A Foggy Tale (大濛)

THE 42ND YEAR OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA YEAR 1953

Yun.

Yun.

Yue.

Yue, over here.

Come eat something.

- How's Mom? Is she feeling better? - She couldn't stop coughing last night.

Did the doctor come by?

We still owe the doctor a lot of money.

Early this morning, two men came and asked Mom if you were back.

Not again. How many times do they need to ask?

Your drawing…

Did you finish it?

What's the title?

I can't think of anything.

Help me with it.

Sure.

Any news of Wen-hsiung?

I heard he got caught last week.

Don't worry.

I won't get caught.

How long will you hide?

Time flies.

Look, I've been hiding in here for three months.

Take this watch. It's no use to me.

If it gets too hard to bear, you can fast-forward time like this.

Just think about next year, the year after,

five, ten years from now…

Then it'll feel like nothing.

Everything will pass.

Here.

It's 1953 now.

We're hiding in the sugarcane field.

In two years, what will we be doing?

In 1955…

I want to go back to school.

What about in 1960?

Fast-forward it faster.

I'll be 20.

You'll be married.

I don't want to get married so young.

Who will I marry?

If you're not married, what will you do?

I want to study.

That's good. I'll definitely let you go to college.

Really?

Then

in 1970,

you will be a teacher.

With two kids.

That sounds very nice.

And then?

In 1980,

you will be a grandma.

Not that soon.

How about you?

What will you be doing in 1980?

In 1980…

In 1980…

I'll be a painter.

I'll paint lots of picture books for children.

By that time,

the world will be a peaceful place, without war.

Everyone is free and equal.

No one will be persecuted or abused.

Then I want 1980 to come sooner.

Yes.

That day will definitely come.

- What? - Hush.

Look after Mom and our brother.

Go home. Now.

Stop running.

- Over there, quick. - Stop running!

He's over here.

- Hurry up! - Don't go there.

Stop running!

You bit me!

Still running?

You bit me!

Over here.

Stop running.

Still running?

Ahead!

Huang Yu-yun, stop running!

You won't get away!

ONE YEAR LATER

Dad, Mom.

I miss you so much.

I miss Yun too.

I wonder how he is doing.

Uncle and his family moved into our home.

Uncle is kind enough to us.

But Aunt is a bit…

Yue.

Come help me push it.

STOP

You complained to your mom again?

- Huo. - Uncle.

Why did you suddenly move back?

Right.

My elder brother and his wife are dead.

How can their two young kids live on their own?

- I see. - I'm off.

Yes.

Hey, stop running.

Can't you two stay still for a second? I'll beat you if you fall.

Yue.

Go make sweet potato congee and cook the sweet potato leaves.

Where have you and your brother been? I couldn't find you anywhere.

Dad!

Hurry up. We're all waiting to eat.

Come on, eat.

Now we have more mouths to feed. You may not get enough to eat.

What's wrong with feeding two more mouths?

It's the same old sweet potato congee.

Did they ever get a piece of pork from you?

If you hadn't tried to save Yun and been conned out of so much money,

we could have had pork from time to time.

Talking back?

We're living in their home. It's theirs.

And you're so mean?

Whose house?

Isn't it your old family home too?

You spent so much money on saving Yun.

Isn't it fair that they repay you with the house?

What the hell are you talking about?

You finished talking?

You're having dinner?

Uncle Kun.

Have you eaten? Come join us if you don't mind.

- I came to tell you something. - What is it?

Yu-yun was executed by firing squad.

How did you know?

They sent the notice to me.

You'd better hurry to Paradise Funeral Home in Taipei

to bring his body back.

I heard if the body

isn't claimed in a few days,

it'll be buried in a mass grave.

- Paradise Funeral Home. - Yes.

And I heard it costs a lot.

How much would it cost?

I don't know. Some say 1,000. Some say 600.

Where can I get so much money from?

- Yue. - Yue.

Yue.

Six hundred dollars…

It's enough to support our whole family for a year.

When Yun was arrested…

Though I can't read or write, I was interrogated for three days.

Your mom…

In order to save Yun,

she was conned out of her money.

Even all my savings were gone.

I still owe people several thousand dollars.

Your mom…

If she hadn't let Yun continue his studies,

maybe none of this would have happened.

I CAN'T GO BACK FOR DAD'S FUNERAL.

HERE'S SOME MONEY. I HOPE IT HELPS.

HSIU-HSIA

MILITARY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Ma'am.

Can you tell me…

If I'm going to Taipei, do I change at Chiayi?

No need. You can take the main train from Nanjing.

I see.

This bird of mine is very obedient.

It's true. So pretty.

When I ask it to perch, it doesn't dare to fly.

It's flown away!

There's a bird.

It's a bird.

That guy is a prisoner.

That's my bird.

What are you doing?

The police.

Quiet.

Early in the morning.

A young girl.

Walks down the street, carrying a basket.

She runs into a soldier.

He's a bad guy.

Pushing her into the sugarcane field.

Hey, madam…

Hey, watch where you're going.

Stop looking around.

Come have some noodles.

Ma'am.

Can you tell me how to get to Paradise Funeral Home?

What?

Paradise Funeral Home.

Paradise Funeral Home?

Why are you going there?

I came from Chiayi.

I need to go there for something.

It's very far from here.

How about this?

Keep walking along this road and you'll see Zhongshan North Road.

When you reach Zhongshan North Road, head north.