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

Proletarian internationalism is built on the notion of seeking truth from facts.

Only when you stand firmly,

insisting on seeking the truth from facts can socialist modernization

We can now enter university!

What has been undergoing, as a practice, is the only discussion we will have to examine the truth.

More practically, the core argument is to emancipate the mind.

Like a Flowing River

~ Episode 5 ~

It was Hongwei who came up with the idea.

He said that doing it like that will make Dongbao look better.

And the fireworks were from your house.

Afterwards, you all pointed at me?

What are you shouting about?

You're so talkative. Just wait for Dongbao to return and deal with you.

Say, is that woman really Dongbao's girlfriend?

Surely not. If she is,

will Dongbao be giving us a flying kick?

More importantly, she's too pretty.

How could someone be that pretty?

She's indeed pretty.

Hongwei,

who is that guy beside that pretty lady?

How come he got mad when we called her sister-in-law?

She surely is that woman's little brother. Didn't you hear what he said?

- You got the best ears. If you say any more words— - Dongbao.

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

Dongbao.

For this matter today, we foiled it.

Sorry.

Do you trust me?

I do.

Call everyone that you think

is trustworthy and reliable to come here.

To do what?

I'm going to tell them the matter we'll be doing tomorrow.

Let's go.

Sit down!

Sit down!

Sit down! Sit down!

The meeting is about to start.

The meeting is about to start.

Today, I called everyone here,

mainly to talk about our village's

contract system of responsibility linked to production.

These past days, you all surely have seen

Dongbao leading some people busying around

to measure the lands.

The two of us decided

that with the recent conclusion of the third plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party,

our Xiaoleijia must also actively answer the call of the party.

We should try to realize this policy by the start of the year.

Lead everyone in a united path to wealth

and walk in the front lines of the reform and open policy.

Realize the Four Modernizations earlier!

Dongbao.

Come and tell it to everyone.

Seriously listen to it.

Dongbao is actively implementing changes since he's newly appointed.

That's right. Young people have more vigor.

Their brains are more nimble and do things in more agile manner.

These past days,

the few of us have measured the farmlands

of the whole brigade

into three categories, a, b, and c.

The category a is the red ones.

Category b is yellow.

Category c is blue.

Can you clearly see it?

Secretary can that work?

My task today is to distribute all these lands

to each of you.

Let me finish.

Later, each of you must come here on stage and pick a straw.

Pick one from each category.

Category a land, 3 points.

Category b land is 2 points.

Category c, 2 points.

Whatever land you're able to pick, it's yours.

Understand?

Is this allowable?

This is capitalism?

Secretary, I fear that we might be making a grave mistake here.

Come...

I'm not done talking. Why are you being noisy?

What can one person do? You're just going to plow your own land?

Shouldn't anyone back you up?

Hence, after picking straws,

you all create your own small group.

If you're willing to be grouped with your parents and children, you can.

If you're willing to be together with your siblings and in-laws,

you can.

You can do as you please. But,

you must have a group before you can approach four-eyed accountant

and sign the land contract.

Remember.

Everyone must sign here

before it will be effective.

This is called payment according to the group's output.

What if I picked category a land number 1,

then my mother picked category a land number 101.

Won't I be watering my land on the east

then run a mile to the west just to water my mother's land?

This rascal...

Isn't that troublesome?

Is quite smart.

I think we should just directly divide it. That's more fair.

Why don't you just die from laziness?

Your family has 11 people. You don't want to run around watering the fields.

Fine.

- We'll give these category a lands 30 to 40. - No!

If we divide such a huge patch of land to your family, will the whole village agree to it?

No!

Hence, picking straws is the best method.

Who else has a suggestion? Let's discuss it.

Can I exchange my land for a wife?

There are so many people who is single here. Why don't we just group each other first before picking straws? Won't that be more convenient?

You are so talkative.

Do you have a brain?

How can they guess how many people there is per group?

Picking straws is too childish.

Right...

It's unfair.

Talk one by one. Who wants to talk?

Will the land be ours from now on?

Right.

- Secretary, you're not standing up to moderate? - Come, stand up and talk. You two.

Look at how chaotic it is.

Stand up!

Let them argue.

This big contracting matter will last for 5 years.

This concerns our 5 years of food.

We must make sure that everyone accepts it whole-heartedly.

- Right. - Look.

Dongbao isn't even anxious. Why would I?

Enough! I already said what should be said.

Now, raise your hand if you're for it.

Come. Raise your hand if you agree.

Old Secretary agrees to it.

We will all listen to Old Secretary.

Okay. Get up the stage to pick a straw!

Okay! Okay!

Gather around! Come!

Go up one by one.

Fall in line.

You can't go up here.

- Follow me. - Come up that way.

Fine, just three times.

You dare lied to me.

Dongbao!

Good job.

I'll go back to work.

Xiao Hui.

Sis.

I've already done writing the request for rehabilitation. After new year,

send it to the revolutionary committee. I reckon that by that time, the rehabilitation documents

should have been transmitted to the town center already.

Let's go. Mom is waiting to start dinner.

It's still not night yet. How come our lunch is this abundant?

Your sister got up early to buy these fresh fried tofu from the market this morning.

She knows you love those so she was rushing me to cook it.

Let's start.

It seems like our living standards has dramatically improved after sis got control of the finance in the house.

Eat more and talk less.

The reason why you are getting good meals is all thanks to your sister for selling those rabbit furs.

Sis, before I leave,

you can give me the tasks of taking care of the rabbits. All you have to do is command.

You don't know how to.

That...what happened to that Comrade Lei who was learning from you two?

Nothing, mother.

Why don't we make steamed fish for Xiao Hui as tonight's dinner?

Okay.

- You two went out for the whole day but there's no news after? - Mom,

why do you care so much about that person?

Your sister's rabbits will be breeding during early spring.

Since Comrade Lei was asking about them, I thought their village is buying rabbits from us.

- That's right too. - So what'd happened?

Xiao Hui, when are you planning on going back to school?

I will be leaving after the 8th.

Why are you leaving so early? Can't you stay until after the Lantern festival? Do classes start so early?

There will be new subjects next semester. I must go back early to familiarize with them.

Sister.

I want to tell mother and father what happened.

What matter?

You know what I am talking about.

- I don't know. - I am talking about Lei Dongbao from Xiaoleijia.

Why would you tell mother and father?

That's already in the past. Don't incite trouble and make them worry.

I am not trying to start anything.

I am worried that cheeky Lei Dongbao

will try to pester you again once I go back to school.

I thought he was just an uncultured brute guy.

But after what'd happened, I saw his sly and deceiving temperament.

If I were to be deeper, he wasn't able to rationally refrain the bad side of his human nature from coming out.

It's not as serious as you make it sound.

You dare laugh? Who knows what would have happen if I wasn't there.

I think he's not a bad person.

Maybe he just likes to bluff and people misunderstood.

You are exaggerating with your talks about human nature.

My conclusion was made through serious analysis and logical reasoning.

Fine, Mr. Intellectual.