You ran out of fuel and had to do a forced landing?
-Who allowed you to fly? -You approved it, sir.
What kind of a vice-captain are you? You can't even look after the base.
I wrote a recommendation letter to your alma mater.
You should hear from them soon.
How good would it be
if I could change and start again?
BASED ON PAI HSIEN-YUNG'S WORK A GREAT LITERARY FIGURE OF TAIWAN
Sir.
You should just tell the higher-ups
that I wanted to fly the new airplane before I got discharged
and crashed it before getting permission from you.
A few years ago,
I had a chance to retire from the Air Force.
I didn't leave.
If I could go back,
I wouldn't even hesitate.
I'd take off my pilot jacket and walk away.
It's too late now.
I can't even
open the letter.
The letter that came a few days ago.
Was it from the nurse who came to look for you?
Take a seat.
She wasn't a nurse.
She was a college student.
"Write a letter to the Air Force." Do you remember that?
Yes.
Back then, the college students were asked to write letters to the Air Force.
The letters weren't addressed to anyone in particular.
They all started with, "Dear Air Force."
Everyone just tried their luck.
She got unlucky. Her letter was sent to me.
She even included her photo.
I thought it was fun so I wrote back.
We became pen pals.
Later,
the war with the Japanese began.
I was sent here and there
and ultimately, we lost contact.
One time in Hunan,
I was shot down and had to eject from the airplane.
I ended up in a coma.
I woke up in a guerrilla camp.
They told me that I was originally at an army camp.
The Japanese was advancing, but I was still unconscious.
They couldn't take me,
so they left me there.
A nurse
put me on her back and carried me from the hospital.
She walked for over 8km to find the guerrilla camp.
I told them that I wanted to see her.
That nurse
was the same girl.
Unexpectedly,
the pen pals met each other.
When I came back...
Do you remember, Gong?
The captain asked you to calculate my salary and settle it all.
I remember.
The captain said that you could request for a military discharge due to injuries.
I thought you were going to leave.
You know what?
I bought a ring and bracelet to propose to her.
She thought I was planning to retire.
But I said no.
I was going to continue.
She said her family would never agree.
As expected,
her family only agreed to an engagement.
We could only get married after the war had ended.
I tried to talk them out of it.
I talked about patriotism and loyalty.
Now come to think of it,
it was pretty funny.
And a little cruel.
They wouldn't accept the ring and bracelet.
I didn't care.
I left them on the table.
I said I would marry her after the war.
So the two of us
waited for the war to end.
What happened next?
I became the acting vice-captain before the war ended.
Vice-Captain Jin died because of me.
I wrote a letter.
"I had no choice. Let's not contact each other again."
That's all you wrote?
Just a few words.
That's all the courage I had.
If I kept up with it,
I wouldn't be able to continue
and wouldn't have guts to send it.
Fate works in mysterious ways.
We met in the Greater China,
but ultimately,
we had to stop seeing each other
in the Greater China too.
Don't try to take the blame for me.
I have to bear the consequences.
You.
You should leave while you can.
Don't be like me.
I didn't go when I was supposed to and in the end,
I was caught in no man's land.
Zhi-jian Shao! Are you trying to kill yourself?
Why are you flying a plane that can't fly? Who will take care of Wei-xun and Mo-ting?
Wei-cheng, there are other people here.
I'm talking to the vice-captain. Go around the field.
Yes.
Where's the report?
I sent it to the headquarters.
Why did you submit it before I read it?
-Reporting. -Shut up.
You're being discharged.
Why did you have to ruin Vice-Captain Shao's future?
That's enough, Wei-cheng.
We should go to the headquarters now.
If they sign the review report, it will be too late to do anything.
-Gong. -Yes.
-To the General Headquarters. -Roger that.
I don't know who he was with.
I heard it from Wei-cheng once.
The nurse went to look for him at the airstrip in Changsha.
-That was it. -She went to the airstrip?
I'm not sure about him, but the girl definitely has feelings for him.
You were
disowned by your family and they called you a bad daughter.
Me? I snatched another woman's lover.
Both of us
have ruined our reputations due to the Air Force.
No complaints?
Okay. Here.
The notice of transfer.
The 8th Wing. A war major.
You can sign it. I accept my punishment.
I'm just worried that nobody will take care of Wei-xun and Mo-ting.
I'm sorry to Vice-Captain Jin.
I'll take care of them.
Your captain and I are more worried about you.
You've suffered emotionally
because of us.
I didn't suffer.
Then open the letter in the drawer.
Call the sergeant over and help...
Sir.
That letter is my own personal matter.
If you were a junior pilot, I wouldn't care about how many letters you receive.
But you're the vice-captain now.
Because of one letter, you almost got someone killed!
Wei-cheng.
At least you need to know why you're being punished, right?
It's only fair for you and the person who wrote the letter.
Okay.
I'll open it.
But when I do,
I failed to live up to your expectations.
I will be demoted and transferred.
I'll leave.
Let's put the transfer on hold.
Take a break.
Go and look for her or something.
She's about to get married.
She asked for your opinion in that letter.
You should go and see her.
Zhi-jian.
Wei-cheng and I
are sorry.
When Vice-Captain Jin died,
I told her to marry someone else.
If I see her again,
I might not be able to return.
I feel sorry for him.
Because of Mo-ting and I,
he couldn't be with the one he loves.
Tomorrow,
I'm going to dress up.
I won't let that nurse beat me.
Qian-yi, you have to help me.
Ma'am, look. This one is nice.
I'm not surprised that Qian-yi is here.
But Wei-xun, who's always full of pride, has come too.
You even bought gifts.
What is it?
A matter of life and death?
Well, the chief has been promoted.
-We came to congratulate you... -Qian-yi came, but you didn't.
-I thought I wasn't good enough for you. -It's not what you think.
What...
Not at all.
I graduated from Jinling Girl's College. You hated that place.
You must be surprised.
The girls from Jinling love to talk and joke around.
Old habits die hard.
Have you called the chief?
We just came to play mahjong. We don't need to bother the chief.
I was going to tell him to stay at work. He shouldn't be back so soon.
Official matters are best settled in private.
Yes, you're right.
I don't blame you for not knowing.
Who is she?
A PE student from Huanan Normal University?
A wild child from the field
thinks she's climbed the ranks because she got on an airplane?
Jinling girls like to chit-chat,
but many of us have married into power.
The things we learned in school
are rules of the playing field.
We must know when to advance and retreat.
Yes. I see.
Here, let me fill your cup.
Here you go, ma'am.
Ma'am, something happened to the 11th Wing a while ago.
I wonder if there's any way to solve this in private.
The men in uniform
tend to be too serious and strict.
They lack the understanding when they're handling matters.
That's right.
Are you saying the chief only knows how to scold people?
Not at all.
Even if he did, they deserved it.
The 11th Wing's vice-captain made a big mistake.
It would be wrong for the chief to not take action.
Qian-yi.
You're an English major.
You gave good examples of an inverted sentence and double negatives.
The way you speak is just like this piece of jade,
warm and smooth.
-Wei-xun picked that out for you. -Yes.
-She knows you like antiques. -Wait, I spent a lot...
The cost doesn't matter. I just hope you like it, ma'am.
Can I see the one you're wearing?
Here, ma'am.
This is an aged yellow jade from Dongbei.
Forget about Nanjing, this is a rare item in Dongbei.
-Ma'am, that's Wei-xun's... -The bangle deserves a better owner.
Such an item is wasted on me anyway. I don't know how to appreciate it.
You can have it if you like it.
Allow me to say one thing. Zhi-jian has always followed the rules.
He gave everything he had for the war. He's worked hard at least.
Ma'am, I hope you can help
save my husband.
I'll do what I can.
-Thank you for this. -Sure, my pleasure.
Wipe this with some warm water.
Be careful.
In the military, soldiers should always follow the orders.
Official documents contain the names and positions,
but they're just on paper.
The names can be changed.
A pilot will be discharged from the 11th Wing soon, right?
You guys should take him out for a meal.
What do you mean?
The new airplane was damaged
because Zhi-jian didn't read the weather report properly, right?
On the day of the accident,
the officer on duty was the pilot who would soon be discharged.
He didn't pay attention to the weather report.
"Since I'll be discharged soon, I should have some fun."
He gave the report to Zhi-jian only after he returned.
But the airplane had already taken off.
It was only then he realized that things had gone wrong.
So, he flew the new airplane to look for the missing guy.
In the end, the airplane crash-landed.
The person at fault changes depending on how we arrange the facts.
Zhi-jian made a mistake
when he failed to keep a close watch on his crew.
He'll at most receive a minor warning.
All the responsibility will be on the pilot who's about to be discharged.
That man
is just a pawn.
Don't let him slip away.
That pawn might not end up in good shape
if he has to bear the responsibility.
It's my turn, right?
Yes.
I don't see a problem. He's retiring from the Army.
There is no reason for him to keep the bridge intact.
Are you worried about him?
You need to play your ace card at the right time.
Once you miss the chance, everything will be useless.
Sorry, ma'am. I just got a Hu.
I've got the tiles.
Wei-xun, you should hurry up and save your husband.
We could always come up with good ideas. We can finish the game first.
I rarely play mahjong with you, so we're going all out today.
You're right.
I think we should play all day.
Good.
I'll go get some snacks.
-What? She got up when I was about to win. -You shouldn't win when she's in the game.
But I'm frustrated.
Xu-hui gave me a bangle and it broke.
I had to spend 300 dollars to fix it.
I'm going to claim every single penny!
Learn the rules? She's the worst offender.
-Gong. -Yes?
-The attendance log. -Okay.
Like I said, you were the officer on duty that day.
Just fill it in according to what's written.
Please do me this favor.
Once you retire, I'll treat you to a meal.
Madam Zhou.
I've already had the meal.
It's okay.
Mo-ting, come here.
Sign your name for the officer on duty and then for the copy...
You just have to sign it.
You can't sign this.
You weren't the officer on duty on the day of the accident.
Signing my name is no big deal.
Your name is stated there. It wasn't there before. Why?
I'll take the pen.
They're putting the blame on you?
I was the one who crashed it.
But Vice-Captain Shao is at risk of being transferred and demoted.
This is not a big deal.
When the Japanese surrendered and we were transferred back to Nanjing,
we had to pack our equipment.
While doing a tally, five handguns were found missing.
What then? The higher-ups needed an answer.
We put the blame on the retiring mechanic.
That was the end of it.
Discharged personnel wouldn't suffer much loss.
Where is the mechanic now?
He's retired. How should I know?
So how can you say it didn't matter?
You guys stayed in the military and put the blame on him.
There has to be some effect.
Do you know the feeling of being wrongfully accused?
A relative of mine worked at the bank.
Everyone thought he was involved in corruption.
He tried to prove his innocence but ended up committing suicide.
He didn't do anything wrong, so why should you blame him?
Jeez...
I'm being discharged.
My military career ends here.
But it's not the same for the vice-captain.
He was just promoted. He still has a long way to go.
More importantly, he has a family.
Don't you have a family too?
You can say whatever you want.
You're retiring.
You won't even be here.
But why are you still bearing the responsibilities?
He's not just anybody.
He's my superior, my senior.
If he got transferred and demoted over this matter,
I could never forgive myself even if I left.
Mo-ting, let's go back and do your homework.
My mom said I have to wait for Uncle Guo to finish and pass it to her
before I can watch a movie.
Hurry up. I want to watch a movie.
Okay, I'm doing it.
Use another pen. I won't let you use my pen.
But you agreed to do it. Why didn't you write it?
If you don't submit the review report, your vice-captain will be demoted.
Let's talk in your dorm. It's quieter.
We can talk here, Lady Qin.
I know how to write it.
I'll write it after I give it some thought.
What?
End the lesson. Go home. It's too noisy here.
You're not going back?
I'm checking Mo-ting's homework to see if she made any mistakes.
She can rewrite them.
It's better than not writing it at all.
You can check it at the loft.
I know. I'll write the rest so you can sign it.
That won't work, Madam Zhou.
The handwritings are different. Gosh.
That's true. You should go ahead and write then.
Write it now.
Qing, get in.
We need to talk.
I need to check my homework at school.
Regarding Zhen Guo taking the blame...
I have nothing to do with it.
Zhen Guo is retiring
and you're leaving with him.
You're about to leave with Zhen Guo.
Walk with me at least?
This is the old part of the village.
This is where I stayed when I first got married.
This one right here.
Wei-cheng and Gong built it themselves.
They said the furnace burned faster and hotter than all the rest.
This is the house.
It has one bedroom and a living room.
I got pregnant here.
I remember Zhen Guo used to send medicine and money to the captain.
But I lost the child
once I left this house.
I hope you'll be able to live in a house like this one day.
It's small and simple.
One bedroom and a living room.
You should marry an academic.
At night, the two of you
can sit together at the table to mark the students' work.
You could lead a simple life.
That's good enough.
Zhen Guo is retiring.
He's going to become a teaching assistant.
I'm happy for you.
Wei-xun and I wish to have a simple life too.
But it's impossible.
If Zhen Guo
won't help his vice-captain get out of this predicament,
Wei-xun's home will probably be ruined.
We will owe you a big one for this.
Consider this a favor you're doing for us
before you leave Nanjing with Zhen Guo.
Take a look.
Give it to Madam Zhou.
I don't know much about military stuff.
-You misspelled a word. -What?
Urgent is written with an e, not an a.
Goodness, I spelled it wrong.
They look similar though. Right?
Anyway, why did Lady Qin look for you?
Nothing gets past Lady Qin.
She knew exactly what happened.
She brought me to the old village
and then I gave up.
What?
I initially thought it was stupid for you to take the blame.
I think so too.
I've already told her that I'll let you write the report.
It doesn't matter if it's just me, but...
But now that I'm taking you,
it concerns the both of us.
I don't know what's going to happen if I hand in this report.
Just remember what you just said.
Take me along with you.
I'm not afraid of anything else.
No.
I won't sign this report.
I'm the vice-captain. Zhen Guo is only the first lieutenant.
I can't put the blame on him.
Where is the bangle that Vice-Captain Jin gave you?
I talked about your case with the chief's wife.
She took it because she liked it.
It's fine.
She took it?
She was the one who taught me to write this report.
I even asked Zhen Guo to write one according to her instructions.
I'm planning to treat Zhen Guo to a meal when he retires.
I've put a lot of effort into this.
Forget it. I won't force you.
The only thing Vice-Captain Jin left you
is gone.
Obviously, it's gone.
Every time I see your face,
my stomach gets so bloated.
I feel terrible. I can't even eat properly.
Sir, please be more lenient.
I've reached my limit.
I've called off Zhi-jian's punishment.
Now you want me to do the same for Zhen Guo? That's impossible.
Writing and rewriting. That's not an official document.
Those are drafts.
Reading the report gave me a headache and high blood pressure.
I'm letting him retire with a clean slate. Isn't that enough?
He was supposed to be in jail for six months before he retires.
Sir, it's too clean. It's totally blank.
Stop sticking your nose into the squadron's matters.
You should start training in the States.
Once you come back
and get stuck in your office for a while,
you can be the Chief of Staff.
Everything will fall into place when you've warmed up the seat.
It will go downhill after that, there's no escape.
From Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, all the way to Major General.
After that, you'll be stuck. You'll feel the pain then.
Because you'll be suffering from hemorrhoids like me.
The Commander in Chief is all from the Army.
Sir.
If I go to the States for my training, who's going to take over my position?
I knew you have more things to say.
Let me hear it. Who do you have in mind?
Tell me so I can consider your suggestion.
Zhi-jian.
I think he's not bad.
He's not bad?
I think he's still lacking.
He damaged the new airplane.
Zhen Guo took the brunt.
But he's the vice-captain, he should bear the responsibility.
The higher-ups will have a lot to say
if he's promoted so quickly.
Okay then.
When you go to America, I'll make him the acting captain.
After which I'll announce his official appointment as Lieutenant Colonel.
Then...
I'll wait for that chatty Wei-xun to come thank me.
Thank you, sir.
Wait.
You haven't eaten, right?
Pass the order.
The future Vice Chief of Staff's advisor is here. Prepare some dishes.
There's a great saying.
It goes, "A warrior in battlefields are no match for a bag carrier."
The bag carrier...
There's another sentence. I'll tell you when I remember.
In the future, I'll be relying on you to put in a good word for me.
Once you finish your training in America,
you'll become the Vice Chief of Staff's advisor.
He is also from the Army.
There's been talk about you not being more aware.
You should've learned the ropes during your free time.
You need to handle the situation.
-Reporting. -Come in.
Hey! Show it to me.
Wow!
What's this?
Check out what they brought in when there's an important guest.
We've got ribs and beer.
Come and sit.
You can have my meal.
One for you, one...
-You're back. -You know what? Zhen Guo is in ruins.
He's left with nothing.
And you're going to treat him to a meal?
I don't think I can look him in the eye.
I wanted the three of us to eat and celebrate a bit.
Wei-cheng said he wants you to take over his position.
The chief gave his approval.
What kind of a lieutenant colonel would I be?
It's at the expense of a brother's future.
Who would be willing to support me to the death next time?
Nobody would show any respect to a captain like me.
No.
I don't want to be the captain.
I'm contacting the 8th Wing.
After all that I've done, you're still going to the 8th Wing?
Being demoted is really not a big deal.
At least I still get fed.
But what about Zhen Guo?
Once he retires and leaves the base, we'll never know what will happen to him.
-We shouldn't have framed him. -Framed him?
In order to save my husband,
I'm willing to go to great lengths for anyone to bear the brunt.
You're ungrateful.
You'd rather be a war officer in the 8th Wing.
Fine, go ahead.
Give me your seal.
I want a divorce.
I don't want you to be ridiculed.
I'm taking the seal with me.
Neither you nor I have a say over a divorce.
You don't have to come here when I start elementary school.
"The previous order has been invalidated. This order takes immediate effect.
Pilot Zhen Guo, for damaging important Air Force equipment,
will be asked to seek his own employment.
His job placement and retirement benefits after military discharge are voided."
No more pension for me.
The job as a teaching assistant is gone too.
I won't even have money to rent a place after I leave.
I didn't expect things to turn out this way.
I apologize to you both.
Why don't you go to Dongbei?
You can stay at my old house.
I'll ask the caretaker to prepare everything for you.
Dongbei is huge and it has a low cost of living.
It won't be hard to settle down.
But you won't be able to teach there.
It's all wilderness and wildlife. You'll get used to it very soon.
Madam Zhou. It's okay. Don't worry about it.
You won't go to Dongbei?
-Then... -We don't have anything anyway.
I'm not scared.
It's a good opportunity for me to start over.
Are you scared?
Why would I be scared when you're not?
I'm not scared.
-How about... -Zhen Guo.
Do as Qing Zhu say, okay?
No, they have nothing. They have nowhere to go.
Were we ever afraid of having nothing? We got married without a second thought.
Girls are fearless. It's only the men.
There will always be a way.
I went to the village to look for you.
This is from the vice-captain. This month's salary.
We had a fight over Zhen Guo's matter and he hasn't been back for a few days.
Before we got married, he asked Gong to deliver the salary.
After we got married, he still asks Gong to send the money.
Did our marriage make any difference?
-Why don't we go see Zhi-jian? -It's fine.
Let him stay at the office if he wants.
-Gong. -Yes?
Don't prepare any meal for him at the base.
What?
Isn't it lunchtime? Where's my food?
The mess ran out of rice.
Come.
I got the salary.
You do your part and I'll do mine.
Throw it away if you don't like it.
Lady Qin is right.
Time heals all wounds.
I'll know what to do when the time comes.
You will know it then.
I've only seen you with a parachute, not a document bag.
What if I do this?
I don't want you to ask the guard later at night who the rugged man is.
You'll be the trainee staff officer at the headquarters.
Remember. Keep your eyes open.
The number of Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels over there
must be similar to the amount of the shell casings that you guys expend
during a dogfight.
Reporting, Control Center.
Those officers have long forgotten how to fly.
They wouldn't even remember where the trigger is located.
Okay.
I'll get going.
You've even gone to my house.
Nothing will be harder than that.
You'll get used to it.
Chin up.
For the first few days,
I'll make lunch and bring it to you.
Okay.
Hey, did you see an American reporter before I got here?
No.
What can that person do for you if he comes here?
He can help.
Look.
"Search for a man, October 6. The rescue airplane at the fire on the mountain."
When I flew back,
there was an American reporter among the trapped villagers.
I might be able to fight for some of my retirement benefits.
Having nothing can be a blessing.
You're basically a white paper when you start over.
Clean and naive.
There's no need to complicate things.
You were going to retire peacefully.
Who asked you to take the blame for someone else?
Now, look at the state you're in.
Starting over and not having anything are two different things.
You start over when there's still hope.
Even without a map, you'll know where to go.
But having nothing will force you to take a path that's given by others.
You won't even feel like taking another step.
God has given me a second chance. I should grab hold of it.
I won't accept my fate without trying first.
That's not starting over. It's digging your own grave.
-Qing, don't go. -May I ask...
Are you the pilot that came back to the fire that day?
Yes, I am.
We took the American reporter to the mountain.
We were running a free clinic and he was doing field research.
We went up together.
He was the one who put up the classified.
Where is he now?
He couldn't make it here in time. Here's some money he offered as gratitude.
It's fine.
Please tell him it's fine.
-Thank you. -Okay.
Give him the note.
We're from Nanjing Military Hospital.
If you need anything, don't hesitate to contact any one of us.
There's no need. Thanks.
This girl...
She's my girlfriend.
Good men are like hospital beds. They're all taken.
Forget it.
Sorry, I thought you were his sister.
We will take our leave then.
Go and sit.
By the way, the reporter wanted to know what airplane you were flying that day.
-A P-51. -What?
P-51, the newest Mustang plane.
Never mind. It's not important. You're a lucky girl.
Let's go.
You're right.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
It's the smarter choice
to accept reality.
Having nothing is a blessing.
A white paper. Light as air.
I'll follow you wherever you go from now on.
Is that okay, miss?
Two Japs are attacking Vice-Captain Jin.
Why wasn't it Wei-cheng?
You can save the marriage application for someone else.
I'll be able to leave then.
Respond, 417. That's a dangerous altitude.
-Captain, please respond! -Captain!
You're suspicious.
I can throw you in jail. You won't be going anywhere.
-You're too selfish. -I'm begging you, Lady Qin. Help me.
Hurry!
Subtitle translation by Jacqueline Wong