The Tribulation of Life(1988)

Episode 1

AU YEUNG WEI HAN is abandoned by her boy friend and tries to commit suicide. However, she is saved by CHUN TAK who is taken ill after rescuing her from the fury sea. . HAN looks after him with great care and visits him often. The two gradually grow fond of each other and HAN proposes marrying him who gladly consents. - LEUNG MIU LING finds herself carrying the baby of LAM HUNG who refuses to marry her and even forces her to go for an abortion. LING's mother stops her from doing so and makes HUNG promises to marry LING. HUNG, GHENG YEE and two other gays plot to kidnap the son of a tycoon, TONG TUNG SHING. It just happens that the boy has got hold of his mother's diamond necklace. HUNG, being greedy, take. it and hides it inside a Buddha figure. LING is sent by HUNG to get the ransom and yet she is still in the dark about everything. However, LING is arrested by TAK.

Episode 2

LING tells the police that she is only sent by HUNG who is behind the whole plot. YEE uses his wits to get the ransom and releases SHING's son. At first, SHING refuses to cooperate with the police. and yet he changes his mind when he learns that the kidnappers are in possession of his wife's diamond necklace. HAN feels dissatisfied when she finds TAX too indulged in his work making him neglect the preparation of their wadding. TAK eventually locates the whereabouts of HUNG and YEE who are caught with the remaining two guys still. at large. HUNG pretends to know nothing about the necklace. So TAK suspects that it is still in the hands of the rest of the gang, who forces LING to give them the necklace. However, LING has no idea where the necklace is. HUNG and YAE are sent to prison. The latter works hard in his studies and gets a very good result.

Episode 3

LING gives birth to a son called MAN KEUNG to China. She leaves him in the care of her aunt and she returns to Hong Kong alone. Yet, she loves ease and hates work. So for a long time, she remains jobless. HAN is pregnant and she urges TAK to leave his job and switch to business. TAK refuses and they fall out. Their gap widen. when TAK does not turn up at the hospital during HAN's labor. HAN feels unhappy about TAK paying too much attention to work and neglecting her and their daughter. To pacify her, TAK gets into partnership with his colleagues to start a detective agency. YEE gets a good result in the public examinations and because of his good conduct, he is released from prison earlier. LING always dreams of becoming famous and wealthy and so she joins the television station.

Episode 4

YEE works hard and successfully gains a seat in the post-secondary college. LING develops special feelings for YI and later being encouraged. by her mother, she reveals to YEE her affections for him only to find that YEE just treats her as his friend. Upon graduation YEE gets a job in the Loans Department of a bank and yet he dares not mention a word about his being once in ,jail. HUNG is finally released from prison but is tracked by his former accomplice who want to have a share of the diamond necklace. They even entrust TAK to locate the whereabouts of HUNG. HUNG goes to find LING and asks her to bring him home. He hopes to get back the necklace but LING family try to kick him out. HUNG is chased by DOR and YANG, his former accomplices and he seeks refuge from YEE

Episode 5

Seeing HUNG being wounded, YEE pities him and lets him stay in his house. Yet his whereabouts is boated and the whole gang fall out. In the end, HUNG accidentally kills BOR’s brother and runs for his life. YEE involved and under investigation. He loses his job when his employer discovers that he has been in jail. At first, YEE and TAK are not on friendly terms. However, TAK offers him financial help when he is in difficulty. HUNG want to leave Hong Kong but lacks money. In the end, he becomes a killer in the south-east Asian countries. YEE is later employed in a big corporate and works under HONG KIU.

Episode 6

To satisfy HAN's wish, TAK emigrates with his family to Canada. YEE is of course sad to see him go. YEE and KIU do not get along well but he remains self-confident and strives hard for achievement. He is also eager to show his competence to his boss, TO TPNG KWOK. Eventually, he gets the opportunity and KWOK is impressed by his outstanding performance. KWOK wants to make him his personal assistant and KIU asks him to be patient and observes YEE for some more time before deciding what to do. Knowing that, YEE thinks that KIU is jealous of him being too competent and wants to resign.

Episode 7

Unaccustomed to the life in Canada, TAK returns to Hong Kong alone and takes abode in YEE's house. To stop him from resigning, KIU promises to promote him to become KWOK's personal assistant. This delights YEE and he works even harder than before. YEE feels unhappy when he sees KWOK neglecting his achievement and hard work. KWOK tries to pacify him and entrust him and KIU to cooperate in a big housing project. YEE and KIU work together and the project goes on fine. Before the sale of the flats, KWOK makes a great loss in his overseas investment. So he suggests lowering the prices of the flats but YEE and KIU suggest him taking a risk and raising the price instead. Yet the plan falls through.

Episode 8

YEE proposes another scheme to help remedy the situation. Though illegal, it turns out to be successful and through this, YEE wins the favor of KWOK who sends him a car and a flat as presents. YEE meets KWOK 'DUNG NAY and is attracted to her. On the other hand, his relationship with KIU has grown better. A journalist, TSO LAP KIN suspects that KWOK's corporate is engaged in some illegal dealings overseas: He starts his investigation and this arouses KWOK's fear. In the end, KWOK hires HUNG to kill KIN.

Episode 9

Episode 10

Episode 11

LING is disqualified and her dream of becoming a beauty queen shatters. She get so depressed that she tries to kill herself. TAK feels sorry for her and goes to visit her who refuses to see him. LING is later deceived to work for a pornographic magazine but is in time stopped by TAK who gives her a good lesson. In the end, she understands that TAK really cares for her and she decide to reform. KWOK again puts KIU and YEE in charge of a big project. Yet YEE neglects his duty because his mind is' fully occupied by TAI who is at that time suffering from lung cancer. KIU understand his situation and undertakes the whole project single-handedly. Before TAI dies, YEE and NAY do their best to fulfill her last wish and she dies happily.

Episode 12

YEE grieves over TAI's death and asks KIU for a month's leave but is refused. The two fall out and NAY acts as a go-between bringing the two together again and at the same time offering comforts and encouragement to YEE. LING takes up a decent ,job as a saleslady and this delights TAK. Yet her love for money drives her to work part-time in a nightclub and this arouses anger on TAK's part. The two eventually make up when LING promises not to go astray. They gradually grow fond of each other and fall in love. LING's brother is caught shoplifting in a supermarket. LING seeks help from TAK whose connection at the police station saves him from being charged. However, LING's mother thinks that TAX is very influential in the police force and brings embarrassment to TAK.

Episode 13

YEE feels lonely and longs to have a family of his own but KIU is too competent and devotes much attention to her work. This widens the gap between them threatening their relationship. NAY offers comforts to YEE who feels much relieved but he remains unaware of NAY's intention. Again LING cannot resist the temptation of money and becomes a bargirl. TAK feels very unhappy about this. HANG LEE, the friend of LING's mother, is engaged in drug- trafficking. Once, he asks LING to help her without selling her that the packet he gives to her contains drugs. Eventually LING is caught while LEE remains at large. Again TAK is called upon to give assistance to her.

Episode 14

TAK does his best to locate LEE and surrenders his savings as a reward to those who can provide information concerning the whereabouts of LEE. Finally, TAK discovers LEE who admits all the charges. LING is then released and she thanks TAK for his concern and help. Their love for each other deepens after this incident. The relationship between KIU and YEE turns sour and YEE feels lonely as ever. NAY offers to provide him company and YEE does not want to get involved in a tangle since he still has KIU oh his mind. Coldly he refuses NAY's: affection for him.

Episode 15

The relationship between KIU and YEE finally breaks when KIU discovers that YEE has used illegal means to help KWOK bring - in quick profits. After their separation, YEE feels lonely and empty. NAY sympathizes with him and offers him comforts. In the end, the two have an affair. KWOK learns of their separation and in order to avoid bringing them embarrassment, he asks YEE to be his personal assistant again. TAK is asked to probe into a commercial intrigue which involves YEE's company. With YEE's help, he gets a job in the company as a security guard. HAN and their daughter returns to visit TAK. Since TAKI. daughter and LING's son cannot get along well, this brings trouble to TAK who often quarrels with LING over this.

Episode 16

YEE's love for NAY deepens but he is shocked to discover that NAY is KWOK's mistress and is asked by him to get lose to YEE using his affection for her as a means for KWOK to exert influence over him. However, NAY really falls in love with YEE and this puts her in a dilemma. TAK eventually gets the opportunity of gaining access to the confidential, files of the corporate but is discovered by YEE. Though YEE knows that KWOK is contemptible, he still stops TAK from taking away the evidence against KWOK. YEE finds himself in a dilemma as whether he should help TAK or stop him so as to maintain his own position. Despite this, he keeps his lips sealed over this. Only NAY's comforts give him some feeling of ease.

Episode 17

When NAY learns that YEN is in possession of evidence against KWOK , she urges him to surrender that to KWOK. Knowing the relationship between NAY and KWOK, YEE feels infuriated at NAY's suggestion.. However, NAY convinces YEE that she really loves him dearly. YEE is touched by her sincerity and promises not to disclose KWOK's crime. On second thoughts, YEE's sense of justice urges him to reveal KWOK's evil deeds. He resigns from KWOK's corporate. Fearing that they. will run into poverty, NAY leaves YEE. When KIU learns of KWOK's crime from YEE, she also resigns and this makes KWOK very angry. KWOK intends to bribe the representative of the JMP Finance Company but MAUBA LIM refuses KWOK's offer.

Episode 18

LIM asks TAK to escort him to leave Hong Kong. However, he is murdered by HUNG who is hired by KWOK. Before he dies, he passes. those evidences against KWOK to TAK who in turn hands them to the police. Nevertheless, because of insufficient evidences the police fails to charge KWOK. TAK recognizes HUNG to be the murderer. .'The police orders arrest of him and HUNG needs to get money so as to leave Hong Kong. So he goes to LING's. house and ties the whole family up. Then he ransacks the whole house for the diamond necklace hidden there by him years ago. He searches everywhere but cannot find it. At that time, TAK and YEE arrive and they have a fight. In the end, Hung tries to escape and YEE is injured.

Episode 19

KIU invites YEE to he her partner to establish a real estate company. However , that does not help to draw the two together again. Eventually they part. LING's mother urges TAK to marry LING but TAK refuses & this antagonize LING. FOR & YAN kidnap LING asking TAN to surrender the diamond necklace to them. TAK asks HUNG where he has hidden the necklace but he keeps his lips sealed. After much effort. TAK & YEE find the necklace.