How to pronounce "活不下去"
Transcript
[Footprints of Change]
[Episode 11]
Don't cry.
Mom.
Sister-in-law.
I've found a house in the concession.
Let's hurry.
Okay.
Lin Jinghan, are you coming?
Yes. Yes.
I'm not going.
Why not?
I saw you hiding money.
What money? I gave you all my money.
I don't care. You must give me all the money today.
What are you doing?
This is my son.
I'll carry him out later.
Go.
Mom, Yi.
Let's go.
Okay.
Jinghan, hurry up!
I know.
Stop crying.
If you don't leave, we'll both die here.
Then let's die here.
If you don't give it to me,
we'll become ghosts together.
Don't you care about your child?
Where is Jinghan?
Has Jinghan arrived?
Siyun,
has your brother arrived?
Run quickly!
On the day we fled,
we were all struggling to save ourselves.
Later I learned from Shao Meina
that during the explosion,
Lin Jinghan shielded his son with his body.
This home
was once dark and oppressive because of him.
But now the family is broken.
Lin Jinghan, who was so selfish,
could no longer act recklessly
or abuse others.
In the end,
he at least fulfilled some of his responsibility as a father.
[Notice of Shanghai's Fall]
Shanghai has fallen.
Are you leaving?
I'm staying.
♪ The pain is real, my heart's a mess ♪
What about you?
♪ Happiness has been lost ♪
♪ Regret won't be in short supply ♪
I said I would always stay with you.
♪ The smile is sweet, but my heart aches ♪
We can provide medicine
to those who need it.
♪ I'm of the night ♪
♪ You're of the sunlight ♪
♪ To love someone ♪
♪ Comes in ten thousand ways ♪
♪ Yet I have to swallow the words ♪
I want to
save this watch for the most important person in my future.
For example,
♪ To love someone ♪
the future Mrs. Cheng.
♪ You find ten thousand ways to stay ♪
♪ But I can't help hiding my love-words ♪
♪ If love can't be spoken ♪
♪ Then write a song ♪
♪ Sing out your love and courage ♪
We will be victorious.
♪ May you be forever in love ♪
Yi is still waiting for you downstairs.
♪ May the rest of your life be happy ♪
Go say goodbye to her first.
♪ May you never forget me ♪
Let's go.
Auntie,
where's your luggage?
Yi.
The hospital needs me.
Cheng Ao and I have decided to stay.
After you go to Chongqing,
take good care of yourself.
Stay strong no matter what happens.
Don't lose hope.
China still stands.
Our army still fights.
We will be victorious.
Auntie.
You should go now.
Take care of the family.
Don't neglect your studies.
I'll write to you.
Auntie.
Please take care of yourself.
Take care.
Take care.
I remember back then...
Go now.
I only wished for the war to end quickly.
So I could return to Shanghai soon
and see my aunt again.
Later,
just as Auntie said,
we achieved victory.
I returned to Shanghai too.
But after our long separation,
I was only granted a brief reunion with Auntie.
Later,
my aunt chose to accompany my uncle-in-law
to do business abroad together.
Many things that happened after that
were beyond my expectations.
[Shanghai, 1993]
[Welcome to the state-owned Fuxingzhai Restaurant]
[Mingde Western Restaurant]
Can I borrow the bottle opener?
Sure.
Thanks.
Grandma,
here's some cola for you.
I don't want any.
That's just for young people like you.
You shouldn't drink much either.
You've just recovered.
This stuff is too stimulating.
It's fine. It's hot today.
I'll just have a sip.
And this food
is so much better than the hospital's.
Let's eat.
Grandma.
About your aunt,
should I call her grand-aunt?
It's a generation off.
I should call her great-grand-aunt.
After hearing her story,
I feel much better.
Please continue telling me more.
I've told you everything.
You haven't finished yet.
I still need to hear the most important part:
the story between you and Grandpa.
Too many things happened during the war.
[Shanghai, 1955]
My father passed away.
My mother remarried.
I took my stepfather's surname.
Changed to Yi.
In 1945, the war ended.
I finally returned to Shanghai
and started my own family.
In '49,
my husband Zhaoyuan left me.
Disappeared without a trace.
He took nothing with him.
Yet he took all my longing.
I had no one to turn to.
I had no choice but to remain in Shanghai and keep waiting for him
until the summer of 1954.
At that time,
I met your grandfather.
Thank you all for your hard work.
Comrade Su.
What are you doing here?
Haven't you received the notice from above?
I just got back from field research.
Then I'm informing you now.
This clothing store
has been acquired by our Dongfang Garment Factory.
It's now a workshop for export clothing.
The designer trained
by our own workers will be here soon.
Your position will be reassigned elsewhere.
I have an employment contract with the owner.
You can't just do whatever you want.
A contract with Fu, that silver-spoon capitalist?
Now it's public-private partnership.
The old contract is void.
Comrades!
Let's work with great enthusiasm!
Let's go.
Move along.
Come on.
This area looks good.
It's very clean.
This side too.
Come on, I need two people over here.
This is the old house where I grew up.
It was once the Lin family residence
and my aunt's hospital.
It's also where I work
and live now.
Now they want me to leave.
My last refuge
will soon be gone too.
Where can I go?
Do I really have to leave?
Will Zhaoyuan be able to find me when he returns?
No.
I must stay in Shanghai.
[Ms. Yi, please move out as soon as possible.]
I have nothing to worry about anyway.
Worst case, I'll jump into the Huangpu River.
My wife and children
don't run any factories
and aren't capitalists.
The state will have to take care of them.
Go ahead and jump.
Who are you trying to scare?
Fan.
Yang.
Sit down.
Mind your attitude.
We didn't come here today
to argue, right?
Let's hear what Minister Wen has to say.
Mr. Fan.
I remember during the Five-Anti Campaign,
because of the back taxes issue,
you threatened to jump off a building.
That was Shanghai's tallest building.
I recall the police even came.
You remember that, don't you?
I don't remember.
I don't remember, Minister Wen.
Minister Wen.
You're a reasonable person.
I came from poverty.
I've worked hard my whole life
to finally gain some assets.
And now
you want public-private partnerships.
I just can't accept it.
Stop making excuses.
Where did your wealth come from?
From exploiting workers.
Now we're liberated.
You need to change your thinking
and earn your own living.
Public-private partnership
is the inevitable trend
and it's also providing a way out for you.
I might as well jump off a building then.
Jump!
You just won't listen to reason, will you?
Fan!
Yang Xue'an!
What are you doing?
I invited everyone here today
to speak freely.
We can't label people
just because they have different opinions.
Mr. Fan,
please calm down.
Come.
Please have a seat.
I've invited you all here today
to speak freely.
Don't hold anything back.
Share whatever thoughts you have.
Our policy
toward national capitalists like you
is to adopt a moderate,
compensated buyout approach.
It fully considers everyone's interests.
You can all think about it.
Comparing your business operations
and profits
in old China and in New China,
which period has been better for you?
New China is certainly better.
The Communist Party is good.
Before liberation,
the KMT made a mess of things.
It was impossible to make a living.
I support Minister Wen.
What does everyone think?
Yes, we support Minister Wen.
We support him.
I've invited everyone here today
because I hope
you'll all express your thoughts.
We'll solve each issue one by one
and implement solutions step by step
to give everyone peace of mind.
Minister Wen, this way please.
Mr. Fu, you've got a new car?
Yes, Minister Wen.
To be honest with you,
this is the latest model,
the only one in all of Shanghai.
I can lend it to you for a few days,
so you can try it out.
Lend it to me for a few days?
Are you trying to bribe me?
No, no, not at all.
I heard you were in the military before
and really enjoyed driving.
It's just a loan,
not a gift.
Mr. Fu, you're very well-informed.
Who told you I can drive?
I forgot.
Fine.
I'll treat you to dinner sometime.
Seems you need to get to know me better.
Goodbye.
Minister Wen, let me see you out.
I won't lend it anymore.
Minister Wen! Minister Wen!
Yi! Yi!
Did you tear this?
Yes, I did.
You're so bold.
Who told you to tear it?
I'm not leaving.
Don't talk about it here.
Let's go to my place to talk.
Hurry.
I just escorted two officials out.
If they won't let you stay, then move out.
I have so many vacant villas.
You can stay in any of them.
Zihe.
You're a CPPCC Municipal Committee member.
A leader of the Industry and Commerce Association.
You...
Don't talk here.
Let's go inside to talk.
Hurry up.
You're too impulsive.
Calm down.
Didn't you say Mayor Chen thinks highly of you?
Can you help me report this issue?
You really think
my words carry any weight
with those high-ranking officials?
Let me tell you.
Not just me.
Even the most prestigious business tycoons in Shanghai
couldn't help you
with this matter.
Isn't the Communist Party supposed to serve the people?
Am I not one of the people?
That portrait you painted for me last time, I...
What are you doing?
The staff downstairs told me to move everything out.
It's too early for that.
Go tell your supervisors downstairs
that we haven't finished our business yet.
We're not moving out now.
We'll move according to schedule.
Thank you.
Thank you.
See that?
So jumpy.
Scared me to death.
Let me analyze this for you.
Me, a capitalist.
Zhaoyuan, a reactionary government official.
You, a petty bourgeois.
You know what petty bourgeois means, right?
A petty bourgeois intellectual.
Originally, you belonged to the common people.
But unfortunately,
you happen to be the wife of a KMT official.
That changes everything.
So you've become
distanced from the people.
I've heard Mayor Chen's reports.
He's a learned and capable man.
I don't believe they would practice guilt by association.
Mayor Chen
is certainly an outstanding leader.
Including the one who came to our club today,
Minister Wen.
They are all excellent officials.
The key issue is the people implementing policies below them.
Their abilities vary greatly, as you've seen.
You said Minister Wen is a good official?
Yes.
Where does he work?
I'll go find him.
Forget it.
Minister Wen is such a high-ranking official.
How would he have time to personally handle your small matter?
He would definitely delegate it to his subordinates.
I still want to try.
Yi, please listen to me.
Leave Shanghai as soon as possible.
I have investments in both Hong Kong and Singapore.
You won't get rich there,
but you'll have enough
to live comfortably.
I'm not leaving.
I appreciate your kindness.
But I need to stay here and wait for news from Zhaoyuan.
To protect our country,
[August 1937, Shanghai suburbs]
to protect our loved ones,
today,
we're heading to the battlefield.
We might go to battle today
and not return tomorrow.
But as soldiers,
as sons of China,
we face death without fear.
I once personally sent Zhaoyuan to the battlefield.
[August 1945, Chongqing]
Before he left,
he promised he would return.
And he kept his promise.
After the victory,
we reunited in Chongqing.
Yi!
Yi!
Zhaoyuan!
Afterwards,
we got married soon.
He told me then,
we would never be apart again.
Let's go take a look.
Wait a moment.
Mrs. Zhou.
Please have a seat.
Could you take another photo for us?
Sure.
Listen for my count.
3, 2, 1.
Smile!
Later,
he went on a mission.
The last time we met...
Zhaoyuan promised me
that he would definitely come back.
I will wait for him here.
Yi.
Zhaoyuan has been missing for five years.
Five years.
If he were still alive,
no matter where he is,
he would have found a way to contact you.
Stop waiting.
Look at the state you're in.
I can't bear to see you like this.
Until I see his body,
I believe he's still alive.
I'll manage to get by.
[Shanghai Municipal People's Government]
Qing.
I wouldn't come to you unless absolutely necessary.
Let's not talk here.
Yi Yi, why are you coming to me?
I want to ask
if you have any news about your brother.
I don't have a brother.
Even if you don't want to acknowledge it,
your records
will always show Zhou Zhaoyuan's name.
Who do you think you are?
What right do you have to come to me?
Without you people,
my life would be peaceful.
Qing.
You know your brother as well as I do.
He has noble character
and is a hero who fought against Japanese invasion.
He's not a bad person.
I never said he was a bad person.
You came to me
just to make me feel miserable, didn't you?
Who are you looking for?
I'm here to report a situation to the supervisor.
Here are my documents.
Come in.
My surname is Fang.
This is Mr. Yang.
He's also in charge of Fu Zihe's company.
He handles your case too.
You can discuss your matters with him.
Please sit down.
The union suddenly notified me of my dismissal.
I don't understand.
I need an explanation.
About your situation,
the organization is aware of it.
However,
with the merger and restructuring
of the plant,
personnel changes are inevitable.
You don't need to worry too much.
Right?
Besides, someone like you...
What kind of person am I?
As the wife of a KMT official,
you're not short of money, are you?
You can live well without working.
What's the rush?
Although my husband worked for the Nationalist government,
he was an honest official.
We don't own a house.
We've always been renting.
And we have no savings.
I've been working ever since he disappeared.
Now you're taking away my opportunity to work,
making me homeless
and unemployed, is that it?
I understand your concerns.
But Shanghai now
doesn't lack intellectuals and technicians.
The Northwest needs people.
My personal suggestion is
that you
go work as a technician at the wool mill in the Northwest.
How does that sound?
You want to drive me out of Shanghai?
Comrade Fang.
Let me ask you again.
What kind of person am I?
Am I not an intellectual?
Am I not someone your Communist Party claims to unite with?
Even if my husband
once worked for the Nationalist government.
But he was an honest official and an anti-Japanese hero.
You don't get to decide who's a hero.
My husband nearly died.
The bullet is still in his body.
How dare you say he's not a hero?
If you keep pestering me...
-I won’t talk to you. -You must apologize to my husband.
Why should I apologize?
Apologize!
Calm down.
Everyone calm down.
Ms. Yi.
Don't be so agitated.
Sit down.
Have a seat.
We truly don't know much
about your husband.
If he really is an anti-Japanese hero,
then I'll formally apologize on behalf of the organization.
I want him to apologize.
Why should I apologize to you?
Listen to me.
But you and your husband are separate matters.
Sending you to work in the Northwest
was just a suggestion from Mr. Yang.
You should trust the Party and the organization.
You don't need to say more.
If you can't resolve this,
I'll go to your superiors.
If your superiors can't solve it,
I'll go to Mayor Chen.
If Mayor Chen won't see me,
then I'll go to Beijing.
I'll find Premier Zhou and Chairman Mao.
There must be someone who will listen to reason.
Yi Yi, are you crazy?
Do you know where you are?
How dare you talk to Mr. Yang like that?
He's very fierce.
He will really arrest people.
But they shouldn't talk about your brother like that.
Even then, it's not okay.
It's not okay.
Come in.
Excuse me.
Are you Director Fang's supervisor?
Yes, I am.
Here are my documents.
Please have a seat.
Please sit down.
May I sit?
Of course.
You're an artist,
a national talent.
Have some water.
Thank you.
Director Fang told me about your situation.
So you know
they want to drive me out of Shanghai?
I think you've misunderstood them.
No one wants to drive you away.
Professionals like you,
especially
female professionals,
are highly valued.
Mr. Yang was just making a suggestion.
You see,
Shanghai is China's largest city.
It was already overcrowded before Liberation.
Having too many excellent talents like you concentrated here...
I just want to ask
if my husband wasn't an official of the Nationalist government,
would you treat me this way?
This matter has nothing to do with your husband.
We know that
although your husband was an official of the Nationalist government,
he repeatedly
distinguished himself in battle during the war against Japan.
He's a hero of the resistance,
a man worthy of respect.
After Japan's surrender,
he has no record of misconduct.
Thank you for saying that.
My husband is currently missing.
I'm waiting for him in Shanghai.
Don't worry.
No one will force you to leave Shanghai.
Are these your paintings?
Yes.
But have you considered?
What if...
I mean, hypothetically speaking,
if you were to leave Shanghai,
perhaps your artistic career
could expand significantly.
You don't understand what Shanghai
means to me at all.
All my happiness and suffering
are deeply connected to this city.
Indeed.
People like you
could never understand.
Where is Mayor Chen's office?
I need to see him.
Mayor Chen is away on business.
Then I'll wait for him to return.
I'll wait for justice.
Comrade Su.
I heard you had an argument with Mr. Yang.
Yes.
You're quite brave.
The organization knows you have no relatives in Shanghai.
But arranging a new job for you
will take some time.
If you have any financial difficulties,
you can always ask the organization for help.
I appreciate your kindness.
Yang.
Director.
I heard that you at the meeting
slammed the table and argued with Minister Wen.
In front of so many people,
that was really inappropriate.
Yes.
Apologize.
Apologize to Minister Wen.
Minister.
At that time,
my words were inappropriate
and my behavior was excessive.
I apologize to you.
I'm sorry.
However,
Minister,
according to some union comrades,
these illegal capitalists
are showing signs of fleeing abroad.
They will likely transfer their funds.
If we don't stop them,
there will definitely be serious problems.
Transferring funds and fleeing abroad?
Who are they?
As far as I know,
Fu Zihe, Mr. Fu,
Sun Wenjie, Mr. Sun,
Liang Wei, Mr. Liang,
Yang Liye, Mr. Yang,
and other bosses.
Is this information accurate?
As far as I know,
it is accurate.
You said union comrades told you this.
Which union comrades?
Some
union comrades reported it.
As for who exactly,
I don't recall.
Such an important matter,
how could you not remember?
How about this, Yang?
You should go to the union
and get them to clear it up.
Find out who said this
and get all the details.
Okay.
Minister.
I'll get to work now.
Did you see that?
Yang's prejudice against capitalists
is deeply ingrained in him.
He's not suitable for his current position.
We should replace him with a more experienced comrade.
That's a bit much.
Comrade Yang has a firm political stance.
He's also well-versed in theory.
He's quite suitable for this job.
During the Five-Anti Campaign,
he made such radical statements
that provoked some capitalists
and nearly caused a tragedy.
I can see that he
hasn't learned his lesson at all.
He had just transferred from the military back then.
He was not familiar
with local government work
and had no experience.
He's much more experienced now.
But I know
his problem is that
he's too serious
and gets caught up in details.
But I think this kind of dedication
is actually good
and should be encouraged.
I know
you and the chief
both think highly of him.
Yes,
the bond between those two
was forged through life-threatening situations.
Back when he had just transferred to civilian work,
I told the local comrades:
This very man,
this passionate young man who had never held a gun before,
saved the chief's life on the battlefield.
The local comrades couldn't believe it.
So,
Pu,
don't underestimate young comrade Yang.
He truly has no selfish motives.
He is someone
who would sacrifice
his own life for the revolution, a good cadre.
Look, even when his mother was seriously ill,
he stayed at his post and continued working.
What could you possibly
criticize about such a good comrade?
Ms. Fang,
work attitude and work ability are two different concepts.
I think if you and the chief
truly want what's best for Yang,
you should send him to factories and villages,
to train at the grassroots level.
His current position of authority
will actually harm him in the long run.
When you first joined the revolutionary work,
you weren't as mature and experienced as you are now.
Didn't you also grow step by step?
Our Party's cadres
are all cultivated through practical experience.
You need to help him properly.
This isn't coming from me.
Chief Yan said so.
Alright.
Come to our home for dinner tonight.
I can't tonight.
I need to find Fu Zihe and have a talk with him.
Yang has offended him,
and I need to clean up the mess.
Alright then, I'll be going now.
I'll visit Chief Yan another day.
Help him out.
Excuse me.
May I come in?
Did you paint those pictures in the hallway?
Yes.
I'm really curious.
Your landscapes
have influences from French Impressionist painters
like Monet.
But your figure paintings,
especially this one of the female worker,
also show influences from Soviet Realism
like Repin.
How did you manage to incorporate both styles?
Repin was my husband's favorite painter.
He introduced me to his work.
I see.
Your husband
was a man of taste.
I'm guessing this piece,
by Rachmaninoff,
was also your husband's favorite?
Yes,
he loved Soviet Russian culture.
That's nice.
By the way,
regarding your husband's case,
the relevant authorities are investigating.
I believe there will be results soon.
Thank you.
I didn't realize you appreciated art.
I apologize for my rudeness
earlier.
It's alright.
That's normal.
Because
you
don't know us.
Well.
I won't disturb you anymore.
Please continue.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
[Footprints of Change]
[Episode 11]
Don't cry.
Mom.
Sister-in-law.
I've found a house in the concession.
Let's hurry.
Okay.
Lin Jinghan, are you coming?
Yes. Yes.
I'm not going.
Why not?
I saw you hiding money.
What money? I gave you all my money.
I don't care. You must give me all the money today.
What are you doing?
This is my son.
I'll carry him out later.
Go.
Mom, Yi.
Let's go.
Okay.
Jinghan, hurry up!
I know.
Stop crying.
If you don't leave, we'll both die here.
Then let's die here.
If you don't give it to me,
we'll become ghosts together.
Don't you care about your child?
Where is Jinghan?
Has Jinghan arrived?
Siyun,
has your brother arrived?
Run quickly!
On the day we fled,
we were all struggling to save ourselves.
Later I learned from Shao Meina
that during the explosion,
Lin Jinghan shielded his son with his body.
This home
was once dark and oppressive because of him.
But now the family is broken.
Lin Jinghan, who was so selfish,
could no longer act recklessly
or abuse others.
In the end,
he at least fulfilled some of his responsibility as a father.
[Notice of Shanghai's Fall]
Shanghai has fallen.
Are you leaving?
I'm staying.
♪ The pain is real, my heart's a mess ♪
What about you?
♪ Happiness has been lost ♪
♪ Regret won't be in short supply ♪
I said I would always stay with you.
♪ The smile is sweet, but my heart aches ♪
We can provide medicine
to those who need it.
♪ I'm of the night ♪
♪ You're of the sunlight ♪
♪ To love someone ♪
♪ Comes in ten thousand ways ♪
♪ Yet I have to swallow the words ♪
I want to
save this watch for the most important person in my future.
For example,
♪ To love someone ♪
the future Mrs. Cheng.
♪ You find ten thousand ways to stay ♪
♪ But I can't help hiding my love-words ♪
♪ If love can't be spoken ♪
♪ Then write a song ♪
♪ Sing out your love and courage ♪
We will be victorious.
♪ May you be forever in love ♪
Yi is still waiting for you downstairs.
♪ May the rest of your life be happy ♪
Go say goodbye to her first.
♪ May you never forget me ♪
Let's go.
Auntie,
where's your luggage?
Yi.
The hospital needs me.
Cheng Ao and I have decided to stay.
After you go to Chongqing,
take good care of yourself.
Stay strong no matter what happens.
Don't lose hope.
China still stands.
Our army still fights.
We will be victorious.
Auntie.
You should go now.
Take care of the family.
Don't neglect your studies.
I'll write to you.
Auntie.
Please take care of yourself.
Take care.
Take care.
I remember back then...
Go now.
I only wished for the war to end quickly.
So I could return to Shanghai soon
and see my aunt again.
Later,
just as Auntie said,
we achieved victory.
I returned to Shanghai too.
But after our long separation,
I was only granted a brief reunion with Auntie.
Later,
my aunt chose to accompany my uncle-in-law
to do business abroad together.
Many things that happened after that
were beyond my expectations.
[Shanghai, 1993]
[Welcome to the state-owned Fuxingzhai Restaurant]
[Mingde Western Restaurant]
Can I borrow the bottle opener?
Sure.
Thanks.
Grandma,
here's some cola for you.
I don't want any.
That's just for young people like you.
You shouldn't drink much either.
You've just recovered.
This stuff is too stimulating.
It's fine. It's hot today.
I'll just have a sip.
And this food
is so much better than the hospital's.
Let's eat.
Grandma.
About your aunt,
should I call her grand-aunt?
It's a generation off.
I should call her great-grand-aunt.
After hearing her story,
I feel much better.
Please continue telling me more.
I've told you everything.
You haven't finished yet.
I still need to hear the most important part:
the story between you and Grandpa.
Too many things happened during the war.
[Shanghai, 1955]
My father passed away.
My mother remarried.
I took my stepfather's surname.
Changed to Yi.
In 1945, the war ended.
I finally returned to Shanghai
and started my own family.
In '49,
my husband Zhaoyuan left me.
Disappeared without a trace.
He took nothing with him.
Yet he took all my longing.
I had no one to turn to.
I had no choice but to remain in Shanghai and keep waiting for him
until the summer of 1954.
At that time,
I met your grandfather.
Thank you all for your hard work.
Comrade Su.
What are you doing here?
Haven't you received the notice from above?
I just got back from field research.
Then I'm informing you now.
This clothing store
has been acquired by our Dongfang Garment Factory.
It's now a workshop for export clothing.
The designer trained
by our own workers will be here soon.
Your position will be reassigned elsewhere.
I have an employment contract with the owner.
You can't just do whatever you want.
A contract with Fu, that silver-spoon capitalist?
Now it's public-private partnership.
The old contract is void.
Comrades!
Let's work with great enthusiasm!
Let's go.
Move along.
Come on.
This area looks good.
It's very clean.
This side too.
Come on, I need two people over here.
This is the old house where I grew up.
It was once the Lin family residence
and my aunt's hospital.
It's also where I work
and live now.
Now they want me to leave.
My last refuge
will soon be gone too.
Where can I go?
Do I really have to leave?
Will Zhaoyuan be able to find me when he returns?
No.
I must stay in Shanghai.
[Ms. Yi, please move out as soon as possible.]
I have nothing to worry about anyway.
Worst case, I'll jump into the Huangpu River.
My wife and children
don't run any factories
and aren't capitalists.
The state will have to take care of them.
Go ahead and jump.
Who are you trying to scare?
Fan.
Yang.
Sit down.
Mind your attitude.
We didn't come here today
to argue, right?
Let's hear what Minister Wen has to say.
Mr. Fan.
I remember during the Five-Anti Campaign,
because of the back taxes issue,
you threatened to jump off a building.
That was Shanghai's tallest building.
I recall the police even came.
You remember that, don't you?
I don't remember.
I don't remember, Minister Wen.
Minister Wen.
You're a reasonable person.
I came from poverty.
I've worked hard my whole life
to finally gain some assets.
And now
you want public-private partnerships.
I just can't accept it.
Stop making excuses.
Where did your wealth come from?
From exploiting workers.
Now we're liberated.
You need to change your thinking
and earn your own living.
Public-private partnership
is the inevitable trend
and it's also providing a way out for you.
I might as well jump off a building then.
Jump!
You just won't listen to reason, will you?
Fan!
Yang Xue'an!
What are you doing?
I invited everyone here today
to speak freely.
We can't label people
just because they have different opinions.
Mr. Fan,
please calm down.
Come.
Please have a seat.
I've invited you all here today
to speak freely.
Don't hold anything back.
Share whatever thoughts you have.
Our policy
toward national capitalists like you
is to adopt a moderate,
compensated buyout approach.
It fully considers everyone's interests.
You can all think about it.
Comparing your business operations
and profits
in old China and in New China,
which period has been better for you?
New China is certainly better.
The Communist Party is good.
Before liberation,
the KMT made a mess of things.
It was impossible to make a living.
I support Minister Wen.
What does everyone think?
Yes, we support Minister Wen.
We support him.
I've invited everyone here today
because I hope
you'll all express your thoughts.
We'll solve each issue one by one
and implement solutions step by step
to give everyone peace of mind.
Minister Wen, this way please.
Mr. Fu, you've got a new car?
Yes, Minister Wen.
To be honest with you,
this is the latest model,
the only one in all of Shanghai.
I can lend it to you for a few days,
so you can try it out.
Lend it to me for a few days?
Are you trying to bribe me?
No, no, not at all.
I heard you were in the military before
and really enjoyed driving.
It's just a loan,
not a gift.
Mr. Fu, you're very well-informed.
Who told you I can drive?
I forgot.
Fine.
I'll treat you to dinner sometime.
Seems you need to get to know me better.
Goodbye.
Minister Wen, let me see you out.
I won't lend it anymore.
Minister Wen! Minister Wen!
Yi! Yi!
Did you tear this?
Yes, I did.
You're so bold.
Who told you to tear it?
I'm not leaving.
Don't talk about it here.
Let's go to my place to talk.
Hurry.
I just escorted two officials out.
If they won't let you stay, then move out.
I have so many vacant villas.
You can stay in any of them.
Zihe.
You're a CPPCC Municipal Committee member.
A leader of the Industry and Commerce Association.
You...
Don't talk here.
Let's go inside to talk.
Hurry up.
You're too impulsive.
Calm down.
Didn't you say Mayor Chen thinks highly of you?
Can you help me report this issue?
You really think
my words carry any weight
with those high-ranking officials?
Let me tell you.
Not just me.
Even the most prestigious business tycoons in Shanghai
couldn't help you
with this matter.
Isn't the Communist Party supposed to serve the people?
Am I not one of the people?
That portrait you painted for me last time, I...
What are you doing?
The staff downstairs told me to move everything out.
It's too early for that.
Go tell your supervisors downstairs
that we haven't finished our business yet.
We're not moving out now.
We'll move according to schedule.
Thank you.
Thank you.
See that?
So jumpy.
Scared me to death.
Let me analyze this for you.
Me, a capitalist.
Zhaoyuan, a reactionary government official.
You, a petty bourgeois.
You know what petty bourgeois means, right?
A petty bourgeois intellectual.
Originally, you belonged to the common people.
But unfortunately,
you happen to be the wife of a KMT official.
That changes everything.
So you've become
distanced from the people.
I've heard Mayor Chen's reports.
He's a learned and capable man.
I don't believe they would practice guilt by association.
Mayor Chen
is certainly an outstanding leader.
Including the one who came to our club today,
Minister Wen.
They are all excellent officials.
The key issue is the people implementing policies below them.
Their abilities vary greatly, as you've seen.
You said Minister Wen is a good official?
Yes.
Where does he work?
I'll go find him.
Forget it.
Minister Wen is such a high-ranking official.
How would he have time to personally handle your small matter?
He would definitely delegate it to his subordinates.
I still want to try.
Yi, please listen to me.
Leave Shanghai as soon as possible.
I have investments in both Hong Kong and Singapore.
You won't get rich there,
but you'll have enough
to live comfortably.
I'm not leaving.
I appreciate your kindness.
But I need to stay here and wait for news from Zhaoyuan.
To protect our country,
[August 1937, Shanghai suburbs]
to protect our loved ones,
today,
we're heading to the battlefield.
We might go to battle today
and not return tomorrow.
But as soldiers,
as sons of China,
we face death without fear.
I once personally sent Zhaoyuan to the battlefield.
[August 1945, Chongqing]
Before he left,
he promised he would return.
And he kept his promise.
After the victory,
we reunited in Chongqing.
Yi!
Yi!
Zhaoyuan!
Afterwards,
we got married soon.
He told me then,
we would never be apart again.
Let's go take a look.
Wait a moment.
Mrs. Zhou.
Please have a seat.
Could you take another photo for us?
Sure.
Listen for my count.
3, 2, 1.
Smile!
Later,
he went on a mission.
The last time we met...
Zhaoyuan promised me
that he would definitely come back.
I will wait for him here.
Yi.
Zhaoyuan has been missing for five years.
Five years.
If he were still alive,
no matter where he is,
he would have found a way to contact you.
Stop waiting.
Look at the state you're in.
I can't bear to see you like this.
Until I see his body,
I believe he's still alive.
I'll manage to get by.
[Shanghai Municipal People's Government]
Qing.
I wouldn't come to you unless absolutely necessary.
Let's not talk here.
Yi Yi, why are you coming to me?
I want to ask
if you have any news about your brother.
I don't have a brother.
Even if you don't want to acknowledge it,
your records
will always show Zhou Zhaoyuan's name.
Who do you think you are?
What right do you have to come to me?
Without you people,
my life would be peaceful.
Qing.
You know your brother as well as I do.
He has noble character
and is a hero who fought against Japanese invasion.
He's not a bad person.
I never said he was a bad person.
You came to me
just to make me feel miserable, didn't you?
Who are you looking for?
I'm here to report a situation to the supervisor.
Here are my documents.
Come in.
My surname is Fang.
This is Mr. Yang.
He's also in charge of Fu Zihe's company.
He handles your case too.
You can discuss your matters with him.
Please sit down.
The union suddenly notified me of my dismissal.
I don't understand.
I need an explanation.
About your situation,
the organization is aware of it.
However,
with the merger and restructuring
of the plant,
personnel changes are inevitable.
You don't need to worry too much.
Right?
Besides, someone like you...
What kind of person am I?
As the wife of a KMT official,
you're not short of money, are you?
You can live well without working.
What's the rush?
Although my husband worked for the Nationalist government,
he was an honest official.
We don't own a house.
We've always been renting.
And we have no savings.
I've been working ever since he disappeared.
Now you're taking away my opportunity to work,
making me homeless
and unemployed, is that it?
I understand your concerns.
But Shanghai now
doesn't lack intellectuals and technicians.
The Northwest needs people.
My personal suggestion is
that you
go work as a technician at the wool mill in the Northwest.
How does that sound?
You want to drive me out of Shanghai?
Comrade Fang.
Let me ask you again.
What kind of person am I?
Am I not an intellectual?
Am I not someone your Communist Party claims to unite with?
Even if my husband
once worked for the Nationalist government.
But he was an honest official and an anti-Japanese hero.
You don't get to decide who's a hero.
My husband nearly died.
The bullet is still in his body.
How dare you say he's not a hero?
If you keep pestering me...
-I won’t talk to you. -You must apologize to my husband.
Why should I apologize?
Apologize!
Calm down.
Everyone calm down.
Ms. Yi.
Don't be so agitated.
Sit down.
Have a seat.
We truly don't know much
about your husband.
If he really is an anti-Japanese hero,
then I'll formally apologize on behalf of the organization.
I want him to apologize.
Why should I apologize to you?
Listen to me.
But you and your husband are separate matters.
Sending you to work in the Northwest
was just a suggestion from Mr. Yang.
You should trust the Party and the organization.
You don't need to say more.
If you can't resolve this,
I'll go to your superiors.
If your superiors can't solve it,
I'll go to Mayor Chen.
If Mayor Chen won't see me,
then I'll go to Beijing.
I'll find Premier Zhou and Chairman Mao.
There must be someone who will listen to reason.
Yi Yi, are you crazy?
Do you know where you are?
How dare you talk to Mr. Yang like that?
He's very fierce.
He will really arrest people.
But they shouldn't talk about your brother like that.
Even then, it's not okay.
It's not okay.
Come in.
Excuse me.
Are you Director Fang's supervisor?
Yes, I am.
Here are my documents.
Please have a seat.
Please sit down.
May I sit?
Of course.
You're an artist,
a national talent.
Have some water.
Thank you.
Director Fang told me about your situation.
So you know
they want to drive me out of Shanghai?
I think you've misunderstood them.
No one wants to drive you away.
Professionals like you,
especially
female professionals,
are highly valued.
Mr. Yang was just making a suggestion.
You see,
Shanghai is China's largest city.
It was already overcrowded before Liberation.
Having too many excellent talents like you concentrated here...
I just want to ask
if my husband wasn't an official of the Nationalist government,
would you treat me this way?
This matter has nothing to do with your husband.
We know that
although your husband was an official of the Nationalist government,
he repeatedly
distinguished himself in battle during the war against Japan.
He's a hero of the resistance,
a man worthy of respect.
After Japan's surrender,
he has no record of misconduct.
Thank you for saying that.
My husband is currently missing.
I'm waiting for him in Shanghai.
Don't worry.
No one will force you to leave Shanghai.
Are these your paintings?
Yes.
But have you considered?
What if...
I mean, hypothetically speaking,
if you were to leave Shanghai,
perhaps your artistic career
could expand significantly.
You don't understand what Shanghai
means to me at all.
All my happiness and suffering
are deeply connected to this city.
Indeed.
People like you
could never understand.
Where is Mayor Chen's office?
I need to see him.
Mayor Chen is away on business.
Then I'll wait for him to return.
I'll wait for justice.
Comrade Su.
I heard you had an argument with Mr. Yang.
Yes.
You're quite brave.
The organization knows you have no relatives in Shanghai.
But arranging a new job for you
will take some time.
If you have any financial difficulties,
you can always ask the organization for help.
I appreciate your kindness.
Yang.
Director.
I heard that you at the meeting
slammed the table and argued with Minister Wen.
In front of so many people,
that was really inappropriate.
Yes.
Apologize.
Apologize to Minister Wen.
Minister.
At that time,
my words were inappropriate
and my behavior was excessive.
I apologize to you.
I'm sorry.
However,
Minister,
according to some union comrades,
these illegal capitalists
are showing signs of fleeing abroad.
They will likely transfer their funds.
If we don't stop them,
there will definitely be serious problems.
Transferring funds and fleeing abroad?
Who are they?
As far as I know,
Fu Zihe, Mr. Fu,
Sun Wenjie, Mr. Sun,
Liang Wei, Mr. Liang,
Yang Liye, Mr. Yang,
and other bosses.
Is this information accurate?
As far as I know,
it is accurate.
You said union comrades told you this.
Which union comrades?
Some
union comrades reported it.
As for who exactly,
I don't recall.
Such an important matter,
how could you not remember?
How about this, Yang?
You should go to the union
and get them to clear it up.
Find out who said this
and get all the details.
Okay.
Minister.
I'll get to work now.
Did you see that?
Yang's prejudice against capitalists
is deeply ingrained in him.
He's not suitable for his current position.
We should replace him with a more experienced comrade.
That's a bit much.
Comrade Yang has a firm political stance.
He's also well-versed in theory.
He's quite suitable for this job.
During the Five-Anti Campaign,
he made such radical statements
that provoked some capitalists
and nearly caused a tragedy.
I can see that he
hasn't learned his lesson at all.
He had just transferred from the military back then.
He was not familiar
with local government work
and had no experience.
He's much more experienced now.
But I know
his problem is that
he's too serious
and gets caught up in details.
But I think this kind of dedication
is actually good
and should be encouraged.
I know
you and the chief
both think highly of him.
Yes,
the bond between those two
was forged through life-threatening situations.
Back when he had just transferred to civilian work,
I told the local comrades:
This very man,
this passionate young man who had never held a gun before,
saved the chief's life on the battlefield.
The local comrades couldn't believe it.
So,
Pu,
don't underestimate young comrade Yang.
He truly has no selfish motives.
He is someone
who would sacrifice
his own life for the revolution, a good cadre.
Look, even when his mother was seriously ill,
he stayed at his post and continued working.
What could you possibly
criticize about such a good comrade?
Ms. Fang,
work attitude and work ability are two different concepts.
I think if you and the chief
truly want what's best for Yang,
you should send him to factories and villages,
to train at the grassroots level.
His current position of authority
will actually harm him in the long run.
When you first joined the revolutionary work,
you weren't as mature and experienced as you are now.
Didn't you also grow step by step?
Our Party's cadres
are all cultivated through practical experience.
You need to help him properly.
This isn't coming from me.
Chief Yan said so.
Alright.
Come to our home for dinner tonight.
I can't tonight.
I need to find Fu Zihe and have a talk with him.
Yang has offended him,
and I need to clean up the mess.
Alright then, I'll be going now.
I'll visit Chief Yan another day.
Help him out.
Excuse me.
May I come in?
Did you paint those pictures in the hallway?
Yes.
I'm really curious.
Your landscapes
have influences from French Impressionist painters
like Monet.
But your figure paintings,
especially this one of the female worker,
also show influences from Soviet Realism
like Repin.
How did you manage to incorporate both styles?
Repin was my husband's favorite painter.
He introduced me to his work.
I see.
Your husband
was a man of taste.
I'm guessing this piece,
by Rachmaninoff,
was also your husband's favorite?
Yes,
he loved Soviet Russian culture.
That's nice.
By the way,
regarding your husband's case,
the relevant authorities are investigating.
I believe there will be results soon.
Thank you.
I didn't realize you appreciated art.
I apologize for my rudeness
earlier.
It's alright.
That's normal.
Because
you
don't know us.
Well.
I won't disturb you anymore.
Please continue.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.