I just like to add that I looooved this film. Got turned on to Lue Xuechang directing after THE MAKING OF STEEL but this is the highlight so far. Satire, droll comedy, a ticking clock movie structure (centered around a dog! ) and a family drama too! A full plate.
I've only seen it the one time myself and that was many, many movies ago. It was one of the first Asian films I saw and has stuck in my mind. You describe it just as I remember it, it really does cover just about everything.