Like a Flowing River (Da Jiang Da He / 大江大河)

Like a Flowing River

~ Episode 29 ~

I can't decide on that.

- Your number is too big. You must ask secretary. - Okay.

Wait a second.

Brother Dongbao,

We have a huge client.

- Somebody wants to buy electric cables? - Yes

How much?

Two thousand bundles.

Two thousand bundles?

That isn't a small amount.

Did you tell him the price?

No. Aren't I asking now?

Dongbao, he's a walk-in client.

We must give him a price higher than what we give our partner.

- Where is the person? - Outside.

Come in.

Brother Lei,

long time no see.

Little Yang Bun?

I stopped selling steamed buns a long time ago.

I went to Dongbei to learn business for two years already.

I came back this time to transport some goods for our co-villagers.

Everything else is set. Only missing electric cable now.

Guess what?

After I asked around,

everybody says, really, everybody says that

Xiaoleijia's Dengfeng electric cables is the best.

Hence, I sought out this famous location and came.

The bigger your business is getting,

the mouth is even sweeter. Come.

Sit down and talk.

Brother Lei, you're a practical person.

You don't like to hear courteous words.

But you must understand me. I can't help it.

It's really hard for people like me.

Look. I'm young and has little capital.

If I don't talk sweet,

no one will bother with me.

You asked for 2,000 bundles outright. That's not short in capital.

No, I'm buying them for several co-villagers.

How could I be that capable?

Brother Lei,

I didn't know that you're sick.

If I knew, I would have dropped my luggage and immediately visited you.

Hope you're not bothered by it.

I heard that your stomach was bad, right?

When I return from Dongbei next time, I'll bring you some

ginseng and deer antlers. I heard those are very nutritious.

What model do you need?

Our electric cable factory just opened.

We might not have that much stocks.

Let me show it to you.

Uncle.

I've written the models I need on there.

- You called him brother and me uncle? - Yes.

No, I only followed Brother Xiao Hui in calling him that.

The kinds you need is quite numerous.

I must go back and ask Zhengming first.

Come, let me see.

There are two models here that we don't have in our stockroom.

But it's fine. Our machine can make it.

How about this?

I'll immediately ask people to arrange for it later.

- Come back to get the stocks after 5 days. - Okay.

That...

This uncle, let me ask,

does your electrical cables

all of the appropriate length?

Appropriate. There's no problem with our electric cables.

- You can measure them yourselves. - No,

there surely are some

who are shorter, around 3 to 4 feet, right?

Say, why are you too paranoid?

- How about you go measure it with us later? - No, Uncle, don't misunderstand.

I came this time exactly to buy shorter wires.

As long as it's a bit shorter, it's fine. Make it around 4 to 7 feet short.

9 feet is fine too.

What nonsense has you been learning in Dongbei?!

If not because of Xiao Hui, I would have broken your leg!

If you give Brother Xiao Hui any considerations, you shouldn't hit me.

It's exactly for him that I must beat you up!

Let go!

By learning these evil practices, can you face your mother?

I have a reason for it, Brother Lei.

What reason?

When we sell electric cables to the state-run factories in Dongbei, we do it by batches.

But those people in state-run factories handling the deal

would secretly cut off several feet then take them home.

Hence, our packages would look loose.

Afterwards, they would check it meticulously and claim that there are problems with our products.

Hence, I'm thinking of cutting them by 3 to 4 feet form the start

and just directly give them to those handlers.

The ones I've encircled red on their are those that I want shorter.

They...

...are all doing that?

That's why, you shouldn't hit me, right?

Come. Come. Quickly get up.

You should say words like that earlier.

No...

I'm fine. I'm fine.

Quickly sit there.

Brother Lei, you must change your temper. You should have at least waited for me to finish.

Little Yang,

if you cheat in business like this, aren't you afraid of people investigating you?

How am I cheating? We're just doing a small-scale business. Won't we still need the state-run enterprises to survive?

Also, if they don't get bribes from us, why would they take our goods?

Right?

Also, since they took the bribes,

they won't investigate us.

They all are doing it?

No, just a few of them.

Okay.

Yang Xun,

go with Laowu to check the stocks.

Okay.

Oh, right, Brother Lei,

I brought you a good wine.

You're sick, so you shouldn't drink it first.

Just drink it after a few days.

Take it away. I thank you for your kind intention.

- Okay. Okay. I'll get going then. - This way.

This Little Yang...

Don't even know which of his words are true.

We won't be able to guess if he's fooling us already.

Xiao Hui owes a lot from his family.

I must watch him in behalf of Xiao Hui.

How about we do this?

The number he wants is too big. Let's especially make a batch for him.

But we won't do the same thing.

We still would follow the rules and do the appropriate length.

We can't do it openly.

Having such a huge number of employee,

if all of them learn about this,

how else can we control them in the future?

Shigen,

have you calculated this deal?

If we follow what he wants,

2,000 bundles,

we would at least cut off around 10,000 feet.

Right.

You must keep watch of it.

Whoever dares to corrupt money from the village,

beat him up half dead first

and then send him to prison for a few days.

Let's see who else would dare do it.

Chief Engineer Liu, hello.

Chief Engineer Liu.

Old Liu.

Why important matter do you want to discuss that you gathered us today?

It's still about the problem of who to be the translator for the inspection team that's going abroad.

I did an oral interpretation exam for both Lu Shanqing and Song Yunhui.

The grades are out.

Who among them got the better grade?

In terms of skills,

Lu Shanqing isn't as solid as Song Yunhui.

In terms of translation, Song Yunhui was able to translate an English document clearly in a shorter time.

Hence, Lu Shanqing's translation skills aren't at par.

If we're going to send him out, I fear that we won't be able to successfully complete our inspection work.

So you're suggesting

that we replace him?

Yes, Lu Shanqing can't go.

Since his English standard won't be useful,

I suggest that we set the translator to be Song Yunhui.

For the coming inspection abroad,

it's Old Liu who's in-charge of the technical aspect anyway.

Since you made such a suggestion, we'll respect it.

I have no objection.

I'll listen to you.

It's decided then.

Song Yunhui.

- You are... - Hello. My name is Fang Ping.

I'm a college graduate that got assigned to this factory last year.

I had been working in the No. 2 Workshop.

My superior told me to move into your room.

From now on, we're dorm mates. Please take good care of me.

Please come in.

I heard that you're going abroad by spring.

We all are quite envious of you.

The items on this bed...

Let me.

You can put it here.

Okay.

Timing and subtitles brought to you by The River of Life Team@ Viki

My books...

Put them here first.

Okay.

- Clean that drawer and you can put stuff in there. - Okay.

Do you need my help?

No need. Just unpack your stuff.

Okay.

Ah, Friend Goodbye? [ Originally an Italian song titled "Bella Ciao", literally translated as "Goodbye Beautiful" ]

The insert song in the movie 'Bridge'.

If you don't like these pictures,

you can remove them.

They're quite nice. Let's just leave them.

Old Xu!

I'm Lei Dongbao!

I'll get it.