"A woman in her 60s abandons her family and work, and runs away from home to discover new possibilities and directions in an unknown world. What has prompted her to go on such a trip of self-discovery that even young people would be scared to undertake? The image of a character who refuses to yield to old age and fearlessly seeks new things and changes in life attracts me very much," he adds.
Altogether, 12 stories of Sun Yuping's adventure are told in the production, and each one can be viewed through a different lens: comedy, suspense, crime, workplace drama and even thriller.
"Different types of stories can cover more facets of society, reflecting the problems and dilemmas faced by people of different social strata and in different situations. In this way we can make the series more diversified," says Li.
The roles of Sun Yulan and Dou, according to Li's perspective, are similar to those of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they try to piece together reasons for Sun Yuping's absence from home with clues they discover on the road. The narrative angle adds the charm of a detective story to the series, Li says.
The process enables Sun Yulan and Dou to gain a deeper understanding of Sun Yuping. Although they are family members, it seems they don't know each other that well.