Original subtitles

Well, we sure don't have any leftovers to take home.

I just love Chinese leftovers.

Can we order some?

Solely have not time till now to come to talk to Mr. Davis and family.

And Mr. French.

Well, you're looking in good spirits. Business booming, huh?

Other reason for good spirit, Mr. Davis.

Future wife alive from Hong Kong tomorrow.

Oh, you're getting married?

That's great.

Well, congratulations, Ho.

I didn't even know you had a girlfriend.

Ah, yes.

Mally's contract made with Ming Lee family ten years ago.

Have not seen her since that time.

Now, at last, she arrived.

We married in one month.

Well, has she ever been to this country before?

No, never away from Hong Kong.

Hope she not lonely staying in hotel to marriage.

Listen, there's no reason for her to stay in a hotel.

We can have her over at our place.

You are kind, Mr. Davis.

Ho not wish to impose on family.

We're not strangers, you know. You stayed with us when you first came here,

didn't you?

True. But Ho work for Mr.

Davis.

She wouldn't be any trouble at all.

No, no. Ho would not dream of doing this.

Okay.

I guess I just have to lose face, that's all.

Oh.

Who not wish to go against honorable American custom of losing face?

It's all settled.

All right.

Thanks for kind hospitality.

Ming Lee will be very happy.

You are ho pang yao, Mr. Davis.

Good friend.

Well, welcome.

This is Ming Lee.

How do you do?

Mr. Davis, Mr. Flinch.

Regret hour is late. Stopped to show Ming Lee restaurant.

Now show Ming Lee to you.

Okay. She's very lovely. You're a lucky fella.

It is truly said, man who has young wife is blessed with double happiness.

Sure.

Mr. Davis.

So kind to allow me to stay.

Ming not speak English too good as Hope, but soon get better.

Oh,

Sissy, Buffy, Jody.

Pleased to meet you.

It's nice having you here, Ming.

Girls are going to get along fine.

Good for Ming to have friends same age in strange country.

Well, I'll... Be glad to show her around and help her get adjusted.

Would be most happy.

So busy in Lestland will be difficult to spend time with Ming, much as Ho

wishes.

Don't worry, she's in good hands.

Uncle Bill, why doesn't Ming stay in my room?

Sure, if it's okay with Buffy.

Sure, I'll just move all of my junk into Jody's room.

Okay, I'll help you, Buffy.

Buffy moved junk?

I'll try and help you over some of the rough spots.

Rough spots.

Ming has much to learn.

Must leave now. Saturday is number one busy day in restaurant.

Bye -bye, Sissy.

Bye -bye.

Mr. Davis, my gratitude is like whale with no bottom.

Forget it. Go on. Go to your restaurant. Go on.

It's a very nice park.

Do you have parks in Hong Kong, Ming?

Yes, many parks.

Just call the house to see if Mr. French told me you're over here. Hello, Greg.

Come on, Jody, let's go.

Greg, I want you to meet Ming Lee.

She's going to be staying with us for a while.

Hi.

Hi? You speak Chinese?

What did I say?

Hi in Chinese means is.

Hey, I speak Chinese.

No, Ming.

Hi is the way that people sometimes greet each other in America.

Oh, we'll remember.

Hi, Greg.

Where are you from, Ming?

Hong Kong.

Let's go sit down.

Ming's come over here to get married to... Oh, well, you know him. He's a

of Uncle Bill's. Oh,

congratulations, Ming.

Oh, thank you.

Listen, about our date tonight, why don't we go to the pink showboat?

Well... You've always wanted to go there.

I know, but... Well, Ming's my guest, and Ho's working tonight.

Oh, I get it.

Well, Ming can come along.

Oh, thanks, Greg.

I'll pay your way.

No, no, I'll do it.

Of course, I'll have to borrow from you until payday.

You'll dig the pink showboat. They got a rinky -dink banjo and a funky piano

player.

You explain, please.

Sorry,

I forgot you're not with it.

With it.

Explain, please.

Look, I gotta get back to work. I'll pick you girls up at eight. Okay.

Boy, is she sure gonna slip the conversation tonight.

Bye. Bye -bye.

Greg, very nice.

He your young man?

Oh, well, we're not engaged or anything.

But he is nice.

No marriage contract?

Not in America.

Come on, we'll find Bethany and Jody.

Hi,

Mr. French. Good evening.

This is Mike Wong.

Good evening, sir.

The girl's revved up to go?

Oh, I suspect so, yes. That's good.

Oh, hi, Greg. Hi.

Hope you don't mind I invited Mike Wong.

He's my bio class.

Hi.

See, he speaks Chinese, too.

Hi.

You should have called me, Greg.

I thought you wouldn't mind.

It would be nice for Ming to have a translator along.

John Blazer?

Someone to explain the hard words.

Oh. If not know what translator means, do need translator.

Thank you for trouble, Mr. Wong.

Oh, no trouble at all, Miss Ming.

Shall we? Because they'll be crowded tonight.

I hope this is okay with Ho, getting an escort for Ming.

I told you, he's just a translator, just like at the U .N.

Well, I guess it's pretty impersonal. It better be.

So happy you invite Ming to stay here, Mr. Davis.

When I talk to her on the phone, she tells me how much she enjoyed last night

with Sissy, Blake, and Mr.

Wong. Mr. Ho, do they have flower girls at Chinese weddings?

They have one at mine named Buffy Davis.

Thanks, Mr. Ho.

I informed Miss Ming that you were waiting. She'll be out right away.

Thank you, Mr. Flank.

Sorry to keep waiting.

Sissy, arrange hair.

Ming wanted to try it anyway.

You like?

Yes, I like.

She already becoming American like me.

Now it's time for I Ching, which I bring.

What's I Ching going to decide this time?

Place of honeymoon.

Well, doesn't Ming get to choose?

Or is Asian custom, Sissy?

You are best man, Mr. Davis. You have honor to pick yellow stick.

Okay.

Here's one.

What number on stick?

27.

27.

Number 27.

Water in north would sound like thunder.

Sounds like Niagara Falls.

This Niagara Falls good place for honeymoon?

Oh, yeah, newlyweds been going there for years.

Ah, eating very smart book, never fail.

Well, it looks like you're going to have an old -fashioned honeymoon, Ming.

Whatever hosts say.

Me old -fashioned, too.

Now we must go. Must not keep honorable elders of Kwong Lam family waiting.

Again, thank honorable Davis family.

We go.

Mr. Hall, at honorable wedding, do we throw rice?

No, we eat lice. But for celebration, we have pao zhong, firecrackers.

Hey, firecrackers. Can I be the firecracker boy?

Very good, Jody. You firecracker boy.

Bye.

Bye -bye.

You know, choosing honeymoons by numbers and these marriage contracts.

Chinese girls sure don't have much to say about their weddings, do they? No,

they're used to that. That kind of custom's been going on for thousands of

years. And the important thing to remember is that a good friend has

us with his bride, okay?

I'll remember.

Afterwards, we'll see the library and the medical school.

Then you'll have seen practically the entire university. So many students.

crowded like Hong Kong.

Hi, Greg.

Hi. Ming, you were a little groovy. I almost didn't recognize you.

I'm an American now. I dress like American girl.

Would you like to zero in on a basketball game tonight?

I'm available.

Well, I hate to leave Ming alone.

Well, won't Ho be taking her out?

He can't. Not with your restaurant.

Would you like to see a basketball game?

Never seen one.

Would like to.

Settled. All right.

Hey.

Don't tell me this is the same chick from Hong Kong I met the other night.

Sissy helped me. Bye.

You did a far out job, Sissy.

Did you see much of New York yesterday?

No. Only visit friends of Ho.

Listen to wise advice from elders about marriage.

Many, many hours.

Yeah, that advice bit can really be a drag.

A drag?

It means boring.

You're right, Greg.

We have no drag at Pink Show Boat.

Well, we better cut out.

Ming's going to audit my English lit class.

See you tonight.

Bye -bye.

Going to the game tonight?

Yeah, I'm taking the girls.

Good, I'll see you there.

Hi,

Bill. Hi, who's here? Hi, kids.

Yeah, hello.

Hold on, Mr.

Davis.

What's the matter with you? Kids giving you a bad time?

Have problem, but no fault of children.

Mr. Davis, you are good for them.

Can I ask advice?

Sure.

Do your homework.

I already did it.

If he wants to get lost, we understand.

What's on your mind?

It is about Ming.

She's not the same girl I blinged from Hong Kong a week ago.

Oh, of course she's not. She's wearing her hair different, and she wants to

dresses like Sissy.

There's nothing to worry about. She's just getting Americanized, same way you

did.

Not really how she dress, but really about her new friend, Mike Wong.

Oh, the boy that's helping her with English.

At first, just English, but now maybe find other reason to see her.

Oh, come on. You're just getting a little jumpy because it's getting close

the wedding.

No, I have feeling when I speak with her on telephone.

She most happy when she talk about wonderful time she have with Mike Wong.

What I do, Mr. Davis?

I don't think you got anything to be concerned about.

If you really feel that way, though, you ought to take her out of here.

Only fool leave sweet winter melon candy in sun and not expect flies.

Okay. You got someplace you can stay?

Kong Lam and wife.

Old people know custom.

Contract with bride like solemn promise.

Sure. You better call him. Go on.

Regret to leave Davis's household.

But if it is Ho's wish... It is my wish.

But Ho Ming's having so much fun here.

She's no trouble at all.

Who thinks better for Ming to stay with Flynn in Chinatown until marriage?

Why don't you go help her pack?

Sit down.

Well, I hope we see you some more before the wedding. Oh, very soon, next week.

Kuan Lam and wife give traditional tea party to honor future bride.

Yes?

You do me favor?

Well, of course.

Please say goodbye to Mike Wong.

We'll miss him.

Ming, are you in love with Mike?

This changes everything.

How?

You can't marry Ho if you're in love with somebody else.

You've got to go out there and tell him.

No.

Must honor marriage contract.

Even if you're unhappy?

Make no difference.

Ming will be a good wife.

Ming, I feel so sorry for you.

Uncle Bill, may I talk to you?

Sure, come on.

Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I've been thinking about it all week

and I just have to get it out. Well, get it out, get it out.

About Ming and Mike. It's all so sad.

Like out of Madam Butterfly.

Except Ming is Chinese and Mike is an American naval officer.

I mean, we are not involved in this.

But we just can't stand by and not do anything.

Yes, we can. We're not going to interfere.

This kind of tradition has been going on for centuries.

Well, Uncle Bill, would you stand by and watch somebody drown and not try to

help them?

No, but this doesn't have anything to do with anybody drowning.

This is two people's lives.

Three. Two, not three.

Mike isn't in this thing. You can't even consider him.

Ho is our friend. Ho left Ming with us.

We told him that she was in good hands and he put his faith in us. He is our

friend.

Are you going to betray a friend?

Well, I sure don't feel like going to that tea ceremony.

Well, we're the guests of honor and we are going.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Now you see, she hasn't smiled once all the time that we've been here.

She's not supposed to smile.

I don't care what their tradition is. An engaged girl is supposed to be happy.

Ho is most honored his friend come here today.

He wouldn't have missed it.

And I thank you for including me in your invitation, Ho.

You are friend in heart, even if live or in kitchen.

Excuse now, please. Ho must make speech for guests.

My friends, Ho has so much joy and pleasure inside.

Ho would like everybody to know.

No one in world so wonderful like Ming Lee.

No man in world so lucky like Ho.

Ho wait long time for this moment of marriage.

But it is truly said.

He who wait long time for love will be happy long time in marriage.

And...

I'm

sorry I let Ming go out with Mike.

Must save face.

Send Ming back to Hong Kong.

One must...

Go according to one's customs, Mr. Ho.

Well, that's one way to save face, I guess.

No other way.

Well, you'd be pretty big and generous if you just let her stay.

And marry Mike Wong?

Maybe so.

No, I'm not so big man or so generous.

Thousand pardon.

Ming beg forgiveness for unworthy act of ingratitude.

No more disgrace.

Ming will marry Ho and be double good wife.

No.

Impossible for so young girl to be good wife for man like Ho.

Do not wish child bride.

Make Ho very nervous.

Also... Too much trouble to teach about life and about restaurant.

What about marriage contract?

No, no.

Whole American now.

Not live by old Chinese custom.

I tear up marriage contract into thousand pieces.

Wedding is off.

Who will send Ming back to Hong Kong?

All in restaurant business, not tourist business.

It is truly

said to travel with hope is better than to arrive.

You made the right decision.

Perhaps you're responsible, Mr. Davis.

You are a happy bachelor.

Why not hope?

We're sure going to miss you, Uncle Bill.

Yeah, especially next week when school vacation starts.

Us here and you all the way in Africa.

Well, there's no law that says you can't be with me as long as school's out.

Are you implying, sir, that the children should meet you in Africa?

You can stop over in Rome long enough to stretch your legs and then go right on

to Nairobi.

It's too bad she won't be spending more time in Rome. Be most educational for

the children.

I'd like to see those gladiators fighting in those chariots.

You are pleased?

Yes, great.

Oh, it's delicious.

We're going to Africa, Mr. Ho. Do you know how to cook lion?

Most happy to say nobody ever order one, Jody.

I have honor to present new friend, Miss Betty Leung.

Davis family.

Who knows?

Maybe future wife for hope.

You fly her in from Hong Kong?

No, she takes subway from Brooklyn. Much cheaper.