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

Like a Flowing River

~ Episode 17 ~

Come, come, come, Section Chief Shen.

Please take a seat first, Section Chief Shen.

I won't sit anymore. Village Chief Lei.

Look, I am already here. So no matter what,

- you have to give me a little. - Section Chief Shen, don't be anxious.

Let us drink some water first. Later, we will go

and have a meal. I will drink a little with you.

- That will be our welcome to you. - I am not in a hurry to eat.

Village Chief.

I have a lot of work piling up in the factory. The factory manager is still waiting for my news.

You are already here. How can you not have a meal? Here, here, here.

- Have a drink first. - Thank you, thank you. Sit down, sit down.

I have to be truthful with you. On the way here,

I have to keep reminding people to pay up. I drink so much my gastric problem is acting up.

Section Chief Shen, settling the account is definitely not a problem.

Don't worry. What is our relationship?

If we do not settle our account with you, whose do we settle? Right?

Can you settle it by today?

Section Chief Shen, as you know, our Xiaoleijia Brigade

is under the charge of Secretary Dongbao personally.

If the Secretary doesn't sign it, I can't come up with ¥1,000 even if I am the Village Chief.

Then ask the Secretary to go and sign the document.

This...

- This is really unfortunate, Section Chief Shen. - What is it?

Early this morning, Secretary Dongbao

went to the Jiangbei region to collect some construction debt.

- He is not in the village. - He is not here.

Say, is he really not here?

- Really not here. Why would I lie to you? - Sister-in -law, do not get involved in this matter.

Why is Shigen lying to him?

He has no choice.

The debts owed to us by the other people are not returned yet.

We haven't gotten the payments yet.

- But... - It's alright. Older Brother Shigen, he is experienced.

- Shigen! - We... - Where's my wife?

- Secretary Dongbao! - Old Shen!

You are back from your work trip.This is really fortunate.

I was afraid that I might not be able to meet you today and that matter could not be settled.

Secretary, that construction payment for us,

how is it? When can the money be transferred to our account? We can then pay our debt to the cement factory when it is transferred.

Alright. Section Chief Shen, please take a seat.

I'll tell you this. I might owe others money

but I can't owe you. In those days

when my prefabrication factory was still short of money and in difficult circumstances, I looked for help all over the county.

I begged everyone for help, but to no avail. It was only you who helped me.

I am a person that returns a favor of a drop of water with a fountain.

Secretary, in this work trip lasting more than a month,

I have been going from house to house asking for them to pay their debts.

Only you can give such a tough talk.

So, I am not worried anymore.

Let's do this. Shigen, treat Section Chief Shen

to a nice meal at noon time. I still have to make a trip to the county seat.

I have something to settle, I won't accompany you. - There is no need.

Is something hurting your eye?

It's just a squint.

Secretary.

I just want to ask when

will we be able to get the money?

I will not conceal anything from you. There are many people who owed money to us too.

The wire factory in the city still owes us the construction debt for its building.

But don't not worry. I have already sent someone to hasten the payment of the debt.

We will pay you as soon as the money is collected.

Okay.

Please sit. Get a glass of...

- Here, here, here. - Just sit here.

My wife!

Let's go.

Do we have to go today?

Of course we must go. It has been delayed long enough.

We must go.

- Secretary Dongbao, going to settle your affairs? - Yes.

Get up here. Get up here quickly!

- Dongbao. - Old Uncle!

The two of you are going out?

Yes, we are going to the hospital.

Going to check my stomach.

Besides dried pumpkin rice in your stomach, what else would there be?

I think the stomach of Dongbao's wife should be checked instead.

Add a son to our Xiaoleijia Brigade.

Dongbao.

This matter concerning the rabbit fur Purchasing Station,

is it going to be undertaken by the Old Macaque?

No, Shigen is keeping an eye on it.

Isn't Sibao involved in this too?

- Nothing can go wrong. - Both Shigen and Sibao

are too young to be dealing with Old Macaque.

Should we think of a way to look for someone who is more experienced to take charge of this matter? Is that okay?

What you said is reasonable. I will think through it again later.

Dongbao,

- that...Dongbao's wife, - Yes.

Help Dongbao think too.

He is really too honest.

- Yes. - Help Dongbao think.

No one is here. Let's go.

- Next please. - My wife,

- it's this room. - Be careful.

There's still someone inside. Here,

my wife, slowly, sit down.

This male comrade, please wait outside.

It's okay, she is my wife. I accompanied her here. She is easily frightened.

This is the department of gynecology and obstetrics. Men have to go outside.

Listen to the doctor. Go outside first and wait for me.

Okay, I'll go out first. Tell me as soon as there is any result.

Doctor, then I'll have to trouble you.

My wife has never been pregnant before. This is her first time being pregnant.

- Okay. Stop nagging. - I'm going, I'm going.

She's feeling shy.

Say, is this your first time accompanying your wife for the check-up?

Right, this is my first time.

- I have no experienced. I was chased out of the room. - Lei Dongbao, my medical record book!

Here. Here.

I want to keep her company and know what's going on, but I'm not allowed to.

Let me tell you this, family planning has elevated the status of women.

Who would bother to accompany their wives here in the past?

He would still be working in the farm up to the time the baby is due.

Then I am not the same as you.

Even if my wife gives birth to eight or ten children, I will still accompany her here.

You are scared of your wife.

What do you know about all this?

It is not shameful for a man to hold a woman dear to his heart. Right?

My wife, how is the check-up getting on?

Is there any result?

Is that your lover out there making all these noise?

Yes.

You look very quiet, but your lover's character is actually quite lively.

This is the way he is.

He will say whatever he wants to say. He can't keep it inside him.

It's good to have a loud voice. The entire hospital knows that you are dear to him.

Come, let's do the check-up.

My wife, so are you pregnant or not?

Did you ask ask properly? Otherwise we can go back and ask again!

- Can you say something? What is happening? - Can you stop talking?

You made such a ruckus outside the moment I went into the consultation room.

I had prepared five or six questions, but in the end I did not even ask one.

What questions?

For example, healthcare during the pregnancy period, I didn't ask this question.

What is healthcare during the pregnancy period? Pregnancy period...

So, you are pregnant!

What do you say?

Didn't I tell you before? Those who served in the army are different.

What? A loud voice?

The shooting style is also different.

That...it's all my fault. Let's go.

We'll go back and ask.We'll make a list of the questions that you want to ask and we'll ask them all.

Are you okay? Go back and ask? Being with someone like you, who doesn't feel embarrassed to go back?

- No, how can you not clarify it properly where these matters are concerned? Let's go. - I don't want to ask anymore.

Let's go.

Where are we going?

Let's go to Xin Hua Bookshop to buy a few books. We can study on our own.

Can we do that?

I'm unlocking the bike.

Ping Ping, I've been thinking about it. From today onward,

don't go to work at the Brigade anymore.

Just stay at home and take good care of the baby that is growing in you, okay?

I've just been flipping through the pages. The book said that it is there is no need to be so careful.

As long as I don't exercise too vigorously or be too troubled over things, everything will be alright.

Is what is said in the book accurate?

We can't do that. What if, by any chance...

Why would there be so many by any chance?

No. isn't it because you are very dear to me?

The accounts of the Brigade has just been settled smoothly.

There are many things that Four-eyed still does not understand.

I still have to go and teach him.

And you too. I am still a little worried about the matters over at your side.

What's wrong with me?

No, please do not worry. I will definitely not raise my hands against anyone.

The things that Old Secretary told you today,

did you understand what they meant?

I understand.

Didn't he want me to keep a closer watch over the Old Macaque?

You are so insensitive!

The Old Secretary wants to volunteer himself.

He still have remaining energy to contribute to the brigade.

Who is Sui Zijian? (from the idiom 'mao sui zi jian' - that is Mao Sui volunteered)

Why is Old Uncle thinking about him? Old Auntie will flay him later!

Don't change the subject!

Volunteering himself means the Old Secretary wants to control the Old Macaque,

but he's embarrassed to say it himself.

Say, this Old Secretary's thinking is getting stranger as he gets older.

He could have just said it directly but beat around the bush instead.

Okay, let me think through it later.

- Let's go back. - Don't, don't, don't.

It's not easy to make this trip to the county seat.

We already have a child. We must celebrate.

Let's find the biggest restaurant and have a good meal.

The moment I talk about duck and chicken, fish and meat, I feel a little nausea.

Then, we won't eat. Let's go and watch a movie.

I feel stifled in my chest. I don't want to watch.

Then, we won't watch.

What shall we do then?

Slowly.

Be careful. There's s step here.

Dongbao.

Shall we go and take a photograph like this? Okay?

Okay.

This is really great.

Say, when we got married,

we didn't have the time to take a photograph.