[English subtitles are available.]
Winter Begonia
Episode 31
Mrs. Cheng,
here’s an account book.
Please have a look.
Didn’t I read
the account book of the freight agent?
Aren’t Mr. Ge and Mr. Ma here?
Give the one who takes care of this.
It’s not for the freight agent.
This is an independent account.
Mr. Cheng said nothing about this,
so I don’t know
how I should deal with it.
Please
have a look.
How many performers
in Shuiyun Theater?
They spent too much.
They burned a hole on pocket?
[Shuiyun Theater]
Little Fengyi.
So cute.
What are you guys doing here?
Leader. Leader.
Leader.
Interesting.
So beautiful.
Pretty baby.
Don’t you have other things to do?
Is the baby
your toy?
What do you know?
Leader,
our God of Wealth went away,
and he left the little God.
No one married
in Shuiyun Theater.
Who’s experienced in adopting babies?
Hand. Hand.
Leader. Leader.
What happened?
Your wealth comes.
Screw you.
I said the truth.
Mrs. Wealth comes.
What?
Did you see it clearly?
Is that Mrs. Cheng?
I promise.
She got off with great pomp.
She must come to scold me.
I have to hide away.
Leader.
Mr. Shang.
Where are you going?
Hello, Mrs. Cheng.
Look at this.
Let me read the account book?
You can’t read?
Few words do I know.
What a strange story.
How can you be the leader of a troupe
while you know few words?
Mr. Han.
Mrs. Cheng.
Teach him to read.
Mrs. Cheng.
Why not let me read for him?
Yes.
Read for me.
I can understand.
It’s OK that he reads for you once.
What about the future?
Will the head of our housekeeper
always read for you
and serve Shuiyun Theater?
Mrs. Cheng,
there’s something that you don’t know.
When Mr. Cheng
took over Shuiyun Theater,
we made a deal.
He’ll take care
of our account
and my duty is performing opera.
Even our housekeeper
doesn’t have much spare time.
How come you rely on Fengtai to take care of your account?
Do you know how busy he is?
This time,
Mr. Cheng went to Shanghai
without delay.
And he hasn’t come back after almost half a month.
Will you just put your account aside?
But this is something I can’t learn.
Everything can be learned
as long as you want to.
Performing opera is not an easy thing,
but you do it well.
That’s different, Mrs. Cheng.
Also, Mr. Shang,
I watched your opera last time.
Though I don’t understand opera,
I could see that you had a good figure.
But why
you’ve gained weight now?
Have I?
I don’t think so.
Can performers
who play female roles gain weight?
No.
That’s it.
You can’t even control your mouth.
How can you control a troupe?
I’ll ask our cook
to make vegetarian diets for you.
It’s time to lose weight.
What are you waiting for?
Go.
Mr. Shang.
Please.
Leader.
What did she say?
Say something,
leader.
Look at them, leader.
Look, leader.
What?
It...
How did she piss you off?
Leader.
Girl.
You don’t need to go in.
Wait here.
But I...
We are performers,
if we all get rid of our desire
and entertainments,
how will we perform?
Here will become a nunnery.
Go on.
Correct your behaviors and expression.
To serve the master.
Mr. Shang.
Here’s a mistake.
A mistake?
Yes.
I’ll correct it.
It’s not correct.
Here.
Give me the pen.
Look at me.
Mr. Han.
I’d better
close my Shuiyun Theater
and work as a street performer
on the bridge.
Then, I don’t need to record the account.
Stop joking.
Mrs. Cheng did so for your good.
Continue to learn.
Here.
Come on.
Hurry.
Mrs. Cheng.
Everything goes well based on your order.
It’s clearer.
It’s not hard to control a troupe.
Cheng managed the freight agent well,
but he can’t make it at here.
They’re different.
In Shuiyun Theater,
there are performers.
How can Mr. Cheng
control them?
You are the one who can deter them.
They should have been taught earlier.
Come here.
OK.
The fat baby is not slight.
Don’t cry.
♫ The moonlight covers the whole world ♫
♫ Sir, could you tell me where your home is ♫
The baby knows opera.
She smiles once hearing that.
Only with several days,
she’s been cultivated as an opera fan.
♫ The moonlight covers the whole world ♫
♫ Sir, could you tell me where your home is ♫
♫ Begonia ♫
Continue.
Correct your behaviors and expression.
To serve the master.
Mr. Shang.
We haven’t finished.
Please cheer up.
My Mr. Han,
I’m tired and hungry.
Please let me go.
I don’t mean to make you suffer,
but if you don’t learn it well today,
Mr. Cheng doesn’t forgive me.
Han?
Yes.
Mr. Shang.
Mrs. Cheng called me.
I’ll leave for a while.
Continue to read the account.
Leader.
Be careful.
Sorry to see that you suffer.
Cheng’s cook’s dishes
are so light.
Other than the famine
in Pingyang,
you’ve never suffered like this.
Right. Here.
I brought you meat with sauce.
Don’t be hurried.
I can’t live
if my life is without meat.
To tell you the truth,
I can’t bear such a life.
So... So what will you do?
She’s Cheng Fengtai’s wife.
Going away is my last way.
Going away?
Where will you go?
Now,
you can’t even go out.
Mrs. Cheng, take care.
I count on you for the matters here.
Shuiyun Theater must know
about their own things clearly.
Don’t let them bother Mr. Cheng
for little things.
He doesn’t need to do much for them.
That’s too tiring.
Mrs. Cheng,
please rest assured.
I will teach
Mr. Shang well.
I’ll go.
Mr. Shang.
Have you understood?
Mrs. Cheng said
I can’t go
until...
Where is him?
So
you escaped?
How many times did you do this?
Jiang Rongshou is an elder,
and Mrs. Cheng is a woman.
I can’t do anything
harsh to them.
So when they bullied me,
I had to escape.
You won’t stay
in Qi Mansion
until Cheng Fengtai comes back, will you?
I plan to go to Shanghai for him.
His wife bullies me.
He can’t just ignore.
Not bad.
I have an invitation.
Shanghai Opera Association
invited me.
Please go to Shanghai
and take part in the social for me.
The social?
I’m not good at that.
You are not good at that?
But aren’t you good at eating?
They invite me to have a feast.
You only need to show up
[Mr. Ning Jiulang]
and pass my words to them.
[To Mr. Ning Jiulang We warmly invite Mr. Ning to Shanghai Opera Association]
OK.
So...
If I make mistakes
during the feast,
don’t blame me.
[Shanghai North Station]
Here.
[Peking Xiyazi]
Xiyazi!
Here.
Xiyazi!
Lin Danqiu!
Mr. Shang,
after receiving your message,
I came immediately
in case that I can’t see you.
I’m a peer of your master. How dare you call my nickname?
Behave yourself.
Look at you.
How dare I call your formal name?
You are so famous in opera circle.
Look.
Many people are here.
I think
there must be your fans.
Let’s go.
Members of Opera Association are all there
waiting for you.
Let me help you.
The best performer.
You are great.
You never did such work.
Go back to rest.
Leave me alone.
I also want to learn.
Farming is not something
that people like you can do.
A duke can do this,
so how can’t an opera performer do?
I need to remind you.
After doing this,
you
are not the current you.
Don’t make it mysterious.
I am not myself?
Who am I?
Your identity changes with your work.
On the stage, you are a performer.
And in the field,
you are a farmer.
I thought after Shang Xirui
and you performed together,
you would change your mind.
At least,
you would give two performances
to me.
But
you stay at home all the day,
and what’s worse,
you let Shang Xirui go.
That kid
is tenacious.
Experiences will highlight his merits.
But what a pity.
He’s young
and doesn’t like reading.
He can only get experiences by traveling.
When his horizon’s opened,
his performance
will be better.
You were in the palace for almost your life.
How did you get a lot of experiences?
Don’t you think the things in the palace were enough?
Things that happened in the palace
were even more than what the public see
in their several lives.
Right.
OK.
I’ll wait for
Shang Xirui’s better performance.
Don’t dig the roots.
[Opera Association]
It’s here.
Here.
Come.
Take this for Mr. Shang.
Mr. Lin.
Look at our Opera Association.
What do you think of it comparing with that in Peking?
What pomp.
Come, Xirui.
Let me introduce them for you.
Please.
Mr. Liu.
Hello.
Xirui.
This is Leader Liu of Sanfu Theater.
This is Mr. Xue.
And you must know him.
A star in Peking.
Best performer, Shang Xirui.
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Mr. Shang.
This is the chairman of
Shanghai Opera Association, Mr. Tang.
Mr. Tang, nice to meet you.
Everyone knows Mr. Shang’s name.
You really
look gentle
and impressive.
I said it.
The man thought highly of by Ning Jiulang
must be good.
Mr. Shang.
This is the leader of our Hanxiang Theater,
Mr. Wang Qinxiang.
Nice to meet you.
I know that
you are a peer of Mr. Lin’s master.
It occurs to me my peer’s apprentice.
He’s Yuan Xiaodi
in Peking.
I didn’t think
as his senior,
I’m still struggling in this circle
while he
already quit.
You are his master’s peer?
Yes.
OK.
Everyone,
since Mr. Shang arrives,
let’s start.
Mr. Shang.
Please.
Please have a seat.
Please.
Mr. Shang.
I know that several days ago,
you invited Ning Jiulang
to give a performance.
He’s solitary.
How could you persuade him to come out?
Please share this story
with us.
I begged him
for a long time.
At the end, he couldn’t put up with me,
so that he came
to perform.
He’s living a life with Buddhism.
He doesn’t even go out of the room.
So,
he asked me
to apologize
to you.
Mr. Ning
won’t come this time.
We are very glad
that you came for him.
What?
[Wang Qinxiang]
Didn’t Mr. Ning tell you?
Maybe
he’s afraid that you don’t agree.
So he cheated you here.
We invited
Mr. Ning
to take part in a show.
It’s a communication
between the opera of the north and the south.
Mr. Shang,
are you interested in it?
The good performers in Peking
are a lot.
For example,
Chen Renxiang.
He’s also in Shanghai.
Mr. Chen
even performed in front of the emperor.
He was also taught with Sage’s Footwork
by Mr. Jiang.
He’s not worse than me.
Mr. Shang,
why did you mention him?
Have you forgotten?
After he lost
the competition,
he’s forbidden
to perform within one year.
Lin.
Look at me.
I’ve really forgotten.
So, Mr. Shang.
Do you want to play the key role?
Thanks for your appreciation.
I accept it.
OK.
I’ll toast you
on behalf of
Shanghai Opera Association.
I heard
you are famous
for the perfect skills.
Today,
we are all eager to
watch your opera.
Could you
please do us this favor?
Yes.
Please let us hear your voice.
Let us open our horizons.
Please
stop joking.
Mr. Shang is
our important guest.
You are enjoying
the feast here.
And you also want to watch his show?
How come
you put forward such an idea?
So you mean...
Today
we are all happy.
So let me sing for Mr. Shang.
What’s your idea?
OK.
Now that Mr. Wang will sing an opera,
how about
Mr. Shang orders one?
You
are the senior of Mr. Yuan.
To tell you the truth,
the first Mr. Yuan’s opera
that I watched was Kun opera.
So I really
want to hear your Kun opera.
OK.
Take it as a gift for Mr. Shang.
Bravo!
♫ Romance in the air ♫
Bravo!
Mr. Shang.
Why does this opera
make you sad?
Am I sad?
Why are you crying?
It makes you recall your memory.
Seems that you understand my opera.
Your performance
makes my travel
more worthy.
Mr. Wang. Toast you.
I think
you are much better than Yuan Xiaodi
even compared with his golden period.
Why don’t you perform any longer?
With your ability,
your ticket must be the most expensive
of the biggest theater.
I’m flattered.
One or two hundred years ago,
what you said might be realized,
but when I learned opera,
Kun opera began flopping.
Seeing the theater
with few audiences,
I even felt bored when singing this.
I performed Broken Bridge with Mr. Ning.
Every audience was excited.
I mean no offense,
but I have some ideas.
I think
Kun opera flopped
because fewer and fewer performers sing it.
I went to Nanking with Chen Renxiang.
Even he
forgot the lines.
The performers who play it are not enough,
so that the audiences don’t watch.
We’ll have a communication between the north and the south.
Now that I’m in the south,
I’ll sing Kun opera.
Mr. Wang, you are really good at it.
Cooperating with you,
I’ll do it well.
Let’s sing Broken Bridge again.
Cheers.
Mr. Wang.
I need to see a friend later.
I’ll go.
See you tomorrow.
OK.
Let’s rehearse.
OK.
Tomorrow,
I’ll wait for you in this yard.
Miss Zeng.
What brings you by?
Hi, Mr. Wang.
I come for my brother.
He’s inside.
This is...
Lin’s sister.
Isn’t he an orphan?
Why does he have a sister?
Mr. Wang,
you promised to let my brother go
at the beginning of next month.
But why did you ask him to perform again?
When will he
be free?
I won’t go back on my words.
Let him perform for two weeks.
Why are you so hurried?
I’ll go back to my hometown with him
at the beginning of next month.
He's been struggling
for half of his life.
I don’t want him
to always stay in this circle.
Performing opera is interesting and profitable.
No career is better than this.
Why should he quit?
Who are you?
This is Mr. Shang Xirui
from Peking.
He’s a peer of your brother’s master.
Mr. Shang.
I know you.
And I also watched your opera.
You enjoy this career,
but not everyone is like you.
We are a family with scholars.
How come my brother works as a performer?
What’s wrong with a performer?
Did you ask your brother?
Is this out of his will?
You...
I won’t waste time with you.
What
a reasonable woman.
Somewhat, others hold prejudice
towards our circle.
Mr. Shang.
Don’t be serious with
this girl.
I won’t be serious
with a little girl.
Thanks. Thanks.
Mr. Cheng,
thanks for coming
this time.
Otherwise,
our factory will be in dilemma
if we can’t
deal with this tricky issue well.
Thanks for your work.
Luckily, Shanghai is your hometown.
So you are influential here.
Mr. Cheng!
Mr. Shang?
Mr. Shang.
Mr. Cheng.
How did you find here?
Cheng Family is famous in Shanghai,
so it’s not hard to get to know it.
Mr. Cheng. I won’t bother you.
You came alone?
You wouldn’t
come without a reason.
Tell me the truth.
Did something happen in Shuiyun Theater?
I came to give you photos
specially.
I made two.
This is for you.
[To my soulmate]
You can give me when I go back.
So why did you
come here?
I accepted an invitation
from the performers in Shanghai.
I’ll perform here.
So can I
live in your house for a while?
Sure.
My room is clean.
And there’s no pioneer
watching you.
You are luckier than me.
Go.
Let me help you.
My goddess.
It’s my fault.
I’m sorry.
Please don’t be angry.
Do you remember
what you promised me?
Why do you always go back on your words?
That’s because
Mr. Shang came.
I swear this is my last performance.
So all in all,
you’ll still step on the stage.
No...
Aiyu.
The last time.
I promise
this is the last time.
Just help me
to realize my wish.
OK.
Swear.
Cross my heart,
if I cheat
my sister Zeng Aiyu once again,
I am a vile dog.
OK.
If you cheat me once again,
you are a vile dog...
If you are a vile dog,
what am I?
Gosh.
I’m sorry.
Little dog, please don’t...
You...
My lady, I’m sorry.
Danqiu.
OK, Aiyu.
When you are angry...
Mr. Lin.
You must be busy.
You got off work so late.
Is this
your sister?
Aiyu,
go home now.
I’ll be back later.
Don’t be too late.
Go now.
Sir,
can we talk somewhere else?
OK.
This way, please.
Sir.
Mr. Lin.
I am living on a shoestring
these days.
And you wallow in taxes
every month.
How about
you help me on finance?
I’ve paid
all your debts back.
We are so close.
Don’t be aloof to me.
Alright. Alright.
It’s fine that you don’t lend.
I’ll go for your sister.
I know
that your sister is richer than you.
What will you do?
What can I do?
Have a talk
and share ideas about books with her.
Are you afraid
that your sister knows your secret?
The debts were ended
once I paid you back.
You are breaking the rule
when you bother me again.
A stinky performer
talks about the rule with me?
Sir,
don’t misunderstand me.
How dare I
talk about that with you?
Here.
This is all I have now.
Please take it.
My lord,
please show your mercy.
Mercy on me.
♫Su Long and Wei Hu are my marriage witness ♫
♫ Minister Wang is my officiator ♫
Mr. Shang.
♫ I don’t believe what you said ♫
Come to eat breakfast,
or you’ll be late.
♫ Su Long and Wei Hu are relatives of the wife ♫
♫ They came in the mansion together ♫
♫ They made it clear with my dad ♫
♫ They three have resentment with me ♫
♫ He doesn’t admit it ♫
♫ My father is an official ♫
♫ We are not lack of wealth ♫
♫ How much is the profit ♫
♫ Ask people to send it to West Liangchuan ♫
Mr. Shang?
It’s you?
Mr. Shang?
What?
Don’t you have legs?
It’s inconvenient to walk.
This is much easier.
It’s like I took the elevator.
Who were you singing with?
Myself.
Yourself?
Only you?
It’s the opera that I played
with Hou Yukui at Lord An’s mansion.
♫ There are 48 stations here ♫
♫ I want people instead of money ♫
♫ Sir, don’t say that ♫
♫ You were sent here to be an official ♫
♫ You’ll suffer a lot in prison ♫
♫ And there’s no way back ♫
The pitches are different.
You are like a crazy guy.
Mr. Cheng.
I sang in your toilet.
It sounded very great.
I could hear the echo.
Because I fixed tiles in the toilet.
Why didn’t they fix tiles
at the royal theater?
Have the breakfast now.
I need to send you
to the theater.
And then I have to go to the cotton factory.
At noon,
I’ll take you to have western food.
Don’t have the egg.
Here.
Taste the buns.
It’s special.
Have a small bite.
Suck the soup out.
Then, eat.
Have a small bite.
Suck the soup out.
Suck.
Breaking news!
The winner of Opera Association came to Shanghai to perform.
It’s hard to get tickets.
Give me one.
Thanks. Thanks.
Take the money.
Here.
Give me one.
Sir.
OK. Thanks.
Thanks.
The champion of Opera Association came to Shanghai
to perform!
It’s hard to get tickets!
Amazing.
So great.
You need to
hold your breath
and tighten your legs.
Fall to the ground lightly.
This is the key.
Do you understand?
Yes. Yes.
Mr. Shang.
You’ve practiced for half a day.
Have a rest.
Here. Clean your sweat.
Who asked the journalists here?
They’ve been here a whole morning.
Isn’t the film roll expensive?
It dazzles me.
I’m almost blind.
Mr. Tang asked the journalists
to write an article.
You’ll be the headline
of Shen Daily tomorrow.
Let me add some water.
They don’t need to stay here a whole morning.
You are the best performer,
and you have a good looking.
Just let them take photos of you.
Here.
I heard
that you found your sister.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
To be honest,
this is the happiest thing
in my life.
So
you’ll give up opera?
Yes.
My sister
doesn’t want me
to work in this circle.
She’ll take me back
to our hometown.
Your skill
is really
bad,
but
you are still much better
than those on the stage.
You just give up opera
when you are young.
What a pity.
Mr. Shang.
Must you mock me
before the compliment?
I said the truth.
Danqiu.
Mr. Shang.
Excuse me.
Aiyu.
You are here.
You must be hungry.
Here.
Have it when it’s still warm.
Mr. Lin’s sister
is beautiful and wealthy.
If I had a sister like her,
I would give up opera long ago.
Lin Danqiu is so happy.
It’s nice.
In your dreams.
Go.
Let’s go out.
Sirs,
can I ask you something?
How did Mr. Lin
find
this sister?
I don’t know how,
but after she came,
she paid all the usury
for Mr. Lin.
If this is not his biological sister,
how could she give him so much money?
Usury？
He borrowed usury?
Mr. Shang.
Look at you.
In this circle,
almost everyone has hobbies.
Mr. Lin looks decent,
but he was a playboy before.
Drinking,
gambling,
horse racing and playing billiard.
So he had a lot of debts.
After his sister came,
it’s like he’s totally changed.
He behaves very well.
Several days ago, I asked him out to drink.
He didn’t go.
Take it in.
Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang.
Mr. Shang.
Hello, Mr. Wang.
Mr. Cheng sent your costume
from Peking.
Will I take it to the backstage?
Thank you.
It’s my pleasure.
Come.
Lin Danqiu’s sister
is too arbitrary.
Lin Danqiu wants to stay in the opera circle,
but she stops him.
Look at her long face.
It’s like she’s humiliated with opera.
In my opinion,
she’s
unwilling to see others’ happiness
once she’s not happy.
Are you sure that Lin Danqiu
is happy with opera?
Stop it.
Are you cutting the steak or the plate?
Let me do it.
Don’t make the meat suffer.
Lin Danqiu
is a weird guy.
His childhood
was even harder than mine.
For these years,
he’s gained fame.
And he’ll give up
just for a sister.
What is he thinking about?
Isn’t this normal?
Opera is important.
But sister is more important than that.
Of course,
you don’t have a sister,
so you can’t understand me.
Who told you that I don’t have a sister?
I have.
Don’t you think you are childish?
How come you are aggressive even on this?
OK.
You have.
I didn’t cheat you.
I really have a sister.
My biological sister.
Really?
Why didn’t you tell me
such a big thing?
It doesn’t matter.
The memory is blurred
about my childhood.
I just remember that I was taken on the street.
After several men, my dad bought me.
My dad said that I was great when I was a kid.
I could
recite poems when I was shorter than the table.
So
you are from a family with scholars.
Did you ever think
of finding your biological parents?
I don’t even remember what they look like.
Where should I find them?
Maybe
they were not good to me.
Or maybe
they abandoned me.