The Teochew Family
The Teochew Family is a 1995 Singaporean Drama Series produced by Television Corporation of Singapore and Fujian TV. Starring veteran Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang and Singaporean stars Zoe Tay, Chew Chor Meng and Zeng Huifen, this drama describes the trials and tribulations the teochew Cai Family under the patriarch Cai Qingyang from the late 1940s to the 1990s.
Plot
Written by Hong Kong veteran storyteller Cheng Jieyin and Singaporean writer Koh Teng Liang, The Teochew Family tells the story of Chaozhou rice merchant Cai Qingyang, owns Tai Feng Zhan. Cai has two brothers, one of them who died early. Another is the useless playboy Cai Qingan. Cai also has a sister, Cai Chuning, who is a female scholar and a teacher. Cai Qingyang decides to arrange a marriage between his second brother's widow with a poor scholar Xiao Denglong, who turns out to be Chuning's lover. Chuning tries to get Denglong to leave Chaozhou with her, but Denglong declines. Chuning then argues with her brother, and leaves Chaozhou alone.In the late 1940s, the Chinese Civil War was about to break out, rice prices were going up, and there was severe flooding in Chaozhou. Cai Qingyang realises that his business might collapse soon and for his own family's sake. Cai leaves for Nanyang and would later reunite with his sister. Chuning has a new fiancee, the Hainanese Sailor Fu Yongbing. Qingyang decides to work with Yongbing to smuggle goods during the Korean War. Qingyang succeeds and manages to get some money to reopen his rice business. Great successes need great sacrifices, Yongbing was killed by the pirates in one trip. This causes Chuning to be furious at Qingyang, and she vows to never forgive him for his death. Chuning also adopted Yongbing's godson Hong San. Hong San however has a brain tumour that causes him to collapse, Chuning knowing that she would never have enough money to pay for Hong San's condition begs Qingyang to help Hong San. Qingyang, who had felt guilty over Yongbing's death agrees. Soon, Qingyang manages to bring the whole family down to Singapore except for his wife Zhang Yalan who stayed to protect the ancestral home.
As Cai continues to expand his business over the years to become the rice tycoon, the drama then turns its attention to the second generation with the romances of Cai Meina, Qingyang's niece and Hong San, Cai Chongwu and Mai Xiaodong.
As the years go by, Cai Qingyang suffers multiple tragedies, the death of his eldest son Cai Chongwen, his son Chongwu gone mad, Qingyang now has to fight with Meina, who has decided to change the way the family business is being run, to keep up with the times.
Cast
Cai Family
- Jin Yinji as Old Mrs Cai '
- Kenneth Tsang as Cai Qingyang
- Li Yinzhu as Zhang Yalan
- Wang Changli as Cai Qingan
- Hong Huifang as Sun Fengyu
- Chen Shucheng as Xiao Denglong
- Zeng Huifen as Cai Chuning
- Wu Kaishen as Cai Chongwen
- Huang Shuyun as Ding Yueer
- Qian Hanqun as Cai Chongwu
- Zoe Tay as Cai Meina'''
Others
- Chew Chor Meng as Hong San
- Zhang Wenxiang as Lai Youcong
- Zhu Houren as Fu Yongbing
- Lina Ng as Mai Xiaodong
- Hong Peixing as Wang Zhende
- Dai Peng as Four-Eyed Uncle
- Steven Woon as Policeman
- Zhu Yuye as Mrs Mai
- Wu Weiqiang as Mr Mai
- Chen Guohua as Xu Laifu
- Mak Ho Wai as Commissioner
Awards & Nominations
| Accolades | Award | Nominee | Result |
| Star Awards 1996 Show 2 红星大奖 1996 下半场 | Best Actor 最佳男主角 | Chew Chor Meng 周初明 | |
| Star Awards 1996 Show 2 红星大奖 1996 下半场 | Best Supporting Actress 最佳女配角 | Zeng Huifen 曾慧芬 | |
| Star Awards 1996 Show 2 红星大奖 1996 下半场 | Best Supporting Actress 最佳女配角 | Hong Huifang 洪慧芳 | |
| Star Awards 1996 Show 2 红星大奖 1996 下半场 | Best Drama Serial 最佳电视剧 |