I mean...
You don't need to be so delicate with these.
They only care about the content, not the form.
You're the hostess. You should be the center of attention.
-You need to be confident. -Fine, you're in charge.
I'm fine with it if you're not annoyed.
-How's married life treating you? -What do you mean?
I mean married life as a whole.
Some parts are good, but some are not.
Are there more good parts than bad ones?
Fifty-fifty.
Now you're being unfair.
You've rated your marriage poorly.
I was being honest.
Would you rather hear lies?
Look how satisfied you are.
You were lying anyway.
Who was lying?
Your... your wife.
Were you lying?
What did you lie about?
I lied about my happy marriage.
That wasn't a lie. It was the complete truth.
See? Your trick didn't work.
You two work well together.
We are a great team.
I'm the team leader.
Fine, I'll always... follow your lead.
What if I lead you in the wrong direction?
How could you be wrong?
-What if I were? -I'd still follow you.
I'll follow your lead.
-Unbutton it for me. -Find somewhere private.
Where are the apples?
Excuse me.
-Congratulations! -Congratulations!
Wow, this is amazing!
-It's like a castle. -Make yourself at home.
-Very fancy. -Of course, he is a capitalist,
not like traditional landowners.
-Don't be ridiculous. -It's very tidy and well-decorated.
-Jiang, you didn't do that, did you? -Guo, have some water.
I thought you said I do everything at home.
You didn't do something like this.
It's not manual labor, it's brain labor.
Both manual and brain labor require labor.
Whose labor is responsible for this, then?
-Sure. -Your wife, right?
I thought you said she was a rich girl who lives off the labor of others.
Obviously she can't do anything.
Don't be so loud. What if your wife hears that?
Ding, he has betrayed you in front of his wife.
You've betrayed your friend.
Man, own up. Don't be a coward.
A coward? I'm not scared of a rich girl from the capitalist class.
I just feel bad about eating her food.
-You haven't had anything yet. -You don't have to eat it.
You are free to leave.
-That's right, Ding, you can leave. -You can leave.
You can't get rid of someone like me that easily.
The food is ready. Are you ready to eat?
Okay... we can eat now. Hurry up.
Okay.
Here, Guo. Have some water.
Jiang... were you being serious?
You're not blind and you saw that.
Were you both acting? Was that just a show?
What a great deal for you.
A free meal and a show.
You'll be exhausted.
Here, make the table and get ready to eat.
-Stop starting at me and hurry up. -Let's make the table.
We should drink more today.
-Here, drink some more. -This is fantastic.
-Can we eat yet? -These are much more than appetizers.
-It's like the New Year's Eve dinner. -It's beautiful.
-Don't eat it then, just look at it. -Cut the crap.
Let's make a toast to Jiang.
Here's to their long and happy marriage.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
-Wait, wait, wait.
It sounds nice, but there's a small problem.
What's the problem?
We can have a glass...
but Jiang looks annoyingly happy. He shouldn't just drink one glass.
-Right, he shouldn't. -He needs to drink two.
-I think it should be more than two. -Here,
we'll drink one and he can have two.
Two symbolizes a couple.
-He's right. -Right, right, right.
No, it's like the unequal treaty.
-I can't do that. -Comrade Jiang.
It was a unanimous vote. That's the principle of our organization,
-right? -Right, right.
Two glasses.
It looks like the groom is getting drunk again.
You have a pretty sharp memory.
Why can't you have a little faith in him?
Take this out.
Excuse me.
Hey, get us two more cold dishes.
Okay, I'll prepare them right away.
What the...
-Enjoy. -Jiang Defu.
You are amazing.
Indeed.
We thought you'd be your wife's slave at home.
But it looks like you are in charge here.
It's unbelievable. What a lucky man.
Men from Shandong are always in charge.
What's so funny? What? You don't think so?
I do, I really do.
What wonderful acting, huh?
-You are a great actor. -Am I really?
-Do you really think I was acting? -Weren't you?
Something wrong with your eyes?
I have 20/20 vision. I think she was just following your lead.
You can't hide anything from me.
Look at my wife. Does she look like she would follow my lead?
-No, she doesn't. -Exactly.
Do you think she would act just because I told her to?
Women like her care about the big picture, especially at the key moments.
She'd definitely follow your lead and act well.
Didn't you see that? Her acting was wonderful.
Okay, I'll start preparing right now.
Fine.
You can repay good with evil.
Okay, our good comrade.
Drink this, and take off your mask. It must have been awkward.
-Exactly. -It wasn't awkward.
-See? He just admitted it. -Drink, good comrade.
Let's eat, let's eat.
Cold dishes.
I wasn't sure how you like them.
They're great. Thank you very much.
They are really good, really good.
-They are better than any restaurant food. -Right, they look and taste good.
Really? I'm so glad to hear it.
Doesn't Mr. Ding have anything to say?
I heard you from the kitchen.
Now you are being all quiet. Is there anything you want to tell me?
I'm not being quiet. Why would I have anything to tell you?
Great. You’re welcome to come over anytime.
That I can do, but I'm not against you by any means.
It's okay if you are. If you feel bad telling me in person,
you can say it behind my back. Someone will let me know.
Enjoy your wine. Call me if you need anything.
That was such a sassy message.
Gosh, that was tiring.
I had to act like a humble maid. What kind of life is this?
The life of revolution and happiness.
Look how scared Ding was. He was petrified.
He was really shocked.
You shouldn't laugh. A sassy wife like that
will make you cry one day.
We'll see, but I want to laugh when I can.
-Let's drink. -Let's start another round.
Another round, another round.
-Jiang. -Yes?
Tell us what you've learned about marriage.
What was that?
What have you learned about marriage?
-Right. -Tell us, tell us.
-Tell us. -Tell us.
I'm not telling you.
-Come on, come on. -Come on.
-Tell us. -Really?
What do you want to know? My first marriage... or the second one?
-Both, both. -Both of them.
Fine. Listen up.
My wife... is... a city person.
-Right. -Right? A city person?
-We know she is from the city. -And she is a city beauty.
Being a city beauty wasn’t a big deal.
She eventually became my wife.
You're awake.
Feeling unwell?
Why did you drink so much?
You were the only person who got drunk.
Of course I was drunk, it was my wedding.
Your wedding?
You shouldn't have told them everything.
They were having way too much fun.
-What did I say? -You don't remember what you said?
I was drunk. Of course I don't remember what I said.
You told them everything.
Did I tell them about the blood on the bed?
You did.
You even said I make you wash your face, feet and ass daily.
Ding found a nickname for you, "Triple Washer."
Ding.
-Alcohol is bad stuff. -Ding isn't good stuff either.
"Triple Washer"?
BUILD UP POWERFUL ARTILLERY
One, two, three, four.
Great.
-Who's "Triple Washer"? -Jiang.
He has to wash his face, feet and even his ass,
or he can't get into bed.
President Cong.
-Jiang Defu. -Here.
-President. -Where are you going?
-I'm going home. -Don't.
My wife is making dumplings.
-She asked me to invite you over. -Dumplings are good.
Here, have some dumplings.
-Enjoy. -Okay.
-Ma'am, these dumplings are great. -Are they?
Here, one for you.
-Jiang Defu. -Yes?
Why do you look so awkward?
I know you are happily married, but I think you've been over exuberant.
-What do you mean? -You know exactly what I mean.
You are eating... like a scared and quiet cat.
You look miserable. Where have you gotten that from?
The answer is obvious. His wife made him like this.
I've also heard that you are a "Triple Washer."
What do you wash anyway?
It was just a joke.
How could they laugh at you if you didn't embarrass yourself?
"Triple Washer"? What does that mean?
You should ask him.
Jiang Defu, I'm not judging you.
But you kept saying that you would
transform the capitalist class by marrying one of them.
I thought you were a brave hero who would rise to the challenge.
But now it's the opposite. They've transformed you.
It's a loss of face... both for you and the PLA.
Now you've gone way too far.
What about it being a loss of face for the Party?
Right, I forgot to mention that.
-What are you going to do? -I'll work on it. I promise I will.
How?
I'll drink this.
Just one shot?
I'll have two. No, three.
Now you're talking.
A good comrade knows how to fix his own mistakes.
Here, pour some more.
-This is to you. -Okay.
How will you explain to your wife about your garlic breath?
He doesn't need to. He smells like that, whether she likes it or not.
I'm asking him. Don't interrupt.
I'm on his side and I'm teaching him what to do.
Have some more dumplings.
You really like garlic. You are intense.
Honey.
Have you had garlic? You stink.
I don't stink. Whether you like it or not, it's my smell.
Why did you roll your eyes, huh?
Listen, what I just said
didn't just come from my supervisor.
It also came from your supervisor.
-What does that mean? -What does that mean?
You are controlling.
You tell me what to eat. I'm not your cat.
I look miserable. I've humiliated the army and the Party.
Just wait.
-Humiliated who? -The Party and the army.
I've helped you develop sanitary habits. Is that humiliating
-the Party and the army? -Yup.
I really don't get you.
Come on, get up.
Honey, can we talk about it?
Please... don't be so controlling.
You can live your life your way,
and I can live mine my way.
We'll mind our own business.
We are completely different people.
Fine, so leave me alone.
Mind your own business.
But I want to mind yours.
Get off me. You stink.
I'm not in the mood.
What's wrong?
I'm not in the mood for anything.
Am I... pregnant?
What did you say?
Are you pregnant? Really?
How would I know? I'm not a doctor.
-I thought you said you are pregnant. -I felt nauseous.
Does nausea mean you are pregnant?
Don't play innocent. You've been married before.
Why do you always bring that up? I thought we had an agreement.
I've never had kids before. How would I know about pregnancy?
Fine, but this is common knowledge. Your ignorance is nothing to be proud of.
It's nothing to be ashamed of.
You'd be so mad if I knew things like that.
-Why would I? -Okay, okay. Let's be serious.
Are you really pregnant?
What if I am?
Oh my. Then I'm really talented.
You aren't the only talented one.
Right... You are talented as well.
I'm the seeds and you are the soil.
-We are so damn similar. -Watch your language.
Here, here, come here.
Slowly.
-Move your hand. -Huh?
Mind your own business.
Do you think it's a boy or a girl?
You're going way too far. We don't even know if I'm pregnant.
I'm pretty sure you are, and I'm pretty sure...
-About what? -That it's a boy.
You're so predictable.
Congratulations, you're going to be a mom.
Really?
Of course. The result of your urine test is positive.
Thanks.
Guess what?
I know exactly what.
I can tell by your tone.
-Are you sure? -Listen to yourself.
How could I not be sure?
The result of my urine test shows clearly that it was positive.
What was it? Positive?
Does that mean you're pregnant?
You are so dumb. How can you know nothing about anything?
Yes, positive means I'm pregnant.
What? Are you positive as well?
Of course you are. You are the baby's father.
Right, we are both positive.
Jiang, is that you?
What kind of good news makes you sing while urinating?
Of course I need to sing. There's a baby is my urine.
-There's nothing in there but a bad smell. -You don't understand, listen.
My urine... is positive.
Being positive is not good news. That means you've got kidney problems.
Tell you what, I love being married.
No wonder those guys always found excuses to leave the army.
Why was that?
Wives and kids warm men up.
Your sense of smell is amazing.
We had buns for lunch and Ding gave me some garlic.
I felt awkward not taking it in front of everyone.
But I've been drinking tea all afternoon.
Stay away from me. The smell really makes me feel sick.
Seriously?
Okay... I'll give it up for my son.
You care about your unborn child more than me.
I've been asking you not to eat it, now you're giving it up for the kid?
I know I said that...
but I'm doing for you.
Don't be upset. It makes me upset too.
You are a sweet talker.
-And you are a finicky person. -Huh?
What's for dinner?
Liu, give me few minutes.
Why have you come here today?
-Where's the ballbuster? -She went to her parents' house.
Is she feeling better?
Not at all. She can't keep anything down.
I'm very worried.
You have nothing to worry about. All women are like that.
Was your wife's pregnancy like this?
I'm not like you, a man who cares about his wife so much.
My wife isn't a princess like yours. We've got three sons.
They are both human beings.
Your wife is from the capitalist class, and mine is from the working class.
Your wife has a higher social status.
-That's not what I meant. -Then what do you mean?
My wife is a rich girl, so she deserves the nausea.
Your wife came from the working class, and she is fine.
I just feel bad about wasting food. She can't keep anything down.
Let's go.
It's Auntie. Mom, Auntie's here.
-Sister. -Hi.
-Where's your husband? -He's busy.
This is the new sesame oil from our club.
I love everything from your club.
-Your club gets all the good stuff. -Where's my brother?
He's watching the chess game at the cultural center.
He seems relaxed.
I'll tell you something. Ever since you got married,
your brother has been in a good mood. He even likes making friends now.
Has my marriage liberated you? Now you are free and relaxed.
Thanks to you, we can finally feel proud.
We can walk with our heads held high.
My mom said that no one will ever pick on us anymore.
What was that about? Speak carefully in front of children.
I see.
Don't worry about that. We'll be careful.
Have a seat.
Why are you laughing?
I wasn't expecting that your little sister would be the savior.
Our destiny has already been written.
Your little sister looks like a lucky woman.
She looks way luckier than your other sister.
-What's wrong with my other sister? -She is not as lucky.
Speaking of destiny,
the key factor that determines a woman's destiny
is the person she marries.
-Isn't Ouyang a good husband? -He's not bad,
but he's definitely no husband like your little sister's.
That's how women think.
You've been dazzled by the tiny benefits people give you.
Don't talk like that in front of my other sister.
You're right. It feels nice to soak your feet in warm water.
It feels nice.
Isn't it? I told you.
You're right.
What are you reading?
Anna Karenina.
I thought you'd read it already.
What's the point of rereading it?
I don't have anything else to read.
It's still entertaining. It's a masterpiece.
A masterpiece? You should read something written by Chairman Mao.
You're not listening.
Can I read Chairman Mao's book in bed?
I've never seen you reading it anyway.
I don't have time.
I need to work and do all the housework. I'm pregnant too.
Fine, I can never argue with you. Let's sleep.
Why is sleeping the only thing you do in bed?
What else would I do?
-I can't touch you. -You can talk to me.
-Turn off the light first. -Why does the light always need to be off?
How can we talk in the dark?
We talk with our mouths, not our eyes. We need to save electricity. Turn it off.
You are the smart one.
That's right, I'm not like you.
I'm used to the poor life, so I know the virtues of being thrifty.
Don't mention that again. We made a deal.
We won't mention your previous marriage or my upbringing.
Why would you mention it?
Did I say anything about your upbringing?
You did. You implied it.
Nonsense. Fine, it was my fault.
It was my fault, alright? Let's go to bed, go to bed.
Talk to me.
Turn the light off first.
Let's talk.
What do you want to talk about?
Whatever you like, even trivial things.
Why have you stopped going to your parents' house?
I almost forgot to tell you.
My brother-in-law is coming back.
Is that a big deal? Turn the light off.
-Did I act like it's a big deal? -Didn't you?
What does your brother-in-law look like? Is he a good match for your sister?
He looks alright. He's quite handsome.
But I don't like that kind of person.
What kind of person?
Someone who acts like...
he's better than everyone else.
How so?
You'll see when you meet him.
He's pretty annoying.
-Annoying? -Hmm.
Why would your sister marry him, then?
To each their own.
He annoys me, but he is my sister's prince.
You should learn that from your sister.
What should I learn? To treat you like my prince?
No? Huh?
You are annoying.
What are you doing?
No, not now.
Stop it.
What are you looking for?
-You came alone? -What were you expecting? A crowd?
I've worked so hard on my job transfer.
Doesn't your family give their regards? Did you want the whole family to be here?
Thanks. That’s not what I meant...
but at least bring a few more.
My brother is working and my nephew is at school. His mom is making you dumplings.
-Who else is there? -What about An Jie?
She's a big shot now. The Colonel's wife.
Why isn't she here?
An Jie is pregnant.
Really? That was really fast.
Listen, don't talk like this anymore,
especially in front of them.
Especially with Colonel Jiang.
You are making a big deal out of this. "Especially" this and "especially" that.
He's a nobody, huh?
They're nobodies.
What? Are you going to challenge him?
He might be a nobody, but you should still be polite.
Who is this Jiang something anyway?
He won your sister's heart quickly.
Isn't An Jie really picky about guys? I thought she was arrogant.
Everyone can be won over, you just need to know how.
I think... he just gloated over her misfortune.
Watch your language.
Really? Are you that scared?
What you say will inflict trouble on yourself.
-Pedicab. -Here.
I'm back.
-What's this? -An invitation.
From who?
Can't you read?
-"Requite the honor of..." -Request the honor of...
-It's the same thing. -No, it's not.
Fine.
"Request the honor of your presence at lunch at twelve o'clock on Sunday.
At the Boardwalk Restaurant.
Please join us. An Xin, Ouyang..."
Now there's a roadblock.
What roadblock?
His bark's a lot worse than his bite.
Your road has been blocked, hasn't it?
You intellectuals are really quite annoying.
Names are for people to call each other by.
Why would he name himself something like that?
His name is pretty classy.
You see this character, Yi?
It means virtue.
Why doesn't he just call himself "Ou Virtue"?
You're being unreasonable now. Ouyang is his surname.
You can't change your surname.
I don't care what his surname is. I'll call him "Ou."
-Or I can call him "Ou Virtue." -You can just call him "US Imperialist."
You can also punch him.
I know I can. It depends on my mood and how he behaves.
You are so overbearing. Have you washed your hands?
Overbearing? A man should be overbearing.
So can Ouyang Yi be overbearing too? He is also a man.
Of course he can. We can both be overbearing, why not?
Why's the point of the dinner? You two can just have a fight.
I can do that. I've been wanting to fight anyway.
I'm talking about fighting another man, not a war.
What's the difference?
A man and a war are different.
A fight is a fight.
Can't you be more reasonable?
I learned from the best.
Haven't you heard that chickens of a feather flock together?
Birds of a feather flock together.
Right, aren't chickens birds?
Jiang Defu, you are so annoying.
Does my belly look obvious?
Not at all.
Why don't you wear that white suit?
I'd be overdressed. It's not a state dinner.
When will you attend a state dinner?
When will you have the opportunity to wear the white suit?
You're right. The opportunities are rare.
I feel wasteful. It was expensive.
Money isn't the issue. Do you have the courage to wear it?
What's that supposed to mean? It's just a suit.
-Why wouldn't I? -Would you?
Why didn't you wear it at our wedding?
White is not a lucky color for a wedding.
But luck has nothing to do with today. Will you wear it?
Find it and I'll wear it.
Okay.
I really don't get those foreign devils. What's the point of a tie?
It makes you look upright.
-Upright? How? -Mm.
I feel like I'm choking myself.
-Don't make it too tight. I can't breathe. -Okay, not too tight.
Come on.
It looks awful. It looks a red bow for girls.
There you go. You look good.
Don't touch it. That's how it should be.
Are you done?
How do I look? Does Mr. Jiang look alright?
You look good.
What's wrong with you? You look awkward.
I hope no one sees me, especially not Ding.
I hope he does, and that he's impressed.
That'll cause me to suffer.
-Look, it's Ding. -Huh? Where?
-Isn't that him? -Where? Where is he?
It's not him. Look how nervous you are.
Stop messing with my head.
This damn suit is uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Why are you embarrassed? Can't you see how jealous everyone is?
Are they? I can't really tell.
Jesus, it's Ding.
Don't do this again. You're freaking me out.
It's him, look.
God damn it, let's run, let's run.
Stop, stop running. I can't run.
Speak of the devil.
Look at you.
He's not some kind of monster that will eat you alive.
You should walk directly towards him.
Let's see what he can say about you.
Mr. Ding, it's good to see you.
Hi, I've been to buy two books.
-What kind of books? -Chess books.
He'll never be able to beat you at chess then.
I'm not sure about that.
You're being too modest.
Do you think he looks good in this suit?
He looks pretty good.
See, Mr. Ding said you look good. And you said he wouldn't like it.
Mr. Ding is a man of culture. Why wouldn't he like it?
Right, Mr. Ding?
That's right.
Why are you winking?
Were you... plotting against me?
You are full of crap. How can something like this look good?
You intellectuals are all full of crap.
This is ridiculous.
Hey.
You two are so good at acting together.
This way, please.
Brother and Brother-in-law. Nice to see you.
Hi.
Colonel Jiang.
-An Chen, hi. -Uncle, I like your outfit.
My outfit or me?
-I... like them both. -Right.
-You look good in anything. -She's right.
Why did you curl your lip like that? Don't you agree?
What are you talking about? I wasn't curling my lip.
Doesn't he look good in the suit?
He does.
-Brother-in-law? Doesn't he? -Huh?
He does, he does.
Look at yourself. Don't put pressure on others.
-Let's introduce you to each other. -Okay.
This is my husband Ouyang Yi, and this is An Jie's husband, Colonel Jiang.
-Jiang Defu. -Hi, I'm Ouyang Yi.
They all think I have a bad name. It's not classy enough.
-I didn't say that. -Your sister does.
-I thought you'd think so too. -We are different.
Please don't get confused.
You're sisters. How can I not get confused?
Right, Ou?
Don't pinch me. What's wrong with calling him "Ou"?
Ou, do you mind if I call you that?
I don't mind, I don't mind. Call me whatever you like.
See? He doesn't mind. It's not a big deal.
You should call him "Brother-in-law." Don't be so rude.
Or "Ou," it's just a name.
Do you mind if we just call you "An"?
No, not at all. I'm pretty easygoing.
An, let's get ready for lunch.
Right, let’s sit down. Sit down, everyone.
Anyone want some coffee?
I'll have some. Of course I will.
I miss their coffee.
Wow, look how excited you are.
Subtitle translation by Wanyin Tsai