"A Substitute with 100% Devotion"

A Heartwarming Family Ethics Movie

Copyright Holder: Chen Qingyang (Chen Chaosong)

[Story Overview]

This story revolves around two pairs of twins, brothers and sisters, who grew up in the Catholic Ci Guang Orphanage. After being separated and adopted, they each face different circumstances and fates. The older twin brother, Joe Jinglun, is steady, introverted, and focused on his studies. The younger twin, Joe Weilun, is lively, outgoing, and socially adept. They grew up with a pair of twin sisters in the orphanage, and they were innocent playmates. The older sister, Yi Ning, is quiet and introverted, enjoying reading; the younger sister, Yi Jing, is lively and outgoing, enjoying being in the spotlight.

These two pairs of twins were separated in the same year due to adoption. Twelve years later, they have all entered society and meet by chance, reigniting their sibling bond. Among them, Weilun, due to his upbringing, went astray, but through the encouragement of his siblings and girlfriend, he gradually returns to the right path. This story is filled with warm sibling love, parental love, and healthy, positive romantic love, avoiding melodrama and extreme plots. If adapted into a TV series, it would be a sunny, healthy, and heartwarming idol drama, showcasing the brilliance of familial love.

[Story Outline]

The Catholic Ci Guang Orphanage cares for many children who have lost their parents or been abandoned. Father George, the head of the orphanage, is a kind and loving father figure. He, along with two nuns, Sister Elisa and Sister Renée, takes care of the children's daily needs and teaches them to read, write, farm, raise livestock, do woodworking, cook, and mend clothes.

Joe Jinglun and Joe Weilun are twin brothers, taking the surname "Joe" from Father George, with the nicknames John and William, respectively. Yi Ning and Yi Jing are also twins, two years younger than the Joe brothers, with the nicknames Mary and Fanny. They, along with other orphans close in age, Lei Tianlu and Yang Caiwei, form a close-knit "gang" of childhood friends. Jinglun, with his calm and mature personality, naturally becomes the "leader" of the group, while his lively and mischievous brother Weilun takes on the role of the "strategist."

The orphanage is mainly funded by Father George's external fundraising and sporadic donations from kind-hearted individuals. Father George trains the children to develop habits of hard work and frugality and to adopt honest and responsible attitudes. Older children share the workload and help the nuns take care of the younger ones.

When the Joe brothers were ten, the nearby school was closed due to a low number of students, merging with "Merit" Primary School in Meide Town. Weilun, being playful, wandered off to play with the playground equipment and forgot to submit his school transfer papers, thus becoming "missing." Weilun, not wanting to be scolded by his brother, said nothing about it upon his return.

On the first day of school, the nuns prepared breakfast for them to carry in their bags. Jinglun led nearly ten orphans to school on foot.

Once at school, they each went to their respective classes. Having nowhere to go, Weilun wandered around a row of classrooms before deciding to be a "runaway child" and explore the town. After class, Jinglun went to various classes looking for his brother, but he was nowhere to be found. He asked Yi Ning and Yi Jing, who also hadn't seen Weilun, making Jinglun worried. At noon, a hungry Weilun stood by a noodle stand, drooling next to a middle-aged man eating noodles. The man looked up and saw the boy, whose handsome features reminded him of his deceased son, evoking pity. He invited the boy to sit and asked what he wanted to eat. Weilun said he wanted a big bowl of braised noodles. The man ordered it for him and even added a plate of stewed food. This middle-aged man introduced himself as Huang Zhanpeng, a martial arts instructor by day and a film projectionist at a cinema after noon. He asked the boy's name, where he lived, and about his family. Weilun, thinking this kind uncle had bought him food, seemed trustworthy, so he answered truthfully. Upon learning that Weilun was an orphan from Ci Guang, Zhanpeng felt even more pity and asked if he wanted to learn martial arts and film projection from him. Weilun, finding both intriguing, agreed without hesitation, provided he could return to the orphanage every evening.

That afternoon, Weilun followed Zhanpeng to the cinema's projection room. Weilun had never been inside a cinema, let alone a projection room. He watched Zhanpeng operate the projector, curiously asking questions. Zhanpeng patiently answered every one, genuinely liking the boy's eagerness to learn. In the evening, Weilun needed to return to the school gate to wait for his brother, so Zhanpeng arranged to meet him the next morning at the breakfast shop next to the noodle stand.

When Weilun met his brother at the school gate, Jinglun anxiously asked where he had been since he wasn't seen on campus. Weilun, appearing relaxed, truthfully recounted his adventure and mentioned that their orphanage friends could watch free movies, but they had to keep it secret from the father and nuns. Lei Tianlu said he'd like to become an apprentice too if that was the case. Jinglun initially disagreed with his brother skipping school to apprentice, but after Weilun's pleading and Tianlu's persuasion, Jinglun reluctantly agreed, on the condition that they wouldn't neglect their studies. The two brothers decided to "swap" identities every two days, taking turns attending school and apprenticing. Their friends found this idea novel and exciting, agreeing to keep the "secret."

The next morning, Weilun arrived at the breakfast shop as agreed. Zhanpeng was already there, asking what he wanted to eat. After a quick breakfast, Zhanpeng took him to the martial arts gym. A few teenagers, older than Weilun, were warming up, practicing a set of "Chen-style Tai Chi" under an instructor's supervision. Zhanpeng introduced Weilun as his "adopted son" to Master Lin Qinghua, the gym owner, and introduced Weilun to the senior apprentices. Weilun was surprised by the "adopted son" claim but understood it was to waive his tuition for martial arts training. The senior apprentices, hearing Zhanpeng refer to Weilun as his "adopted son," treated him with respect. However, Zhanpeng only allowed Weilun to watch the senior apprentices practice all morning without any direct involvement. Weilun, being smart, actively helped by passing towels and serving tea, quickly bonding with the others.

After dinner, Jinglun tutored his brother in the day's lessons, while Weilun described his experiences at the martial arts gym and the cinema projection room. The following day, the brothers switched roles, with Jinglun meeting Zhanpeng at the breakfast shop and Weilun attending school. Jinglun, being introverted and reserved, acted cautiously in the martial arts gym, making Zhanpeng think the boy was just in a bad mood that day. However, Zhanpeng didn't realize he wasn't Weilun. At school, Weilun's outgoing nature made classmates think he had suddenly become more cheerful, and his frequent questions in class surprised the teachers, who were used to his reserved demeanor. That afternoon, Jinglun followed Zhanpeng into the projection room. Jinglun's unfamiliarity and hesitation led Zhanpeng to think the boy had forgotten everything from the previous day, so he patiently explained everything again.

In the evening, the brothers met and shared their experiences, while Tianlu, Caiwei, and the Yi sisters listened intently, with Tianlu repeatedly expressing his envy. However, back at the orphanage, they kept their mutual secret.

On Saturday morning, the group of friends planned to wander around town and watch a free movie at the cinema in the afternoon. Weilun noted that both brothers couldn't appear at the cinema simultaneously, or their cover would be blown, so Jinglun stayed at the orphanage, running errands for the father and nuns. Weilun led the group, bought snacks, and sneaked them into the cinema through the back door, settling them before heading to the projection room.

Jinglun was earnest and honest, while Weilun was smart and sly, which often led to Jinglun taking the blame for his brother. Whenever Weilun played pranks on classmates, Jinglun would get punished by standing in the hallway the next day. Their teacher, Lin Meishan, often found their changing behavior puzzling, suspecting Jinglun of having a "split personality." One Saturday morning, Ms. Meishan unexpectedly visited the orphanage. Weilun was at the martial arts gym with Master Huang. When Jinglun saw the teacher, he knew trouble was brewing. Sure enough, Father George quickly saw through their charade. However, he didn't expose them immediately. After Ms. Meishan left, he scolded Jinglun for getting involved in his brother's antics. Jinglun explained everything and asked for punishment. Hearing Jinglun's explanation, Father George, understanding their desire to balance schoolwork with life skills, no longer opposed their "identity swapping." That evening, Weilun returned to the orphanage and learned from his brother that Ms. Meishan had visited. He confessed everything to Father George and asked Weilun to apologize. Weilun realized the gravity of the situation and went to apologize. Father George advised him not to trouble his classmates or cause problems for his teachers, and Weilun promised to behave.

However, good times didn't last. A year later, Master Lin Qinghua passed away unexpectedly. The gym closed, leaving Zhanpeng unable to continue the apprentices' training. Around the same time, the cinema's boss passed away, and his son took over, dismissing old employees to hire new ones, leading to Zhanpeng's dismissal. The brothers' apprenticeship ended prematurely. Zhanpeng, missing his deceased son and unable to find a decent job, often drank away his sorrows at the noodle stand, looking thin and haggard. Weilun occasionally went to see him, bringing him the allowance Father George provided. Noticing Zhanpeng's worsening condition, Weilun, realizing he couldn't rely on him, began looking for other options.

Father George, understanding Weilun's situation, sought to enroll both brothers in a technical school for carpentry and mechanical training after their primary school graduation. He didn't anticipate Weilun running away two weeks before graduation. After receiving a warning from the school about a suspected runaway, Father George had the nuns search for Weilun. They found a letter Weilun had written to his brother: he had run away to find Zhanpeng, who had found a job for him at a friend's garage in town. Although he was now away, he promised to return in the future.

Jinglun read the letter with tears, scolding himself for not noticing his brother's actions earlier. However, Father George's approach calmed him down, encouraging him to continue his studies and trust in Weilun's ability to make good choices.

Years later, after the two brothers have taken separate paths, they cross each other again as adults. Jinglun becomes a successful architect, and Weilun, after a few more wrong turns, manages to turn his life around. Both brothers reunite with the Yi sisters, and together, they reforge their once-broken familial bonds.

This heartwarming tale of resilience, family, and love shows that no matter how far you go, you can always find your way back home.

This adaptation captures the essence of familial love and ethical dilemmas, making it a compelling story for a TV series or movie. It reflects the enduring power of relationships and the capacity for growth and redemption.