"HAPPY TIMES" "The ones I met before were all too skinny." "Looked like kittens." "I told the matchmaker straight out, no skinny women for me!" "I like a woman with meat on her bones, nice and warm!" "What does a man my age need?" "Somebody to keep me cosy!" "I've been married twice." " Just twice, right?" " Yes." "I like a woman with experience." "I've also got two children." "Do you mind?" "Two children?" "I love children!" "The more the merrier!" "Shall we start planning our wedding?" "So you agree?" "Let's make our wedding a real event!" "Of course!" "We can't just go through the motions." "We need to go all out." "Everyone knows me, I can't be a skinflint." "We'll need 50 thousand." "That sounds about right!" "You've got 50 thousand?" "I shouldn't have a problem getting it." "Will it be difficult?" "I'll come up with something." "It's only 50 thousand." "No problem." "Old Zhao's back to borrow money!" " How do you know?" " Look, he's coming over here." "He's trying to get married again." "This is the 18th time, it hasn't worked once!" "He still owes me money!" "I'd better go." "Tell him I'm not home." "Fu!" "Stop!" "Fu!" "Stop pretending you can't hear me!" "Zhao, what's wrong?" "Why are you so out of breath?" "Stop pretending!" "You saw me and ran away." " I didn't." " Stop being silly." " You wanted to talk to me?" " You know I need money." " Engaged again?" " I finally picked one." "Look at her, big and round." "So cosy." " Japanese?" " No, Chinese." " I thought you liked skinny women?" " They never liked me." "She wants to get married." " Really?" " She told me so." " No strings?" " She said we need 50 thousand." "50 thousand!" "Did you say yes?" " I told her I had it." " Why pretend?" "If I didn't, I'd get nowhere!" "Find someone else to help." "Don't say that, you have to help." "Help your old teacher get married." "Help me get 50 thousand." "You're the only one I can turn to." "Zhao!" "..." "Zhao!" " I've got some money." " What?" " Money!" " Where from?" "Let me show you." "You've got the money?" "There's a small wood behind our factory?" " Isn't there an old bus there?" " It's been there about seven years." "Every day, young lovers stroll through there with no place to rest!" "We'll could clean up that bus." "The lovers can use it to rest." "And we'll charge them." " Me, sell tickets?" " Exactly." "I even have a name for the place." "As this is a service for lovers we'll call it the Happy Times Hut." "Forget it!" "The bus is in a public area." " If I charged for tickets, who would pay?" " Why not be rewarded for our work?" "What I'm saying is, who would pay to go in there, and how much do I charge?" "You're just sitting at home anyway." "No matter what we charge, it's still money." "Forget it!" "I'll never get married this way." "Some rich person might pay 200 or 300 in one go." "Who's that crazy?" "You'd have to be mad to do that!" "Anyway, I don't have the money." "If you do it, I'll do it with you." "If you don't, I'm out of ideas." "You're using that colour?" "Hm?" "How come it reminds me of a public toilet?" "Don't use that colour." "People will come in here for a pee." "You're right!" "I found this paint at the tip." "It was all they had." " Look at this." " What do you expect for nothing?" "Try this." "What about this colour?" "Is this better?" "It's a bit loud." "It'll keep you up all night." "That's it!" "Keep them awake long enough to pay." "Let's go with the "all night long" red." " That's our decision, "Up all night"!" " All right." "Not bad at all." "A spring clean makes all the difference." "The bed fits well too." "I still don't feel good about this." "There you go again." "What's not to feel good about?" "This is a pretty, healthy place we have here for people to rest." "Don't think too much." "Why think so much?" "Why are we doing this?" " Wow!" " Who fixed the place up?" "What an unusual colour!" "How romantic." "It's even got a name, Happy Times Hut." " Not bad." " Let's have a look." "Come in, take a look." " You two did this?" " Yes." " They charge." "There's a collection box." " You charge?" "Give what you want." "You decide." "Have some water." "Don't worry, we've already checked you can't see in from outside." "Keeps out the rain." "Keeps out the sun too." "Grandpa!" "Did you do this place up?" "What do you want?" "Nothing, just wondering why." "What's inside?" "Nothing." "I don't know." "It's not mine." "Don't worry, We just want to have a look." "Well it is mine, but I'm off work." "We just want a look, please open the door." "Just a peek, go on, let us in." "You can't see a thing." "Look, a collection box." ""Let your conscience be your guide." Pretty interesting." "Grandpa, are you going to just sit there?" "I always sit here." "Don't you want to get some fresh air?" " Am I in your way?" " No." " What do you mean?" " Nothing." "Trying to get rid of me?" "What are you thinking about?" "You're an old man with dirty thoughts." "I didn't mean anything." "I want you to buy something." " What?" " A watermelon." "A watermelon." "A big one." " A 100 yuan watermelon?" " I don't have any change." "Thanks for helping us out." "Sorry I haven't called." "I've been busy at work." "At the hotel." "I opened it up with a few friends." "Why should I mention it on our first date?" "It's the holiday season." "We're busy." "We're making money!" "No matter how much I make, I won't forget you." "You're the reason I work so hard." " Do you sell roses?" " 2 yuan each." " How much?" " 2 yuan each." "Too expensive!" " What other flowers make a good gift?" " That depends, women want roses." " It's a woman, all right." " Then roses." "Anything cheaper?" "Look at you." "You're so annoying." "Better if you died!" "You're half-dead already." "A waste of good food!" "Mum, an old man is here!" "You got here so quickly!" "What do you mean, "old man"?" "Call him Uncle." "Have a seat." "Excuse me while I get changed." "How old are you?" " Can you fix my video game?" " Of course." "When you broke it, was your mum shouting at you?" "Not at me, at her." "Who is she, your sister?" "She's not my sister." "My mum didn't have her!" "Who is her mother then?" "Can't you hurry up, grandpa?" "Didn't your mum tell you to call me Uncle?" " If you're not a grandpa, then hurry up!" " All right." "Roses for me?" " Must've been expensive." " 2 yuan a dozen." "I mean, 2 yuan a stem." "Where should I put them?" "This place is so untidy." "When the party leaders visit sick people on TV they put flowers beside the bed." "Really, by the bed?" " All right, then." " All right?" "Sorry you had to hear me swearing at the children." "My stepdaughter really drives me mad!" "Her father left the very day we got divorced." "Took all my money too." "He agreed to pay child support, but I haven't seen a single penny." "I give her food and drink." "I have to take care of everything for her." "You are kind." "If it were me, I wouldn't do all that." "Send her back to her father." "Turn her out?" "You try it." "People would talk." "They'd call me the wicked stepmother!" "Evil woman!" "All those sorts of names." "People will always talk." "Do what you have to do, let them talk." "A strange thing happened at our hotel today." "What?" "A guest gave one of our employees a 100-yuan tip." "That's not much, everyone is rich nowadays." "Then he said, "I'll come here often!"" "So your hotel is doing well?" "It's all down to the name, I came up with it myself." "Just like when we're together, I call it "Happy Times."" " Are you happy with me?" " Can't you tell?" " Tell her it's dinnertime." " Why me?" "I don't want to." "How else is she supposed to know?" "Hurry up!" " So many dishes!" " I hope you like them." "Don't kick the door!" "Tell her nicely." " That boy needs teaching some manners." " He's just a child." "Dinnertime." " Help yourself." " Thank you." " Here, have some more." " I'll help myself." " This is Uncle Zhao." " Hello." "Go on, eat up." "Have some vegetables." "Have some meat." "Eat up." " Have some meat." " I am." "The vegetables are good." "Eat up." "Don't be shy" "Children, always stealing from other people's bowls." " Stop playing." "Eat!" " Children." " We had a letter from my father." " How come I didn't see it?" " You weren't home yesterday." " Where is it?" "Mum, I wasn't home either." "I was playing football." "You like football?" "You're a football player?" "I'm going to read this." "You eat." " What did my father say?" " Nothing, eat." " What did he say?" " Nothing." "Eat your dinner." "Eat." "Here's..." "You keep it, then." " You eat with your left hand?" " Ever since I was a child." " What about writing?" " I do everything else right-handed." "Chopsticks too?" "Sort of." " Isn't it difficult?" " I can use my right hand too." " Have some tea." " Thank you." "Get some ice cream for Uncle." " No, thanks." " Hey, Mum, he doesn't want any!" " He's too polite to ask." " Ice cream is for children." "Why don't you give her some?" "Certainly not, ice cream is expensive!" "Mum bought it for me." "Whoever said that?" "Each of you gets one." "You're getting so selfish." "Go on, eat." " Take care." " I will." " Call me." " Of course." "Don't think just because we have company, you can eat the good stuff!" "You're listening to TV too!" "Go and wash the dishes!" "Shall we put him to bed?" "Leave him there." "Your leg will go to sleep." "It's not convenient with him here." " I can't move him anyway." " I'll help you." " What's she doing?" " Going to the toilet." " Why such a rush?" " She has problems." " Does she know I'm here?" " No, she doesn't know." " I should probably go." " Just be quiet." "Let me ask you..." "How big is your hotel?" "Do you mean the entire hotel or each room?" "How many people does it hold?" "You want to bring us customers?" "No need!" "Business is booming!" " Don't worry about me." " I'm not worried about you." " What about us?" " What do you mean?" "Having her around is inconvenient." "Can't you find her a job at your hotel?" "No, out of the question." "What's wrong with you?" "I haven't even finished speaking and all you say is no!" "I didn't mean anything by it." "You tell me, what can she do?" "Don't expect her to do anything, just give her some chores." "Let her clean the bathrooms, whatever." "Don't pay her, just give her some food." "No, I really..." "Don't think that I'm dumping her on you." "That's not my intention." "Take now, for instance." "Was it nice when she barged in on us like that?" "The hotel is a joint investment." "I'll talk it over with the other owners." "Talk over what?" "Aren't you the general manager?" "Can't you decide things like this?" "You're the one who wrote the words "Happy Times."" "But I wrote "Hut," not "Hotel"!" "No sense quibling, "Hut" and "Hotel" are almost the same." "Anyway, help me find the girl a job!" "Hey, she asked you, not me!" "You're the big-shot manager." "If she gets a job elsewhere, your secret's out." "What should I do?" "What a mess!" "Is this girl completely blind?" "If she weren't, she wouldn't need our help." "She can't see at all." " She can't see a thing?" " No." " It should be easy!" " How?" "Her weakness can play to your strength." "She's blind, you can tell her whatever you want." " And my strength?" " Being a bullshitter!" "What kind of strength is that?" "You're good at that." "Keep doing it until you get married." "You can tell her whatever you want." "Tell the girl this is the way our hotel was designed." "Beat-up places are all the rage!" "Say that our style is returning to the simple life." "Actually, I don't think you should be out." "It's nice staying at home." "Why do you want to come out?" "I'm talking to you!" "Why should I stay there?" "No matter what, it's your home." "It's not my home!" "How can you say that?" "What are you doing living there?" "You should be grateful!" "They're nice to you." " I know you all hate me!" " We hate you?" "If I hate you so much, why would I give you a job?" " You're only doing it for that woman!" " What a mouth on you!" "I'm over 50." "What's wrong with doing something for a woman?" "You wanted to leave that house anyway." "You wanted a job, right?" "You should blame your father for this." "How can he do this?" "Is he a real man?" "Would a real man leave his own daughter?" "He never should have married." "What kind of person is he?" "Leaving his child for someone else to care for." "He doesn't pay child support!" "Still you complain..." "Hey, where are you going?" "Why did you get off here?" "What if that bike ran into you?" "What are you doing?" "I'm talking to you!" "Don't touch your watch." "What's wrong with you?" " I'm not going to your hotel." " Why not?" " None of your business." " How is it none of my business?" " I promised your mum." " She's not my mum." "My girlfriend then." "We agreed I'd give you a job." " If you don't go, what do I tell her?" " Tell her whatever you want." " You really don't want to go?" " No!" "That's just fine!" "There's nothing special about my hotel." "But do me one favour." "Go back and tell her you didn't want the job." ""I didn't want to work there."" " Can you do that?" " No!" "Why not?" "It's not that hard to do." "Then you tell her." "Stubborn girl!" "Why are you so difficult?" "You shouldn't insult my father!" "I was wrong, sorry." "Do you know how hard it is for a man my age to find a wife?" "I haven't found anyone." "Finally, I met your mum..." "She's not my mum!" "Fine, then she's my mum!" "She trusted me to find you a job and I mess up the whole thing." "What would you think?" "I beg you, come and work at my hotel." "If you don't like it, leave." "That way, at least I did what she asked me to do." "All right?" "What kind of a child are you?" "Will you please go with me?" "Name?" "Please answer, we're filling out an application form." "All employees must fill it out." "The man talking to you is Manager Fu." "He manages the hotel." "From now on, call him Manager Fu." " All right, continue." " Name?" "Wu Ying." " Wu Ying, that's spelled W-U." " Right." "Y-l-N-G." "Ying." "How do you write that?" "Like this!" "Oh yes, I see!" "I'm so used to writing on the computer." " Age?" " Eighteen." "You're 18?" "Don't be suspicious, 18 is 18!" "Education?" "Elementary school, but I didn't finish." " Was it a school for the blind?" " No, I could still see then." " So you lost your sight later?" " You have to put all this in?" "We need to know all about you to give you a suitable job." "That's right!" "Explain what happened to your eyes." "When I was little, I had a brain tumor." "It swelled and put pressure on my optic nerve." "At first I had a headache so bad that I couldn't sleep." "Then my face started to go numb." "I lost all feeling on one side of my body." "My vision started to go." "At first I could still see colours and light but gradually I went completely blind." "Let's go on." "Family members." "Tell us about your mother." "She's been dead a long time now." "When did you lose her?" "Back when I could still see." "So we'll write down that she's deceased." "We're very interested in learning why your father and that woman got divorced?" "Whose fault was it, do you know?" " You can't ask that." "It's personal." " No, it's not." "When we recruit we need to know everything!" "We need her background." "What if her family comes and makes trouble?" "We can't let that happen." "Continue, please tell us whose fault it was." "You should explain, just to clear this up." "Tell us exactly what happened with your father." "They started arguing the day we moved into her apartment." "They'd argue day and night." "They got into fights and threw things all over the place." "No one could reconcile them." "Finally, my father left." " Who hit whom?" " Where did your father go?" "Far away, to Shenzhen." "He said when he had enough money he'd come back and cure my eyes." "This isn't the main building of the Happy Times Hotel." "This branch is in a secluded wooded area." "Can you smell it?" "Fresh air!" "Can you tell?" "The scenery is beautiful!" "But the design isn't anything fancy." "It's made up of old buses." "The older the bus, the higher the rate." "It's the simple life." "This is the idea that I had, based on what the customers asked for." "Rich people love it!" "Your job is easy." "You just wait outside." "When the guests leave, you tidy up." "Once you're done, you come back out." "That's all." "I'll bring you a lunch from our employee cafeteria." "It's good food." "Wait a second!" "Why are you towing that bus away?" " We're cleaning up." " Who told you to?" "The foreman." " Where are you taking the bus?" " No idea." " What are you going to do here?" " Beautify the area." "How many times do I have to tell you?" "How could you not tell me when you're renovating?" "Keep me informed of everything." "Didn't we agree to start in two weeks?" "How can you start already?" "Where's your respect for me?" "Aren't I the manager here?" "How many times do I have to tell you?" "I want a full report!" "Now, get back to work!" "What a mess!" "We were planning some renovations, but they've arrived early." "You can't start today." "Renovations will take a week or two, so you'll have to wait." "When you go back, explain it all to her." " I'm not explaining anything." " Just tell her what happened." " You tell her!" " She'd never believe me." "I don't even believe you." "Why don't you believe me?" "You heard it all." "It didn't sound like it." " Like what?" " People doing renovations." "What do you know about renovations?" "We're not putting up wallpaper here." "This is a huge job." "It's not your average hotel." "We're working with a group of buses." "We weren't happy with the location so that crane was moving the buses to a new one, understand?" "We are also planting flowers and grass to liven up the area." "It will take at least a month or two for the grass to grow, the flowers to bloom." "Explain all this to her." "I'm not saying anything." "Then don't!" "But don't go telling tales, either." "Excuse us!" "Be careful!" "How come you're back?" "Hands off!" "That's my piano!" "Mum gave this room to me!" "Get out!" "Buzz off!" "Get out!" "I don't have room for her." "I don't have a place to put her." "I replaced her furniture with new stuff." " You can't expect me to change it back." " Of course not." "Now you're talking sense." "Come and see my new place." "It's got a great vibe." "You'll feel it." "Right now I can't feel a thing." "I'm in one hell of a bind." "Do you have a massage room?" "What for?" "We're not a hospital." "Every hotel today has a massage parlour." "She studied massage, she's pretty good." "Open a massage parlour, it won't cost much." "All you need is a room and a bed." "She might even make a profit." "Certainly not." "You don't know what my hotel is like." "Listen, it's a good idea." "It's settled!" "It won't work." " She's leaving." " Leaving?" "Well, go after her!" "Don't bring her back to me!" "What the hell are you doing?" "What if you got hit?" "Stay right there!" "What are you trying to do?" "How did you run so fast?" "You scared the hell out of me!" "Why were you out there in the middle of the night?" "All those cars on the road!" "What, are you tired of living?" "If you want to kill yourself, at least tell me first!" "How am I supposed to explain this?" "What's wrong?" "Standing in the middle of the road!" "What if you got hit?" "What were you thinking?" "Say something!" "Yes, you're right!" "We'll leave in the morning, and now you don't even have a place to stay!" "She's gone too far!" "Don't cry." "Do you have any relatives here?" "You can't go off to see your father with no money." "And he can't come get you right away." "Come with me, all right?" "All right?" "Come with me and wait a couple of days." "I'll set up a massage room so you can work." "All right?" "I know you don't trust me but I'm different from her." "I'm disappointed in her too." "Don't be angry." "What do you say?" "Come back with me?" "Don't cry." "Let's go." "Is this your apartment?" "Where's the TV and fridge?" "I don't have one." "A manager would have a TV and fridge." "This is one of our employee's apartments." " Didn't you say it was yours?" " My employees and I are one family." " We say that all the time." " So where do you live?" "I live in a luxury villa." "My neighbours are foreigners." "I've turned on the water heater." "When you're finished, turn off this tap." "Don't burn yourself." "I've got a guest staying with me." "Can you lend me a room?" " Did you ask your friends?" " They're overcrowded themselves." "Isn't that office of ours empty?" "That office is all sealed up." "Any others?" "They're off-limits." "What should I do?" "I have no place to stay." "Could I stay at the workshop?" "Nobody's working there." "Can I stay there?" "All right, it's going to be demolished soon anyway." " So you agree?" " Yes." " I'm approved?" " Yes." "If anybody asks, you know." " What's the rush?" " Why move this thing anyway?" "Push!" "Harder!" "Mind your fingers!" "Not bad." "It's starting to look like a room." "Not bad at all." " Right, I'm off." " Wait!" "Once the girl feels the sheet metal she'll know it's not real!" "We have to come up with something." "What do you suggest?" "That's easy." "Maybe, probably, what we should do next is make this place..." "Have you ever been to a massage parlor?" " No." " You?" " Never in my life." " You two?" " Never." " Me neither." "Then why waste time talking?" "Let's go and look at the real thing." "Forget this place, too up market." "Let's go." " It's out of our league." " We're not going in?" "It's too fancy for us." " What's this?" " For breathing." "It's huge!" "You said as big as a sink." " I said make it the size of a face." " I thought you said sink." "No one can fall through the hole." "Not this side." "It's too wide." "Feel with your eyes closed." "It's just like the real thing." "We've done a good job." "Not bad at all." "Look, touch." "I have a feeling that it's too empty, we're missing something." " Our place is more spacious." " No, it's not that." " What's missing?" " They had two beds..." " We're missing sound." " What?" "Sound, noise!" " You're right." " It's too quiet here." "Why was the other place so noisy?" "It was right on the main street!" "So, there's no sound." "What's the problem?" "Don't be ridiculous!" "It's got to seem real." "If she's with a client and it's dead quiet who would believe it's a real massage parlour?" "We can't move a whole street over here!" "That's easy." "Li, don't you have a tape recorder at home?" "Take it to a massage parlour and record the street." "Hit "play" and the problem's solved." "That makes sense." "On my wedding day all of you will sit at the head of the table with me." "Tomorrow when the clients come, everything will go according to plan." "Oh, no." "Who is she going to massage tomorrow?" "We don't have any clients lined up." "What are you laughing at?" " Just go and find someone." " I can't bring strangers to this place." "If they say anything to her, our work is ruined." "You're my friends." "Come back tomorrow for a massage." "Come back tomorrow?" "You don't have to work." "You get a free massage." "Won't she be able to feel it's the same people again?" "Tell the girl she's so good, you're back for more." "Right, this massage stuff is addictive." "Why thank me?" "It's all for us, isn't it?" "She starts tomorrow." "She's staying at our employee dorm." "Nice place." "Anyway, I just hope you understand why I'm doing all this." "You know what my feelings are for you." "I told you to record street noises." "What's this?" "The street at the entrance to the massage parlor." "This is the street?" "Does this sound like the street?" " I recorded it on the street." " Where did you put the mike?" "Here's the street, here's the massage parlor." "I put the box here." "You pointed the mike in the wrong direction!" "I'll do it again." "Too late!" "She'll be here soon." "Play it from over the other side." "We'll see how it sounds." "So stupid." "Further!" "Keep going!" "That's good!" "That's good." "It sounds about right." "They're here." "Right now we're going in the main entrance." "An iron gate, be careful!" "We're in the hallway." "Feel this, over here is an arched doorway." "They've really done the place up nicely." "Feel this, linen wallpaper." "Remember that." "It's all linen." "Turn here." "Once you come in, make two turns." "This is the first." "Feel here." "Turn again, we're there." "Check it out." "It's a really big room." " This massage room is huge." " Well, our hotel is huge." "A high-class joint." "This is the massage bed." "It's a first-rate bed." "The hole's so big." "Whatever we do, we do it big!" "I'm ready to start." "I'll wait here for the customers." "Relax, I'll bring a customer in when one arrives." "Manager Zhao!" " How do I look?" " Pretty good." "This is my best outfit." "I save it for special occasions." "I want to make a good impression." "Do you like it?" "Yes, it's very pretty." "You're getting massaged so I can get married..." "If you're not paying, we're leaving!" "Wait, why are you so stubborn?" "I just need to work this out." " You enjoy while I pay." "Is that fair?" " Stump up your share!" "How much?" " Twenty yuan will do." " How about 2 or 3?" "Are you joking?" "At least 5!" " Hand over the cash!" " Pay up!" " I'd pay if you wanted to get married." " Keep it down!" "I'll pay." "When it comes to money, you all go crazy!" "How can you expect them to pay?" "Here." "Here." " You dropped some." " Give it back." "Don't use it to buy a bottle of soy sauce." "Little Wu, I've got a customer for you." "This is Professor Li from the Teachers College." "A faithful customer." "Hello, Professor Li." "This is Little Wu, our masseuse." "She came to us highly recommended." "This is your tip." "Go ahead, I'll be going." "I'm sorry, Professor Li." "The hole's too big." "Your head must be uncomfortable." "Professor Li, you come here often?" "Who massages you?" "A man or a woman?" "Am I rubbing too hard?" "Just let me know." " How was it?" " Keep quiet!" "I thought I'd died and gone to heaven." "You were right." "The hole should be as big as a face." "My head had nowhere to rest." "It fell right down the hole." " You're really an idiot." " Why?" "You didn't act like a real client." "She asked you questions, but you didn't answer." " I didn't know what to say." " Tell her anything." " You don't know how to make small talk?" " Since you know everything, go next." "Yes, Niu, you're next." "Right, Zhao, you come in with me." "I'm the general manager." "I'll give it away if I go in every time." "Go by yourself." "Don't talk too much." "Straighten up, you look like a tramp." "You're Manager Niu." "He didn't say a word." "Since when has he ever stopped talking?" " Let's go look!" " Keep it down!" "Is there an ice cream shop near here?" "You want ice cream?" "I made some money today." "I'll treat you." "I can't let you pay." "There is a place." "I'll go and buy the ice cream." "Wait here." " Can I help you?" " How much is the cheapest ice cream?" " Twenty-five yuan." " For what?" "One scoop." " How big is it?" " This big." "Twenty-five yuan for that?" "That shop was closed, so I bought you an ice lolly." " Thank you." " Eat first, before we go." "Here, have a seat." "Let's sit." " Is this Beida Street?" " Yes." "It is." " Is it very crowded?" " Oh, yes." "What's everyone doing?" "Some are going home, others are taking their children out for a walk or going shopping." "What's on your mind?" "Manager Zhao, it wasn't easy for you to find me this job." "I'll work hard." "When I've saved some money, I'll find my father." "We agreed that once he had enough money, he'd take me to cure my eyes." " You think I can be cured?" " No question." "Guess what I want to see most." " Your father of course." " I want to see you too." "Why do you want to see me?" " I want to see what you look like." " You're pulling my leg." " No, really." " I'm not easy on the eyes." "What do you imagine I look like?" "If I touch you I'll know." "Anyone can tell that way." "You have a little head, skinny bones." "I'll try." "Tell me how close I am." " Let's try." "Should we stand up?" " All right." "This is my head." " Your hair is short." " Anyone could tell that." " How come you're so short?" " Short?" "How about now?" "I wasn't standing up straight." " You have thick eyebrows." " Right." "Huge eyes!" " Do I have double eyelids or single?" " Double." "You're right." "I'll give you 40 yuan." "I paid over 500." "This set is worthless." "It works fine." "If it doesn't, I won't pay a penny." "40 yuan is a good deal." " What colour is this dress?" " It's a flower pattern." "What kind of flowers?" "Well, the dress is red." "The flowers are they're sunflowers." " Are they golden yellow?" " Right, with white petals." "And what kind of red?" "Deep red, like a big apple." "A big red apple." " That's my favourite colour." " That's just how it is." " Are there a lot of flowers?" " Loads, too many to count." "Is it too flowery?" "Oh, no, it looks marvellous." "I was afraid it might be too small, but I have a good eye after all." " Thank you, Manager Zhao." " No need to thank me." "I'll cut back on coffee and that'll be that." "Come here!" "It's stopped playing." "It stopped." "What's that noise?" " How much?" " A thousand or two." " Well, which is it?" " Two thousand." " Fill out this form." " Thank you." "I'll keep coming back." "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help." " When will I get the money?" " There is no money." " Then why am I filling this out?" " You have to wait." "I can't wait." "Doesn't the union have some money?" "Even the factory doesn't have funds." "So this form is useless." "How come nobody went in?" " We're waiting for you." " What for?" " To hand out the tip money." " To tell you the truth, I'm skint." "Zhao, we've worked out  how much this will cost you." "Soon you'll be in trouble." "Each of us gives her 5 yuan per tip." "At twice a day, that's 50 or 60 yuan." "In 10 days that's up to 500 or 600." "A thousand yuan a month." "Plus her salary, meals, and everything else." "That adds up to 2000 yuan a month." " Over 2000." " Right." "You can't afford that." "I need you to help me out." "Can you spare any extra money?" "We can scrape together a little." "It can't last." "You know we're all retired and don't have money to spare." "She's a good girl." "We like her, but there is nothing more we can do." "Tell her the truth." "Sooner or later you'll have to." "We're getting nowhere like this." "We can't stay here all day long." "Better to tell her now." " Not a single person showed up today?" " Right." "I wonder what happened." "Little Wu?" "We need to talk." "Manager Zhao, I want to tell you something." "Really?" "Go ahead." "I don't want to work here anymore." "You want to leave?" "Why?" " No reason." " Do you want to go back home?" " No." "Then where are you going to go?" "I don't know yet." "Why suddenly decide to leave?" "Manager Zhao, please don't worry about me." " I don't want this job anymore." " Tell me where you plan on going." "I haven't decided yet." "Just take me to the bus station." "I'll leave by myself." "No!" "I have to talk this over with everyone." "We're responsible for you." "You can't just up and leave." "We'll have a meeting to decide." "Did we give ourselves away?" "That's impossible!" "We've been so careful." "Maybe she wants to go to Shenzhen to look for her father." "She needs money for that." "Shenzhen is a long way." " Does she want to go home?" " She said no." "If she wants to go, let her." "It'll save trouble and money." "If she leaves, would it cause problems with your girlfriend" " Why yes." " That's not important." "The point is whether something might happen to her." " She might kill herself." " Kill herself?" "Jump out of a building, or into traffic." " Nonsense!" " She'd never do that." "Don't brush it off so lightly." "You never know what she may be thinking." "That reminds me." "Two days ago I was at her home when she suddenly lost her temper and stormed downstairs." "I followed her." "Guess where I found her?" "Standing in the middle of the road." "It was dark and cars were everywhere." "If I'd arrived any later, she'd have been hit." " We definitely can't let her go." " Clearly not." "If something happens, we'll all be in trouble if the police come." "He's dead right." "It's no longer just my business." "If the police investigate, who would they question?" " Who?" " My girlfriend, right?" "She'll tell them the girl is here." "Here doing what?" "I'd have to turn you in." "After all, this whole place is a con." "As soon as the police see it and all of us." ""Take them all away!"" "We can't let her leave." "She has to stay." "But how can we keep her?" "Where do we get the money?" "If she stays, we need to pay her." "I have an idea." "Since this concerns all of us you could all put in some money." "If everyone contributes a little, we can keep things going." "We'll see how things go and decide what to do from there." "First thing's first, convince her to stay." "Go and talk to her." " Talk to her." " We can't let anything happen." "We've discussed it." "Little Wu, you really can't go." "Everyone feels your work is first rate." "They're reluctant to part with you, so you can't go." "Besides, all your customers are here." "They said if you leave, they won't come back." "I'll lose my customers, especially Professor Li." "The same goes for Mr Niu." "They really like you." "They all do." "I like them too." "Well then, why leave?" "You have to stay." "See how things go." "If things aren't good, then go." "But if everything goes smoothly, there's no reason to leave, right?" "Zhao!" "Zhao!" " Who is it?" " It's me, Auntie Liu." "Are you asleep?" "How come you're here?" " Did they all pitch in?" " Take a look." "This must have been a lot of trouble to scrape together." "My God, what is this?" "Close your eyes and feel it." "You can't tell it's fake." "You want to tip her with this?" "Are you joking?" "Aren't you skint?" "I know this is a hopeless plan but it'll work for now." "How?" "Try it first." "We have no option." "Can you feel the difference?" "I can't." "The question is, can she?" "If we can't, how can she?" "So we tip her with paper money." "Do you have a better idea?" "We use this stuff from now on?" "For the next few days." "I'll switch it once I find some real money." "Two notes per person, all right?" " Who's first?" " It was her idea." "I have to go first because it was my idea?" "I won't go." "You know I can't keep a secret." "We can't risk sending her." " Who went first last time?" " Li." "Go on, Li!" "I'm not going first!" "Isn't this dishonest?" "We've been lying to her from the start." "We'll be fine if she thinks it's real money." "And what if she can tell?" "Tell her it's a mistake and you'll bring her tip tomorrow." "Crumple it up a little bit." "Otherwise it feels too new." " Did you tip her?" " As soon as I went in." "We got up there too late." "Could she tell it wasn't real?" "If she could, she would've said something." "How did you give it to her?" "As you said, I crumpled it up." "I put it in my pocket and went in calmly." "You pretend everything is normal." "Just slowly take it out and put it in her hand." " How many pretend notes did you give me?" " Two." "Damn!" "I gave her my own real money." "That money was to buy milk for my son." "Pay me back!" "I'm not the one who made the mistake." "I have to get it back." "How could you be so mean?" "She gave you a massage." "Let her keep it." "You made me go first!" "I'll pay you back, all right?" "That's for you." "Your tip." "Thank you." "I watched her the whole time." "Keep quiet!" "She couldn't tell." "We saw it from up there." "Now we can relax." "We can support her like this for years." " What's going on?" " We've succeeded!" "We did it!" "Each of us went in twice and gave her at least three notes." "He even gave her five." "I thought I only gave you two each?" "I went home to get some more paper." "You're making a farce out of this!" "You'll blow our cover." "What's more, if you keep going in like this she'll be able to tell." "Impossible." "The first time, we all went in order." "The second time, we went in a different order." "She can't tell." "You think you're so clever." "You gave her your own money!" "You could ruin everything." "She may already know." "Little Wu, I heard you had a lot of customers today." "I don't know why, they just kept coming." "Good tips?" "They gave a lot!" " No problems?" " Not at all!" " You put the money away?" " It's all here." " How much do you think you made?" " Several hundred." "They were generous today!" "This is the first time I've ever made so much money." "Now I can rest easy." "Just tell me when you want extra money." "We have a great future ahead." "I want to take you and Manager Fu to dinner." "I won't let you pay." "Don't spend that money." "It wasn't easy to make that money." "Save it." "Tonight is my treat!" "Wouldn't it be good if every day could be like today?" "Don't worry!" "Customers love you." "We haven't even advertised." "When we get the word out, there will be even more." "We'll get along fine like this." "Thanks to you, we have a loyal clientele." "We only need to take exisiting customers." "Manager Zhao plans everything out well." "He says it depends on you." "If you don't feel well, we'll send fewer people." "But when you want to make some extra money we'll have them queuing up at the door!" "We control the flow, give us the word!" "Manager Zhao, I want to work something out." "If I make 500 a day, how much can I make in a year?" "Let's see:" "500 a day, 10 days, 5000." "Thirty days in a month, 3 X 5 is 15, that's right." "So that's 150,000." " Help me out." " 180,000 a year." "150,000 for 10 months plus two more comes to 180,000!" "For one year?" "180,000!" "How much money is that?" "You sure you're right?" "Have I ever made a mistake with money?" "Good heavens!" "So much money!" "You wouldn't even know how to spend it." " What would you do with it?" " I'd go to Shenzhen to find my father." "We agreed that when we had money he would cure my eyes." "If not in Shenzhen, Hong Kong." "If not Hong Kong, America." "They'll cure my eyes in America, right?" "No question!" "What a place America is!" "Enough with your blind worship of America!" "With 180,000, doctors in Beijing will fix your eyes." " And you want to go to America!" " Here's to 180,000!" "You're wrong again!" "Let's drink to Little Wu finding a cure!" "Bottoms up!" " The glass is over here." " Raise your glass." "Let's drink!" "Manager Zhao, could you read my father's letter to me?" " You've seen it before." " Yes." "I never trusted that woman." " Do you trust me?" " Yes!" "Let me have a look!" "Since you trust me, I'll read the letter." ""Of the 5000 yuan I borrowed from you I lost almost 4000 on the stock market."" "So there's over 1000 left." ""Because of this I can't return the money right now." "I put aside a portion of it for my living expenses." "Things are expensive in Shenzhen, but I'll return that 5000 to you soon." "Trust me, I've always been a man of my word."" "That's it!" " What else did my father say?" " That's it!" "You've heard it all." "He borrowed 5000 from my girlfriend and he lost it on stocks." "Only 1000 yuan left." " He didn't mention me?" " No!" "Are you sure?" "Let me see." "There is a part about you." "On the back." "He wrote so small!" "What did he say?" "You read it." " You want me to read it?" " See the back." "Listen!" "The characters are all squished up." "I can't make head nor tail of it." "How about this?" "I'll read it once I have my glasses." "Then I'll tell you what he said first thing tomorrow, all right?" "That's fine." "Can I come see you?" "No need?" "You mean not now, or not ever?" "Why?" "You can't change your mind." "What's going on?" "Are you serious?" "Then I'll come right..." " It's Zhao." " So that's Zhao." "I'll put away the flowers." "You two chat." " Who's he?" " My boyfriend!" "Then who am I?" "I told you over the phone." "We're finished!" "We've been together for so long." " How can you do this?" " Stop shouting!" " Who's that man?" " I'll explain!" "You really move too fast!" "At least tell me why?" "Why?" "Because you're nothing but a liar!" "Liar?" "You deny it?" "Why are you still lying?" "I checked you out, Zhao!" "You don't own any Happy Times Hotel!" "You've been lying to me from the start!" "For instance, you've been wearing that same shirt since we met." "Is this your only one?" "You call yourself a manager!" "What skip did you get those roses from?" "They were dead the next morning!" "Let me explain." "You're right about the Happy Times Hotel." "It was hauled away." "This is the only nice shirt I have, but I wear it for you." "As for the flowers I bought them for 2 yuan and trimmed them myself." "But believe me, my intention to marry you was sincere." " Do you know what I hate most?" " What?" "Men that lie!" "Have you ever said an honest word to me?" "If you have no money, just say so." "Who'd marry you?" "You'd sell your wife for the cash." "How could I ever sell you?" " So there's no hope for us?" " Right!" " Let me talk to him!" " No!" " I was here before him!" " What are you shouting about?" "I've already married him." "We're protected by law now, so give up!" "Don't call me again!" "From now on, I don't know you!" "You go your way, I'll go mine!" "By the way, bring that girl back." "She won't trouble you anymore." "My man can handle things." "Take my advice, be honest and tell the truth!" "So I'm a liar, am I?" "In the end, I'm nothing but a no-good cheat!" "You're so good?" "If I'm a liar, you're a bigger liar." "How could she do it?" "Everything was going so well!" "If I hadn't gone there, I would never have found out!" "I show up, and she's kissing him!" "I saw them kiss!" "Disgusting!" "Kissing!" "I wanted a cuddly one to keep me warm and cosy." "She's cold as a fish!" "And she has the gall to look down on me?" "Look at her fat bum!" "A pig!" "Look at yourself, you big, chunky pork roll!" "And you look down on me!" "Look down at your fat behind!" " What are you saying?" " Let's go." "He's drunk." " You got a problem?" " Looking for a beating?" " Old man!" " What are you saying?" "What am I saying?" "It's my own business!" "I said that fat pig is a pathetic excuse for a person!" "Excuse me." "Do you have a pen and paper?" "Thank you." "Doctor!" "Where's the man just hit by a car?" "You mean a lorry?" " Right." " Who are you?" " We work with him." " He's in the emergency room." " Doctor, how is he?" " Who?" " The man who got hit by a lorry." " He's in the recovery room." " He's still unconscious." " Will he make it?" " Are any of you related to him?" " We work together." "Where are his relatives?" "He doesn't have any." " Doesn't he have a daughter?" " No." "He's never been married." "He must have a daughter." "This is a letter he wrote to her." "We found it in his pocket." "I know what happened." "Doctor, can we see him?" "Across the hall." "Over there?" "Zhao." "Zhao." "It's me, Fu." "We've all come to see you." "Zhao." "You were fine yesterday." "How could this happen?" "I know what you'd want me to do." "First thing tomorrow, I'll read this to Little Wu." "Don't worry, I'll tell her it was from her father." "Little Wu!" "Little Wu!" " She's not here." " Where did she go?" ""Please listen to the tape." There's a tape!" "Look, isn't this hers?" "Manager Zhao, by the time you hear this, I'll be gone." "Don 't look for me." "You will never find me." "The past few days, I wanted to leave." "It was a difficult decision, but it's for the best." "I won't trouble you anymore." "During our time together I know I've been a burden to you all." "But at the same time, I experienced so much." "How should I put it?" "Manager Zhao  I suspected the massage room was not real from the beginning." "I knew you were all acting  so I played my part." "I didn't want to let you down." "I know you were trying to help me  even though you have no money." "You all tried so hard to hide the truth, but I never once felt deceived." "Instead, I felt happy." "Honestly, those days with you  were the happiest of my life." "Those were our happy times together." "Manager Zhao  I knew the money you gave me  towards the end was not real." "None of you could feel the difference  but how could you expect me not to?" "Even though the money was forged  your intentions were genuine." "I will keep that paper money forever." "Manager Zhao  deep down I know  my eyes will probably never be cured." "But don't worry, I'll never give up on life." "I'm sure many more difficulties await me  but when those times come  I will think of you and I'll be able to pull through." "Goodbye, Manager Zhao." "This tape recorder is for you." "It's been with me for a long time." "Whenever I feel sad, I listen to music." "If something makes you sad  listen to some music and you'll feel better." "Manager Zhao  by the time you hear this, I'll be gone." "Don't look for me, you will never find me." ""My dear daughter, how are you?" "I've wanted to write you for a long time." "But I've been so busy at work, trying to save money that I haven't had time." "I'm sorry." "I hope you'll forgive me." "Your daddy misses you." "I wonder how you've been doing?" "Have you gained any weight?" "I bet you're getting taller." "Everything in Shenzhen is going fine, except for a few problems." "Making money isn't easy but I'm sure I'll do well eventually." "I work so hard to make money for one thing only." "To cure your eyes." "No matter how hard things may be I'll find a way to cure them." "When I have enough money, I'll bring you to Shenzhen." "If not Shenzhen, wherever they have the best hospitals, that's where we'll go." "When your eyes are better, you'll see your father again." "You'll see all the things you missed." "You'll go back to school." "This is a promise." "Please believe in your father and in yourself too." "Believe your eyes will get better." "Wait for me to come and get you." "In the meantime, live well." "Don't think too much." "Don't feel depressed." "A lot of things in life won't go your way." "You may run into difficulties and you may feel alone  but none of this matters." "Don't ever lose confidence because of temporary setbacks." "Stay strong." "Have confidence and keep going." "If you believe in yourself, you can overcome any obstacle." "When I make enough money, life will be better." "Everything will get better." "It really will. ""