Strokes of Life (Chinese: 金枝玉葉; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kim-ki-gio̍k-hio̍h; lit. 'Golden Branch Jade Leaf') is a costume Hokkien drama set in 1917, then 1940. It was produced by Formosa Television in Taiwan and was broadcast in 2001. It starred Ye Huan, Lin Wei, Wang Mei Jun and Chen Guang.[1]
Plot
Season 1
Two brides, Yu Ye (Ye Huan) and Jin Feng (Mei Jun) met each other while on their way to their future husband. According to the costume, two brides meeting each other on their wedding day will bring bad luck. Thus, Yu Ye and Jin Feng wish each other a good marriage ahead. When Yu Ye reached her husband's house, Jin Feng was there also. Meanwhile, Shi Hua (Lin Wei) had no idea that he will have a double wedding that day.[2]
Season 2
Season 2 remarks the appearance of Qiong Mei (played by Ye Huan), Yu Ye's twin sister. She came to Taiwan as a Japanese woman with her fiancée, Zheng Chuan. It was discovered that she had lost her memory when Zheng Guang attacked Yong Hui.
Season 3
Season 3 remarks the aftermath of Qiong Mei's suicide and the rising Of Wang Ying Tai.
Season 4
23 years later, in 1940. Jin Feng is mentally unstable. She hates Ming Feng (her son with Ying Tai) but focused all her motherly love to Jia Sheng.
Cast
Main characters
Original
Actor
Character
Earlier Plot
Later Plot
Ye Huan
Hong Yu Ye
Protagonist, Shi Hua's second wife
lost her daughter when Ying Tai sets fire on her house, went to other town with Yong hui to visit her mother
Shi Hua's first wife, Yu Ye's step sister, hates Yu Ye, later reconciles with Yu Ye during Lin family's destroyal
rapped by Ying tai while asking about Shi Hua, 23 years later, has mental problem, hates her son (Ming Feng) of Ying Tai's seed
Chen Guang
Xie Yong Hui
Qiong Mei's fiancée
Brings Yu Ye to live with Cai Lian in other town
Secondary characters
Reprising characters
Character(s)
Descriptions
Wang Ying Tai
Antagonist, obsessed with Jin Feng, destroyed Lin family.
Qiu Yue
Jin Feng's maid, wants to be Shi Hua's third wife
Hong Cai Lian
Mother of Yu Ye and Qiong Mei.
Huang Xiu Duan
owner of Xiu Duan Feng, saved Yu Ye' s life, helped Yu Ye a lot
Guo Tuo Dong
a trader from China, helps Cai Lian and Yu Ye often, later helps Xiu Duan at her restaurant
Wu Jian Tang
Father of Jin Feng, Qiong Mei and Yu Ye, Cai Lian's ex-husband
Kao Shin Shin
Lin Li Hua
Shi Hua's elder sister
Jin Shu
Helper of Lin's family
Song Yimin
Ah Guo
Xiu Duan's ex-fiancée, left Xiu Duan on their wedding day, father of Tian Shui
Mrs. Lin
Mother of Li Hua and Shi Hua
Liao Chun Sheng
villain in earlier episodes, cheats Li Hua's money, changed later after the death of his wife, helped Lin family but killed by Wang Ying Tai
Mrs. Wu
Mother of Jin Feng, Jian Tang's first wife
New generation characters
Appeared in Season 4
Actor
Character(s)
Descriptions
Huang Wei De
Lin Jia Sheng
In love with Shu Jun, Believed himself as the child of Jin Feng and Shi Hua although his biological parents are Qiu Yue and Ying Tai, hated by Ying Tai and Ming Feng as Jin Feng only cares about him
Chen Shu Jun
In love with Jia Sheng, came to the city to find her real parents with the jade
Liao
Huang Tian Shui
Xiu Duan's son, likes Siu
Linjian Hua
Wang Ming Feng
In love with Shu jun, hates Jia Sheng (his half brother)
Han Yu
Li Ling
daughter of a wealthy merchant, dying, likes Jia Sheng, forced to marry Ming Feng
Chen Xianmei
Mei Lan
escaped from her marriage proposed by her father, likes Ming Feng
Tertiary characters
Special characters
Appeared in Season 2
Actor
Character(s)
Descriptions
Chen Zheng Guang
Yong hui's ex-best friend, hates Yong Hui because he thought Yong Hui didn't protect his mother, later gave his company to Chun Sheng
Ye Huan
Qiong Mei (Fu Mei Zi)
Yong Hui's fiancée, Yu Ye's twin sister, Jin Feng's step sister, Cai Lian's daughter, (lost memory: Fu Mei Zi, used by Zheng Chuang to revenge against Yong Hui, rebellion, disguised as Yu Ye to give Jin Feng lessons), committed suicide but her body is missing
Theme songs
Opening theme
Also used as post-commercial eye catch throughout the series
Song: "Jin Zhi Yu Ye"[1]
Singers: Ye Huan, Lin Wei, Wang Mei Jun, Chen Guang
Language: Hokkien
Trivia:
Voices appearances
Verse 1
Part 1-2: Ye Huan
Line 3-4: Lin Wei
Line 5-6: Wang Mei Jun
Line 7-8: Chen Guang
Chorus
Parts 1 & 2: Ye Huan & Mei Jun
Parts 3 & 4: Lin Wei & Chen Guang
Parts 5: Ye Huan & Mei Jun
Parts 6: Lin Wei & Chen Guang
Verse 2
Line 1-2: Ye Huan
Line 3-4: Chen Guang
Ending theme (Season 1)
Also used as pre-commercial eye catch throughout the series
Song: "Generation of Beautiful Woman"
Singer: Ye Huan
Language: Mandarin
