Original subtitles

What's wrong?

I couldn't do the math

Why don't you ask me before?

Huen

Your Mom wants you to bring the rice home

They're going to show a movie

How come you're so late?

I missed the train

When will your father be out of the hospital?

I don't know

Dinner time

Why don't you eat?

Grandpa says if you don't eat

You'll be hungry, and then you'll die

and if you die, you can't live with Mom

or Dad

Be a good boy

Let Grandpa feed you

You're not being good

You have to listen to Grandpa

When you grow up, you can go to school

Be good

Let Grandpa feed you

You won't? Let's put some soup in

It's good with soup

There's oil in the soup

Let's try some soup

What a naughty boy

Taking all the oil in the soup

and adding it to your own rice

leaving nothing for your brothers and sisters

You must pour soup evenly

Everyone must do it this way

I told you

Grandpa feels sorry whenever your Mom beats you

When your Mom's not home

you steal MSG in the kitchen

Eating too much of that stuff

your hair will start falling

And that's not the worst

Tooth paste is for brushing teeth

You even stole toothpaste to eat

You shouldn't do things like that

You must be good

Listen to Grandpa

Listen closely to Grandpa

Look, this isn't the ordinary rice

Grandpa bought this in Taipei

in a fancy restaurant

Only foreigners were eating there

This is Western food

There's an egg in there

You have to eat it

to grow up

Look at these sticks

This is not the ordinary rice

Be a good boy

Eat it

Grandpa, is Wan home?

What do you want him for?

I need him to write a letter for me

Wan

The auntie next door needs your help

to write a letter

Please help me write a letter

OK. Let's go upstairs

He hasn't sent money home for 3 months

His father is angry

Auntie, please slow down

I can't write that fast

OK

Little brother and sister

need money for food and clothes

Tell him to send money

when he gets paid

Grandpa

Is your foot better?

Much better

Slowly

Hello, Grandpa

Hello

Medicine change

Medicine change?

Wait a moment

Ching

Ching

Someone's here to change the medicine

Dad, your watch

School report card

Dad, I don't feel like going to senior high

Then what do you want to do?

I want to go to Taipei and work

I can go to night school if I want

It's up to you

If you want to be a cow, there will always be a plow for you

How much?

27 dollars in all

How come it costs so much?

3 packs of pills cost 15

One bottle of stomach medicine is 12

That makes 27

Stomach medicine?

Those pills are the ones my husband took the day his foot was injured

What's the stomach medicine for?

You devil!

Ding

Ding

Come over here

You devil!

You won't get away

You really know how to eat!

If it's not toothpaste, it's MSG

You even ate stomach medicine!

Your mouth is so itchy

You should try biting rocks

Who's he??

He said you wouldn't be able to pick me up

I told you to wait at the Rear Station

My Mom said the Rear Station isn't safe

She told me to wait on the platform

My rice sack!

What's in it?

Potatoes

Give it back!

What do you think you're doing?

You beat me!

Help! You beat me!

Beating up on an old man!

I told you to mix the colors

This is Huen

This is Hen-chun

How do you do?

I'm Huang Chien-ho

But they all call me Hen-chun

Wait here

I have to rush to work. I'll be back after work

Have you had your meal?

Not yet

No problem

I'll take her to the back to eat

and then to the front to see free movies

Potatoes

Grandpa said to bring this Quemoy crop

to give to your boss

Ma'am

My Grandpa said these potatoes are for you

Weren't you supposed to deliver the lunchbox?

So slow?

Do you know what you're doing?

Have you had your meal?

Not yet

Go to eat

Mrs. Lin, your son fainted

What happened?

He fainted from hunger during the Physical class

From hunger?

He didn't bring lunch today

What happened to your lunchbox?

Thank you teacher, Would you like some water?

No, thanks. I've got to go back to school

Bye

Where's the lunchbox?

The lunchbox!

How could you miss the lunch box?

Are you sure you know what you're doing?

Your brain is like a rock

Drifting all day

We're already worried that he's too thin

and you forgot to deliver his lunchbox!

You forgot to turn off the machine

Electricity isn't free

So slow

Where's the lunchbox?

Give it to me

How did it turn to this?

What's wrong with you?

You're not afraid that my son will die?

Sir

Sir, would you like to eat with us?

Hen-chun, there's someone to see you

It might be King

Get the meat for me

King

King

Have you eaten?

Not yet

Let me get your bowl

Huen, you're getting prettier

Ying, let me introduce you

This is Huen

This is Ying

You got your job through her

Your full name is?

Kang So-huen

Come on and eat some rice and eggs

I made it myself

Wan, do you know Hsiung is going into the army?

His boss needs a replacement

Do you want to go?

1800 per month. Eat and sleep in the boss' place

It's more money than now

But to deliver things all day,

I can't learn anything

I heard Hsiung say you'll have more time there

You can study more

What's the boss like?

A bandit like Hsiung stayed there so long,

can't be too bad

You believe Hsiung?

Liar!

Keep it down!

They're showing a movie out there

Can they here us out there?

It might be loud

King will take you to Ying's shop

I'll pick you up after school

I'll introduce you to your boss. She's a good person

What's wrong with her?

I almost forgot-your father brought you a watch

It's brand new

It says "World famous watch"

Let me see

It's Timex

I heard it's very famous and tough

Let me see

I can hear it

It's automatic

That's right. Automatic

100% waterproof

"100%"...You read English?

Come on. Who can't read "A, B, C"?

100%

It must be very expensive

Do you know how much it cost?

I don't know. His father bought it on installment

Expensive. Over a thousand

Not cheap

What's wrong with him?

What's wrong with him?

You talk too much!

Dear sister,

Huen already has a job

She got it through a seamstress in King's friend's taylor shop

It's stable. Tell her parents not to worry

I've received the watch Dad asked Huen to bring me

I wonder how expensive it was

How much does it cost per month?

Find out discreetly from Mom

Then write me

How are you doing at school?

If you have questions, wait until I come home

I remember when I was in junior high,

Every important exam

I would borrow Dad's watch

It was too big and would fall from my wrist

So I tied it with a string

Sir, I'm leaving

Come and see us

I've deducted two days leave from last month's salary

Here is 1220 dollars

Count it

I'm leaving, sir

If you can't find a job, come back

Huen

Why haven't you come for so long?

I've been busy

I just finished exams at school

Have you got used to it?

She cried all night last night

Because you didn't come to see her

And her family hasn't been writing

I quit the job

at the printing factory

Hsiung is taking me to see his boss today

I don't know if I can get the job

You quit your job

What if Hiung's boss won't hire you?

That's ok

I wanted to quit long ago

So now I quit

I would determine to find a new job

The reason I didn't quit

after being at the printer's for two years

is that they often print books

so I could read while setting type

I feel I owe to the boss, though

He's a good man

Excuse me

Yang Li-ying, a letter for you

And one for Kang So-huen. Who's she?

The new girl

See you later

Stop crying. You've got a letter

From whom?

My sister

Did you tell him, Hsiung?

Yes, I did

Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?

I can learn

It's an easy job

The main thing is making deliveries

and taking care of the shop when you have time

Ask Hsiung if you need to know anything else

I will

Oh, do you want to live in the shop or?

I'll stay with my friends

That's the third glass

Do you get homesick?

Come on. That's a lie

The first month I came, I would lie in bed thinking

I wonder what my Mom's doing

Me Dad must be playing cards

The tears would be flowing out of my pants

How could it come out of your pants?

Huen, cheers

Have some. I'm going to the army

Have some

Drink

Let me drink for her

You've had enough. Who wants to drink with you?

Forget about him

He who is drafted is the boss

Since you drank with him, you must drink with me

Let's drink

Let's drink

It's a rare occasion

I'll drink to you

Hsiung, what are your thoughts on being drafted?

What thoughts could I have?

Two years go by quickly, and then...

Get married. Have children

You'll have to introduce someone to me then

Aren't you going for three years?

I was so unlucky that I drew the three-year draw

You'll get used to it

No harm in extra training

Let's sing

As the wind breezes tonight

I dream of a full moon

I can't sing no more

Let's try another

Tonight is windy and rainy again in a strange city

Street light reflects the raindrops. It makes me sad

Young men don't know

Where to go

Drifting ten thousand miles

Lonely in the rainy harbor night

Drink

What good food are you bringing back?

What happened to your hand?

Nothing. I got careless with an iron

An iron?

People iron clothes. You iron your hand

Did your hand get flattened?

No. I was careless

Oh, you were careless

How can you go home like this?

Your Mom will worry to death if she sees this

Does it still hurt?

I'm not going home. Take the money back for me

How much?

500 will be enough

Save 250 for medicine

500 isn't enough

That's ok. I have 1200 to bring home

I can give 300 to you

To see a doctor costs a lot in Taipei

I can change medicine myself

Yourself?

You want your hand to rot?

A girl, drinking with men!

What do you think of this?

I painted it myself

Not bad, eh?

I painted it myself

This shirt is really too plain

Take it off and I'll make it real pretty

I'll paint...

I'll paint a peacock for you

OK. Paint it

OK

But you have to take it off

Paint it

OK

Huen

Hurry

You want to buy gifts, don't you?

Hurry. I have deliveries to make

OK. I'll be right there

This one's not bad

This one?

Too gaudy

The ring is no good

Take a look at this pair

Not bad

Father's, mother's

Is this yours?

My sister's

Why buy so many?

I don't know what to buy

My motorcycle!

Did you leave it here?

This one?

Look out over there. Tell me if anyone's coming

Don't

Hurry

Hurry!...Don't...

They don't care if we die, why do we care for them?

Hurry

Wan, don't do this

Don't

Please don't

You go home first

I'm not going home

Where are you going?

How can I go home?

Don't be this way

You must be thinking that I caused you the trouble, right?

Didn't I give you all my money to pay it back?

I'll pay you back

I don't want you to pay me back

Let's go, little brother...

Have a seat

There are no more trains

and your clothes are wet

Why not spend the night here

Thank you

Take care of him

Let him sleep in Liu's bed

Yes, sir

Let's go

(The rescue is still going on. The numbers of the victims are going up... )

Wu-hsiung

Wu-hsiung

Dad...

When he was born

he was plump and white

After he's 1 year old

the neighbors all said he's cute

But after he turned 3

he started feeling sick a lot

and had to see the western doctors a lot

That didn't help

so we changed

to a Chinese doctor

His stomach kept growing

while his hands and legs kept shrinking

Remembered that we agreed

After I adopted you

you were so obedient

and followed our family creed

You swore in front of our ancestors that

if your first child is a boy

you will let him take my name

to succeed our ancestors

and continue the tradition

You swore in front of our ancestors

Wan is already 4 years old now

You didn't keep your promise

Our ancestors in heaven will say

Why aren't you going by the agreement?

So the boy has gotten this way

Maybe that's why

There's a saying that goes: Depend on people, and also on God

You often carry him to see the doctors

and carry him back in the midnight

He's not an adult

He must have been traumatized

There's no other explanation

The best way to do

is to get a shaman

for an exorcism

to protect our boy

so he'll get well soon

We'll select a day

to change the boy's surname before our ancestors

This will please our ancestors

They will bless you to make more money and protect the boy

That's the right think to do

It's Huen. Come in

Where's Wan?

Bronchitis. He's been in bed for 3 days

I told him to see a doctor. He said it's too expensive

and just took some medicine

What calculation

The medicine money costs more than seeing a doctor

I took him to take a penicillin shot

He vomited all over my back

Wan, Huen is here

Don't get up

What happened?

Wan, you're up

Are you hungry?

Don't come out. Lie down

Hurry back to bed

Mom, I'm home

Wan is home

They let you out on Ghost day?

We haven't prayed yet

Chin

Wan is home. We can begin to pray now

OK

Grandpa

What else is there?

Everyone is so busy, and you're reading books?

As if you're really so diligent

Ghost money

9000 dollars isn't bad

But you have to work 30 days a month

to earn that much

man is not made of steel

We're not like them, sitting in the air-conditioned room

reading newspapers and answering phone calls

Shit

The mine owner said that's what the TV said

But if they didn't say it,

how could the TV report said so?

No use in fighting with them

What do you mean?

Then let them do as they said on TV

Raise our salary

Otherwise, let's agree not to enter the pits

Didn't our representative discuss with them yesterday?

What use is the representative?

All the managers are his relatives

His Grandpa, uncle, brothers-in-law

And these bastards talking

The boss is tough

He said, "If you don't want to enter the pits, don't enter then"

"Let everyone at home wait for your payment..."

How com you're so skinny?

We just had the final exams at school

If only your father is as diligent as you

Don't know what was said on TV a few months ago

Everybody's been restless since

They're all crazy

A whole group doesn't work

Just fooling around outside the pit all day

You still have to eat everyday

Where are you going?

Nowhere. To see the movie

You act up when I scold you

You're not going to Taipei tomorrow

Stay at home and be a coal miner like your father

Forget about the night school. It's a waste of money

Riding a motorcycle without a license So many injuries

Other folks' kids are making money in Taipei

Unlike you!

What happened? You had a motorcycle accident?

What else could I say?

I couldn't say I was beaten by my boss

with a steel bar

It hurts

I told you long ago

to quit

The pay is lousy

Your boss went too far

Let's help him

find a new job

I'll ask my boss

I have been beaten all the time

He treats me like an animal

What happened?

You didn't pay the electric bills

27 dollars this month

There's no power

What was that?

What happened?

Dad, why are you setting firecrackers?

I didn't mean to

It was pitch black

I tried to find a half-used candle

I lit it but it exploded

Scared me to death

Fuck! I didn't know what happened

That was a firecracker

I guess so

It's short, like a half-used candle

Scared me to death

Good thing you're OK

Took a firecracker for a candle

Come on

It's too big

Let's look at it over here

It's a little big

It's too big

Take it off. I'll alter it

It's not that easy

Oh

Yesterday when they changed my medicine,

I saw this part of my finger was gone

The end of the finger

It was reddish

like a sausage

that had been bitten by a cat

Reddish

Yesterday I had a dream

It was terrifying

Billboards were falling from the sky

I couldn't escape

Got hit all over. Terrifying

When I woke up,

I was sweating all over

My whole body was wet

Huen

How come you put so much salt

in the porridge?

What's the matter?

I received my draft notice

Your draft notice!

How can I go to the army with a finger like this

In those days, when the draft notice came,

the whole family would cry together

It was natural

In those day, being drafted is like being executed

Take this street for instance

More than 30 people went to the army, only 4 came back

One of the 4 came crazy

He lives in the end of the street

Maybe my ancestors protected me

Boat capsized, didn't die

Surrounded for 6 months in the jungle, didn't die

Didn't starve to death

There was nothing to eat

"The lucky ones ate raincoats, the unlucky ones ate stones"

There was a terrible disease in the jungle

An intestinal disease

You die in a few days if you get it

There wasn't any special medicine in those days

There wasn't any magic pills

All you could do was watch them die

We were all from Taiwan

We couldn't bring their bodies home

So we figured out a way

We cut off their hands

and burned the meat off

and stuck the bones behind our backs

I stuck a lot of bones behind my back

I wasn't scared, didn't know I was supposed to

Those days...

Now you have it easy in the army

Eat well, wear good clothes, like going to school

This is just something

to wish you a good voyage. Strive for your country

This is this month's salary

I only worked 12 days

That's alright. If we're good enough for you,

come and look me up after you're discharged

Your clothes will be ready soon. Wait a moment

There's a fire across the street

You didn't try the college exams?

I ran into your elementary school teacher Mr. Lin the other day

Remember? He used to come over a lot

He told me that you must try to go to middle school

He appreciates you a lot

He told me that if circumstances permitted,

we have to keep you in school

It seems that for three generations

there's been no fortune for study in this family

Not to mention your Grandpa

When I graduated from public school

Taiwan was just returned to the mainland China

Japanese syllables changed to Chinese

Everything went to waste

Drink!

Wu-hsiung

Wu-hsiung

Hurry up! Everyone's waiting

You're the last

I'll be right there

Uncle, have you eaten yet?

Yes, have you?

Yes

Come in

Hurry

Are they all there?

So I can't outdrink you, I'm still stronger than you

I'm going to move this rock. What about you?

I'll move this one

Too old!

You must concede

I'm old?

I don't believe this rock has roots

I'm going to move it

Enough! Move the rocks away!

You're blocking the road

Every time they're drunk, they fight with the rocks

Concede! Face it, you're too old!

Mom, Dad's moving rocks again

What can you do?

Your son's going into the army tomorrow

You have no sense of responsibility

I can't figure it out

What can you do?

Kids today are such trouble

They say they want black shoes

Buy them black shoes and they won't wear them

Ask them why

Say they don't fit school regulations

So what, I'll wear them myself

This is for you

Your father bought it last night

Take care of yourself

Grandpa, why are you setting firecrackers?

My grandson Wan is going into the army

Congratulations!

Grandpa, your grandson is going into the army?

Yes, Wan is going into the army

Lei Kuo-wei

Wang Ti-wen

Wu Tsai-wei

Kao Ming-shan

Not present. I'll collect for him

Sun Kuo-liang

Tseng Hsien

Hsieh Wen-yuan

Form Huen?

Ming Chin-chen

Yes

Tseng Hsien (sounds like "Needles and thread")

"Needles and thread"

Ling Hung-ping

Yang Wen-hua

Hsieh Wen-yuan

Wan

Wu Tsai-wei

Hsieh Wen-yuan

You take up all the airplane space

Parents disown me, brothers are heartless

Wife and concubine have all run away

Hsieh Wen-yuan

So many?

Ming Chin-chen

A package

Wan

Hen-chun went back to the south

Someone introduced him to a girl

She's nice to him

Hen-chun says he must marry her

His girlfriend doesn't mind he's not drafted

He's got construction vehicle license

He says there're construction works everywhere down south

He can earn more money by driving the construction vehicle

He says he'll sell his family's brush

to build houses

The biggest one's for us

The day before he left

We went to a movie with the postman

who often delivers letters to us

Enclosed are the ticket stubs

The postman had his service in Quemoy, too

He told me lots of stories about Quemoy

When there's no letter from you,

he tells me probably the fog keeps the planes from flying

Do you see the label enclosed?

It's from an underwear brand called "Apple"

I thought a long time before buying it

So expensive, what a waste!

Ding came to Taipei to work after middle school

He works with Hsiung's little brother

I saw him once

387 more days before you're discharged

It takes a long time

to count

Hurry up with the table

Sergeant Li, hurry with the buns

Please sit

Do you speak Mandarin?

Cantonese? Are you Cantonese?

Is this your child?

The child

He's my child

Cigarette

Thank you

Good cigarettes

How old is he?

How old is your child?

Five

Treat here as your home

No problem

Once your boat is fixed,

you can go home

Hot buns

Come on, fresh from the steamer

Hot buns

Come on, eat

Come on

there's poison in these buns

What did you say?

Is there poison?

Come on, how could there be poison?

Poison? I've made buns for 20 years

If there's poison, they'd be dead long ago

You must be joking

Come on, have one

I'll eat one first

I'll eat one first

What a joke. Poison!

Don't worry

Have some

Have some

Is this your father?

Huen

A few days ago, in the early morning

We found a mainland fishing boat off the coast

On board were a couple and their father

Our officer treated them in our company

They ate more than 10 buns

We sent them to the refugee camp in Liao-luo Bay

Our officer gave them a tape recorder

It was as if we were celebrating a wedding

We gave them anything we could give

Soaps, toothpaste, cassette tapes

I gave them the lighter Dad gave me

He kept saying thank you

The day their boat was fixed,

we all went to send them off

Everyone was quiet

as the boat sailed away

and far away we heard the music that Tseng Hsien gave them

A cassette of Liu Wen-cheng's "Promise"

We stood there until the boat was out of sight

Later, I felt like smoking

and I couldn't find my lighter

I thought of how Dad must have felt when he gave it to me

Have you been home lately?

Please bring some money to Grandpa for me

Tell him it's from me

I sent money to my brothers and sisters last month

and I forgot about Grandpa

I think he must be angry

Call for everyone!

How was it?

Same as usual

When you go, you curse the place

Which number did you have?

I told you to try no. 7

7? No chance

The line's so long that you have to wait until tomorrow

You keep talking about no.7. Who is she?

Actually, I know her

She used to be a friend's girlfriend

Don't know what happened, they split

So she came to Quemoy to do this kind of work

Did Wan go, too?

No, he doesn't dare to

He's saving it all for his Huen

She hasn't written for two months

Ran away with someone else long ago

What a fool

Ran away with someone else long ago

I know. It's called

"The gentleman with faith holds on to his youth"

"No such person at this address"

Dear brother,

Dad and Mom told me not to write this letter

But Huen's mother told me to write it

So I'm writing it

Huen got married to someone else

Her husband is a postman

I heard it was done at the public notary

She wrote home long after it happened

She wanted to come home to visit

Her mother wouldn't let them in

Her father said

The boy's got more "stature" than Wan

Her father kept crying

She kept saying that she had to talk to you

Afterwards

Mom gave Huen a ring

Said she had prepared it long ago

When Mom gave it to her,

Huen kept crying

Brother, Grandpa said it's fate. You can't force it

Mom

Mom

Grandpa

Wan, when did you get home?

Today

Just got back today

Grandpa's eyelid's been jumping since morning

I thought, maybe Wan's coming home today

Take a rest

OK

How much did we plant this year?

Grandpa's getting old

Before it was no problem planting 5000

This year I'm having trouble with only 1000

They look fine

What do you mean fine?

It didn't rain before we planted

After we transplanted

The typhoon came. These vines have all been damaged

The potatoes are more difficult to look after than ginseng

Now we have to cut the vines again

Otherwise the potatoes will be this small

Potatoes can only absorb the nutriment after the vines' been cut

Then they'll grow well

Fuck

The potatoes are more difficult to look after than ginseng

Typhoons came early this year

Came quite a few times

I doubt if they'll yield well

Bumped into quite a few typhoons

Fuck

The potatoes are more difficult to look after than ginseng

phim.fun

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