The Happy Life of Jintailang (《金太郎的幸福生活》Jīntàiláng De Xìngfú Shēnghuó), May, 2012

The theme of family has long been a beloved one among Chinese viewers. As a result, the eight to ten p.m. time slot is usually filled with all manner of family disputes: tears and quarrels; misunderstandings between couples, parents and children, brothers and sisters and of course among the in-laws.

“The Happy Life of Jintailang” is the lasted version of all these things. It is a typical family comedy, or八点档 (Bādiǎn Dàng, eight o’clock slot show) depicting a newly-wed couple and the conflicts in their extended family.

One of the most memorable characters in the show is the husband “Jin Liang.” Trapped between his wife, mother-in-law and his own family, Jin Liang strives to be a peace-maker who wants everybody to be happy and satisfied. Many viewers can identify with his character because there are so many men like him in modern Chinese families; the group has even been given its own popular term “夹板男” (Jiábǎn Nán, men trapped in between). The traditional Jiábǎn Nán treats his wife with great tolerance, mother-in-law with flattery, his own father with support and himself with ruthlessness (对老婆“忍”, 对丈母娘“捧”，对老爸“撑”，对自己“狠” Duì lǎopó “rěn”, duì zhàngmǔniáng “pěng”, duì lǎo bà “chēng”, duì zìjǐ “hěn”). You might be able to imagine how much these men might suffer from day to day. But out of great love for their wives and families, they carry on anyway. Here is how Jin Liang describes his talents:

Jīn Liàng: Jiù wǒ zhè nǎodai, wǒ zhè píng shìr nénglì, wǒ zhè tánpàn nénglì, dào Liánhéguó dōu fùyu, jiù Zhōngdōng nà shì yào gē wǒ, wǒ yī diànhuà qiāo guòqù, quán bǎipíngle. Liǎngbiān yī hǒng, liǎngbiān yī hūlu, quán dǎ bù qǐlái.
金亮：就我这脑袋，我这平事儿能力，我这谈判能力，到联合国都富裕，就中东那事要搁我，我一电话敲过去，全摆平了。两边一哄，两边一呼噜，全打不起来。
Jin Liang: I have such a brilliant mind, extraordinary peace-making ability and great negotiation skills, which is more than enough to work at the United Nations. If I were asked to deal with the Middle East, a single phone call would set everything straight.
Coax and sweet talk on both sides, and they will never get into a fight.

A conversation between the two love birds in the show goes like this:

Mǐ Xiǎomǐ: Nǐ yǐhòu zhǐ xǔ ài wǒ yí gè rén, bùxǔ ài biérén.
米小米：你以后只许爱我一个人，不许爱别人。
Mi Xiaomi: You are only allowed to love me from now on, not anybody else.

Jīn Liàng: Zhè shìjiè shàng hái yǒu biérén ma?
金亮：这世界上还有别人吗？
Jin Liang: Is there anybody else in the world?

Mǐ xiǎomǐ: Nǐ lián qítā nǚrén dōu bùnéng kàn yìyǎn.
米小米：你连其他女人都不能看一眼。
Mi Xiaomi: You are not allowed to cast a single look at another woman.

Jīn liàng: Nǐ bié shuō rénle, mǔ jī mǔgǒu mǔ wénzi, wǒ dōu bú huì kàn yìyǎn.
金亮：你别说人了，母鸡母狗母蚊子，我都不会看一眼。
Jin Liang: Forget about other women, I won’t even look at a hen, a female dog, or a female mosquito.