Original subtitles

The great Chairman Mao taught us...

to develop sports to strengthen our physique

and the stay on our toes you safeguard our country

Now we start the exercises

One, two, three, four

five, six, seven, eight

two, two, three, four

five, six, seven, eight

three, two, three, four

five, six, seven, eight

four, two, three, four

five, six, seven, eight

Stretch...

As l look back, l realize that this was the moment...

...When Xiu and l left our childhood behind

From that day on,

The girl whom everyone nicknamed Xiu Xiu

occupied my entire being

Once you're away,

you'll be on your own

l won't be able to look after you

Dry your hands before grabbing the soap!

it lasts longer that way

We just a family only four members

We only get two bars of soap each month

The toilet paper out there is very coarse,

so l exchanged sugar coupons

so l exchanged sugar coupons for extra toilet paper

Use this when your period comes, uh?

Use that kind of paper

Be sure that

Be sure to dry this under the sun

That kills the germs

Here, let Mom help you

This is so heavy!

You've mixed in too much cold water!

it shouldn't be too hot!

Xiu Xiu!

When Xiu!

Just sit still!

Tell him I'm coming!

is he crazy about you?

Don't say things like that!

Close your eyes!

Everyone is signing up, so l signed up, too

it�s like being in the army

We even get military uniforms!

l don't have much to give you

This is for you

What is it?

You'll see

Let's write, then!

i've got to go now

Let me help you!

is it done, yet?

Take a break, have some tea

Let me see

isn�t it too small? Our daughter's a big girl now

it�s fine

Make a few more

Who knows when we'll see her again

l know. l know

What's happen today?

''l know, l know!'' is that all you can say today?

Well, our baby's leaving. I�m feeling sad

Come on, drink it

I'll try it on!

Dad, you're so talented!

Look at how smug he is!

That night,

l stood outside When Xiu's windows for a long time

Later...

l often waited there,

...just like that night, as if in a trance...

As if in a trance...

Beyond the land people living together

We are going to a place

we might be as a community with natives

Like plants breeding and growing up over there

Going to farm on boundary sides

anywhere in our nation is need us

That dress is yours

it�s so big, it's mine...

Sister!

Come up quickly!

Your sisters calling you!

Keep in queue, in queue

When Xiu

Follow in here to going to the truck

Keep in queue!

l wanted to leap on the truck

and leave with her

but courage failed me

Like a small group of my friends,

l managed to stay in the city through family connections

l couldn't help thinking this might have been the moment...

when l lost When Xiu forever...

Goodbye

l can�t see her where?

Goodbye�K

Which one is?

Goodbye! Don't cry, don't cry!

Goodbye�K

The movie's starting!

We're taking a short cut! Anyone want to race us there?

Xiu Xiu, I�ll wait for you at Headquarters!

Who's that man with Chen Li?

l don't recognize him

She knows too many people!

Let's get going. The movie's starting!

We better follow her to make sure...

Let's go, let's go! We'll miss the movie

Bastard!

Fuck your ancestors! Go feel up your own grandma!

Dare to leave your claws where they were?

l did it, so what?

You filthy scum!

Who wants feel you up?

it is you

You dirty bastard!

Take a look at my wife's photo!

Why would l bother with someone as ugly as you!

Keep your hands to yourself, jerk!

Chen Li... Chen Li...

When Xiu was never wrote to me.

Chen Li was never found

l endlessly worried about When Xiu,

and chased down any scrap of news l could get of her

There were long periods without any news of her

But l conjured up the most vivid scenes

of her life on the grasslands...

based on stories from those who had returned

Come on in, comrade!

We've read your files

and all your informations

You've been an-exemplary worker.

Very impressive!

We're sending you to learn horse herding

When you return,

you'll organize the Educated Youth girls...

to form an all girl cavalry

completing with the Iron Girls Cavalry!

Lao Jin! Come in for a second!

Lao Jin is a good comrade

Not a single bad mark in his file...

in twenty years

He's even been awarded two honors!

Nothing to worry about!

Loa Jin's just a little different...

Over twenty years ago...

Accountant Cao!

Mind your own business

How come everyone says...

Lao Jin's different?

Rumor had it that at the age of eighteen,

Lao Jin was already hailed as the best rider and rifleman...

...across the grasslands

During a brutal Tibetan tribal war,

Lao Jin was taken prisoner...

and lost his manhood...

with one slice of a sharp knife

Can't marry or have kids, that's all

Everyone here knows about it

There's only one tent?

Just one tent? How the hell are we supposed to live!

What's in it?

Try it

What is it?

Won't poison you

Wild onions

All you Chengdu girls like to wash!

Go back!

l don't know the way back!

l was just fine at the factory

What the hell...

did they want me out here for?.

Now I�m as useful as dog shit!

What?

Dog shit!

Lice!

You know, fleas, lice?

We don't have lice out here. Even the horses don't have lice

But my whole body itches

isn�t this for scratching horses?

l bet...

...you've never bathed in your entire life

l don't like bathhouses

See? You've never taken a bath!

I just took one when it rained

With the horses?

Lao Jin

Do you know the difference between humans and apes?

When they scratch themselves,

watch,

humans scratch in this direction;

and apes, going up in the direction of their hair!

My dad does the best imitation!

Why'd you stop?

No more singing, gotta work

But you sing so well,

much better than the loudspeaker at Headquarters!

What is it?

A Kangba love song

l mean, what are you digging?

What does it look like?

it�s almost long enough for a coffin!

What is it?

You'll see

The sun is too much!

Lao Jin

Come and take a look!

l bet you've never seen anything this beautiful!

Now you've ruined it!

The pattern's gone!

Serves you right!

Wind's too strong

Lao Jin, is that gold tooth of yours real?

Of course

You're bluffing me

My mother left me here gold earrings

l was afraid of losing it, so l had it made into a tooth

Earrings?

You'd look much better without it

At your age and you don't

have anything?

Other herders your age all have

at leave a watch or a radio

I�ve got one

Here

You don't have anything!

Should be warm now

What's warm?

Go take a look

Lao Jin, you're so kind!

Lao Jin. I�m taking my clothes off now

How can l do that with you around?

Go tend the horses

Those few have been bothering...

my horse Da Ching

l can't see you

I�m not washing then!

The clouds are coming this way

Don't turn around

Your eyes will rot if you peek!

Lao Jin, sing me another song!

Here come the clouds

You're peeking!

l didn't see a thing!

Your eyes will rot!

Lao Jin, we're taking these yaks to the slaughterhouse

Don't come up here!

Do you want ribs or legs?

Lao Jin, why the hell were you squatting like that?

Taking a piss?

Lao Jin, they say you pee like a woman!

Go away!

Lao Jin,

they're coming up from that side!

You dare shoot at

retired PLA soldiers!

Just wait

Just wait, you old gelding!

Wait for what?

For you to come bite off my balls? Come on then?

Let's test your teeth!

l left my shoes out to dry

Now there's only one left!

Maybe the wind blew it away

Silly, what wind?

Must've been stolen

Not a single soul around. Who could have stolen it?

And who steals just one shoe?

They were my favorite. l hardly wore them

it must have been stolen

Nonsense. I�ve never seen a single person out here!

You don't see him, but he sees you

Maybe someday he'll come

claim you with that shoe

That's the custom here

lf you like a particular girl, you steal one of her shoes

Which bastard's taken a liking to me?

Chen Li...

l heard from other people that... ...Chen Li was taken to Gansu

She's married off and has a child already!

She'll never be able to go back to Chengdu now

lf it were me,

I'd rather die

Spending a lifetime in a place like this!

At this hour in Chengdu,

the streets are still bustling

All the diners are open

Have you ever had Dongzi noodles?

Dozens of different ingredients!

You have to wait in line

The line goes all the way to People's Park!

The chrysanthemum exhibit at People's Park...

...has hundreds of varieties!

A Tian An Men made entirely from chrysanthemums,

and even an enormous ship!

Dad would put us up on his shoulders so we could see

Dad is the funniest!

Mom never once had

to pay fabric in twenty years

Dad words at a clothing factory

He would save spare fabric from work

At night, he would sew for us

He could make whole outfits...

from scraps!

When Mom scolded him, he'd say:

''Night won't turn into day if a tailor doesn't steal cloth away!''

Xiu Xiu

Lao Jin

you think they're coming to get me today?

They promised...

...l could go back after six months

it�s been exactly 180 days

l won't be able to see Da Ching have her baby...

Can we have breakfast now?

Still cooking

There are still two pieces of candy left from Chengdu

Feed them to my horse Da Ching when she has her foal

Good-bye, Lao Jin!

They still haven't come?

I�ve been waiting for so long! The people at Headquarters must've all died!

Your horse Da Ching just gave birth

it�s sweet little foal

Why the hell should l care?

it rained heavily last night

it changed the course of the stream

And the horses have eaten all the grass here

Tomorrow, we should strike our tent and...

Move again!

They will never find me!

There's no water left for the horses, nor for us

You move

I�m not moving!

Will they come get me tomorrow?

What if they don't?

Then they'll come the day after

Lao Jin

Are you really going to spend your entire life raising horses?

They raise me, too

An entire life in a place like this?

Every place is the same

Lao Jin...

someone's following me!

Who?

There's someone hiding out there

He's got to be the one who stole my shoe!

What shoe?

You said...

...if a guy likes a girl, he would steal one of her shoes...

Did you make it up? Did you?

You made it up!

You fooled me!

How come I�ve never seen you before?

I�m learning horse herding with Lao Jin

That Tibetan Lao Jin?

You know him?

Everybody knows him

He's the one...

who got it chopped off...

Headquarters sent me here first

Later I�ll lead a team of ten female Educated Youth

Have you heard of the While River Iron Girls Cavalry?

The best in the province...

What ''Iron Girls''?

They've long been disbanded

They've been fighting to go home...

For months now

Headquarters is swamped with...

Educated Youth...

...grabbing the precious few return permits

Look,

Those whose parents have connections...

...or money...

...have found their way back

They left before anyone else

Certainly...

pretty girls like you...

...are mostly gone, too

You must be quite popular at Headquarters?

l really don't know anyone

Well, now you know me

lf we had met sooner,

You'd be back in Chengdu by now

with a job and everything!

You know people at Headquarters well?

This...

Hell, everyone knows me!

Even the chief's dog!

They're always begging me for bicycle coupons

laundry detergent coupons,

and leather shoes from Shanghai...

They've got the power, and I�ve got the goods

Everyone's happy

So are there really only a few permits left?

it�s real tight

Chief Yuan's son had one

But then all the Educated Youth were about to riot

So he didn't dare use it

Don't move...

a tiny leaf

in fact,

you're a real honest girl

Anyone else with your looks...

...would have visited the ranch chiefs,

the committee members,

and called them ''uncles''!

l dislike girls who go through the back door

Okay

come look me up at Headquarters!

I�ll get you...

what you need!

Then l really will come look for you

Lao Jin!

You're quite the leisurely one! Roaming all the way out here

No wonder l haven't run into you!

Who are you?

Don't you remember me?

Lao Jin,

aren't you going to say hello?

A storm is coming

l raced to get back here ahead of it

Storm coming?

Then I�d better get going...

You promise you'll come...

...and see me at headquarters

Lao Jin,

come along too

I�ve got a case of Jianzhuang Liquor for you

Lao Jin, he's talking to you!

The storm is coming!

l waited for you all night...

at the Saturday movie...

We almost move our tent today...

No...no...

Don't be afraid

Haven't you been waiting for me?

No... it's not that...

Give it to me,

we'll go back to Chengdu together...

Let's go back to Chengdu together...

Want to buy some honey?

it�s...it's as beautiful as People's Boulevard back home!

Lao Jin, what day is today?

Saturday!

it�s definitely Saturday!

There's movie at Headquarters. Let's go!

it�s more than thirty Li away

lf we ride fast, we could be there is two hours

it�s been so long since I�ve seen a movie!

I�ll go by myself!.

Blackie!

Lao Jin! When Xiu,

are you alright?

l stopped to pee... Blackies just ran off!.

You!

See that? There's a swamp ahead!

How did you end up here?

You could've drowned, if it weren't for Blackie

Come on, we're go back

You said you'd be here last Thursday. it�s Monday already

Look, l knitted this for you!

That damned peddler!

He gave me the wrong directions!

The girl from the powdered milk factory...

Strange, I�ve never seen you before

I just sent two girls back to Chengdu

One word from me, and they're home

This tent is so worn out!

Shame!

The peddler never mentioned this to me

I�ll have a brand-new tend...

delivered this afternoon

Come on, let's have a look inside...

in fact, the peddler...

...he misses you. it's just that he's too busy

There are things he can't do, so he asked me to help

Don't get me wrong

He and l are close pals...

I�m not close to him!

Who the hell is he?

Tough cookie!

There you are!

You're as soft as dough...

I�ll pound you!

I�ll pound the hell out of you!

Lao Jin, is that you?

is there any water?.

l want water

Water's here!

l brought this for you to drink

it was a ten-Li ride

There's still some water left

You want some?

You drink it

Hey, give me my belt!

l need to get back

Just hold up your pants!

How would l explain it?

Stop fooling around!

l wouldn't be able to explain!

Out of water again?

The people who visit me...

...are all very important

How important?

Just very important

lf you want to get back to Chengdu,

You need these people on your side, stamping documents, writing permits

I�m too late

All the other Educated Youth girls

found their way back a year ago

They've probably been assigned...

to work units

Think about it

What's a girl to do?

No money,

no connections,

no powerful parents,

what have l got but myself?.

And you can�t just sleep with this person and not with that person

The ones you don't sleep with will hold you back

A bowl of water's got to be carried evenly, right?

lf you want to go back to Chendgu,

l can take you to Hong Yuan Country

You can catch the bus from there...

What are you talking about?

You've been around for so many years

Don't you know anything?

What could l do in Chengdu?

Without the proper documents,

or permission

you won't get a residence permit or a job

Even the neighborhood committees could send me back!

You just live with your horses

Nothing can possible bother you

Dammit! Where's my shoe?

Where's my shoe?

Lao Jin,

have you seen a shoe?

Whose shoe?

None of your business! Have you seen it or not?

I�m asking you!

I�m talking to you!

Are you an animal?

Can't you understand human language?

There hasn't been any water for days!

What's taking you so long?

You're selling yourself, you know that?

But it won't do you any damn good!

What did you say?

l said...you are a whore!

Not that you're getting any

Lao Jin!

l don't want to go

Forget it. Let's go!

Nothing to be afraid of

Forget it. Let's go!

Open the door!

Where is everyone?

Where is everyone?

Who're you looking for?.

Who are we looking for?.

Doesn't matter! Just find them!

They're at a meeting

What meeting?

The Educated Youth are rioting

She is...

l beg you, Lao Jin!

Please, let's go...

Open up!

Let's go, l beg you!

Open up!

Who're you looking for?.

You've been raising hell since this morning!

Don't you recognize her?.

Recognize her?.

You really don't recognize her?.

Lao Jin, what's matter...

The hell with it! I�ll kill all of you!

Lao Jin...

Take it easy now, Lao Jin!

Lao Jin...

Please, l beg you...

When Xiu

Maternity Ward

Not a sound from her, huh?

I�m sure...

she made plenty of sounds...

...when she was screwing around...

How could she do that to herself?.

A dead pig feels no pain

She's the fifth girl this week...

Hey, Three Toes, don't be messing around in other people's rooms!

Yes, yes

Six

Seven

Three toes, tell the truth

You shot yourself in the foot, didn't you?

Let's not slander a Third-Ranking Handicapped Person

What do you think so?

You traded those three toes for a Chengdu residence permit

l think it's still a better deal than that poor girl in the other room

Shut up!

He's right about that

Let's go

Take a look!

See this?

With this foot,

standing in line to buy meat?

Hell, l won't even have to stay in line to get into the bathhouse!

Open up!

Lao Jin!

Open up!

Open up, bastard!

What's matter?. Lao Jin...

Open the door! You animal!

Wouldn't matter if it were a horse

She'd still want it

She's bleeding to death. How could she still want it?

Bastard!

Hey, what's going on?

What's going on?

We were having an intellectual exchange!

Anyone else want some?

Wait your turn!

Look! Please calm down. Lao Jin

Lao Jin's first in line,

I�ll touch for it

Who said Lao Jin was a teapot

without a spout?

Take it easy...

When Xiu!

No water...

Three Toes said it won't hurt too much

lf l don't aim right, l might lose all five toes

You'll take me straight to the hospital, right?

Will you swear it was an accident?

Lao Jin, l beg you!

l can't bear to shoot at myself!.

Lao Jin, I�m begging you!

lf you just get one good shot off,

l can go back home to Chengdu!

None of them would help me!

You're the only one who can help me now!

l want to go home, Lao Jin!

Lao Jin, I�m begging you!

Wait!

Her life was brief

But in the story...

l keep writing of her

She lives on