The Road Home

Luo Yusheng travels back to his rural village after hearing of his father's death. The film opens in black and white as he processes the news and prepares to honor the family. His mother Zhao Di insists on carrying the coffin on foot so the spirit will remember its way home.

Zhao Di carries the coffin back to the village along the traditional path, a ritual meant to guide her husband’s spirit home. The procession draws the respect of the villagers, underscoring communal mourning and duty. This moment anchors the film in filial piety and ancestral memory.

Luo Changyu comes to the village to teach, and Zhao Di is instantly drawn to him. Their courtship unfolds through glances and shared moments rather than grand gestures. In the village, their romance becomes the legend that shapes local memory.

Soon after their budding romance begins, Luo is summoned back to the city by government authorities. Zhao Di waits outside, growing ill with longing as time apart stretches on. The separation tests their devotion and sets the stage for future consequences.

Hearing Zhao Di's illness, Luo secretly returns to the village to be with her. He slips through restrictions to renew their bond, reinforcing their connection. Yet the punishment for leaving his assignment keeps them apart again for years.

Even as their feelings deepen, the teacher remains separated from the village by punishment and distance. The relationship cannot be consummated for years, but the memory of their longing endures in village lore. The lovers' secret moments become a cherished legend.

Returning to the present, Yusheng decides to fulfill his mother's wish by organizing the coffin's journey home. He seeks to mobilize the village to honor his father with a proper farewell. The plan highlights the continued importance of ritual in the family and community.

The mayor explains that there are few young men left to carry the coffin and they discuss paying the volunteers. Yusheng is hopeful that the villagers will volunteer as a sign of respect. In a symbolic turn, the mayor returns the money, affirming that the task is an honor, not labor.

More than 100 villagers answer the call to carry the coffin, turning the procession into a communal celebration. Their participation underscores the teacher’s lasting impact across generations. The act reinforces communal memory and reverence for education.

The coffin is carried along the village roads toward the family home amid quiet reverence and collective pride. The act symbolizes the community’s memory of the teacher and the reach of his influence. It binds generations through ritual and shared history.

On the morning he is set to return to the city, Yusheng fulfills his father's dream by teaching a class in the old schoolhouse. He uses the textbook his father wrote, linking past and present through education. The moment stands as a quiet, symbolic bridge between generations.

As the story shifts from black-and-white to vivid color, the parents’ romance comes to life in full detail. The transition marks the reveal of the past and its emotional richness. Color signals a shift from present-day memory to vivid historical storytelling.

The lovers’ courtship grows into a village legend retold across generations. Their story strengthens communal identity and becomes a touchstone for future rituals. The legend helps frame the film’s reflection on memory and tradition.

Luo Yusheng’s act of teaching in the old schoolhouse fulfills his father’s dream and deepens the family’s legacy. The classroom scene binds the generations through knowledge and memory. The ritual and memory echo through the village long after the funeral procession.