Yellow Flowers On Green Grass

YELLOW FLOWERS ON GREEN GRASS

Forget this game! Guys should play with knives and stones.

- You go there. I'll stay here. - Okay.

- Here? - One, two, three!

- Hey. Let's stop. - No, keep playing!

You think you're better than me?

Throw it right!

I give up.

Are you hurt, big brother?

There you go!

Are you all right, Tuong?

Damn it! You're bleeding!

- A lot? - No, but it looks disgusting.

I'll take you to Sung. Come on.

Why did you throw that stone? You said you were giving up.

This is called "false surrender".

To win you need clever tricks. It makes great generals.

Your tricks are great. I wasn't expecting it at all.

When you grow up, you'll be a great general for sure.

Little ingrates! Why did you skip sleep?

- Run away! Don't worry about me! - You...

What's that blood on you? Thieu!

You'll get a fair beating for this. Come here!

Do you want water, big brother?

Big brother?

- Don't bother your brother. Let him study. - Yes, mama.

Wake up! Wake up!

You see? It just showed up one day.

- So this is Little Uncle? - Of course!

- Why did you call him Small Uncle? - I said Little.

"Uncle" can tell the weather.

You think he can predict the weather?

That is why you were right about rain lately.

This afternoon it'll rain again. In the morning he gritted its teeth.

But it's all yellow. For sure it's not an enchanted frog. I know.

You should stop dreaming about princesses or you'll become a prince.

Do princesses really exist?

I don't know.

Here, food.

Hey! He's running away!

Don't worry. He'll come back.

His home is here. Wherever you go, you always come home, don't you?

You read so many books that you're starting to sound like one.

- Tuong, take this to Aunt Sau. - Yes, mama.

I'm off to school, Mom.

The king forbade the princess...

to have any contact with the outside world.

Her only friend was the white tiger.

Tigar had a valuable fur, white as snow.

All hunters in the village wanted it for themselves.

One day the hunters managed to catch the tiger.

When the princess heard, she got very sick.

In the meantime, the tiger escaped before he was skinned.

But when he came to the princess, she had already died.

Tigar was devastated and hid deep in the forest near our village,

so he could study witchcraft and become a demonic tiger.

After that he thought of a plan to take revenge on the hunters.

There are rumors that the tiger used witchcraft to capture...

the princess' spirit in a dead tree here in our village.

So that every day he can talk to her.

Is that the dead tree near our village?

Therefore you must never go there, okay?

Poor Princess!

Poor devil! Now I'm all goose bumps.

Demon! Demonic Tiger!

- What happens? - Uncle Dan is trying to scare us.

What is it, Dan? You think that's funny?

I'll break your legs!

I already lost a hand. Now you'll break my legs?

You think I'm playing? Bad, bad!

Thieu, go get some peanuts. Lac is coming for a drink.

Yes... I'll get some... Where, Dad?

- At Man, of course. - But... it's already dark.

Dark? The moon is shining. Are you afraid of ghosts?

Take the stick with you. If you encounter a ghost, beat it. Okay?

Yes, Dad.

- You're coming with me, right? - Yes.

Don't look! Don't look at the tree!

What is it?

Beware of the demonic tiger.

- Shit! - What is it?

I should do something for uncle Dan.

I totally forgot. I have to go.

- You're gonna leave me here alone? - What else?

I have to go in the opposite direction.

- But where are you going? - Uncle Dan won't let me tell anyone.

You go and buy peanuts. Meet me at the tamarind tree.

You must come with me, or I'll never talk to you.

Not for long, as always.

I have to go. I have to go or Dad will beat me.

Tuong! Tuong!

Man, I need peanuts.

Why is your face that pale?

- I'm exhausted from running. - Why did you run?

I was in a hurry.

Hey, Man... I passed by your shed... I think I heard...

Nonsense! There's nobody there. Probably you heard your heart pounding.

Yes.

But why are you sitting there looking sad?

I'm drying my face.

You're drying your face? Did you cry?

I got a spanking.

Vinh! Vinh!

What is it, Tuong?

- Did you come for chili? - Yes.

Tuong again?

Yes, Dad. I gave him some chili.

Why does he always needs chili?

Let's go!

Why are Uncle Dan and Vinh so close?

Don't you remember how he played the harmonica in front of her house every night?

- Well, yes... I remember. - That's him flirting.

What are you doing?

I'm drying my fingers.

Uncle Dan says he has circles on the fingers of his hands.

When you have perfect circles, you can better draw and write.

- You let the wind dry your fingers? - No.

What do you do when your hands get wet?

I wipe them on my pants.

Who would do that? Do you have perfect circles?

Probably not. I'm not smart and don't draw well.

Would I have them?

What are you doing?

Well... Since my uncle told me about the circles on fingers,

I got into the habit to look at everyone's hands.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

- You have ten perfect circles! - Really?

Check it again!

Vinh! Vinh!

Looking for Vinh?

My mother needs... chil-lim....

What is "chil-lim"?

- You silly ass. - I got nervous when I saw him.

I couldn't decide for chili or lime, so I blurted out both.

How many times have you been "Pigeon", Tuong?

Often. About ten times.

And every time you asked for chili?

No. Uncle Dan is smart. He told me to vary.

Sometimes I ask for chili, Sometimes lime.

Sometimes fish sauce, sometimes soy sauce.

Or even medicinal oil when my stomach hurts.

When your stomach hurts?

I had to invent things like that.

You delivered many letters for them.

Have you ever opened one to see what it says?

- Yes. One time. - What did it say?

- I think it was a song. - What song?

I don't know. I only remember two lines.

Tell me.

"Life's hardship is like ill weather,

I suffer of love because I love you."

It's a long song. That's all I remember.

Two lines are enough. You should sleep.

Can you recite these lines again?

- Why? - Just recite them.

"Life's hardship is like ill weather,

I suffer of love because I love you."

Why are you laughing?

There is no point hiding. I've read everything

You want me to give this letter to Man, right?

Come, I'll give it to her

- Give it! - I'll give it to her!!

- Give me all your marbles. - Why?

Postage.

Hurry up!

- This is for you. - What is it?

Who knows? Ask him.

Students, attention!

What's that noise?

What are you hiding, Man?

- What's that? - Thieu sent it to me.

Back to your seat.

Thieu! Come here!

Suffer from love? From love?

Is that what you've been taught? You suffer from love?

Why are you calling me here?

To apologize. I didn't know you'd be punished.

The hell you're sorry! Why did you give him my letter?

It was just a song.

Well... Did you understand what it means?

How could I understand it?

Stupid! Stupid child!

Tuong!

- Who were you talking to? - It's a secret.

- Yeah, really! - I'm serious.

I promised not to tell anyone.

I'm your brother. You can tell me.

You're right, maybe it's okay. Big brother...

- I talked to the princess. - Are you crazy?

You and your stories! Go home.

I'm going to Man to buy fish sauce.

Why don't you sleep, big brother?

Mind your own business. Go back to sleep.

- Are you sleeping, Tuong? - You just told me to sleep.

I don't know if I should tell you this or not...

Does it matter?

I swore I won't tell anyone.