My Memories of Old Beijing (城南旧事)

I don't try to remember.

But forgetting is hard.

More than half a century has gone by.

I've been missing the scenes and the people

of south side of Peking city.

Perhaps things and people are all different now.

But as time ripples away,

they are becoming clearer to me,

a wanderer far away from home.

Though I've lived through several significant events,

they were all eroded by the time.

It's these trifles in my childhood

no matter the sweets or the bitters of life

that remain in my mind forever and ever.

Isn't everyone's childhood

unfailing and sublime like this?

My memories of old Beijing

original story by lin hai-yin adapted by yi ming

directed by wu yigong

photographer cao weiye

Sound recordist xie guojie film editing by Ian weijie

Make-up by li pingwang and zhengrong

lighting by zhang chuanxia

set decorator xia linbao properties by zhang liwu

costume by ma hongxiang and chen meilian

art design by ye hongxiong sound imitation by qian shouyi

producer xu songlin

music by Shanghai film orchestra conductor yao di

voiceover by lin bin

Excuse me. Do me a favor.

- Good - good. Slowly.

Papa, why do camels wear a bell?

To scare the wolves away, of course.

No. The treks are too boring.

Tying the bells on camels brings pleasant sound and joy.

Ah. Perhaps your idea is more appealing.

Husband. Tell shu'an-tse to be careful while grazing.

Not to play too hard.

- Don't worry. Just go back. - Fine.

Hsiao kuei-tse.

My hsiao kuei-tse.

Ying-tse!

Come. Go home.

Don't you know she's crazy?

How dare you talk to her.

Sung ma, if there's mandarin fish,

- get some back. - Ok.

Ma, I'll go to markets with sung ma.

Aren't you afraid of the mad woman in hui-an hostel?

Every time I see her, she'll smile at me.

If you hadn't stopped me,

I could have talked with her.

Aha, what an audacious girl!

Look!

How perky they look!

Hey, the latter behind.

My dear brothers,

may I have your applause!

Bravo

toast to you!

What's wrong, niu-er?

Sing a bit fen river bend.

Yeah, sing a segment.

Sing.

Go head!

Sing or I won't let you go.

Who do you think you are?

Impressive.

Sung ma, I want to chat with niu-er.

Fine.

- But not be long. - Ok.

Niu-er

niu-er.

Do you live in that hu-t'ung?

UN-huh.

Which door?

One, two, three, four. The forth door.

Shall we play there?

There is a mad woman in your hu-t'ung. My mom never lets me go there.

What are you afraid of? She won't eat you.

Forget it. My father asks me to practice singing later.

See you tomorrow.

Peanuts. Peanuts.

Honeycomb briquette.

Hsiao kuei-tse. My hsiao kuei-tse.

No. My name is ying-tse. Lin ying-tse.

Ah... not her...

She's not my hsiao kuei-tse.

Who is hsiao kuei-tse?

Come with me.

Look! How chubby is our hsiao kuei-tse!

She was only eight months then.

Holding a big goldfish and running around the room.

She was so naughty!

All right. That's enough.

- Won't you feel ashamed? - Without eating nor wearing clothes,

she ran straight outside,

worried to look for her dad.

I told her many times. She never listened.

I told her to wait until I made more clothes.

And she could go out with them on.

I've already made the shirt for this year.

The vest just needs the buttons sewn on.

This padded jacket just needs a neckline.

Look! What have I said? It's perfect.

What's the hurry!

What's on earth the matter?

And later? Any news from that student?

Dead or alive, who knows.

It's said that... she even gave birth to a baby?

It's true. When that student was captured,

hsiu-chen's parents didn't know she was expecting.

Until it became obvious,

she was hurriedly sent back to hai-tien to give birth.

What about the baby?

As soon as it was born,

they bundled it up and took it to chi-hua gate

before daybreak and left it there.

Alas. Anyway, if it wasn't taken by someone,

then it was eaten by wild dogs.

I see.

Did the girl become mad after that?

Of course. She's been mad since then.

How poor her parents are!

She is the only child they have.

You're eavesdropping again!

I know who you're talking about.

Who?

Hsiao kuei-tse's ma.

Hsiao kuei-tse's ma?

Dear. It seams you're crazy as well.

Who's hsiao kui-tse's ma?

Humph. I just know it.

Niu-er. Niu-er.

Look!

Hey. Stop here.

Papa. We don't get home yet.

Only a few steps to go. I'll go inside.

Why do you go there? Will you call on hsiu-chen as well?

Hsiu-chen? Ah. No.

I have something to deal with. You can go home first.

Let's talk. Let's talk.

Hello, Mr. Lin.

Hello. You're here, too.

As for what we talked about last time,

we all hope you can share your opinions.

All right. This way. Watch out.

Hsiao kuei-tse.

Why do you leave your mama?

My hsiao kuei-tse.

Without me, how could you know the way?

It's so far...

I like you.

I like you, too.

You're just like our hsiao kuei-tse.

Oh. If you see my hsiao kuei-tse,

tell her to hurry back home.

I won't spank or scold her.

Ok. How about her papa?

Hsiao kuei-tse's papa.

Quiet.

He has gone

for several months.

Does this coat belong to hsiao kuei-tse's papa?

How do you know it's hsiao kuei-tse's papa's?

He is the third child of his family.

You can call him third uncle.

Come. Help me carry it out.

It needs sunning. All right?

- Ok. - It's not heavy.

Is your daughter better these days?

Don't mention it, Mr. Lin.

It happens again these days.

Spells of crying and laughing.

- That would be tough. - Yeah.

- See you next time. - Fine. See you.

I should go.

You played around the well, didn't you?

You may fall into it.

Better ask around

which primary school is better at south side.

It's time to send her to school.

It's said that the primary school of the normal college at ch'ang-tien is quite good.

It's still early. What's the hurry?

Not going to school, shed'd run around streets.

She won't listen to me.

Aha. If she doesn't listen,

just spank her!

Pass me that.

The situations these days are kind of tense.

But you still frequent hui-an hostel and get involved in those students' affairs.

Why so scared?

Look at yourself, always minding other's business.

Don't you hear that they're capturing people all around.

Students are their target.

They stand for the extraordinary new generation.

And I heard that the lover of the mad woman in hui-an hostel...

It was after midnight,

here came so many people.

I was so deep asleep.