suffering from a lack of parental love, meet when Chen Mo is on the run from the police. He has been selling flowers without a permit and, to save them from confiscation, he hands them to Meiting and disappears. He returns for them the next day but the girl no longer has them, her callous boss having forced her to get rid of them. Both the disinherited children seek support from one another and so they devise a strange game: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the young man is to play the part of the girl’s father, while she looks after him as if she were his mother on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The small room they share is filled with laughter and song, but all games come to an end. Meiting finds refuge in the street in order to make extra money as a prostitute but soon realises the strength of their mutual feelings. Chen Mo tries to find her, but when he does, it is too late.