I want you guys to find out
if MiG15's are based in Shanghai.
If anything happens,
I'll come over to your place.
I don't want to return to the village.
I don't want to wait for the hearse.
Get up, Zhao-jun.
I was shot.
I couldn't hear Lieutenant Colonel's voice anymore.
BASED ON PAI HSIEN-YUNG'S WORK A GREAT LITERARY FIGURE OF TAIWAN
Did he...
Did he say anything at the end?
He...
He told me to leave him.
He told me to run.
Thank you.
For being with Zhi-jian at his last moment.
I get it now.
The lieutenant colonel didn't keep his word.
He said we'd come back together.
But he tried to look cool and shoot down the jet.
Go ahead and blame me.
I want to go back to the airstrip. I want to fly.
I want to look for the lieutenant colonel. Let me go!
Zhao-jun.
It's better to hear it from you
because I don't want some stranger in a hearse to come to my house.
Hello, Chief.
RENAI EAST VILLAGE
Have you found it?
Which one is the lieutenant colonel's house?
Are you trying to wake up the whole village?
Find it right now.
Qian-yi.
It has been a while.
Sorry, I came at this hour.
Where is Wei-xun?
What a bastard!
-Stop it, Wei-xun. -You're useless!
Calm down, Wei-xun.
You sent them to Shanghai!
-Get out of here. -Wei-xun.
-Please stop, Wei-xun. -Get out!
-Wei-xun! -Leave!
I can't do this anymore. I want to retire. Jeez.
Let's go.
Don't ever come to my house again!
Lady Zhou, why don't you go to Taipei?
We'll take care of Mo-ting.
We'll prepare her meals every day.
The lieutenant colonel was saved by the warship.
The angels were looking out for him.
Pack the things for the 2nd squadron leader and send it to Taipei.
He was shot down while they were on a covert mission.
He's dead.
Why wasn't it the lieutenant colonel?
Go keep her company.
I drifted at sea for a while.
I saw a light.
I only realized it was an American warship when it came closer.
Did the Americans ask you anything?
Yes.
But I told them I had to see my superior first.
You should've told them everything.
They refused to give us the parts of the old planes.
We asked for new airplanes, but they ignored.
Now the enemy has acquired MiG15.
How will they respond now?
Zhi-jian.
All right. Leave.
Let them talk.
What do you expect me to do?
How many times do I have to be a widow?
I'm old now.
I can't remarry easily.
I'll have to marry a ghost. I'm going to remarry...
The wedding needs to happen soon.
The finance department has an event next week.
The overseas Chinese will be back.
The Communist Party published an article
saying that they shot down one of our planes.
I thought I'd be able to marry a celebrity
for my second marriage.
The wife of the 2nd squadron leader is quite pretty.
She is also a college graduate.
We need to maintain the morale of the military, the people
and the Chinese overseas.
No one from the Air Force was shot down.
Nobody died while on duty.
The 2nd Squadron leader,
Air Force lieutenant, Zhao-jun Gu, returns with glory.
The hero marries his lover. We'll shatter any opposition propaganda.
Is this how you replace a dead guy?
How about Zhao-jun Gu, who was originally from the 1st Squadron?
Don't worry about that.
Listen. Remember this from now on.
You, Zhao-jun Gu,
has always been the 2nd Squadron leader ever since the 11th Wing was restructured.
You plan to marry your fiancée very soon.
Sign the paper.
Think about the bigger picture.
We don't even know if the leader's fiancée is willing to remarry.
You're a soldier. You will follow orders.
As a family member, she will do what's best for the country.
Just sign it.
There will be reporters attending your wedding.
You better play your part properly.
If you get your lines wrong,
all of us will get thrown in jail.
The country will not lie.
You got two merit points for completing the mission.
Remember to wear this medal on the big day.
I shouldn't have joked about it.
I was telling the squadron leader that day,
"Lend me your wife and I'll lend you my airplane."
Lieutenant Colonel.
I think I am the person who has married the most in the whole Air Force.
My love life is a mess.
Lieutenant Colonel.
Just like you said,
I have a home now.
The country arranged it for me.
Ma'am, I've told you many times.
You can't attend the wedding. I'll pass you the pension later on.
I've lost my only son.
-That's my daughter-in-law. -No, ma'am.
That's the Air Force's daughter-in-law. Come now, send her off.
That's my daughter-in-law.
All right. Enough crying.
The headquarters will add Ling-yun's name into the martyr's shrine.
You can visit him. Just not publicly.
Once this blows over in a few years,
you can get a divorce, okay?
Taiwan, the base of reunification,
is just as described in the textbooks
a treasure island.
I helped cut out happiness stickers two times in one month
at the village.
Both times,
the groom was the pilot, Zhao-jun.
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
The year the 11th Wing went on a scouting mission for the MiG15,
I attended a formal party.
It was at the New Life Club.
The chief said to view the party as another battlefield.
Remember, Mo-ting.
If any reporter asks, tell them that you're in high school.
You're the class monitor, a team leader and a model student.
Do you understand?
And you. Let me hear your script.
Where did you graduate before joining the school?
Beiyi Girls' High School.
What a fool.
You forgot, again?
Acting is similar to a battle.
If you forget your lines again you'll be confined to quarters.
Wei-xun, we're going to be late. Hurry!
The children of the Air Force
were asked to present flowers at Zhao-jun's wedding.
Jiao-fei and I didn't really pass muster so we had to lie.
As long as we made it sound convincing,
people would believe it.
Lady Zhou, it's been seven days. Ling-yun hasn't come into my dreams.
-What if he isn't dead? -He's dead.
His name is already in the martyr's shrine.
The spirits won't come near you on your big day.
Okay? Let's go now.
WEDDING CEREMONY OF AN AIR FORCE HERO, NEMESIS OF THE MIGS
Don't make me dance later.
Don't cry.
You may kiss the bride. Go on.
Chief, let's not make it any harder for them.
The two of you are like dead meat.
Kiss the bride!
Kiss her.
Zhao-jun, just do it.
Think of him as Ling-yun. Bear with it. It will be over soon. Go on.
-Another round of applause? -Yes.
Promise me that we'll get a divorce once this blows over.
I won't make you suffer.
-Great. -That's good!
Awesome.
The representatives from the unit will make a toast.
For a happy marriage of the hero and his wife.
A happy marriage!
Today is a happy day for the 11th Wing. My wife and I will lead the dance.
Hey.
The newlyweds should give a speech first.
No need for a speech. The Air Force doesn't need that.
Let's dance.
Poor girl.
She has to act at her first dance party.
-She's drunk. -What?
Hey.
Come and help.
Hey, someone come and help.
-Careful. -Take care of her.
I'd like to have a dance with Lady Zhou.
Sure.
You were so kind to me when you visited me at the hospital.
Goodness, you're crazy.
You've drunk too much.
She asked me to promise her
that we'll get a divorce later.
I've been married twice.
No one seems to want me.
-The wine is so bitter. -Bitter?
I'll drink with you, okay?
I can't do this anymore. Let's go.
Hey!
You need to present the flowers first, children of the Air Force.
Now you're a model student at Sheng Girls' High School.
You're a team leader.
I don't want to be from Sheng Girls' High School.
And I don't want to be a team leader.
Okay, I'll respect your opinions.
I'll get the office to rewrite the news article.
Let's say that Mo-ting Shao
is a student at Shier High School's night division.
Does that please you?
Starting tomorrow, you'll go to class at night.
Your mom will wait for you at home
because your dad will be sent out to the islands.
Okay? Come here.
Let me remind you of your script.
Since you were young, you have dreamed of being a pilot serving the country.
You wish to learn from the Air Force. Repeat that.
Chief, I want to go back to the school.
We need practice with the glider.
You really don't know your place.
If it wasn't an emergency,
you wouldn't even be standing next to Mo-ting.
You've got ahead of yourself. Do you know who her father is?
You don't like the script?
Okay, then let's go with the truth.
Introduce yourself on stage, "Hello, I am Jiao-fei.
My dad is a sergeant who works at the hangar.
He's a good-for-nothing gambler.
He embezzled money from the administration fund."
People say, "like father, like son."
I've been locked up in a cell for gambling myself.
Which version do you like better?
Should I send someone to check your father's accounts?
What a brat.
You'll present the flowers with him on the stage.
The more, the merrier, you know?
Let's welcome the newlyweds on stage once more
to receive flowers from the representatives
of Sheng Girls' High School.
Let's take some photos.
Go on.
Take more photos.
The airplane is leaving this afternoon. I'll go back to Arizona with you.
I was lying.
I know you've got a wife in the States.
We'll go our separate ways once we get there.
Wedding Ceremony of an Air Force Hero, Nemesis of the MiGs.
Mo-ting is going to transfer from Shier Girls' to Sheng Girls'?
Haven't you read the papers?
The children of the Air Force are outstanding.
Mo-ting has never attended the Shier Girls' High School.
You've never met her.
WEDDING LEAVE, MO-TING SHAO
I want to become a major.
Does anyone here know Mo-ting?
No, we don't.
WELCOME THE U.S. MILITARY ADVISORY PANEL
You're the village head now.
-You don't need me here. -Hey.
My English is not good.
I can't handle the conversations.
Zhi-jian warned me not to say anything.
Why isn't he here then?
He's at the airstrip.
He said that's where the real battle is,
not this little guerrilla skirmish here.
Hello, Chief.
Let's go to the airstrip.
Why don't we have a chat over there?
How many MiGs are there in Shanghai?
How many Sabers are you going to sell to us?
We don't really care about all that.
We just wait for them at home.
We don't care.
We just stay home.
Finding good neighbors is the reason why we move, right?
Allow me to sing a song for all my new and old friends.
It's "A Touch of Green in Dongshan."
A touch of green in Dongshan
A touch of green at Xishan
Youth and maiden attracted enchanted
Handsome boy we're made for each other
This morning the flowers bloom
Tomorrow their petals blow away
Where they fly nobody knows
Handsome boy pick the flower now
Let's have a toast to all the pilots of the heroic unit.
I heard from the American that you're a graduate of Jinling Girls' College.
Did they not teach you about patriotism in school?
The pilots nowadays seem to be of lower quality than before.
Jinling Girls' College is a foreign school.
They talk about individualism before nationalism.
After this drink, let's go back to my place.
I want to see how good you are.
How good?
All the pilots I slept with are dead.
If you're not scared you're welcome to try me.
Let's go.
We'll go to your squadron leader's dorm.
It sure took you a long time to come and say hello.
You were the one who ignored us.
I tried looking for you everywhere.
Qing.
Take a seat.
It looks like you're not going to return to the village.
Nobody knows me there.
I can't go back.
And I don't want to go back.
Zhao-jun has been looking for you.
I saw in the paper that he has married.
I'm sure he has moved on.
I wish him a happy marriage.
That's all just an act.
He sure convinced everyone.
I still have to sing.
We'll catch up another time.
Let's go.
Roses are blooming everywhere
The scent of youth surrounds us
Who are you looking for? Which house?
The 1st Squadron leader of the 11th Wing, Mr. Guo.
There is no pilot surnamed Guo in the 11th Wing.
How about Lady Qin?
There is only the village head by the name of Zhou here.
Please leave.
This village doesn't allow outsiders to go in.
Outsiders?
I was once locked inside this village
and not allowed to leave.
Now, I'm kept out.
How much is five minus one?
She used to reply.
"Five minus one equals three."
It seems her math has improved.
Let's go.
Are your three friends here?
Who said they're friends?
They're not.
Wait.
Come back tomorrow and pass this to the village head.
My three friends know who I am.
Enjoy.
Come, Mo-ting.
Help me.
Help yourselves. I'll go and grab the poker cards.
Let's play the Bridge.
It's okay. I don't know the game.
How about mahjong?
We know that better.
Sure. I have the tiles. I haven't played for a while.
I've almost forgotten it. Hold on.
Bring the chest here.
We can see it better.
You're grown up now.
Look at me.
I'm in trouble.
I don't know which face to put forward.
Is American time slower?
My mom is still the same.
Those are the earrings Lady Qin gave you in Nanjing.
I kept only these.
I threw away the rest.
You're not going back to the village.
What are your future plans?
I'm going to the States with John.
Are you going to marry an American?
Don't go that far.
It's fine if you don't return.
At least stay here so we can see you.
I wasn't planning on marrying.
He has a wife in the States.
Are you his mistress?
All married men have girlfriends.
Everyone fools around to fulfill their needs.
The foreigners function differently, I suppose.
Qian-yi.
Look at how old she's gotten.
Why would anybody be interested?
You aren't that much older than me, Madam Zhou.
Vice-Captain Shao is a year younger than you.
That didn't stop you two from having fun.
I got the Hu.
Did you forget the rules?
Give it back.
Why should I?
The times have changed.
I suggested we play poker just now
so you wouldn't lose so quickly.
What is this?
Sit over here.
Someone's taking care of you now.
Wei-xun and I are in no position to give any advice.
If you really go to the States be sure to write.
Forget it. I'll burn it if she does.
I didn't say I'd write.
The chest is right there.
Take a good look and see if you can still recognize yourself.
Cold food and bad manners. I can't take this.
I'm leaving.
The earrings were a present from Lady Qin, right?
You said the times have changed so give them back.
-I gave her that. -Not you.
The lady of the village gave them.
I'm the lady right now.
Back then when I got her out of the police station,
I wondered.
I wondered how she'd be if she could sing, drink and smoke.
Today, I've seen it all.
-Are we still going to tell Zhao-jun? -No.
That fake wife of his is better than Qing. At least, she cries.
I want you two to take a good look!
Look, is this the 2nd squadron leader or an actor?
Kuomintang Pilot Saved from Sea.
Growing Doubts about Government.
Reporting, sir.
I'm unable to confirm.
The Central People's Radio is now broadcasting to Taiwan.
Now we present a few words from Kuomintang Air Force
Second Squadron commander Comrade Ling-yun Zhang.
I'm the 2nd Squadron leader of the 11th Wing, Ling-yun Zhang.
I was shot down during a mission ordered by the Kuomintang.
The people of China saved me.
They're kind and warm.
I've been reunited with my family.
The Kuomintang forced my wife to remarry.
They're lying to the public.
He should have killed himself.
How could he spread lies and propaganda for the opposition?
I'm sure he had no choice as a prisoner of war.
His fiancée is still here.
I've become an international joke.
Can I get a divorce now?
Divorce?
Go ahead.
This is the divorce papers. Sign your name, right now.
By the way, get Wei-xun to kick that woman out of the village.
Her husband is a national traitor.
Chief.
I'll get her to break all contact with Ling-yun.
We don't have to go this far.
If she has no respect for the rules She's no longer a dependent.
She won't be allowed to stay in the village.
Don't worry. The government will take care of her.
The Military Police will provide her three meals
as long as she reports her whereabouts, what she ate and who she met.
Why would she report to them when she's no longer family?
Once a family, always a family.
You'll need a long time to start over.
I pity her.
Give her a chance.
Chief.
Ling-yun is only one person. My wife and I are two persons.
If he makes any noise,
the two of us will go on the radio and spread our own story.
That's right.
When the story gets old, people will lose interest.
Nobody will care if it's the truth or not.
This is what I can do for her.
Go to the radio station.
If she can act and convince everyone,
I will let her report to the Military Police.
Thank you, Chief.
-Zhi-jian. -Yes.
Someone from the unit is a traitor.
A terrible storm is coming.
Take down the photo.
I want a divorce.
That's right. Ling-yun Zhang betrayed the country.
Go on and get a divorce.
I want to divorce Zhao-jun. I won't do the recording.
Zhao.
If you get a divorce, you'll be kicked out of the village.
I don't want to stay here.
It's like a prison. I might as well be dead.
Give me the divorce papers. I want a divorce!
The higher-ups want to investigate the unit.
Every personnel will be interviewed.
The chief worries about your safety.
Your resignation from the aviation company
has been approved.
Your secondment with the 11th Wing
ends here.
Let's move out soon.
You're no longer a soldier.
We can't stay in the village anymore.
It's okay, Lady Qin.
The chief has called the family registry office.
They won't investigate Renai East Village.
Otherwise, they can't explain what happened to Ling-yun and his wife.
Does this person exist or not? Do you know?
The chief even invited you over to play mahjong.
The chief has helped us a lot.
Since he helped us, we should do our part too.
Don't go to his house.
You're right. I'm not in a position to go.
I've had enough of being an Air Force officer.
Flying, ground crew, I've done it all.
You've become a teacher yourself.
We've come full circle.
Such cold-hearted people. Nobody is here to say goodbye.
But I'm here.
Let's go.
My mom wants to invite you for a drink tonight.
Does she really want me for a drink?
She's worried about you being sad
over your divorce.
What the hell?
If I have to pretend to be married again,
you'll be the bride.
You won't divorce me, right?
Don't get drunk tonight.
My mom invited you for a drink
because she wanted to tell you that we found Qing.
I've been married twice.
Is she
still single?
I've finally found you.
But I'm too late again.
Not at all.
You're an old friend.
He's a new friend.
I heard you got married.
I saw it in the papers.
It was arranged by the higher-ups.
Your new friend would've heard.
We're divorced.
It was just an act.
Let me add some ice cubes. It's too strong.
It's better to get a divorce.
If you're going to waste your youth waste it on the right person.
How about wasting my youth on you?
You're the only one among the old friends
who did not get angry seeing me like this.
Lady Qin and Madam Zhou should really learn from a trainee like you.
Since we're wasting away our youth, there's no point in being angry.
How about this?
Are you going to be angry?
I'm currently the 1st Squadron leader of the 11th Wing.
I'm a lieutenant.
I'm no longer a clueless trainee.
I know how to behave.
More.
It's already reserved for my new friend.
This is all the old friend is getting.
My boyfriend is coming home soon. We're having a party.
I'm going to go and change. My boyfriend will be back any minute.
I was going to tell you
what Zhen's last words to you were.
Well...
You can tell me later.
Was what he said very important?
It's no longer important.
Have fun with your new friend.
Wait.
Wait!
That's not important either.
Help me get rid of it.
CENTRAL AVIATION COMMITTEE THE 11TH WING, ZHEN GUO
Here's a pass for you.
Hang on to it.
Security at this place is tight.
You're welcome to come and play.
Play?
I've played enough.
I got married to one and lost another.
I was forced to remarry and get another divorce.
I finally meet the one I like, but all she wants is to play.
I should've just died in Shanghai.
Why did you burn all these things?
What a waste.
What are you doing?
-We can't keep the chair. -What?
Hey, the 2nd Squadron leader is a traitor,
but the furniture at their house has nothing to do with that.
Medicine for sale!
Cold and flu. Bad blood circulation.
-You can't sell medicine here. -Leave.
-Wait. -No.
-Leave. -Let me stay at the entrance.
I'll just take a look from here.
It's fine. Let him be.
-Don't be too strict. -Go away.
All right.
-Do you sell medicine? -Goodness.
I came to the wrong place again.
Look at this lady here, so pretty and healthy, with a great body.
You wouldn't need any sort of medicine.
Without saying, you must be the lieutenant colonel's wife.
-Enough of that. Listen to me. -Okay.
The officers are all away.
-Yes. -Only the ladies are here.
-You can only sell from the outside. -Of course.
You know what?
My master used to be an Air Force officer too.
He was a lieutenant colonel too.
-Really? -Yes.
-You've come to the right place then. -Yes?
We've got two of them in this village.
-No entering the houses, okay? -I won't.
Wei-xun left this for us.
She said the 2nd squadron leader's fiancée was from Zhangzhou,
-She had an eye for wood. -Medicine for sale!
-There is no 2nd squadron leader here. -Flu and cold!
Bad blood circulation!
Yes.
Sir, ma'am, any medicine for you?
My master used to be a lieutenant colonel too.
It's okay. We're part of the ground staff.
What a coincidence.
A distant relative of mine is also a ground staff.
Ma'am.
I'm Chang-gui.
Chang-gui.
Thank you.
-Sit. -It's nice that
you're not a lieutenant colonel anymore. You have time to be with her.
Did you say that my uncle sold the house?
Yes.
He sold the land too and sent away all the servants.
But he hasn't sold the house that belongs to you.
The old master said
that he'd never sell your things no matter how hard it got.
He kept the land deed.
Our house is still there.
Yes.
I'm sure it will be okay for you both to go back and live there.
How about my uncle?
He went to Hong Kong with Bao-ping.
He said Bao-ping is still young.
He probably wouldn't survive being on the run.
Bao-ping wrote back a few years ago.
He said they were doing some business in Hong Kong
and things were going well.
After that, I lost contact with them.
Wei-cheng.
We still have my uncle, if there's no place for us to go.
Chang-gui, why don't you stay for dinner?
I'll cook.
I'm sorry to trouble you.
Do you have more?
It's the end of the month.
We could ask Zhi-jian.
Lady Qin, don't worry about it.
I left some great medicine for you.
They're all Japanese products and cost a lot if you buy it elsewhere.
-Are you away without leave again? -No.
The party leave runs until the day after tomorrow.
Thank you.
It's us.
Wedding Ceremony of an Air Force Hero, Nemesis of the MiGs
It's fake.
They're fake, but we're not.
STUDENT ON DUTY, MO-TING SHAO
Because Ms. Zhao refused to cut all ties with the squadron leader, Ling-yun,
she was called a traitor
and it caused a chain reaction amongst the public.
-A new house sign. -Uncle Jiang lost his job
so he helped out at the village administration office.
Renai East Village became the first village with house signs
so the chief wouldn't go to the wrong house
when notifying a family member of a death.
Get down and go home.
Qing wanted me to take her around the village.
-Mo-ting, I'll take you out tomorrow. -She had a great time that day.
Go. Hurry and leave.
The chain reaction brought about unexpected results.
Zhao-jun, who wasn't a great actor, was fine.
He took a one-month break.
Mo-ting Shao.
Congratulations.
Sixty-eight points.
-Jiao-fei did a pretty good job -Thank you, sir.
teaching me math.
I guess by now,
he should be enjoying his freedom on his glider.
Now he's become a ghost.
How can he possibly rest now?
Zhen Guo no longer has a place in your heart.
A trash heap in Dongbei.
Uncle.
I'd like to go with you this time.
You're helping him send a letter?
We're forever connected to them.
Madam Zhou swallowed her pride,
and found the person she least wanted to see.
Whose letter is that?
Well...
Hurry!
Subtitle translation by Jacqueline Wong