The mother of all dilemmas

"I found that there are few TV dramas focused on what happens to a woman as she adjusts to motherhood. I was determined to write one," Zhang recalls.
She collaborated with Teng in scriptwriting, and with Jiang, also an alumna of the academy, for the production of the drama.

The 14-episode series tells the stories of three women from different generations who experienced their first childbirth in 1993, 2008 and 2022, respectively, and how they adjusted to the maternal role, reflecting on self-growth and exploring new possibilities in life. Their stories are presented alternately in each episode.

The story of one of the mothers, Dai Sijin, unfolded in the 1990s, a time of rapid change and growth for China's economy.

Dai, a publisher, believed in traditional approaches for women such as filial piety, humility and obedience, bearing in mind that a wife's primary role was taking good care of the household and always supporting her husband, even when the man failed to fulfill his responsibilities in the family.

However, after giving birth to her child, Dai realized the unreliability of her husband and decided to divorce him. To create better material conditions for her daughter, she started to retail clothes and later turned into a successful businesswoman.

"In the 1990s, the country was in the initial stage of reform and opening-up, which led to a surge in entrepreneurship and the springing up of new businesses," says Zhang.

"Back then, my uncle and some of his friends chose to travel to coastal cities in South China and started their own businesses. I've heard their legendary stories from my mother, who later also ran a business.

"Dai bears many merits of my mother," she says.