Joys of Life episodes

Below is an episodic synopsis of Joys of Life, which consists of 35 episodes and broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 8.

Episodic Synopsis

Episode	Title	Original Airdate	Encore date
1	"Episode 1"	June 26, 2012	August 8, 2013
The bustling Wayang Street is home to a few families. The celebrity wannabe Zhao Mingxing is desperate to meet movie star Li Linghua. He drags along friends Sun Zibin, Qian Yiduo and Han Rourou to get tickets, but end up in an altercation with the ticket touts. Meanwhile, Zibin's father Sun Yaping (aka Roti) manages to give Li Ling Hua a ride. Never he knew that Han Jianren, Yongyong and Zhuzhu were cooking for her family there! Before that, Yongyong accidentally poured too much chilli in the crab dish (Chilli crab), and during dinner, Roti enters, trips and sends his bread flying on the chilli dish. They were given the thumbs-up, and boast of it after.
2	"Episode 2"	June 27, 2012	August 12, 2013
Qian Caifa returns from a business trip in Malaysia, and quietly passes an English book to Xianya. Xianya accepts the book, but realizes after that it is pornographic. She hurriedly returns it to Caifa, wanting him to trash it. Jianren sees their struggles and suspects an unusual relationship between the two of them. Meanwhile, when Yinjiao discovers the book, she throws it away, and it hit a flower pot which landed on where Yiduo was standing. Yongyong shields him.
3	"Episode 3"	June 28, 2012 PG	August 13, 2013 PG
The movie makers are casting new actors, and Mingxing, Rourou and Lianjing go for the auditions. Rourou is selected, and the two girls were offered a contract by the filmmakers. At the hotel, the filmmakers reveal their true colours and drug the girls. Fortunately, the gang arrives just in time to save them.
4	"Episode 4"	June 29, 2012	August 14, 2013
Yiduo asks for money from Yinjiao for his birthday, intending to take Rourou out to the Great World theme park. Rourou invites Yongyong, Mingxing and Zibin, and Yiduo resignedly pays for them. Yongyong asks Rourou which of the three boys she would choose, but she is unable to answer. The three boys promise each other that they will always remain friends, regardless of her choice.
5	"Episode 5"	July 2, 2012 PG	August 15, 2013 PG
Yiduo asks Rourou out again, but her colleague Baozhu sabotages her, after knowing Yiduo's background. She goes on Rourou's behalf, on the pretense that Rourou needs to work overtime. Rourou appears only to see the two of them together, and announces that he is her boyfriend to warn Baozhu off. Zibin sees the two of them together, and is heartbroken.
6	"Episode 6"	July 3, 2012	August 16, 2013
Yiduo and Rourou bump into Yinjiao, and he immediately releases her hand. This upsets Rourou. Yinjiao is suspicious, but Zibin jumps in to explain that he is the one dating Rourou. After the incident, Yiduo asks Rourou for more time, and promises to tell his mother about their relationship.
7	"Episode 7"	July 4, 2012 PG	August 19, 2013 PG
Lianjing is secretly in love with Mingxing, and snoops around his film set of a Malay movie. His original character gets cancelled, and ends up as an extra who gets beaten up. She jumps in to stop them from beating him up. The producers tell Mingxing that he lacks the talent and they will not use him again. Lianjing comforts the depressed Mingxing.
8	"Episode 8"	July 5, 2012 PG	August 20, 2013 PG
Yinjiao is unhappy with Rourou seducing Yiduo and Meimei's bullying of Sanduo. She demands the Han family move out. Jianren recalls the suspicious scene between Caifa and Xianya. He threatens Caifa, who falls into the trap. His family continues to stay.
9	"Episode 9"	July 6, 2012 PG	August 21, 2013 PG
Dagou permits Mingxing to go to Japan, but wants him to pay for the travel and school fees himself. Mingxing knows that it is a sizeable sum, but decides not to give up. He ends up working at a night club, but gets beaten up by patrons on the first night. Lianjing is more than sympathetic.
10	"Episode 10"	July 9, 2012 PG	August 22, 2013 PG
The whole Wayang Street gets together to hold a charity fair to raise funds for Mingxing's trip. Although the fundraiser is successful, they are short of a hundred dollars. Dagou decides to sell his late wife's hair to raise the money. Mingxing is incredibly guilty and decides to pull out. Dagou gives him a tongue lashing. Mingxing eventually leaves with a heavy heart.
11	"Episode 11"	July 10, 2012	August 23, 2013
Mingxing leaves without a word. Yongyong sees Dagou coughing away, and brews cooling tea for him. Dagou wishes Mingxing was half as sensible as Yongyong. He asks her if she has ever thought of seeking out her biological parents, and suggests she start with the midwife.
12	"Episode 12"	July 11, 2012	August 26, 2013
Yongyong makes Rourou a new dress for a record company audition. A jealous Baozhu deliberately dirties her dress. Fortunately, Yongyong mends it in time and Yongyong auditions successfully. Her performance impresses the record executives Peterson and Robert.
13	"Episode 13"	July 12, 2012 PG	August 27, 2013 PG
Yiduo is depressed about Rourou and drinks his sorrows. Yinjiao tells him off. He answers back and rides his bicycle off in a huff. He falls off a slope accidentally. His accident seems to affect Yongyong, who feels dizzy and pain on her leg.
14	"Episode 14"	July 13, 2012	August 28, 2013
Yongyong begins to seek out her biological mother, and finds the midwife Luan-jie. She gets involved with conwoman Lian-jie instead. Yongyong finds out that Lian-jie had sold off her daughter, and thinks that she is her mother.
15	"Episode 15"	July 16, 2012	August 29, 2013
Yongyong goes to Japan Street to visit Lian-jie, but bumps into Mingxing. It turns out that Mingxing missed Dagou too much, and never left. Embarrassed, he thought to pick up Japanese in Japan Street before heading back prematurely. He planned to tell everyone he could not adapt to life in Japan. At night, Xiaoyu was exposed during a small fire set up by Yinjiao and Caifa. Afterwards, a series of confusions after Xianya almost dropped her brooch led to Zhuzhu, Meimei and Dagou revealing the relationship between Mingxing and Lianjing.
16	"Episode 16"	July 17, 2012 PG	August 30, 2013 PG
Rou Rou signs a contract with Peterson's record company, and they celebrate with alcohol. Rou Rou gets drunk, but gets violated by Peterson. Furious, she tells Peterson off. He confesses his love for her and promises to take responsibility. Rou Rou rejects him.
17	"Episode 17"	July 18, 2012 PG	September 2, 2013 PG
Lian-jie and Gui Liqiang conspire to cheat Yongyong of her money. Lian-jie feels guilty, and confesses to a shocked Yongyong that she is not her biological mother. Gui Liqiang holds Lian-jie hostage, and Yongyong passes an envelope of money to him. Gui Liqiang discovers the envelope only contains paper money, and goes after Yongyong. Lian-jie sacrifices her life to save Yongyong.
18	"Episode 18"	July 19, 2012 PG	September 3, 2013 PG
Yongyong and Mingxing return. Jianren overhears Yongyong meeting her "birth mother", and gives her a lashing. Caifa settles the dispute, almost telling him that Yongyong is his biological daughter. Meanwhile, Rourou is pregnant, and wants to abort the baby. Yongyong persuades her to accept Peterson, a successful man who is truly in love with her. She agrees. Peterson sends gifts to Jianren and asks for Rourou's hand. Jianren takes the opportunity to ask for money and a banquet. This, on the other hand, had soured the brotherhood between Mingxing, Yiduo and Zibin.
19	"Episode 19"	July 20, 2012 PG	September 4, 2013 PG
Mingxing persuades Yiduo to get Rourou back, and tells him she is getting married, possibly against her will. Yiduo mans up and asks for her hand from Daiyu. She chases him out. Rourou tells him that she is a willing party. She wants him to stay out of her life.
20	"Episode 20"	July 23, 2012 PG	September 5, 2013 PG
Caifa buys a big longevity bun for Yinjiao as a birthday present. Perturbed that it is not a brooch, Yinjiao thinks the brooch is hidden as a surprise gift inside the bun. She fails to find anything after chewing through the bun. She hints broadly but Caifa is clueless, making Yinjiao is furious.
21	"Episode 21"	July 24, 2012 PG	September 6, 2013 PG
Yongyong is sick. Yiduo brings her to the doctor's but bumps into Yinjiao. She can tell that he is concerned for her. Yiduo confesses his fondness to Yinjiao, and hopes that she does not object. She encourages him to go after Yongyong. Caifa finds out Yiduo is actually in love with his own sister!
22	"Episode 22"	July 25, 2012 PG	September 9, 2013 PG
Peterson cancels the wedding suddenly, leaving a devastated Rourou. She tries to get an abortion, but is told the foetus has grown too big. An abortion would kill her. Rourou leaves a suicide note for Yongyong and tries to drown herself. Yongyong and Zibin get to her in time.
23	"Episode 23"	July 26, 2012 PG	September 10, 2013 PG
Yiduo and Yongyong visit Yinjiao, who miraculously awakes but with amnesia. She imagines herself as Wang Bao Chuan, a historical figure, and her words are like an opera dialogue. She hugs Caifa, who she thinks he is Xue Pinggui, her lover, tightly, crying that she has been waiting alone for 18 years. Everyone is shocked.
24	"Episode 24"	July 27, 2012 PG	September 11, 2013 PG
Yinjiao regains her memory, and remembers that Yongyong is her daughter. She seeks her out only to find out she has gone to Malaysia. Caifa confesses to Yiduo that Yongyong is his twin sister, and forbade them from being together. A shocked Yiduo asks Caifa why he is not acknowledging Yongyong. Caifa replies that he is afraid of Jianren's extortions. Their conversation is heard by Yongyong.
25	"Episode 25"	July 30, 2012 PG	September 12, 2013 PG
Yongyong overhears the conversation between Yinjiao and Caifa, and finds out she is their biological daughter. She is disappointed that they are unwilling to acknowledge her for fear of Jianren's extortions. Yiduo cannot forgive his parents for letting him pursue his sister in order to save money. Yinjiao tries to mend bridges with Yongyong, but Yongyong rejects her.
26	"Episode 26"	July 31, 2012 PG	September 13, 2013 PG
Yongyong agrees to wed Leprosy Bing in order to repay Jianren's debts. Mingxing finds out, and decides to sell the troupe to raise the money. Lianjing realizes Mingxing cares deeply for Yongyong. Caifa withdraws money to help Yongyong, but is mugged by an assailant hired by Erduo.
27	"Episode 27"	August 1, 2012 PG	September 16, 2013 PG
The lovelorn pair Yiduo and Lianjing bump into each other at the balcony, and drowns their sorrows. Lianjing helps him home, and Erduo comes to help, but only to undo their clothes to frame them. When the couple awakes, they believe that they had done something wrong.
28	"Episode 28"	August 2, 2012 PG	September 17, 2013 PG
Rourou's labour date draws closer. Yongyong and Mingxing perform a switcheroo that leads Jianren to believe he has a newborn son. When Jianren sees a Caucasian baby with blonde hair and blue eyes, he passes out in shock. Yongyong and company discuss their strategy, and decide to lie that Daiyu has Caucasian ancestors. Jianren seems to take it all in...
29	"Episode 29"	August 3, 2012 PG	September 18, 2013 PG
Yama reveals that Xianya is his love, and shocks everyone. Xianya is unable to handle Roti's anger and the gossiping tongues of the neighbours. She leaves a suicide note and heads to the sea to drown herself. Zibin and Lianjing are suspicious. Together with Uncle Roti, they stop her in time.
30	"Episode 30"	August 6, 2012 PG	September 19, 2013 PG
Believing herself to cause Mingxing and Lianjing's breakup, Yongyong avoids Mingxing. He confesses his feelings, and assures her that she was not the cause. He did not realize it, but he always had special feelings for her. Yongyong still feels guilty towards Lianjing.
31	"Episode 31"	August 7, 2012 PG	September 20, 2013 PG
Yinjiao and Caifa speak about cheating Caiguang years ago, whom he overhears and exposes the couple. Caifa and Yinjiao try to appease him with money, but he rejects them. Yiduo steps in and persuades him to take the money. Erduo secretly eggs him on to reclaim his half of the factory.
32	"Episode 32"	August 8, 2012 PG	September 23, 2013 PG
Caifa and Yinjiao argue over Caiguang, and Yinjiao realizes that Caifa is still affected by the scene of her lying in bed with Caiguang. Yinjiao confides in Xianya, whom furiously tells Caifa off. Seeing her transformed from an elegant lady to a loud-mouthed woman, Caifa's dreams are dashed.
33	"Episode 33"	August 9, 2012 PG	September 24, 2013 PG
Mingxing is maligned for harming Meihua. Caifa wants to bring him to the police station. Dagou and the rest believe in Mingxing. Yongyong finds evidence of Yama's streak of cheating women, and clears Mingxing's name. Faced with his gratitude, she clarifies that she would have done that for any friend.
34	"Episode 34"	August 10, 2012 PG	September 25, 2013 PG
Yinjiao does housekeeping and finds a large sum of money hidden by Erduo. When the couple questions him, he thinks that Yongyong has exposed him, and unwittingly reveals his involvement in the arson of the factory and Caifa's mugging. Caifa throws him out of the house.
35	"Episode 35 (Finale)"	August 13, 2012 PG	September 26, 2013 PG
Mingxing falls into a coma. Yongyong confesses her love tearfully. She vows never to let him go if he awakens. Mingxing wakes up and holds on to her hand. Both affirm their relationship.

See also

• Joys of Life