The Golden Path () is a 30-episode drama serial. Set in 1982 and spanning 25 years, it tells the story of a family embroiled in conflicts of interest, webs of deceit, love, hatred and vengeance. The drama was produced by Mediacorp in celebration of the company's 25 years of local Chinese drama production and incorporates scenes from past dramas such as The Seletar Robbery, The Flying Fish, Pretty Faces, Turn of the Tide, Finishing Lines, The Last Applause, Stepping Out, The Golden Pillow and Holland V.
The serial was telecast on MediaCorp TV Channel 8, from 11 December 2007, weekdays at 9:00pm. The series finale aired on 21 January 2008.
Meaning of title
As the series revolves around the pursuit of wealth (or at the very least, basic financial stability), the series was named to reflect that. Coincidentally, and perhaps intentionally, the first two characters of the Chinese title, "黄" and "金", are the surnames of the two main families in the series. In that sense, the title would mean "The path travelled by the Huangs and the Jins".
Cast
Huang Family
First generation
Second generation
Chew Chor Meng as Huang Kaida 黄凯达Young version portrayed by Tan Yong Ming (陈勇铭)The eldest son of Xiao-gu. Always the most academically inclined member of the family, he became a medical student, and served as a doctor at a local hospital. When Kaida discovered the crime his brother, Kaijie, had committed, he covered up for his brother. The pressure of such a cover-up drove Kaida to insanity, costing Kaida his medical licence, as well as his love interest, Lu Simin.
Jin Family
First generation
Li Nanxing as Ah JinA criminal who participated in one of the biggest jewelry store heist in Singaporean history. Xiao-gu, unbeknownst of his horrifying background, eventually decided to marry him, only to be pursued by the police on their day of their marriage after a tip-off from Xiao-gu's second son, Kaijie. His children Jinlong and Jinfeng were entrusted in her care after he committed suicide with a gunshot.
Second generation
Other characters
1982 Era
1995 era
2003 era
Synopsis
1982
Introduction
The series began in Chinatown in 1982, where Xiao-gu, a young widow with 3 children (Kaida, Kaijie, and Kaiqi), opened and operated the "Happy Restaurant" (幸福飯店) roadside stall. Xiao-gu is an optimistic woman, even after the death of her husband (along with the none-too-friendly taunts she regularly receives for being a widow) and her tight financial situation.
One night, Xiao-gu received a visit from a young man (Jinlong), who was sent by a dying man to give Xiao-gu a key. The dying man, as it turned out, was Ah Chen, a triad member who helped Xiao-gu when Xiao-gu's husband, Ah Shun, was dying from a grave illness. It later transpired that Ah Cheng was killed by fellow triad member named "Ah She" (pronounced "sher", meaning "Snake", who, in turn, was having an affair with Chen-ge's wife, Chen-sao), with Kaijie and the young man who gave Xiao-gu the key as witnesses. When "Snake" and Chen-sao discovered Xiao-gu's knowledge about the events, in addition to the key Xiao-gu received, they attempted to kill her and Kaijie, but the attempt was thwarted by a mysterious man. "Snake" gave up on his murder attempts, but kidnapped Kaijie to force Xiao-gu to give up the key she received. The key, as it turned out, led to a cashbox that was stashed in an abandoned house. The safe contained tens of thousands of dollars in cash. When "Snake" and Cheng-sao opened the safe and emptied its contents, "Snake" doused the house with petrol, in order to kill Xiao-gu and Kaijie, and silence the only witness to Snake's murderous deeds.
As fire raced through the house, Xiao-gu and Kaijie were able to escape, but Cheng-sao and Snake were still inside. Xiao-gu reentered the house to save Chen-sao, but Snake was burnt to death when burning pillars fell on him.
New Neighbours, New Terrors
As Xiao-gu and Kaijie recover from that traumatic episode, a new neighbour moved into the flat that Xiao-gu rented. Little did Xiao-gu know that her new neighbors were the young man who delivered her the key to Ah Cheng's safe - Jinlong, and his father, Ah Jin - the man who saved Xiao-gu from certain death by "Snake". As the new family settled in, Ah Jin used the money he earned (from sailing, as Ah Jin claimed) to buy his children clothes, blankets, and a television set (considered a luxury to people of their social class during that time). Ah Jin shared his new television set with his neighbours, whose children were mesmerised by it.