日劇《阿信》之所以能在日本創下高達62.9%的驚人收視率，並且在海外掀起長時間不退的熱潮，並不是偶然的成功，而是深深嵌合了時代背景、社會心理與敘事藝術的結果。它不僅是一部電視劇，更像是一面映照日本近代社會與集體記憶的鏡子，讓不同世代、不同文化背景的觀眾，都能在阿信的人生中看見自己的影子。

《阿信》的故事橫跨明治、大正到昭和時代，完整涵蓋日本從農業社會邁向現代國家的劇烈變動期。劇中描寫阿信從貧困農家被迫外出當童工，歷經剝削、飢餓、歧視與戰亂，卻始終沒有被命運擊倒，最終成為成功企業家的過程。這樣的生命軌跡，與日本戰後社會高度重疊。當時的日本正努力走出戰敗陰影，社會集體渴望重建、翻身與尊嚴，而阿信「只靠雙手與意志改變命運」的形象，正好回應全民內心深處對希望與復興的期待。

對主要收視群體──家庭主婦而言，阿信更是一個極具投射力量的女性榜樣。她溫柔卻不軟弱，忍耐卻不屈服，在家庭責任、經濟壓力與社會不公之間不斷掙扎，卻始終保持善良與尊嚴。這樣的形象，既符合日本傳統對女性的道德期待，又悄悄突破性別限制，讓女性不再只是附屬角色，而是能夠承擔家庭、創造事業、改變命運的主體存在。

在敘事結構上，《阿信》充分發揮NHK晨間劇（朝ドラ）的經典模式，以「一代記」的方式描寫女性的一生，節奏穩定卻情感濃烈。每天固定時段播出，使阿信的成長彷彿與觀眾的日常生活同步推進，逐漸建立起強烈的情感連結。劇中將關東大震災、經濟恐慌、太平洋戰爭等重大歷史事件，自然地融入角色命運之中，讓宏大的歷史不再只是教科書裡的名詞，而是透過女性的生活細節被重新感受與理解，形成一種獨特的「情感式歷史記憶」。

此外，《阿信》之所以能跨越國界，在台灣、中國及其他亞洲地區引發熱烈迴響，也與其普世價值有關。勤奮、節儉、不放棄、為家庭犧牲、靠努力翻轉人生，這些價值對於當時正處於經濟發展或社會轉型期的地區觀眾而言，具有極強的吸引力。許多海外觀眾，尤其是早期創業者與基層勞動者，都從阿信的故事中獲得精神支持，甚至將她視為人生的榜樣。這種現象，使《阿信》不只是娛樂作品，更成為一種特殊的文化輸出與情感外交。

總體而言，《阿信》的成功來自於它精準捕捉時代精神，將個人奮鬥與國家歷史緊密交織，並以真實而克制的情感打動人心。它所描繪的不只是一名女性的成功故事，而是一整個民族對苦難、努力與尊嚴的共同記憶。也正因如此，《阿信》才能超越收視數字的意義，成為感動數代人、至今仍被反覆提及的不朽經典。

Jia Guolong announced his return in an exceptionally tragic and resolute way. On January 15, rumors circulated online that Xibei would shut down 102 stores, accounting for as much as 30% of its total outlets. Jia Guolong later confirmed the news to China Newsweek. In a post on his Moments, he wrote that he had done everything he could: “We didn’t ask anyone for help. We relied on ourselves and fought for a full 125 days.”

According to him, the closure of the 102 stores will be completed within the first quarter of this year. All employees who are forced to leave will be paid every cent of their wages without delay. All customer prepaid cards can still be used at other Xibei locations, and refunds will be issued immediately to anyone who wants to return their card. “In the time ahead, we will keep fighting and strive to survive,” he said.

However, what attracted even more public attention than the store closures were Jia’s other remarks on social media. He firmly insisted that Xibei’s restaurants have never used pre-prepared dishes, whether judged by official national definitions or by common-sense understanding in everyday life. He also spoke up in defense of the branding agency H&H, explaining that it was he himself who decided to open the kitchens to the public last September, and that it was also his own decision to allow the media to conduct interviews freely. “If there’s a problem, come at me,” he declared.

This strongly personal, hands-on management style enabled Xibei to grow rapidly over the past three decades and rise to the top position in China’s casual Chinese dining sector. Yet it was precisely this same approach that pushed Xibei into a crisis over the past four months. Customer traffic plunged off a cliff, and even substantial cash subsidies failed to reverse the decline.

On January 8, amid controversies surrounding Xibei, pre-prepared dishes, central kitchens, broccoli, and figures such as Luo Yonghao, China Newsweek conducted an exclusive interview with Jia Guolong in Beijing. When asked why he insisted on being so uncompromising about the truth, he replied candidly: “It’s not about being stubborn or not. I simply can’t swallow this kind of dirty water being poured on me anymore.”