I'm worried about your present, but you're worried about my past.
Don't you think it's funny?
But now, I dislike even my English name.
The biopsy report came out.
Mr. Li suffers from stage two, colorectal cancer.
-What if it made things worse? -What are you doing?
-Stop it. -I'm getting out of here.
I said, stop it.
Dad, no!
-I'm leaving! -No!
I'm leaving!
I wonder if anyone is worthy to be placed
in your heart.
Dr. Li.
My life is in your hands now.
I trust you.
I've been living in your house for over a month.
But I haven't taken a good look at your room.
They no longer matter right now.
Is this how you're going to solve the problem?
I'm postponing my trip back to the States.
Xiu-he.
Min-hsiung.
Why are you still awake?
Did you know?
When I was a kid, if anyone told me that I didn't look anything like my mom
and more like my dad instead,
I would get mad and hide,
so nobody could find me.
Why? It's good to look like your dad.
You can be manly like him.
How handsome.
But my mom would be upset.
To be like her,
I listened to her about everything when I was young.
I had to get straight As.
I had to get first place in any competition.
She even had to approve of my boyfriends first.
Oh, no.
But I've always missed my dad.
Did you know? My dad was such a good storyteller.
He always told me the story of Lady and the Tramp.
He could tell the story like it was a romance between two dogs,
but it is also like a horror story.
Back then, your dad was probably a very romantic man.
Romantic?
I've looked up to him. I've missed him.
But all he thought about was his first love.
How is that fair to my mom?
And my mom was such a poor thing.
Don't think about it like that. It's not that bad.
I'm sure your dad still loves you.
See? The magnetic field in this old house is strange.
-Your dad is here to talk to you. -What?
He didn't betray you.
-Hide! -That's not true.
It's so scary!
Every time we talk about pulses or diagnoses,
we get into a big fight.
Nothing good ever comes out of that.
He'll yell at me and I'll storm off.
Now he's saying that he trusts me.
Does he really trust me?
I think he really does trust me.
This looks nice. Do you want to buy it?
If your dad trusts you, you should believe in yourself, right?
-I'll order one. -Okay.
What about you?
Do you still think that your dad doesn't love you and your family?
When it comes to trust, it is like dew in the morning.
When the sun comes out, it's gone.
Your Chinese has gotten better.
My Chinese has always been all right.
You're very confident.
You should be confident too.
No, I have nothing to be confident about.
I'm not as good as you think.
Taiwanese people are too...
Don't swear!
How do you say "modest" in Chinese?
I'm testing you. Hurry up.
-In Chinese! -Modest!
You haven't finished your wishes yet.
You know nothing about your dad. Stop complaining.
What if your dad named you after his first love?
I've wasted so many years seeing my dad's merits and my mom's flaws.
Ask your mom then.
Ask your mom what that's all about.
What if it really is what it seems like?
What will I do then?
Good!
IF POSSIBLE, I WISH TO PLACE FLOWERS ON YOUR GRAVE.
Good thing you called.
Hurry up and call Sha to come and get some avocados.
We have so many this year.
If they go bad, it'll be such a waste.
But I'm not there.
When are you coming home?
We didn't get any last year, but this year we got a lot.
I almost broke my back harvesting them.
I told you to stop planting them. You don't even eat them.
Your dad planted them. Do you want me to tear up its roots?
Dad say anything about Taiwan?
What do you mean?
The things he would like to do if he comes back to Taiwan.
Who cares about that?
I don't want to know.
His journal and other stuff...
I've packed them up and sent to your grandmother.
I found out that
Dad had ten wishes.
They're all the things he wanted to do in Taiwan.
I want to stay here and fulfill them for him.
Please.
Can't you use more of your left brain?
Stop being controlled by your right brain like your dad.
You're so sentimental, just like your dad.
Get back here!
Why do you want me back?
To work on your career.
You have to come back anyway.
You're just wasting so many days of your life there.
Hong Li-yun.
His wish?
When he found out she was getting married,
I was right next to him.
It's nothing.
Your dad and I got married anyway.
We had you.
And Hank.
Life...
Life isn't all about those old days.
Even if your dad still likes Hong Li-yun,
it's only because we're here in America and can't go home.
It's just a memory.
It's another way of missing home.
Did you go see her?
Yes.
I went there for Dad.
Let me thank you for him.
You did what he couldn't do.
This place was left to my friend by his grandpa.
It used to be a mess.
Nobody was taking care of it.
So, I tidied it up and planted some vegetables.
And I fixed up this old house.
Anyone who needs it can come and get some vegetables.
You can pay for them if you can. If you can't, you can work for it.
DONATE WITH JOY
I guess you could say that.
When people want to be around nature, they can come here.
When your hands touch the earth,
when you breathe in fresh air,
you can forget about many worries in the city.
Competition and stress, it all disappears.
But you set this farm up.
-You planted the vegetables. -Yes.
I told you it was a sharing farm. Money isn't that important.
But your grocery store already doesn't make money.
If you add on this farm...
I'm losing a lot of money.
If you're not making money, your dreams aren't going to last.
You think I don't have a plan, right?
I don't care. As long as I'm happy.
If my mom heard you say that, she would say,
"You can't live on romantic thoughts."
Stop mentioning your mom.
You don't have to be influenced by her that much.
It's important to have dreams.
If you want to do something, give it your best.
Mom, let me help you.
Okay.
Be careful.
Dad, your medicine.
Dad.
Your medicine.
Let me sleep a bit longer.
Just a little longer.
I'll have it later.
All right.
I'll come back later.
SUTRA OF THE BUDDHA OF HEALING AND MEDICINE
Nian-nian.
Faith can move mountains.
Come chant with me.
Here.
Chanting...
Does it really work?
I don't know if it works on your dad,
but at least it makes me calm.
So, it works on me.
Look at you. You got a rash from all the stress.
You should try it.
GATHA OF RELEASING ENMITY
The Buddha of healing and medicine is blue.
Blue means "bruise" in Chinese medicine.
Maybe he wasn't that healthy after all?
Your thoughts are so negative.
Why can't you say that he's blue like the color of the sky?
Right?
Do you remember
when you got terribly sick ten years ago?
I told the Buddha,
even though I didn't give birth to her, Nian-nian is my daughter.
I asked him not to take you away.
So, we should have faith in your dad.
We should have faith in ourselves.
We shouldn't be afraid.
Don't be afraid.
Keep chanting.
Let's transfer merit.
Here.
Nian-nian.
Maybe we should give up on Chinese medicine
and persuade him to get surgery.
Stop scratching.
LI CHUN-SHENG CHURCH
Why are you holding your phone?
Because I'm not a very serious Christian.
And I don't know how to say my prayers in Hokkien.
You...
Fine.
HYMNS
All right, I'm going to start now.
My father in heaven,
-"My father in heaven," -my Lord,
-my God. -"my Lord, my God."
Thank you for bringing me to Taiwan.
"Thank you for bringing me to Taiwan."
So that I could meet Nian-nian and her family.
"So that I could meet Nian-nian and her family."
And so that I could understand more
about my dad's past.
"I could understand more about my dad's past."
Thank you for letting my mom
lead me, this lost lamb...
"Thank you for letting my mom
lead me, this lost lamb..."
...back to you.
"...back to you."
Focus.
My Lord.
"My Lord."
I know that everything happens for a reason.
"I know that everything happens for a reason."
Please protect and take care of Nian-nian and her family.
"Please protect and take care of Nian-nian and her family."
Please reach out with your almighty hand.
"Please reach out with your almighty hand."
-Keep chanting. -Do what you can...
To help Nian-nian's dad regain his health.
We pray to you...
In the name of Jesus Christ.
-Amen. -Amen.
May the three kinds of hindrances be eliminated.
May I gain wisdom and understanding.
May all hindrances caused by sin be removed.
May I always walk the Bodhisattva Way, life after life.
Don't mention it. All I did was pray.
You're my daughter. What can I do?
I owe you from my previous life.
I called Sha this morning.
She and her husband will go get the avocados this weekend.
Give her all of them, okay?
You couldn't tell me earlier?
This is such a relief.
Tian-ming.
Porky said you used to study finance.
How the hell did you calculate this?
Your numbers are negative.
No wonder you can't find an accountant. It's really difficult.
Our electricity got cut off.
How embarrassing.
Sorry, I just remembered the date to pay the bill wrong.
No electricity?
That's good. This saves energy and it's better for the planet.
"This saves energy and it's better for the planet"?
No wonder you aren't making money.
-Is the battery dead again? -You got the wrong date for the bill.
What's in that brain of yours?
Who cares what's in there?
It's so hot today.
But I only have this vegetable fan.
-I'll help you. -Are you hot?
If you're hot, take the day off.
As if that would work.
You...
-You'll go broke soon! -Go broke!
-Do you think you can get a girlfriend? -You think you can...
Girlfriend?
Is it my cousin?
My cousin?
I'm your cousin, idiot.
Girls are troublesome. They want romance, but they don't want to starve.
You're right.
We are troublesome.
We trouble ourselves to get pregnant and give birth
and then raise your babies.
Don't get a girlfriend then.
-Don't get one. -Die alone.
Who cares.
I have my hand.
Tian-ming, that's a dirty joke.
It's too hot.
I'm going home.
Are you going home? What about me?
I don't care anymore!
See? Girls.
Tian-ming, you're right.
Girls are troublesome.
It's better to refrigerate these at my house.
Can't you help me?
Here. I'll help you.
Allow me.
-Hurry up. -All right. I'll take this.
Leave that. Let's go. Be careful.
Are you hot? I'll fan you when we get home.
It's nice to eat together like this.
It's like I have two daughters.
I went to the church to pray for everyone today.
I know you're Buddhists, is that okay?
Of course.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Our deities are probably good friends with God.
But humans like to divide them.
They're smart. They don't have different religions up there.
-Here you go. Sorry, guys. -Thanks.
I know you're all worried...
Is it hurting again?
You're all worried about me.
Dad.
Does it still hurt after I changed the medicine?
That shouldn't happen.
Ren-gui, you should get surgery.
You have something bad inside of you. It worries me that it's still there.
Nian-nian's medicine is working.
We should keep trying it.
I went to the temple today.
The Gods said that surgery is better.
Even the Gods say so. So we should go to the hospital, right?
Let's eat.
Jo.
Which church did you go today?
Ren-gui.
I went to the Li Chun-sheng Church.
The one with the ox-eye windows, you know?
I do know about Li Chun-sheng.
Come. Let's eat now.
-Are you all right? -I'm fine.
He was the father of tea in Taiwan.
The church was built by his descendants in order to commemorate him.
It's been around for 80 years.
Throughout his life, he saw Dadaocheng rise and fall.
Let's eat.
Let's eat. Here.
For you.
BAIKAL SKULLCAP, FEMALE GINSENG, BAIZHU, RED PEONY ROOT, PINELLIA, HAWTHORN
DESERT-BROOMRAPE
CURING COLORECTAL CANCER
CHINESE MEDICINE, WESTERN MEDICINE
How are you?
What do you think?
I'm sorry.
Why are you sorry?
Are you not coming back to San Francisco?
My dad has cancer.
Did you just find out?
Yes.
He's been ill for a while.
Right now, the most important thing to me is my dad's health.
So...
When is he getting surgery?
He doesn't want to.
He only wants to take Chinese medicine that I prescribe.
I...
I really don't know what to do.
I really miss how carefree San Francisco was.
So much is happening in Taipei.
I...
I'm so stressed. I don't know what to do.
I wish I could run away. Away from everything.
Run away, far and wide.
But whenever I have these thoughts, I feel really, really guilty.
Because my parents need me.
And...
And I really miss you.
I really, really miss you.
If only you were here with me.
HESHENGTANG
Why can't we perform surgery?
Is it not getting better?
How would it get better if you don't get any treatment?
Why would you ask that?
Are you treating it yourself?
Of course.
I'm a Chinese medicine doctor.
I understand.
Mr. Li.
If you're a doctor yourself, you should know
that it's becoming a trend to treat cancer with both kinds of medicine.
Up until now,
Chinese medicine has been unable to deal with cancer on its own.
Doctor, I'd like to ask you, apart from chemotherapy and surgery,
what other options do we have?
If there are other options, wouldn't I have said it already?
If you keep being so stubborn, it's only going to waste more time.
If you wait until the cancer cells spread, you'll regret it.
We want to try using Chinese medicine methods to treat the tumor.
So that the body won't be damaged by chemotherapy.
If we're lucky,
he won't have to undergo surgery.
I can't say that it's not possible,
but Chinese medicine isn't my professional field.
I can't make any promises.
What about surgery?
What can you promise?
Mr. Li.
I'm just giving you an advice from a doctor's point of view.
But you still have the final call, right?
I would recommend
that you talk some sense into your dad.
You shouldn't be stubborn too.
It's the best if he undergoes surgery soon.
There's no need.
We have our own treatment method.
Dad.
All they do
is cut people's bodies.
Humans aren't robots.
You can't fix the parts partially. You can't look at it like that.
The human body needs balance and harmony.
Don't they understand how much damage is done by cutting people apart?
But...
What if...
This is a hypothetical situation.
What if you relapse
before you start treating it?
Dad.
Let's do this.
Let's get surgery. Get the cause of the illness out.
Then we can cure your body.
The patient trusts you.
But as a doctor, you don't even trust yourself.
Over these years, what did you learn?
Did you throw all that away?
I don't trust myself.
I'm not good enough.
I don't have a lot of experience.
We're Chinese medicine doctors.
We need to treat illnesses with our methods.
We represent Heshengtang.
If you take a Western approach,
let me ask you this.
How will you explain that to your patients?
So Dad,
you're being stubborn about surgery to maintain Heshengtang's reputation?
Have you forgotten?
As doctors, we need to be flexible. We can't be rigid.
That's what you taught me.
We only knew how big the tumor was after doing an X-ray scan.
People use both kinds of medicine now.
Why are you insisting on only using Chinese medicine?
When I was a kid, we would always cheer when we passed that bump.
Nothing, even cancer,
can keep us from cheering.
Let's do it again.
Wait.
What are you doing?
I'm driving on that speed bump again.
Go straight. We're going home.
Dad.
We're going home.
Give me my contact book of Association of Chinese Medicine.
Let me see if someone can come to take my pulse.
Take your pulse?
You should call Nian-nian.
Do you see anyone else?
If there was, they would've taken over my spot.
Forget it. How embarrassing.
I'll do it myself.
You just got here. How would that be accurate?
What did the doctor say?
Make my medicine with these herbs.
Ren-gui.
We saw the X-ray.
The tumor didn't get smaller.
What should we do?
Surgery?
I sent some supplements.
Don't forget to give them to Nian-nian's dad.
I'll give them to him.
What's wrong with you today?
What happened?
Did someone bully you?
I'm about to go home.
I'll keep you company.
I don't need your company.
I want you back not for your company.
I want you to do well in your job, be more realistic.
The market is very competitive nowadays.
A lot of people want your job.
You're taking so much time off.
I thought you hated it when I came back to Taiwan.
Let's not talk about that.
What about your dad's wishes?
Didn't you say two days ago
that you were going to stay and fulfill his wishes?
Why did you change your mind?
He's been gone for so long.
It was Nian-nian, right?
Nian-nian told you to say that, didn't she?
There's no need to do that.
I'm having goosebumps now.
Just do what you have to do and come home.
What else did your dad want to do?
Do you need help?
He did say
that he wants to go to the botanical garden.
I'm sad that your dad had to leave like that.
He really loved Taiwan,
but he died in America.
He couldn't go back for thirty years.
I used to love the botanical garden.
Your dad always said,
that if we could go back,
he would take the whole family there.
He would teach you all about the flowers
and the plants there.
Your dad didn't just remember his first love.
Are you still up?
I couldn't sleep. So, I came out here.
Have some water.
Thanks.
Sorry, you had to see me like this.
If you're sad, just cry.
You'll feel a lot better.
Right now, in our house,
we have a patient
and a doctor who doesn't know what to do.
I can't cry in front of them.
It hurts right here.
My husband is in pain. I can't bear it.
He's so stubborn. He won't get surgery.
Now, Nian-nian is under a lot of stress.
I don't dare say anything in front of them.
You should yell at them.
If you don't, they won't get the message.
You and Nian-nian don't have kids.
You don't understand how hard it is to be a parent.
Who does?
Nian-nian's dad and I learned
how to become parents step by step too.
I thought that
now Nian-nian has grown up,
he and I
could go do the things we like to do.
We could travel places.
No matter where we go, we would be together.
How could he do this to me?
How can he treat his own life so lightly?
He...
He knows
the pain of losing a spouse.
And now he wants me to go through it too.
Don't be sad.
I'm sorry.
No.
I know you love him a lot.
I'm at the botanical garden.
I haven't been back for so long.
It's different from what I remember.
It's been so many years.
Your dad used to say,
"If we ever go back to Taiwan,
we have to take Jo to the botanical garden
and teach her about all the flowers and plants in Taiwan."
Oh, did you know?
Taiwan actually has
the highest fern density in the entire world.
I knew you would know, Jo.
You have always loved to read since you were a kid.
It's a good thing I picked your name.
Did you pick out my name?
I like Jo in Little Women.
She has the intelligence and courage every girl needs.
I like Jo in Little Women.
She has the intelligence and courage every girl needs.
Let's call her Jo.
I like that name.
GRAVE OF HONG LI-YUN, 1953 TO 1993
DADAOCHENG LOCAL INNOVATION PROJECT PUBLIC TENDER NOTICE
What is this?
There's still no electricity?
You already knew about that.
-Idiot. -I did.
But it should be around this time.
Yes.
Time for what?
You guys paid the electricity bill?
Yeah, I told my cousin. She gave me the money for it.
So? Isn't it great?
I can finally have the air conditioner on.
It's too hot.
I want something to drink.
I'll pour some for you.
Be careful.
Over here. Right here.
Hi.
Are you not working today?
I need to talk to you. Sit.
You didn't have to pay the bill for me.
It'll just be hot for a few days. Then it'll cool down.
But I need to use the electricity.
How can you run a grocery store without electricity?
It was nothing.
Thanks.
I've been thinking lately.
About what you said on planning your dreams.
Maybe I should try that.
When are you going back to the States?
I'm not going back.
I'm staying here in Taiwan until I fulfill all my dad's dreams.
Really?
Then...
That's great.
You make me want to run.
Come on. I'll run with you.
Hey, don't think that electricity is free.
It's not that much. I'll pay you back later.
Was it a nightmare?
Does it hurt?
That's good.
It hurts you just as it hurts everyone else.
You American kids
have no manners.
You have no respect.
How dare you hit me?
That was for your wife.
It has nothing to do with respect.
Ever since I was little,
I've always wondered what a dad is.
Is it the person who had me?
Or the person who tells me stories?
If he was still here,
would he be like my mom and force me to do things they like to do?
I still don't know.
He passed away
before I grew up.
You can think of me as your dad.
I'll love you like I love Nian-nian.
I'll have to think about that.
If anything happens to you, I'll lose a dad again.
Where's your confidence in me?
Ever since I came to your house,
I've always thought that you're a man of wisdom.
But this time...
I know that you have your own principles.
But nobody likes to be controlled by someone else.
Just like I hate being controlled by my mom.
Are you talking about Nian-nian?
I'm not controlling her.
I'm helping her.
"I'm doing this because I love you."
-Yes. -"It's because it's good for you."
Yes.
But
Nian-nian might not need your help.
You're making your wife and Nian-nian very sad.
You may think this is good for them,
but what they need right now isn't the best doctor.
They need a healthy dad and husband.
If you keep being stubborn, you'll be like that saying my mom uses.
"A leopard cannot change his spots."
Fine.
I know this is disrespectful,
but I'm the only one who can say this to you.
Sit here.
Did lecturing me feel good?
You Americans talk too much.
You're a chatterbox.
All right. Have your medicine.
Nian-nian made it.
I know.
With love.
Stop talking.
Sit.
This is scary.
You're a doctor yourself, but you have such a weak body.
Who would trust you?
Then don't come to me then.
I can't cure anything.
I thought that you would
find some confidence in yourself during your trip to the States.
But it looks like
right now,
you're frustrated, aren't you?
Come here.
When we do acupuncture,
we follow the rules
of supplementing insufficiencies and toning down overflows.
That's the foundation for the generation and inhibition of the five elements.
Supplementing insufficiencies
and toning down overflows.
Yes.
You've been learning from me
for many years now.
We say learning,
but you're actually
like a chick protected under the hen's wings.
You can't achieve your full potential.
That's why you got mad and ran away to the States.
You wanted to run away from this, right?
I don't know if I can ever grow up
if I stay at Heshengtang.
I want to kick you out too.
Even if you fall,
I want to kick you far away.
Then, you can probably learn more.
But then,
I got sick.
That's why I started thinking.
Our relationship
is kind of like the acupuncture points.
My weaknesses
can supplement your capabilities.
It can make you stronger
and grow up faster.
To me,
it doesn't bother me at all
that I got this illness.
Because now
I can finally let go.
This is my chance to let go.
But I was too hasty.
That's why I forgot
about our relationship
which is more important than curing me.
I put too much pressure on you.
As your dad,
I want to apologize.
I should apologize.
If I...
If only I could...
If only I was good enough,
I wouldn't have to worry
about the medicine I was giving you.
I don't know what to do.
Stop crying.
Look.
The gate to the Underworld is opening soon.
Maybe we should arrange it so that
I can have surgery before the seventh lunar month?
Are you willing to have surgery?
After the surgery,
when I get home, Dr. Li,
you'll have to help me recover.
Okay.
When you're done with surgery,
I'll take good care of you.
Thank you.
You're so silly.
Nian-nian. Doctor.
The surgery has been scheduled.
Thank you, doctor.
You're welcome.
As for post-surgery recovery, we'll follow the plan we discussed.
Dear, God.
My beloved father.
Thank you for letting me come to Taiwan and meet Nian-nian and her family.
Mr. Li is undergoing surgery today.
Please look after him and help him get rid of the cancer
so that he will feel no more pain.
Dear, God.
Please help this wise man
so that he can heal more people with his wisdom.
We are asking you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
-Amen. -Amen.
Here, this is for you.
Ren-gui.
I put the good luck charm and the cross Jo gave you
in your clothes in your ward.
They'll protect you.
Dad, don't worry.
We'll wait for you outside.
Mr. Li, good luck.
Mr. Li, I'm sorry.
You can't say you're sorry in the hospital.
You should say good luck.
Your Chinese sucks.
You don't get it.
Thank you, Miss San Francisco.
You're welcome, Miss Taipei.
Thank you.
Hey, I want a hug too.
RYAN, MY DAD'S SURGERY WENT WELL.
HE CAN COME HOME IN A FEW DAYS. NIAN-NIAN.
Hello?
Where did you go? Did you get my text?
How can I calm down?
You disappeared for 15 hours and you didn't answer your phone.
I had someone to deliver flowers to you. They're downstairs right now.
Go open the door.
Downstairs?
From now on, Nian-nian's problems are my problems, not yours.
I want you to do this project with me.
Dadaocheng?
-Here. -I'm telling you,
she's my Nian-nian!
Live with me.
NEXT EPISODE
Subtitle translation by Sophie Chang