-Cut the thread. -Okay.
This can be a little longer.
Ma'am, Mr. Xie is here.
Heshun.
-Hey. -Come.
Li Qing, make a pot of tea.
-No. Don't bother. -Come on.
I just dropped by on the way. I'm leaving now.
Just sit down for a while.
Come on.
I'm troubling you.
Not at all. Here, sit down.
Okay.
Our embroidery workshop has long been built
and you never came to visit.
It's not on the way.
Mr. Xie, you're just in time.
We just returned from Xinjiang last night.
Why did you go to Xinjiang?
We joined an intangible cultural heritage exhibit.
What's that?
It's just an exhibition.
An expo for various intangible cultural heritage handicrafts around the country.
It's a large-scale event.
A lot of people went to see it.
We even sold many things there.
-You can sell things there? -Of course. There are stalls.
Here, have some tea.
Okay.
Xiaogezi is responsible for various embroidery and tie-dye exhibitions
and the promotion of physical stores.
Xiaolan looks after the day-to-day running of the craft online store.
We craftsmen should just do our jobs.
Specialized people are responsible for specialized tasks.
How big do you want this to be?
Of course the bigger, the better.
The times have changed.
The world is improving so fast.
If no one knows our stuff, we'll be obsolete.
Why is the state protecting intangible cultural heritage?
It fears these folk skills would be lost.
That's why we need to promote them more
so that the younger generation understand and like these cultures.
This way, some people will be willing to learn them
and some people will buy them,
only then can we pass them on.
In the past, when masters passed on their crafts to apprentices,
their work is done.
Now, they have to find a way for the kids to earn money.
Good morning, Xiaohei.
FREEDOM
Breakfast is ready. Do you want to have some?
Let's go.
Come on.
Mr. Ma, do you want to eat with us?
I'll mix it with some soup.
It's delicious with a little soup.
Are these stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar?
Why did you put dark soy sauce in it?
It's the way my mom makes it.
Moms are always right.
It's good.
-Really? -This is it.
This is the right taste.
I'll have some more.
Yummy. It's so yummy.
Zhiyao.
Let me introduce you, Mr. Li.
This is Xie Zhiyao.
My good friend.
Mr. Li, nice to meet you.
Hello, Mr. Xie.
-How did you get here? -I drove here.
You can't drink then?
I can. I brought a driver.
You came prepared.
Nice.
-Come on. Have a seat. -Sit down.
After you, Mr. Xie.
-Take a seat. -Here, Mr. Li.
Mr. Xie.
It's not that your stuff is bad.
I know it's good,
but it's expensive.
If a machine-carved product costing a few hundred yuan is on the wall,
ordinary people won't be able to tell the difference.
I'm in the high-end art hotel business.
I'd rather save the money and upgrade our bedding.
Mr. Li, you're a practical man.
You're frank with me, so I'll be honest with you too.
I'd really like to get this business,
but it's for your hotel's own good as well.
You're into China chic.
You want to use traditional culture as the feature of your art hotel.
Then you should use hand-carved products.
How so?
He knows that I was an investor before.
I listen to people's stories every day.
A good entrepreneur must be a storyteller first.
The more compelling your story is,
the more people are willing to pay for it.
Look at your hotel.
China chic,
traditional culture,
and high quality.
You've got all of these.
The one thing it lacks is a good story.
Go on.
Let me tell you a story first.
A young man grew up in a fishing village near the sea.
He was left behind by his parents when he was a kid.
Later on, he got into a university in Beijing
and had a good job.
However, he resolutely returned to his hometown and started a business.
He opened an online store to sell their agricultural products.
He hired the people in his village.
He helped an intangible heritage inheritor set up an embroidery workshop,
invested in a tie-dye workshop,
and protected his hometown's traditional art.
He also developed tourism
so that more young people choose to stay instead of going out to work.
This way, kids will no longer be left behind by parents.
Senior citizens are no longer empty nesters.
Why does it sound so familiar?
I think I've seen it on television.
It's a typical story often told by a man who returned home to start a business.
If there are any similarities, they're just similarities.
This typical story is of no use to me.
You can use it.
There's a plot you can learn from.
Tell me.
A business owner likes traditional culture very much.
He thinks Chinese traditional art should spread and flourish
and be seen by more people,
so he set up an art hotel
filled with traditional, intangible cultural heritage artworks.
Even a decorative wood-carving painting in the corridor
was meticulously carved by skilled craftsmen.
That's the detail of the story.
Right. This is Mr. Li's story.
-Yes. -He loves Chinese traditional culture.
Right.
That's me.
Here, Mr. Li.
Don't call me that. We're friends.
-Friends. Come on. -Here.
Be careful.
Liu.
Thank you.
For what? Sleep for a while.
Sir, take care of him.
-Don't let him puke. -Okay.
-I will. -All right. Go.
-Okay. -Bye.
Bye.
Grandma.
You're back?
Yes.
I bought your favorite cured ribs.
You still remember I like cured ribs.
Did you drink?
A bit.
How did it go?
Not bad.
I did it.
Really?
Here. This is your reward.
It's sweet.
Zhiyao and I have been friends since we were kids.
He used to eat at my home a lot.
We went to junior high together and lived in the school dorm.
We still lived at the school dorm in senior high.
It was so hard.
I didn't do well in school, so I didn't get into college.
Later on, my family introduced a girl to me.
When I saw her,
she was the girl I liked in junior high,
but she asked me for Zhiyao's number at once.
Isn't that infuriating?
Did you give it to her?
Yes, I did.
Or it'd make me seem petty.
However, Zhiyao was busy studying to get a scholarship then.
He didn't have time to mess with girls.
When he graduated from college, I asked him if he'd come back home.
He told me he got into graduate school.
I asked him how big a business owner he wants to be since he's so educated.
He is a big business owner.
He is working on his own industry chain now.
In terms of being a big business owner, he is one indeed.
He invested a lot all these years that he has been back.
But has he made any money?
Not much indeed.
He said it was the investment stage when I asked.
I don't understand it.
If you ask me,
it's worse than him working in Beijing all those years.
As an angel investor, he got a high salary and bonus.
What are you gossiping about again?
You scared me.
-What are you chatting about? -Just this and that.
About my barbecue and you getting into college.
What can I get you?
I've already eaten.
Make some vegetables for me.
-Okay? -Sure.
I'll bring them to you when they're done.
Okay.
ZHIYUAN
Don't bother. His phone is turned off.
You're more like his sister.
I really want to explain things to him.
I really didn't tell people about it.
Who do you think did that?
How would I know?
The walls in the village look pretty thick,
but they leak air on all sides.
How can a secret be kept?
I saw you in the café daily in the past few days.
Didn't you go out?
Where would I go?
The tie-dye workshop.
You can experience dyeing cloths.
I did that this afternoon.
The wood carving workshop next to the café.
I bought stuff there.
The bamboo raft?
I rode it.
Horseback riding. That's interesting.
-I'm not going. -Why?
I don't like it.
Right.
There's a large campground on the east of the village.
You can pick fruits or plants, fish, or have a barbecue there.
My friend in Beijing runs it.
He's probably losing money.
It's just not profitable yet.
Take Damai and Nana there when you have time.
Let me tell you.
Don't spend any effort in promoting those man-made attractions.
I'm here to find someplace
where nobody knows me
and seriously be a useless loser.
When did you set such a great ideal?
Before I started working,
all I did was study.
After I started working, all I did was work.
I worked so hard all the time.
I didn't accept losing and falling behind.
Do you know?
I saved enough money
to buy a few square meters when I graduated.
In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.
I've saved some money,
but I can still only buy a few square meters
when I checked the real estate website.
No house,
no car,
and no boyfriend.
Nothing but illness.
Is it really that miserable?
Isn't there a saying online?
What is it again?
"Your job isn't outstanding
and your performance isn't exceptional,
but you have a herniated disc."
That sounds like me.
Look.
My plantar arch is gone.
Listen. I was on my feet all day.
My plantar arch has collapsed.
Are you laughing?
Wait.
If you have some empathy,
you won't laugh like that when people are talking about their pain.
Your plantar arch has collapsed?
You're laughing? Stop it.
I'm sorry.
I'm not laughing at you.
Well,
you're blessed if you can make people laugh so happily.
I just think
you can't pressure yourself too much
or there will be problems.
For example,
misanthropy, evasion,
anxiety, irritability,
and all kinds of diseases will come to you.
Do I have a choice in being pressured too much or not?
You're just like a clock.
Once you're winded up,
no one wants to replace you
until you get a stripped thread.
I think your qualifications are pretty good.
Put on makeup and dress up.
You're also a beauty.
You have no problem getting a good man.
I like him for his qualifications and he likes me for my looks.
After a few years, I'm still a beauty,
but are his qualifications still good?
Do you see everything so clearly?
Only what you have is truly yours.
Here's to you.
No. What's that you're drinking?
I already drank at noon.
I'll be an alcoholic if I drink again.
It was better when I was a kid.
I always looked forward to the holidays.
Then I'd go to my grandma's.
I'd raise chicks,
climb trees,
pick wild mulberries,
and catch shrimps in the stream.
Were you so naughty when you were little?
Don't you think it was so fun when you were a kid?
After growing up, all that's left is studying and taking exams.
At work, we have to perform well.
Will we have time to have fun?
You're right.
Do you know?
I always think of my grandma
when I see your grandma.
Are they alike? How so?
The vibe, I guess.
They have the same smell.
My grandma died three years ago.
I've never smelled that fragrance again.
What does my grandma smell like?
She smells a bit like baked bread.
It's warm.
Let's talk about you.
Why did you think of returning home to start a business?
I want to make money.
Living off the land and water.
Even outsiders are coming to invest.
Don't locals have more of an advantage?
You're right.
Just a little contouring.
Actually, it's fine for guys to wear makeup.
Why are you so careless?
It's okay.
I'm sorry.
I'll get you a new one.
Okay.
I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose.
It's okay.
No.
There's no need. I'm okay.
It's from the girl at the desk.
It's already here.
Does your arm hurt?
No.
Right. You just can't lift it.
You almost dropped the plate on her head.
Now you know it's good to go to school.
What's with the lousy weather?
There's no wind at all.
All right.
Get your wages for this week's work this weekend
and then go home.
You're spoiled.
You shouldn't be doing this.
I'm not going home.
No one in my family is looking for me.
You're just spoiled by your family.
I wish Zhiyao was my brother.
Fine. I'll give him to you.
If only that were possible.
What about you?
Will you just keep working like this?
It's good.
Nobody interferes with you.
How can I explain it?
My parents got divorced when I was a kid.
They have their own families.
I lived with my grandpa.
Later on, my grandpa passed away,
so I went to live with my grandma.
My grandma also died this year.
My mom called me to live with her.
She's in Ruili.
I went there and saw a family of four
crammed up in a small 60 m² place.
My two sisters slept in a bunk bed.
There was really no room for me,
so I called my dad.
The number is no longer in service.
You don't know how great it is
to have your parents, your brother,
and your grandma
to keep you in line.
In fact, Youfeng Yard doesn't take too much out of me.
Now, I'm going between the e-commerce warehouse and the café.
I'm a little busy, but I can handle it.
Don't force yourself.
There's so much to do in the warehouse.
If you can't do it, we can hire someone in the café.
There's no need.
Let's save some costs.
Anyway, Xiaoyue is always there.
If something comes up when I'm out,
just let Xiaoyue call me.
I think it's all right.
Everyone does their job.
It's just that human relations are a bit complicated.
We always need Ms. Xie to mediate.
So it's the same old problem.
Yes, it's an old problem.
They're all village elders.
They know me too well, so they have no sense of boundaries.
No one views me as a manager.
What's more,
older ladies who have nothing to do in the village
often came to hang out and chat during working hours.
Aunt E made two wrong packages in three days.
If I directly manage them, they'll do well for a while,
but they'll go back to the way they were in a few days.
Especially those grannies,
they're like kids in kindergarten.
If I scold them too much, they'd get angry.
The café has the same problem.
That's a problem when you work with acquaintances.
We just need to monitor them more closely.
Make them ask more from themselves
and be more aware of obeying management.
Actually, Zhiyao, I think we're too familiar with them.
There's a lot to consider and there are many emotional factors.
Xiaochun.
What if we hire an outsider to manage them?
Let's start with the café.
Regulate it from a unit to the whole
and improve service awareness.
Sure.
That would be great for us.
Do you have someone in mind?
Of course.
She has come to us. She's available.
Who?
Ms. Xu Hongdou.
She just resigned from the front line of service in a five-star hotel.
She's very familiar with this.
Forget it.
She quit and came here to get some rest.
Why would she want to work for us?
There are ways.
From what I can tell, Xu Hongdou is industrious and kind.
Most importantly, she quite likes my grandma.
Altogether, these weaknesses--
Wait.
Weaknesses?
Xie Zhiyao, what do you mean?
Are you going to tell her the story of you returning home to start a business again?
The moral coercion method.
Why do you make my business sound so bad?
You're making it sound so good.
Zhiyao.
-Uncle Heshun. -Uncle Heshun.
Mr. Xie.
Uncle Heshun, have some tea.
Okay.
I guess this work would take you several months.
Don't think too much.
I didn't do that much.
I just had a meal with Mr. Li.
It's mainly because he likes it.
There was a budget issue before.
Zhiyao.
Let's talk while we're seated.
-Come on. -Sit down.
Zhiyao.
Well,
I've told you before.
There's nothing good on the Internet.
Look. What are they watching online daily?
Others live a good life.
They buy luxury cars and grand houses.
Some become famous easily.
They make millions and tens of millions again.
What's that?
That's poison.
It's too poisonous.
If young people watch that all day long,
can they concentrate on working steadily?
They're all impatient and do no decent work.
To them,
a couple hundred or a thousand yuan is no longer money.
They think about how to earn millions and tens of millions all day.
Yes.
When you just came back,
you told me
that you'd help me
with packaging and promotion.
You'd let the wood-carvers earn money with you.
You said the government wants to revitalize the countryside
and develop tourism.
You'd build the infrastructure in your hometown too.
Right?
You want to build your hometown too.
Let me be honest.
I'm not afraid of offending you.
I didn't believe you.
I think you've learned a lot of evil tricks outside all these years.
When you came back,
you also wanted to find an easy way to make millions, right?
You're not the only one who said that.
People doubt what they don't understand.
That's normal.
In the past,
if you had good skills,
people would naturally come to you.
It's different now.
In the past, you met demands.
Now, you must create demands.
My grandma also said that the times have changed.
Yes.
The times have changed.
I'm not mistaken.
Mom.
Xiaochun, Xiaxia took his bank card.
I told you before.
You should let him keep it himself.
I was afraid he'd play games and waste money.
Hey, how did he know where I put my key?
Even Xiaohulu knows, how could he not know?
All right. Just let him take it.
He needs money in Shanghai anyway.
He should have told me.
It's not like I won't give it to him.
How would he dare to tell you?
You're usually so strict with him.
All right. That's all.
Look at this old lady.
XIAXIA
Hello?
Let me tell you.
Mom knows you took the bank card.
Well, I'll transfer 3,000 yuan to your WeChat.
Try not to spend the money on the card.
Do you hear me?
Yes. You don't need to wire me money.
I brought some.
All right. Have fun over there.
I have to go. I need to work.
Does your mom keep Xiaxia's card?
My mom asked him to transfer 2,000 yuan to the card every month.
It's for his marriage.
It's not much actually. It's just 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
I think Xiaxia is usually frugal.
When his white T-shirt got yellow,
he'd dye it in the tie-dye workshop and keep wearing it.
Did he steal the card to buy stocks?
The stock market is booming lately.
The overall market is going up. It became a trending topic several times.
He won't.
Girls like you from a rich family are different from us.
Xiaxia and I have been poor since we were kids.
We know it's hard to make money.
We hold on to the money we have.
We wouldn't easily go into what we don't know.
That's good.
He even asked me about it a few days ago.
I told him never to go into stocks.
It's way too risky.
Young man, how can I help you?
-I want to report a crime. -What is it?
I've been scammed out of my money.
Did you send money to an online friend through an ATM?
Not an ATM. It's a fund website.
Someone referred it to me.
There was no problem with registering and topping up money.
Later on, I couldn't log in.
Then that person left an address for me.
It's in Shanghai. I sent something to this address before.
When I reported the case there, they told me to go where it happened.
That's why I rushed back.
Young man, you're thinking clearly.
How did you fall for such a pig-butchering scam?
Pig-butchering scam?
It's okay.
Come here and make a statement.
Okay.
They all asked me
how Zhiyuan's mom treated you.
Why did they ask?
They said you don't care about Zhiyuan.
It must be because your stepmom used to treat you badly.
She hit you.
When did my stepmom ever hit me?
You were the only one who hit me.
When did I hit you?
Fine. You didn't hit me.
You were wielding a stick of love.
What did you tell them?
I told them you know what you're doing.
Zhiyuan isn't missing.
However, they don't believe me.
They can believe what they want.
Zhiyao.
Tell me.
I won't tell anyone. Okay?
XIAXIA
I'll answer this call.
Hello, Xiaxia.
What's up?
Okay.
I'll come from home. Wait for me.
Xu Hongdou.
What are you doing?
There are two birdhouses over here.
Do you want me to get them for you?
You didn't go for a run today?
I don't want to do anything.
Do you want to go into town?
I'm not going to man-made attractions.
Fine.
Grandma, I'm going to Old Town later.
I'll ask Xu Hongdou to take you to your stall.
There's no need. I can go by myself.
No. What are you thinking?
By the way, do me a favor later.
What do you need me to do again?
Tell her my story about coming home to start a business.
Do you want to make her stay?
No. I want her to do me a favor.
Then should I make it sound miserable or good?
Make it sound difficult.
All right.
You eat. I'll go ahead.
Do the dishes yourself.
Okay.
What are you doing?
Where's the smell of baked bread?
Why can't I smell it?
He's like a dog.
Hongdou.
Do you have a boyfriend?
No.
Why don't you have one yet?
I haven't met one I like.
Just liking him is fine?
Yes, that will do.
What if his family is poor?
It's okay.
I can make money.
Okay, let's go.
Come on.
FAN CHEESE
It's 0.63 kg. Let me calculate it.
It's 68.75 yuan.
I'll charge you 68 yuan.
Okay.
Thank you.
FAN CHEESE, 0.5 KG FOR 55 YUAN
Thank you.
FAN CHEESE, 0.5 KG FOR 55 YUAN
Mom, stop packing them.
I can't carry so much stuff on a plane.
Come on.
They provide you with room and board.
It's a courtesy to bring something for them.
You're even complaining?
If my mom sells these fan cheese, it'd cost over 50 yuan per 0.5 kg.
Calculate how much they are.
Go wash the dishes.
He's leaving soon and you're making him wash dishes.
Seriously.
He has never traveled before. Are you not worried about him?
He's a grown-up. Why should I worry?
Don't turn him into a mama's boy. Okay?
A mama's boy?
He'll be a mama's boy if you keep spoiling him like this.
How am I spoiling him?
I hit him a lot when he was little.
I'm not your Aunt Feng.
There's no room to fit it, Mom.
FAN CHEESE, 0.5 KG FOR 55 YUAN
Do you want fan cheese?
Zhiyao.
You're good.
You're selling things here.
Where did you get the scale?
I paid 20 yuan for it.
Come on.
Let's eat something.
Subtitle translation by: Chen Xiaoling ing him like this.