"She got a sweetheart yet?" "No time to date." "The hospital keeps her too busy." "She was always first in her class." "Not like my lazy Raymond." "He never opens a book, only his wallet." "At 29, he's already VP of his company." "What are you complaining about?" "Yeah, money seems to cling to him, but what's the use?" "He's only 5'8"." "Let me tell you every Friday, Wilhelmina comes home for the dance." "Good." "See you there tonight." "Be discrete." "Nothing kills romance faster than a mother's approval." "Have faith, I know what to do." "And make sure his hands are clean." "It's flu season." "I'll wash them myself if I have to." "You're late again." "All the crab is gone." "This party's a bust." "Let's go to KFC." "Cheeky girl." "So thin." "You'll catch your death." "I see men's clothes are still in style." "Let me button that for you." "People are going to think...." "Wil, I love your outfit!" "Don't you think it's too boyish?" "Nonsense." "I had a pair just like those during the Revolution." "Sturdy and practical." "Just the thing for war." "Your high heels on the other hand...." "Those things will kill you." "It'll be a miracle if you don't trip and die." "I'm going to get some squid." "Hey, Grandma." "Good to see you, Old Yu." "Let me say a few words." "As the lazy toads of summer give way to the crackling of autumn leaves one's mind naturally turns toward the demise of our children's education." "I give thanks to the woman who has suffered alongside me." "l toast you." "Okay, no more suffering." "Let's eat." "Look at those two." "Don't their faces reflect good marriage chi?" "Depends on whose marriage." "Hey, Albert!" "Don't eat too much of that cabbage." "It gives you gas!" "Your Raymond is such a gentleman." "Anyone looks good on his arm." "Another great party." "My husband and I fought all the way over here." "But I'm having a great time." "is there more wine?" "They say her ex-husband has a new wife 20 years younger than her." "Serves her right." "He made good money." "What's to be unhappy about?" "Marry a rooster, follow the rooster." "Marry a dog, follow the dog." "Why be like those Americans, divorcing all the time?" "She'll never marry again." "Women never do." "She's certainly not meeting anyone here." "Still must be lonely at these parties without a man." "What do you think those morons talk about anyway?" "The usual ball scratching." "They say he's got a new wife on the Upper East Side." "I heard she's 20 years younger." "My back hurts just thinking about it." "I plan to be married soon myself." "Anyone in mind?" "Good luck." "You'll have to get past her father first." "Just plain friends." "Forget meat on the grill, and it will dry out." "Right." "So my ma says." "Does she?" "She's quite a woman." "Ever since your father passed away, she's been so delicate." "These 20-odd years you've been all she has." "Wilhelmina!" "Yeah." "She's delicate." "I'm not feeling so well." "Take me home." "It's those heels, I tell you!" "Thanks, Little Yu." "Home to see your grandparents?" "I have station duty Friday nights." "From my father." "He still telling fortunes?" "As long as there are anxious wives and mothers, he'll be in business." "Your mother asked him to give you some herbs to improve your fortitude for marriage." "Give it a try." "Those herbs are good for your heart anyway." "Professor, your chi is so potent you've managed to hold the court once again." "No fortunes to tell this morning, Old Yu?" "Most people don't want to hear the truth until after lunch." "Fate is for the lazy." "Too true, too true." "But I won't lie, my only morning customer was your only daughter." "Her?" "What does she have to worry about?" "She lives safely at home with us." "Her daughter's a doctor." "What more could she want?" "indeed." "But her health may be a bit bumpy this year." "Ridiculous." "She's only 48." "Could be menopause." "Menopause?" "Nonsense." "Only Americans freak out about menopause." "Thank God you're here!" "I've been waiting for hours." "This is a crummy neighborhood." "Take this." "Do I look sick to you?" "Pick up that bag." "Don't be ridiculous." "She'll outlive us all." "Do I look like I'm crying?" "You're just going to let me freeze to death here?" "Tell me what happened." "All right. I'm calling Grandma." "is that how you speak to your ma who worked nights so you could eat?" "Who stayed in labor without painkillers so you wouldn't turn dim-witted like your cousin Jimmy?" "Had I known you would grow so ungrateful I would have held you in." "Has she eaten?" "What is she doing here?" "She'll need better nutrition now." "She's not that old." "Wait, I can't hear." "Ma." "Can you pipe down?" "It's good for her to stay with you." "You're a doctor." "You can help her maybe get free drugs from the hospital." "Okay." "You'll pick up her things tomorrow." "l'll bring her back tomorrow." "I'll prepare herbs from Old Yu." "They'll help her with the baby." "Pregnant!" "At her age!" "lt's a scandal!" "A disgrace!" "lt's better than the soaps!" "More drama!" "More intrigue!" "More eel!" "Don't eat so much eel!" "It gives you gas." "Who's the father?" "Who is the father?" "Father." "Don't call me Father!" "You are the biggest disgrace, the ultimate shame." "What kind of example are you for your daughter?" "You're not pregnant too are you?" "Me?" "No." "No." "No daughter has shamed her parents more than you." "What have we done to deserve this?" "Do you have any idea who the father is?" "Can't bring it up." "She just cries and goes on about how ungrateful I am." "How did you find out she was...?" "The receptionist at the Manhattan clinic is married to one of Grandpa's former students." "He's going to banish her from Flushing." "Where will she go?" "He can't do this to her." "She belongs here." "Who is the father?" "You won't tell us?" "Fine." "Take all the ones with your mother in them." "She is no longer a part of this family." "Father." "Don't be like this." "When I think of all we've sacrificed in the old country to give you kids a better life in the new one." "Had I known, I would have left you behind in the mainland." "Father, please don't feel shamed." "How can I not feel shame?" "My own rotten flesh has gotten pregnant without a husband." "You don't think people will laugh at me?" "The professor speaks big words but can't control his own daughter?" "Old man, this situation won't improve with yelling." "She wasn't even going to tell us." "She can throw her own reputation away, but it still comes back to me." "Still crying?" "Get out of this house." "Don't come back until you have a husband to match the child." "Look how cheerful this red is." "We'll put some up here there and there!" "That black is just depressing." "You have no oyster sauce." "I don't use oyster sauce." "Since when do you drink beer?" "You shouldn't keep this stuff unless you plan to use it." "Do you plan to keep the...?" "What kind of vegetable is this?" "I see you just let my face masks waste away." "What's this?" "Herbs from Old Yu." "Every week, he has his son Little Yu give them to me to improve my marriage chi or something." "Don't be rude, just hiding them here." "I want to have a look." "The big one is for your mother." "Morning sickness." "You're home." "Turn up the TV." "It's just getting to the good part." "She's dumping him." "Smells great, right?" "Stinky tofu." "No, that's just a special treat." "We have chicken, sweet pea stalks, and fish with bean sauce." "is he coming?" "Safer this way." "Throw it out afterwards." "I'll give him two." "His shoes!" "His shoes!" "You remember my neighbor, Jay." "His shoes!" "Your neighbor is loud and dark and eats too much soy sauce." "Americans like soy sauce." "I'm going to start eating less soy sauce so it won't stain the baby too dark." "You eat less too, so you don't grow spots." "Too late for him anyway." "Excuse me." "Do you have Chinese movies?" "Have you eaten?" "How long have you been pregnant?" "A couple of months." "Married?" "Once." "Children are a blessing just the same." "Number 48." "We need to see the patient alone." "l'll be right here." "Don't forget. I invited the mahjong ladies over tonight." "So don't bring any of your friends over." "You should get home in time to say hello to them." "You haven't seen them in so long." "You missed the mahjong party." "I'm not going on a date." "Too puffy, better up." "But I'm not going." "What's wrong with it?" "Chinese people cannot wear yellow." "How about this one?" "It's sexy." "No one wants to see a 50-year-old Chinese woman look sexy." "Ma, you're only 48." "Connie Chung's sexy, and she must be nearly 60." "Her show was cancelled." "ls it a white guy?" "No." "An ugly old white guy." "No." "He's Chinese." "He's nice, very healthy." "Pretty healthy." "I'm not going." "I'm really not going." "Then you go." "I don't have enough time." "Tell him I'm sick." "Lost my voice." "What am I going to talk about anyway?" "Forty-eight and going on a date." "It's okay." "We have enough time." "Look." "This dress isn't bad." "We'll just take your hair down." "What?" "What are you looking at?" "Do I tell him about the baby?" "So, Mr. Fu, what is your line of work?" "I'm in import-export." "Good business?" "Not bad, not bad." "Made enough last month to go on a singles cruise to Fiji." "Not that I went." "You're an only daughter?" "Yes." "I always wish I had kids." "No kids?" "Do you want any?" "No, it's not necessary." "I'm too old now." "Besides, I'm fixed down there." "Hello, my name is Fu Cheng Wen." "Gao Hwei Lan." "Can we go now?" "What time are you getting back?" "Before midnight." "You're a doctor?" "I've got a wart on my left calf." "It's driving me nuts." "Can you tell me if it's cancer?" "My last wife made me take lessons." "The whole year, she would scream:" "Fung Ling restaurant." "Huge she-crab." "So much egg." "I think I'm too old to have a child." "If these are my dating options I am definitely too old." "There's not much left on this tape." "Why are you in street clothes?" "I can't believe you came from my womb." "No." "He's marrying her for money." "No." "That's his brother." "He's the most evil of them all." "He wants to ruin her family to avenge a grudge." "That's the good guy." "I have found her a husband." "She will marry Cho." "To the right." "I don't think Ma likes him." "What's not to like?" "Back left." "He's kind of intense." "Who cares?" "He's a good man who will take care of your mother and give both her and that child a decent name." "Where can you find a man like that?" "You will help her see this." "I don't think she sees anything she doesn't want to." "She shouldn't be alone." "Don't listen to him." "Another misunderstanding." "Now they'll never get together." "He didn't really." "He was drunk." "She'd be lonely." "Are you lonely?" "No, I have you." "Why?" "It's too late for me." "What about a father for your child?" "l raised you single-handedly." "You turned out all right." "I just think you should give that Cho a chance." "Then you wouldn't be alone and it would make Grandpa happy." "Enough soap opera for today." "I'm going to be a terrible mother." "I don't even like babies." "Stephen's always bringing his kid to the shop." "All that drooling." "Gross." "You were different." "You sprung from the womb already grown-up." "And I had your father during your early years." "He was really patient." "You have me." "Fish is good, Auntie." "What do you do?" "Vivian's a dancer." "A go-go dancer?" "I dance with the New York City Ballet." "Oh, ballet." "But now I'm taking a break to dance modern." "She's very, very good." "Not ballet." "So is the baby good?" "She works too hard." "I hardly get to see her." "So do you have a boyfriend?" "No." "Pretty girl like you must have lots of boys ask you out." "Wil's black neighbor is single always around." "You interested?" "You don't like black people?" "Sure, I like" "She doesn't like black people." "Yes, she does." "Then why won't she date them?" "Let's just eat." "I just want to make sure my baby gets home safe." "Hey, Little Yu." "Isn't my daughter beautiful?" "She is indeed." "Say thank you." "Thank you." "Thank your father." "I'll be calling him tonight." "Little Yu's got a solid job and good benefits." "Great crab, isn't it?" "Smells delicious." "There's an old tradition in Shanghai." "They pick their son-in-law based on his skill at extracting his crab meat." "What am I saying?" "You can't have crab because of the" "Your child would be my child." "I would make sure you have anything you want for the rest of your life." "I just want you to be happy." "There are many women who would be happy with you." "Wouldn't you rather have someone younger?" "Younger people." "Today they love you." "Tomorrow, who knows?" "It's better to stick with someone who can really understand you." "Besides I've liked you for over 1 5 years." "I had a lovely time." "You look lovely in this light." "Wonder how the gang is doing over at the salon." "Carrying one child and sending the other out to do her dirty work." "She never could take care of herself." "Who could the father be?" "Do you think the father is someone in our circle?" "No way." "Fred is too respectful." "Len is too scared." "Too lazy." "Too busy losing money." "Thank God." "Good to know we're safe." "Hello, Wilhelmina." "How is that mother of yours?" "Didn't you see her the other day at her mahjong party?" "Oh, no. I was busy." "I wasn't able to make it." "Me too." "Everyone's so busy these days." "I heard no one went." "What?" "He's a nice man." "I just told you. I like him fine." "Mr. Cho took you to the hospital?" "He's a good man." "Don't worry, Professor Gao." "Your wife's okay." "My daughter." "What were you all so worried about?" "Haven't I been healthy all these years?" "This is nothing compared to war." "Don't excite yourself." "That's right, Mrs. Gao." "Just relax." "You relax." "Preferably elsewhere." "I want to speak to my granddaughter." "I'll be back later." "Me too." "Thank God they're gone." "Like I'm so bored I have to listen to his asinine pandering!" "How's your mother?" "She's doing well." "You're talking to me." "She's totally depressed and humiliated." "Don't tell her about this." "How can I not?" "She has enough on her mind." "Your grandfather forbids her to come anyway." "It'll just make her feel bad." "I'll be out soon." "Promise you won't tell her until I'm back home." "Grandma...." "Promise me." "You're just in time." "She's watching his plane take off for the States." "Stupid girl, he's so obviously right for you." "We need to talk." "There's not much left on this tape." "I don't think this can wait." "I love you." "And I'm gay." "How can you say those two things at once?" "How can you tell me you love me then throw that in my face?" "I am not a bad mother." "My daughter is not gay." "Then maybe I shouldn't be your daughter." "My dad said this is for the bride." ""Hwei Lan you keep refusing to see me." "By the time you read this you may already be Cho's bride." "You've said this is the way fate would have it but if it is your fate to do your father's bidding then it is my fate to try and undo yours." "Yes, people would talk about the age difference...."" "It's Old Yu!" "I may not be what you pictured as your future." "But I know now that I am the one destined for you." "I love you." "I know you love me." "Shouldn't this be simple?" "Twenty-nine years ago you married a man you didn't love to be the perfect daughter and now you're doing it again, all for your father's honor." "Wait!" "Wait a moment!" "What's going on?" "I read the letter. I know." "Wil, quiet!" "You're causing a scene!" "You know what?" "What letter?" "Don't marry him!" "Marry the one you love." "Wait a minute." "You don't love me?" "Of course she loves you!" "Say it!" "You love him!" "No!" "No, she doesn't." "She loves him!" "This is a mistake!" "It's not me!" "It's not me!" "Yes, it is!" "No, it's not!" "Wilhelmina!" "It's me." "Are you insane?" "That woman's karma kills husbands!" "Pa, I love her!" "I told you to marry the Hong Kong movie star!" "At least she doesn't have kids!" "lf you want a divorce, just say so!" "You want it!" "Idiot, I love you!" "Dog fart!" "I love you!" "I am indebted to you but I don't love you." "I am so sorry." "I can't." "You have thrown away a lifetime of my reputation!" "Father, please." "Fantastic!" "I'll move back in with you." "We'll need a bigger bed, so the baby can sleep with me." "Later, we'll block off the living room for her crib and" "We really should repaint." "Rose beige would be nice." "It would warm the place up nicely!" "He's young." "Handsome." "He could have anyone." "Today he loves me." "Tomorrow, who knows?" "I guess I needed him to declare it." "Not just to me, but to everyone." "Besides, I'd never dated before." "I may as well see what's out there." "You know that Vivian she seems nice." "You like her, don't you?" "Stop the bus!" "You're late as usual." "Wil, it's been so long." "Busy lately?" "Try some of this jerky." "Yeah, it's been a busy spring." "Well, a full belly conquers all." "So now will you let me move in?" "No way!" "This is the first time I've ever had my own place." "You're gonna cramp my style." "The world is getting too hard to predict." "It just keeps getting worse." "Revolting!" "Let's go." "One more bite." "Stop patting that side." "The baby will turn out lopsided." "Don't be silly." "Well said!" "The moment that girl is born, I'm coming over every day." "God knows how she'll turn out if she's brought up by you two." "Nice shirt, Vivian." "Now why can't you wear something pleasant like that?" "So there's only one thing left." "When are you going to have a baby?"