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 move forward.

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.

Whether or not...

Director Li, drink some water.

Director Li, what did the county say?

Can we attend university?

The county held a meeting and agreed

to give one slot for your family to attend university.

Only one person?

If either you or your brother gives up going to university, then the other one can attend.

Both of us passed the requirements for grades!

Grades are grades. Policies are policies.

You can understand this point, right?

I'm going to talk with the county officials.

Song Yunping,

I know you feel aggrieved.

But just to get you this one slot, I exerted a lot of effort.

Because of your family's social status, a lot of people held objections to let you kids attend the university.

For this matter, the superior of the county had to take responsibility.

If you are irrational like your younger brother, I'm afraid that in the end,

none of you will be able to attend university.

You have to think clearly about this matter.

Okay, Director Li.

I'm willing to give up.

Are you sure?

Once you decide, you cannot change your mind.

I won't go back on my word.

Before, when we were in high school,

the school said that for families who are counter-revolutionary,

there can't be more than one child in high school.

Xiao Hui could only go to the countryside to farm.

Now, Xiao Hui can attend university.

I am willing to give up.

Good.

There is still one matter.

You have to write a

consent form that says you are giving up the political review to be saved in our files.

Write it now.

Okay.

Thank you for your efforts.

I'll be going now.

Tell your brother to not worry and just stay at home to wait for his admission notice.

Then, I'll get going now.

Director Li.

Can I ask you a favor? Please don't tell my brother about this first. Okay?

Are you leaving, Director Li?

Yes.

Thank you for helping our children.

Dad. Mom.

Xiao Hui can attend university now.

For a family like ours,

it's actually nice to just continue being a farmer.

Ping Ping....

Sister.

How did it go?

Did they submit it?

The county has already agreed to submit the political review documents.

- We can attend university now? - Yes.

For real?

Yes, it's real.

We can attend the university now!

We can attend the university now!

We are going to attend the university now!

Xiao Hui!

Director Yang.

My goodness.

Such a huge basket of ragweed.

This must be 15 to 20 kilograms.

For seven pigs, they must eat two baskets everyday.

How about it, Xiao Hui?

When are you guys leaving?

What is the name of your university?

Say it. Let me be happy for you guys.

Oh, right, Director Yang. I'm about to tell you this matter.

Our admission letter hasn't arrived yet.

I want to ask for a leave of absence later after feeding the pigs to go home to check it.

That's not right.

Most of the kids going to the university have already left.

Why haven't you and your sister still received any news?

I don't know either.

Xiao Hui, enough. Stop doing that. You better go home quickly and ask around.

There's me here.

It's okay. No rush. It might have gotten delayed on its way here.

There probably won't be any problem.

Xiao Hui, you better quickly go to the post office and ask. After all, your family has a unique situation.

I'm afraid that someone might have done some evil deed and confiscated your letter or something.

Get going.

Then I'm going.

Catch me!

Don't run!

What joyous event has happened?

What else? Let's go ask.

What happy event could it be?

Why did you light some fireworks?

My second child

got into the normal university of our province!

- Xiao Hui. - Sister.

Why are you here?

Comrade,

is there any letter for us?

None.

Please look for it again. Maybe it fell off somewhere.

Impossible. Your sister comes twice a day. I'd have given it to her if there were any.

Xiao Hui!

Let's go home first.

I think it's getting weird.

I applied for a science major, and my sister applied for liberal arts.

Logically speaking, we wouldn't get into the same university.

Even if the admission letter of one university got delayed,

it's unlikely for two universities to have delays at the same time. Right?

Maybe the letters are delayed on their way here.

Sister, that sounds unreasonable.

Perhaps someone detained our offer letters.

Impossible.

Recently, the county post office has to deal with so many letters.

A few days' delay is very likely.

No, I'll go to the county after lunch.

I don't believe this kind of thing can actually happen to us.

One delayed letter sounds reasonable, but two letters...

Xiao Hui,

you sister will never get an admission notice.

Mom, what do you mean?

Mom is saying...

I just barely passed the minimum passing grade.

Maybe, if they find something wrong during the political review...

Stop overthinking. Eat! Have more, and speak less.

Have more!

You all must be hiding something from me.

What secrets can we have?

You come home so often.

- It's impossible to keep secrets. - Something's wrong.

What do you mean?

Sister, I know you too well.

Look in my eyes.

What on earth has happened?

I've told you the truth. Nothing.

Xiao Hui,

your sister's political review documents weren't submitted;

hence, it's impossible for her to get any admission letter.

- Dad! - Why wasn't it submitted?

Director Li said he would. He ate his word?

Sister, you tell me. What's up?

Sit down first.

You're not telling me, is that it?

Then, I'll talk to them now.

Xioa Hui!

I volunteered to give up.

The county

just gave our family one slot.

I was willing to give up.

You gave up?

Wasn't there a new policy?

I recited to Director Li the new policies written in People Daily 200 times!

This matter can't just end this way.

I must ask them about this right now.

- Xiao Hui! - Nonsense!

If you want to go, then go now.

By doing that, not only will you both be unable to go to the university,

no one will be able to save you even if you regret it.

Arguing with them

will only destroy and harm yourself.

You're the one who brought harm to my sister.

- What did you say? - I said that it was you who brought harm to us!

- Xiao Hui! - You know nothing.

How can I not know?

If it's not for our family background, they wouldn't have given us just one slot.

My sister wouldn't have given up going to college.

My admission letter still hasn't come until now. What getting delayed on its way here?

What? The post office is handling it slowly? All are just self-deception!

It must have been detained by someone due to our family background.

Now even I can't go to the university either! All thanks to you!

What nonsense are you talking about? Come over and apologize to your father!

Why should I? Thanks to him, I couldn't attend high school.

Thanks to him again, I can't go to university!

All our misfortunes are caused by you.

You gave gifts to the Old Macaque. He said you tried to corrupt him.

Hence, he had an excuse to accuse us of bribery!

Shut up!

Stop saying it, XIao Hui!

I want to say it. I will say more!

Even if I ranked #1 in the whole county, even if my sister gave up her chance for me,

I still cannot go to university!

The person who destroyed me and my sister, brought harm to our whole family...

is you!

Husband...

It's all my fault.

Xiao Hui!

Where did you go? Everyone in the commune is looking for you!

Rush to the county hospital now! Hurry!

Your dad fainted!

Wait, Xiao Hui!

Ride my bicycle!

It will be faster.

Hurry!

Mom, Dad just woke up.