"The following subtitles are a revision of an earlier version." "As far back as I can remember, everyone called me Young Master." "I didn't know the meaning of Young Master." "Besides, I have a proper name... but only my mother called me by it." "Before too long, even she began to call me Young Master." "I asked her the reason for that, but she refused to say." "I seldom came to this town." "One day, it was exceedingly cold on the river" "The water was heavy and dense." "No sound at all, when the paddles hit the water." "The boatmen shouted in confusion." "They said the river would soon freeze." "When I was six years old," "My mother fell ill." "She called my name as she died." "My crippled father dragged himself about, crying out crazily." "He blamed my mother for not giving birth to a boy." "For 300 years, our family has sold fireworks... and that would end in my hands." "At the time, I didn't understand." "At 19, with both parents gone," "I inherited the family business." "And then, I understood my father." "The headman was unwilling to take the boat downriver because the water was freezing." "He ordered the boat and its cargo to be steered towards a wharf." "No one calls me Young Master anymore." "People who live here now call me Boss." "But what is a boss?" "I still don't understand." "Maybe it's whoever runs the business of the Cai family." "But in fact... there is a steward in this house." "And there is a master in the workshop." "Every firecracker shop in town has its shopkeeper or manager." "So then, is "Boss" meaningful?" "I asked the headman of the boat." "He said no boats were going downriver." "He feared that, should boats be frozen, dock-workers would be unable to haul them out of the ice." "The town smelled of gunpowder, but I thought I might stay through the coming winter." "Brother!" "Several craftsmen are waiting in the yard." "Why not have a look at them?" "Scram!" "What's this?" "Stolen!" "You can have it." "What do you make in a day, selling face masks?" "Enough to buy two dumplings?" "Ah-ha!" "There!" "Stop!" "Stop, I say!" "Little wanker!" "For three days, you've been stealing my tobacco." "Caught you, this time!" "You want to run away?" "!" "I'll chop your hands off!" "Nowhere to hide!" "Stop!" "Thief!" "Stop!" "What are you doing?" "This is any business of yours?" "Empty belly, right?" "You've got a nerve!" "Any balls?" "You're a hobo!" "Fine." "That's fine." "You wretch." "What..." "I let you meddle in my business?" "!" "Did I ask you to interfere?" "Fine!" "Everyone sees that, right?" "See?" "!" "This is tobacco from my shop!" "He took it!" "So what I said is true, right?" "Come have a look!" "It's from my shop, right?" "I did it, not him." "What?" "What are you doing?" "Brother." "Let it slide!" "Forget it." "Brother!" "I cannot forbid you choking Boss Wang to death." "But you should do it elsewhere..." "Not here, in front of Cai Fireworks!" "What do you say!" "?" "Just remove him." "Drag him to the river." "Then you can do with him as you please." "Brother." "Brother." "Please spare my face." "Zang San!" "Take this master's bags to the building 'round back." "Boss!" "Master Zhao has come." "He is outside the door." "He asks if you have any instructions." "As it's the last Moon of the calendar, the time has come to hire an artisan to honor the household gods." "You are right, Boss, the time has come." "Painter Wang's health is not good." "His hands shake continuously." "He cannot do the job this year." "I hear there is a painter from another town." "Then pursue your own suggestion!" "The end of the year is coming." "The busiest time for our business." "Workers can't go home for at least two weeks." "It's better to pay their wages in advance, so they can send money home." "Don't worry." "It's all prepared." "Moreover, even in this present day, wages for all of our workers should be paid according to the old rule." "What was the amount when my father was alive?" "You know that." "So, you know what to do." "I, in behalf of them, thank you." "Go!" "Mrs. Want, remove this please." "Shopkeeper!" "The steward's sedan chair has arrived." "Put things in order!" "Quickly!" "Hurry up!" "Oh, Master!" "Why not send a message, so that I can welcome you at the wharf?" "My health is good." "Walk slowly, Master!" " You've passed the doors of Cai family!" " Not really." "I mean:" "Who are we?" "Who are we to have any skill, huh?" "We are not competent to serve." "Brother." "The door of Cai family is different from my Firecracker Shop!" "A very rich family." "If you take a boat down the Yellow River, you will see fireworks from Cai family exploding all the way." "Even the birthday observance of the Emperor is celebrated with Cai family's fireworks." "The celebration for President Yuan depends on Cai firecrackers." "If the Yellow River is frozen," "Mongolians will use Cai firecrackers to break the ice." "Think about that, brother." "I should widen my knowledge." "You have done!" "Maybe so." "I like your attitude." "The boss with one arm from Cai Fireworks Shop told me that the house of Cai is located behind the mountain near the beach." "He says the mountain is a pile of gunpowder." "Boil a few measures of that stuff in a pot, and we get saltpeter." "Add in some ash, and that becomes medicine." "It all depends on that mountain, this water - thus a small town thrives." " I'm the artisan..." " Ah, to paint the door-gods." "Remove your leather shoes." "The soles have iron nails." "Scratching a spark would walk you right into a 'taboo'." "This place boils 'medicine'." "Put your gear in order." "Don't go anywhere, when you are free." "Don't go any place where you should not be." "This boss is very quiet." "So lower your voice when speaking and do your job." "And spread your legs wide, when you need to fart." "Don't worry." "We know how to comport ourselves." "Very well." "After you change your shoes, come with me to the front courtyard to meet the Boss." "Is Master Zhao better?" "Gone back to the boss's house." "Better, but still coughing." "Mrs. Wang, take some pseudo-ginseng to the front courtyard." "The end of the year is coming." "I think Steward dares not slacken." "You should take care of them." "Go." " Yes." "Boss!" "The man to draw the door-gods has arrived." "He is waiting outside, on the porch." "Then show him in." " Yes." "It is said that you are skillful." "That is kind to say." "There are 72 doors in the Cai house, and 36 mugs." "We hope that your work will express happiness." "But first I must make one thing clear:" "There are many rules in this house." "Steward" "Please help him to settle in the south courtyard." "And explain to him the rules." " Yes, boss." "Follow me." "Don't go nosing around unless it's absolutely necessary." "Take your dinner in the yard." "You will eat what the workers eat." "In this house, it's bad to rest while there's work to be done." "Fire!" "Put it out quickly!" "Help!" "Move everything out." "Quickly!" "Hurry up!" "Come on!" "Get me water!" "What are you doing?" "Why not bring water here?" "Move that wooden framework away." "Bring the water here." "If something happens to them, money goes out yearly according to the old rule." "They can't go hungry if our family still has money." "Who?" "Steward." "Please, forgive me!" "Damn!" "Steward, you are a good person." "Please say something good about me in front of the boss." "Please, steward." "Boss!" "It's my fault, Boss!" "Please, Boss!" "Forgive me this time!" "Please, forgive me!" "You must punish me according to the rule!" " I don't want to interfere." "Steward, please, forgive me!" "Boss, forgive me!" " Punish him by the family rule." "I don't dare anymore!" "Please, forgive me!" "Steward, please forgive me!" "Brother, please whip quickly!" "I won't bear it, if it lasts too long." "Brother, you must bear it." "What's wrong, steward?" "You owe me nothing." "Take it back." "Do you look down upon me or think it is too little?" "I didn't mean that." "Don't just save face." "Take it!" "I don't want to owe anyone anything." "Nor do I." "I earn from painting." "It is Master Zhao who invited me, not I who begged to be here." "Steward, take the money." "I am busy." "I need to preserve face, even if I am poor." "Good." "There should be a sound, when I throw it." "We can discuss it in Shop 6, downtown." "In my last letter to the Boss, I mentioned that the price is reasonable." "And, we are local." "There are relations here." "So give him 30 plots of rice paddy." "You mean..." "Boss, you are right." "Our house downtown should have a decent door." "It is reasonable, even if it is expensive." "Recently, our line of firecrackers is expanding in the South, including Liuyang, Shangli, Luqi and Guangdong." "And it looks promising in the North." "But the situation downtown is a mess." "So it is not easy to do business." "We can barely maintain it." "What did you say, just now?" "I said the situation downtown is messy." "I can't tell you the reason." "Not clearly." "I cannot say what mood carried me into this courtyard which" "I have not visited for years." "This is where I played, when I was young." "At that time, my cousin lived here, but he departed after a while." "Since then, I have not returned until now." "Who is it?" "What are you doing?" "Boss!" "I'm looking for the Steward." "This place is on the way, so I thought to have a look." "Sit down please." "Let me do it." "Sit down please." "Your drawing is good." "You must have learned from a master, at great cost." "No." "My parents died too soon." "A poor man who knew something of drawing took me under his wing." "I learned from him." "How can I make a living for myself without some skill?" "It could be said that you should add more color to this fish." "Steward!" "Boss!" "What brings you to the South courtyard?" "Steward." "Go to the kitchen and make tea for our artisan." "Hearing things that happened to you is interesting." "I haven't many rich experiences." "I just walk hundreds of miles and do my job among poor people." "When I have time to rest, we talk together about everything." "In fact, there are many things I haven't seen, only heard about." "The little I know can't be compared to the Talents." "The Talents!" "The classical books are ancient." "What they say is outmoded rules and on and on." "And the more they go on, the more I forget." "I think you are right." "Well, I should go now." "Continue with your work." "Take care." "You know, I've worked in this house more than 20 years." "To this day, I haven't tasted this special tea." "It might make one smug!" "Did you call for me?" "Little Man, come in and sit down." "He charms her, right?" "Yes, he has." "So, it's true." "More than 20 years in this house," "I dare not tell lies." "Master treated you kindly when he was alive." "What did Master say when he was dying?" "Master said:" ""Hostess is young... and she doesn't know the business or the workshop." He asked me to see to things." "What else?" "There is a rule of the ancestors such that Hostess can never marry." "This means she cannot have a child." "That would ruin the family business." "It cannot be inherited by someone of a different surname." "Just so." "You deserved the Master's fondness." "Xiao Manzi, what is Hostess doing?" "You know clearly what one should not do." "So give her a warning when circumstances warrant it." "I, uh..." "I'm leaving, then." "The one who makes decisions in this house is Hostess." "In the workshop, it is I." "Don't touch anything that you should not touch." "Wang Ma, after you finish with business in the upper courtyard," "Go to the southern courtyard... and take a box of white medicine to the master drawing the door-gods." "Is the master in?" "Who is it?" "I am your forefather." "I hear that Hostess went into the southern courtyard some days ago." "He is in the atelier." "I heard Hostess laughing happily." "That has never happened before." "When a woman is getting on, she may have an idea." "Do you think so?" "Is dinner ready?" " Yes, yes." "How rich are the Cais, do you think?" "I hear that you have been walking around for three days and three nights." "A rich person has problems, too." "During these past years countless rich families have gone bankrupt." "You haven't been here long." "Don't talk so much." "If it is heard by Manager Man, he will strike your face." "I fear nothing." "The only property I have is my life." "I earn my living, wherever I go." "Oh, Manager Man." "The workers are eating." "Brother, there you come." "Ah, the master who draws door-gods." "Does the meal offered by this family taste good?" "Brother, have a seat." "Go make me a bowl of noodles." "Me?" "What?" "Is such work an indignity?" "Black man, black horse, black mule." "Bring the iron spoon at his waist." "Ask the black man where he is going." "To carry my goods to the western side of the mountain." "You father used to say that thrift and industry are the basis for managing a household." "Filial piety is the most important aspect of self-cultivation." "This business of the Cai family feeds many people here." "Hostess is the master of this area." "Your behavior is symbolic of the family." "Tell the accountant's office to send their books to the upper courtyard." "I would have a look at them." " Hostess" " Manager Man" "Hostess" "You are rich and a fortunate person." "This courtyard is old and decrepit." "You should not come here often." "If this house is too old, then the Cai family is old, too." "Manager Man, the end of December is approaching." "Bao Village is promoting their goods." "I suggest you pay more attention to business in the workshop." "Don't miss the delivery date." "And whether Hostess is rich or lucky was fated in her last life." "I've grown accustomed to the smell of this house." "Go tend to your business." "I thought that..." "Hostess wearing this dress would be nice for you." "What you have drawn does not resemble me." "It is worse than the door-gods you drew!" "Hostess..." "Hostess, are you all right?" "It was heard that he left the house the next day." "Only I know why he departed." "I am determined to find him." "I don't believe he will leave town." "Who or what are you looking for?" "I've come for the door-god." "I only paint fish." "I don't paint door-gods." "Okay." "Then I'll buy your fish." "Ten silver pieces for one painting." "And I want 600 paintings." "If I work all day long," "I can make only 365." "But I would sell none of them." "Xu Laoda." "Coming!" "What is it, Hostess?" "Go upstairs now." "Send that low-life bum away." "I don't want to see him anywhere within the territory of the Cais." "Hostess, hostess." "Cherry bombs!" "The guy lit cherry bombs!" "Stop." "Bala!" "Get out of the way!" "Shithead!" " You dare to say that?" "Stick a maleizi up his ass." "Hold on." "You fucking jerk." " You dare insist on what you said!" "Hostess." "What should we do with this low man?" "It is a taboo of the family to light bombs near the house." "How to punish him?" "There is a rule made by the ancestors." "Manager Man." "What is the supreme punishment in the family rules?" "Hostess, it is to 'bomb his door'." "To bomb his door?" "What is it, to bomb his door?" "It means... it means to put a bomb up..." "Hostess, the supreme punishment is to tie him and use a big whip." "You poor sod." "You won't remember it without heavy punishment." "Manager Man." "Handle it as you like." "Take him away." "Fuckers." "You're animals!" "How many hours do you think this guy can take it?" "If he lasts two hours," "I'll pay for beer." "Manager Man will pay for our beer!" "You!" "Hold on for my brothers." "Everyone gets beer after two hours." "Ain't that right?" "Did you hear?" "Hold on, man." "You too can have beer if you hold on." "What's this?" "What on earth is going on?" "He threw cherry bombs inside the Cai house." "She called the beast man Dihong to beat me." "And he nearly crammed a Maleizi up my ass." "You said she is a bitch?" "How can such a little person be so cruel?" "Are you hurt?" "Well, you deserve it." "Aren't you looking for death when you make trouble at the Cai house?" "Go, bring a pot of hot water." "Hostess, are you looking for me?" "Send it to the Cais and to Bao Village." "To Xu Laoda." "Ask him to send for a doctor who can treat lacerations." "If you would enter the Cai House, you must be able to capture the soul of fireworks." "You are not qualified, if you cannot make fireworks." "He is gone." "He left by the Yellow River," "Xu Laoda told me that." "He sold everything he could." "I don't dare to wish for his return." "Spring is coming." "The house remains as serene as always." "I still act as the Hostess." "I cross the river twice each month to cope with the family business in town." "Every time I cross this river, something occurs to me." "But, I quickly forget it." "It is strange." "A guy from Bao Village told me that, in the house of a fireworks businessman, a thousand miles away, he saw a person in their workshop." "I can't believe this is true." "But I cannot stop thinking on it." "Maybe it is true." "Lately, I have been crossing the river into town more often than before." "I seem to have a premonition ..." "a feeling of anticipation that maybe he will appear suddenly, somewhere in town." "Boss Qiao, you can trust us." "Even Caihebao Village loses money." "We will provide you with ten thousand boxes of fireworks on time." "Boss Cai is welcome." "We two families have done business together over twenty years." "How could I not trust you?" "Sorry that I cannot send you more." "Hostess." "Hostess." "Hostess, come out." "Listen, all of you." "I was... originally... am... a woman." "Rather than be your Boss always," "I prefer to be a woman." "Manager Man, what do you intend by doing that?" "How did you treat our Hostess?" "Out with it!" "Fine." "I banged the Boss." "Big deal!" "You can kill me many times," "I won't complain." "Everything has changed." "No one in the house is calm." "The workers, upon seeing me, don't treat me as before." "The old house manager doesn't eat a thing." "He just burns incense in the temple." "Manager Man hides in the workshop." "He just works and refuses to see anybody." "I feel fear that I cannot express." "Yet I went into town to meet him." "He said he learned to make fireworks, so he can come back." "But he is returning only to take me away." "I don't know what to say to him." "If I hadn't seen him with my own eyes..." "Who would have guessed?" "There is something evil in him!" "For the livelihood of people in this town we must find a way to fight this devil." "You are right." "Niu Bao." "Where are you?" "We must separate after this." "I cannot bear it." "I want to marry you, with eight big sedans." "To marry me with eight big sedans?" "Tell Uncle Single-arm we are near Caihebao Village." "If you cannot beat me to death..." "If I am still alive..." "What a motherfucker." "What's all this?" "They are like gods or ghosts." "They have been bothersome for three days and three nights." "They say they are incarnations of my forefathers." "I fainted." "I don't know for how long." "When I woke up everyone from the house was kneeling in front of me, crying "Hostess..."" "You are leaving?" "!" "No, please don't go!" "I want to marry you." "Let me stay." "I want to marry you." "But I cannot marry." "My forefathers say I cannot marry." "Use it on your way." "To the bank, quickly!" "I want to get off." "Let me off the boat!" "He's gone." "I have decided to forget him." "What I am thinking in this moment is whether to remodel the southern courtyard... or to expand our branch in the city." "Manager General" "That guy Niu Bao has come back." "Then I must leave now." "Who?" "Who is it?" "Me." "It's me." "Open the door and let me in." "No." "Go away." "Chunzhi, listen to me, please." "Don't say anything." "I won't listen to anything." "Go away." "Go!" "Otherwise I will call for someone." "Who is it?" "I said I would marry you with eight big sedans." "Sin!" "That's a sin." "All distinguished leaders." "Apologies that the Cais trouble you." "Our Hostess intends to marry, but a family rule forbids it..." "So we ask for your opinions." "I think you can choose someone who has virtue and morality, who can distinguish good from bad, to marry the Hostess." "The second year of the Ming Calendar." "Li Laifu from Xiajia Village won the fireworks competition." "He is qualified to marry, and he can obtain 50 mu of land." "Hearing the words "fireworks competition"" "frightened me." "My father was in the competition called "Wanjialei"" "and suffered serious injury." "In the books left by the forefathers, isn't there some other method?" "During these past years, you have learned many skills of the Cai family." "You can be independent." "I, Man Dihong, will serve the Cais all my life, and without hesitation." "Xiao Manzi." "You and I are fed by the Cais." "Do you understand?" "Of course, of course." "Good." "Then I will discuss the marriage in your behalf." "No." "Today I have something to deal with." "Following day, then." "Boss Yu." "Today I, Man Dihong, will buy beer for everyone!" "I'll pay for everybody." "If you take charge of the Cai's business," "My small store will depend on you." "Now, I have a little business." "Take your time with the beer." "I have to leave now." "Villains holding sway." "Out of the way!" "Get out of the way!" "Manager Man is coming!" "Manager Man is coming!" "Are you tired of walking along the bank?" "This way, this way." "Manager, you have come." "Where is your shopkeeper?" "He is in." "Have a seat inside the house, please." "Brother, how is it you are you free today to cross the river?" "Brother, please come inside the house." "Zhang San, make some tea for Manager Man." "Hostess, please have a look at this." "Hostess, Xu Laoda is willing to be the guarantor of Niu Bao." "Hostess, you?" "He..." "He has gone." "I should have known before." "I haven't gone to town recently." "Not because it is inconvenient." "I know some are saying that the child I carry doesn't have a legal father." "So what?" "Let it be." "I don't care." "But such cannot be heard by the child." "These subtitles are a revision of an earlier (original?" ") version."