The Tears of a mother
(Cimu Qu)

The four sons and two daughters of a dedicated mother leave the house as grown-ups and are less and less concerned with their family. Only Lao San remains in the village and keeps his mother with him. The father is being sued for stealing grain; to stop him from going to prison, Lao San pretends to be the thief. Left alone, the mother has no choice but to appeal to her children’s generosity. She suffers from their indifference but never complais and keeps her usual kindness. When Lao San comes back at last, she feels ecstatic and relieved as her situation was becoming very precarious. As Lao San blames his brothers and sisters, they become aware of their selfishness. Finally, family unity is celebrated with a great feast.