I did not quite understand the ending of the movie. Both the husband and the sister now know about the love between the wife and the doctor. The doctor goes away promising to come back next spring (or probably in summer). In the final scene, the husband joins a (now joyous) wife at the city wall.
Why are the husband and wife back together happy?
I'm not sure she looks joyous - after all you only see her silhouette - but I assumed she was just pleased he was well enough to get up and go for a walk. The ending was pretty unsatisfying, rather like the rest of the movie, for me.
shareI think they are happy because their relationship has turned a corner.
After stagnating over so many years, the appearance of Zhichen was a catalyst for the couple - expressing repressed feelings towards each other. Obviously it all comes to a head with the attempted suicide. Yuwen realises she actually does love Liyan, and he accepts that he needs to get over the past and start living life to it's fullest.
I thought it was brilliant, and it's stood the test of time very well. Progressive for a 1940's Chinese film - I was glad to see no contrived political issues were shoehorned into the plot.