Originally did not intend to talk in detail about the content of the story, but there are always feelings that cannot be swallowed whole, and they will ferment slowly in the chest, causing a tremor in the heart.
The seemingly tangled lines, once understood, follow the separation, and it is known that it is only a single line, originally connected from beginning to end, and should be understood clearly.
As the name suggests, in my opinion, this line is connected to Li Bing, who serves as the deputy minister of the Dali Temple; the word "游" (travel) at first I only felt that the grammar was somewhat peculiar, but now I think it is like a clue that has been quietly placed, waiting for someone to discover it and point the way— "游" has many meanings, which can perfectly interpret the encounters in life from poverty to prosperity, "The Journey of the Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple" is indeed the process of Li Bing growing into the deputy minister of the Dali Temple.
──The following contains spoilers, proceed with caution──
Growing up is a painful thing. Life is full of dangers and bumps, and even the transformation of rebirth requires blood, tears, scars, and then seeing water as water, lightly saying that the weather is cool in autumn.
Young Li Bing's world was very simple. The people around him were all loved ones. He may believe that there is righteousness in the world, and that he has the responsibility and ability to witness the world becoming more beautiful. So he sent Qiu Qingzhi away. His physical body may be inadequate, and it may be difficult to achieve for many years, but his soul is not limited to one body. He could not imagine that there would be sand and dust outside, enough to swallow people.
"Leaving the capital. Snow. Not seeing old friends." The few words that passed by, at this moment, recalled the tragedy. On that snowy day, he was probably desperate, the once innocent Li Bing was indeed dead.
The appearance of Chen Shi and the people from Mingjingtang is crucial, symbolizing the most romantic, representing a heart that is pure and capable of trust and love. It's like when the oil is about to run out, suddenly there is firewood coming closer, grasping the last glimmer of light, the fire can then be passed on and rekindled. Li Bing is reborn because of this.
This drama is romantic, but in fact, the reality is also very cruel. "Do good deeds without asking for rewards." Li Bing wrote down this insight after looking back on the past. It was not until the mist cleared that I realized how much pain was contained in this realization.
Since everything in the world is unpredictable, there is no regret or guilt. He has died once, but he can still live on. In order to not disappoint the past, in order to live up to the warmth that still covers him.
Only Qiu Qingzhi passed away with him in that year. Their souls were merged, and they were supposed to stand tall in the world, but in the end, they withered together, exhausted.
Qiu Qingzhi was born with pride and couldn't forgive himself, let alone make a second mistake. After that day, he was nothing more than a walking corpse, until he threw himself into the blade, it is better to say that everything is Qiu Qingzhi's punishment to himself. Qiu Qingzhi told Li Bing that he was useless. Even when acting, Qiu Qingzhi still spoke without violating his heart. On the contrary, Li Bing poured out all his grievances and grievances to Qiu Qingzhi. What was cruel about Qiu Qingzhi was that he knew that a part of Li Bing's heart still overlapped with his own, yet he still self-inflicted wounds, leaving no room for himself.
Handing the medicine bag to Li Bing was Qiu Qingzhi's apology, giving each other at least an explanation. Then he could finally fall down, I think it's because Qiu Qingzhi knows that Li Bing is different from himself, his heart is not numb, although he has set up defenses, he still dares to open a gap, allowing the cool breeze to come in and out.
That warmth, led by Chen Shi, allowed Li Bing to breathe smoothly after a long absence.
I feel that Chen Shi's character should originally be similar to Haruta from the real estate version of "Ossan's Love" 1. Pure and kind, even when encountering tigers and wolves, he responds with love, thus being able to gather support. I think it's interesting how Chen Shi gathers everyone to break through, love is the most grand force in the universe. The essence of love is trust. Chen Shi loves people, so he is loved.
However, the narrative perspective of the story is not focused enough and the characterization is limited, so it is not convincing enough like the vivid Haruta. Fortunately, each actor in this drama has performed well. I think Zhou Qi's little brother has a tough appearance, but he can interpret the gentle and warm taste of Chen Shi, which is commendable. Another actor playing two roles, Chen Jiu, has a cold temperament, and he can grasp both appearances without confusion, showing a certain level of skill.
I noticed that there are many contrasts in the drama, such as Chen Jiu and Chen Shi, and also Yi Zhihua and Li Bing, and Lai Zhongshu and Qiu Qingzhi; life is bitter, and love is difficult. In the frosty wind and rain, one often needs to be very, very lucky to be able to encounter a piece of coal, and one must be very, very hardworking to be willing to believe that there is still a chance to pick up the unburned coal and to peel off a small part to give to the frozen person.
The story inside this story is clearly painful and tragic, but it is wrapped in a lively and cheerful image. I think it can also be seen as a metaphor: laughter is a manifestation of love. And people can laugh, and are capable of laughing, if they forget, they encourage themselves to remember.
What Li Bing deserves is to laugh from the heart. Li Bing is a character that makes me feel very sad. Regardless of which stage, there are always undeniable regrets in his life.
I deeply sympathize with Li Bing, and I can't bear to see Ding Er, who must fully empathize with Li Bing's emotions. The roles he has played have carried a lot of sadness, and he has shared the burden of those unbearable weights with those characters. Even though he is good at expressing sorrow, or rather, because he is so good at interpreting sadness and sorrow, I am particularly reluctant. On the contrary, I think, why not challenge a silly and happy-go-lucky character, different challenges, new aspects of learning, and experiencing happiness.
The song "How Can You Bear to Make Me Sad" is very fitting with Li Bing's state of mind. Fortunately, I am old enough now and have learned to calm myself down, avoiding the pain that was deeply imprinted in my bones and pierced my heart like "Lan Yu".
I do not interpret the relationship between Li Bing and the people around him based on specific interpersonal divisions, what I see is only love itself. I have always believed that love cannot—or needs to—be classified, it is only a difference in depth, just like love and sex are not related, they have their own functions. Love is not a narrow definition, nor does it need to fit into a framework, only the people involved can interpret it.
I just want to bless Li Bing, who has gone through all of this, to be enveloped in more love in the future and truly be happy.
Recently, I heard a song that I really like, the lyrics are called "Alaska Bay". I think Qiu Qingzhi's heart probably hides similar words.
Although this character is too stubborn, but I just really like twisted characters...
Zhe Ming's understanding of the character is also very thorough, delicate, and gives Qiu Qingzhi vivid flesh and blood. The most memorable scene for me is the moment when Qiu Qingzhi and Li Bing cooperate, pretending to be Xu Hu, and taking off the mask. With the overall context, the aura is extraordinary.
I think the biggest highlight of this drama is the showdown between the actors, where the strong meet the strong, creating brilliant sparks, making the characters shine and appear full. Why not also connect it with the title and extend its meaning: the word "游" (travel) adds the finishing touch, understanding through companionship.
Footnotes#
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In the "Ossan's Love" series, Haruta Soichi works at Tenku Real Estate. ↩