Trimmed

Muhua Liang, a failed painter who owns a crappy art studio with no student except his son, is encouraged by his wife, Sichu Ye, to work at a local factory that Ye works in order to save enough money to open a new and legit art studio in a more prosperous area. Strangely, when signing the employment contract, a work injury compensation insurance agreement of a previously injured worker is found by Liang in piles of documents he needs to sign to be employed. As Liang unwillingly takes the job, he gradually realizes that Ye is using her ambiguous relationship with the factory manager Zhu to promote Liang to become a manager so that Liang would give up on opening a new art studio. Knowing that Ye wants Liang to work at the factory for a long period of time to become a manager to secure a steady income for their family, Liang compromised by continuing working at the company. However, Laing is provoked by a hooligan, Huang, who also works at the factory, and they get into a fight after Huang tricks Liang to see the factory director Zhu when Ye is in Zhu’s office. Incidents of Ye being with Zhu makes Liang question the real reason why Ye encouraged Liang to work at the factory. To break free from the unspoken truth of the dark side of Ye’s plan, Liang “accidentally” cuts off his fingers after the fight with Huang to get insurance compensation. When Ye comes down to check Liang’s injury, Liang says that he cuts his fingers for the new art studio, and Ye admits that she knew it already. No more questions were asked, nor are they needed. The unspoken truth of the whole event is omitted to preserve the fractured relationship between Ye and Liang, like a wilted portion of a flower is trimmed to ensure its flawed perfection.