Hard Fate

Jewelry designer MOK HEI YEE has been dogged by bad luck ever since her childhood. YEE meets a merchant named LEUNG PAK YIN at a jewelry exhibition. She is not aware that YIN is an expert on jewelry and tries to show off her knowledge in front of him. YEE’s father MOK SAI LUNG is a taxi driver and her brother MOK HEI MAN has been unemployed since his graduation. YEE’s great aunt SUEN YIN TSAU has been suffering from Senile Dementia and YEE alone has to support the whole family. YIN’s business partners SHU HUNG and CHUN NAM have bought a raw stone for HK$10,000,000. Despite YIN’s opposition, NAM decides to cut the stone. As expected by YIN, the stone is of poor quality. After knowing that the company she is working for is going to implement a staff reduction program, YEE tries to make up with YIN. Sadly, all her efforts are in vain and she is finally dismissed from her job. TSAU is cheated out of her precious jade ornament ‘Hon Shan’……

TSAU refuses to go back to the elderly care home and begs YEE to help her locate the missing ‘Hon Shan’. TSAU came from a wealthy family that had been engaged in the jewelry trade. But as the family fell into poverty, TSAU’s mother forced her to marry SIU TUNG, the son of the owner of a cotton mill, just for the sake of money. To avoid an arranged marriage, TSAU decided to run away. She took with her the ‘Twin Fairies of Harmony’, which were handed down from her ancestors, and fled from home. Along the way she met a rickshaw driver named TAK CHEONG…. YEE is so amazed by TSAU’s story and swears to help her locate the missing jade ornament. YIN plans to carve a jade sculpture out of the raw stone bought by NAM and HUNG and wishes to give it the name ‘Hundred Birds Heading for the Nest’. NAM, however, does not welcome his idea. YEE goes to the jade market to look for MING, hoping to get back TSAU’s ‘Hon Shan’……

Having just lost her job, YEE is already quite upset. Now she is even more perplexed as she worries that LUNG has got conned by MING. But when TSAU tells her the story of the ‘Twin Fairies of Harmony’, she soon becomes a bit relaxed. KIT not only persuades NAM to sell the raw stone that he bought, but also seizes the chance to mock YIN’s secretary SHUK KWAN, who, many years ago, chose to give up him for YIN’s sake. YEE, who is desperate to get back her savings, has followed MING to Jieyang. Disappointingly, MING has already spent almost half of the money in purchasing stones. YEE knows there is no way back now. She has no choice but to stay and select stones with MING. YEE meets YIN who has come to Jieyang to look for the carver. YIN promises to help with the stone selection, which has got YEE much less stressed. YIN is shocked to hear that the carver has already signed a contract with KIT……

YEE is worried that she has chosen a valueless stone but MING insists that she has made the right decision. KIT convinces HUNG to sell the raw stone and HUNG finally gives in to his persuasion. YIN understands HUNG’s situation and makes it clear that he does not blame him. YEE tells LUNG how she chose and bought the stone in Jieyang, which thrills him greatly. TSAU has again run away from the elderly care home. She comes home and shares with YEE her love story with CHEONG. YEE prays to the ‘Twin Fairies of Harmony’ hoping that they will bring her to her Mr. Right in the near future. MING’s friend SIU KEI has become homeless. MING then asks the flat owner Madam MAU to put KEI up in her apartment. KIT comes to see YIN hoping to buy a stone from him, but YIN turns him down at once. KIT flies into a rage and points out that YIN has gobbled up the family business Yuk Lung Hin……

KIT asks MING to buy a stone from YIN on his behalf and in return he will give MING HK$300,000 as commission. This really gives MING a great thrill. MING invites LUNG and his family to dinner. YEE acts as if she doesn’t care but deep down she is overjoyed about that. TSAU sees through her and reminds her not to let love pass her by. MING is pondering on how to buy a stone from YIN. He is so puzzled that he goes to confide in YEE. YEE thinks he is going to declare his love to her but she has got him wrong and is therefore very disappointed. MING goes to see YIN and asks to buy a stone from him. YIN believes there are some strange goings-on and looks a little pensive. YEE has been looking for a job, but with no luck so far. She has left her design sketch behind and YIN gets it by chance later on. TSAU is desperate to find ‘Shap Tak’ so that the ‘Twin Fairies of Harmony’ can be together again……

MING always seems to be casual about everything and YEE finds it quite hard to understand him. Now the sudden appearance of SZ has made YEE even more confused about her relationship with MING. SZ pretends to be MING’s childhood friend SHUK FUN, the girl who grew up with MING in the orphanage. She keeps pestering MING, which annoys him beyond measure. MING offers to take YEE to the Peak to do research and makes it an excuse to ask her out for a date. YEE has got fed up with his honeyed words and decides to give up on him. TSAU knows that she will die very soon and so refuses to return to the elderly care home. She hands ‘Hon Shan’ over to YEE, hoping that she will meet her Prince Charming very soon. YEE happens to discover that YIN has stolen her design but MING and LUNG do not believe so. YEE is so angry and immediately goes to ask YIN for an explanation. But on the way she slips over and hurts her head……

TSAU leaves behind the key to the safe deposit box, from which YEE has got some clues. She tries to track down CHEONG’s whereabouts, hoping that this would help locate ‘Shap Tak’. The jade auction is coming soon and YIN would like to modify the traditional jade jewelry design so as to capture a younger market, which, however, is strongly opposed by NAM and HUNG. YEE does not want to let YIN down and works ceaselessly to improve the design. MING shows great care and concern for YEE but YEE does not seem to realize it. SZ keeps bothering MING and even starts to investigate his background. She is surprised to discover that her father has been MING’s benefactor for ten odd years. This makes her suspect that MING is her father’s illegitimate son. Having heard what MING said, YIN decides to adopt YEE’s design for the upcoming auction. YEE is thrilled to pieces yet she is not aware that MING has done her a favor……

YEE has worked so hard for the auction. She is under tremendous stress and finally decides to resign from the job. YIN pleads with her to stay and gives her a few words of comfort. With his support and encouragement, YEE seems to have renewed her strength and resolves to carry on to the end. LUNG heads for Guangzhou to look for CHEONG, in the hope that this would help him locate the missing ‘Shap Tak’. He intends to sell the ‘Twin Fairies of Harmony’ for a high price but by chance he discovers that TSAU’s husband is not CHEONG but someone else. MING takes SZ back to the orphanage to visit Sister MA. SZ is very relieved that nobody in the orphanage has discovered her real identity. SZ has gradually developed a special affection for MING. Her heart is filled with passion but deep down she knows it is impossible for her to be in love with her half-brother. This indeed vexes her greatly……