How can it fly so close to us?
-There's a number on it. -It's 513.
The clearance papers are still in my dad's drawer.
I'm really sorry, but my husband can't go to prison.
BASED ON PAI HSIEN-YUNG'S WORK A GREAT LITERARY FIGURE OF TAIWAN
It's my first time leaving the village.
I'm anxious
and remember the old days when
I got kicked out of school because of my pregnancy.
Some say once you leave a familiar place,
the people and the things that you are familiar with
will come to find you.
They'll haunt you.
Lady Zhou.
The guards in the village
probably have already changed shift.
And I think of Wei-xun.
Is she fighting with Zhi-jian again?
Whose last name will be embroidered on Mo-ting's uniform?
When did Qing steal my paper-cut
without telling me?
Did she steal the one on the window
or the one on the door?
Wei-cheng is by my side now.
But I have a strange feeling.
NANJING TO LUOYANG
I can't stop thinking about the village that is very far from the train station,
and Qing who I will never meet again
once I get on this train.
I feel like they are more real than my husband
as he will be transferred to Luoyang and never fly again.
The police said Qing used
-the money her father embezzled -Lady Qin.
-to get to Nanjing, -The train is leaving.
So she is an accomplice too.
They're going to put her in Zhejiang prison,
for a consolation to the bank and the public.
If Qing goes to prison,
her whole life will be ruined.
The train is going to depart to Luoyang. It will stop twice for resting.
-Passengers without tickets -I can't make an exception for you,
-must leave immediately. -it's my duty. Please understand.
Can I buy a ticket after I get on the train?
The tickets are sold out. I can't let you get on the train.
Qing will lose everything
if she goes to prison.
But if you go to prison
and get out after a couple of years,
I'll have everything.
You will no longer be in the Air Force.
I can say goodbye to the smell of engine oil.
The wives
won't come to wreck our home and pass out.
We won't need safflower oil.
Not anymore.
NANJING STATION
Miss!
Thank you.
The girl at the train station came from nowhere.
She disappeared to nowhere too.
I don't know whom I confused her with.
Either Qing
or the younger me who got expelled from college
because of my pregnancy.
The train pulled away eventually.
It went towards darkness.
To the unknown.
Lieutenant Colonel.
And the same darkness is awaiting us, the women of the village.
There isn't any military prison in Zhejiang, is there?
He was a soldier when he committed that, so he should go to military prison.
And there is a military prison in Nanjing.
If he's imprisoned,
the government will be happy to pay that three million.
That's because he's a hero.
During the war, he shot down countless Japanese planes.
Cuff him.
Wei-cheng.
Chief.
Wei-cheng hasn't been to prison.
Can you put him in the same room with Zhen?
So that they could look after each other.
Sure.
Don't worry.
After this, we will have everything.
Okay, we've got to hurry.
We must get you into prison by the evening roll-call
so that you can have something to eat.
Let's go.
Wei-cheng.
It's alright.
-Wei-cheng. -He'll be fine.
Qing.
You must have suffered.
Let me take you back to the village.
The lieutenant colonel went to prison.
But my dad is still dead.
I don't need your help.
And I won't thank you.
I'll go back to school.
After a year and a half, I'll be in the third grade.
And Zhen will be released from jail then.
I want to resume my study until I finish my third year.
You were caught by the Military Police with a pilot
in the hotel.
You've broken the school rules.
I can't have you back here.
You must leave.
The school doesn't welcome you.
May God forgive you.
Qian-yi.
She's back.
I'm here to take 513 with me.
Don't give it to her!
Do you want to take 513 back to school?
Yes.
Then why do you still have your bag with you?
Where are you going?
I'm going back to Zhejiang.
After a year and a half, I'll come back for Zhen.
And that's when he gets out.
Your dad killed himself
because of my husband, don't you remember that?
You have no family left.
Qing.
Allow me and my husband to make amends to you, okay?
Tomorrow...
I'll take you to see my husband tomorrow.
If it's still not enough to appease you for him being in prison,
and if you're not willing to give me a chance,
I won't blame you.
You can go wherever you want after that.
Qing.
I'm the lady now, I'll help you.
I'll clean up Bai's house and let you settle in.
This has nothing to do with Qian-yi.
Can you pretend you don't know her from now on?
Don't go.
What will Zhen feel if he gets out and can't find you?
Lady Qin.
Does the lieutenant colonel feel guilty?
That's why I took him to turn himself in.
Lady Qin, you aren't trying to make amends.
You're still being selfish.
All you think about is the lieutenant colonel.
You worry that he might suffer the agonies of guilt in prison.
You worry that he couldn't eat and sleep.
That's why you want me to visit him.
You want me to make him feel better.
How could you say that, Qing?
You're right.
Go as you please.
That's enough. What are you doing that for?
Give it to me.
Stop, let go.
The day at the train station,
I was selfish.
I wanted to run with my husband.
But suddenly, I saw a girl standing there.
She was all alone.
Then, I thought to myself.
You must have been just like that when you came to Nanjing.
Then I seemed to confuse her with you.
I thought, because of my husband,
she had no family left.
She was sitting there by herself.
She couldn't get on the train.
So I told my husband,
we couldn't let her sit there forever.
We should let her know what justice is
even though we couldn't bring her dad back to life.
We gave her a ticket.
We couldn't leave her with no direction and nowhere to go.
So I got off the train with my husband.
I was selfish.
I thought if my husband went to prison, she might forgive us.
Besides,
I owed that girl.
But I didn't even give her a paper-cut of the word "happiness."
I wanted to pay back
everything I owed her.
Qing.
Wei-cheng and I
are really sorry.
I know that's not enough.
But at least let me find a place for you.
Go visit them some other day. We're under the curfew today.
Look, there is no one on the street.
Who says we're living in a peaceful time?
No, they've never been in jail before.
Qing should visit Wei-cheng and Zhen.
Right.
Seeing Wei-cheng in jail may make you feel better.
Maybe I should send Zhi-jian to prison as well, so that I can feel better.
It would be much easier to live without men.
-What's your name? -My name is A-niu.
When did they change the guards? He's just a boy.
Reporting, sir.
WEI-CHENG JIANG
LIEUTENANT COLONEL, ZHI-JIAN SHAO
-Gong. -Yes.
-Did they declare a curfew again? -Yes.
Lady Qin said she wants to visit the captain.
You should drive her there. Be careful.
Okay.
Military maneuvers?
We'll fight against the 9th Wing.
Military maneuvers are only carried out before a war.
Yes.
I'm the captain.
Hello, sir.
Zhi-jian.
I've been trying to get through.
I kept telling them that I want to find the vice-captain.
I forgot that you're the captain now.
Have you seen the official papers?
Yes.
Wei-cheng Jiang is not here.
But since you've got the new planes,
I don't think you'd do worse than Wei-cheng would do.
Go easy on us.
Sir.
Captain, this is the chief's call.
Go ahead.
Hello, Chief.
The switchboard operator told me that there is no vice-captain.
I then realized that you're the captain now, Zhi-jian.
Many people make the same mistake.
Prepare to fight against the 9th Wing.
I won't let you down.
Zhi-jian.
Find some time to visit Wei-cheng.
He was my superior.
Of course, I'll visit him after the maneuvers.
Visit him now.
You've been updated with the new planes.
If you lose,
that will be a disgrace.
Do you get what I mean?
Go visit Wei-cheng now.
Ask for his opinion.
After all, you were just a combat officer.
Do you understand?
Yes, Chief.
WEI-CHENG JIANG
Leave this here.
If I could be half as good as him,
I would be really happy.
Let's go, I will visit him with Lady Qin together.
Okay.
Stand upright!
Don't you know me?
"Hello"?
Well, hello to you!
I'm the lady!
Hold your gun!
Hold it now and shoulder it in war.
I can be your platoon leader.
Zhi-jian, where did the old guards go?
How could they replace them with a boy?
I asked him. He's just 16.
They were all transferred to their regiment headquarters,
waiting to be deployed.
Lady Qin, Qing, let's go.
-Okay. -Why are you going with them?
We're fighting the 9th Wing in a maneuver.
The chief asked me to visit Lieutenant Colonel
and consult him about the strategies.
The curfew and now the military maneuvers?
Fine, you should visit Wei-cheng.
It will be a disgrace if you lose to the 9th Wing with the new planes.
Zhi-jian, you should go back to the base.
You're the captain now.
You don't need anyone else's opinion.
He must go.
It's not auspicious to lose the first battle after he became the captain.
Gong.
Lady Qin.
Come to the front, you can have your seat back.
I won't lose.
Please tell the lieutenant colonel
that I'll visit him after I defeat the 9th Wing.
I'm going back to the base to train the pilots.
Gong, drive.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND SHOW REPENTANCE.
KNOW YOURSELF AND BEHAVE.
Qing.
Pick up, hurry.
Qing, pick up the phone.
Qian-yi.
I'm so happy to see you.
Qing.
Sorry.
I'm done.
Sir.
How long do you have to stay in there?
On the wall, they write "take responsibility."
Didn't you see it?
Sir.
Thank you, sir!
I always keep it.
It's always in my flight jacket.
I asked the chief to get it for me.
On this piece of paper
are the names of the members of the 11th Wing.
Those who I led out to fly with me
but didn't bring back.
They were killed because of me.
I've written your dad's name on it.
Did I spell it right?
If your dad appears in my dream,
I want to call his name and apologize to him.
To be honest,
I don't want to be in prison for your dad.
If I weren't married,
an eye for an eye.
I wouldn't mind if they shot me dead.
Seven years
is nothing compared to what I've done.
I've taken out
my dad's name.
You don't have to remember him.
It took seven years
to clear his name
would suffice.
When you get out,
Lady Qin will be old.
Don't make any trouble inside.
Take care of the lieutenant colonel.
Lady Qin and I will be waiting for you in the village.
Qing.
The lieutenant colonel and I
would like to thank you.
Qing.
Don't worry.
He got in here later than me.
My number is 726 and his is 727.
I'm his senior in here.
Don't worry.
You too, Lady Qin. Don't worry.
I've asked the marines to look after him.
Hurry, 726 and 727. Your time's up.
Take care of yourself.
So do you.
You should go now.
-Know yourself and behave! -Know yourself and behave!
Go.
Lady Qin.
Why do I get a feeling that a storm is coming?
It doesn't matter.
We'll just wait in the village for them to come out.
Willows buffeting in the wind
Of the morning clean air
As the sound of the engines
Went by
Spring's scenery was beautiful
Beyond description
If I were to be a swallow
Then you would be an eagle
Flying thousands of miles
Across the mountains with ease
We met under
Such a fortuitous occasion
But the passion for flight
Reign supreme
Never waste
The youth
Oh, the nail.
Better.
The roar of the planes
Makes the Earth tremble
I help you
Prepare for the war
-Qian-yi. -Remember my love
Take care of yourself
-Lady Qin and Madam Zhou. -My heart is yours wherever you go
I can't sleep, damn it. Let's play all night long.
Where did you put your wedding photos?
I plan to take another one when Wei-cheng gets out in seven years.
They won't be so handsome when they get out.
He's handsome to me as long as he doesn't wear the military uniform.
Zhi-jian always looks goofy no matter what he wears.
Qing, have you given a thought about
how your life would be in jail if she didn't come back?
In my hometown, I saw women who got out of jail.
They picked all kinds of bad habits.
They smoke and even drink.
I can't imagine you like that.
Didn't you say you would take me in?
Call me Lady Zhou now.
Didn't you say that you will build terrace houses
for the three of us, so that we can be neighbors.
Excuse me, I'm going to take that back.
The house will be only for Qian-yi and me.
Why?
You will be the boss if you get out of the jail.
Do you expect me to wait on you?
No way.
But maybe we should go and see a fortune-teller someday.
To see if we can be together for the rest of our lives.
Well, now that the pilots are in jail,
it's actually pretty good for us.
Life without them is very peaceful.
Perhaps I should send Zhi-jian to jail too.
The captain, combat officer and leader of the 1st Squadron
of the 11th Wing could get reunited.
Maybe they can start a gang in there,
have fun by themselves and leave us alone.
A-shui Wang?
What kind of a name is that?
These are the visitor slips of today. I asked the officer to give them to me.
They are useless after the visiting,
but we can use them to play chess.
On the slips are the names of the women who came today.
Compared to their wives' names,
the names of our wives are much more sophisticated.
Qing Zhu.
Qian-yi.
It's my turn.
I'll take your pawn.
-What is it? -It's Zhu.
It's mine.
Where is Qing?
-Where is it? -Here.
Qing Zhu.
-This is mine. -Captain, here's Qian.
And Yi.
That's not fair.
My wife's name has two characters.
But your wife's name has three.
You've taken three of my pawns.
It's natural that the name
of the squadron leader's wife is shorter than the captain's wife.
Seven years to go.
You can leave now 513.
Here.
You are not in the 11th Wing, you are 726 now.
Right.
But that's weird. Who would get out of prison in the middle of the night?
Sir, don't we still have two years to serve?
You're released early for good behavior.
Where do I go after I get out?
Go back to your unit.
Your platoon leader is waiting outside.
Don't ask about anything else.
-Don't you want to leave? -Thank you, sir.
-Captain. -Yes?
Have you thought about where you'll go after you get out?
I have.
I'll take my wife to her hometown after I get out.
I studied surveying and mapping in college.
Maybe I can find a job in the surveying and mapping team there.
But being in the surveying and mapping team is like being in the air force.
I have to travel around the country.
If so,
then what about Lady Qin?
She always wanted to teach
though she didn't graduate from college.
After we get to Zhejiang,
it won't be so hard to find an elementary school where she can teach.
She can find someone to arrange that in her hometown.
I'm sure about that.
My family was doing a freight business.
When I was little,
I traveled with the truck across the country.
Just like an air force man.
-Lieutenant Colonel. -Yes.
How about this?
After we get out, we put our money together
and build a duplex.
Build it for Qing and Lady Qin.
Then you can go to your surveying and mapping team.
And I can be a truck driver.
Isn't that selfish?
We finally quit flying and get released, but we'll still leave them alone?
They won't be alone.
They will take care of each other.
And it will be the same for us.
We can go wherever we want.
Like we did in the air force.
When we get home,
they will all be there, waiting for us.
And life just goes on like that.
Do you remember what my wife used to say?
Yes.
As time goes by, everything will be fine.
Wait for me.
I'll leave together with you.
Seven years.
I'm sorry.
Of the morning clean air
As the sound of the engines
That night,
I had the most peaceful sleep of my life.
Lady Qin, my mom and Qing
were all by my side.
I listened to the saccharine song from the radio.
And I suddenly remembered
what Gong told me.
He said that the poison gas the Japanese used in the war
would make people smell a sweet scent
before they feel the pain.
I asked Gong if he had smelt that.
He said
that those who had smelt that
died before the war was over.
This is the Nanjing Police Station.
Starting from today, if you want to go out after eight o'clock,
you must carry your identity card for the police check.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Starting from today,
if you want to go out after eight o'clock
-I want to hold a feast. -you must carry your identity card.
-for the police check. -A wedding feast.
-Thank you for your cooperation. -But Zhen is in prison.
Qing.
Qian-yi and I got married because we had to.
We were at war.
We didn't know what might happen later when they fly,
so we got married without any planning.
But Zhen is in prison now, he can't fly away.
You can take the time to plan it together when he is released.
I can't wait that long.
Who knows what will happen after a year and a half?
I only know the two of you in Nanjing.
I hope you can help me
with my first wedding.
Priest Gretchen said we're not good sisters to you.
-Then I will order the catering myself. -Hey.
You've already made up your mind.
There's nothing we can say.
No bride will book the catering herself.
That's right.
The bride's family should do that.
Lady Qin, nobody books this early.
Not a year in advance.
It's not that early.
You said nobody has booked yet, so we will be the first.
Hello, sir.
Goodness.
Hello, the new lady.
Hello, captain of the loser 9th Wing.
It was an honorable defeat.
I just had a rough fight with the 11th Wing that Zhi-jian led.
It felt so good to watch them flying their new planes up and down
in front of our old planes.
You flew the old planes, it's quite understandable that you lost.
Zhi-jian is very gentle.
He must have gone easy on you.
Just to spare you some dignity.
-Do you think so? -Of course.
Tonight, we're going to have a celebration dinner.
-Prepare four tables. -Okay.
It was an honorable defeat for him.
Zhi-jian is my junior.
It's understandable for a junior to lose to his senior.
Zhi-jian is not as good a leader as Wei-cheng.
Today, I took out three squadrons of his wing in the sky.
Like you said, as a senior, I did spare my junior some dignity.
I let go of his plane and his 1st Squadron.
Otherwise, the 11th Wing would have been disgracefully annihilated.
The chief saw it all.
Our new planes were defeated and the chief saw it?
How could that happen?
That's very bad.
Prepare the dishes.
Remember, I want nine dishes on each table tonight.
Don't do that!
Being the lady doesn't mean you can be unreasonable.
Prepare the eleven dishes for the 11th Wing first.
Send them to the village tomorrow.
Chief, Captain.
Your plane was the only one that survived the siege.
The others were all subjugated, right?
If so, sign the maneuvers report.
-Gong. -Yes?
Give me my seal.
Well, sir.
You just took over.
Your seal hasn't been made yet.
Forget it.
Chief.
I want to compete again.
I'll give them strict training this time.
Listen to me.
The problem isn't with the training.
It's with the morale.
With all the new planes and new weapons, you were supposed to win the competition.
But you guys got demolished. That's very bad for the morale.
Trust me.
Training can't fix that.
Comrades are as good as their leader.
Have you visited Wei-cheng?
I haven't, sir.
I understand why you haven't.
To tell you the truth,
every captain needs a combat officer like you.
You always follow your leader's orders.
After the leader locates the target, he will lead the soldiers to attack.
And you have to make sure everything goes well until he returns.
Zhi-jian.
You were the best combat officer I ever had.
Trust me. I mean it.
Sit.
Are they gathered together?
They're gathered in the classroom, waiting for your lecture.
The 11th Wing was defeated.
And my seal hasn't been made.
If the seal had the words,
Captain, Lieutenant Colonel Wei-cheng Jiang,
perhaps you would take it more seriously.
Vice-Captain, I didn't mean to disrespect you.
It's all my fault.
I'll have it made immediately.
Hey!
You just called me Vice-Captain.
Dismiss them.
I have no right to lecture them.
Their grievances against me are legitimate.
Give them a day off.
Make yourself at home.
Have some more to drink and eat.
Lady Qin.
You got it wrong.
Wei-xun is in charge of the village now.
Here.
Not so bad, little wife.
Go clean up the kitchen.
I'll call you when I need you.
Don't be so afraid.
I didn't cook the dishes, I ordered them from the New Society Club.
Let's eat.
You can't go back to the base with an empty stomach.
-Gang Wang. -Yes, Lady Zhou.
Eat more, you are going to get married.
But I'm warning you,
don't disturb my sleep on your wedding night.
Lady Zhou.
Maybe we should let them sleep in a hotel on their wedding night.
No way.
The police may check the hotel.
What if he gets nervous, and finishes before he even starts?
He would hold that against me for the rest of his life.
Is that right, Qing?
I don't know what you're talking about.
That's right. That's how we should be.
Losing a competition is nothing.
It happens. Don't take it too seriously.
We can work harder next time.
Zhi-jian just became captain.
You guys should support him with other squadron leaders.
He's more reasonable than Wei-cheng.
He'll listen to you.
He's unlike Wei-cheng, who always punished and scolded people.
The captain should have his own opinion.
He doesn't need to listen to us.
So do you like it better before?
Do you want the captain to be a dictator?
Really?
I don't think so.
I heard that the late vice-captain was very good at poker.
Xu-hui?
How do you know that? You've never worked with him.
I heard it from the seniors.
Back then, when the lieutenant colonel got angry and grounded the unit,
the late vice-captain would go see them.
He would play poker with them and talk to them.
Then everything would be fine after he talked to them.
So what you're saying is,
my late husband is better than my new husband.
To be honest,
I don't think Zhi-jian is that good.
He's a knucklehead who only knows about combat plans.
He should go to prison
with Wei-cheng and Zhen, so he could understand how the world works.
He would know how to rise to the occasion after he gets out.
Right?
He probably has finished working now. Let me call him to come home.
He just became the captain.
And I just became the lady.
We are a family now, let's get together and have some fun.
There is no need for this, Lady Zhou. We are full, please excuse us.
But...
If I move into the captain's residence,
can I become a proper lady?
It's natural to feel this way.
Qing.
Box up the food they didn't touch.
I'll bring it to Zhi-jian.
Okay, Lady Zhou.
Goodness.
Only she knows how to pretend.
Qian-yi.
They said,
my late husband is better than the new one.
Should I be happy or sad?
It's Lieutenant Colonel.
-The officer came to visit. -The officer came to visit.
-Know yourself and behave. -Know yourself and behave.
Hello, sir!
Thanks, sir.
Thank you for visiting me.
A maneuvers report?
Captain, this is my combat plan.
Can you check it for me?
Captain.
Our new planes were defeated by the 9th Wing.
Zhi-jian.
I'm in prison now.
This is no longer my concern.
Then why did everybody tell me to visit you
and ask for your opinion?
I can't even have my seal made.
I'm so ashamed to admit that we lost to the 9th Wing with our new planes.
I must find the problem.
Captain.
What was wrong with my combat plan?
Zhi-jian.
You are the captain now.
You don't need anyone else to tell you what went wrong.
Let me talk to him.
Vice-Captain, listen to me...
I'm the captain now.
The captain!
Fighting a war is what my ex-husband and Wei-cheng are good at.
You are just a combat officer! Are you happy now?
How could you look down on me?
If you disobey orders, you will be killed on the spot.
-What does your instinct say? -The war is coming.
Isn't this fine?
I don't want to be like in the past.
Did you go on your honeymoon too?
We mistreated them.
We'll take care of your wedding, okay?
No, we won't.
If you plan to overthrow your superior, I'll kill you.
Hurry!
Subtitle translation by Chang Jing