| Summary: | An impoverished Chinese couple move to Beijing from their home town in search of a better life. They invest what little they have in a shabby diner and begin a new life. The film follows Zhang's and Xiao's restaurant business over a period of three years. The couple s problems at times reach almost comical proportions. There are no customers, but they continue to make an effort. The couple represents a phenomenon that has become part of everyday life for tens of millions of Chinese. As China follows the global economy, it is the rural residents who used to make their living in state run cooperatives who now find themselves destitute. The large cities are full of illegal job seekers who have no basic security and are harassed by the local police, adding to their troubles. Nevertheless, the diner in Beijing has an essentially warm and optimistic atmosphere. The young couple carries on with their lives, through joy and worry, determined to succeed
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