Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available.]

Chef Fang

Episode 22

Fang Mansion

You’re back, Master.

Bring me that book of poems, Jing.

Yes, Miss.

Master.

Father.

You’re back.

Yes.

Did you come back from the Shen’s?

Did you see that girl?

Why?

Is she still mad at you?

I didn’t get to see her.

Mrs. Shen is sick

and she’s there with her.

Yao,

why did you ask me to go there?

The Shens are a handful.

I’d rather stay far away from them.

I met Shen Yong and his wife a while ago.

That girl looks beautiful and kind.

She deserves a better man than Shen Yong.

I thought if she could be your daughter,

we could help her if she was in trouble.

At least,

her life wouldn’t be ruined by us.

You're too kindhearted, Miss.

She used to be homeless.

Marrying into the Shen’s is her bliss.

Don’t say that.

It's true.

The Shens treat her well.

She’ll be fine. Don’t worry, Yao.

Father.

Yao,

I’m worried about you the most.

You aren’t getting any younger.

I can’t wait to have grandsons.

What are you talking about, father?

You...

You know what I’m talking about.

Thank you, sir.

What did you ask them?

I asked them about those victims in town.

By the way,

have you heard about a vegetable fever?

Vegetable fever?

I know swine fever and fowl plague.

Can vegetables get sick, too?

That’s the mysterious part.

That beggar

chatted with those victims.

They said vegetables they grew

all withered

as if they had a plague.

People who ate those all died.

Is that so?

There were over a hundred people in the village,

but then, almost half died.

The rest fled to nearby villages.

People there dare not take them in

for fear of getting infected.

Then they came all the way to Dongxiang

and begged in the street for a living.

There wasn’t enough food,

so they had no choice but to rob others.

Poor thing!

Nobody saw it coming.

Do you really believe that?

I don’t buy that

so-called vegetable fever.

It sounds ridiculous.

I’ve never heard of it.

Let’s go ask experienced farmers

outside the city.

Perhaps they know more things than us.

Father.

Have you found anything?

We asked the farmers

about this vegetable fever.

They all laughed

and said there wasn’t such a thing.

I knew it couldn’t be true.

Should we go to Qingshan Village to investigate?

Many people died after eating the vegetables.

Is it possible that their food was poisoned

or they accidentally ate poisonous ingredients?

Or could it be some epidemics?

How far is the village?

Quite far. It takes about a day to get there.

Where’s Yong?

I just saw him going out of town.

What for?

He’s probably investigating it, too.

Shen Yong is interested in solving cases.

He’s smart and good at making friends.

He can take over your position in a few years.

I never even dared to dream

that he'd improve so much.

I only hoped

he’d cause me less trouble.

I have to thank that Mr. Fang.

Without him, Yishao wouldn’t have come.

Shen Jie, go back

and have them pack things for Yong and Yishao.

We’ll meet them outside the city

and go to Qingshan Village together.

Don't forget to tell my wife.

OK.

Those books Yong’s been reading...

I gave him those.

Please punish me.

I mean I have similar ones.

Bring some to him when we come back.

Stop it.

You can’t even walk properly.

Do I need to teach you again?

Where are you going?

Master is taking us to Qingshan Village

to investigate the alleged fever.

Hire a normal carriage, Jie.

We’ll go there as merchants.

Yes.

Yah!

The village is at front.

Have you been there before?

No. It's said that place

has been abandoned for decades.

Yes. So many people died.

Does Qingshan Village belong to Dongxiang?

Yes. It’s a part of Luo County,

directly under Dongxiang’s administration.

The head of the county is Rong Changzai.

Rong Changzai? Quite a good name.

Mine is normal. Many have the same name as mine.

I like your name.

“Yong” means brave. It says you're a brave man.

Really?

The synonym of “brave” is “brainless”.

Who named me?

I did.

Father.

How did it go?

Villagers dissuade us from going.

They say the village is deserted,

and practically a ghost village.

There are ghosts at night.

Really?

We’ll spend the night there.

What? Master,

it’s haunted. Are we still going?

So what?

I’d like to meet the ghosts.

Maybe they can tell us how those people died.

I can bring them justice.

Darling.

She's so afraid of ghosts.

She may ask me to hold her at night.

Qingshan Village

Whoa!

Here, father. Be careful.

It pains me to see a once crowded village

become a wasteland.

They’re right. People have all left.

Father,

look,

the forest is thick. It's good for hunting.

The farmland looks tidy.

Yet the so-called vegetable fever

emptied the whole village.

Something must be wrong.

I’ve consulted physicians and medical examiners.

They say poison is likely the cause,

but the truth is unknown.

Poison? How did it get into the vegetables?

Water is the most possible source.

We can't rule out the land, either.

Let’s go inside.

Maybe we can find people there.

Are we really going to stay here tonight, master?

They say it’s a ghost village.

Are there ghosts here?

Stop it.

The young might’ve all left,

but the old may not.

They won’t abandon their homes.

They’d rather die here.

Is there anything to eat?

They’ve probably died of hunger.

I don’t think so. They can go hunting.

There are other things to eat except vegetables.

Your conversation makes me hungry.

Honey,

what do we have for dinner?

We have buns.

Buns are too dry.

Why don't we go hunting?

Sure.

Young Master,

don't run around. There are ghosts.

No way. We’ll go catch chickens and rabbits.

I have a slingshot with me.

I’ll go with them,

Shen Jie.

He’s quite loyal.

Can they go there on their own?

Don’t worry.

Yong is an adult now.

He can’t always stay with me.

He should learn to take care of Yishao.

Stop, Mrs. Shen.

There might be snakes and bugs.

Darling!

Look, Mrs. Shen,

it’s a pheasant.

Yes.

Got it.

Little Stammer.

Yes.

Look, Young Master,

it hasn’t seen people for long

and is too slow to escape.

Let’s catch a few more.

OK.

There are five of us.

Catch one more.

Mrs. Shen can cook a few dishes.

OK.

This is weird. Look,

this one

is homebred, not living in the wild.

Darling!

Darling! Are you alright?

How did you land on your face?

This is embarrassing.

I saw something there.

Let’s go take a look.

Why are bones here?

They probably belong to the poisoned.

What’s wrong?

Here’s an incision.

Yes, it's obvious.

It might be a fatal injury.

I read it in the book

the victim might be killed by a knife or a dagger.

Bones of the poisoned or the sick

can’t be this white.

They're usually dark,

especially those around the organs.

That means they didn’t die of the vegetable fever.

Give me a hand.

Don’t touch it.

It's dirty.

Let’s bring it back to father.

Maybe it can be our lead.

Master.

Father.

Master.

Shen Jie.

We’re here.

A well is inside.

The water looks clear.

Let’s go.

The water doesn’t seem to be poisoned.

The water isn’t the problem.

Father.

Look at the leaves.

Are they struck by the fever?

Yes. Look at the worm stings.

Yes. The leaves are dry

but they were eaten by bugs.

So?

You’re so slow.

It means they aren’t poisonous,

or the bugs wouldn’t eat them.

Hence, the fever doesn’t exist.

What if the bugs were stupid

and ate them?

If that’s the case,

there’d be dead bugs on the ground.

Father and I canvassed the area.

There’s none.

Besides, we searched the houses

and didn’t find a single dead body.

No body?

That's odd.

If they did die of the fever,

nobody would touch their bodies.

They’d only be buried

in a year or two.

How come there’s no body?

Also, there’s no sign of money

at all in their houses.

Were they robbed?

No way. Isn’t this a ghost village?

Robbers wouldn’t want to die.

On top of that,

there’s no vegetable inside, either.

Robbers might take

rice or clothes,

but who’d want vegetables?

It does seem odd.

There’s more to it. Follow me.

Look.

Plant ash.

Isn’t it common at home?

What’s wrong?

People had to cook, didn’t they?

Usually, after cooking,

the ash will be taken out

and mixed with water to pour into the land.

It’s a natural fertilizer.

Besides, too much ash

will slow down the cooking.

So?

So they must’ve left suddenly while cooking.

Left suddenly?

Brilliant!

Now, I understand.

I was confused when father asked me.

You’re a genius.

Little Stammer.

We found this in the woods.

The cause of death might not be poison or disease.

Something must be wrong. Disease isn’t the killer.

That means what happened isn’t a natural disaster

but a manmade one.

Smear some honey.

Wow, I can smell it.

So good!

Hurry, dear.

I’m starving.

It’s amazing.

What’s this soup, Mrs. Shen?

There are chicken gizzards, livers and blood.

Can’t wait to taste it!

Dinner is ready, father.

Coming.

Smells so good.

Darling.

What’s this soup? Smells like heaven.

Master.

Chicken soup.

Here, father, eat this.

Chicken soup.

I can’t believe we have such a feast in the wild.

Thank you, Yishao.

You should come with us whenever we go out.

Darling.

What's wrong?

There she is.

Are they humans or ghosts?

Ghosts, I guess.

There are no ghosts.

Something is happening.

What should we do now?

Should we go there?

Don’t alert them.

We can follow them quietly.

Find out who they are

and what they're up to.

Yes.

What are they doing, standing in a line

and going back and forth.

Aren’t they tired?

They seem to be looking for something.

Look, their clothes are big

and swaying.

Monkey business.

How did they...

make the hellish fire?

Child’s play.

Add sulfur to the fire,

and it’ll turn green.

Add bone powder, it’ll turn blue.

You can have it in all colors.

Their motive is the key.

Really? What exactly are they looking for?

When I was young, I lost a needle.

My mother held my hand

and looked for it bit by bit.

Looking for a needle in the middle of the night?

I don't think so.

What they're looking for might be tiny.

I guess they’re the ghosts

those villagers said.

Their search must’ve continued for long.

It does seem strange.

The sun will soon rise.

They’re leaving. I’ll go follow them.

Take care of Yishao and father, Little Stammer.

I’ll go with Shen Jie.

When will they come back?

They must be hungry.

Yishao.

Why did you get up so early, father?

People at my age don’t need too much sleep.

I can’t sleep, either,

so I’m going to make breakfast.

They can eat once they come back.

Thank you.

I’m going to cook, father.

Did you follow the smell and come back?

I can’t believe it!

What’s wrong, darling?

Those are constables.

They work for Luo County.

What? Constables?

Why did they act so mysteriously?

Mrs. Shen,

not all officials

are like master

who’s honest and upright

and works for people.

Most officials

have dirty deeds

that can’t be put aboveboard.

Stop your flattering.

Alright.

Let’s eat.

Then we can go check the farmland.

I’m eager to find

those things hidden there.

This doesn’t make sense.

What?

The land is fertile.

Why didn’t they grow crops but vegetables only?

A ditch has been dug to grow rice.

There’s also a pond over there.

Why did they grow vegetables?

They're usually grown in the garden.

They were probably doing vegetable business.

Then why did they dig the ditch?

Also, the land looks fertile.

Why is it abandoned?

Look, much of the land has been trampled flat.

I think because of the repeated treading,

nothing could grow here.

Darling.

I didn’t know

farmers’ lives are so hard.

They have to work in the sun for a day.

I pity them.

Indeed. My father used to say

that food we eat

came from others’ hard work.

As a chef, if we can’t cook it properly,

the ingredient will be wasted

and so will the farmers’ efforts.

That’ll be a crime.

He’s right.

Found anything?

Not at all. It’s deserted.

Nothing is there.

I’ll search again.

I’ll go with you.

It's too hot, father.

Let’s go to the pond to cool ourselves.

Let’s go.

He fell in the water.

Get Shen Jie out.

Don't worry. He’s a good swimmer.

Catch some fish. We can eat it for dinner.

OK.

You're well-behaved today.

Not bad. You don’t want Yishao to worry, do you?

That’s more like it.

There’s fish!

What’s wrong, Shen Jie?

There’s something in the water.

I didn’t see it clearly. Let me try again.

Shen Jie still hasn’t come out.

Go check on him, Little Stammer.

There’s a box.

Give me a hand, Little Stammer.

OK.

Here.

So heavy.

Dark wood? It’s precious.

This case alone is worth a ton.

It must be waterproof.

There might be treasure inside.

We’ll be rich. Open it.

What is this?

Just an ordinary rock.

Could there be jade inside?

I don’t think so.

There’s more down there. Don’t know what they are.

I took the smallest.

Let’s take the rest out, too.

OK.

This must be a prank.

A waste of time.

Let’s eat first. Other things can wait.

OK. Let’s eat.

Smells good.

Eat up, father.

The fish is fresh and tasty.

There’s nothing special about the rock.

It's not expensive at all.

I agree.

You did this on purpose, didn’t you?

I was talking to my father. Are you my father?

It's cheap

and can be found anywhere near the river.

Why is it treated as some treasure?

I thought it was valuable.