Zhi-jian!
I came to the horizon.
You're a big liar!
They are still across the sea.
What should we do?
We'll fight back one day.
BASED ON PAI HSIEN-YUNG'S WORK A GREAT LITERARY FIGURE OF TAIWAN
THE WORLD IS EQUALLY SHARED BY ALL
1954, TAOYUAN SHIER GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL
For this class,
Chahar
is my hometown.
One day, I'll be back.
And when the time comes,
I'll invite everyone to my house.
Mo-ting.
Come here.
Show me Heilongjiang and Songhuajiang.
Your mom is from Liaobei.
It's just next to Chahar.
We're considered fellow townsmen.
You must try harder.
Your dad is the lieutenant colonel.
You must study at Sheng Girls' High School.
You can't be in Shier Girls' High.
In the history books, whichever dynasty didn't fight back
all perished in the end.
Remember this.
Good.
All right.
This song.
Though I've sung it many times.
It's a music lesson.
But everyone likes it.
So I'll sing it again.
My home is in Dongbei
On the Songhua River
There are
My fellow countrymen
-And my -Today, you're on duty.
Old parents
September 18
Ever since
That miserable day
Back then,
the map of China was already complete
in the geography textbooks.
The teacher spoke with an accent.
But, he was very emotional
when he talked about the mainland.
Sometimes, he cried.
Sometimes, he was furious.
I don't think my days are any different from then.
It's because I'm still staying at Renai East Village.
Taiwan's Renai East Village.
When can I get back
My endless treasure
My mother my father
My mother my father...
Mr. Wang.
Useless!
Our youth gave up everything to enlist in the Army.
What was it for?
Hey, Sheng High School is having a party near their school.
-Do you want to go? -At what time?
It's 10 p.m.
Won't the instructor be looking for us?
The roll call will finish by 9:30 p.m. The school will be empty by then.
-We'll climb out from the back. -Let's go.
Come on, let's go.
Hurry.
Mo-ting.
Will you still be staying in the dorm?
I'll look into it.
You can't use your dad's stamp anymore.
Only your mom's stamp works.
If not, your mom will scold the instructor again.
You're staying here because it's far from home.
Sheng Girls' High is just next to your house.
When you took your exam back in junior high,
why didn't you make an effort?
Hey. Do you want to go?
I don't think I can.
Then,
let's go for a movie.
It's tough to go out with you. You say "no" most of the time.
-Let's walk faster. -I'm looking for Mo-ting.
If not, I can't go home, sir.
SHIER GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL
Hello, everyone.
I just moved into your village.
When I went out to buy stuff, the guards changed shift.
They wouldn't let me in because they didn't know me,
Only the village chief's daughter can help me.
Just find my mom
or the other ladies.
There's no one at the village.
All of them are at the Women's Federation.
But we're going to the movies.
Well,
I'll follow you to the movies. After that, you'll bring me home.
I can buy the military discount ticket.
Okay, you can take her out then.
She always watches movies in the village.
She has never been to the cinema.
After that, you can send her home.
No.
You should bring her to the botanical garden.
She hasn't even been there yet.
Okay.
-Goodbye, sir. -Goodbye.
-How do we go to the garden? -Goodbye, sir.
Goodbye, sir!
If we're not going to the movies, I'll take you to the garden.
What are we going to do there?
It's so dark in there.
Don't be afraid. I'll be by your side.
I'm afraid because you're with me.
Hey.
Do you have a pen pal?
I used to.
I won't disturb you then.
I went to the bookstore just now
and met a group of nursing school girls.
Even though I can't get the girls from the Air Force Academy,
the girls from nursing school want to be my pen pals.
Class A, sophomore.
Aren't their grades quite bad?
Okay, I guess. I mean you're at Shier Girls' High, too.
Actually, Shier Girls' High is better than Sheng Girl's High.
Students from Sheng Girls' High are dull. So, it's hard to have fun with them.
I don't intend to have fun with you.
Sheng Girls' High students only mingle with those from Sheng Girl's High.
You're not from Sheng Girl's High. How would you know?
Are you from Sheng High?
I used to study at Beiyi Girls' High.
-You... -Who do you think you are?
Damn.
Chase after me. Don't touch her.
Let's fight at the botanical garden.
I've never seen a female village chief.
Mrs. Shao, you're amazing.
Your dad was transferred to the engine plant.
Yes, he was transferred from the repair workshop.
That means you're following in your dad's footsteps.
Airplane maintenance is good.
I'm not ground crew.
I'm studying aviation in the Air Force Academy.
You can do maintenance for the 11th Wing.
It's nearby your house.
Your child is very cute.
Go take the food coupon.
Use a pen to write the date.
Wait for a while.
Mom!
Uncle Gu, wake up!
Stop sleeping in my room.
My room reeks of aircraft oil.
I just finished combat readiness.
I don't have anywhere else to go.
Reporting, sir! I just moved in.
I'm taking my residence permit.
Are you blind?
I'll give you the residence permit tonight.
Okay.
Dry these out.
They're sticking together because they're wet.
What about the Sheng High teacher that my dad introduced you?
Gong said she went to find you at the airport.
If she's a student, I'll consider it.
If she's a teacher, forget it.
I'm going back to the airport.
Call me when it's time to eat.
Ladies,
It's time for ration distribution.
Go take your dependent certificate.
-Mrs. Wang. -Thank you.
My friend is having a dance party tonight.
No way.
Nonsense.
If you want, we'll organize one.
You've been saying that since I graduated from junior high.
But you never organized any.
That's because I thought you would get into Sheng Girls' High.
You want a party for getting into Shier Girl's High.
Aren't you ashamed?
I wanted to hit you at that time.
Your father is the lieutenant colonel.
Shier Girl's High.
I need to keep a close watch.
Brat.
You don't even care.
You didn't even notice the people in our house.
Who?
It's Uncle Gu.
He went into my room.
Zhao-jun!
He left.
I heard that marriage is going to be banned in the Army.
He's even promoted to the vice-captain.
Yet, he's alone without a wife and a house.
Mrs. Shao, my sister's working in the Ministry of National Defense.
She said the marriage ban will be effective next month.
Really?
Zhao-jun from the 11th Wing and Ying from our village.
It'll be too late if they don't get married now.
Please wait for a while. Let her go first.
Ying, come here.
I'm sorry, thank you.
He doesn't have a fever today.
That's great.
Ying.
I heard that the marriage ban will be imposed soon.
I feel like you and Zhao-jun...
Mo-ting, answer the phone.
It's okay, I'll go.
Ying's still young.
Zhao-jun and Ying will look good together.
It must be done.
The lieutenant colonel and Zhao-jun scrambled their planes.
Go to the airport.
Call me as soon as they land.
-Hurry. -Okay.
I'll take you there.
Shier girl!
I want to go too.
Don't you want your wife? Do you want to be transferred?
Once you're in the enemy's territory,
don't keep the same flying pattern for more than ten seconds.
Do you think banking is enough?
Do you think all of the anti-aircraft fire will miss?
I drew fire on myself for you.
Lieutenant Colonel!
By the time I arrived, you had bombed all of the fishing boats.
Dinner at my place tonight.
I have good news.
Okay.
Lieutenant Colonel!
I have a gift for you.
I'll come over after I clean up.
Sure.
Tell the second vice-captain to cover my duties.
-Dismissed! -Yes, sir!
Hey, what are you doing?
Help me repair the aircraft.
Repair it yourself.
My mom said
that the marriage ban will be imposed soon.
She also talked about Ying.
What about Ying?
What about you?
We learn to fly at school.
So, you're not a ground crew.
I'm from the Air Force Academy
and not from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
We learn how to fly the glider at school.
-The glider? -Full gasket set, please.
Hey.
How can a blind person be a pilot?
Is the radiator broken?
Yes.
Right, our gliders have radiators too.
Gliders?
They don't even have engines.
Okay, Mo-ting.
Try to start the engine.
Start the engine.
Check the rudder.
Check the flap.
Great.
Lieutenant Colonel.
My junior from recon team went on a mission to Sichuan.
I told him to print another one.
There.
My house was on the hillside.
I remember my days in flight school.
If I flew 30 minutes northwest I could see my house.
I would circle a few times around the village.
I wanted to see if my mom would come out
to see that her son is in the Air Force
as a pilot.
After that,
I went home during the holiday.
I heard my neighbor said
that every time I flew back,
my mom would hide inside the house.
She wouldn't look.
She didn't want her son to be a pilot.
Zhao-jun.
Thank you.
Hey. This is confidential stuff.
Don't get Zhao-jun in trouble.
Zhao-jun.
I received notice from the headquarters.
You passed the test for training in America.
-Really? -Yes!
Congratulations.
I want to burn the photo.
Come and help me.
What happened?
Are you okay?
It was about some fishing boats gathered at Xiamen.
Lieutenant Colonel and I went there and bombed them.
What about your child?
My child is sleeping at home.
I'm off duty tomorrow.
I'll drive your child around.
I heard the marriage ban will be implemented soon.
You should hurry if you want to go to America.
Let's wait until he returns from America.
The marriage ban will be implemented by then.
Let's wait.
So, we wait until he's 28 years old to marry him off?
Ying will be old by then.
A woman can only wait so long.
Go back.
You should go home.
I'm staying.
Do you dare to tell her that you don't want to marry me?
Where are you going?
Finish your meal before leaving.
Ying. I'm the village chief now.
The marriage ban will be implemented soon.
You need someone to take care of your child.
I've discussed with Lieutenant Colonel.
It's up to Zhao-jun.
A woman has her pride.
The more you drag things out,
the harder it is to develop feelings in the future.
Take it.
Take it to Ying!
Brainless.
Zhao-jun.
Every semester, your captain and I have to find the headmaster at her school.
It's because Ying never graduated from college.
I'm worried she won't be employed again.
We can't just let any outsider take care of her.
There's no news about Qing at all.
Do you...
Do you still have her in your heart?
Just take care of the people in front of you.
If not, you can marry Ying when you're 28 years old.
You could wait, but I can't.
I can't wait too.
-I don't want to teach anymore. -That's great.
I'm moving out.
Your child is sick.
How are you going to survive?
The medical fees alone will crush you.
You don't even know if the child can grow up normally.
My child isn't a bargaining chip.
I don't like Zhao-jun.
You eventually will!
I'm like that with Zhi-jian too.
He never thought of Mo-ting as a bargaining chip.
I'm different. I can't develop feelings that easily.
My child has a fever. I'm going home.
This month,
I'll publish another missing person notice.
If we really find Qing,
I'll let go of this matter.
She can move out. and you can go to America.
But if we can't find her, you two must get married.
Don't even think of leaving.
Okay.
Let's wait until we publish that notice. Okay?
Enough, we're doing combat training tomorrow.
What combat?
Dependents aren't being taken care of.
-That's why we lost the war! -Hey!
Watch your mouth.
Madam Zhou, my kid's unconscious. I can't wake him up.
Zhao-jun, get the car.
-Go. -Send the child to the hospital!
Hurry!
Madam Zhou paid the registration and medical fee.
How's the child?
As usual, the doctor can't find the cause.
The focus is on bringing down his fever.
Thank you.
You can leave now.
She wants me to stay with you until he's discharged.
Do as you wish.
Go to America, don't marry me.
Even if you want to, I'll refuse.
I don't like you.
I remind you of Qing, right?
Okay.
Even if I want to be with you, someone else is on your mind.
How can we get married?
I try my best to do what was entrusted to me by others.
Zhen told me to find her.
You were the first to report for duty when they organized the 11th Wing.
You even used Zhen's plane, 513.
I'm a widow with a sick child.
It's good enough if you visit us. Nobody's forcing you to marry.
If you really marry me,
your life is doomed.
You can't go far
in life.
Just like a cargo plane.
Wobbly
and unstable,
it slowly lands.
Ying's child has regained consciousness.
Yes.
Zhao-jun is with Ying at the hospital.
Everything's fine.
I left the dorm request form
on Mom's dressing table.
Your mom isn't in a good mood recently
because of Ying's marriage.
She insists
that I write a marriage application for Zhao-jun and Ying.
Does that mean I can't live in the school dorm?
You didn't want to go to Sheng Girls' High when you were taking the entrance exam.
You handed in a blank paper for math.
And you went to study at Shier Girls' High.
Your mom was furious.
I wasn't good at math anyway.
You're right.
It's the genes.
Your mom wasn't good at math either.
I told her you grew up in the village,
so you wanted to see the outside world.
It's normal if you feel like leaving this village.
It's great that you didn't study there.
If not, you'd only be socializing with the people you already knew.
You won't meet new people and make new friends.
Mom said a lieutenant colonel's daughter shouldn't study at Shier Girl's High.
It's shameful.
It all depends on what you do in the future and not what you do now.
Back then, I was just a vice-captain.
Your mom disliked that fact.
You'll leave the village eventually.
You'll get into college, graduate and get married.
You'll be far away from home.
Take care of your mom while you can.
You are the only daughter to her.
Do you really want to stay at school?
All right.
Just like the last time, I'll stamp it.
I'll try to talk things out with your mom later.
Okay.
About the stamp.
Mom is...
She's difficult, right?
She is.
Cute and difficult.
After I stamp the papers,
I'll have to stay at the base.
Here.
I'll give you your pocket money first.
Carry some money when you go out.
A girl should buy a few things
to make herself pretty.
After you stamp the papers, you won't dare to go back, right?
I was just kidding.
I won't stay in the school dorm.
You have a math class tomorrow, right?
You can take a day off tomorrow.
Stay in my office.
Go back after school ends.
Just don't let your mom know.
It's okay.
Call me if you really can't take it. Okay?
Tomorrow,
remember to publish the missing person notice.
This will be the last time.
Aren't we going to find Lady Qin and Qing?
Every end of the month,
your father and I guess
where they are now.
Maybe they can't even afford to buy a newspaper.
We wait for their news every month.
And we get disappointed every single time.
Enough, let's not talk about it.
Hey.
I can't find my two friends. Can't you keep me company?
I didn't let you stay in the school dorm. Stop acting weird.
One day, I'll hit you.
sin squared plus cos squared equals what?
You scored 29.
You still have two years.
Even if I double the score, it's only 58.
It's not even a pass.
How are you going to get into college?
You're the Captain's daughter.
Do you want to work in a factory?
And if you did, you couldn't even count your own salary.
Go back to your seat.
Thank you, sir.
Xue-yi Chen.
Sheng-fen Xu.
Ping-you Cheng.
-You got a 70. -Hey.
Why didn't you ask your dad to get a vacation for you?
It's okay.
He's a Lieutenant Colonel.
But, he has to speak humbly to the teacher and instructor here.
Mo-ting Shao.
I heard your dad was promoted to a Lieutenant Colonel.
Sir.
He was promoted last year.
Goodness.
A Lieutenant Colonel's daughter only got a 29 for her math.
Come over here!
Mr. Li.
Mo-ting Shao.
Your dad has requested leave for you.
If we get this kind of score in school, we'll be thrown back to the mainland.
Hey.
Don't use dad's name next time.
I didn't. I called from the guard house. I said I'm calling from 11th Wing.
Your instructor was shocked.
Listen carefully, here's a tip.
Sin plus cos equals two shirts and pants.
It's Taiwanese.
Sin is like sai that's shirt, cos is like ko that's pants.
When they're added together, you'll get two shirts and pants.
Sin, cos.
Two shirts and pants.
Did he hit you?
Sorry, I was late.
Does it still hurt?
Another tip.
Before he hits, rub your left hand with a pain-relief salve then spit on it.
I'm just demonstrating.
Rub your hands together with the saliva on your left hand
until your hands are red.
So, when you get hit...
It won't hurt anymore.
I mean it will. It's not the Boxer Rebellion,
as if you're invincible.
If not, we would've taken back the mainland.
Of course, it'll hurt a little.
If it doesn't, then you're doomed.
The teacher will hit your calf.
Girls use this trick at school.
Did you really study at Beiyi Girls' High?
My classmates are having a party nearby.
Do you want to go?
I need to go to the newspaper office first
to publish the missing person notice.
Let's go then.
Do you want to go dance?
No.
It's not appropriate if I leave you alone here.
The missing person notice...
Are those to find the owners of the two boxes in your house?
My two godmothers.
Mom said she's not going to publish it anymore after this month.
Hey.
They will show up when you don't think about them.
When it's fated,
even if they are far away,
they will come.
See, I used to live in Taipei.
What's the connection with you living in Taipei?
It was just a random thought.
I only saw two names on your dependent certificate.
My mom passed away.
I'm sorry.
It's nothing. She passed away when I was small.
I don't really remember her.
So, you really studied at Beiyi Girls' High.
You're still asking about that.
The one from Beier Girls' High, come here.
You studied at Beier Girls' High.
Jiao-fei studied at Beiyi Girls' High.
Hey. Don't talk about my embarrassing past.
Lianhe Junior High School
is divided into Beiyi Girls' High and Beier Girls' High.
When I took my graduation certificate,
I really wanted to burn it.
I was the only guy in the whole class.
When I got into Air Force Academy, all the girls were crying.
Studying in an all-girls school made me traumatized.
Nonsense!
Do you still remember?
Our first day.
My goodness, that was traumatizing.
On our first day, we had to introduce ourselves and sing our school anthem.
I wanted to die and Da-gou wanted to bite off his tongue.
The first sentence for Beiyi Girls' High's anthem
was "the only girl school."
I even sang it. I volunteered to drill.
The drill instructor rejected and asked Da-gou to sing.
Da-gou really sang.
Da-gou, sing it for us.
We are the good girls of China
-We are on a mission in this New Era -Stop.
After he finished, our instructor was speechless.
We were exempted from drill training the next day.
The drill instructor ordered us outside.
We took off our shirts, tied up some grass and did a hula dance.
Honestly, we need to eliminate that instructor if we really go to war.
We can negotiate about Gong, but not the instructor.
Right, I heard you know how to repair airplanes.
Yes, she's really good. She knows how to start the engine.
She can be our instructor.
Attention!
Salute!
You idiots! You'll learn it if you see it all the time.
Why aren't you dancing?
Didn't you say she never attends parties?
So, you wanted to make a big one for her.
What?
You're the one who organized it. I didn't do anything.
Go dance. Take care of your girl.
Go!
Do you want to dance? I can dance with you.
You grew up in the village.
All those pilots could fly far away,
while you could only wait at the airport.
You didn't have a chance to have fun.
Hurry. If not, I'll go home.
Spot check!
Guys to the right. Girls to the left.
Are those your classmates?
Are you dumb? A policeman can't be so short.
-Why are they here? -I think this is their territory.
Don't worry, I brought people.
Wait, don't scare the girls. Let them be.
Do you want? The three of us?
No?
Fine. Forget it.
May I have the honor?
Do you understand international etiquette?
Watch your words!
You can't beat the Army.
-Let's go. -How do you know?
I saw it when I was a kid.
Who's the leader here?
Is it you?
Or you?
So, it's you.
Like combat training.
If you lose, get out.
Let us prepare then.
Okay.
Do you have a handkerchief?
I'll help you cover up.
Combat trainer, you've seen this before, right?
-Be gentle with the girls. -Hey.
Don't act rashly. You could kill someone.
Let's have a duel if you dare.
Duel?
I'm telling you to be gentle! Who wants a duel?
Let's go.
Run!
There!
Are you from the Army?
Where did you get tear gas?
I run errands for the armory office.
I never even asked her for a dance.
How could you pop off like that?
Next time, I'll let the Military Police handle you.
You don't have military ethics.
Push-ups, now!
One.
It would be shameful for a lieutenant colonel's daughter
to be captured by the Military Police.
I went to the newspaper office.
I followed him after I bumped into him coincidentally.
You've published it for so many years.
If there's no news, then stop it.
I'll publish it again next month.
There's no need.
You don't have to listen to my mom.
Ying needs someone to take care of her.
But who will take care of her
is a different matter.
You'll be my bridesmaid for my wedding.
I'll ask you for a dance.
Can you promise?
What about the training in America?
Aren't you going?
Useless!
I'll go on patrol.
I'll fly to Nanjing.
Let's see if I can find Qing.
He left.
Aren't you going home?
I'll wait for him to land.
It's awesome to be a pilot.
He's getting married.
Why isn't he happy?
The bride's first husband
was a pilot too.
He was my friend when I was young.
A handover.
There was a case like that in my village back then.
After that, the lady disappeared.
-Disappeared? -Yes.
The pilot who married her
already had a girlfriend.
After she realized it, she left.
The pilot moved away, too.
I heard the lady went out and worked.
Whenever we asked about her, we'd get scolded.
The lady was really nice.
Back then,
she'd put a lot of candies at home for us to take.
No way.
A pilot's wife can't work in a factory.
She worked in a bar.
-Wei-cheng. Stow the equipment. -All right.
All right.
He's having a seizure again.
Chen, bring him to the medic.
I've dreamed before.
But I've never been to Wonderland.
Wei-cheng.
It's me.
Commander's here.
You had a seizure again today.
I'm used to it.
Wei-cheng.
It's me.
Commander, we're coming.
Commander, pardon me.
Please come in.
Hello, Commander!
Please come in.
Commander, your gun is heavy.
It must be difficult to eat. Let me keep it for you.
That's the Commander's gun.
You're just a corporal.
Don't put them together.
You're right.
I'll put it on the table.
Wei-cheng.
-Yes. -Where did you come from?
I escaped from Yingkou in Dongbei.
When I came to Taiwan, everyone was scattered.
I couldn't find anyone.
The Fifty-Two Army has so many soldiers.
Didn't you meet any of them?
If we want to find them, we can.
Everyone's trying hard to survive.
It's not nice to disturb them.
Wei-cheng.
You're staying in the Army Village.
But you don't look at all like one.
Ma'am.
You don't look like an army officer's wife.
I still have matters to attend to.
Come back to base after your meal.
-Meet me at my office. -Yes.
I'll distribute your discharge pay.
I'll raise your rank
so you can retire as a sergeant.
I'm sorry.
We can't keep you.
Thank you, Commander!
Even the Army doesn't want me now.
Getting a raise is a great news.
More good news will come.
Don't overthink.
When you come back,
I'll cook more for you.
I'll go back to base.
BORROW AND LEND
SEARCHING FOR QIAN-YI AND QING ZHU
The Women's Federation said more houses will be built.
That's right. Zhao-jun and Ying will get one unit.
Hello.
Is Wei-xun there?
I am, who am I speaking to?
Who am I speaking to?
Wei-xun.
Qian-yi.
Qian-yi!
We're building new houses, Qian-yi!
Mo-ting Shao.
You got a 29 on the exam.
And a 19 on the quiz.
Thank you, sir.
Doesn't it hurt?
Did you soak your hands in medication?
It really doesn't hurt.
It does.
But,
it doesn't hurt as much as before.
Mo-ting Shao.
Come here.
Sir, you just hit me.
I did that because I want you to get into college.
Let me ask you.
Do you want to go America?
To study aboard for your master's degree.
No.
If you don't, then get on up here. I'll make you want it!
Come here!
Mo-ting Shao!
They found Lady Qin.
I'm telling you on behalf of the village chief.
Don't run away!
Did my parents say when they will come back?
They took the train.
It might be right away or later.
Mo-ting. Ying is moving out, but your mom isn't around.
Go to the hangar and tell Zhao-jun to come here.
-It's quite far. -Run now!
This village is more tiring than the military school.
Wait outside.
Mo-ting.
Look at the paper cutting your mom made for us.
What a mess.
This is my last chance.
I'm going to curse anyone who comes in.
I'll put this paper cutting at your house next time.
I won't curse you.
I want to see you get married.
I'll attend your marriage wherever it may be.
You don't have to marry Zhao-jun
after my mom brings Lady Qin home,
and let's see if there's news about Qing.
Where else can you go if you leave now?
If there's no news about Qing,
are you going to be my bridesmaid?
Zhi-jian.
Wei-cheng is going to Jinmen alone. Do you know that?
If he doesn't leave today, he'll leave tomorrow.
I want to marry too.
I'm always one step behind.
Nobody wants me.
You're like an airport,
waiting for the pilots to return.
Just take a look at Wei-cheng now.
How can he fly?
I always speak my mind.
Don't you know me?
I've known you for too long.
I've forgotten who I am.
Hurry!
Subtitle translation by Michelle