A man's journey from political exile and personal abandonment to finding belonging through community, family, and self-acceptance.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The Return and Estrangement
Elderly entrepreneur Xu Jingyou returns to China to find his estranged son. Initial meetings reveal deep wounds from past abandonment and conflicting life paths.
Key Events
Father's Return to China — Elderly entrepreneur Xu Jingyou returns to China in autumn 1980 to find his son. Location: Peking Restaurant
Estranged Reunion — Father wants son to inherit assets in US, but son remains distant due to past abandonment. Location: Peking Restaurant
Past Abandonment Revealed — Over 30 years ago, father left wife and son to pursue business in America. Location: America
Exile and Despair
Political persecution forces Xu into rural labor. Overcome by despair, he attempts suicide but is saved by the unwavering support of fellow ranchers.
Key Events
Past Abandonment Revealed — Over 30 years ago, father left wife and son to pursue business in America. Location: America
Mother's Death — Mother dies of disease, leaving Xu Lingjun an orphan and deeply scarred. Location: China
Early Teaching Career — After high school, Xu becomes a teacher, seeking stability and purpose. Location: China
Political Persecution — Classified as a rightist in 1957, sent to work in an underdeveloped ranch. Location: Northwest China
Ranch Exile Begins — Labor penalty ends in 1962, but Xu chooses to stay as a herdsman. Location: Chilechuan Ranch
Suicide Attempt — Overcome by despair, Xu attempts suicide but is stopped by fellow ranchers. Location: Ranch
Rancher Support — Ranchers provide courage and strength, helping Xu recover from his despair. Location: Ranch
Love and Rehabilitation
Marriage and fatherhood bring stability. Official rehabilitation restores his teaching career, yet his father's arrival reignites internal conflict.
Key Events
Rancher Support — Ranchers provide courage and strength, helping Xu recover from his despair. Location: Ranch
Cultural Revolution Protection — Guo Zi and others shield Xu from political persecution during the turbulent era. Location: Ranch
Marriage and Family — In 1972, Xu marries Li Xiuzhi and they have a son, Little Qingqing. Location: Village
Carefree Ranch Life — The family enjoys a peaceful life together, grounded in the ranch community. Location: Ranch
Official Rehabilitation — Xu is officially rehabilitated in 1979 and returns to his teaching post. Location: China
Father's Evening Visit — Evening meeting where Xu feels uneasy about his father's arrival and intentions. Location: Peking Restaurant
Reflection and Reconciliation
Weighing past trauma against present bonds, Xu chooses to stay. His father finally understands, leading to familial reconciliation and a return to ranch life.
Key Events
Father's Evening Visit — Evening meeting where Xu feels uneasy about his father's arrival and intentions. Location: Peking Restaurant
Internal Reflection — Xu recalls his past at the ranch and his wife's unwavering trust in him. Location: Ranch
Decision to Stay — Consolidated by family ties and ranch bonds, Xu decides to remain in China. Location: Ranch
Father's Understanding — Senior Xu finally comprehends his son's deep roots and chooses to respect his choice. Location: Ranch
Kinship Resumed — The two fathers and sons reconcile, restoring their familial bond. Location: Ranch
Farewell to Father — Father is sent home, leaving the ranch with a changed perspective. Location: Ranch
Return to Roots — Xu returns to his daily life, surrounded by his family and friends. Location: Ranch
Story Breakdown
Father's Return — Xu Jingyou arrives in China to reconnect with his estranged son and propose a move to America.
Estranged Reunion — Initial meetings reveal deep wounds from past abandonment and conflicting life paths.
Inheritance Proposal — Father attempts to secure his son as his business successor in the United States.
Past Abandonment — Decades of separation and loss shape Xu Lingjun's isolated and resilient personality.
Mother's Death — Mother dies of disease, leaving Xu Lingjun an orphan and deeply scarred.
Early Teaching Career — After high school, Xu becomes a teacher, seeking stability and purpose.
Political Exile — Systemic persecution forces Xu into rural labor, fundamentally altering his life trajectory.
Rightist Labeling — Classified as a rightist in 1957, sent to work in an underdeveloped ranch.
Ranch Exile — Labor penalty ends in 1962, but Xu chooses to stay as a herdsman.
Rancher Solidarity — The ranch community becomes a surrogate family, providing crucial emotional and physical support.
Suicide Intervention — Overcome by despair, Xu attempts suicide but is stopped by fellow ranchers.
Cultural Protection — Guo Zi and others shield Xu from political persecution during the turbulent era.
Family Formation — Personal relationships and fatherhood anchor Xu to the land and his new community.
Marriage to Li Xiuzhi — In 1972, Xu marries Li Xiuzhi, a village girl who fled the famine in Sichuan.
Birth of Little Qingqing — The couple gives birth to a son, establishing a new family unit at the ranch.
Emotional Resolution — Weighing past trauma against present bonds leads to a definitive choice about his future.
Decision to Stay — Consolidated by family ties and ranch bonds, Xu decides to remain in China.
Kinship Reconciliation — The two fathers and sons reconcile, restoring their familial bond after mutual understanding.
In 1980, Xu Jingshan, a wealthy Chinese-American businessman returns to China to find his son, Xu Lingjun, whom he had abandoned over 30 years earlier. Labeled a rightist because of his capitalist father, Lingjun has been forced to live as a humble herdsman on the grasslands. His bitter life has been transformed by a happy marriage to the wise and beautiful Xiuzhi, and more recently by his rehabilitation by the Party. When he goes to Beijing for their reunion, he discovers his father wants him to work for his chemical company in San Francisco. Lingjun tells the story of his life to his father, as he ponders his future.
