When it comes to the poor characters in domestic dramas, they are like coming out of the same script copy shop, and each of them is a big fan in the routine world.
Dressed in those "I've seen it countless times" torn clothes, they performed the plot of "guess what I'm going to do next", which is simply a routine king, allowing the audience to chew popcorn while silently labeling them in their hearts: another standard poverty template.
Based on "The Legend of Cheng Huan", the heroine of the story is named Mai Chenghuan.
She was born into a poor family and lived a simple life, but her boyfriend was very different, he was actually a secretive rich second generation.
On the third anniversary of their love, her boyfriend pulled out a talking gadget like a trick.
On the banks of the Huangpu River, in an elegantly decorated high-end restaurant, two families sit around a table.
At the beginning of the lanterns, the river outside the window was sparkling, and the ecstasy in Mak Chenghuan's mother's heart was surging like a tide, and her face bloomed with indescribable joy.
Mai Chenghuan's home has always been warm and orderly, but today, in order to welcome the arrival of the man's parents, the changes in the family can be described as earth-shaking.
Every corner is impeccably kept, and even the usually inconspicuous little ornaments are polished to a shiny finish.
The younger brother's folding bed, which was often spread out, was also cleverly stored in this cleaning, and the living room suddenly seemed much more spacious, as if the space itself was making a courtesy for the upcoming guests.
Despite her efforts, in the eyes of the man's parents, her father is still a driver, and her mother is just an ordinary woman who is keen to square dance.
When both parties sat down to plan their future wedding, I was dumbfounded by my boyfriend's words.
In a contemptuous tone, he described his vision of a rural wedding, which he thought was as humble as a flea market that no one cared about.
Such dialogues always seem to unconsciously draw up the heavy theme of "poverty".
However, in the chaotic world of reality, many TV dramas often seem too whitewashed when trying to depict the lives of people at the bottom.
There is a clear distance from the real hardships of life.
The plot on the silver screen, although carefully woven, often ignores the rough texture of life and the cruel edge of survival.
Imagine that in Feng Xiaogang's "North and South", a working girl lives in a courtyard house and wears more glamorous clothes than the people around her.
Honestly, this dress says she's poor, do you believe it?
Anyway, I don't believe it, this is clearly challenging our traditional understanding of the word "poor"!
They never seem to worry about basic living expenses and can make good profits just by trading stocks.
However, they chose a façade that pretended to be destitute.
Looking at the story of "Thirty Only", Wang Manni, a poor girl in a small town, struggles in the metropolis of Shanghai.
But he was dressed in fashionable designer clothes and stepped on priceless shoes.
I even rented a high-end apartment overlooking the Oriental Pearl alone, enjoying an independent and spacious living space, away from the trivial things of shared life.
In "My True Friend", the heroine played by Yang Ying has to repay her credit card debt every month although her bank card is empty.
But she is very picky about her dietary choices and doesn't eat cheap instant noodles.
The first thing to get started is a self-hilarious pot of dozens of yuan, the living environment is spacious and bright, the cosmetics are high-end brands, and although the monthly income is limited, they live a luxurious life.
and in "Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty", Li Randi always laughs at himself as a North Drifter, which makes people think of those young people who are struggling on the edge of big cities.
However, a far cry from who she claims to be, she lives in a spacious duplex apartment in the heart of the bustling city, with bustling traffic and bright lights outside the window.
In this series of carefully woven plots, people can't help but question whether the screenwriter is cleverly manipulating our emotions.
Let us be like marionettes, moving with the ups and downs of the plot.
Or is it that in this absurd performance, there is a sharp commentary on the real social situation, and it is through this exaggeration that they reflect the absurdity and disharmony of reality?
In any case, this disconnect from real life makes the image of poverty in the play seem unrealistic and unconvincing.
The characters in the picture are gorgeously dressed, and there is no deep despair in their eyes, nor is there any anxiety about struggling for survival.
Don't worry, you will find that their lives are more nourishing than those of white-collar workers in reality.
The "poor" in acting is like a "commonplace" in a high-end restaurant, which makes people shake their heads, and what the audience wants is a sad resonance, not this kind of "poor and stylish".
However, "The Legend of Cheng Huan" is a work that breaks the conventional framework and depicts the daily life of Mak Chenghuan's family with vivid brushstrokes.
The family of four residence is a cramped two-bedroom, one-bedroom apartment in a crowded neighborhood.
The furnishings in the home are simple and unpretentious, every corner is fully utilized, and the space is extremely tight.
Walking into the heroine's room, you will find that the living space is compressed to the extreme, and the few pieces of furniture are extraordinarily precious.
It seems that one more pillow will trigger a space crisis.
As for the clothes, they clearly disagree with the concept of "wardrobe" and choose to lie freely on the corners of the floor.
And the parents' room is also a textbook of simple life, except for the most basic daily necessities, there is nothing else.
In the simple dwelling, the dresser silently carries those affordable but colorful cosmetics, which are a touch of color in ordinary life.
And my brother's room is impossible to talk about in the real world.
So, a corner of the living room is gently occupied by a makeshift bed, and when night falls, there is his little universe, which, although simple, is full of warmth.
The sofa is old and the kitchen is small and cramped.
The details depict the real life of the family, struggling on the poverty line.
The shabby furniture, the patched clothes, and the simple and repetitive food in the cupboards all reveal the hardships of life.
In addition, the crew takes great pains to treat the wardrobes of the protagonists, not only to match colors and styles, but also to be careful with their calculations.
Make sure that each character's outfit doesn't exceed their "worth".
In the bustling wet market, He Saifei is transformed into a wise and resilient mother, who uses clever words to deal with the vendors.
Try to fight for the value of every penny.
Dressed in simple clothes, she reveals the calmness of the years and the simplicity of the characters, which aptly shows her philosophy of life and responsibility to the family.
On weekdays, the most common thing to wear is a set of pajamas that cost only 53 yuan, and those slightly more fashionable long-sleeved clothes cost only 138 yuan.
Some may question that the real poor never buy pajamas.
Of course, this is indeed most of life, but women are different, they will basically prepare one or two sets of pajamas for themselves, let alone dozens of sets of pajamas.
Although the styles of these items look cookie-cutter and lack variation, they are surprisingly affordable, catering to the needs of families with tighter financial conditions.
In order to maintain her image when she goes out, she will dress a little exquisitely, but the price is only about 100 yuan.
For example, on one occasion, she wore a shirt that made her look several years younger, and that shirt looked like an unattainable brand.
In fact, the price is about the same as the Chinese cabbage in the small vegetable market.
In the screen world intertwined with light and shadow, He Saifei in "The Legend of Chenghuan" gave life to an ordinary and real mother image with his superb acting skills.
Her performance not only broke the common exaggerated "fake poor" routine in domestic dramas, but also presented the audience with a picture of life with her sincere emotions and delicate depictions, and its sense of reality and life texture undoubtedly set a high benchmark for dramas of the same type.