Riches and Stitches

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Riches & Stitches

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Cantonese: Fung Mo Heung Lo

Producer: Siu Hin Fai

Script Supervisors: Chan Ching Yee, Leung Wing Mui

Cast: Moses Chan Ho, Kwong Wa, Anne Heung Hoi Lan, Gigi Lai Chi, Melissa Ng Mei Hang, Marco Ngai Chun Kit, Michael Tong Man Lung

Siu Chun Hang (Moses Chan) has an indescribable feeling towards chipaos. His first chipao was created for his most beloved, princess from the last dynasty Bo Chui Lung (Anne Heung). Hang's altered design for Lung is widely acclaimed and his business develops from there and the rises and falls of his life are threaded through each stitch he makes.

Lung is secretary to a member of the gangster organisation and nightclub owner Wing Ho Tung (Kwong Wa). In order to help Hang develop his business, Lung encourages him to design a chipao for the song and dance troupe leader Lang Heung Ling (Melissa Ng). Despite the initial successes, Hang's business does not run smoothly and he is troubled by his brother Chun Cheung (Michael Tong) who almosts causes the downfall of the business.

As Hang holds out no hope on life, Cheung's ex-girlfriend singer Hoi Tong (Gigi Lai) stays by his side. Lung and Tung also do all they can to help him regain his confidence...

Cast:

Siu Chun Hang - Moses Chan Ho
Bo Chui Lung - Anne Heung Hoi Lan
Siu Chun Cheung - Michael Tong Man Lung
Siu - Woo Fung
Hoi Tong - Gigi Lai Chi
Pak Lan - June Chan Kei
Master Yeung (Troupe Leader) - Choi Kwok Hing
Lang Heung Ling - Melissa Ng Mei Hang
Wing Ho Tung - Kwong Wa
Sun King Tin - Lok Tat Wah
Boss Sun - Ko Hung
Commissioner Lumi - Ho Kwok Wing
Gangleader Chin - Lo Mong
Concubine Bo - Chan Man Na
Koon Chung Sing - Marco Ngai
Tai - Lam King Kong

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Episode 1

Shanghai, in the third year of Emperor Puyi. The cloth shop in the marketplace fluorishes and is awarded an imperial order for its quality and the Siu family celebrate the blessing, giving thanks at the family shrine. However news arrives that the Qing dynasty has been overthrown by the Nationalists and Siu Chun Hang's mother has died at the shock. A young princess in the palace buries a treasure box before fleeing with her mother.

Shanghai, in the 1920's. Siu Chun Hang works as a trolley puller, who is kind hearted and well-liked. On a chance occasion, he meets Chui Lung, who has returned for her treasure box. Seeing his good nature, Lung has a good first impression of Hang. Hang's father cannot forget the opulent days and spends all of Hang's hard earned money. Hang's brother Cheung starts work at the Phoenix Club and is worried about looking shabby. Hang helps him out, but warns him not to spend too much money. Hang sees Lung again in the park and he can't help stopping to admiring her as she works as a hostess. Hang pulls out his mother's dress to repair it and the brothers reminisce about their late mother. Cheung urges his brother to stop thinking about sewing so much and find a wife. Hang surprises him by asking how much it costs to hire a hostess.

A group of travelling performers move in next to the brothers and Hoi Tong catches the eye of Cheung. The troupe lose their performing snake and everyone looks for it. Cheung helps out and finds the snake in their house. Tong uses their mother's dress to catch the snake and Hang is very upset. As he uses ricewater to clean the dress, Cheung voices his admiration for Tong. The next day, Hang finds that the dress is missing from the drying rack and Tong is very apologetic. Hang's father has a seal stall, but he is very choosy over his customers barely earning enough to pay the protection racket. The troupe set up their display in the marketplace and perform to the crowds, but are still troubled by the triads. Cheung steps in using his boss' name to frighten them away, but Hang warns him not to get involved with the gangs.

At the European style nightclub - Phoenix, the upper class are wined, dined and entertained. Cheung works as a waiter and is set to calm diva Lang Heung Ling after passing on the news that the boss Wing will not be coming. Then Wing arrives and presents her with some earrings and flowers as she is pacified and prepares for her dance routine. She puts on a fine show for the guests and Wing, to whom she passes a few flirtatious glances. As she leaves with Wing, she passes Hang who is pulling his trolley and he recognises her cloak as being made from his mother's dress material. He chases after the car, but is mistaken as being from a rival gang. Pleading innocence, Wing checks his hands to see if he is really a trolley puller. Wing believes him and lets him go. Wing and Ling go to the noodle stand and they share supper. Some reporters ask for a photograph with Ling and she plays up her popularity. Hang goes for noodles and spotting Wing again, he runs away. On his way out, he witnesses Wing shooting the reporters who are assassins. Hang is horrified. Shaken, he tells Cheung what he has seen and tells him to give up his job. Cheung refuses, saying he cannot do any other job. Hang makes him promise not to get caught up in the gangs. Hang goes to ask the cloth shop owner for scraps and notices a finely embroidered gown. He offers to send it over to the customer who is using it as a uniform for their new restaurant. At the address, he notices Lung who is wearing his mother's dress.

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Hang tells Lung that the dress she is wearing belongs to his mother and he proves this by pointing out the stitching on the dress. Lung offers to return the dress that she bought from a clothes seller and Hang gets to know her, finding out that she is a princess from the last dynasty. It turns out that Lung and her mother are opening a speciality palatial restaurant and she promotes this with the local press reporter Bat Fan. He asks some awkward questions, but Lung manages to handle this. Hang manages to save enough money to buy his own trolley and he happily returns home to tell his father, sharing some of Lung's food with him, bringing back memories of better times. Hang and Tong find out that their young neighbour stole the dress so that he could buy food. Hang forgives him and gives him some money to them, leaving him with not enough money to buy his trolley. Cheung finds out and gives his savings to his brother agreeing to wear repaired clothes instead. Cheung tells Hang about his work and once again he warns Cheung to be careful around the gangs.

Playboy Tin is having a massage when Wing enters the parlour to catch an assassin. He warns Tin that he should give back a consignment that he has stolen from Gangleader Chin. Tin refuses and sends Wing away. Wing goes for a walk with his boss Sun and he reminds Wing that she should not make too many enemies in this world. Wing understands and reassures Sun he will help him to send his son Tin onto the right path. Sun, Tin and Ling go to Lung's restaurant to try their food together with the French commissioner Lumi. Meanwhile, Wing goes to see Chin on his own and is met with some hostility. He overcomes this and offers Chin double the lost tobacco as compensation and also recognition from the French commissioner. Sun reprimands Tin for his greed and Wing reports that he has made friends with Chin. Sun tells Tin to learn from Wing. Tin goes to watch Ling at the club and ignoring warnings about her relationship with Wing, he pursues her. Tong and Lan visit Cheung at the club and he offers them drinks as well as to take them backstage to meet Ling. Tin tries to ask Ling out on a date, but she refuses, saying she has arranged to meet Wing and he leaves angrily. Cheung takes Tong and Lan in to meet Ling and they are starstruck. Lan accidentally damages Ling's dress and Cheung offers to have it repaired for her. Ling agrees, but she says they must pay for it if it is not repaired. Cheung takes the dress to Hang, but he says he cannot mend it. Cheung says he will be killed if it cannot be mended and Hang says he will try his best. Hang goes to the fabric shop to buy some replacement material and uses more of his savings. He meets Lung there and they talk some more. He adds a flower onto the dress and Cheung and the others are forgiven by Ling. Lan and Tong want to meet the 'needle god', but Cheung refuses. Back home, Hang's father reads about the Palatial Restaurant in the newspaper and moans about the old days again. Hang is back at work and goes to pick up Lung. They have a chat on the way and Hang tells her he would like to take his father to her restaurant, but cannot afford it. She agrees to help him out.

Tin goes looking for Ling again, but in a drunken stupor he tries to rape her. Wing arrives and rescues her, telling him he should go home. Tin leaves, but their hatred grows deeper. On his way out Tin bumps into Hang and blaming him, Tin hits him and starts to destroy his trolley before turning the axe onto Hang.

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Just as the axe is about to strike, Wing steps in and sends Hang away. Cheung and his father arrive at the restaurant for the meal and meet Lung and her mother for the first time. Lung is called away and finds out what has happened to Hang. He is worried about Cheung's safety at the Phoenix club and Lung helps him to cover the injuries to hide the incident from their father. The family enjoy the beautiful dishes designed by Lung and Master Siu is very happy. Hang's boss is very understanding and agrees to let them pay him back in installments. Cheung senses Hang's feelings for Lung and offers him some tips on how to win his girl. They go to watch the acrobatic troupe, but one of the performers falls and is paralysed. Yeung is very distraught and wants to retire and decides to disband the troupe. Tong and Lan don't know what to do, but Lan finds an advertisement for auditions at the Phoenix club and suggests they should go and try. Tong is troubled, but Cheung cheers her up and drags her off to a hill to look at a view of Shanghai's nightscene. She tells him her problems and he encourages her to go for the job. The girls tell Yeung about their decision and he offers his support, they can't bear to see him leave and say a tearful goodbye to him.

At the audition, Ling comes to see how the girls are doing and she singles out Lan and Tong to do a solo demonstration. Tong has a very good memory and remembers the steps but Ling says she is not graceful enough. The girls are distraught and are upset when they return to find their troupe members have left. Cheung arrives to console them and says there is still a chance. Whilst recovering, Hang does some painting and asks Cheung about Tong and Lan. He suggests to Hang to ask Lung if there are any jobs.

Tong goes to help out a friend at the local noodle stand and a foreigner asks for directions. Lung helps out with the English and then asks Tong for directions to visit Hang. Tong offers to lead her to Hang's home and the two get to know each other. Lung drops off some medicine and Tong finds the painting of Lung. Hang is embarrassed, but Lung admires the rest of Hang's paintings. She offers to buy them from him, but he refuses to take money from her. Lung's mother goes to meet some rich ladies to play Mah Jong and she wins on behalf of another lady, earning a tip along the way. She is invited along to a casino and goes along hesitantly. Tin owns the casino, but when he is refused a sum of money by order of Wing and Sun, his anger is stirred up once again. Koon Chung Sing has just arrived in the city and meets Tin for a job interview. Whilst he is waiting, Tin loses all his money and sends Sing away to get cleaned up.

Hang sets up the painting stall at the advice of Lung and Cheung helps him to set up. At this time, Tin's car speeds past with little concern for people in the street and Hang's paintings are ruined. Late for his appointment, Tin beats his driver before going into the restaurant, frightening Sing greatly. Sun forces Tin to apologise to Chin and he is even angrier as he lets off steam at Phoenix. The manager sends Cheung to go and serve Tin. He recognises Cheung from earlier on and forces him to polish his shoes. As he kicks Cheung, Sing steps in to help and sends him away. On his way out, Cheung finds a wallet and as he is about to hand it back, Tin arrives and accuses him of stealing it.

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Tin provokes Cheung into admitting he wanted the money and decides to teach him a lesson. Even Ling cannot help him and Sing feels very guilty as Cheung is tied to Hang and suspended from the side of a building. The two brothers struggle for their lives and Wing arrives, handing Hang a knife to cut the rope. Wing and Tin bet over whether Hang will cut the rope and through this, tricks Tin into helping Hang to pull Cheung back up. Wing and his assistant Tai recall the events and Wing admits he admires the brotherhood between Hang and Cheung. Wing goes to visit Ling and suggests she should give up her job and be with him, but she insists on making her own living, he smiles and invites her to the ball at the French Embassy.

Tong and Lan are successful and are accepted into the dancing school and hearing rumours about prostitution they are afraid and want to withdraw. Ling appears and tells them that the reason for their selection is down to their talent and they will not be forced into anything. She warns them that if they are not up to standard then they will be dismissed. Their first task is to learn to walk in heels and cut their plaits. Lan and Tong are determined to succeed and Hang and Cheung support them. Wing comes to look for Hang and offers him a job. Hang is frightened and refuses blankly. Hang leaves and the brothers wonder what will happen next, but Hang says he would rather die than join the gangs. Mrs Bo is introduced to Wing at the casino and borrows $200 to gamble, her addiction becoming stronger under the encouragement of her friend, Mrs Ma.

Mr Ma makes advances towards Lung and she refuses him. She goes to find Hang to ask him for some paintings and as she leaves, Tin arrives and tells him he will protect anyone who refuses Wing's offer. Wing and Tai discuss the success of their plan and Wing meets Sing, they exchange words but Tin sees them talking and beats Sing, making him bark like a dog and ridiculing him. Sing wants to follow Wing, but his relative tells him that he must serve his master who is Tin. Sun overhears this. He goes for a meal with Wing and admires the restaurant owner's son for inheriting the family business. He is full of regret that his own son cannot win his trust and he intends to pass his inheritence to Wing. Wing promises him to help make Tin better.

Ma wants to give Lung a house, but she refuses. She is spotted by Mrs Ma and her friends who scold and slap her, but Hang comes to the rescue. They encourage each other to carry on with their work and overcome their fallen circumstances. Hang talks to his father who has just met a professor in history and he goes to meet Professor Yu, introducing him to Lung. It turns out that he used to serve the Imperial court and he helps them to promote their business. Lung thanks Hang and he tells her he intends to continue selling paintings as he develops feelings for her. Lung finds out that they have lost a lot of precious ingredients and the housekeeper says that her mother has taken the money to pay the bills. Lung goes to see Mrs Ma, looking for her mother and is met with more harsh words as she finds out that her mother owes a lot of money. Lung goes to look for Wing and Tai tells her that she must find $3000 to repay her mother's debt. She seeks the help of Hang and says that she must go to the French National Day ball to find Wing, but she does not have a dress to wear. When Hang hears this, he goes home and starts cutting up his mother's dress.