Old House Has Joy

The series was made after HZGG I, Huan Zhi Ge Ge I (Princess Pearl), due to the popularity of Alec Su and Vicki Zhao--I heard that it only took them two or three months to finish the series so you can imagine. After watching HZGG I, I became a fan of the couple. However, this series turned out to be very disappointing. Anyway, back to the summary, here it goes:

Vicki plays two characters in this serials: Zi Xian and Li Mei (Zi Xian's grandmother in the past). Alec plays Su Xiao Peng and Su San (Su Xiao Peng's grandfather in the past). Xiao Peng came to Shanghai to take back his grandfather's house in which Zi Xian and all the other cast members were living. Well it is predictable that they fall in love. However, to Zi Xian's dismay, Xiao Peng was already engaged to another girl in Taipei, this girl was chosen for him by his grandfather. Xiao Peng's fiancée came looking for him in Shanghai. Zi Xian was super-nice to this girl so she realized that the only person Xiao Peng loves was Zi Xian. The fiancée and Zi Xian became best friends. Xiao Peng promised Zi Xian that he will escort his fiancée back to Taipei and would explain everything to his grandfather.

However his grandfather imprisoned him and he only escaped due to his ex-fiancé's help. So his grandfather followed him to Shanghai and when he sees Vicki, he saw that she resembled his first love. He agreed for them to be married.

Back to the past, Su San and Li Mei's families were enemies but they fell in love anyway. They left home to be together and Li Mei had a son. One time, the son was sick and they did not have any money, Su San begged his father to help him but on one condition, that he would leave Li Mei. Li Mei returned home to find out that her lover and son had left her. She died soon after that in misery.

Near the wedding day, Su San discovered that Zi Xian was his granddaughter, the daughter of his and Li Mei's son. So basically, Zi Xian and Xiao Peng could not get married. Both of them were devastated and Xiao Peng returned to Taipei. On his 25th birthday, the lawyer comes with the package that his parents wanted him to receive on his birthday. It turned out that Xiao Peng was adopted. Xiao Peng returned to Shanghai to look for Zi Xian and they ended up together.

My opinion: it is extremely dragging and boring. The cast is not worth mentioning (well, except for Alec and Vicki). It desperately tried to be funny but it was not funny at all. I mean the plot is so predictable and so unrealistic. This is the 21st century, will you still marry the girl that your grandfather picks for you? What chance do you have to find someone who looks exactly like you? And I mean Xiao Peng was not even related to Su San. How did Xiao Peng's parents adopted him and Su San had no idea about this?

It was what the audience expected, another on-screen love between two popular stars, Alec and Vicki. I have to admit though that the chemistry between them is quite good. Yet I still prefer to watch HZGG I again and again and again (and I mean it) instead of watching this series. Mind you, Alec does not look good at all in modern costume, he is way too skinny. What is memorable about the whole series? Alec's smile and Vicki's eyes !!

How did I survive the whole series? I pressed fast forward most of the series, except Alec's and Vicki's scenes.

Screenshots: (Scanned by SPCNET)