In the evening,
especially around 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.,
drinking a moderate amount of black tea
-can promote gastrointestinal motility. -Nana.
Mr. Ma.
I brought you some supper.
Thank you.
Where's the new tenant?
Tell her to come down to eat.
She's not back yet.
It's late and dark.
-Where could she go? -She's probably walking on the beach.
The light in Damai's room is still on.
Tell her to come down and eat.
Don't call her.
She's writing.
It's her decision
whether she'll come or not.
But it's our fault
if we don't even ask her.
She dislikes crowds.
Don't always put pressure on others, okay?
Look, how is it wrong for me to be friendly and hospitable?
She shouldn't always stay inside her room.
She might get sick. She needs to go out for a walk.
-Damai, come down for supper! I was wrong. -Stop yelling!
What did Damai say?
How do you know it's Damai?
Here, Mr. Ma.
No food for me after noon.
It's really her.
"I'm good.
Thank you."
Good guess, Nana.
Come here.
Have a drink.
I'm not drinking.
I must go to the warehouse with Xiaochun early tomorrow morning.
One doesn't eat after noon.
The other doesn't drink after noon.
You guys…
I'll call a friend.
You're all here.
Speaking of the devil.
Come on, Mr. Xie. Have a drink.
You should have told me earlier.
We've already had dinner at home.
Who is she?
I'm Xu Hongdou, the new tenant.
I live upstairs.
Hello. Let me introduce myself.
I'm Hu Youyu.
Just call me Youyu.
-Hello, Youyu. -Hello.
This is Ma Qiushan. We call him Mr. Ma.
I saw him meditating this afternoon.
-And this is… -Nana.
Hello, Nana.
She had dinner at your home?
Aunt Baoping sent some beef over.
Why didn't you call me?
If you guys come, there won't be enough to eat.
Well, you guys carry on. I've got other things to do.
-Get some rest. -Okay.
What's there to do so late at night? Have a drink.
I'll take a rain check.
I'll get going.
Well, Hongdou, this serves as your welcome.
No.
I haven't unpacked my luggage yet.
I'll unpack first. Let's do this tomorrow.
Get some rest.
Call me if you need anything. I'm in this room.
Okay.
Hongdou.
Let's add each other on WeChat, okay?
Look, my phone is broken.
I must get it fixed.
Good night.
I'm in that room.
If you have any problems, call me.
Okay.
Fine.
She's also introverted.
Even more so than Damai.
I should go too.
Thank you for your supper.
No, stay a little longer.
No, wait.
At least leave me some barbecue.
Youyu.
Don't push things.
One
must learn to get along with himself.
Just meditate.
I‘ll just drink on my own.
THIS IS THE LEGENDARY WATER POPLAR SOUP
LIKE THIS FLOWER WALL
OUR AGREEMENT
THE PERSON I LIKE, IT'S UP TO FATE
A PHOTO WITH WATER POPLAR
YOU'LL LIKE BRAISED CHICKEN
LIKE THIS FLOWER WALL
I HEARD THIS IS CALLED BLUE BRICKS AND GREEN TILES
WHEN GETTING AIR IN THE FIELD, I SUDDENLY MISSED YOU SO MUCH
We can eat now, right?
Let's eat.
Wait.
I must formally introduce these three dishes first.
Mother and son meeting,
Guan Yu and Qin Qiong's Battle,
and spicy kiss.
Aren't these stir-fried soybean and mung bean sprouts,
fried eggs with tomatoes, and fried pig snouts with chili?
Don't you find these interesting?
I just think this place serves food too slowly.
Listen. I must go back to the hotel right after dinner.
A tour group came today.
I must be crazy.
I'm so busy that I have mouth ulcers,
but I still came to eat fried pig snouts with chili with you.
I got it.
It's because you love me.
I almost can't afford that anymore.
Waiter.
-Yes? -A bowl of rice, please! Hurry!
Okay. Please wait a moment.
When exactly will you be free to go to Yunnan with me?
I'm busy during this time.
Let's see.
Actually, I wanted to try their soup called water poplar.
Water poplar?
How did it get its name?
It seems like the plant is called water poplar.
I've never tasted it either. I don't know.
It probably tastes like vegetable soup.
The fried pig snouts are good.
You should eat more.
Please call it a spicy kiss.
Fried pig snouts.
-Tour group. -Fried pig snouts.
It smells so good.
Yummy.
Hi, kitty.
My name is Xu Hongdou, you?
I didn't sleep well yesterday.
The window was open and mosquitoes came in.
Let me pet you a bit, okay?
Hello.
I'm Xu Hongdou. I just arrived yesterday.
Hello, my name is Damai.
Damai.
Hongdou and Damai are both foods.
You're up so early.
I haven't slept yet.
You stayed up all night?
Well, I'm almost done here.
It's all right.
I don't cook.
I'm just saying hello.
Please go on.
Well, I've cooked too much. Would you like to have some?
There's no need.
I'll…
I'll make some oatmeal later. Thank you.
It's fine. I really cooked too much.
All right then.
Thank you.
Who owns the cat?
I don't know.
Are there mosquitoes in your room?
I forgot to close the window before sleeping yesterday.
There are a lot of mosquitoes here.
I have insecticides and medicated oil in my room.
I'll bring you some later.
Okay. Thank you.
I think you have a Hunan accent.
I worked in a hotel before.
I had a VIP customer I was close with who's also from Hunan.
Your accents are similar.
Where is the hotel?
A five-star hotel in Beijing.
So you're from Beijing?
No.
I studied in Beijing.
Then
I found a job there.
I spent more than ten years in Beijing.
I am from Shandong.
So what are you doing here this time?
I quit my job.
I just wanted to come here to relax and unwind.
How?
Play with your phone in a new place?
Not really.
The scenery here is gorgeous.
We can try to stay away from the phone.
So what are you doing today?
I'm getting my phone fixed.
My phone is broken.
Isn't it perfect for you to stay away from it then?
As long as it's within your reach, you'll always want to use it.
Now that it's broken, you won't want to use it anymore.
Well…
I cooked the meal. Can you wash the dishes?
Of course.
Get some rest.
Thank you.
I'll get going then.
A BOOK FOR YOU TO KILL TIME
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE
It's time to eat!
Hurry up! I'm going to be late for work.
Got it. All right.
Look, Grandma can't wait anymore.
Right? She's angry.
Come on, let's have breakfast.
Young Master is still upstairs.
What does he want?
Breakfast in bed?
Xiaohulu, ask your uncle to have breakfast.
-Okay. -Go.
Don't be angry with him.
His focus is elsewhere.
He can't distinguish between kind and unkind words anymore.
That's true.
No matter what I tell him,
it goes in one ear and out the other.
His brain is dead.
If I had been mad at him, I would have already died.
Don't let anger kill you. It's enough for it to kill me.
Your dad is waiting for me in the afterlife.
Li Baoping.
You can't be killed by anger.
You've suffered a lot. It's finally time to enjoy your life.
If you die from anger, listen,
the King of Hell won't agree and ghosts won't dare to take your soul.
Let my dad wait long. Let him wait a few more decades.
Grandma, Uncle Xiaoxia won't get up.
Uncle Zhiyuan is also sleeping in his room.
Okay, come and eat.
When did Zhiyuan arrive?
I don't know.
I'll go upstairs and check.
Are you the new tenant?
Yes. Hello.
Hello. Welcome.
Mr. Ma.
No need to say hello to him.
He can't hear you during the day.
Newcomer.
There are a few things I need to tell you.
I am responsible
for cleaning this yard.
Don't throw your garbage around
or leave it by the door.
Place them in the garbage bin in the laundry room.
Can you see it?
Place them there.
Also, clean your room yourself.
I'm not responsible for it.
-Okay. -Do you hear me?
Yes. I got it.
You're so pretty.
Just like my daughter, Xi.
Why did you come here?
I'm here to take a break.
The air here is fresh.
What about your job?
I quit.
City people like you are so confident.
You quit your job as you please.
I'm not an employee.
One-third of the rooms in this yard belong to me.
I'm the landlady.
Mrs. Landlady.
No wonder you speak in such a decent manner.
"Mrs. Landlady"?
No one ever called me that.
But it sounds fancy. It has a nice ring to it.
You city girls are sweet-talkers.
Decent?
I'm merely an old lady from a village.
Make yourself feel at home.
Call me Aunt Gui from now on.
Okay, Aunt Gui.
Where is your hometown?
I'm from Shandong.
Shandong?
Qingdao City?
No. It's a small third-tier city.
But it's not far away from there.
There's still a connection between us.
My son and daughter are both in Qingdao.
They didn't go there to work.
Both of them went to the university there
and stayed after graduation.
Now, they are married with kids.
That's awesome.
Awesome?
My son, Dayang,
bought a big apartment in Qingdao.
But what's the point?
He still has to pay the mortgage.
Yes.
Aunt Gui.
Do you know how to get to Xiaochun's café?
Of course.
It's very close.
Go out of the door and turn left.
Walk to the end and turn left to the other alley.
Then walk to the end and turn right.
Walk to the end and you'll get to the town entrance.
You can ask people there.
-Okay. -But it's very close.
Thank you.
He's deaf during the day.
I won't keep you.
Okay. I'll get going.
Come here.
-Zhiyao, have an apple. -Yes?
Thank you.
This one is for you.
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
Do you want to have colored braids?
No, thank you.
Try it. It will look beautiful.
Give it a try.
No, thank you.
Xu Hongdou.
Mdm. Xie.
Just call me Grandma Xie.
Have you eaten?
Yes.
-Grandma Xie, do you have a booth here? -Yes.
These are all my handicrafts.
Which one do you like?
I'll give it to you.
-No. Thank you. -Take it.
It's okay.
Where are you going?
I want to go to Xiaochun's café.
How can I get there?
You're in the opposite direction.
Go east at that intersection ahead.
I'll take you there.
It's fine. I can go by myself.
It's okay, I'm going there too.
I'm going to the café, Grandma.
All right.
See you, Grandma Xie.
Hongdou.
Here's an orange for you.
Thank you, Grandma Xie.
See you.
-See you. -I'll pick you up in the evening.
This way. You're in the opposite direction.
I feel like we've circled around.
Aren't you here for leisure?
I'll show you around.
Aren't you getting your phone fixed today?
I can get it fixed tomorrow.
Are you hiding from creditors?
You're a great conversationalist.
That's what everyone says.
After all, as you can see,
I am the visual in this village.
Pony Prince.
But I've never relied on my good looks to earn money.
I study online every day.
After all, after junior high,
I forgot the solution to the linear equation with one unknown.
This is a friendly reminder.
You could start laughing when I mentioned being the visual.
I don't feel awkward.
It's okay if you don't talk too.
Slow down. It's like your feet are powered by an engine.
I walk quite slowly.
The scenery is so nice.
Look at Erhai Lake.
Isn't Erhai Lake beautiful?
When I was a child,
my grandpa had a fishing boat.
It was a tiny one.
Every time I stood on it,
I was so scared
since it wobbled.
But when my grandpa stood on it while fishing, it was so stable.
Every time Grandpa went fishing
with the osprey,
I sat by the Erhai Lake and waited for him.
Have you ever seen an osprey?
It's a kind of black bird with a wide beak
that's very good at catching fish.
Now, it's rarely seen.
Was your grandpa a fisherman?
He lives off the land and water.
In the past, Erhai Lake was super clear
and full of fishes.
Later on, to protect Erhai Lake's ecological environment,
the government banned fishing throughout the year,
so no fishing boats can be seen now.
But every time I stand by Erhai Lake,
I always feel
that my grandpa is still fishing out there.
Time flies.
Yes.
When I was a kid, I felt the days pass so slowly.
But now,
time goes by too fast.
Your grandma is nice.
She likes you.
Really?
Let me ask you a question.
What's a linear equation with one unknown?
If there's only one unknown
and its power is one
and both sides of the equation are integral expressions,
this kind of equation
is a linear equation with one unknown.
Have you really forgotten it?
It's weird that you remember so clearly, okay?
Nana.
Mr. Xie.
-Xu Hongdou. -Nana.
Xiaohulu, Guobao.
-Uncle Zhiyao! -Uncle Zhiyao!
-Are you done organizing your room? -Let's fly a plane.
-Yes. -Fly a plane? Let's go and fly one.
See what you'd like to drink.
Xiaochun said that the first one is on the house.
No need. Business is business.
We do long-term business.
Gifts blind eyes.
You must come more often to support us in the future.
Okay.
I haven't had lunch yet.
Take a look at the menu.
REFRESHMENTS
Where is Xiaochun?
She went to pick up someone at the junction.
I recommend the porcini pancake.
-Okay. -Nana.
Nana.
Is the coffee ready?
-Yes. -Mr. Xie.
You're Hongdou, aren't you?
You look beautiful in your outfit.
I can tell you're a tourist.
Well, I'm going to the city
to sing.
Do you want to join me?
I have plans today.
-You have plans? -Yes.
By the way, we haven't added each other on WeChat yet.
Add me. I'll scan your QR code.
Look.
My phone is broken.
It's really broken.
Then how about this?
Go to the city with me
and you can have your phone repaired.
Then we can add each other on WeChat.
I want to rest today.
Do you want to rest?
Okay, rest first.
I'll go to sing.
I'll treat you to drinks tonight.
-Bye. -Bye.
That's how Mr. Hu is, very friendly.
Especially to girls.
Xiaochun.
I'm at the café.
YOUFENG CAFÉ
Ms. Li, let me introduce you.
-Yes. -This is my relative, Xie Zhiyao.
Zhiyao, this is Ms. Li.
You're a Chinese elementary teacher. Right?
It's the first time you've met. How about shaking hands first?
Hello.
Hi.
This is the porcini pancake.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
This is our brochure.
All the fun spots in the village, town, and surrounding areas are there.
You can have a look.
This is a hand-drawn map.
You can go for a walk after eating.
Can I take it with me?
Sure.
It's made from persimmons,
walnuts,
and raisins.
It's so nutritious. Try it later.
Okay.
What an awkward blind date.
Both of their last names are Xie?
Are they cousins?
No.
Mr. Xie is 32 years old.
Xiaochun is 27 or 28 years old.
They're a bit related by blood.
You can say
they're relatives from the same village.
But they're very close.
He's 32?
This is autumn dew.
That's indigo naturalis.
Right. I'm not proficient in my business.
All members of Mr. Xie's family
aren't as anxious as Xiaochun.
She'd try to find him a girlfriend daily if she could.
Nana.
Yes?
Nana, I want to eat pancakes.
Didn't you just have lunch?
Do you want pancakes now?
Have you finished your spelling exercise?
But I want pancakes.
Here. Take it.
Say thank you to Hongdou.
Thank you, Hongdou.
You're welcome.
Thank you, Hungdou.
Whose kids are they?
Xiaohulu is Xiaochun's.
Guobao is Yang Guanjun's
who sells barbecue at night at the junction.
Xiaochun's daughter?
She's married?
She's divorced.
Her ex is in Kunming.
She has custody.
Waitress.
I'm coming.
-Eat while the food is hot. -Okay.
Apart from teaching at school,
I also like hiking and camping.
By the way,
I also organize a camping squad in school.
A camping squad?
What?
A camping squad.
That's good. Sounds great.
I'm telling you.
He is also a fan of such outdoor activities.
You can tell from his build immediately.
And listen,
he also likes to ride horses.
He has a horse with a very cute name.
It's called Little Cutie.
Keep your voice down.
Do not affect the customers.
I'll lower my voice.
It tastes sweet.
But it's not too sweet, is it?
Yes. It's quite refreshing.
I'll pour you some tea.
Here you go.
Thank you, Xiaochun.
Thank you.
Make yourself at home here. Don't be shy.
Okay.
Feel free to look around, see what you need.
Did you make all the crafts here?
No.
My master and other craftsmen in the village sell their works here.
I've just learned it for a few years. I can't make such masterpieces.
What's that?
I just carved that for fun.
It's interesting.
Really?
This woman seems to be furious.
But she looks funny.
Who is she?
My sister.
Your sister?
I thought she was my sister.
Did you come from the café next door?
The two yards are next to each other.
My sister runs that café.
Is your sister Xie Xiaochun?
Do you know my sister?
I'm renting a room here. I arrived yesterday.
So you're the new tenant.
I'm Xie Xiaoxia.
I'm Xu Hongdou.
Xu Hongdou.
This is for you. You can play with it.
-Thank you. -It's nothing.
Come when you have time.
Bye.
You already know the way. Come here again.
Here.
Thank you, Xiaochun.
It's so nice to meet you.
I'll definitely be back.
This is our new tea.
You must try it.
Thank you for the gift. Bye.
You're welcome.
Come again when you have time.
-Take care. -Okay.
Come again.
Bye.
Are you keen on Ms. Li?
Yes.
I think Ms. Li is really nice.
So will you marry her?
You speak as if she'll marry me if I propose.
She's got no interest in me.
How so?
If she's not interested, why did she want to add you on WeChat?
I'm telling you,
now that you have her WeChat,
take more initiative.
Just be friends.
Ms. Li is really nice.
Yes, she is.
Regarding Xiaxia…
Don't change the subject.
I got it.
I have her WeChat.
She's nice.
We can be friends first, okay?
Don't brush me off.
Be more proactive.
Okay.
Regarding Xiaxia,
why is he suddenly going to Shanghai?
Did my mom tell you?
He recently met a friend from Shanghai.
He was invited there, so he wants to check it out.
A friend from Shanghai.
A guy or a girl?
He said it's a guy.
They met while playing games.
But I don't think so.
Recently, when he showered,
he'd even bring his phone into the bathroom.
I think
they're probably dating online.
Xiaxia is at the right age
to date now.
But my mom doesn't think so.
She said he's going to Shanghai
to find a job.
If that's the case,
he's an adult now,
so you can't stop him.
If he wants to travel to Shanghai, just let him go.
If he's determined to find a job there,
just let him do it.
However,
his master is not in a good mood recently.
A few years ago,
his son wanted to go into machine carving
and he was so angry that he got hospitalized of blood pressure.
Later on,
he became the municipal inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.
He felt the need to pass on the skill and took in a dozen of apprentices.
However,
his apprentices have left
one by one.
Xiaxia is the one who has been with him the longest.
And they're from the same village,
so they have ties with each other.
He's really good to Xiaxia.
If Xiaxia leaves him,
I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it.
He has to, even if he can't.
As my grandma says,
times have changed.
Deeply buried gold cannot shine.
The platform for traditional handicrafts is becoming smaller.
A great thing still is unsalable if no one knows it.
His apprentices learned the craft,
but they couldn't make money from it.
What else can they do but leave?
Right.
If you want to help with promotion,
he doesn't want to since he thinks those things are insincere.
How about this?
I'll invite Xiaxia for dinner tonight and have a chat with him.
Thank you, Zhiyao.
Don't mention it.
XIE HUAILAN
BORN 1961
YUNNAN PROVINCE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE INHERITOR
BEEN LEARNING EMBROIDERY SINCE 15 YEARS OLD TO PRESENT…
It's not uniform.
I'll show you.
-Look carefully. -Okay.
-Film as much as you can. -Okay.
They can be used for promotions.
I should start sewing there.
Yes. Then the color would be uniform.
You can lower it a bit.
Mom!
I caught a butterfly!
Zhiyao.
Butterflies are beneficial insects that can spread pollen
to help crops grow.
Set it free.
Zhiyao.
Come here.
I'll make you a hat with a lotus on it.
I don't like the lotus.
Flowers are for girls.
Then what do you like?
A butterfly.
Okay, then I'll embroider a butterfly. Come on.
All right.
Cut, it's a wrap.
Ms. Xie.
Thank you for your work today. Thank you.
It's nothing.
-Let's take a photo together. -Sure.
-Come on. -I'll take the photo!
-Let's take a photo. -Join us, Mr. Xie.
No, why should I join?
Hurry.
Look here.
Let me adjust it a bit. Okay, one, two, three.
It's done.
-All right. -Thank you.
No worries. Take care.
Okay.
Mr. Liu, I'll email you the materials after exporting them tonight.
-Sure. -I have something to tell you.
THE NEW YEAR USHERS IN FORTUNE, OPEN THE DOOR TO RECEIVE PROSPERITY
Mr. Liu.
Does your television station have a wood carving special?
I want to recommend someone.
A municipal inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.
He was given the title even earlier than Ms. Xie.
But he's very low profile,
a veteran craftsman.
We just went to Jianchuan last month.
It's fine. In the future, there might be opportunities.
-Okay. -Talk to you later.
All right.
I'll just see myself out.
-Gezi, please walk Mr. Liu out. -Okay.
-I'll get going. Bye. -Bye.
-I'll help you. -Take care.
XIE HUAILAN EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP
Have they all left?
Auntie.
You had an exhausting day. Go and get some rest.
I'm not tired.
I haven't done any physical work.
While they were filming earlier, I was thinking
that if my mom hadn't given up being an embroiderer
and gone out to work,
she'd probably
be recording the show with you right now.
If your mom didn't work,
how could she pay for your education?
I don't have a child to raise.
Otherwise, at that time,
I also had to go out to work to make money.
Do you miss your mom?
You were still in junior high when your mom was gone.
It has been 20 years now.
How time flies.
Zhiyao.
Taste it.
It's just right.
Grandma.
I'm hungry.
Give Xiaxia a call.
See if he is almost here.
I called. He'll be here soon.
Take a shower before eating.
You stink. You're so gross.
I've washed my hands.
Why did you kick me?
Go and shower.
Grandma.
You can scold him,
but why get physical?
Grandma.
You can't be so partial and spoil him.
You didn't treat me this way when I was young.
It's a different era now.
You can't get physical.
It's uncivilized.
Yes. It's uncivilized.
You've had enough fun here.
Time to go back to school in Kunming.
Did you hear that?
Grandma wants you to go back to school in Kunming.
You stayed here for a month.
If you don't go back to school, you won't be able to keep up.
I'm not going back.
You must go to school.
Grandma.
I don't want to study anymore.
I want to stay here. I want to keep horses.
Zhiyao, you can venture out in your own career.
I'll stay here and take care of Grandma.
You need to be served food, and you can't even wash dishes well.
You run around the village like a wild dog all day and can't be found.
How can you take care of Grandma?
Since you're here,
so I'm not needed.
Right, Grandma?
Why did you kick me again?
Grandma.
Why did you get physical again?
Grandma.
You won't let me hit him, but you hit me.
I didn't hit you.
I just patted you lightly.
Right. It was a light pat.
It's my fault, Zhiyao.
Go back to cooking.
Subtitle translation by: Liao Chenxi me.