The Knot (云水谣)

Auntie what's wrong?

Why didn't you pick up the phone?

Auntie you are not talking Why?

I don't answer calls when I am at work

And you have known this ever since you were five

Ha ha How is your painting coming along?

Is it hot over there in Singapore?

I have left Singapore

How about your job with the newspaper?

I quit

What did you say?

I can't hear you!

I flew from Taibei in the morning

I am now in Hong Kong

Guess where I went in the afternoon?

I went to the Cemetery and

put some flowers on Uncle Xue's tomb

Miss are you ready to order?

Yes I would like to have a cappuccino please

Ok Thanks

Roses, of course Red

I have a question for you, Auntie a tiny one

What is it that Uncle Xue died of?

Was it leukemia?

Auntie! We were talking about you

Now you are turning me into the topic

I am fine I am not lesbian

I am not depressed

I even don't have colds

I am not feverish

The dead are all buried

And of the living I don't see anyone with the guts to take me on

How did you promise me?

You were going to find a quiet place and get settled

and to find a peaceful man and make him your husband

Xiaorui! This is a big world

and should have space enough for you to build a home

When and where are you going

to stop throwing yourself around like this?

It does one no good to live free-floating in the world

I don't want to disturb you Auntie

I want to disturb no one

I know that I must find the answer for myself

But how I still long to hear you answer my question!

What is it in this world

that stands between the living and the dead?

And what is it that sets apart people who love each other?

Mr Chen?

Yes

Minan dialect Good Please come in

You are from?

Well Xiluo, Yunlin County

It is on the Muddy Creek

The Muddy Creek is well known for its rice

It is quite impressive, I mean for a student from the country to go to medical school

How is your family doing?

My father owned a rice mill when he was alive and we were doing fine

After he died

my uncles divided the property

Life is not what it used to be

That is why I try to work as much as I can when I am not taking classes

It is a delight to see a young man so hard-working and determined to achieve

Have some tea please

Thank you

Yumeng come down here

Say hi to Teacher Chen

He has never been able to get his English pronunciation right

Because he is too shy to open his mouth

Hi! Would you like me to be your teacher?

No

Rule Number One is to be cheeky

When you speak, make sure you speak aloud and with cadences

Give whatever you say the full force of your voice

Never mind when you find yourself speaking wrong

If I speak wrong,

why shouldn't I mind?

Is that a problem?

Remember we are cheeky

Rule Number Two is to pair words up

Words are to be memorized in pairs

Boy: Girl

Boy: Girl

Shoes for men

Shoes for lady

Shoes for men

Shoes for lady

Bathroom for men

Bathroom for lady

Bathroom for men

Bathroom for lady

Do you know why I am teaching you these words?

There will be a day

when you perform on the stage

Everyone in the audience watches you

Where will they direct their eyes?

To your shoes, to see if they are clean

When you get off, your hands clutching the bouquet

and your feet beating the floor with each stride

where will you go?

Bathroom for men

Why?

Because I will be too nervous to hold my water

You know what?

You are really bright

You are the cleverest student I have ever seen

Bye

Bye Sir

Bye Bye

Yumeng's sister, are you?

I am Chen Qiushui,

Yumeng's English teacher

It is easy to tell that this guy is smarter than the last few teachers we hired

He meant to make Yumeng speak,

and Yumeng did it

What are you laughing about?

Mom! Please!

Tell brother to shut up

You! Who the hell are you?

Why don't you answer me?

I am Doctor Wang's new assistant

Assistant? In what way?

When Doctor Wang does an extraction

I will be there to hand him the forceps

Doctor Wang took out a good tooth of someone a few days ago

You look like that man

I am Wang Biyun's neighbor

I live over there

I am also her boyfriend

Wang Biyun?

I got it

It must be tough to be boyfriend to a dentist's daughter

You are right to spend your time standing at the gate

What kind of boyfriend are you?

Are you one of those who dream of her by day?

Or one of those who dream of her by night?

Me? I dream of her night and day

and can never wake up

That's all right

We are all the same

It can be so disappointing to waking up from a nice dream

But it would be so much better to dream on the inside of the gate

than standing here on the outside

One day when we were young,

One wonderful morning in May

You told me

You loved me

Your tea Miss

When we were young one day

OK I am coming Thanks

You loved me

Once more, from the beginning

One day when we were young,

One wonderful morning in may

You told me

You loved me

When we were young one day,

Sweet songs of spring were sung

And music was never so gay,

You told me

You loved me

When we were young one day

Don't stop!

What are you standing here for?

I

So many times I have seen you standing here

What are you up to?

Is it a debt?

You owe me? Or I owe you?

Tell me

What's on your mind?

I don't know

Open your mouth

Open! Ah

Buck-toothed as you are

what makes you believe that you are a match for my daughter?

I really cannot help it

I can help

It tastes like my mother's food

Then have a few more On me just like last time

Qiushui,

did you really give my letter to her?

Roses Roses

Hi, Officer, you haven't paid yet

What did you say?

My fare

Go to Hell

You taught her brother to sing in English,

what made her sing along with you?

How much does her father pay you each month?

I can double it

Please,

don't go to her house any more

Qiushui! Qiushui!

Big Brother would you care for a rose?

Have there lately been any strangers who came to visit this household?

Strangers?

No there haven't

The Doctor and his family live very simply

I know it just too well

Still, if any strangers come