[E] LAND OF WEALTH / 匯通天下 [TVB][2006]

Written by Funn Lim

Sorry my friends. Totally missed tonight's episode and I am sure I totally missed how Jun got played out by her evil aunt Mrs Cho. If anyone care to fill in the details, please do. A summary wil be most helpful. I will be so confused next episode.

I managed to catch the repeat but missed the 1st 15 minutes.

When I started it was already Sung Man with a Chinese girl with western dress on a hot air balloon. That girl is the cheerful intelligent curious educated westernized stepdaughter of the French Ambassador, Mr Tobovz and her name is Anna. There is a reason why I described her as such because the series took pains to depict her as such. Anyway Sung Man was helping her with the hot air balloon and for once someone is more knowledgeable about something that Sung Man himself. When alighting from the balloon, she accidentally tore his shirt and promised to deliver him a new one.

Remember the italics because I believe there is a mistake in this episode.

Not much later indeed she came to his house and paid him a visit but Sung Man was out. Mr Cheung heard her name and immediately guessed who she was. She said her purpose was to return a shirt to Sung Man which she accidentaly torn. And Mr Cheung was very impressed when she could fix his broken clock and liked her very much. So that means Jun had a big battle ahead.

Later Sung Man met with Anna and he thanked her for "returning my clothes in clean condition".

Pause here. See the mistake? First she tore his clothes, bought him a new one and now apparently she didn't buy him a new one but instead washed the old one for him! Eh make up your mind lar! Wash, torn, sew, whatever!

Anyway Anna had Sung Man posing with her dog (why is it nice westerner girls have small dogs to show they're loving whilst nice Chinese girls will have orphans around?) for her to draw him and Sung Man, though bored to tears obliged. In fact he seems rather ill at ease with this Anna who had seen much of the world than him. But I can't help it; I do think she suits him well. They're of the same intellect and will stimulate each other that way.

Jun met with Sung Man. She will have to leave since "father said we have been here for a long time" and suddenly Jun quietly cried and wiped her tears away. She was sad because Sung Man had yet to get his father's permission to marry her and in an earlier scene Sung Man agreed to work with Lam Ying Kit (yes that bastard) as a liason officer with the westerners, the French in this case so Mr Cheung used this as an excuse to delay the wedding because "You just started in your job, let's wait until you get your title back" and Sung Man and mom were both disappointed. Anyway Jun cried a little and Sung Man knew why she was so distressed. Sung Man gave Jun the painting Anna gave him and said "This was given to me by a friend, I want you to have it" and Jun quietly said "This was given by a friend, you shouldn't just give it to anyone" and Sung Man quietly said "You're not just anyone to me" and Jun was reassured Sung Man was serious in their relationship.

Sad.

Meanwhile big problems with Ding Fung Sing Mongolian branch. That area was suddenly attacked with ferocious bandits. They stole from anyone and everyone and so Bak Chuen and the 1st taukeh was very worried. They wrote to main branch for advice on what to do and since Mr Kiu was not there, it was Yun Tin who had to issue the order. But Yun Tin refused to give a reply and he did this because "If that Fan Chi Chai stay and the bank gets robbed, he will be blamed. If he closes the branch and run, he will also bear the responsibilities. Either way this time I will destroy him".

Bak Chuen and 1st taukeh was panicking. Rumour has it the bandits was on their way now and would hit their bank soon. And everyday a whole lot of people deposit their money into the bank for safe keeping (so that if the bank got robbed they can be blamed) and no one was willing to borrow the money. So they had a whole lot of cash. 1st Taukeh was undecided but Bak Chuen made the decision "We must close sir. We must close and run before it is too late!" and at last the 1st taukeh agreed. But a new problem arises; "Where do we keep the money? We can't run with the money, that will be too many boxes, too obvious" and Bak Chuen suddenly hit on the idea of hiding the money in a dried up well. So they kept all the accounts books, most who were locals stayed back and so the 1st taukeh, 2nd taukeh, Bak Chuen, Fu Yi Chek and I think 3 or 4 others began their long journey home.

Meanwhile Ko Wa reconciled with Bo Yan Ba To and will be leaving for Europe with him. Ko Wa said tearful goodbyes with her uncle and aunt and Fu Yi Chek, telling Fu Yi Chek to "Remember to control your temper" whilst Fu Yi Chek made Bo Yan Ba To to promise to take good care of his sister and whilst Bak Chuen silently looked on, Ko Wa said to Bak Chuen "You have found a good career, I hope you will achieve much success". And so they went their separate ways.

The bandits arrived at Ko Wa's uncle and aun't wine shop. These two had cashed their money and wanted to run away but the bandits killed them both and took their money. Before they died, each wanted to grab a silver bar and died reaching for that bar. Greedy even to death. Then they went to the bank and couldn't find anything. The leader said "We must find them, they shouldn't be far away" and so they were hot in pursuit.

Ko Wa and Bo Yan Ba To were having lunch when they overheard that the bandits were now going after Ding Fung Sing's employees. Ko Wa was very worried and so they left to find them. They found Bak Chuen and gang and before they could go any further, the bandits came and started killing. They broke 1st taukeh's leg, killed the 2nd taukeh who died protecting 1st taukeh, killed some others too and Ko Wa with Bo Yan Ba To were both fighting them (Bo Yan Ba To can fight very well) when suddenly one wanted to slash Ko Wa and Bak Chuen pushed Ko Wa away and he got slashed across the chest. Ko Wa immediately ran to him, very worried. At last they killed the last of the bandit who attacked them and they had to move on. Unfortunately I think they lost their account books and Bak Chuen was very injured, running high fever. Ko Wa was panicking, and she remembered she had some healing powders but she dropped it outside. She wanted to run and find it but Bo Yan Ba To stopped her. And he realised her concern for Bak Chuen was like her concern for him when she accidentally injured him with an arrow years before and he began to realise Ko Wa may be falling for Bak Chuen. In the middle of the night when everyone was asleep, Ko Wa felt Bak Chuen's forehead and he was very sick. Worried, she went out alone looking for the bottle of medicine when the bandits came and attacked her. She fought back but was overpowered when Bo Yan Ba To arrived and saved the day. She rushed back and Bak Chuen became better along the way. Bo Yan Ba To was convinced she may have feelings for Bak Chuen.

Whilst still running away, Ko Wa was very silent next to Bo Yan Ba To but she kept looking at Bak Chuen's way, remembering their past. Bak Chuen too was reluctant to look at her. When they stopped for a while, Bo Yan Ba To confronted Bak Chuen and I think that was when this episode stopped.

Frankly no comments on the acting except for

1. Stephen Huynh was awful. Enough said.

2. Erica Yuen Yi Ming wasn't that awful, in fact I thought if this was her first role, she was bearable although her character became more and more frivolous, more so when running around with her dog.

Other than that no comment on the performances. As for the story tonight's episode had the best story thus far with the bandits and how they hid the money and all. Rather intelligent and very intriguing.

Other than that no comment. Seriously.