Cruel and impotent fabric dyer who notoriously beats his wives to death. He abuses Ju Dou, suffers a paralyzing stroke after learning of her infidelity, and attempts to kill the newborn Tianbai. Later drowns in a dye vat while watching his son laugh.
A prominent household figure in the village, Master Zhao angrily rejects A Qiu's claim of kinship after A Qiu hears that his son has passed the scholar's examination. He forbids A Qiu from using the Zhao name, making clear that he will not accept A Qiu as family. His household is later looted during the upheaval.
A Shanghai opera theater manager who buys Chunhua and Yuehong’s contracts from A’Xin and makes them leading stars. He abandons his aging former lover Shang Shuihua, keeps Yuehong as a mistress despite proposing marriage, and tries to ruin Chunhua’s reputation by coercing Yuehong to testify against her. He later flees to Taiwan with the KMT cohort.
Li Wei has 27 screen credits in a career dating back to 1950. Signature works include Ju Dou, 佛光侠影, The True Story of Ah Q. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
