Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available.]

Winter Begonia

Episode 31

Mrs. Cheng,

here’s an account book.

Please have a look.

Didn’t I read

the account book of the freight agent?

Aren’t Mr. Ge and Mr. Ma here?

Give the one who takes care of this.

It’s not for the freight agent.

This is an independent account.

Mr. Cheng said nothing about this,

so I don’t know

how I should deal with it.

Please

have a look.

How many performers

in Shuiyun Theater?

They spent too much.

They burned a hole on pocket?

[Shuiyun Theater]

Little Fengyi.

So cute.

What are you guys doing here?

Leader. Leader.

Leader.

Interesting.

So beautiful.

Pretty baby.

Don’t you have other things to do?

Is the baby

your toy?

What do you know?

Leader,

our God of Wealth went away,

and he left the little God.

No one married

in Shuiyun Theater.

Who’s experienced in adopting babies?

Hand. Hand.

Leader. Leader.

What happened?

Your wealth comes.

Screw you.

I said the truth.

Mrs. Wealth comes.

What?

Did you see it clearly?

Is that Mrs. Cheng?

I promise.

She got off with great pomp.

She must come to scold me.

I have to hide away.

Leader.

Mr. Shang.

Where are you going?

Hello, Mrs. Cheng.

Look at this.

Let me read the account book?

You can’t read?

Few words do I know.

What a strange story.

How can you be the leader of a troupe

while you know few words?

Mr. Han.

Mrs. Cheng.

Teach him to read.

Mrs. Cheng.

Why not let me read for him?

Yes.

Read for me.

I can understand.

It’s OK that he reads for you once.

What about the future?

Will the head of our housekeeper

always read for you

and serve Shuiyun Theater?

Mrs. Cheng,

there’s something that you don’t know.

When Mr. Cheng

took over Shuiyun Theater,

we made a deal.

He’ll take care

of our account

and my duty is performing opera.

Even our housekeeper

doesn’t have much spare time.

How come you rely on Fengtai to take care of your account?

Do you know how busy he is?

This time,

Mr. Cheng went to Shanghai

without delay.

And he hasn’t come back after almost half a month.

Will you just put your account aside?

But this is something I can’t learn.

Everything can be learned

as long as you want to.

Performing opera is not an easy thing,

but you do it well.

That’s different, Mrs. Cheng.

Also, Mr. Shang,

I watched your opera last time.

Though I don’t understand opera,

I could see that you had a good figure.

But why

you’ve gained weight now?

Have I?

I don’t think so.

Can performers

who play female roles gain weight?

No.

That’s it.

You can’t even control your mouth.

How can you control a troupe?

I’ll ask our cook

to make vegetarian diets for you.

It’s time to lose weight.

What are you waiting for?

Go.

Mr. Shang.

Please.

Leader.

Leader.

What did she say?

Say something,

leader.

Look at them, leader.

Look, leader.

What?

It...

How did she piss you off?

Leader.

Girl.

You don’t need to go in.

Wait here.

But I...

We are performers,

if we all get rid of our desire

and entertainments,

how will we perform?

Here will become a nunnery.

Go on.

Correct your behaviors and expression.

Correct your behaviors and expression.

To serve the master.

To serve the master.

Mr. Shang.

Here’s a mistake.

A mistake?

Yes.

I’ll correct it.

It’s not correct.

Here.

Give me the pen.

Look at me.

Mr. Han.

I’d better

close my Shuiyun Theater

and work as a street performer

on the bridge.

Then, I don’t need to record the account.

Stop joking.

Mrs. Cheng did so for your good.

Continue to learn.

Here.

Come on.

Hurry.

Mrs. Cheng.

Everything goes well based on your order.

It’s clearer.

It’s not hard to control a troupe.

Cheng managed the freight agent well,

but he can’t make it at here.

They’re different.

In Shuiyun Theater,

there are performers.

How can Mr. Cheng

control them?

You are the one who can deter them.

They should have been taught earlier.

Come here.

OK.

The fat baby is not slight.

Don’t cry.

♫ The moonlight covers the whole world ♫

♫ Sir, could you tell me where your home is ♫

The baby knows opera.

She smiles once hearing that.

Only with several days,

she’s been cultivated as an opera fan.

♫ The moonlight covers the whole world ♫

♫ Sir, could you tell me where your home is ♫

♫ Begonia ♫

Continue.

Correct your behaviors and expression.

Correct your behaviors and expression.

To serve the master.

To serve the master.

Mr. Shang.

We haven’t finished.

Please cheer up.

My Mr. Han,

I’m tired and hungry.

Please let me go.

I don’t mean to make you suffer,

but if you don’t learn it well today,

Mr. Cheng doesn’t forgive me.

Han?

Yes.

Mr. Shang.

Mrs. Cheng called me.

I’ll leave for a while.

Continue to read the account.

Leader.

Be careful.

Sorry to see that you suffer.

Cheng’s cook’s dishes

are so light.

Other than the famine

in Pingyang,

you’ve never suffered like this.

Right. Here.

I brought you meat with sauce.

Don’t be hurried.

I can’t live

if my life is without meat.

To tell you the truth,

I can’t bear such a life.

So... So what will you do?

She’s Cheng Fengtai’s wife.

Going away is my last way.

Going away?

Where will you go?

Now,

you can’t even go out.

Mrs. Cheng, take care.

I count on you for the matters here.

Shuiyun Theater must know

about their own things clearly.

Don’t let them bother Mr. Cheng

for little things.

He doesn’t need to do much for them.

That’s too tiring.

Mrs. Cheng,

please rest assured.

I will teach

Mr. Shang well.

I’ll go.

Mr. Shang.

Have you understood?

Mrs. Cheng said

I can’t go

until...

Where is him?

So

you escaped?

How many times did you do this?

Jiang Rongshou is an elder,

and Mrs. Cheng is a woman.

I can’t do anything

harsh to them.

So when they bullied me,

I had to escape.

You won’t stay

in Qi Mansion

until Cheng Fengtai comes back, will you?

I plan to go to Shanghai for him.

His wife bullies me.

He can’t just ignore.

Not bad.

I have an invitation.

Shanghai Opera Association

invited me.

Please go to Shanghai

and take part in the social for me.

The social?

I’m not good at that.

You are not good at that?

But aren’t you good at eating?

They invite me to have a feast.

You only need to show up

[Mr. Ning Jiulang]

and pass my words to them.

[To Mr. Ning Jiulang We warmly invite Mr. Ning to Shanghai Opera Association]

OK.

So...

If I make mistakes

during the feast,

don’t blame me.

[Shanghai North Station]

Here.

[Peking Xiyazi]

Xiyazi!

Xiyazi!

Xiyazi!

Xiyazi!

Xiyazi!

Here.

Here.

Xiyazi!

Lin Danqiu!

Mr. Shang,

after receiving your message,

I came immediately

in case that I can’t see you.

I’m a peer of your master. How dare you call my nickname?

Behave yourself.

Look at you.

How dare I call your formal name?

You are so famous in opera circle.

Look.

Many people are here.

I think

there must be your fans.

Let’s go.

Members of Opera Association are all there

waiting for you.

Let me help you.

The best performer.

You are great.

You never did such work.

Go back to rest.

Leave me alone.

I also want to learn.

Farming is not something

that people like you can do.

A duke can do this,

so how can’t an opera performer do?

I need to remind you.

After doing this,

you

are not the current you.

Don’t make it mysterious.

I am not myself?

Who am I?

Your identity changes with your work.

On the stage, you are a performer.

And in the field,

you are a farmer.

I thought after Shang Xirui

and you performed together,

you would change your mind.

At least,

you would give two performances

to me.

But

you stay at home all the day,

and what’s worse,

you let Shang Xirui go.

That kid

is tenacious.

Experiences will highlight his merits.

But what a pity.

He’s young

and doesn’t like reading.

He can only get experiences by traveling.

When his horizon’s opened,

his performance

will be better.

You were in the palace for almost your life.

How did you get a lot of experiences?

Don’t you think the things in the palace were enough?

Things that happened in the palace

were even more than what the public see

in their several lives.

Right.

OK.

I’ll wait for

Shang Xirui’s better performance.

Don’t dig the roots.

[Opera Association]

It’s here.

Here.

Come.

Take this for Mr. Shang.

Mr. Lin.

Look at our Opera Association.

What do you think of it comparing with that in Peking?

What pomp.

Come, Xirui.

Let me introduce them for you.

Please.

Mr. Liu.

Hello.

Xirui.

This is Leader Liu of Sanfu Theater.

This is Mr. Xue.

And you must know him.

A star in Peking.

Best performer, Shang Xirui.

-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Mr. Shang.

Mr. Shang.

This is the chairman of

Shanghai Opera Association, Mr. Tang.

Mr. Tang, nice to meet you.

Everyone knows Mr. Shang’s name.

You really

look gentle

and impressive.

I said it.

The man thought highly of by Ning Jiulang

must be good.

Mr. Shang.

This is the leader of our Hanxiang Theater,

Mr. Wang Qinxiang.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

I know that

you are a peer of Mr. Lin’s master.

It occurs to me my peer’s apprentice.

He’s Yuan Xiaodi

in Peking.

I didn’t think

as his senior,

I’m still struggling in this circle

while he

already quit.

You are his master’s peer?

Yes.

OK.

Everyone,

since Mr. Shang arrives,

let’s start.

Mr. Shang.

Please.

Please.

Please have a seat.

Please.

Mr. Shang.

I know that several days ago,

you invited Ning Jiulang

to give a performance.

He’s solitary.

How could you persuade him to come out?

Please share this story

with us.

I begged him

for a long time.

At the end, he couldn’t put up with me,

so that he came

to perform.

He’s living a life with Buddhism.

He doesn’t even go out of the room.

So,

he asked me

to apologize

to you.

Mr. Ning

won’t come this time.

We are very glad

that you came for him.

What?

[Wang Qinxiang]

Didn’t Mr. Ning tell you?

Maybe

he’s afraid that you don’t agree.

So he cheated you here.

We invited

Mr. Ning

to take part in a show.

It’s a communication

between the opera of the north and the south.

Mr. Shang,

are you interested in it?

The good performers in Peking

are a lot.

For example,

Chen Renxiang.

He’s also in Shanghai.

Mr. Chen

even performed in front of the emperor.

He was also taught with Sage’s Footwork

by Mr. Jiang.

He’s not worse than me.

Mr. Shang,

why did you mention him?

Have you forgotten?

After he lost

the competition,

he’s forbidden

to perform within one year.

Lin.

Look at me.

I’ve really forgotten.

So, Mr. Shang.

Do you want to play the key role?

Thanks for your appreciation.

I accept it.

OK.

I’ll toast you

on behalf of

Shanghai Opera Association.

I heard

you are famous

for the perfect skills.

Today,

we are all eager to

watch your opera.

Could you

please do us this favor?

Yes.

Please let us hear your voice.

Let us open our horizons.

Please

stop joking.

Mr. Shang is

our important guest.

You are enjoying

the feast here.

And you also want to watch his show?

How come

you put forward such an idea?

So you mean...

Today

we are all happy.

So let me sing for Mr. Shang.

What’s your idea?

OK.

Now that Mr. Wang will sing an opera,

how about

Mr. Shang orders one?

You

are the senior of Mr. Yuan.

To tell you the truth,

the first Mr. Yuan’s opera

that I watched was Kun opera.

So I really

want to hear your Kun opera.

OK.

Take it as a gift for Mr. Shang.

Bravo!

♫ Romance in the air ♫

Bravo!

Bravo!

Bravo!

Bravo!

Mr. Shang.

Why does this opera

make you sad?

Am I sad?

Why are you crying?

It makes you recall your memory.

Seems that you understand my opera.

Your performance

makes my travel

more worthy.

Mr. Wang. Toast you.

I think

you are much better than Yuan Xiaodi

even compared with his golden period.

Why don’t you perform any longer?

With your ability,

your ticket must be the most expensive

of the biggest theater.

I’m flattered.

One or two hundred years ago,

what you said might be realized,

but when I learned opera,

Kun opera began flopping.

Seeing the theater

with few audiences,

I even felt bored when singing this.

I performed Broken Bridge with Mr. Ning.

Every audience was excited.

I mean no offense,

but I have some ideas.

I think

Kun opera flopped

because fewer and fewer performers sing it.

I went to Nanking with Chen Renxiang.

Even he

forgot the lines.

The performers who play it are not enough,

so that the audiences don’t watch.

We’ll have a communication between the north and the south.

Now that I’m in the south,

I’ll sing Kun opera.

Mr. Wang, you are really good at it.

Cooperating with you,

I’ll do it well.

Let’s sing Broken Bridge again.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Mr. Wang.

I need to see a friend later.

I’ll go.

See you tomorrow.

OK.

Let’s rehearse.

OK.

Tomorrow,

I’ll wait for you in this yard.

Miss Zeng.

What brings you by?

Hi, Mr. Wang.

I come for my brother.

He’s inside.

This is...

Lin’s sister.

Isn’t he an orphan?

Why does he have a sister?

Mr. Wang,

you promised to let my brother go

at the beginning of next month.

But why did you ask him to perform again?

When will he

be free?

I won’t go back on my words.

Let him perform for two weeks.

Why are you so hurried?

I’ll go back to my hometown with him

at the beginning of next month.

He's been struggling

for half of his life.

I don’t want him

to always stay in this circle.

Performing opera is interesting and profitable.

No career is better than this.

Why should he quit?

Who are you?

This is Mr. Shang Xirui

from Peking.

He’s a peer of your brother’s master.

Mr. Shang.

I know you.

And I also watched your opera.

You enjoy this career,

but not everyone is like you.

We are a family with scholars.

How come my brother works as a performer?

What’s wrong with a performer?

Did you ask your brother?

Is this out of his will?

You...

I won’t waste time with you.

What

a reasonable woman.

Somewhat, others hold prejudice

towards our circle.

Mr. Shang.

Don’t be serious with

this girl.

I won’t be serious

with a little girl.

Thanks. Thanks.

Mr. Cheng,

thanks for coming

this time.

Otherwise,

our factory will be in dilemma

if we can’t

deal with this tricky issue well.

Thanks for your work.

Luckily, Shanghai is your hometown.

So you are influential here.

Mr. Cheng!

Mr. Shang?

Mr. Shang.

Mr. Cheng.

How did you find here?

Cheng Family is famous in Shanghai,

so it’s not hard to get to know it.

Mr. Cheng. I won’t bother you.

You came alone?

You wouldn’t

come without a reason.

Tell me the truth.

Did something happen in Shuiyun Theater?

I came to give you photos

specially.

I made two.

This is for you.

[To my soulmate]

You can give me when I go back.

So why did you

come here?

I accepted an invitation

from the performers in Shanghai.

I’ll perform here.

So can I

live in your house for a while?

Sure.

My room is clean.

And there’s no pioneer

watching you.

You are luckier than me.

Go.

Let me help you.

My goddess.

My goddess.

It’s my fault.

It’s my fault.

I’m sorry.

Please don’t be angry.

Do you remember

what you promised me?

Why do you always go back on your words?

That’s because

Mr. Shang came.

I swear this is my last performance.

So all in all,

you’ll still step on the stage.

No...

Aiyu.

The last time.

I promise

this is the last time.

Just help me

to realize my wish.

OK.

Swear.

Cross my heart,

if I cheat

my sister Zeng Aiyu once again,

I am a vile dog.

OK.

If you cheat me once again,

you are a vile dog...

If you are a vile dog,

what am I?

Gosh.

I’m sorry.

Little dog, please don’t...

You...

My lady, I’m sorry.

Danqiu.

OK, Aiyu.

When you are angry...

Mr. Lin.

You must be busy.

You got off work so late.

Is this

your sister?

Aiyu,

go home now.

I’ll be back later.

Don’t be too late.

Go now.

Sir,

can we talk somewhere else?

OK.

This way, please.

Sir.

Mr. Lin.

I am living on a shoestring

these days.

And you wallow in taxes

every month.

How about

you help me on finance?

I’ve paid

all your debts back.

We are so close.

Don’t be aloof to me.

Alright. Alright.

It’s fine that you don’t lend.

I’ll go for your sister.

I know

that your sister is richer than you.

What will you do?

What can I do?

Have a talk

and share ideas about books with her.

Are you afraid

that your sister knows your secret?

The debts were ended

once I paid you back.

You are breaking the rule

when you bother me again.

A stinky performer

talks about the rule with me?

Sir,

don’t misunderstand me.

How dare I

talk about that with you?

Here.

This is all I have now.

Please take it.

My lord,

please show your mercy.

Mercy on me.

Mercy on me.

♫Su Long and Wei Hu are my marriage witness ♫

♫ Minister Wang is my officiator ♫

Mr. Shang.

♫ I don’t believe what you said ♫

Come to eat breakfast,

or you’ll be late.

♫ Su Long and Wei Hu are relatives of the wife ♫

♫ They came in the mansion together ♫

♫ They made it clear with my dad ♫

♫ They three have resentment with me ♫

♫ He doesn’t admit it ♫

♫ My father is an official ♫

♫ We are not lack of wealth ♫

♫ How much is the profit ♫

♫ Ask people to send it to West Liangchuan ♫

Mr. Shang?

It’s you?

Mr. Shang?

What?

Don’t you have legs?

It’s inconvenient to walk.

This is much easier.

It’s like I took the elevator.

Who were you singing with?

Myself.

Yourself?

Only you?

It’s the opera that I played

with Hou Yukui at Lord An’s mansion.

♫ There are 48 stations here ♫

♫ I want people instead of money ♫

♫ Sir, don’t say that ♫

♫ You were sent here to be an official ♫

♫ You’ll suffer a lot in prison ♫

♫ And there’s no way back ♫

The pitches are different.

You are like a crazy guy.

Mr. Cheng.

I sang in your toilet.

It sounded very great.

I could hear the echo.

Because I fixed tiles in the toilet.

Why didn’t they fix tiles

at the royal theater?

Have the breakfast now.

I need to send you

to the theater.

And then I have to go to the cotton factory.

At noon,

I’ll take you to have western food.

Don’t have the egg.

Here.

Taste the buns.

It’s special.

Have a small bite.

Suck the soup out.

Then, eat.

Have a small bite.

Suck the soup out.

Suck.

Breaking news!

Breaking news!

The winner of Opera Association came to Shanghai to perform.

It’s hard to get tickets.

Give me one.

Give me one.

Thanks. Thanks.

Take the money.

Here.

Give me one.

Sir.

OK. Thanks.

Thanks.

The champion of Opera Association came to Shanghai

to perform!

It’s hard to get tickets!

Amazing.

So great.

You need to

hold your breath

and tighten your legs.

Fall to the ground lightly.

This is the key.

Do you understand?

Yes. Yes.

Mr. Shang.

Mr. Shang.

You’ve practiced for half a day.

Have a rest.

Here. Clean your sweat.

Who asked the journalists here?

They’ve been here a whole morning.

Isn’t the film roll expensive?

It dazzles me.

I’m almost blind.

Mr. Tang asked the journalists

to write an article.

You’ll be the headline

of Shen Daily tomorrow.

Let me add some water.

They don’t need to stay here a whole morning.

You are the best performer,

and you have a good looking.

Just let them take photos of you.

Here.

I heard

that you found your sister.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

To be honest,

this is the happiest thing

in my life.

So

you’ll give up opera?

Yes.

My sister

doesn’t want me

to work in this circle.

She’ll take me back

to our hometown.

Your skill

is really

bad,

but

you are still much better

than those on the stage.

You just give up opera

when you are young.

What a pity.

Mr. Shang.

Must you mock me

before the compliment?

I said the truth.

Danqiu.

Mr. Shang.

Excuse me.

Aiyu.

You are here.

You must be hungry.

Here.

Have it when it’s still warm.

Mr. Lin’s sister

is beautiful and wealthy.

If I had a sister like her,

I would give up opera long ago.

Lin Danqiu is so happy.

It’s nice.

In your dreams.

Go.

Let’s go out.

Sirs,

can I ask you something?

How did Mr. Lin

find

this sister?

I don’t know how,

but after she came,

she paid all the usury

for Mr. Lin.

If this is not his biological sister,

how could she give him so much money?

Usury？

He borrowed usury?

Mr. Shang.

Look at you.

In this circle,

almost everyone has hobbies.

Mr. Lin looks decent,

but he was a playboy before.

Drinking,

gambling,

horse racing and playing billiard.

So he had a lot of debts.

After his sister came,

it’s like he’s totally changed.

He behaves very well.

Several days ago, I asked him out to drink.

He didn’t go.

Take it in.

Mr. Wang.

Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang.

Mr. Wang.

Mr. Shang.

Hello, Mr. Wang.

Mr. Cheng sent your costume

from Peking.

Will I take it to the backstage?

Thank you.

It’s my pleasure.

Come.

Lin Danqiu’s sister

is too arbitrary.

Lin Danqiu wants to stay in the opera circle,

but she stops him.

Look at her long face.

It’s like she’s humiliated with opera.

In my opinion,

she’s

unwilling to see others’ happiness

once she’s not happy.

Are you sure that Lin Danqiu

is happy with opera?

Stop it.

Are you cutting the steak or the plate?

Let me do it.

Don’t make the meat suffer.

Lin Danqiu

is a weird guy.

His childhood

was even harder than mine.

For these years,

he’s gained fame.

And he’ll give up

just for a sister.

What is he thinking about?

Isn’t this normal?

Opera is important.

But sister is more important than that.

Of course,

you don’t have a sister,

so you can’t understand me.

Who told you that I don’t have a sister?

I have.

Don’t you think you are childish?

How come you are aggressive even on this?

OK.

You have.

You have.

I didn’t cheat you.

I really have a sister.

My biological sister.

Really?

Why didn’t you tell me

such a big thing?

It doesn’t matter.

The memory is blurred

about my childhood.

I just remember that I was taken on the street.

After several men, my dad bought me.

My dad said that I was great when I was a kid.

I could

recite poems when I was shorter than the table.

So

you are from a family with scholars.

Did you ever think

of finding your biological parents?

I don’t even remember what they look like.

Where should I find them?

Maybe

they were not good to me.

Or maybe

they abandoned me.