My name is Xiao Suizi.
Back in the 1970s,
I was in the southwest part of the country serving in a provincial military arts troupe.
I was a dancer.
My comrades called me Suizi.
The story that I'm about to tell
is the story of our arts troupe.
But in this story, I'm not the protagonist.
It stars two people.
The man's name is Liu Feng.
When we sung praises of overlooked heroes
and lauded great standouts from the masses,
we were praising people like Liu Feng.
The girl in the raincoat is named He Xiaoping,
a new member of our troupe who Liu Feng was sent to fetch.
Their fate decades later
was set in motion on the day he brought her to the troupe.
Your mum has instructed me
that you're to send back a photo in uniform,
so your neighbours will know you're a soldier.
During enlistment review,
the precinct police said your father's still in re-education.
But since you have severed your relationship
and taken your step-father's surname,
I've filled in "revolutionary cadre" for your family background.
Keep quiet about it,
and I'll keep quiet, too.
Got it.
That's not a military salute.
Five fingers together.
Synchronise your arm.
Level with the eyebrow.
Release.
Salute.
Focus your energy.
Pull in tight.
Raise your leg.
Expression.
Liu Feng.
Mind the distance. Raise your leg.
Don't pant.
Good.
Mind the distance.
Look straight ahead.
What are you looking at, Xiao Suizi? Focus!
Keep it even.
How many times have I told you? Keep that in mind.
Formation!
Good.
Open your eyes. Mind your expression.
Softer.
Extend.
And up.
Standing on the grassland
- Looking off to Beijing - Good.
Hold tight.
Not bad.
In our hearts rises a red sun
- Keep it together. - That will never set
Rhythm!
Good.
Herds of cattle, flocks of sheep and big, strong horses
- Formation! - For we have such verdant pastures
Watch your speed, Suizi.
The pasture is green, green as precious jade
And such sun and rain
- Steady. - We are armed with Mao Zedong thought
- Women soldiers of the grasslands - Not bad.
Red hearts
- And iron wills - Formation!
Good.
Girls, take a break.
Boys, get ready for "On the Road".
- Rehearsal in ten minutes. - Yes, ma'am.
Lao Liao.
Your band did it on purpose. You mustn't go easy on these girls.
What's the problem?
It's like you're rushing to market. You're gonna wear them out.
Hey, Liu Feng's back.
It's the glorious return of our troupe's "Learn from Lei Feng" model soldier!
- Well done. - It's nothing.
- It's an honour to have you back. - Hello.
- I will never wash my hand! - A photo of your meeting made the paper.
We looked up to you!
- Did you find me? - I've touched a living Lei Feng!
Ooh!
All of you Beijingers,
your parents sent me back with tasty treats.
Renbo. Bingxi.
And you too, Zhu Ke.
Hey, what are you looking at?
Nothing.
Does something catch your eye?
I don't see anything special.
You're too good for him.
What are you implying? I'm not looking at anyone.
He Xiaoping.
Welcome to the army.
Come over here. Come and meet everyone.
OK.
Come on.
Let me introduce our newest member.
This is He Xiaoping.
She's a new recruit from Beijing. The troupe had Liu Feng fetch her.
Xiaoping, try a few moves.
- Show us what you've got. - OK.
Chief.
We've been on a train for two days and nights,
and she hasn't been able to move. She's liable to hurt herself.
- Are you OK, Xiaoping? - I'll be OK.
When I went recruiting in Beijing last year,
Xiaoping left the deepest impression on me.
But we had no open spots, so I didn't bring her back with me.
This year, I paid a visit to the head of the political department
and had a special spot approved.
- Come on. - OK.
- Warm up. - Spread out a bit, everyone.
Wow.
Bravo!
N ice.
You haven't got rusty.
Try a few spins.
Yeah.
Wow.
What's the matter?
Did you get hurt?
- He Xiaoping! - Are you all right?
I'm fine. Ma'am, I can do flips, too.
That's enough for now.
Don't over-do it.
Wash basin.
Rice bowl.
Kettle.
Cup.
Rain boots.
We're out of winter uniforms.
Summer uniforms are issued in two weeks.
- Come and pick one up then. - Oh.
Two weeks?
- I can't wear a uniform until then? - Manager Sun.
A mosquito net. You haven't given her a mosquito net.
Oh.
I forgot the mosquito net.
It's only a few days. You'll be in uniform by 1 st May.
When I first joined up, I was eager for a photo in uniform.
But if you don't wash those new uniforms first.
They're painful to look at... all those wrinkles.
Come in.
I'll introduce you.
This is Lin Dingding, our troupe's soloist.
You've met Hao Shuwen.
She's our announcer as well as our dorm captain.
Hello, Captain.
No saluting when you are not in uniform, understand?
And what's this?
A performing monkey?
This is how you do a military salute.
Understand?
Yes. Understood.
Suizi.
Show her how to pack and do housekeeping.
Don't be too full of yourself.
Help her hang up the mosquito net.
Hey, where's she going to bunk?
Above Shuwen.
The mess officer said
all those not in rehearsal need to give a hand in the kitchen.
Dumplings for dinner tonight.
Dumplings again.
You guys go ahead.
I'm all sweaty from practice, and I haven't showered yet.
We're going. Don't try to get out of it again.
I love dumplings.
I'm telling you, in this troupe, northerners rule.
- Suizi. - H uh?
Take her along.
Scrub up well. Three times, at least.
Smells like you've taken a dip in the swill bucket.
That's enough. Go and make your dumplings.
You're still not done?
It's like you've never showered before.
Suizi.
Is there a fee for this shower?
Who pays to shower?
So I can shower every day?
Of course.
You'll stink without a shower after practice.
Don't you shower every day?
It cost 0. 15 yuan every time. Too expensive, my mum said.
So usually I'd boil water at home for a scrub down.
But to shower every day... what a joy to be a soldier!
If you're almost done, I will go to help the kitchen.
That's how He Xiaoping joined our troupe.
She imagined that she would escape a family that scorned and disdained her
and receive respect.
What she didn't realise was that from the day she joined the collective,
she would become a joke.
Give me a couple more, Lao Liang.
You're really not eating?
I don't want dumplings.
You don't like dumplings?
I boiled up some noodles for you.
And dipped a chopstick in sesame oil.
Thanks.
I also fixed the watch that you sent with me.
See?
I told you only Hengdeli could fix it.
They closed at the start of the Cultural Revolution.
I went to another shop,
but they refused to touch such an old, high-end brand
since they couldn't afford to replace it if it broke.
So I bought a watch repair manual and worked it out.
I opened it up and oiled it.
Look, it runs fine now.
Liu Feng, you've got the Midas touch.
You can fix anything.
I'm going for dumplings.
Dingding, don't waste those dumplings.
I'll give them to the band.
Here's your spoon.
Don't you always complain of being hungry?
Eat everything up! No left-overs!
Wang Youquan's family brought vinegar from Shanxi.
- I'll give you some for dipping. - Ooh, that's good stuff.
Make some room. Thank you.
- Here, give me some. - Wait a moment.
A little more.
Hey, Liu Feng.
What happened to your dumplings? They're all torn.
- It's like they're just skins. - That's right.
Someone's got to eat the split ones. It's all the same to me.
Suizi.
You've got to write this up for the next notice-board.
Who is a living Lei Feng?
This is a living Lei Feng.
Mocking me again?
- Come on, eat up. - Liu Feng!
- I'm over here.
The pigs got out, come and lend a hand!
- Where are they going? - They're out on the road.
Party candidates were vying to clean the sty and forgot to shut the gate.
Are you crazy?
You're coming to Liu Feng because of pigs?
No one forced him to be Lei Feng.
- It's not easy being a model soldier. - Eat your dumplings.
What's the matter?
- My stomach hurts. - Are you OK?
Period?
Come with me. I've got a relaxant in my bunk.
- OK. - Let's go.
Oh, I remember now. The medicine was in my stage uniform.
Where's my uniform?
It was hanging right here.
It's the strangest thing.
Could the living Lei Feng have gone to wash it for you?
Long live Chairman Mao!
Defend the party to the death!
Defend Chairman Mao to the death!
Long live invincible Mao Zedong thought!
Hey.
Who washes dishes like that?
What's the matter? It's just a little splash.
Take it like a man.
I'm practically drenched, and you're arguing?
It's all because your dad's with the command.
You play that old accordion and can't keep the bellows steady.
What a klutz!
And you're so clever with your spit-filled old trumpet?
The band has to go over and over for you.
You're getting off track.
Let me scrub for you.
And cut it out, will you? It wasn't deliberate.
I just can't stand elite children and their awful habits.
So what if I'm elite?
We fought in the revolution.
- It was just a splash of water. - Enough.
You didn't fight in the revolution.
Look here.
Smile.
No.
You can't make anything nice with two ugly tomatoes.
- It takes more than that. - Suit yourself.
Anyway, they're not for you. They're for Suizi.
While the cooks were chasing the pig, I nicked them from the kitchen.
Oh, that's shameful.
To steal in a time of crisis! I should report you.
Oh, my! Is that all you've got?
Suizi!
Shuwen!
Have you seen my stage uniform?
I can't seem to find it.
Your uniform is hanging right here.
What's the big deal?
Was I hallucinating just now?
No.
Drolma can back me up.
It wasn't here.
Did you take my uniform?
No.
Why weren't you eating?
I went to buy toothpaste.
He Xiaoping's original plan
had been to pick up the photo in a week,
and no one would be any the wiser
about her use of Dingding's uniform.
She had not anticipated a sudden order from the commander
sending our troupe to visit the troops on field exercises,
thus laying the groundwork for a future "uniform incident".
Stop up ahead.
I'll take some photos of the troupe.
Drolma.
Revolutionary warriors grip their guns
Fervent while the world is in tumult
Their columns stretch for miles
As gales buffet the land
The wind rises, the east wind whips up
The motherland glows red
Onward, comrades!
Hold on to that revolutionary fighting spirit
Onward, comrades!
Fear not the torrents and crags
Fear not!
- Shuwen. - Hey.
Isn't Dingding here?
H mm...
So you're still pursuing her out here?
Let's take a photo.
Three, two, one.
OK. Thanks.
Careful!
Look at those blisters.
Yes, I've got eleven. Three have burst.
You look after Dingding.
- I'll go on ahead. - OK.
I'll prick them for you.
I can't walk another inch.
Give me a moment. I'll carry you.
When I'm done, squeeze out the pus, and they'll get better.
Tough it out.
It's lucky I ran into you, Liu Feng.
One, two, three, four.
Is that Suizi?
Isn't the drumline up in front?
I fell behind.
Chen Can, why are you travelling with the main army?
Last-minute reassignment.
Present.
Trumpet. Command the troops to rest in place.
Yes, sir.
Where's my ammo bag?
Has anyone seen it?
- Take a look over there. - Mmh.
Don't just stand there, Xiaoping.
Help me take these sabres to the stage right entrance.
OK. Which one's stage right?
- Follow me. - OK.
Suizi, have you seen Dingding?
It's time for the two of you to perform
"Chairman Mao's Soldiers Obey the Party",
and I haven't seen her anywhere.
I just saw her doing her make-up over there.
Just now I saw that soldier with three cameras leading her away.
He Xiaoping, you're not performing. Go fetch her.
It's time for her to go on.
What do you want with me?
Guess.
I can't.
I have canned oranges.
I didn't get a chance to give them to you earlier.
So try one now.
Careful.
- Isn't it sweet? - Mmh.
Have another one.
The team leader is calling for you to go on.
I've missed my cue!
Hey, Dingding.
Hey, don't jump.
You've still got blisters.
Slow down.
H mph! Not a gentleman.
- Thanks. - The bathhouse'll have water in 10 minutes.
Women can shower first, and the men can follow in an hour.
Don't all go at once, or the boiler will run out of hot water.
I'll go with you to the photo studio, and we'll get that photo.
Then we'll interrogate her.
Have you seen her?
I don't think she came for a shower.
- Captain. - Hey.
Got the photo?
- What photo? - Don't play dumb.
The one of you in my uniform.
It was out in the window. Did you think we wouldn't see it?
Where's the photo?
Are you going to produce it, or do we have to search for it?
I'm afraid we'll have to go ahead.
Why do you even need to search?
Just take a whiff of the uniform, and you'll know whether she stole it.
You stay over there.
Don't butt into women's business.
- Take a look in her bag. - OK.
Found it!
You've all seen it.
Here is the proof.
You took my uniform, and you lied about it.
Not "took", "stole".
You took a photo in uniform without one of your own.
Who are you trying to fool?
It's more than appropriate to call this a moral defect.
No.
I must inform the commissar.
Revolutionary forces cannot abide defects.
Drop it.
Give her a chance to make amends.
After all, if you had come out and asked to borrow it,
I wouldn't have refused to lend it to you.
Assemble for a visit from the head of the political department.
Keep the gunstock steady in the crook of your neck. Steady!
Close your left eye slightly. Right eye.
Notch. Focus. Three-point-one line.
Aim at the target. Hold your breath.
You never even touched a gun until a few days ago.
Now you're showing off.
Suizi, just ignore his bull-crap.
I've fired more bullets than he's eaten steamed buns.
- Go on and boast. - Who's boasting?
I grew up on the shooting range with my dad.
- Don't believe it? Try me. - How do you want to do it?
Load ten rounds and fire simultaneously.
See who gets a higher score.
And the stakes?
If you lose, you carry my accordion for three days.
And if you lose?
- Same thing. - Fine.
Fine? Are you stupid?
What she means is that no matter who wins, you'll carry the accordion.
Come on, let's do it.
I'll aim at Target 1, you aim at Target 2. If you lose, you do my laundry.
Let's go.
Lower your shoulders. Level your arms.
Grip it tightly in your hand.
Don't rush to fire. Let's practise aiming first.
Hold this position steady.
Your posture's correct.
All you need is to take a few shots, and you won't be afraid.
- I can't. - Pull the trigger.
- Dingding, look over here. - Ah?
Smile.
How many times have I told you? Don't point the gun at people.
Do you have a death wish?
Why are you always popping up?
At our last field performance, she missed her cue because of you.
And here you are disrupting again. If you get shot, who's to blame?
I'm a photographer.
Taking photos is my job.
It's got nothing to do with you.
There are tons of people in our troupe.
Why are you always taking photos of Dingding?
Calm down. It's for your own good.
You're being mean.
Come on, let's continue.
Report.
Target 1 : Eighty-five.
Target 2: One hundred and three.
I win!
That's not right. We shot ten rounds.
How can that add up to over a hundred?
Oh.
Xiaoping, what target were you shooting at?
Me?
I don't know. I just shot straight ahead of me.
Report on Target 3.
Target 3.
Zero. All rounds off-target.
You're really lucky.
Xiaoping aimed for the wrong target and hit yours instead.
This doesn't count. Two people firing on one target doesn't count.
I don't care. I still won.
You've got to carry my accordion for three days.
Comrade Xiaoping. Thank you.
Thank you for aiming wrong.
You're up early.
Oh.
Chen Can.
You know,
Xiaoping didn't mean to help Shuwen tease you.
You're not upset, are you?
No, I'm not upset.
Why are you following me?
I want to listen to you play Reveille.
It's not time yet. I need to piss.
Stop following me.
Jump! Jump!
Whose is this?
No sense of shame!
Hey, whose shirt is this?
Who knows?
- We all have one. - It doesn't have a name on.
What a sham!
- Go away. - Ridiculous.
I bet this is for a sponge bath.
Which woman soldier is such a freak?
A degenerate.
Take it down at once.
- The guys have seen it. - Don't touch it.
It belongs to whoever takes it down
You're good at this.
Got to protect the scene of the crime.
Shut your filthy mouth!
- Raindrops. - It's raining. Hurry up and go back.
Let's go!
The weather changed so suddenly.
A padded bra!
Mine, you know, I'd do anything to make them smaller.
Cut it out. Don't show off.
- Smaller? - Let me have a look.
Thank your officer dad and nurse mum
for all the good food that went to the right places.
I'm not joking, I'd really like it if they were smaller.
You know, you've got to feel for her.
Too many benefits in one person.
It's so ratty.
Like it's been chewed by a dog.
Must have been used in secret... rough and in a hurry...
to get it to this state.
Suizi.
What are you laughing at?
That sponge.
It's for scrubbing.
It's probably full of gunk.
Go to hell. That's disgusting.
The shirt's been taken!
Don't move.
I said don't move.
It's the middle of the night. Where are you going?
To practice.
We took in our clothes before the rain.
Why didn't you?
I did.
Liar!
Let's see what was under the shirt.
Soldiers like us have to be daring.
We have the guts to act and the guts to admit it.
You still think she'll admit it?
She didn't admit to stealing Dingding's uniform.
You're a liar.
I didn't lie!
She's wearing the bra, I'd bet.
- Search her! - We've got to search the liar for evidence.
That's going too far.
What's such a big deal? You're all roommates.
Dismissed.
Go back to sleep.
There's nothing to see here.
Balei, you really went too far.
If it were me, I'd have slapped you across the face.
Don't pretend to be virtuous.
You laughed hardest this afternoon, Balei.
You bullied her.
Next time something like this happens,
I may have to lay down the law.
Go to sleep.
Yes, Director.
Watch the rhythm.
Mind your expression.
Good.
- Good. - Stop. Stop.
Mind the distance.
- Good. Mind your expression. - Stop!
Lao Liao. Lao Liao, stop the music.
I said stop.
Tonight's performance has been cancelled.
All performances for the next two weeks...
...have been cancelled.
Everything that happened that year was a major event.
Chairman Mao, Marshal Zhu, Premier Zhou
all left us in succession.
There was a huge earthquake in Tangshan.
And the Gang of Four was smashed.
Even in my own family,
there were tumultuous changes.
Gold brocade banners wave
And Liu Feng, the hero of our story
hurt his back fighting floods
- and could no longer dance. - Liu Feng!
He transferred to the stage crew and became a jack of all trades.
Didn't you go to Beijing to report on the flood relief?
There was a one-day ceremony at Jingxi Military Hotel.
I picked up a commendation, that's all.
N ice, you can help me carry this. My back can't handle much weight anymore.
OK.
The spring wind blows
A golden banner embroidered in red
Embroidered on the banner, it reads
Our saviour, Mao Zedong
That's not right.
You're just looking happier and happier.
You need to show how deeply you feel the loss of our leader.
OK, let's take a fifteen-minute break.
Comrades, Liu Feng is back with packages for you from Beijing.
Tan Zao.
Qiu Peining.
Sun Yanyan.
Huaibo.
Bingxi.
Balei.
Baozhu.
Xiao Suizi.
Me?
That's right.
You.
The case from your dad is the heaviest.
Here.
My dad's been rehabilitated.
My dad's been rehabilitated!
He didn't want to inconvenience me,
so he lugged the case all the way to the hotel
and specially instructed me,
as a fellow soldier,
to look after you.
Was he really thin?
Was his hair white?
He's been locked up for ten years.
I hardly even remember what he looks like.
Don't cry. It's all better now.
Open it up. See what tasty stuff your dad gave you.
Have a look.
Xiaoping.
Here.
My dad got his back pay. He's been freed.
Freed?
Dad.
It used to be that I wouldn't miss you,
except when I was bullied or wronged.
And then I'd write to you.
It's different today.
Today, I have seen hope.
The fathers of a lot of people in our troupe have been set free.
And I think my own dad
will eventually see that day.
When you left me,
I was only six years old.
And after Mum remarried,
she only held me to sleep once.
And that was only after I worked hard to get a cold
and had a fever for three days.
Among all those people at home,
I felt like I had no family.
The day I became a soldier,
I took a photo in uniform to send to you,
since I was afraid
that if the day ever came
when you did come back,
you wouldn't be able to recognise me.
Dad.
I took someone else's name.
Can you ever forgive me?
Bring out your expressions.
Hold steady.
Not bad. Steady.
Bring it out.
Control.
Good.
Not bad.
Hold up.
What are you doing?
What's up with you two?
Stop. Stop.
What are you doing?
Zhu Ke.
Where's your mind?
I know universities have restored entrance exams
and you want to take them,
but you've got to remember
every day you remain here
is a day you need to focus on dancing.
If you keep messing around,
the troupe's not going to let you go.
I'm not messing around.
My stomach's messed up. I've got no energy.
I can't lift her.
If you swap with someone else, I guarantee I can complete the move.
Fine, Zhu Ke.
I'll deal with your situation after we finish practice.
Deng, switch places with Zhu Ke.
Why should I switch with him? I refuse.
This is an order.
Order him, first.
What's wrong with you all?
H uh?
Take a whiff for yourself if you don't believe me.
Her sweat is rancid.
It's like she's taken a dip in a swill bucket.
Director.
I'll dance this segment with Xiaoping.
I heard everything.
And saw it all, too.
Aren't you ashamed?
I'm ashamed for you.
I'm disappointed in you.
How many people want to go to the military academy?
And the superiors gave you that opportunity.
But you just casually passed up on it.
Thank you, Commissar, but I didn't do it casually.
I just feel that Wang Youquan needs it more.
Don't you understand?
They don't usually like arts people.
They say they're always bouncing around and can't sit still.
You're different.
Every year a model soldier.
Three commendations.
And now your back's hurt, the brass is taking care of you.
You go to the academy
and you graduate in a year and make lieutenant.
How nice is that?
Besides, are you willing to be on stage crew building props and backgrounds?
Yes, I am.
Commissar.
I...
I started out doing flips in the county troupe,
but I can't dance my entire life.
And my father was a carpenter.
I'm from a carpenter family, so this suits me.
Don't make a snap decision.
Take a few days to think it over.
I've thought about it for three days.
I won't take any more of your time, Commissar. I've got to get going.
Hey, wait a moment.
You're the one who brought back He Xiaoping, right?
Correct.
You might be the only one who knows something of her background.
I'm struggling to find a way to tell her.
Her father has passed away.
This was sent from the re-education farm.
Xiaoping,
all these years, I've received all of the letters
you wrote to me.
I didn't reply
for fear I'd drag you and your mother down.
I was afraid of affecting your progress in the army.
Your father may not hold up until the new policies are in effect,
so while I still have the energy,
I've decided to write to you.
As a way of saying goodbye.
What saddens me the most
is not having the chance to watch you grow up.
When you were bullied,
I couldn't protect you.
I couldn't fulfil a father's duty.
And I missed you so very much.
But I couldn't see you.
My image of you is stuck at age six.
If you hadn't joined the army and sent me that photo,
I don't think I'd have recognised my own daughter on the street.
What crimes must I have committed in my past life
to suffer such punishment in this one?
The one comfort I have is that you're in the army.
No one bullies the PLA.
Last year, I had a guard buy two pounds of yarn
from the nearby Kazakh commune
and taught myself to knit you a sweater.
I don't knit well,
but knitting that sweater kept me going.
I look at your photo every day,
and I have the strength to carry on.
But now my energy is spent
and I long for a swift death.
In the next life, if you don't despise me,
we can remain father and daughter.
Find someone to care for you in my place,
to make your family whole.
I know you're uncomfortable here.
People bully you, and you tough it out.
But don't tough it out today.
Let the tears out.
It used to be that whenever I missed him,
I'd cry.
My tears are all used up.
I'm ashamed for you.
Without good comrades like Liu Feng in our forces...
filthy work, harsh work, exhausting work,
smelly work!
Which of you arseholes would take up the slack?
Good people ought to do good work.
Learn from Liu Feng.
No fear of pain! Or death! Or stench!
Are you OK?
- What's wrong? - I'm sorry, I didn't...
My back can't take the strain.
No one ever imagined
what our detachment would be like without Liu Feng.
He did so much for us.
And we took it for granted.
We all felt it was only natural for him to do good deeds.
He seemed completely unaware of the changes that were in progress in society.
You're still working so late?
It's midnight.
- Aren't you still working? - I've got to get the notice board up.
My hand's aching from all the pieces in this issue.
Why are you building armchairs?
Ma Chaoqun is getting married.
He's getting married, so you're working?
H is new bride is demanding a pair of armchairs.
That's over a hundred yuan. He can't afford that.
I'm working on a pair for him, so he can have the wedding.
He's already thirty, and he's from a rural family.
It's not easy having a wife from the city.
The wedding's in October, and it's already the end of July.
You're amazing.
On Sundays,
where do your dorm mates usually go?
Are you asking about me or about Dingding?
All of you.
I don't go anywhere.
As for where Dingding goes, ask her yourself.
See you later.
- This is so, you know... - Come on.
Put the sunglasses on.
Just like a Hong Kong star.
For seven years in uniform you're had no arse.
- Now you've got an arse at last. - Shuwen!
How did you get all this?
My mum had to visit the army in Guangzhou and bought it for me.
Gaodi Market Street is full of Hong Kong goods.
Really?
The world is changing.
If you go out in public like this, how embarrassing you will be!
- Who is it? - It's me.
Oh, it's you.
No need to hide, Suizi. It's Chen Can.
You scared me.
If the commissar saw this, I'd be up for a court martial.
Wow!
What's going on?
Are you really Suizi?
- Cut the crap. - Quiet!
What's wrong with you? Sneaking around like this.
What is it?
What is this?
What is it?
You'll find out very soon.
Teresa Teng.
Countless strands of deep affection
Every one of them is for you
I wish you to treasure them
What are you doing?
This sets the mood.
In this life forever faithful
For a lifetime forever steadfast
My God!
What a voice.
I won't lie to you.
The moment she opens her mouth, I go weak in the knees.
You've got such a dirty mind.
In the days of love
I find it hard to forget
The long cane rests on the tree
I'm back from my shower. You're still listening.
It's so beautiful.
Every line goes straight to my heart.
It's like she's singing just for you, isn't it?
Yes.
- I've got to go back. - H uh?
You only came to give Suizi a letter?
No.
I wanted to show her something I've been working on.
What's that?
On National Day, head chef Ma is getting married.
I made him a pair of armchairs.
You make armchairs?
You and Suizi don't believe me.
That's why I wanted to show her.
Why her and not me?
Would you come along if I asked?
Try me.
You are so amazing.
I thought that when I left Shanghai,
I'd never see an armchair again.
Except at the Jinjiang Hotel and the commander's house.
The wood and the fabric for these armchairs
cost less than forty yuan altogether.
If you bought them from a vendor, they'd cost over a hundred yuan.
How economical!
How do you know so much?
If I didn't have a few skills,
then after I hurt my back two years ago,
I'd be nothing but a freeloader now.
Nonsense.
We all know that if you hadn't been such a Lei Feng
and given your academy spot to Wang Youquan,
you'd be in the political department next year.
Don't you want to go to the university?
Of course I do.
It's what I dream of.
Then what the hell?
Why are you so selfless?
I'm not selfless.
I'm actually incredibly selfish.
You passed on a great future.
That's called being selfish?
I just don't want to leave.
Why? What's so great about this place?
You.
Dingding.
What?
I've been waiting for you all these years.
For me to do what?
For us to be like we are now.
What's now?
I really like you.
I used to worry about affecting your future,
so I decided to wait until you joined the Party.
Didn't you pass probation in fine form yesterday?
From the first time I saw you and heard you sing "The Big River",
I've been fond of you.
You're making me embarrassed.
I've got to go.
When I heard those songs,
I thought the lyrics were for me.
It was everything I wanted to say.
If I knew that, I wouldn't have played it for you.
I really like you.
Just now the Commissar said,
"Rot in an army begins with rot in behaviour."
It's you, Dingding.
You're corrupting our Lei Feng.
It wasn't me!
Who did?
Liu Feng.
Liu Feng put his arms around you?
Dingding, you're fucking stingy.
You'll let a doctor and a secretary touch you,
people from all professions,
so why not a living Lei Feng?
What living Lei Feng?
He's a creep.
And they say it's me corrupting him!
Who said you were corrupting him?
If it gets out, there goes my reputation.
Just because he put his arms around you doesn't make him a creep, right?
Doctor Zhang and Secretary Wu touched you, but you didn't call them creeps.
That is different.
How is it different?
Anyone has the right to pursue you.
But not him.
Why not?
No reason.
It's because he's a living Lei Feng.
A living Lei Feng isn't allowed.
Not allowed! Not at all!
Sir, the arts troupe is assembled.
Eighty-five expected, seventy-five present, please advise.
- Call up Liu Feng. - Yes, sir.
- Liu Feng. - Present.
- Come out of line. - Yes, sir.
Liu Feng, go to the security department for investigation.
Yes, sir.
That is all, dismissed.
Yes, sir.
I'm speaking to you.
What did you touch?
Nothing.
You didn't touch anything?
Tell me the truth!
Xiao Sun.
Give him another chance to recall.
Liu Feng.
Let me enlighten you.
Lin Dingding told us everything.
What did she say?
Let me jog your memory.
Do the women comrades all wear a sort of small, tight bra?
Do these kind of small bras have a clasp in the back?
Yes.
Don't worry.
Admit it bravely.
Acknowledging your fault is a new beginning.
Did your hands reach out for the clasp?
H mm?
Be detailed. We need details.
- I didn't. - Didn't what?
I don't have a filthy mind like you.
Calm yourself. Sit down.
Did you have impure thoughts about Lin Dingding?
- I didn't. - Well...
- I'm not a creep! - Calm yourself.
Calm down.
How dare you talk back!
You're the creeps!
It was the summer of 1978.
I still couldn't explain the chaos I saw in Dingding's eyes.
Now I believe I have an explanation that's largely correct.
Someone who has always done good deeds, who is so morally excellent
and utterly untouched by the stench of the material world
suddenly declares he has been pining after you for years.
She felt shocked, disgusted, betrayed.
Disillusioned.
Who is it?
Me.
Xiaoping?
Is something the matter?
I heard you were leaving tomorrow.
I am.
I've been called up to the timber brigade.
Can I come in?
Sure.
Is your new assignment far from here?
It's far. It's on the Sichuan-Yunnan border.
A five or six day ride from here.
That's really far.
Have a seat.
Whose bed is this?
It's Zhu Ke's.
Can I help you with anything?
You could get rid of this box.
You don't want any of this?
I can't take it with me.
I was transferred here from a military unit, and I know what life is like.
Barracks are too cramped for lots of personal items.
This is all new.
It's all usable.
But it's all inscribed. How can you use it?
The lettering is good.
Give it to me, OK?
So long as you don't think it's ugly.
Liu Feng.
Let me know when you leave tomorrow. I'll see you off!
Xiaoping may have been the only one of us
who knew of Liu Feng's kindness.
Only someone who had never been treated well
can recognise and treasure kindness.
Ow!
Drolma! Are you all right?
Are you OK?
- Where are you hurt? - My knee.
Is it serious?
He Xiaoping.
This afternoon...
"Women Soldiers of the Grassland", you go on.
H uh?
Drolma fell and hurt her knee during the walk-through.
She can't even stand up.
Didn't you train as an understudy?
I've never gone on before.
I've forgotten all the moves.
Just get on with practising.
There's still time.
The costume department's a mess.
You can see that, can't you?
I don't have the time.
So strange.
I thought you've always wanted a lead role.
For you, this is a great opportunity.
I don't want it anymore.
Why?
The costume department is fine for me.
I've learned to do the work.
What kind of excuse is that?
Fine. It's decided, OK?
Get on with practising.
You're definitely going on this afternoon.
OK, everyone.
- Get on with eating and makeup. - Director!
I really can't go on.
What are you up to, He Xiaoping?
I...
My head hurts.
And I can't breathe.
You've got altitude sickness?
Zhu Ke, get an oxygen bag.
OK.
Let me have a look.
It was only many years later that I finally understood
what Xiaoping was feeling that day.
She went cold on all of us
after Liu Feng was disciplined.
So when the director offered her the leading role,
all she wanted to do was to give up,
to abandon the struggle,
to abandon the collective who had hurt Liu Feng.
My God!
Thirty-nine degrees!
Come over here, sit down!
Commissar, the doctor's here.
- Please take a seat. - Commissar.
What's wrong with He Xiaoping?
Nothing at all.
There's nothing wrong with her?
Take a look at this thermometer.
What's wrong with it?
Nothing's wrong with it.
I gave her a diamond-shaped one, and she returned a round one.
He Xiaoping swapped thermometers.
Commissar.
Very well.
Thank you. Sorry for making you come all this way.
Don't worry about it. I'll be off, then.
There's another thing we'd like your help with.
We're hoping that you can keep this as a secret.
From He Xiaoping, too.
Keep it totally confidential.
I want to see where she goes with this drama.
Heroic cavalry officers.
The next performance
is specially dedicated to you,
the bravest branch of the army.
This is comrade He Xiaoping
who will play the soldier
in this dance piece.
This soldier
has a forty-degree fever
and severe altitude sickness.
Nevertheless,
she will complete the difficult moves.
Should she faint on stage,
I beg for your understanding,
for comrade Xiaoping
inherits the glorious traditions of the cavalry.
Staying on the front lines when injured.
Staying on the horse when ill.
Learn from comrade Xiaoping!
Hail to the arts troupe!
Learn from the cavalry!
Learn from comrade He Xiaoping!
Hail to the cavalry!
Hail to the arts troupe!
Learn from the cavalry!
Learn from comrade Xiaoping!
Hail to the cavalry!
Hail to the arts troupe!
You have worked hard, comrades!
During our performances in the borderlands,
for two weeks, our stage was at 3, 500 metres above sea level.
I n wretched weather
and poor conditions,
you all performed impeccably
and successfully fulfilled the task given to us by the regional commander.
Was anyone not outstanding?
I n my opinion...
not a single person.
Today we are summing up as well as bidding farewell.
We say farewell to comrade He Xiaoping
who, due to health problems, is changing careers.
She is leaving to develop herself at a field hospital.
Let's have a round of applause for her.
Give her our best wishes for her new post.
May she continue to make progress!
Load the vehicles after dissolution.
We leave at nine sharp.
- Dismissed! - Yes, sir.
Disembark and assemble!
Form ranks.
Align to the right.
Look ahead.
Face right.
Forward march.
Mengmeng, you three take the cases to the nurses' station.
- He Xiaoping, you come with me. - Yes.
It's five-thirty.
Eat quickly, and then rest.
When the fighting breaks out, we won't have time to sleep.
Do you understand?
Yes.
- Dismissed. - Yes.
Loosen the tourniquet.
Quick! Stop the bleeding.
I'll take a squad on ahead.
Houzi. Guoliang.
Take two squads to protect the caravan on either side.
The deputy instructor will bring up the rear.
Let me
Our mission is not to fight.
We're just protecting the caravan.
- Do you understand? - Understood, sir.
Move out.
Deputy commander, sir!
An order from the battalion. We have to bring the ammo at once.
We were ambushed and suffered huge casualties.
The ammunition will be there soon.
- Notify the instructor. - Yes, sir.
Instructor. Instructor.
How many people are combat capable?
Sixteen dead. Five seriously wounded.
Taking light wounds into account, there are still sixteen who can fight.
- Houzi? - Present.
- Wenliang. - Present.
You two escort the seriously wounded
and get trucks sent up from the rear
to retrieve the bodies.
Yes, sir.
Take over from me
and take the men as fast as possible to deliver the ammunition.
What about you?
I'll stand guard here.
I've got to get them back to base.
I'll find two men to stand guard.
You go back with the casualties.
Cut the crap.
You've been hit through the artery.
- If it's not attended soon, you're going to die. - Cut the crap!
Pass me the flamethrower.
If the enemy comes,
I'll burn them all.
Don't you want to live?
Carry out the order!
Yes, sir.
Anyone who can move, assemble.
Perhaps the deputy instructor was right.
He didn't want to live.
He yearned to be a martyr.
Only through sacrifice
would his ordinary life become a hero's tale,
and his heroic story would grow and spread and travel far.
Maybe it would be turned into a song
with lyrics and a tune
in the songbook of a female singer.
A singer named Lin Dingding
who, in the end, would have to sing for him.
And every time she sang,
she would have to remember him.
Smoke billows from the beacon fire. I sing of a hero
The rings of mountains bend their ears
In the blue sky, thunder beats a golden drum
The ocean churns with waves singing in harmony
The people's warriors drive out the predators
Laying down their lives to protect peace
Why is our battle flag as pretty as a picture?
The blood of heroes has stained it red
Why is the land forever springtime?
Suizi.
Come here.
Commissar.
You're not a bad writer.
They need reporters on the front lines.
The political department is deploying you to assist with filming the documentary.
You need to go further to the front.
You'll set off tonight.
I'll leave tonight?
I haven't prepared anything, Commissar.
What do you need to prepare for the front?
Back in my day, you'd leave in a minute if so ordered.
Go get your pack.
The Jeep is waiting.
It'll take you to the train station.
Remember, bravery isn't recklessness.
Don't bring shame on our troupe.
Yes, sir.
- Shuwen. - Yeah?
Hand me my backpack.
Zhu Ke, give me Suizi's backpack.
Take care of yourself.
- Remember to write. - Goodbye, Suizi.
- I'm off. - Take care, Suizi.
Remember to write.
- Take care. - Sure.
Casualties are being sent over.
They all have severe burns.
Save the living.
Put the dead in the tent.
Tomorrow morning wash and wrap them
and send them to the local authorities for burial.
Head Nurse! The truck carrying the wounded is here.
Get to work.
Yes!
What are you standing there for?
Lift it up!
Xiaoping, stay here.
There's only one survivor.
- No. - No, what?
Head Nurse.
It's not that I loathe them.
But you haven't slept in days.
You should rest up.
Then tomorrow we'll wrap the bodies.
All of you, take the bodies to the tents.
Zhou Dong, Xiao Li.
There aren't enough people on that side. You two go give them a hand.
He Xiaoping?
Your comrade from the arts troupe is here.
Suizi.
Xiaoping.
I didn't think I'd see you here.
Suizi, why are you here?
Did everyone come?
No. It's just me.
I was picked to report from the front line.
I'm here to interview injured soldiers.
His name is Shi Linfeng.
He's only seventeen.
He fell asleep after the anaesthetic.
Suizi.
Take care of yourself.
Before the fighting began, Liu Feng wrote to me.
He said he was also at the front.
You go to lots of aid stations.
If you see him, please tell me.
Don't worry about it. I'll look out for him.
He's so kind. Even bullets can see that. They won't harm him.
Suizi.
Please tell Dingding...
Liu Feng loved her so much.
Yet she hit him while he was down.
I will never forgive her as long as I live.
I know...
I'm not going to make it.
So many people have died,
too many to carry back.
They'll have to be buried on-site.
I'm really only sixteen.
I lied to recruitment.
I have three older sisters.
I'm the only son.
It's too far.
My parents don't need to come.
My sisters can come in turn
to see me during the Tomb Sweeping Festival.
So that others can know...
I have family.
Enemies are nearby. Lights out!
You must be beautiful.
Do you have a boyfriend?
I suppose I do.
Then you don't really.
I'm not good enough for him.
He is the best of the best.
He's better than Lei Feng.
He's at the front, too.
Wasn't she one of the model heroes?
How did she turn out like this?
What explanation did they give?
You know, in the frigid north.
Everyone keeps cabbage to last through the winter.
You store the cabbage outdoors,
but if it stays frozen for too long,
then the instant you bring it into a warm room, it starts to go bad.
Now take Xiaoping.
Throughout her entire life,
no one has treated her well.
No one has respected her.
How did you know?
Her mother visited once.
She hugged Xiaoping, crying all the while.
She apologised for her step-dad's rejection
and for how her siblings bullied her and for the injustice she suffered.
Turning to Xiaoping's file,
we see how the arts troupe punished her by sending her to a front-line first aid station.
Then, on the battlefield,
she saved the lives of so many people
and witnessed so many horrors.
She became a hero overnight.
The contrast was so stark...
that it broke her.
Xiaoping.
It's Liu Feng.
What happened to you?
The war is over.
Time's about up. We need to practise.
OK, that's enough. Let's go in.
It's time to practise.
Hey, everyone.
It's time to go inside. We've got to rehearse.
Hey, all of you.
Stop chatting. That's enough rest. Come in.
Time to practise. Come in, come in!
What's the point of practising? The arts troupe is being disbanded.
How do you know?
H is dad's deputy regional commander for Kunming.
Your dad's deputy regional commander for Kunming?
I've never heard you mention it.
What is there to say?
My dad said, after the war
all central military arts troupes will be disbanded.
That Chen Can's a real scoundrel.
He's a cadre's son!
I've noticed that everyone is feeling sluggish and tired.
Don't listen to the gossip out there.
I've been at the arts troupe all these years.
Will it disband just because someone says so?
That guy in your band, Chen Can, he was hit by a car out by the main gate.
Where was he hit? Is it serious?
I don't know. There's blood all over his face.
He's been taken to the N umber Two clinic.
Here's what we'll do.
Send a few band members to see him. Quickly.
OK.
I n a moment let's start with "Youth",
followed by "Coming Home".
Get ready, everyone.
We'll start in a moment.
Hey!
Suizi!
Doctor, you've got to give him the best false teeth.
He's our trumpet soloist.
False teeth can't take much pressure.
He can play around in the future,
but there's no way he'll be a soloist.
Chen Can, no need to argue for a career change.
The troupe's got to ask you to leave.
There's actually another way.
If you can get your hands on some gold to make a base,
then fix the false teeth to it.
It'll work like the real thing.
Why are you running around like that?
It's beautiful. Is this real gold?
Let me see.
I've never seen you with it.
My mum gave it to me the last time I was home.
Let me show you mine.
You're getting married?
How did you know?
Only married people wear rings.
I just saw him.
Who?
Secretary Wu.
Do you have an old calendar?
Which year is yours from?
My aunt introduced me to someone.
He's an overseas Chinese.
Are you going abroad?
How come you're all leaving?
Chen Can.
This is pure gold.
To make a base for your teeth.
Suizi!
Thank you, but I can't accept it.
Don't quit the band. Don't leave the army.
And don't leave here.
Tonight...
will be our final performance.
And it is your final time to dance with each other
and sing for each other.
Your last intimate collaboration.
Then you will go your separate ways.
The audience tonight isn't the usual crowd, either.
Most of them were wounded on the front.
And even more special than that are those that are wounded
not on their bodies,
but in their minds.
I n here.
Is everyone ready?
I'm asking you, is everyone ready?
We're ready!
I saw He Xiaoping when I was announcing the programme.
Are you serious? Are you sure?
Yes.
I think she also looked at me.
Why is she at the mental hospital?
You must be joking!
I'm sure.
If you don't believe me, go and look from the rafters.
Where? I can't see her.
There she is.
I n the first row, next to the doctor.
How she's changed!
I know!
She wanted so much to be a hero, so that people wouldn't look down on her.
Now she's a hero.
She's a patient at the mental hospital.
We've been doing this programme so many years,
but look at her.
It's as if she doesn't remember at all.
The next programme
is a dance number called "Ode to Yimeng".
Performers include Drolma and Zhu Han.
Thank you.
- Chen Can. - Yes?
Chen Can, give us a hand.
Sure.
That was the first love letter I ever wrote.
And it was also the firs poem I ever wrote.
It's strange thinking about it now.
So many thoughts over so many years.
And I wrote it all down in an hour.
I wanted to tell you,
Chen Can and I got together.
When did this happen?
A few days ago.
Didn't you use to hate him?
Well...
I used to think he was annoying.
Later...
I don't know how, but I fell in love with him.
The two of us come from similar families.
- Hao Shuwen. - Yes.
Bring your accordion when we go drinking tonight.
Why should I?
We're all disbanding after dinner. I want to drink to my heart's content!
There's nothing left to say.
It's all in this drink.
Goodbye.
My beloved cadres.
Cheers!
Huaibo.
Give us a song!
Give us one! Give us one!
In silence as the tears flow
As the camel bells ring
The road is slow
The mist covers all
So many goodbyes in a revolution
The same goodbye, a different end
Comrades, oh my comrades
My beloved companions
Beware in the night
When the cold north wind blows
Take care on the roads
Commissar.
Why is the arts troupe being disbanded?
Why?
Our mission is done.
I don't want to leave.
When the spring wind brings glad tidings
We will meet again
That really was a memorable night.
Everyone was crowing about changing careers.
But when the day came to say goodbye,
we realised
that the arts troupe was a family we couldn't leave.
Without this family,
every heart was ground into dust
and then stamped on by a thousand feet.
It hurts.
After this goodbye, we went in our different directions.
After a week,
the courtyard of the arts troupe was empty.
From that day on,
many soldiers never saw one another again.
Liu Feng!
It's nothing.
I'm almost used to working with my left hand.
Everyone has left. Why are you still here?
I'll be gone in a few days, too.
Where are you going?
I'm going to Beijing. I was accepted into college.
Is that right?
Congratulations!
Dingding left the day after we disbanded.
She was in a rush to get her passport in Shanghai.
She was upset when you left.
At the time.
Sit a while. I'll go and get you some water.
Rest yourself. I'm leaving soon.
You have to fix this.
It doesn't need to be fixed. I'm leaving in a few days.
It should be fixed even for just one day. What if you twist your ankle?
Can you get me a brick?
OK!
Her smile is so lovely.
Xiaoping took this the first day she was here.
She used to think...
that no one would bully her once she left home.
Everyone bullied her back then.
We said she smelled.
I n reality she just sweated a little more.
Shuwen.
It's been so many years since I've seen you.
Doudou, greet your auntie.
- H I, auntie. - He's so sweet.
Let me have a good look at you.
You look so much like your father.
This event is over so quickly. Wasn't it meant to start at 2: 30?
No, at 2: 00.
Did you forget?
- It was 2: 00? - Yes.
I don't know what's wrong with my brain.
Why isn't Chen Can here?
He doesn't have time to come to a bookshop!
He is a money-grabber now. He spends his days making money.
Suizi.
We still have an interview to do.
OK, right.
Wait for me. I'll be there in a moment.
- I'll wait for you outside. - OK.
Mum, pay for me. I want to buy this.
You have so many Transformers already.
- This is the newest one. - We're not getting it.
Why are you here again?
Captain Zhang told me to come this afternoon.
The Captain isn't here. He's out.
He's out again?
I've been here twice.
When will Captain Zhang be back?
According to the rules, we have the right to hold your truck.
You can take it after you've paid up.
Our Captain has no time for your whining.
Then please give these cigarettes to Captain Zhang.
I'll come again later.
- Captain Zhang! - Yes.
- You're here. - Yes, of course I'm here.
What do you want?
You asked me to come see you in the afternoon.
Oh, you're here because your truck is being held?
Yes.
Let him pay the fine. After he pays the fine give him back his truck.
Captain Zhang, Captain Zhang. See this.
I've worked hard for a month.
And I only make 300 yuan.
You fine me 1, 000.
My truck is only worth 3, 000!
The fine is too high!
We have rules for how much the fine is.
This is a Public Order Office, not the free market.
There's no haggling.
- Do you get that? - Wait a moment.
Captain Zhang. Can you show me these rules?
If that's what it says, then I will pay.
Stop! Don't touch me!
- We can't disclose our internal guidelines. - Stop!
Don't touch me! I'm not here to see you.
Let me tell you, if you keep at it, I'll deal with you.
Go on then! Beat me!
You call this a Public Order Office? It's a bandits' nest!
- If you dare... - A bandits' nest!
What are you doing?
Beating people!
You're beating a disabled veteran!
A hero of the war!
I'm calling the police.
We really don't know he's a war hero.
- He started it. - Where did you come from?
I'll tell you later.
Why are they beating you?
They have the truck I use for business.
And they're trying to extort 1, 000 yuan.
I'll pay for you.
You can't give them the money. It's extortion.
- You can't give it to them. - Let's get your truck back first.
Write me a receipt!
Did you get hurt?
No.
Why are you in Haikou?
Some friends said it was easy to make money in Hainan,
so I came over here to be in the print business.
Oh.
This is a bookshop.
I really only deliver books.
But they have my truck.
And how are you doing?
Not at all well.
I don't see Chen Can at all.
I'm here with our son to see him.
He ate one meal with us and left for Sanya.
Another real estate deal.
Is he still playing the trumpet?
Your necklace was wasted.
The false teeth were pretty good,
but he never blew his trumpet again.
I can't pay the 1, 000 yuan back in one go.
I can pay in instalments. I'll write an lOU.
I don't need that.
Things should be kept separate.
He is still the same.
Hasn't changed a bit.
I want you to see something.
What is it?
Who do you think this is?
She's gotten fat.
I've just received the photos.
She's got a new car.
Dingding's been in Australia for ten years.
Yeah.
Are you still in touch?
We were a few years ago.
Well...
The way she looks now,
do you think he'd still touch her?
Not even with his fake hand.
What are you saying!
What are you two up to?
We were talking about you.
Give it to me.
It's an lOU.
We're old comrades. Isn't that worth at least that much?
Hey.
Who do you think this is?
Hi, Xiaoping.
I've received your letter of 10th August.
I mentioned going to the border in Yunnan to visit our comrades 'graves.
I've decided on the dates.
I'm going on 12th October.
I'll take the train to Kunming and then a bus to Mengzi.
Have a cigarette.
I carried it all this way.
Come and taste it.
It's the real thing.
Have you found Shi Linfeng?
No.
I remember that he got burnt all over.
I couldn't tell what he looked like, I only knew that he was sixteen.
And the last thing he said was...
he wanted to try hawthorn candy.
Baofei.
I've come to see you.
If you were alive now,
you'd be thirty-one.
You'd be married with kids.
Here.
Today we can drink our fill.
I won't salute you with this fake hand.
I want to introduce you to another comrade.
He Xiaoping.
She saved plenty of us on the battlefield.
How have you been all these years?
What's good and what's bad...
depends on who you stand next to.
Compared to those lying in the cemetery...
can I say I haven't been good?
What about your wife?
How does she treat you?
Women are strange.
I give them this and they want that.
When I was still at home,
she thought I didn't amount to much. I didn't make money.
And when I left home to make money,
she hated it that I wasn't there.
She ran away with a long-distance bus driver.
I'm a disabled man.
I don't blame her.
I got a present for you.
How...
How did you get this?
I've pasted it back together for you.
It's a surprise.
The day before you were sent down...
I went to see you. Do you remember?
I do.
That day...
I actually had something to say.
What did you want to say?
The words you said that day?
No, I've kept it inside for over ten years.
Can you say it now?
When I went to see you that day,
I wanted to ask you...
could you hold me?
After Liu Feng and Xiaoping parted at the station,
when they next saw each other,
more than a decade had passed.
Liu Feng fell gravely ill in 2005.
Xiaoping took him in at once.
She nursed him back from the brink of death.
They didn't get married and had no children.
They relied entirely on each other
and treated each other as their only family.
I reunited with all my comrades at my son's wedding
in the spring of 2016.
I sighed inwardly
at how their youth had faded.
How their faces were unrecognisable.
Sure, they still laughed and joked,
but signs of loss and hardship and the passage of time were obvious.
But Liu Feng and Xiaoping looked more content.
Though they said little, they were gentle and kind.
Forgive me for not letting you see our aged faces.
Let the screen retain the images of our youth in bloom.
There is a beautiful flower in this world
That flower is youth, wonderfully fragrant
Strong and unyielding it blooms
And its petals are stained with blood
Ah...
Sumptuous flower
Ah...
La la la...
Its sweet aroma all along the road up the mountain cliffs
In this world there is a heroic flower
That flower is glowing youth
That flower bears its loved ones up the mountainside
To stand tall and proud and greet the sunlit clouds
Ah...
Sumptuous flower
La la la...
Its sweet aroma all along the road up the mountain cliffs