Only Cloud Knows (2019) - full transcript
The film revolves around a Chinese man who returns to New Zealand following the death of his wife and begins to discover that she harbored a number of secrets.
[ALIBABA PICTURES]
[MAYLA MEDIA]
[EMPEROR MOTION PICTURES]
[H. BROTHERS]
My name is Sui Dongfeng.
I'm a Beijinger.
I live in Auckland now.
I also have another name, Simon.
The poet Mu Xin once wrote:
(A Chinese painter, poet and writer)
"Time moved more slowly in the past;"
"Carriages, horses, and the post were all slow."
"Carriages, horses, and the post were all slow."
"Carriages, horses, and the postal services were all slow."
"A lifetime is only enough to love one person."
I honestly don't know
whether time used to move fast or slow,
but my whole life
is entwined with one woman.
Yet I still feel
I haven't spent enough time with her.
Her name is Luo Yun.
For convenience,
she also has an English name, Jennifer.
However,
to her family and me,
she is Yun.
[Only Cloud Knows]
[Based On A True Story]
Yun,
if you come back,
nudge this ring a bit.
I knew you'd be back.
Were you smoking inside the house again?
I've been waiting for you.
Now that you're back,
I can get going tomorrow.
Don't worry about
what I promised.
I'm leaving.
Yun.
When you get to Clyde,
think about paying Melinda a visit.
Hey! Don't go barefoot!
Put your shoes on.
♫ I lie awake until the break of day ♫
♫ Hold you close to fall asleep at night ♫
♫ My bags are packed with distant lands ♫
♫ And the boundless sea ♫
♫ Alone is only lonesome without you ♫
♫ I can only rest when I hear your heartbeat ♫
Yun...
Let's go.
♫ I kiss your skin through a photograph ♫
♫ Then red-eyed, I hit the road ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ I'm stuck in fantasies that never end ♫
♫ Wrapped in memories that won't let go ♫
♫ The past is threadbare but I patch it up ♫
♫ And it retains its warmth ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ The sunshine on my pillow ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ A dream road ♫
♫ The cloud's home ♫
- Hi! I'm Simon.
- Hi Simon.
- Jennifer.
- Hi Jennifer.
Your house... Very good.
We love it. First look.
My grandpa came here before the war.
My family has been here for a better part of the century.
My wife got fed up and wants to move to Auckland,
so I sold the farm to a friend and the house to you.
You moved to the big city.
We moved away from the big city
because my wife loves here.
Quiet and beautiful.
My wife felt the same way when we first settled in.
Well then, you take good care of the house.
We promise. We'll... take good care of it.
Spending 10,000 dollars
to keep the old man's furniture
was worth it.
Let's go to the flea market
and get some old carpets
and some old lamps.
They only cost a few dollars.
You're a good enough cook,
for a few dishes at home,
but can you handle a restaurant?
I'm telling you, foreigners like sweet and sour.
If you make real Chinese food here,
they won't like it.
It's just that our English
is below average.
Let's hire a foreign lady for our reception
and learn on the sly.
One time,
when I was looking for a place to stay,
I wanted to say "separate kitchen,"
but instead I said "separate chicken."
Do you know what they said to me?
"Dear, in this country, we have divorced couples but we don't have separate chickens."
Divorced chickens!
This place is too quiet.
The neighbors are miles away.
If we scream our heads off,
only the cows would hear us.
Are you scared?
I'm not scared.
The silence is exactly what I love.
Uncle Simon.
Mom, Uncle Simon is here.
Casey.
Wow! It's been two years. You're so grown up.
I didn't recognize you.
It's been a long time since we talked.
I want to tell you.
Been expecting you.
I still remember the last time I saw her.
Hello Simon. My name is Melinda.
[Yun's Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant]
- Why do you know my name?
- It's a small town.
Everyone says Mark sold his house to a Chinese man named Simon.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, too.
So what does "Yun's" mean?
She's my wife, Jennifer.
- Hi Jennifer.
- Hi.
And the "Yun" is her Chinese name.
The "Yun" means the cloud.
Wow! That's so beautiful. I love that.
- Thank you.
- Welcome, my restuarant.
If you eat in my restaurant, you'll love me.
That's true.
Well, first, I think you need a waitress.
Someone who is hardworking, smart, charming, and most importantly, beautiful.
Yeah. But where can we find this kind of girl?
Hi! That beautiful girl is right here.
Melinda.
- Are you sure you are beautiful?
- I am.
I don't think so.
- You are double funny.
- You are double lovely.
I haven't eaten in your restaurant and I already love it.
She's competing with me for "sweet talks" and I won
So, do I have the job?
Wocao!
"Ta Ma De."
"Ta Ma De."
"Ta Ma De."
"Ta Ma De."
- "Ta Ma De."
-"Ta Ma De."
My back is about to break!
We made a lot today, didn't we?
Six hundred dollars.
Ta Ma De.
Ta Ma De, you!
Why is she insulting me after I paid her?
Mr. Sui,
is this your doing?
She's such a trickster!
I can't believe she used it with you!
Hey!
Mrs. Sui,
you look so happy and beautiful.
I'll give you a massage tonight.
Okay!
Melinda became a part of our lives.
After three years,
she paid off her student loans
and left us to go to India.
She said she was searching for
Buddhist wisdom in India.
She came back seven months later
to work as a substitute teacher
and moonlight at our restaurant.
After two years,
she had saved up enough money
to see the migration of animals in Kenya.
She even stayed there to teach English for a while.
A year later, she came back to Clyde
with a dark-skinned girl
she had adopted from there.
She gave her the name, Kacey.
I dreamed about whales again last night.
Other women like flowers and plants.
How did you end up liking whales?
Because they're just like you.
You give me such a sense of security.
I see.
That is like me.
Do you know how much a blue whale weighs?
The heaviest can weigh 190 tons.
It would take
two thousand people your size
to weigh the same as a blue whale.
I never said I looked like one!
Our personalities are the same.
Look how strong a whale is,
but it rarely attacks other animals.
Ever heard of anyone being eaten by a whale?
As for me,
I've never been afraid of fights.
But I've never been a bully.
Whales are calm, gentle and soft.
A whale is so big
but it doesn't fight for more room.
Or for more food.
It just stays quietly in the sea.
Care-free, not bothering anyone.
Even when it sprays from its blow-hole,
it's just a spectacle for people to watch.
You wanted a dog, and now we have one.
But a whale...
We can't afford that.
Just pretend in your dreams.
This wasn't here this morning when I left.
How did you manage it?
It's so beautiful.
I couldn't have done it alone.
Melinda found someone to do it.
A friend of hers is in tourism in Kaikoura.
I had her ask her friend
to sell me their billboard.
Was it expensive?
The billboard and the lights
cost about three hundred spring rolls.
How do you pay me back?
All yours.
All mine?
Yes, all yours!
All mine!
This isn't a sight for children.
I told you, you can't come inside the house.
He thinks he's so clever.
You have me and the whale now...
And Blue looks after our house!
Do you feel secure now?
I do.
I want to play flute in this weather.
I haven't heard you play your flute in a while.
All those years ago,
if you had gone to the conservatory,
where do you think you'd be today?
Starved to death.
I wouldn't have what I have now.
So do we stay here our whole life?
Let's take it year by year.
He goes insane
whenever he sees the biscuit tin.
Watch it,
you can only have two.
Any more and you'll lose your fur.
Have you called your mother and told her yet?
Let's wait a bit.
She'll be over the moon.
The last time we were back in Beijing,
she didn't say anything to you.
But she mentioned it behind your back.
Recommendations for all kinds of doctors.
As if I was sick.
All the other trees are so tiny.
Why is this one so big?
Because it wants to thrive.
The other trees don't have the same determination.
Blue!
Stop barking. I'm sleeping.
What's wrong, Blue?
You're lucky Blue saved you.
The doctor said you'd be in danger if we'd gone later.
What else did the doctor say?
The doctor also said
you're too worn-out.
Don't lie to me.
I know it's a myoma.
A large one.
So you heard everything.
It means
I won't be getting pregnant again.
I've got you,
and I've got Blue.
That's enough.
Ahh!
What's wrong?
Nothing.
It just feels good to shout.
Blue, come here, Blue!
I can take care of this meat
tomorrow morning.
You don't need to do it now.
Melinda's back.
Business has been good.
I want to be prepared
so we don't panic tomorrow.
Anyway, as long as that guy's out there,
we can't close up.
He's been sitting there for two hours.
He's had four beers.
His bottom is stuck to the chair.
I think he had a few
before he came.
He smelled of it when he came in.
Oh no!
Hey, that's raw meat!
Saliva kills germs.
Ta Ma De!
He's got a gun!
Yun, he's got a gun!
Hey,
that was scary.
It's okay now.
Let's go home.
Gosh, you're still shaking.
Melinda said the guy might have been on drugs.
Junkies will do anything.
If Melinda wasn't here today,
imagine what would have happened.
Anyway, it was just a mishap today.
Dongfeng?
Yes?
Do you ever think about selling
the restaurant and getting out of here?
Well...
Yes, I have.
We've been here for nine years
and we spend every day around the stove.
Our lives are a little boring.
Yun,
I promise you,
seeing as business is good
and I'm still strong,
let's do this a few more years
and save a bit more money.
Then we'll go back home.
So you can live like Melinda.
Okay.
I know you've worked hard
these few years
and it has all been for me.
The truth is, I want both of us,
to live like Melinda.
Didn't Mrs. Lin always say
that a house and a business
that a house and a business
give you a sense of security?
Actually,
neither the house nor the business
gives me a sense of security.
Only you.
Only you give me a sense of security.
If it wasn't for me,
what kind of life would you lead?
Life without you?
I've never even thought about it.
What are you planning?
Nothing.
I just want to know.
I don't want you to suffer.
Life with you
is the life I want to live.
Let's go home.
Tonight, let's have a couple more drinks.
I want to get drunk with you.
Okay.
Blue's getting worse by the day.
Look at how hungry and lifeless he is.
Blue...
I want to give you a bunch of sausages,
but the doctor won't let me.
You'll feel worse if you eat.
Here.
Be a good boy.
Take your medicine.
You won't be in pain any more.
Blue,
Mom knows you like sausage,
but I never gave you too many.
I was worried you'd lose your fur
and that you'd hurt when you poop.
Today, though, you can eat as much as you want.
Okay?
No more worries about getting ill.
No more worries about pain.
Yun,
you should go to sleep.
Saturday is our busiest day.
I'll stay with him.
He should sleep with us tonight.
We've run out of shrimp.
Don't get it from Mark next time.
His are small and full of sand.
They're expensive, too.
Blue,
see that house up there?
That's where we live.
You have to remember your way home.
This tree doesn't have a mate
and neither do you.
You can be companions for each other.
Good boy. Sit! Sit!
Blue, sit.
Listen.
When Mom and Dad aren't at home,
you can't cross this boundary.
Understand?
Blue, understand?
Listen to Mom.
You're smoking?
- Don't worry about me.
- Blue, sit!
Ta Ma De,
Hurry, an aurora. It's an aurora!
Coming!
Make a wish!
Blue,
Mom has to leave.
The house up there isn't your home anymore,
so don't go disturb others.
This is your home.
Mom will take you wherever I go.
You'll always have a home.
I'll ride with Melinda.
I want to chat with her during the ride.
Yun...
I've brought you home.
Blue...
Your mom's here.
I've got two rooms on the first floor.
This one's empty.
Jennifer has the other one.
The kitchen and bathroom are shared.
The toilet's broken.
Jennifer said the intake isn't working.
I need to call someone to fix it
Hold off a moment.
I'll check it out. It might be a minor fix.
There you go.
The hook slipped off the ballcock valve.
It's so good to have a man around the house.
I won't have to ask for help for every little thing.
Back in China,
we all have to handle
odd jobs like this.
But it's all simple stuff.
Where are you from?
Beijing.
What do you do?
I'm studying at a language school
and delivering food.
What's with this room?
It smells fishy.
Jennifer works at the fish market.
So of course it'll smell a little fishy.
But she's a clean person.
That's the house.
Have a seat and we'll talk.
Mrs. Lin,
the newspaper ad said rent is negotiable.
So...
What are we negotiating over?
Here's the thing.
I've got a bad back and can't mow the lawn.
So if you can help me take care of the property
and keep the lawn in good order,
I won't charge you rent.
Really?
That's wonderful!
I've got absolutely nothing right now,
except for energy.
Great,
you've got it.
You can move in whenever you like.
Okay?
Jennifer works days, and you work nights.
I'll tell her
not to disturb your rest.
This is truly amazing.
Thank you so much.
Please don't touch my laundry.
Please don't leave dirty dishes in the sink,
they attract roaches.
I can tell immediately you've practiced since you were a kid.
When did you start?
I've been playing since I was six.
At sixteen I joined the army's arts troupe.
I see!
You shouldn't be delivering food.
You ought to keep at it.
In fact, I've already been accepted into a conservatory here,
but I can't afford the high tuition.
That's an artist's life.
Mr. Lin was a college professor in Wuhan.
He taught traditional painting.
But over here,
he could only give private lessons to kids.
That's life.
The mouth is king.
If you can't fill it,
who cares what your eyes and ears want?
Hobbies are actually pretty important.
They add substance to your life.
What's all the commotion today?
Good morning, Mrs. Lin.
Good morning.
I bought a few oranges that are really sweet.
Try some.
You look familiar.
Have we met before?
Really?
You look familiar to me, too.
You two have been living here for so long,
and this is the first time you two have met?
We've never seen each other before.
Really?
Isn't it funny?
Then it's time for formal introduction.
I'm Luo Yun.
They call me Jennifer here.
I'm Sui Dongfeng.
For convenience, I picked an English name,
Simon.
How do you write the "Yun" in your name?
The character for "cloud" with a grass radical on top.
I'd get rid of the grass.
I've got wind in my name.
We'll then be "riding on the crest of success."
(Literally, the meeting of wind and cloud)
You play really well.
I'm envious of people who can play an instrument.
My older sister plays the piano.
She had me mess around a little when I was a kid.
But in the end, I only learned a piece about a little dog.
So you can accompany me musically!
Mrs. Lin has a piano in the house.
Come on, I'll teach you!
I can't.
I don't have the talent for it.
Come on, come on, give it a try.
Let's go. So easy.
It's in the key of E-flat.
Follow my fingers.
Press the keys that I do.
Use your thumb on this one,
your index finger on this one.
Do...
Sol...
Now move your thumb to this key.
Mi...
Index, Sol...
Little finger, Do...
Sol...
Mi, Sol...
Repeat. Move the thumb back.
Do, Sol, Mi, Sol.
Little finger, Do, Sol, Mi, Sol.
Now on your own.
Not bad.
Wow, you've got it. You've got it!
It's so melodious.
I never thought it'd be so easy.
Or am I just a genius?
Yes, you're a genius.
However,
that depends on who your teacher is.
If you'd met me at the age of five,
you'd be a master already.
Today is a public holiday
and the two of you have a rare day of rest.
Come on,
it'll be my treat.
Let's hit a restaurant.
Wonderful!
How about this, Mrs. Lin?
I'll cook up a spread for you.
Let you two have a taste of what I can do. How about it?
You can cook, too?
This man
is multitalented!
Come shopping with me, first.
Don't get any seafood,
I won't eat anything from the ocean.
Where did you live in Beijing?
Badachu.
(Literally, Eight Great Sites; It's known as such because of the eight Buddhist temples and nunneries there)
Did you use to take bus 347?
That's right. Every day.
You'd get off at Xingshikou?
How'd you know?
I was in the army arts troupe.
We were right there in the Badachu military compound.
I remember now.
We must have seen each other on bus 347.
I remember, too.
You wore a military uniform back then.
Band members all carried instrument cases.
You all looked so flashy getting on the bus.
Back then, I remember seeing a pretty girl.
We all used to crowd around to talk to her
and she'd always seem to enjoy it.
It was you, wasn't it?
We never met up in Beijing,
but had to come all the way to Auckland to get together.
It's fate, wouldn't you say?
Hey, here's a question;
I remember you used to carry a book.
Were you doing it just for show?
Who'd do that for show?
I was studying to test into college.
I took the test two years in a row,
but then I gave up.
Do you have a boyfriend?
You could say that.
Sui Dongfeng!
Yes, coming.
Don't you keep your word at all?
Last week you said that
you'd take me whale-watching this Sunday.
Look at the time now.
We'll miss the boat if we don't go now.
I'm so sorry. Sorry!
I overslept!
Business was too good last night.
I didn't get in until after 1 a.m.
Just a moment...
I just got my driving license
and I bought a used car.
We've gone one round and there's no space for the car.
What do we do?
The boat's about to leave
That car's pulling out. There's a space.
What does he think he's doing?
Stop it, Dongfeng!
Stop fighting!
Stop it, Dongfeng!
The police are coming!
I'm sorry.
I've missed taking you whale-watching.
That's okay.
I have a free ticket to a boxing match.
Does it hurt?
Look at your hand.
Don't you wear gloves when you clean fish?
I don't like gloves.
They're uncomfortable and unventilated.
I bought you some hand cream.
I didn't know which type is more suitable for you.
Help me rub it on.
Don't you have a boyfriend?
Why don't you have him do it?
Do you have a boyfriend or not?
If you don't say anything,
I'll take it that you don't.
Does it still smell fishy?
Yes, it does!
Now you're being mean.
It's not seafood if it doesn't have that fishy smell.
Marry me.
Pretend last night was just a dream.
I won't marry anyone.
What?
Aren't you liberated!
You don't look it at all.
It's not what you think.
I'm a jinx. I don't want to drag anyone down.
You believe in that stuff?
If you do, then listen up.
I'm fortunate.
Think about it.
I got here
and Mrs. Lin gave me a room for free.
Then...
I met you.
I'm so fortunate!
Therefore,
you've got to marry me
and your luck will change.
Trust me,
it's for your own good.
We can only be friends
or just go our separate ways.
Luo Yun,
I don't know your reasons
but I know that's not how you truly feel.
Dad. Mom.
Xiao Yun.
It's been ages since you've called!
I've been worried sick about you!
You're all on your own outside, and we can't reach you.
Rein it in!
This phone call's expensive!
Let her speak!
Fine. Xiao Yun, go ahead. You speak.
Tell me how you've been.
I've been fine.
I've just run into a little problem.
What is it?
What's the matter?
Someone proposed to me!
That's wonderful!
What's he like?
He's from Beijing.
He's a good person,
but I turned him down.
This place will chew you up.
It's also not a place for us.
This is a thousand dollars.
If we win,
I'll marry you.
If we lose?
If we lose, I'll leave you
and never see you again.
Isn't that ridiculous?
Do you know nine out of ten people lose at gambling?
You've only got a tiny probability of winning.
This is a major decision for us
and you want to leave it up to chance?
You only had a tiny probability of marrying me anyway.
Didn't you say you're a fortunate person?
Give it a go.
I think I've got it.
Seven animals in total.
The panda
and New Zealand's national bird
pay out the most.
Forty-five to one.
Then the kangaroo, twenty to one.
Then the whale, ten to one.
The penguin is at the bottom, one to one.
I'll bet on my favorite, the whale.
Don't put it all on one bet!
You've got better odds if you spread it around.
Put it on the whale.
This is the Will of Heaven!
Sui Dongfeng,
I'm your wife.
Loan me two thousand.
Don't be greedy.
Talking too much gets annoying.
If I lose, it's on me.
Since you got married off while under my roof,
let me say a few words from the benefit of my old age.
Don't believe in fairy tales like Snow White.
There's no ever after.
There'll always be thoughts about splitting up.
Was that true for you and Mr. Lin?
Yes, of course.
He was an artist.
He did the paintings.
But everything else in the house was left to me to worry about.
I could not leave at all.
I took two days at my parents' once,
and when I got back,
the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes,
and ants were crawling all over them.
It was like he couldn't even see them.
But it made my skin crawl.
I could have died on the spot.
But you didn't end up leaving him, right?
I thought about it.
Eventually, I got over it.
All of those things
were tolerable.
If I swapped him for another man
and had to tolerate the intolerable,
wouldn't that be worse?
Do you know
what seal Mr. Lin applied
to every painting?
"Master of the Aimei Studio."
Aimei is my name.
Couples who stay married
are those that can endure.
Sometimes you truly feel
like you can't endure another day,
but then you sleep
and when you wake up the next morning,
you feel like yesterday's problems
don't matter at all.
That's right.
They're unimportant.
Excellent.
Today is a joyous day for you.
So I'll stop here.
Talking too much gets annoying.
Not at all.
This bracelet
is not worth much,
but I've worn it for so many years.
It's sentimental.
Here,
take it to remember me by.
Congratulations to you two!
Thank you, Mrs. Lin!
Thank you, Mrs. Lin!
I'm toasting you two alone today.
Cheers,
Jennifer.
According to southern customs,
starting today, I'll call you
Mrs. Sui.
Mrs. Sui?
That sounds weird.
Just keep calling me Jennifer.
It's not weird,
Mrs. Sui.
It gives a sense of belonging.
You're Chinese, aren't you?
Mrs. Sui,
give us an answer.
Mrs. Sui,
don't get too smug.
Mrs. Sui doesn't mean she's
yours to command.
It means you're hers to command.
Do you hear that?
Mrs. Lin is on my side!
Does the groom
have anything to say to his bride?
Don't wait until you sober up and get bashful.
Are you tipsy?
Worried you can't get it out?
Make use of the time right now
and just say it.
In this foreign land,
I, Sui Dongfeng, have neither virtue nor ability
to deserve to marry
such a wonderful wife.
I mean it. Right now,
I feel like I am the happiest person
in the entire world.
Mrs. Sui,
listen well.
I will
do everything within my ability
to give you a good life.
I, Sui Dongfeng,
will protect you with my life.
From now on,
I'll drink water
so you can drink wine.
I'll eat rice,
so you can eat meat.
I'll eat meat
so you can eat swallows' nest.
In short,
the best of everything in our home
will be in your stomach.
Lin Guoliang!
Why?
I was doing fine concentrating on my studies.
Why did you have to come in
on that day, at that moment,
to do your sketches in that location?
All it took was one look.
I took one look at you
and my soul escaped my body.
So why did you have to go
and leave me all alone?
All alone.
You've had enough, Mrs. Lin.
I miss him.
Take it easy, Mrs. Lin.
Careful.
I miss him.
Bride and groom stayed sober
while their matchmaker got drunk.
What a strange wedding.
What's on your mind, Mrs. Sui?
The one who is left behind...
suffers.
I'm really sorry. I overslept.
Here, let me.
Even Heaven has to give you the day off today.
You're a newlywed.
No, that won't work.
First of all, I'm worried you'll start charging rent.
Things are different now.
I've got a wife to take care of.
Are you thinking of moving with your winnings?
Not really.
It's not much, so Yun has put it into savings.
It gives her a better sense of security.
I'll go earn more.
You're married, so you need to settle down.
You can't raise a family as a delivery boy.
True.
I've wanted to start a restaurant of my own,
but when I asked around,
space is too expensive in Auckland.
Hey, Simon!
Simon! Simon! Simon!
What?
Stop now.
Come here. I need to talk to you.
Clyde,
one of Mr. Lin's cousins
runs a restaurant over there.
A family emergency
means he has to return to Wuhan immediately.
He said
if you can put up 20,000 dollars,
he'll sell it to you.
Clyde...
Never heard of the place.
It's pretty remote.
A small town on the South Island.
You can buy a detached home there
for a little over a hundred thousand dollars.
It's the only Chinese restaurant for a hundred miles,
so you don't have to worry about competition.
The two of you
can use your winnings to take over the restaurant
and have enough for a down payment on a house.
With a house
and a business,
you can give her the security she wants.
It's such a big decision.
I need to discuss it with my wife right away.
Mrs. Lin,
you really are our guardian angel.
Take it slow.
Don't worry.
Be good. Take care.
We'll call when we arrive in Clyde.
Simon,
be careful not to lose your flute!
I got it!
Take care of yourself.
From the day we left,
we spent the next fifteen years in Clyde.
During that time, every time we visited our family in China,
we'd pass through Auckland
and return to the place where we started out
and pay a visit to our matchmaker.
Help her cut her grass,
and cook her a meal.
Every time, Mrs. Lin would take Yun's hand and say,
"Mrs. Sui,
you're a fortunate woman."
In our hearts,
Mrs. Lin
was family in a foreign land.
Hello,
is Mrs. Lin at home?
After we moved back to Auckland,
as planned, I became a
police liaison officer.
Or, as it's known in China,
a community officer.
When they took my application,
my superior said that in all New Zealand,
I was the oldest new recruit.
Once I finished training, Yun had plans
to spend some time in Beijing with her parents.
But before that happened,
there was a major change in our lives.
Yun,
you don't need to shower.
If you're in there too long, you'll run out of oxygen.
I'm all prepared.
They can wheel me out whenever they need to.
This is how I want you to remember me.
Get into bed.
Don't catch a chill.
Could you lie next to me for a while?
It's been ages since we've done that.
Why don't you close your eyes?
You've been here with me for so many days,
you must be tired.
I'm not tired at all.
I just want to talk with you.
Okay.
I've signed a Do Not Resuscitate order.
If there are complications during surgery,
then let me go.
Don't think you're going anywhere.
Wherever I am,
you've got to be there.
The anesthesiologist came to speak to me.
A major surgery like this
requires large amounts
of anesthesia.
It might be several hours before I wake up...
Or several days...
Or even several weeks.
If it takes me several weeks to wake up,
you'll go crazy with worries.
Hey, don't worry about me.
Why would I be worried when you're asleep?
Once you wake up,
you'll see this old face of mine.
Somehow, in this lifetime,
I've been given all the best things in the world.
When it was time to be born,
I found the best possible family.
When it was time to get married,
I found the best possible man.
When I needed help,
along came Melinda.
Just look at my good fortune!
How do other people do it?
To think that I almost missed you back then.
Never would have happened.
You were destined to be my wife.
Time really moves fast.
I remember when we first met,
you were so bright and upbeat.
You had long hair
and you played a flute under the shade of a tree.
You always liked to joke.
When people bullied me,
you'd fight them without a second thought.
For so many years,
you have been my sun,
keeping my heart warm.
But once we moved to Clyde,
you stopped playing your flute.
The doctor said
if the surgery goes well,
you'll be out of here in a week.
Tn a month, you'll be back to normal.
I'll brush up on my flute playing
so I can play for you then.
Good.
Dongfeng?
Yes?
Sponsor a bench for me
in that park next to our house.
When you get tired on your daily walks,
sit down and rest for a while.
Sit on that bench
like you're sitting in my arms.
I checked it out.
We can choose the color.
So pick out a sky blue for me.
The one who gets left behind,
suffers.
♫ When we fell in love ♫
♫ I thought it would be forever ♫
♫ Separation came suddenly ♫
♫ And stole away our time ♫
♫ If one day ♫
♫ You appear in my dream ♫
♫ Then Cloud will say to Wind ♫
♫ See you in the next life ♫
♫ Ready for forever ♫
♫ But not for goodbye ♫
♫ Ready for a lifetime ♫
♫ But not for a moment ♫
♫ Wind calls out to Cloud ♫
♫ Hold me tighter a little more ♫
♫ That's Cloud saying ♫
♫ See you in the next life ♫
Yun always talked about coming home.
I've brought her home.
As she requested,
I split her ashes into four parts
and placed them in her favorite spots.
I'll place the last part in my family plot
to wait for me.
It's good that you've come home...
It's good that you've come home...
I wished she could have lived a little longer.
Things had just settled down.
There are a few things
you don't know.
Yun was born prematurely,
just six months
when she was born.
She weighed only 1.8 kilograms.
She stayed in the incubator
for months before coming home.
The doctors said
her heart hadn't developed properly
and she wouldn't live past puberty.
Since that's the time when
the body needs energy.
But her heart wouldn't be able to provide it.
In those days, the doctors
didn't understand child psychology.
When Mom and Dad took her in for a follow-up,
the doctors said all this
right to her face.
Yun didn't know what death meant,
so she asked Mom.
Mom told her a fib.
She said that death was a festival
for the new year.
Mom made new clothes for the two of us,
Yun refused to wear them.
She said she'd save them for when death came.
The doctors said Yun wouldn't live past twenty...
But she did.
She lived a full life of forty-five years.
Dongfeng...
You're the one
who demanded two decades from Heaven
to give to Yun.
We...
We're contented.
Dad,
Mom,
Yun herself gave me those years.
Without her,
I don't know where I'd have floated off to.
It's good that you've come home.
It's good that you've come home.
Come...
And so...
I completed a journey of 15,000 kilometers
to take my wife's ashes
to her favorite places.
Along the way, I finally understood something...
Yun was like the tree next to Blue's grave.
Every moment of every day, wrestling with Heaven
to gain the right to live on.
At last, I understood her.
My mind is at rest
and so is hers.
Good boy.
Blue.
Let's go.
Let's go.
[WHEREVER YOU ARE IS MY HOME]
[To A Love That Loves On]
Dongfeng,
when you find this note,
I won't be in this world anymore.
Knowing you've read this
will put me at ease.
Since it means you've taken up your flute again.
You've begun to live.
It's good to be alive.
The years that I couldn't live for myself,
I put in your hands to live well for me.
Yun.
Thank you, Channel Manager: silvaniamps_455
Thank you, Segmenter & Editor (ZH+EN): jadecloud88
Thank you, Moderators of World Languages: biancapark18 (Romanian); miadolcetti (Italian); jazyroses (Arabic); namii1ll (French); gifabeya (Portuguese); klores6 (Spanish)
♫ I lie awake until the break of day ♫
♫ Hold you close to fall asleep at night ♫
♫ My bags are packed with distant lands ♫
♫ And the boundless sea ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ I'm stuck in fantasies that never end ♫
♫ Wrapped in memories that won't let go ♫
♫ The past is threadbare but I patch it up ♫
♫ And it retains its warmth ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ The sunshine on my pillow ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ A dream road ♫
♫ The cloud's home ♫
[MAYLA MEDIA]
[EMPEROR MOTION PICTURES]
[H. BROTHERS]
My name is Sui Dongfeng.
I'm a Beijinger.
I live in Auckland now.
I also have another name, Simon.
The poet Mu Xin once wrote:
(A Chinese painter, poet and writer)
"Time moved more slowly in the past;"
"Carriages, horses, and the post were all slow."
"Carriages, horses, and the post were all slow."
"Carriages, horses, and the postal services were all slow."
"A lifetime is only enough to love one person."
I honestly don't know
whether time used to move fast or slow,
but my whole life
is entwined with one woman.
Yet I still feel
I haven't spent enough time with her.
Her name is Luo Yun.
For convenience,
she also has an English name, Jennifer.
However,
to her family and me,
she is Yun.
[Only Cloud Knows]
[Based On A True Story]
Yun,
if you come back,
nudge this ring a bit.
I knew you'd be back.
Were you smoking inside the house again?
I've been waiting for you.
Now that you're back,
I can get going tomorrow.
Don't worry about
what I promised.
I'm leaving.
Yun.
When you get to Clyde,
think about paying Melinda a visit.
Hey! Don't go barefoot!
Put your shoes on.
♫ I lie awake until the break of day ♫
♫ Hold you close to fall asleep at night ♫
♫ My bags are packed with distant lands ♫
♫ And the boundless sea ♫
♫ Alone is only lonesome without you ♫
♫ I can only rest when I hear your heartbeat ♫
Yun...
Let's go.
♫ I kiss your skin through a photograph ♫
♫ Then red-eyed, I hit the road ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ I'm stuck in fantasies that never end ♫
♫ Wrapped in memories that won't let go ♫
♫ The past is threadbare but I patch it up ♫
♫ And it retains its warmth ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ The sunshine on my pillow ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ A dream road ♫
♫ The cloud's home ♫
- Hi! I'm Simon.
- Hi Simon.
- Jennifer.
- Hi Jennifer.
Your house... Very good.
We love it. First look.
My grandpa came here before the war.
My family has been here for a better part of the century.
My wife got fed up and wants to move to Auckland,
so I sold the farm to a friend and the house to you.
You moved to the big city.
We moved away from the big city
because my wife loves here.
Quiet and beautiful.
My wife felt the same way when we first settled in.
Well then, you take good care of the house.
We promise. We'll... take good care of it.
Spending 10,000 dollars
to keep the old man's furniture
was worth it.
Let's go to the flea market
and get some old carpets
and some old lamps.
They only cost a few dollars.
You're a good enough cook,
for a few dishes at home,
but can you handle a restaurant?
I'm telling you, foreigners like sweet and sour.
If you make real Chinese food here,
they won't like it.
It's just that our English
is below average.
Let's hire a foreign lady for our reception
and learn on the sly.
One time,
when I was looking for a place to stay,
I wanted to say "separate kitchen,"
but instead I said "separate chicken."
Do you know what they said to me?
"Dear, in this country, we have divorced couples but we don't have separate chickens."
Divorced chickens!
This place is too quiet.
The neighbors are miles away.
If we scream our heads off,
only the cows would hear us.
Are you scared?
I'm not scared.
The silence is exactly what I love.
Uncle Simon.
Mom, Uncle Simon is here.
Casey.
Wow! It's been two years. You're so grown up.
I didn't recognize you.
It's been a long time since we talked.
I want to tell you.
Been expecting you.
I still remember the last time I saw her.
Hello Simon. My name is Melinda.
[Yun's Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant]
- Why do you know my name?
- It's a small town.
Everyone says Mark sold his house to a Chinese man named Simon.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, too.
So what does "Yun's" mean?
She's my wife, Jennifer.
- Hi Jennifer.
- Hi.
And the "Yun" is her Chinese name.
The "Yun" means the cloud.
Wow! That's so beautiful. I love that.
- Thank you.
- Welcome, my restuarant.
If you eat in my restaurant, you'll love me.
That's true.
Well, first, I think you need a waitress.
Someone who is hardworking, smart, charming, and most importantly, beautiful.
Yeah. But where can we find this kind of girl?
Hi! That beautiful girl is right here.
Melinda.
- Are you sure you are beautiful?
- I am.
I don't think so.
- You are double funny.
- You are double lovely.
I haven't eaten in your restaurant and I already love it.
She's competing with me for "sweet talks" and I won
So, do I have the job?
Wocao!
"Ta Ma De."
"Ta Ma De."
"Ta Ma De."
"Ta Ma De."
- "Ta Ma De."
-"Ta Ma De."
My back is about to break!
We made a lot today, didn't we?
Six hundred dollars.
Ta Ma De.
Ta Ma De, you!
Why is she insulting me after I paid her?
Mr. Sui,
is this your doing?
She's such a trickster!
I can't believe she used it with you!
Hey!
Mrs. Sui,
you look so happy and beautiful.
I'll give you a massage tonight.
Okay!
Melinda became a part of our lives.
After three years,
she paid off her student loans
and left us to go to India.
She said she was searching for
Buddhist wisdom in India.
She came back seven months later
to work as a substitute teacher
and moonlight at our restaurant.
After two years,
she had saved up enough money
to see the migration of animals in Kenya.
She even stayed there to teach English for a while.
A year later, she came back to Clyde
with a dark-skinned girl
she had adopted from there.
She gave her the name, Kacey.
I dreamed about whales again last night.
Other women like flowers and plants.
How did you end up liking whales?
Because they're just like you.
You give me such a sense of security.
I see.
That is like me.
Do you know how much a blue whale weighs?
The heaviest can weigh 190 tons.
It would take
two thousand people your size
to weigh the same as a blue whale.
I never said I looked like one!
Our personalities are the same.
Look how strong a whale is,
but it rarely attacks other animals.
Ever heard of anyone being eaten by a whale?
As for me,
I've never been afraid of fights.
But I've never been a bully.
Whales are calm, gentle and soft.
A whale is so big
but it doesn't fight for more room.
Or for more food.
It just stays quietly in the sea.
Care-free, not bothering anyone.
Even when it sprays from its blow-hole,
it's just a spectacle for people to watch.
You wanted a dog, and now we have one.
But a whale...
We can't afford that.
Just pretend in your dreams.
This wasn't here this morning when I left.
How did you manage it?
It's so beautiful.
I couldn't have done it alone.
Melinda found someone to do it.
A friend of hers is in tourism in Kaikoura.
I had her ask her friend
to sell me their billboard.
Was it expensive?
The billboard and the lights
cost about three hundred spring rolls.
How do you pay me back?
All yours.
All mine?
Yes, all yours!
All mine!
This isn't a sight for children.
I told you, you can't come inside the house.
He thinks he's so clever.
You have me and the whale now...
And Blue looks after our house!
Do you feel secure now?
I do.
I want to play flute in this weather.
I haven't heard you play your flute in a while.
All those years ago,
if you had gone to the conservatory,
where do you think you'd be today?
Starved to death.
I wouldn't have what I have now.
So do we stay here our whole life?
Let's take it year by year.
He goes insane
whenever he sees the biscuit tin.
Watch it,
you can only have two.
Any more and you'll lose your fur.
Have you called your mother and told her yet?
Let's wait a bit.
She'll be over the moon.
The last time we were back in Beijing,
she didn't say anything to you.
But she mentioned it behind your back.
Recommendations for all kinds of doctors.
As if I was sick.
All the other trees are so tiny.
Why is this one so big?
Because it wants to thrive.
The other trees don't have the same determination.
Blue!
Stop barking. I'm sleeping.
What's wrong, Blue?
You're lucky Blue saved you.
The doctor said you'd be in danger if we'd gone later.
What else did the doctor say?
The doctor also said
you're too worn-out.
Don't lie to me.
I know it's a myoma.
A large one.
So you heard everything.
It means
I won't be getting pregnant again.
I've got you,
and I've got Blue.
That's enough.
Ahh!
What's wrong?
Nothing.
It just feels good to shout.
Blue, come here, Blue!
I can take care of this meat
tomorrow morning.
You don't need to do it now.
Melinda's back.
Business has been good.
I want to be prepared
so we don't panic tomorrow.
Anyway, as long as that guy's out there,
we can't close up.
He's been sitting there for two hours.
He's had four beers.
His bottom is stuck to the chair.
I think he had a few
before he came.
He smelled of it when he came in.
Oh no!
Hey, that's raw meat!
Saliva kills germs.
Ta Ma De!
He's got a gun!
Yun, he's got a gun!
Hey,
that was scary.
It's okay now.
Let's go home.
Gosh, you're still shaking.
Melinda said the guy might have been on drugs.
Junkies will do anything.
If Melinda wasn't here today,
imagine what would have happened.
Anyway, it was just a mishap today.
Dongfeng?
Yes?
Do you ever think about selling
the restaurant and getting out of here?
Well...
Yes, I have.
We've been here for nine years
and we spend every day around the stove.
Our lives are a little boring.
Yun,
I promise you,
seeing as business is good
and I'm still strong,
let's do this a few more years
and save a bit more money.
Then we'll go back home.
So you can live like Melinda.
Okay.
I know you've worked hard
these few years
and it has all been for me.
The truth is, I want both of us,
to live like Melinda.
Didn't Mrs. Lin always say
that a house and a business
that a house and a business
give you a sense of security?
Actually,
neither the house nor the business
gives me a sense of security.
Only you.
Only you give me a sense of security.
If it wasn't for me,
what kind of life would you lead?
Life without you?
I've never even thought about it.
What are you planning?
Nothing.
I just want to know.
I don't want you to suffer.
Life with you
is the life I want to live.
Let's go home.
Tonight, let's have a couple more drinks.
I want to get drunk with you.
Okay.
Blue's getting worse by the day.
Look at how hungry and lifeless he is.
Blue...
I want to give you a bunch of sausages,
but the doctor won't let me.
You'll feel worse if you eat.
Here.
Be a good boy.
Take your medicine.
You won't be in pain any more.
Blue,
Mom knows you like sausage,
but I never gave you too many.
I was worried you'd lose your fur
and that you'd hurt when you poop.
Today, though, you can eat as much as you want.
Okay?
No more worries about getting ill.
No more worries about pain.
Yun,
you should go to sleep.
Saturday is our busiest day.
I'll stay with him.
He should sleep with us tonight.
We've run out of shrimp.
Don't get it from Mark next time.
His are small and full of sand.
They're expensive, too.
Blue,
see that house up there?
That's where we live.
You have to remember your way home.
This tree doesn't have a mate
and neither do you.
You can be companions for each other.
Good boy. Sit! Sit!
Blue, sit.
Listen.
When Mom and Dad aren't at home,
you can't cross this boundary.
Understand?
Blue, understand?
Listen to Mom.
You're smoking?
- Don't worry about me.
- Blue, sit!
Ta Ma De,
Hurry, an aurora. It's an aurora!
Coming!
Make a wish!
Blue,
Mom has to leave.
The house up there isn't your home anymore,
so don't go disturb others.
This is your home.
Mom will take you wherever I go.
You'll always have a home.
I'll ride with Melinda.
I want to chat with her during the ride.
Yun...
I've brought you home.
Blue...
Your mom's here.
I've got two rooms on the first floor.
This one's empty.
Jennifer has the other one.
The kitchen and bathroom are shared.
The toilet's broken.
Jennifer said the intake isn't working.
I need to call someone to fix it
Hold off a moment.
I'll check it out. It might be a minor fix.
There you go.
The hook slipped off the ballcock valve.
It's so good to have a man around the house.
I won't have to ask for help for every little thing.
Back in China,
we all have to handle
odd jobs like this.
But it's all simple stuff.
Where are you from?
Beijing.
What do you do?
I'm studying at a language school
and delivering food.
What's with this room?
It smells fishy.
Jennifer works at the fish market.
So of course it'll smell a little fishy.
But she's a clean person.
That's the house.
Have a seat and we'll talk.
Mrs. Lin,
the newspaper ad said rent is negotiable.
So...
What are we negotiating over?
Here's the thing.
I've got a bad back and can't mow the lawn.
So if you can help me take care of the property
and keep the lawn in good order,
I won't charge you rent.
Really?
That's wonderful!
I've got absolutely nothing right now,
except for energy.
Great,
you've got it.
You can move in whenever you like.
Okay?
Jennifer works days, and you work nights.
I'll tell her
not to disturb your rest.
This is truly amazing.
Thank you so much.
Please don't touch my laundry.
Please don't leave dirty dishes in the sink,
they attract roaches.
I can tell immediately you've practiced since you were a kid.
When did you start?
I've been playing since I was six.
At sixteen I joined the army's arts troupe.
I see!
You shouldn't be delivering food.
You ought to keep at it.
In fact, I've already been accepted into a conservatory here,
but I can't afford the high tuition.
That's an artist's life.
Mr. Lin was a college professor in Wuhan.
He taught traditional painting.
But over here,
he could only give private lessons to kids.
That's life.
The mouth is king.
If you can't fill it,
who cares what your eyes and ears want?
Hobbies are actually pretty important.
They add substance to your life.
What's all the commotion today?
Good morning, Mrs. Lin.
Good morning.
I bought a few oranges that are really sweet.
Try some.
You look familiar.
Have we met before?
Really?
You look familiar to me, too.
You two have been living here for so long,
and this is the first time you two have met?
We've never seen each other before.
Really?
Isn't it funny?
Then it's time for formal introduction.
I'm Luo Yun.
They call me Jennifer here.
I'm Sui Dongfeng.
For convenience, I picked an English name,
Simon.
How do you write the "Yun" in your name?
The character for "cloud" with a grass radical on top.
I'd get rid of the grass.
I've got wind in my name.
We'll then be "riding on the crest of success."
(Literally, the meeting of wind and cloud)
You play really well.
I'm envious of people who can play an instrument.
My older sister plays the piano.
She had me mess around a little when I was a kid.
But in the end, I only learned a piece about a little dog.
So you can accompany me musically!
Mrs. Lin has a piano in the house.
Come on, I'll teach you!
I can't.
I don't have the talent for it.
Come on, come on, give it a try.
Let's go. So easy.
It's in the key of E-flat.
Follow my fingers.
Press the keys that I do.
Use your thumb on this one,
your index finger on this one.
Do...
Sol...
Now move your thumb to this key.
Mi...
Index, Sol...
Little finger, Do...
Sol...
Mi, Sol...
Repeat. Move the thumb back.
Do, Sol, Mi, Sol.
Little finger, Do, Sol, Mi, Sol.
Now on your own.
Not bad.
Wow, you've got it. You've got it!
It's so melodious.
I never thought it'd be so easy.
Or am I just a genius?
Yes, you're a genius.
However,
that depends on who your teacher is.
If you'd met me at the age of five,
you'd be a master already.
Today is a public holiday
and the two of you have a rare day of rest.
Come on,
it'll be my treat.
Let's hit a restaurant.
Wonderful!
How about this, Mrs. Lin?
I'll cook up a spread for you.
Let you two have a taste of what I can do. How about it?
You can cook, too?
This man
is multitalented!
Come shopping with me, first.
Don't get any seafood,
I won't eat anything from the ocean.
Where did you live in Beijing?
Badachu.
(Literally, Eight Great Sites; It's known as such because of the eight Buddhist temples and nunneries there)
Did you use to take bus 347?
That's right. Every day.
You'd get off at Xingshikou?
How'd you know?
I was in the army arts troupe.
We were right there in the Badachu military compound.
I remember now.
We must have seen each other on bus 347.
I remember, too.
You wore a military uniform back then.
Band members all carried instrument cases.
You all looked so flashy getting on the bus.
Back then, I remember seeing a pretty girl.
We all used to crowd around to talk to her
and she'd always seem to enjoy it.
It was you, wasn't it?
We never met up in Beijing,
but had to come all the way to Auckland to get together.
It's fate, wouldn't you say?
Hey, here's a question;
I remember you used to carry a book.
Were you doing it just for show?
Who'd do that for show?
I was studying to test into college.
I took the test two years in a row,
but then I gave up.
Do you have a boyfriend?
You could say that.
Sui Dongfeng!
Yes, coming.
Don't you keep your word at all?
Last week you said that
you'd take me whale-watching this Sunday.
Look at the time now.
We'll miss the boat if we don't go now.
I'm so sorry. Sorry!
I overslept!
Business was too good last night.
I didn't get in until after 1 a.m.
Just a moment...
I just got my driving license
and I bought a used car.
We've gone one round and there's no space for the car.
What do we do?
The boat's about to leave
That car's pulling out. There's a space.
What does he think he's doing?
Stop it, Dongfeng!
Stop fighting!
Stop it, Dongfeng!
The police are coming!
I'm sorry.
I've missed taking you whale-watching.
That's okay.
I have a free ticket to a boxing match.
Does it hurt?
Look at your hand.
Don't you wear gloves when you clean fish?
I don't like gloves.
They're uncomfortable and unventilated.
I bought you some hand cream.
I didn't know which type is more suitable for you.
Help me rub it on.
Don't you have a boyfriend?
Why don't you have him do it?
Do you have a boyfriend or not?
If you don't say anything,
I'll take it that you don't.
Does it still smell fishy?
Yes, it does!
Now you're being mean.
It's not seafood if it doesn't have that fishy smell.
Marry me.
Pretend last night was just a dream.
I won't marry anyone.
What?
Aren't you liberated!
You don't look it at all.
It's not what you think.
I'm a jinx. I don't want to drag anyone down.
You believe in that stuff?
If you do, then listen up.
I'm fortunate.
Think about it.
I got here
and Mrs. Lin gave me a room for free.
Then...
I met you.
I'm so fortunate!
Therefore,
you've got to marry me
and your luck will change.
Trust me,
it's for your own good.
We can only be friends
or just go our separate ways.
Luo Yun,
I don't know your reasons
but I know that's not how you truly feel.
Dad. Mom.
Xiao Yun.
It's been ages since you've called!
I've been worried sick about you!
You're all on your own outside, and we can't reach you.
Rein it in!
This phone call's expensive!
Let her speak!
Fine. Xiao Yun, go ahead. You speak.
Tell me how you've been.
I've been fine.
I've just run into a little problem.
What is it?
What's the matter?
Someone proposed to me!
That's wonderful!
What's he like?
He's from Beijing.
He's a good person,
but I turned him down.
This place will chew you up.
It's also not a place for us.
This is a thousand dollars.
If we win,
I'll marry you.
If we lose?
If we lose, I'll leave you
and never see you again.
Isn't that ridiculous?
Do you know nine out of ten people lose at gambling?
You've only got a tiny probability of winning.
This is a major decision for us
and you want to leave it up to chance?
You only had a tiny probability of marrying me anyway.
Didn't you say you're a fortunate person?
Give it a go.
I think I've got it.
Seven animals in total.
The panda
and New Zealand's national bird
pay out the most.
Forty-five to one.
Then the kangaroo, twenty to one.
Then the whale, ten to one.
The penguin is at the bottom, one to one.
I'll bet on my favorite, the whale.
Don't put it all on one bet!
You've got better odds if you spread it around.
Put it on the whale.
This is the Will of Heaven!
Sui Dongfeng,
I'm your wife.
Loan me two thousand.
Don't be greedy.
Talking too much gets annoying.
If I lose, it's on me.
Since you got married off while under my roof,
let me say a few words from the benefit of my old age.
Don't believe in fairy tales like Snow White.
There's no ever after.
There'll always be thoughts about splitting up.
Was that true for you and Mr. Lin?
Yes, of course.
He was an artist.
He did the paintings.
But everything else in the house was left to me to worry about.
I could not leave at all.
I took two days at my parents' once,
and when I got back,
the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes,
and ants were crawling all over them.
It was like he couldn't even see them.
But it made my skin crawl.
I could have died on the spot.
But you didn't end up leaving him, right?
I thought about it.
Eventually, I got over it.
All of those things
were tolerable.
If I swapped him for another man
and had to tolerate the intolerable,
wouldn't that be worse?
Do you know
what seal Mr. Lin applied
to every painting?
"Master of the Aimei Studio."
Aimei is my name.
Couples who stay married
are those that can endure.
Sometimes you truly feel
like you can't endure another day,
but then you sleep
and when you wake up the next morning,
you feel like yesterday's problems
don't matter at all.
That's right.
They're unimportant.
Excellent.
Today is a joyous day for you.
So I'll stop here.
Talking too much gets annoying.
Not at all.
This bracelet
is not worth much,
but I've worn it for so many years.
It's sentimental.
Here,
take it to remember me by.
Congratulations to you two!
Thank you, Mrs. Lin!
Thank you, Mrs. Lin!
I'm toasting you two alone today.
Cheers,
Jennifer.
According to southern customs,
starting today, I'll call you
Mrs. Sui.
Mrs. Sui?
That sounds weird.
Just keep calling me Jennifer.
It's not weird,
Mrs. Sui.
It gives a sense of belonging.
You're Chinese, aren't you?
Mrs. Sui,
give us an answer.
Mrs. Sui,
don't get too smug.
Mrs. Sui doesn't mean she's
yours to command.
It means you're hers to command.
Do you hear that?
Mrs. Lin is on my side!
Does the groom
have anything to say to his bride?
Don't wait until you sober up and get bashful.
Are you tipsy?
Worried you can't get it out?
Make use of the time right now
and just say it.
In this foreign land,
I, Sui Dongfeng, have neither virtue nor ability
to deserve to marry
such a wonderful wife.
I mean it. Right now,
I feel like I am the happiest person
in the entire world.
Mrs. Sui,
listen well.
I will
do everything within my ability
to give you a good life.
I, Sui Dongfeng,
will protect you with my life.
From now on,
I'll drink water
so you can drink wine.
I'll eat rice,
so you can eat meat.
I'll eat meat
so you can eat swallows' nest.
In short,
the best of everything in our home
will be in your stomach.
Lin Guoliang!
Why?
I was doing fine concentrating on my studies.
Why did you have to come in
on that day, at that moment,
to do your sketches in that location?
All it took was one look.
I took one look at you
and my soul escaped my body.
So why did you have to go
and leave me all alone?
All alone.
You've had enough, Mrs. Lin.
I miss him.
Take it easy, Mrs. Lin.
Careful.
I miss him.
Bride and groom stayed sober
while their matchmaker got drunk.
What a strange wedding.
What's on your mind, Mrs. Sui?
The one who is left behind...
suffers.
I'm really sorry. I overslept.
Here, let me.
Even Heaven has to give you the day off today.
You're a newlywed.
No, that won't work.
First of all, I'm worried you'll start charging rent.
Things are different now.
I've got a wife to take care of.
Are you thinking of moving with your winnings?
Not really.
It's not much, so Yun has put it into savings.
It gives her a better sense of security.
I'll go earn more.
You're married, so you need to settle down.
You can't raise a family as a delivery boy.
True.
I've wanted to start a restaurant of my own,
but when I asked around,
space is too expensive in Auckland.
Hey, Simon!
Simon! Simon! Simon!
What?
Stop now.
Come here. I need to talk to you.
Clyde,
one of Mr. Lin's cousins
runs a restaurant over there.
A family emergency
means he has to return to Wuhan immediately.
He said
if you can put up 20,000 dollars,
he'll sell it to you.
Clyde...
Never heard of the place.
It's pretty remote.
A small town on the South Island.
You can buy a detached home there
for a little over a hundred thousand dollars.
It's the only Chinese restaurant for a hundred miles,
so you don't have to worry about competition.
The two of you
can use your winnings to take over the restaurant
and have enough for a down payment on a house.
With a house
and a business,
you can give her the security she wants.
It's such a big decision.
I need to discuss it with my wife right away.
Mrs. Lin,
you really are our guardian angel.
Take it slow.
Don't worry.
Be good. Take care.
We'll call when we arrive in Clyde.
Simon,
be careful not to lose your flute!
I got it!
Take care of yourself.
From the day we left,
we spent the next fifteen years in Clyde.
During that time, every time we visited our family in China,
we'd pass through Auckland
and return to the place where we started out
and pay a visit to our matchmaker.
Help her cut her grass,
and cook her a meal.
Every time, Mrs. Lin would take Yun's hand and say,
"Mrs. Sui,
you're a fortunate woman."
In our hearts,
Mrs. Lin
was family in a foreign land.
Hello,
is Mrs. Lin at home?
After we moved back to Auckland,
as planned, I became a
police liaison officer.
Or, as it's known in China,
a community officer.
When they took my application,
my superior said that in all New Zealand,
I was the oldest new recruit.
Once I finished training, Yun had plans
to spend some time in Beijing with her parents.
But before that happened,
there was a major change in our lives.
Yun,
you don't need to shower.
If you're in there too long, you'll run out of oxygen.
I'm all prepared.
They can wheel me out whenever they need to.
This is how I want you to remember me.
Get into bed.
Don't catch a chill.
Could you lie next to me for a while?
It's been ages since we've done that.
Why don't you close your eyes?
You've been here with me for so many days,
you must be tired.
I'm not tired at all.
I just want to talk with you.
Okay.
I've signed a Do Not Resuscitate order.
If there are complications during surgery,
then let me go.
Don't think you're going anywhere.
Wherever I am,
you've got to be there.
The anesthesiologist came to speak to me.
A major surgery like this
requires large amounts
of anesthesia.
It might be several hours before I wake up...
Or several days...
Or even several weeks.
If it takes me several weeks to wake up,
you'll go crazy with worries.
Hey, don't worry about me.
Why would I be worried when you're asleep?
Once you wake up,
you'll see this old face of mine.
Somehow, in this lifetime,
I've been given all the best things in the world.
When it was time to be born,
I found the best possible family.
When it was time to get married,
I found the best possible man.
When I needed help,
along came Melinda.
Just look at my good fortune!
How do other people do it?
To think that I almost missed you back then.
Never would have happened.
You were destined to be my wife.
Time really moves fast.
I remember when we first met,
you were so bright and upbeat.
You had long hair
and you played a flute under the shade of a tree.
You always liked to joke.
When people bullied me,
you'd fight them without a second thought.
For so many years,
you have been my sun,
keeping my heart warm.
But once we moved to Clyde,
you stopped playing your flute.
The doctor said
if the surgery goes well,
you'll be out of here in a week.
Tn a month, you'll be back to normal.
I'll brush up on my flute playing
so I can play for you then.
Good.
Dongfeng?
Yes?
Sponsor a bench for me
in that park next to our house.
When you get tired on your daily walks,
sit down and rest for a while.
Sit on that bench
like you're sitting in my arms.
I checked it out.
We can choose the color.
So pick out a sky blue for me.
The one who gets left behind,
suffers.
♫ When we fell in love ♫
♫ I thought it would be forever ♫
♫ Separation came suddenly ♫
♫ And stole away our time ♫
♫ If one day ♫
♫ You appear in my dream ♫
♫ Then Cloud will say to Wind ♫
♫ See you in the next life ♫
♫ Ready for forever ♫
♫ But not for goodbye ♫
♫ Ready for a lifetime ♫
♫ But not for a moment ♫
♫ Wind calls out to Cloud ♫
♫ Hold me tighter a little more ♫
♫ That's Cloud saying ♫
♫ See you in the next life ♫
Yun always talked about coming home.
I've brought her home.
As she requested,
I split her ashes into four parts
and placed them in her favorite spots.
I'll place the last part in my family plot
to wait for me.
It's good that you've come home...
It's good that you've come home...
I wished she could have lived a little longer.
Things had just settled down.
There are a few things
you don't know.
Yun was born prematurely,
just six months
when she was born.
She weighed only 1.8 kilograms.
She stayed in the incubator
for months before coming home.
The doctors said
her heart hadn't developed properly
and she wouldn't live past puberty.
Since that's the time when
the body needs energy.
But her heart wouldn't be able to provide it.
In those days, the doctors
didn't understand child psychology.
When Mom and Dad took her in for a follow-up,
the doctors said all this
right to her face.
Yun didn't know what death meant,
so she asked Mom.
Mom told her a fib.
She said that death was a festival
for the new year.
Mom made new clothes for the two of us,
Yun refused to wear them.
She said she'd save them for when death came.
The doctors said Yun wouldn't live past twenty...
But she did.
She lived a full life of forty-five years.
Dongfeng...
You're the one
who demanded two decades from Heaven
to give to Yun.
We...
We're contented.
Dad,
Mom,
Yun herself gave me those years.
Without her,
I don't know where I'd have floated off to.
It's good that you've come home.
It's good that you've come home.
Come...
And so...
I completed a journey of 15,000 kilometers
to take my wife's ashes
to her favorite places.
Along the way, I finally understood something...
Yun was like the tree next to Blue's grave.
Every moment of every day, wrestling with Heaven
to gain the right to live on.
At last, I understood her.
My mind is at rest
and so is hers.
Good boy.
Blue.
Let's go.
Let's go.
[WHEREVER YOU ARE IS MY HOME]
[To A Love That Loves On]
Dongfeng,
when you find this note,
I won't be in this world anymore.
Knowing you've read this
will put me at ease.
Since it means you've taken up your flute again.
You've begun to live.
It's good to be alive.
The years that I couldn't live for myself,
I put in your hands to live well for me.
Yun.
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♫ I lie awake until the break of day ♫
♫ Hold you close to fall asleep at night ♫
♫ My bags are packed with distant lands ♫
♫ And the boundless sea ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ I'm stuck in fantasies that never end ♫
♫ Wrapped in memories that won't let go ♫
♫ The past is threadbare but I patch it up ♫
♫ And it retains its warmth ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ The sunshine on my pillow ♫
♫ Hey ♫
♫ Can you hear me? ♫
♫ Are you hiding... somewhere? ♫
♫ Behind a cloud... watching me? ♫
♫ Your dimpled smile glows with light ♫
♫ Still vibrant even into the next life ♫
♫ My mind will never forget a face ♫
♫ A dream road ♫
♫ The cloud's home ♫