United We Stand (生繡橋王) summary of episodes 10-12

Too cute not to post upfront: Fei kissing Barbara's forehead (Ep 12)

This is the last three episodes of the United We Stand (Saan sau kiu wong). Watch it at Yueyuyy (complete, annoying ads) or Youku (patchy, not so many ads). Or buy it from YesAsia (free international shipping!); mine arrived in less than two weeks. Special thanks to Sandy for filling me in on some plot holes. Click here for all UWS episode guides.

Ep 19 Yueyuyy (officially Ep 10)

Episode 9 ended with Tung Pang-fei, Andy Tai and A Hoi joined forces to reveal Mr Ho’s illegal weapon trade. They were supported by A Leung and Mr Leung, as well as the Lam family. However, when A Fei et al just found the weapons, some thugs hired by Mr Ho came and defeated them. A Fei recognised the thugs, hence A Hoi thought A Fei betrayed them. After the thugs left, A Hoi almost hit the unconscious A Fei had Andy Tai not intervened. A Hoi returned home and reported A Fei’s ‘treachery’ but his family was all lukewarm about it (because they knew A Fei was in their team).

Despite the first failure, A Fei kept trying to find clue about Mr Ho’s illegal trade. One night, he tried to enter Mr Ho’s office to no avail. He then went to a café and accidentally met Barbara and Mary there. Barbara chose to ignore him. Serves him right! 

Boy apologised but girl would hear none of it...

Barbara then returned the jade pendant he gave her through Cousin Mary (my dear Cousin Mary...). When Fei realised what was within the envelope, he was very blue. He went to a restaurant to find out that Barbara and Mary were having dinner with one of Barbara's suitors.

Ep 20 Yueyuyy ( Ep 10b Youku)

With the help of Mrs Lam, Fei reconciled with Barbara. I so love Mrs Lam! She trusted Fei when others sneered at him. She asked A Hoi to pick up Barbara from the cafe with the pretext that she wanted to see her daughter. Yet, at Mrs Lam's place, Fei already waited for Doh-wan, telling her how she meant the world for him. When Mrs Lam asked for a guarantee, in front of the late Mr Lam's photo and shrine, Fei drank wine and smashed the cup, vowing that he'd always take care of Doh-wan (or something like that). Hence, Barbara Ho Doh-wan melted and forgave Fei, while her mother was super happy that her eldest daughter had reconciled with the charming and (actually) kind Fei.

Mrs Lam didn't stop being a trusted ally to Fei there. Fei, Andy Tai, A Hoi, A Leung etc wanted to prove that Mr Ho was smuggling something (weapons I think) through a coffin. Yet, Mr Ho was one step ahead of them by swapping the content of the coffin from weapons to wine bottles. A Hoi was angry at Fei and basically swore hatred. Yet, when others blamed Fei, Mrs Lam just waited for him inside his room (either she picked the key or ordered the housekeeper to open the door for her). Mrs Lam became the only ally that Fei could talk to; together they discussed the possible ways of defeating Mr Ho.

Also, during Mrs Lam's birthday, she invited Barbara and Fei for a meal at home. Somehow Barbara couldn't come, so she sent her mum a present through Fei (Barbara  might not be able to come because she had to be there as A Ying, hehehe). Mrs Lam was all sunshine when her future son-in-law gave her a gold necklace (from Fei) with a nice jade pendant (from Doh-wan). When A Hoi was hostile towards Fei just before the dinner, Mrs Lam warned A Hoi to watch his mouth. I think she said that Fei had vowed in front of Mr Lam's photograph, hence Fei was basically her son-in-law now.

When even Andy Tai doubted Fei (I think Andy got rid of his suspicion soon), Fei shifting gear for a new plan of attack.

Barbara asked Fei about her dad Mr Ho. I think A Fei then told Barbara about his suspicion. Barbara was sad, perhaps because no matter what, Mr Fei was her father for almost 20 years... But at least we got the scene where Fei and Barbara embraced again...

Fei's problem escalated later when A Hoi, still vengeful, sought revenge. When Mei Hua was sad because of her boyfriend Andy Tai, A Hoi drank with A Hua until she was drunk. I was so scared that Hoi would rape A Hua, but A Hoi just left A Hua in a rented room next to Fei's room. When Fei saw A Hoi left the room, he got suspicious. After Hoi left, he inspected the room and found the unconscious A Hua.  Together with the housekeeper, Fei tried to revive A Hua. However, Hoi came in accompanied by A Leung. A Hoi accused Fei of trying something indecent towards the girl. Poor Fei!!

I'm not sure what A Hua said to her mother when she was revived. I think that she did remember being in the room with Tung Pang Fei, yet she also remembered drinking with A Hoi.

Ep 21 Yueyuyy (officially Ep 11)

Tung Pang-fei, you're just too mean!!! I know you tricked Doh-wan into believing that you're dating Mei Hua for Doh-wan's own sake, for you want to bring down her daddy Mr Ho. But that's just too cruel!!! I hate you!!!

And Doh-wan, can't you just see behind his charming bastard attitude? Learn a page or two from your sister A Ying. She'd see through the disguise just fine...

Okay, lemme track back. Tung Pang-fei and Andy Tai (still couldn't catch his name) got deeper in the investigation of Mr Ho's illegal weapon trade. Fei had to pretend that he was on Mr Ho's side. Mrs Lam, A Ying, Fei Lu and A Leung knew that Tung Pang-fei was actually on their side (against Mr Ho). However, A Hoi was an idiot who can't see that Fei was actually their ally. During a hostage exchange between Andy Tai and the son of Mr Ho's worker, A Hoi injured A Fei's arm. A Fei was not badly injured, but of course Doh-wan came to visit him. I think A Fei asked her how she knew about what happened, and she told him that her Daddy told her. Or, if Doh-wan already knew what happened to Fei, she also told Mr Ho that she was going to visit Fei.

I think that was when Fei started to realise that Doh-wan still considered her daddy innocent. During her next visit, she didn't realise that she was followed by Mr Ho's honcho. When A Fei told her that, she was like, 'Was that guy sent by my daddy?'. Fei almost rolled his eyes to witness her gullibility when he said, 'Then who else?!'

Fei then discussed this with Andy Tai. I think Fei was worried that Barbara would spill the beans, or that Barbara would get hurt, or both. He and Andy then decided to fool Barbara by having Fei pretending to date Mei Hua.

Doh-wan being her gullible self, she couldn't see through Fei's deception, and as the result, she ran out of his room when she saw Mei Hua there (Mei Hua was polite, completely dressed, but it was clear that Mei Hua was 'dating' Fei instead). To make it more convincing, Mei Hua visited Barbara and explained that she (A Hua) and A Fei were truly an item now. Mr Ho was all cool about it, since he didn't think that Fei made the cur to be a son-in-law material anyway...But Barbara was broken hearted. Mary confronted Fei about it, but he was also just cool about it.

Well, of course he actually looked sad when Barbara left his room, but he was good at pretending to be a bastard...

Idiot.

Anyway, A Fei et al continued some plan to disturb Mr Ho's business, including releasing a snake inside Mr Ho's casino. A Fei was also directly involved in obtaining a machine gun for Mr Ho.

Ep 22 Yueyuyy (officially Ep 11)

To prove that he was loyal, Tung Pang-fei pulled a Cheuk Sir (Line Walker 2014) by coming into the Lam residence and sprayed bullets there, killing Mr and Mrs Lam, A Ying, and two guys who worked for the Lams. 

I would have been fooled had i not known that this series has a happy ending. Michael was really good at pulling a Yeung Hong here that I just blinked when he killed the Lams. For a few seconds I believed he killed them... Until I tied other factors and came up with a "naaaah...it was just a decoy. But a good decoy nonetheless!"

Afterwards, A Fei received more trust from Mr Ho. He still trusted Fei when the policemen started to warn him about his activities. Mr Ho even didn't question Fei when the young man took him to the Lam's house.

Then, being this story a feel-good story, the perfectly unscathed Lams emerged to help Fei capturing Mr Ho. Oh, and the Lams had conveniently sent A Hoi away for a few days trip prior to the 'massacre' cos they knew he would ruin the plan!

Fei then told the surprised A Hoi that he and Mei Hua had always been playing along, just so that Barbara didn't get too close to his plan (I suppose, because Barbara was Daddy's little girl, she wouldn't be able to betray him or keeping a straight face. She wasn't A Ying). A Hoi was so happy to know Mei Hua was just treating Fei as a brother and vice versa. Even happier to learn that Mei Hua and Andy Tai's character was not an item anymore, and that Mei Hua liked him (A Hoi) now. I think, A Hoi even proposed to Mei Hua and she said yes, cos in Ep 12 we see Mei Hua in a chignon, the traditional signature that a girl is already married.

Later, Fei came to the Ho residence to inform Mrs Ho and Doh-wan that Mr Ho was fine (cos the boss was MIA for a few hours). Then Fei and Doh-wan had a walk to talk.

You can still slap him, Doh-wan. Actually, please do.

Ep 23 Yueyuyy (officially Ep 12)

Tung Pang-fei told Doh-wan about Mr Ho's illegal business. Upon her request, he took her to see Mr Ho that was captured (but fine) inside the Lam's shack. 

Fei took Barbara to meet her captive daddy

Mr Ho and Belle, I mean, Barbara (I'm so going to make a post on UWS fashion...)

I think Mr Ho admitted what he did to Barbara, which shocked her. She definitely asked A Fei to release her dad, but Fei understandably refused.

Later, Mrs Ho got sick because she learned of what her husband did. Barbara was so worried that Mrs Ho would die such that Fei had to release Mr Ho. 

Mr Ho promptly went to the hospital to see his wife. The Lams questioned Fei's decision in releasing Mr Ho, but after Fei explained it, Mrs Lam couldn't help but understand it.

Repercussions happened though, for Mr Ho wouldn't just sit down after this treatment. He sent A Hei (that's his main henchman) to bring a group of goons to attack Tung Pang-Fei. The actual order was actually to kill Tung Pang-fei. Oh, this is a raaare experience in this series whereby Michael truly fought in the classic style, even using a stick he found somewhere. Gold!! I think they really fought there with minimum choreography; A Hei really looked like he wanted to kill Fei.

(Michael had two other fighting scenes at least: one was when he pretended to rescue Mr Ho in Ep 3 to secure a job; two when he, Andy Tai and A Hoi was fighting Mr Ho’s mob in the warehouse. But the fight in this episode was the best fight).

Anyway, Fei was still outnumbered (he wasn't Chor Lau Heung). Good thing that A Leung and his dad came to help Fei. A Hei was incapacitated and put in prison for man attack.

Tung Pang-fei fight in 'United We Stand' 1984 Ep 12 from Icha74 on Vimeo.

(click this link if you cannot access the Vimeo clip above)


Realising that the situation had escalated, Fei asked Barbara to leave Hong Kong with him. He gave her a train ticket and asked her to meet him the next day at the train station. He then left after he gave her a sweet peck on her temple.

The second peck in the series (A Ying did the first one to Fei)

Barbara hesitated to leave her life behind. She asked Mary what she’d do in her situation. Without hesitance, Mary said she’d leave her family and go with Tung Pang-fei. Eventually, Barbara packed and said goodbye to Mrs Ho in the hospital (not sure of Mrs Ho realised Barbara was actually leaving town). Barbara then went back to her rickshaw to go to the airport, I mean train station (she already had her little suitcase). Yet, just before the rickshaw left, Mr Ho appeared and had his daughter detained at home (he overheard Barbara talking about her plan with Mary). At Barbara's behest, Mary sneaked out of the mansion and told Fei, who was waiting impatiently at the station, that Barbara was in a house-arrest.

Trust me, by now, you want a cousin like Mary. I've wanted to have a cousin like her since the first few episodes.

I think Barbara asked Mary to tell Fei to leave HK, but Fei refused.

Later, Fei was captured by Ho's henchman. He was brought to a warehouse where Barbara was there. Mr Ho raised a gun against Fei, intending to shoot him there. Barbara stepped in, and after a failed negotiation, she said she'd just die with Fei. 

Fei and Doh-wan were surprised to see how far Mr Ho would go

Doh-wan stepped in to protect her Fei

But Mr Ho couldn't care less at this point!

I was expecting Doh-wan to get injured during a gun fight, but my heroine Mrs Lam barged in with Mrs Ho and A Hoi. Mrs Lam and A Hoi threatened Mr Ho with machine guns, while Mrs Ho begged her husband to let go of Fei and Barbara. 

When my heroine Mrs Lam came...

The lovebirds were safe...

Mr Ho lost, he left the warehouse, followed by Mrs Ho. The two of them later had a talk, though, which ended in them smiling at each other. I thought I heard Mr Ho saying that he loved his wife, which made her smile.

Michael, I mean, Tung Pang-fei also talked with Barbara. She showed him a letter, which most likely from her daddy, then they kind of cozying up. 

The next scene is either Fei and Barbara got engaged or got married. I think engaged, cos it was a private meal at the Lam's. A Hoi and Mei Hua were there to congratulate Fei and Doh-wan. A Leung was there too, happy for the new couple. A Ying wasn't there. When Barbara asked where her sister was, Mrs Lam gave a valid excuse (but i think the technology didn't exist that day to have Barbara Yung having long shots of A Ying and Doh-wan together).

Ep 24 Yueyuyy (officially Ep 12, Epilogue)

This episode, or sub episode I should say, is an epilogue. It makes more sense to see this episode as episode 12b, for it really just ties in several loose ties.

A Leung's dad finally married his longtime mistress (Mei Hua's mother). Yet Mr Leung didn't approve of A Leung's and A Ying's union for some weird reasons (because A Leung married Mrs Lam’s daughter, while Mr Leung was marrying the mother of Mrs Lam’s daughter-in-law?). Anyway, A Leung and A Ying got married in secret, which made Mr Leung angry. So, A Ying and A Leung packed up and lived with Mrs Lam instead. My favourite matriarch was also busy because Tung Pang-fei and Barbara lived at her place as well. 

About a year later, we have Barbara pouting and stomping off when Fei defeated a gambler in the Lam casino (I finally got it that the Lams own a small, lower income casino). 

The God of Gambler in action...

...totally unaware that Wife was behind him!

I think Barbara didn't like Fei to gamble, but Fei just did it so that their family didn't lose money to a top gambler. Fei had to do that because the top gambler of the family (i.e. A Ying) had to be ushered to the hospital because A Ying was due to give birth.

The very pregnant A Ying and Mrs Lam

(Slightly off topic, but i see the sibling relationship between Michael's Tung Pang-fei and Barbara's A Ying like what Yeung Hong and Wong Yung would have shared, had YH turned to the light. A healthy, supportive friendship.)

Then, Mrs Lam stepped in again and had Barbara forgiving Fei. I swear, I think it’s no secret that Mrs Lam's favourite son-in-law was Fei...Mrs Lam was all barking orders to A Hoi and A Leung, but whenever Fei was around, she became a pink melting marshmallow...

Tung Pang-fei was already holding both his ears to apologise (the other Fei, the old Fei Lu also did that every time Mrs Lam lashed at him). Barbara then smiled and forgave him. Fei was all sunshine that his wife Barbara forgave him, that he gave her a nice peck on the forehead.

Oh what a peck! Will definitely need to do the GIF...

Then we have Fei and Barbara plus A Hoi and the pregnant Mei Hua accompanying a very nervous A Leung, waiting outside the maternity chamber. Fei and Barbara exchanged some cute gestures with each other while waiting, which made me squee in delight. 

Then the nurse came out, declaring that A Ying was giving birth to twins. Both twins and the mother were healthy (I would be surprised if otherwise, for all illnesses seem to be scared of A Ying!).

All happy and merry in the pre-World War II Hong Kong, particularly when Mr Leung finally accepted Ying's and A Leung's marriage. Mr Leung took one twin out to the park without permission. Mrs Lam, who was afraid that the baby kidnapping would happen again, dashed to search for the baby with A Ying, A Leung and Fei Lu. But no fear, for Granddad Leung just wanted to hug the baby. But he had to compete with Granddad Fei Lu, who ran to the park with the other twin. The series finished with a typical grandfather quarrel between Fei Lu and Mr Leung.

Some notes that I want to know:

What happens to Cousin Mary? I'd like to see her going overseas and establish herself in England or Europe, being the independent woman that she was.

Would Mr Ho be jailed? Or he just quit his illegal weapon business? I want to see him reconcile with Barbara and Fei. What was the letter Barbara showed Fei about? But what matter is that Barbara had her own family in the Lams. I suspect when Mr Ho died, he'd give his inheritance to Barbara and Mary, if his assets were not frozen due to his illegal trading.

In short, United We Stand was another feel-good series. I can't comment on the details due to the absence of English subtitles. Watch the series if you don't care about the detailed storyline and happy to watch it just based on the raw (Cantonese is suggested), particularly to see Michael and Barbara, or at least one of them. Michael-Barbara interactions in UWS were less restrained than in The Foundation and Chor Lau Heung, for both wuxia series were set in the Tang and Ming Dynasties, respectively. Even Fearless Duo (late Qing Dynasty, pre Republic) didn't have the amount of cheek pecks and forehead kiss that UWS had for MB (I count at least three), but that is understandable given only UWS was set in the transition era between ancient and modern China; Hong Kong in this case.

I will write a more comprehensive recap of this series next week or so.