"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 teal 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" "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 wil always 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 wil 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" "Huen" "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" "You 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 deduct 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 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" "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 to 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 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" "Forgot 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" ""Needle s 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 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" "Sargeant Li, hurry with the buns" "Please sit" "Do you speak Mandarn?" "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 here'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"