Original subtitles

"July 1945, Huadung battlefield, China"

I promised to bring you home

Fire

"3 hours ago"

Pick up your rifle!

OkaY

Radio man!

Have 003 move toward the front

003, this is 001

Division Commander asks you to attack the enemy's front

Hurry. Get him to the infirmary before he passes out

Hold still

Doctor,

this one with the broken leg has passed out

Disinfect him first

Doctor, drink some water

Charge!

- Cut off the enemy tanks - Yes, sir

Too much enemy fire

I'm afraid our tanks will collapse

If we attack from the front, we'll lose a lot of men

Their ammunition depot is behind the turrets.

Wait here

I'll lead an assault squad and go for their left flank

Let me lead the squad

Assault squad!

Here!

Follow me

Commander,

generals don't lead attacks

Rocket launchers!

Here!

We move forward. No turning back

We'll blow up that barbed wire

Anesthesia

Brother,

help me

Commander

Charge!

Calling 003

Coordinates:

0565024930

003, O03, this is 001. Do you hear me?

Give it to me

All canons, fire at the enemy bunker

Coordinates 0565024930

Got it

How do we get this thing inside?

Just stick it in

Ready?

Commander, what do we fire at?

Watch for the canons

Fire!

Wake up

Wake up

Wait

I'm not Japanese

I'm a doctor from Taiwan

How come he speaks Chinese?

Salute!

"Japanese p.o.w train, Fengtain"

Dear Kun,

I had a haircut

I was going to save it for when you return,

but the cat got fleas...

...and gave them to me, so I had to cut my hair

Masako

First of all, thank you for volunteering to help out here

We can't afford any pay...

...aside from two meals a day

We can't pay you anything more

If you're still willing to help, please stay

Miss Sun, come here

Why don't you tell the newcomers what to do?

Come. Follow the Head Nurse

She will tell you what to do

Come on. Hurry up

Careful

Here

This is a list of the wounded

G0 check the names of those here

See if there are any mistakes

I can't really read,

but I'm good at taking care of people

Alright

I believe he's alive

No matter where he is, I'll find him,

this is my destiny

"Winter 1947, Shanghai"

- ls that right? - Yes!

"The violet is whispering with a smile,"

"raising her face at the bright stars"

"The rose is quietly talking about..."

"...the superb mood she's in"

"A tender and lovely antelope..."

"...leaps close to listen"

"And the sacred river far away..."

"...roars in reply"

"And the sacred river far away..."

"...roars in reply"

"Happy dreams"

Thank you

Thank you very much

Thank you, Director Wu

A big thanks to the Orphanage Choir

You played so well

No. I got distracted

And thank you, Miss Zhou Yunfen, at the piano

You play so romantically tonight

How I envy you!

Thank you, sweet sister

Be a lady

You're not a college kid anymore

Look, Mother. I told you the shoes are too small

General Lei,

you're everyone's hero

General, please tell the story again...

...of how your leg was wounded

I stepped on a banana peel

Hi, children

- Look who's here. - Uncle Lei

- Are you having fun? - Yes!

Soldiers...

It's okay to be friends with them

But if you're looking for a life partner,

you need to think twice

Mom, you've been saying this since I was 15

You're just so rebellious

Morn,

this is an age of romance

Romance?

- You wanna be a revolutionary? - Ms. Yuan Shenglan,

wife of...

...Direct0r Zhou Zhongding of the Bank of Communications,

donated this diamond necklace

Thank you for your generosity

Great

You sang well

I can't take credit for that

It's her,

Miss Zhou Yunfen

She often comes to teach the kids, for free

She's a very kind person, and the kids love her

Let's dance. Dance

A telegraph just arrived today

The US Congress passed the loan yesterday

The Nationalists are losing battle after battle in Manchuria

Most of the region are in the hands of the Communists

The situation is changing

You need to make arrangements

I'm not worried

Maybe another administration is just what we need

I just came back from Germany

Europe has been wrecked by the war

Hundreds of cities need to be rebuilt

The war has shown me

a great deal of opportunities

ls that so?

My dear cousin,

I'm wondering

if I still have a chance with you

No

Hello

I'm Lei Yifang

I know who you are

Everybody knows you

You're a famous anti-Japanese hero

In the newspapers, they call you...

Crazy Lei

Crazy is what I am. N0 hero

May I have the honor of a dance with you?

Not today

My shoes are half a size too small

My feet are so sore

What?

What's so funny?

Don't worry about that

My legs don't work that well either

I know why

they call you Crazy

Why?

Because you are really crazy

And I know why they call you Gutsy Zhou

None of my friends call me Gutsy Zhou

Oh they will

Because no one has the guts to dance a waltz barefoot

These shoes really are half a size too small

My mother agreed to let me come out with you

How did you do it?

I told her that, if she said no,

then an army of 60,000 soldiers...

...would be posted at your door

I thought soldiers are all very serious

I am very serious

This car looks simple enough

Can I drive?

It's all yours

They say jeeps are for men

I don't buy it

There's nothing I can't do

This car is a little different

Put it into low gear

Release the clutch and step on the peddle

Turn

Have faith in me

I will master it

Of course I have faith in you

You're my Gutsy Zhou

"1948, Nanjing Road, Shanghai"

Please read our flyer against the civil war

It's General Lei

My, my. ls Mrs. Lei pretty!

Like a movie star

Those who fought the Japanese are indeed heroes,

but who can take pride in fighting among ourselves?

Miss Yu?

Yes

Shall we?

Alright. Hold it a little bit longer

Yes

Closer

The baby's crying. It'll be over very soon

Look here. Good

Three

Two

One

The middleman said that

I would be paid in cash

It's not that I don't want to give you cash

Don't you see what the notice says?

We don't want the cash notes either,

but I don't have anything else

If I don't hand in the picture, my family gets no food notes

Can you do me this favor?

Thank you

By the way,

what's your name?

We are not in real relation, any name's fine

You never know, we may see each other again

Alright. See you

I'm waiting for my unit here. Where are you going?

I need to return the baby

So the baby's not yours?

No wonder you couldn't get him to stop crying

Maybe you could help me with something

G0 ahead

Which unit are you with?

Take all these students away

- What are you doing? - N0 more flyers

No civil war! We want peace!

Take all of them. Hurry up

Give me the baby

G0. Go

The soldiers are killing people

We want peace! No civil war!

Watch out Hide inside for now

G0

Here are the news summaries.ln East Hebei, the Nationalists have reclaimed Leting

Three students at Central University who were planning to go to the Communists

are respectively sentenced to six And the peace negotiation will solve everything?

"Harmony is fundamental," so they say

Sir, can I help you?

Look

Do you think you can put these two together

so that it looks like one picture?

Like this refabricated picture of Lang Jingshan's

Like you took it together

Yes

Well, I need to make copies of the pictures and tweak them

It will cost you more

That's alright,

but I need it very soon

I'm going back to Taiwan in a couple of days

Okay. The day after tomorrow. Enter your name for me

Alright

"Our hearts are aflutter"

"Kissing in each other's arms,"

"we shyly watch the glittering ripples"

You sure are hungry

"The singing from across the river"

"is breaking our hearts"

"And we weep"

Thank you. Go ahead and eat

- I'll hold! - Wait

Thank you

Let me add a little salt for you

The soup doesn't have much taste

"Moonlight above the river..."

How did you know I like it with strong taste?

You look like you're from the North

Well, where are you from?

Shanghai, I suppose

It's great to be a Shanghai native

People from Shanghai are so modern

How long have you been in the army?

I've been fighting the Japs for six years

I joined the army in Shenyang when I was just 18

I'm lucky to be alive till this day

Each of you soldiers have a designation number, right?

This thing is with you all your life,

Dead or Alive

So, as long as I remember this number,

I should be able to track down the person?

If you remember this,

you can surely track me down

He wasn't lying

He wasn't lying

Daqing, get up here. Let's go

Remember this

Take care

Stay alive. Don't die

Rest assured

I have you and our son to keep me lucky

I took a family portrait here with my husband

I'd like to make another copy

Sure

I'll pay for it myself

No problem

Your husband's name?

Tang Daqing

ls it Tong Daqing?

Yes. Tong Daqing

Alright

What the hell?

G0 grab some buns

before they're all gone

Sir,

have you seen any wounded from the same division and brigade?

I didn't pay attention

There's no room here anymore

If there were any, they've probably been transferred

Are you looking for someone?

His name is Yang Tianhu

He's with the Division 7, Brigade 9, Band 55, Company 8

I'm not familiar with this person

but most of the wounded have been shipped to Taiwan

I can't seem to calm down

I want to write a piece for you,

but no matter how I try,

I just can't make it work

I'm sure you'll play it beautifully one day

I wish I knew music,

so I could write a piece for you

Yifang,

I don't want to go to Taiwan

Didn't we agree on this?

You just got pregnant

G0 to Taiwan for some peace and quiet

I'll join you once the battle's over

Are you sending me to Taiwan because you're worried about what's going to happen?

The Communists have won the North

If we lose the South,

there will be mayhem in Shanghai

It's not that I'm losing faith

It's just that, only when you're safe

can I focus on the battle

If there's anything in my life

that I can't bear to lose,

it's you

and our baby

You're like this orchid

It's been three years,

and it's still so beautiful

and so full of life

No matter where in the world it is,

It always grows beautifully

I don't want you to come see me off

Why?

It's unlucky

"Seeing off" means never seeing again

Slow down, Slow down.

Don't push.

- Don't push - What are you doing?

Excuse me, how much is a ticket to Taiwan?

It's all on the blackboard

There are too many numbers

It's 655,000 for now.

It'll go higher tomorrow

You want to buy it?

Next

Remember to visit your father, even if you're busy

I'm worried about him being alone

A big disaster

is usually followed by peace,

As the old adage goes

Although everything is unstable now,

you could see it as the beginning of peace

A small separation has its benefits

You will learn to appreciate it more,

and so will Yifang

He will love you more

Auntie,

let me take a picture for you, as souvenir

One. Two. Three

Good

Cousin,

take one for me as well

Alright

It'll help me remember Shanghai

Alright. Here we go

One. Two. Three

- What are you doing? - Give it back

Mrs. Tong

Come on. Tell us

How did you and Mrs. Tong meet?

Give it back to me

She's from Manchuria as well?

We're from the same village

She's pretty for a girl from Manchuria

She sure is pretty

With you not around,

somebody will get her to run away with him

Nonsense

My wife's not like that

What are you all blabbering about?

Find your own ladies

Captain, is your wife bossy?

Does she boss you around?

She's not bossy at all

She's really sweet

Well-read, and knows so much

Do you know how to take care of children?

No

How to work the abacus?

No

Have you worked in a bank?

No

You can't do anything. Go away

I can cook and wash clothes. I can even make tofu

Next

She's so capable,

and pretty

Pretty when she's not smiling,

and even prettier when she is smiling

And she's very kind-hearted,

to everyone

Back where I come from,

people say that dimples are the sign of a good heart

My wife has three

One on the left, and two on the right

Her personality is great as well

She's gentle with everyone

Never had a fight with anybody

If someone in the village wasn't nice to her,

she would just shrug it off

G0 sleep on the street

Shameless slut

How dare you bring a man here?

The day I left,

She didn't want to part with me

She held my hand and said,

"Stay alive! Don't die!"

It was those words

that kept me alive till this day

"End of autumn 1948, Keelung Harbor, Taiwan"

Welcome

- Welcome, President Yuan. - Mrs. Zhou. Mrs. Lei

It's been a long trip for you

Welcome to Taiwan

- Thank you. - Thank you

Yan Zekun

What were you doing in Shanghai?

I'm a doctor

I go to Shanghai several times a year

to get medicines

How did you learn to speak Mandarin?

In Changchun. I was recruited by the Japanese and stayed there for two years

So you were at the Fengtian Prisoner of War Camp?

Yes

Zekun

Are you tired?

Nah

Here. Let me

How's everyone at home?

Morn is so worried about you

Yeah?

How was Shanghai?

Getting worse

Some students were protesting and marching

How are you?

I miss you, Kun, every day

I heard that you have safely returned to your home in Keelung

I can finally feel at ease

Zekun, you're back

Hold on

Hold on

Red turtle cakes. Freshly made this morning

Thank you

Don't mention it

You look really well

You flatter me

Morn

Zekun's back

Mom, I'm back

You're back

It took you longer this time

Some medicines took longer

OkaY

As long as nothing happened to you

Morn

I need to go to Keelung Port to deliver a baby

I'll take you there

N0. Zeming can take me

Yeah, I'll take her

Meifang,

Zekun's back

OkaY

You must be exhausted

I'm alright

Here. Say "Uncle"

Say "Uncle"

Naughty bOY

That's alright

Dear Yifang,

it's very quiet in this house

So quiet, that the only sound one hears is that of the wind chimes

It's as if

they're reminding those away from home

that there is someone waiting for them,

missing them

Hello, Miss

Hello

- Enjoy staying here. - Thank you

What's your name?

Aman

We fought the Japanese for eight years,

but it's the first time I set foot in a Japanese house

Miss

Walking on the floor barefoot,

feeling its coldness,

I thought of last winter

in Shanghai,

dancing with you barefoot as Guts Zhou

Take off your shoes

- What? - Take off your shoes

I don't understand. Speak Mandarin

Take off your shoes

I didn't expect to find

a piano here,

like everything here has been prepared for me

Now,

I can finally quiet down,

and write a piece for you

Mrs. Gu,

she wants to rent the room

Excuse me

You want to rent the room?

Yes.

I'm sorry,

but we're not looking to rent to single women

I'm married. My husband's with the army

Morn, I'm cold

Thank you

It's getting cold,

and the water doesn't stay warm for long

I don't want the kid to get the cold

I understand

You don't need to help

It's okay. Just helping out

Thank you

You have kids too?

A son as well

He's staying with my mother-in-law

Which unit is your husband with?

Division 7

They're at the front

My husband's with the General Staff Office

Straighten up

If you're not straight, the characters won't be either

Hold still

You'll get a cold

When your sister's done with her calligraphy, we'll eat

I want to have red bean buns

There are no red bean buns today. Another time

Put the sweater on

You're a nurse?

I just help measure their blood pressure, change bandages,

feed them...

ls there a picture of your husband?

Yes

This is the only one we have

Last month he got an injury leave

We took it before he left again

Nice picture

Your son is so chubby and cute

Dear Yifang,

I don't know if you'll get my letters,

but I'm going to keep writing them

Thank you,

for never bringing the war home,

for only showing me

the beautiful side of life

"Huadung battlefield, China"

We have to break out of it

before the Communists have us encircled

I'm afraid we will lose more men if we do that

We can't stop here

This place is cold and lifeless

We are low on food and ammunition,

and our supply line has been cut

If we end up being encircled, we're finished

I now order the army

to be prepared to break out

In two hours,

Divisions 25 and 108

are to march towards Yongcheng

- Yes, sir - Yes, sir

Commander, I have Headquarters on the line

The enemy vanguard army has reached Jiagou. About 30,000 men

They're congregating towards Qinglongji

The Headquarters want all units to

cease the breakout and wait for further instructions

Cease the breakout?

Sir,

my unit is read to break out

with Divisions 25 and 108 as vanguard

and Divisions 34 and 35 covering the flanks

I have confidence that

we will be out of the Communist encirclement tomorrow at day break...

and reach Yongcheng

I'm sorry we didn't wait for you

Division 34 broke out last night

3O to 40 thousand men went missing,

and another 5,000 didn't make it

Division 45 is trapped in Laozulou

The fifth Army has sent their men to reinforce them

The battle is still going on

The Communists have gotten hold of our breakout plan

The plan is off

Even so, we can't stop

We have to go

If we don't, we will be encircled

The new order

is for us to wait here for instructions

It's the lives of more than 100 thousand men

Who can take responsibility for this order?

The Old Man will

At that moment,

I felt helpless like never before

I don't mind dying on the battlefield,

but it pains me to watch my troops

sacrificed for a senseless battle plan

The order from the General Staff Office

could only be described as "stupid"

A few years ago,

many brothers fought the Japanese here

and never made it back

Now,

brothers have become enemies

and many will die on the same land

If I had known,

I would have preferred to die in battle back then

At least I wouldn't have had any regrets

Yunfen,

what kept me going...

...has always been the thought of you

I kept imagining

What is the life we could have

had there been no war

Yifang,

people here say that

the silvergrass is prettiest in fall and winter

I'm telling you, this flower

...is like this. You're so stubborn

Give it to me. It's mine.

What are you saying? I can't understand a word

- I'm going to plant it under the sun. - Get out of my way

It will grow

You don't understand. Give it up.

What are you saying? I can't understand

Then where do you want to plant it?

Stop fighting. What is it?

Miss, she

sometimes speaks Hokkienese and sometimes Japanese.

I don't understand a word You, speak Mandarin

Miss,

I'm telling you

If you plant the orchid under the sun,

it will grow

And he just started babbling

I told him we could plant it there, but he wants to plant it there.

Alright

It's best to plant orchids in a greenhouse

We'll build one soon

Guo, you should learn to speak Hokkienese from Aman

Hokkienese?

How do you say

"sorry" in Hokkienese?

I'm sorry

That's okay

You old fox,

- come and get it - Give the flowers back to me

Come get it

Give me the flowers

What is it, Miss?

Miss

How did this happen?

Uncle, you need to listen to the doctor

His prescription

Another patient is waiting outside

Follow me

Zekun

Uncle

I brought over the wife of a general

Take a good look at her

OkaY

Doctor

Madam

This is Doctor Yan Zekun

My nephew

Kun, this is Mrs. Lei

Do you feel numbness in your hands and feet?

No

It's not poisonous

Not poisonous

Don't worry. You just need a little disinfection

Does this medicine have any side effects?

I feel a bit stuffy in the chest lately

Let me check your heart

Madam, would you unbutton your coat for me?

What are you doing?

What do you mean what he's doing? He's checking on Madam

He wants to take off her clothes

He doesn't need to do that to check on her

If you're not a patient, please wait outside

Here. Don't worry.

It's all your fault

Let's wait outside

Miss, no need to worry

Don't worry

It's okay. Just leave it like this

It's okay.

It's okay. Just leave it like this

Your heart sounds fine

You just arrived in Taiwan?

Yes

It could be due to the pressure

of moving to a new place

Take it easy. You should be fine

Thank you

You're welcome

I must have owed you in the previous life

We're merely acquaintances from the same town,

and here I am, showing you how to steal my job

How much can a dancing girl earn?

If you start from the bottom, about 100,000 per month

That's not much

But if you're lucky,

you would end up being some rich guy's mistress,

so that you don't need to live in a shack anymore

That's not what I want

I just want to make enough money to buy a ticket on the ship

Don't worry

As long as I'm around, you won't go hungry

Would you read to me

what the letter says?

Dear Zhen,

I miss you a lot

We're crossing the Yangtze tomorrow. It will be a tough battle

When the war is over, we'll find a place to live together

Take care. Yang Tianhu

June,1947

June

That was four months ago

The Nationalists are losing battle after battle

This guy could be dead already

Then these would be his last words

Bullshit

They say that soldiers are all playboys,

but I know

that he really loves me

As long as I have our life together to look forward to,

my life won't be unbearable

He gives me hope

Zhen,

in ourjob,

occasional naivety is more than enough

Romance wont' keep you from starving

Quiet down. Don't shout

We need a living! We need a living!

Quiet! Quiet!

Listen to me

Listen to me. Listen to me

Alright. Alright. Ladies,

the Shanghai government wants to save on energy

Our dance hall was picked in a lottery to be put out of business

There's nothing we could do

Wait till the curfews are over...

You can wait, sure. But what about us?

I have eight people

to feed in my family

Does the government

have to force us into prostitution?

Sisters, we want justice! We want our rights!

We want justice! We want our rights!

We want our rights! We want to eat!

We want a living! We want to eat!

We want our rights! We want to eat!

You alright?

I'm fine

Get up

G0 away

Well? Are you hurt?

I'm fine

Your first day on the job,

and there's no more dancing

When no one's looking, run

What about you?

Don't worry

I can take care of myself

Be careful

Take her

Be quiet

Ma'am,

your health lies in your own hands

You have asthma, and yet you're still smoking

Madam, let me carry the medicines for you

Remember to drink lots of water

- Thank you very much - Thank you

Here. Careful

Be careful

I saw your painting,

the one you did in 1942

Where did you see it?

Let's not talk about this here

How about this? There's a lighthouse nearby

I'll meet you there

Sorry

I'm sorry

to have kept you waiting

That's okay

Which direction is the northwest?

Come with me

Northwest is where this wind comes from

That is to say,

this wind is coming from the north of Central Plains

Yifang,

you said you would come

Just get here safe

You come here often?

I used to, with a friend

We used to love coming here

and looking out to the sea

That friend is called Masako?

You said you saw my painting

It's of a girl playing the piano in the silvergrass

Where did you see it?

In the room where she played the piano

I saw your painting first,

with your name on it

There's a notebook

I suppose it's for you

She also left an unfinished music score

I like

Does this tune ring a bell?

It's a beautiful tune, written for someone she loved

On that,

we are quite alike

I've been trying to write a piece for my husband,

but I don't know where to start

I'd like to use hers as my beginning,

and I'll finish the rest

How can I help you?

You and I both need this piece

Tell me some stories about her

If I could get under her skin,

I'll do a better job

I'm sorry

My memory is filled with war and death

There's not much room for more

It'll come back to you

Beautiful memories always come back

After I met him,

I started keeping a diary

Before that,

nothing

This afternoon, there was the drawing competition

I was representing the girls' high school

It was later that I learned that he wanted to sketch my eyes,

but didn't have the courage

I realized that

he never looked me in the eye,

so I played a little trick on him

He immediately lowered his head and drew something else

Our love at first sight

was accompanied by such embarrassment

Not bad

Congratulations

He got the second prize again

I felt really sorry for him

N0 matter how well he draws,

the first prize always goes to Japanese students,

never to the locals

Buttoday,

I went up to K and congratulated him

He just smiled and looked back at me in a silly way

He couldn't say a single word

Later, he told me that he felt like he was having a fever

In fact, my heart was racing as well

Look.

His beats

seemed to be

a bit

pecufiar

Then one day, we started sharing our deepest thoughts

That year,

his father passed away from tuberculosis

and left the family in financial crisis

Although life was very hard,

his mother

would never borrow money from relatives

Instead, she had him sell us that piano that she brought over

when she got married

I know

how painful it was for her

This piano is in such great shape

It must have been very dear to your mother

Don't worry. We will take good care of it as well

OkaY

Sorry

It's okay. Just leave it like this,

- It's alright - Zekun

Masako

has a fever, and is in bed. Maybe she'll get up in a bit

Why don't you stay here and have a cup of tea?

N0, thanks

I'll see you around

Zekun

Are you okay?

I thought you had a fever

On that day,

he finally kissed me

It was our first kiss

My heart was beating so fast

Because

you never know what's going to happen

We don't need to kiss up to those Japanese

It's always us that suffers in the end, right?

That's right. We all suffered in the hands of the Japanese

Especially your son Doctor Yan,

he's simply too kind-hearted

That's right, Mrs. Yan

We don't want Zekun to fall into that Japanese woman's trap

If they get married, will they live in Japan

or stay here?

Yes. Better have a daughter-in-law that understands you

Stay out of other people's business. Stop it. Go get some work done

I hope these stories are of help to you

Thank you

for sharing your stories with me

Goodbye

Only two?

Only two. Beat it

Don't push

Brothers

We just need to hold on a bit longer

As soon as the weather clears,

the air force will be dropping supplies for us

Hold on a little bit longer

Yunfen,

it's been snowing for days

The troops are trapped in this little village

The supplied stopped coming,

and we don't have any orders from above

If we go on like this,

I'm afraid our morale will be destroyed

Miss Yu,

I'm Tong Daqing, who took a family picture with you

I haven't read much,

but there's a lot that I want to say,

but I don't know how to say it

I just want to tell you that,

that day at the noodle house,

when you wiped the chopsticks clean for me...

Captain Sergeant

Commander

Thank you, Commander

We're all just waiting anyways

My radio is broken

Can you help me fix it?

I give you my word

Commander

Thank you

Well, I'll...

I'll just put it together

Sit

How long have you been in the army?

Sir,

six years

What have you done?

I was an engineer for a while. Now I'm captain of the signal troop

Are you married?

Yes

Do you have a picture of your family?

Kids?

Right there in my wife's arms

They're both back home

Well, you beat me to it

My wife just got pregnant

She's in Taiwan

You have a wife and son waiting for you at home

You're truly lucky

Commander

You should never mistake your wife for someone else

Here

This is the house I designed for myself

Quiet, with a small garden

What do you think?

Looks nice

But why use all this space for a lawn?

My wife likes to dance barefoot

I like to imagine her dancing on the grass

It feels

uninhibited, natural,

and a little bit naughty

What about you?

I just want to work hard under you,

and have a land of my own after the war

so that my family can be fed and clothed

Nothing more

Your family must be proud of you

Give it your best shot

I certainly will

Nurse!

Nurse!

My family...

Relax

It's been three days since they visited me

Don't worry. They will come

Last time they were here,

they said they had been starving for days

ls there anything I can help you with?

Please give this ring

to my wife

Tell her to pawn it

This should be able to feed them

for a few days

Excuse me

Here

Money

Miss, give me some food

G0 away. Go away

Miss, give me some bread

Stop following me

The bread is for someone else

Stop chasing me

Brother!

You alright?

Brother, what happened to you? Brother!

Is this Tiantong Road Lane 58?

Straight ahead

Which one is Liu's house?

Which Liu?

Liu the soldier

I think it's that one over there

Where does Liu the soldier live?

Is this Liu's house?

Yes

They took rat poison. Been dead about two days

Due to infections in the lung,

the wounded soldier died at 2:08 PM

Take that into record

I'd like my hair done

Miss Yu, please sit down

What kind of hairstyle would you like?

Hers

Alright, no problem

What did you say?

You want the same hairstyle as me?

Don't make me insult you

What do you do?

You're a whore

That's enough

We're all decent families in this building

We don't need to put up with this

just for a little rent

Mrs. Wang, stop shouting

What?

What are you doing? What are you looking at?

Am I wrong about you?

Mrs. Wang, take it easy

Give me some face

Please leave it, for my sake

What are you looking at? I'm talking to you

Don't give me stuff that this whore has touched

Alright. Bye

Don't get upset

Miss Yu,

about this hairstyle...

She has a big face, and you a small one. Look

It will look better on you than on her

Hang on one second. Don't rush

I'm still sticking to the old strategy:

give it everything we've got

Be flexible and help each other

Yes, Commander

We need to hurry, but with order

Commander, the villagers have come with food

Keep the villagers safe

Yes, sir

Comrades, we have brought you some food

Thank you. Thank you

Keep it going

I said we should move the battle underground,

and you were worried that we're shorthanded

and we don't have enough time

Anybody still concerned now?

Commander

Commander

Slow down

That's enough for a meal for everyone

Captain, I know this place well

Our house is right there on the wasteland

When we march over there, I'll invite you over for warm buns

Enough with the food talk. Why did you join the army?

Me?

I volunteered

It's such a hard job working in the fields

The army is much more interesting

How about you, Captain?

Me?

I've always wanted to learn how to read,

but my family couldn't afford to send me to school

Then I joined the army,

and they taught me how to read,

how to ride a horse,

how to build bridges and roads,

how to operate the radio,

how to...

how to shoot a gun

We got it! We got it!

Meat dish! Meat dish!

Wait

Salt

Careful. Careful

Please

Please

Come on

- See you around - See you around

See you around

Erdan

I asked him to take a message to my Mom

so that she knows I'm fine

You're just so good at taking advantage

Wipe your face clean

Can't let anyone know when we get back

Captain, I'm no idiot

You need to pay twice as much

How can you do it twice and not pay twice as much?

What the hell!

You want to rob me!

G0 to hell!

Like hell I'm giving it to you

You filthy whore...

Talking about twice the pay

I only came up because you're pretty

You filthy bitch

I didn't quite have a good time yet, and you're telling me I'm not paying enough?

Who do you think you are? We woke you up, didn't we?

I'm sorry

A distant relative

fighting over a little money

Red bean buns made by the hospital

Taste good

No charge

Thank you

Good night

Nationalist brothers,

you have come to the end of your rope

Even though you forced the clerks

and young students you brought from Xuzhou

to join your army,

these people are not soldiers

Many of your soldiers and officers don't want to fight anymore

You have lost a total of 34 divisions already

Brothers, we have prepared warm porridge

that we can send over to you at any time

We can promise that all of you officers

and soldiers will be safe and alive

Drop your weapons today,

and you can be on your way home tomorrow

Nationalist brothers,

you must be homesick

I have a song here that you must like

I like it tOO

This is for you

Commander,

we can't take it anymore

Commander

Get up! Get up!

Get up, all of you!

GGt up!

Commander,

we would rather die on the battlefield

than starving to death here

For a soldier,

whether he dies in battle for starves on the battlefield,

it makes no difference

All that matters is if you're scared of death or not

It's the same sky above us,

and the snow is not just falling on one side

Why is it that they can take it but we can't?

Get up, all of you!

Do your jobs

Get back here

Stop!

Don't shoot

Who told you to shoot?

Commander, they

They want to go. Let them go

We haven't been able to contact Division 108

Have the Captain of signal troop inspect the line toward Zhengji,

and let me know as soon as it's connected

Yes, sir

Division 108. Division 108

Do you hear me?

Leave us

Lei,

It's been a long time

Zhiqing

I thought you retired a long time ago

Each to his own

I can't retire even if I want to

After so many years, you're still leading the attacks

I gotta give you that

We've known each other a long time

I didn't think that

we would still be able to drink together

Here

When we were fighting the Japs,

no matter how hard life was,

the civilians would do anything

to send us food and water

and set the landmines for us,

because they sided with us

Perhaps you haven't heard that...

the US has publicly announced that

they would no longer back the Nationalist government

Even your only ally has come to understood the situation

Lei,

your army has been divided

into three parts by ours

You have no chance of winning

What are you trying to say?

I've come today

to persuade you to side with the people,

and put an end to this misery

I don't know politics

I'm just a soldier,

and I do what a soldier is supposed to do

I would rather die on the battlefield than surrender

I know there are some who will choose to leave,

but as long as there's one that wants to stay,

I'm still their Commander

Lei,

take care

Take care

We're on the same side

I'm Tong Daqing, Captain of the 12th Army signal troop

Headquarters is having trouble contacting your division

I'm here to inspect the line on the Commander's orders

The line is good. Please go

Well...

- We - Listen

Division 108,

no longer takes orders from the twelfth Army

Now that you have left them,

why would go back to risk your life?

If you report back,

we'll be in deep trouble

Pal,

we're not stupid

Don't worry. We won't breathe a word, right?

But we have to get back

If we don't, the Commander will be suspicious,

right? That would get you into more trouble

We'll get back and tell him the line is fine

And, urn, battle are all fought

by the big shots

None of us lowly soldiers want to fight,

but it's our lives that are at stake, right?

Everybody, take care

We'll see you around

See you around

Let's all be safe

Slowly

Brothers of the Band of Blades,

your mission

is honorable and difficult

It will determine

the outcome of this battle

We give you our word

- Bottoms up - Bottoms up

Didn't we agree not to report it?

We know they surrendered. If we hold this information,

it would be like killing the Commander

Stop. I won't let you

What's this about?

It was you who messed up the line

You were the one inspecting it every day

You had a deal with them long before today, didn't you?

I ran into them on one of my inspection rounds

They just wanted to talk me into surrendering, and nothing else

They brought a bun my Mom made for me

I've been saving it

to share with you

Look

What's their relationship to your family?

Our family has been poor generation after generation

Nobody respected us

But they are different

When they passed by our door,

even when they were tired or hungry,

they never set foot in our house

or took down our door plank

Captain, my Mom and I both believe that

they really are good people

I see

Shoot

I won't kill a brother

Captain, don't push me

Brother...

Back where I come from, we say "pal"

It's okay

I'll help you

I won't look at you

All you need to do is pull the trigger

Don't push me

The final order has been issued

There's no turning back

The Headquarters have decided to not stay put anymore, and break out instantly

We have all been through life and death together, till now

You have done your best,

and I thank you

By my orders,

you are dismissed. G0 home

Commander,

we want to stay with you,

and fight till the end

GGt up!

Commander

What took you so long?

What did you find?

Commander, I ask to be punished

Why?

What's the point for punishment now?

It's just a terrible sound. Everyone hold their position

Have everyone hold their position

Pay extra attention to the rear defence,

- in case the enemy uses a decoy - Yes, sir

If Division 108 reinforces in time,

we still have a chance of breaking out

Charge!

Fire!

Contact Division 108 immediately

Ask where they are

Commander,

Division 108

has surrendered to the Communists

What?

You fucking withheld information!

I'm willing to be court-martialed

Hold on to your gun

Protect yourself

Come on

Commander

You Okay?

Commander

I'm fine

Shit

You could have left alive

Why did you come back here asking to be punished?

I knew someone surrendered to the enemy,

but I didn't report it right away

Also,

I lied about having a wife and family for the food notes

Actually I'm not even married

I've been so dishonest,

but you still trust me so

I've been dishonest as well

I promised my wife

that I would return to her safe and sound

She, too, trusts me

If you're not leaving,

I have one last mission for you

Give this to my wife

Make sure she gets it

G0

What about you, General?

I can't go like this

There's something I need to get first

Yunfen,

every time I think of you,

I feel

peaceful inside

While facing death every day,

I still have someone

to think about

This is my greatest happiness

Please forgive me for breaking my promise

There is an image lingering in my mind

On a large meadow...

circled by flowers,

You are barefoot

With the kid

Dancing on the grass

Running

Laughing

in the sunlight warm and bright

"January 10, 1949, Huadung area."

"After fifty-five days of battle and thirty days of besiegement. The army of KMT,"

"including five groups, twenty-two brigades and fifty-six divisions,"

"total five hundred and fifty-five thousand people are killed."

"There are about a thousand people getting on Taiping in January 27, 1949."

"lncluding Zhen Yu, Ze-Kun Yan, Da-Qing Tong, Zhong-Ding Zhou and Peter."

"The Taiping is sailing to Keelung the night before the Chinese New Year's Eve."

"The Taiping and the Jianyuan collided and sunk at 11:45 p.m."

"To be continue"