Wandering Peddlers (1995) - full transcript
A Sony Corporation Production
Worldwide Presentation by
Shibata Organization Inc.
A Film by Mitsuo Yanagimachi
- Ever been to a big hotel, Mother?
- Never.
- If we ever get to Taipei...
- The Grand's the best!
- Taipei will be fun.
- The Grand?
I've been there.
- I haven't.
- At Donggang, it's karaoke.
- I've been there.
- I haven't.
Let's go to Donggang next.
- You've been there?
- Yes, of course.
- I've been there.
- Well, I haven't.
- Yes, you have!
- You have, A-Hong!
New Prestige Company
In Taiwan, I met a group of people
with an amazing vitality.
Called Pao-Jiang-Hu,
they were medicine peddlers.
Wherever I went in Taiwan,
I saw their energetic presence.
Pao-Jiang-Hu, incidentally,
means 'a moving society'.
Line Producers: Kenza Yoshimasu,
Yoshinori Fujita, Shingo Miyauchi
Sound:
Hitoshi Yamada
Edited by Hiroshi Yoshida
& Mitsuo Yanagimachi
Music:
Yasuaki Shimizu
Cinematographer:
Masaki Tamura
Executive Producers: Kunia Yamada,
Takashi Takizawa, Kenzo Yoshimasu
Produced by Shohachi Sakai
Directed by Mitsuo Yanagimachi
THE WANDERING PEDDLERS
Pao-Jiang-Hu
YE Tian-shuang, father
This altar...
When I was little -
I was nine years old then,
I was beset by misfortune.
I was nine when...
my mother passed away.
I was performing the
Eight Generals dance,
when the gods invited me
and I became a shaman.
A shaman's job is to
serve the gods...
and to cure the sick.
I've devoted my life to the
salvation of mankind.
You practice like this first.
And after that,
you use two.
Like this.
What's important is hand movements.
When, after a lot of practice,
you get skillful/good,
then,
you use three.
You start out by doing it slowly.
When you've mastered that,
you move on to using all three.
One, two... one, two...
Attention, folks!
Now it's time to enjoy...
the beautiful matron's song!
QIU Tu-ban, YE's wife
I met my husband Ye...
when I was in the singing
and dancing troupe.
I'd run away from home,
and was working to make ends meet.
I drifted from place to place,
and ended up joining...
the singing and dancing troupe.
My real parents gave me away
to strangers when I was five.
I went back to my real parents at 16.
By 17 I was working in a factory,
and at 19 I had a boyfriend.
I was married when I was 20,
and had a child.
Living with my husband's parents,
both my father-in-law
and mother-in-law...
treated me very badly.
I couldn't stay there anymore,
so I ran away.
That's when I met Ye.
He had two children with him.
One was three and one
was two years old.
"Where's their mother?"
I asked him.
"She ran away."
That was the answer.
As I looked after them,
I became attracted to Ye.
At that time,
he was working as a musician.
Midheaven is a place...
ruled by Emperor Yuhuang.
He administers for the deities...
who reside in Midheaven.
For example, Wufu, Chiansui,
Xuantian Shangdi,
and Tianshang Shengmu
all reside in Midheaven.
Beside them,
is Jinmu Niangniang,
who is the Emperor's mother.
Not the real mother.
She got the title of Mother.
My stepmother was a singer
in a cabaret before she got married.
She could have married
someone rich.
My dad's poor, and short.
A-HONG, YE's son
My dad's poor, and short.
A-HONG, YE's son
A-HONG, YE's son He also had
us kids, but she married him anyway.
He also had us kids,
but she married him anyway.
I feel grateful for that.
Whenever my father was performing,
my sister and I were kept backstage,
a rope tied around our waists,
attached to a pillar like that.
We'd piss and shit as we were.
Appalled, our step-mother...
took us under her care.
Look at her white, shining skin!
Have a good look!
She's young!
And she's sexy! Show them!
Well?
What do you want to eat?
A-HONG and his girlfriend A-LIAN
You shit!
Don't make me swear.
How long have you been living
together here now?
Six months and four days...
No, six months and seven days.
Since the day we moved in together?
Six months and seven days.
- Six months and five days.
- You've been keeping track?
- Please show me that.
- What is that?
Today's the tenth...
I mark the dates.
- So I can keep track.
- Of your menstruation!
- Keep your mouth shut!
- But you do!
Stop lying,
or I'll cut your dick off!
When did you start calling
Mr Ye your step-father?
Three days after I picked her up
and brought her here.
He's lying.
His father wanted me
to call him that.
I don't mind, anyway.
We might get married, after all.
And I don't mind if we don't, either.
We can't tell the future.
No one can.
He was fine when he was little,
but he's become distant lately.
I can't tell what he's thinking.
I wonder what's going on
inside his head.
A-Hong quit school when
he was in third grade.
There were various reasons for that,
but, ultimately,
he didn't like studying.
There were other reasons, too...
but I can't explain them
to you in a few words.
I'd like A-Hong and my son A-Fa
to take over our business.
They don't have much
of an education,
and although it's a small business,
they can be their own bosses.
It's better than working for someone.
Tomorrow's weather?
- Not bad.
- Wu seems to be opposed to...
President Li's re-election.
- What do you think of that?
- Who told you?
I read it in the papers.
- Who do you prefer?
- Neither.
If I'm lying, may I get
run over by a car and die!
I only sell this medicine.
This cures everything.
Let me make enough to buy
my girls some soft drinks.
For six people only!
It's only 300 yuan!
I'm the only one in Taiwan
selling this!
It'll stay fresh for 8-10 years.
From a baby to a 100-year-old.
Eczema, keratose, psoriasis,
pityriasis... it'll cure all
skin diseases.
If there's anyone else
selling this in Taiwan,
bring him to me.
I'll give you 100,000 yuan!
Selling 3,000 yuan's worth
doesn't give us a profit.
Food, gasoline, pocket money...
and there's nothing left.
Your sales yesterday?
3,600 yuan.
How is it divided up?
500 yuan each to A-Hong
and A-Lian.
500 to our help,
and 300 went on gasoline.
Not much left.
This is all we have left!
Take one each, all of you!
It's only 200 yuan.
It feels great on your skin!
It's a steal!
Only 200 yuan!
Same for the small ones.
Which one do you want?
We paid 180 yuan
for four box lunches today.
300 yuan for gasoline.
And we bought drinks.
All basic necessities.
Subtract the 300 yuan
we paid for the space,
and that leaves us with
1500 yuan.
That's all.
Looks like it's going to rain.
My father taught me tricks
like walking on glass,
and swallowing a light bulb.
Or swallowing a chain...
with decorations tied to it,
and then pulling it out.
He didn't teach me the
fire-blowing trick, though.
I quit when I was four.
I quit because
I disappointed my father.
When all we had were
two wrinkled 10-yuan bills,
I happened to...
I stole one of them.
My father was enraged,
and made me quit performing.
I haven't seen Dad for a year.
I can't go back now.
My grandparents say it's okay,
but I haven't the courage to.
My father's really scary,
I was terrified of him
since I was little.
I'm an adult now,
but the feeling hasn't changed.
He still scares me.
What's his occupation?
He's a cop.
Please try it.
It's good for 8, 10 years.
When I was in sixth grade,
Granny brought me lunch to school.
She made dumplings,
and put them in my lunch box.
She walked all the way to school.
It was about a 10-minute walk
from home to school.
She walked up to me...
and I burst into tears
the moment I saw her.
"Where's my mother?" I cried.
My mother wasn't my real mother.
Your love for me
will never grow cold
I don't want you to be all alone
I want to stay close to you
But I'm faraway now,
thinking of you
Whenever I see the moon
I miss you
How did your real mother die?
Suicide.
Suicide?
I don't want to talk about it.
If you drink too much tea,
you'll get sick.
WU Tian-luo, 65 If you drink
too much tea, you'll get sick.
If you drink too much tea,
you'll get sick.
If you get into the habit...
of drinking too much every day,
you'll start getting jittery
without it.
Have a sip.
The aroma's gone,
but it's good tea.
There's a comic routine
between a young master...
- and his servant.
- How does it go?
They both love to fight,
so they go into town,
looking for it.
"What's going on over there?"
"There's someone under the car!
The car moves and he's dead!"
"I got him out of there,
and he slapped me!
"Look at this, master!
"There's a black hand print
on my face!"
"I don't blame him.
He was fixing his car."
"Fixing his car.
I had no idea!
"I'm not very smart, am I?
"I've certainly learnt a lesson.
I'm a lot smarter now!
"So what would you like me
to do next, buster?"
"Buster?"
"No! I said master.
You must be hearing things!"
They're Japanese.
They heard about me somewhere,
and have come to interview me.
At 33, I formed my troupe.
We traveled around for a while,
but we disbanded in the end.
I realised I liked
performing alone better.
In the old days,
at a certain time,
people used to gather
in front of stores...
to watch a TV program
broadcast in Taiwanese.
I'd be nearby,
waiting with my lights off.
When the program ended
and people got up to go,
I'd put on my lights and start
singing, playing my moon guitar.
When people came over to listen,
that was the time to sell
my medicine!
Do you still play
your moon guitar?
Yes, I do.
Would you like to hear it?
I'll go get it.
Since my husband died
I eke out a living by needlework
I live alone with my only son
Another day has passed
without much incident
Grow up strong, my boy
There isn't a grain of rice left
We haven't eaten anything
since last night
I light my incense day and night
and pray to my ancestors
"Please look after us
and bring in customers"
We haven't eaten anything
since last night
They're making rice cake
next door
Sleep well, my son
I'll find some potatoes
and boil them for you
Where did the Pao-Jiang-hu perform...
in the old days?
In rural areas.
In front of tea houses,
and places where people gathered.
First, I'd have the customers
listen to my song.
If they started asking
for encores,
then I'd start selling!
Did you go on tours?
No, I was alone,
moving around on my bicycle,
so I'd only go to nearby villages.
I didn't have to go far.
I could make a living
just in the neighbourhood.
A performance each in
the village entrance and exit,
in the center of the village,
and, if there was a factory,
at its front gate.
Four places in just one village.
Listen to the tale of Old Taiwan
It's not fiction,
it's a true tale
This medicine works wonders
on anemia.
It gives you vitality.
It contains synthesized hormones,
vitamins B1 and B2,
cures muscle pains,
weak constitutions,
and fatigue,
and it's great for people
with weak hearts.
When my father died,
my mother was 28,
with four children.
Two boys, two girls,
and I was the oldest at 10.
We were poor, and we often
due up potatoes to eat.
But I was a good singer
ever since I was little,
and people would give me
pocket money to hear me sing.
I've always said this to people,
that the ability to sing
is a great gift.
There wasn't much entertainment
back in those days.
I'd make one cent, two cents,
and I was thrilled.
People who were generous
would give me 10 cents.
Being poor, earning pocket money
was like a dream.
This...
is the box I used to take
on my rounds in the old days,
stuffed with intestinal
worm remedy.
They came in a packet
three centimetres thick,
and four centimetres long.
I'd put 100 packets in here,
and would sell them all in a day.
I'd put the box in front of me,
and start singing when
people gathered around.
February in the old calendar
is the time to sow
By March,
the rice will grow tall
It's time to go out
to the fields
to reap what we sowed
Come summer,
the days grow longer
It gets so busy we'll be
running around the fields
Rise early, have breakfast
and off to work we go
When it's June
it gets boiling hot
but we can't goof off
and blame the heat
No work, no pay
June's the hardest month of all
Now you're teaching
classical performing arts,
what's your life like now?
Not bad.
How do you feel when you
look back at the past?
Life was hard then.
I hit the road,
traveled from place to place,
faced inconveniences,
feared for my safety,
and encountered many difficulties.
But people too often look back...
and moan about the past.
It's over.
I'm old now, but I'm teaching
performance to a theatrical group.
The group's doing well,
and I'm content.
There's an old saying:
"The moon begins to wane
after the full moon,
"but a man's heart gets bigger
after middle age."
The past should be forgiven
and forgotten.
My future is to teach my art
to the young.
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
and made America lose its temper
America returned the favour
by dropping the atomic bomb
The power of this atomic bomb
is something else!
And they dropped two
powerful ones on Japan
I'd like a boy first,
then a girl.
What're you doing?!
- Let's go home and screw.
- No!
HUANG Zong-bin,
master of ceremonies
Please gather around quickly!
It's a great show!
Come quickly!
Look!
Doesn't she look fresh...
and delicious?
Can A-Hong make it as
a master of ceremonies?
To answer you frankly, no.
He's got a long way to go.
Why?
Frankly, he doesn't have
what it takes.
He just doesn't fulfill the
necessary requirements.
Firstly, he's short.
Secondly, he's a lousy dresser.
Thirdly, he's too young.
For him to become a proper
master of ceremonies,
it will take him another
three to five years.
When do you think
you can become independent?
Can he?
I think pretty soon.
By the end of the month.
- That's two weeks from now.
- But Mr Huang...
Forget about other people.
This is your life!
Okay, okay.
Don't be spoiled.
Listen, don't "okay" me!
- Don't "okay" me!
- Drop it!
What do you mean, "drop dead"?
A-Hong can do it.
He's memorized all the lines,
so it's up to him.
The line broke.
I intend to hand the troupe
over to him one day.
He's not good for
anything else, anyway.
Sometimes a woman leaves her man
while he's in the army,
but that can't be helped.
If two people really love each other,
they won't split up so easily.
What will you do when
A-Hong goes into the army?
I want to go to Taipei to study.
But I can't tell him that.
He's feeling insecure.
I'm also very concerned
about his family's well-being.
So I need to think about
a lot of things.
But if it's possible,
I'd like to study design...
or technical art.
If I go into the army,
A-Lian will wait for me.
She's not the kind of girl
who would run away.
When A-Hong returns from service,
their relationship will change.
Love is not a simple matter.
They both have complex
family backgrounds.
No one can tell the future,
but I don't think they'll last
after he goes into the army.
He's so wishy-washy.
I don't know what he's up to.
You cut your hair?
- Do I look cool?
- Yeah, very cool.
- Sarcasm?
- Don't start!
You're always so hostile.
So let's drop it.
Or maybe not.
- Do you want to fight?
- No.
You look cool.
- Yeah?
- Very cool. - Right.
- A real ladies' man.
- Exactly.
Do you remember what
you told me yesterday?
You forgot?
What did I say?
"I adore you...
"You're the most wonderful girl
in the whole world, my love!"
He really said that.
He'll be all right.
If my father ever catches
me smoking,
he'll hit the ceiling for sure.
It's a dance show, folks!
Look at her!
What a body!
Go on, dance!
Get into it!
What I have here, folks,
is a magical towel!
If you spill a drink...
on your carpet accidentally,
or if you ladies forget
to close the window,
and rainwater gets in,
try wiping it dry
with tissue paper.
You'll use up a whole box!
The still-wet carpet
will get moldy...
and eventually rot.
So try this towel.
You just leave it like this,
or you can press it like this.
You just use your hands or feet.
"Spilt water can't be gathered"?
Let's see how much water
it's gathered.
Squeeze it and you'll see.
Worth one glass exactly.
This one towel will absorb
all the spilt water.
And one more thing:
When you wash your hair,
wrap the towel around like this.
You just need to press it lightly.
What takes a dryer 30 minutes,
this towel will do in seconds.
A little rub here
and a little rub there.
Tea spilled by a lady,
a baby wetting the bed...
- Garlic?
- Crush all of it.
Chop everything else up.
Ginger, too.
Business is bad lately.
I'm not enjoying it.
- This?
- Chop it up.
The best thing to do in
this business,
is not to think too deeply.
Relate to people kindly,
and be liked by everyone.
Look after our children properly...
and not have people
talk badly of us.
It hurts when people speak
badly of our children.
- A-Fa talks back to me.
- It's our fault.
- The others aren't like that.
- It's our fault.
A-Hong's an adult now.
He'll join the army soon.
A-Fa's a big boy too.
Don't expect our kids
to do anything for us.
Take it as it comes, I suppose.
Mr and Mrs Ye have a big fight
every five days,
and they quarrel every three days.
It's the wife's fault.
She's always looking for
Mr Ye's shortcomings.
And that makes Mr Ye
get on the booze.
And then that affects his work.
All of that...
can't be good for A-Hong.
The chain is heated red-hot.
Red hot!
If this doesn't give you a burn,
we don't need hospitals.
You'll burn yourself!
I'll do it.
Give me a hand.
There are many medicine peddlers
here in Taiwan.
We have to tell people...
that our medicine is unique.
We also have to change...
our products constantly.
You try a product out,
you can tell if it'll sell or not.
But Mr Ye,
he only thinks about
lowering the price.
Some things don't sell,
no matter how cheap they are.
But he's so stubborn,
he never listens to my advice.
To hell with him!
Can you tell us why...
Mr Huang left the team?
I'd rather not.
He left for various reasons.
It's a private matter.
His quitting doesn't affect us.
Life is perseverance.
My daughter was maltreated,
and she fell ill.
It was too late by the time
I found out.
She died in the hospital.
All I can do is sigh.
It's so sad...
to see people with their daughters,
and to know that mine's dead.
All I do is sigh.
It's been two years now.
What can I do...
but sigh...
Fishing develops one's patience.
We have to persevere.
As we do in our line of work.
It's important to be patient.
When my step-daughter was
12 or 13, we sent her...
to the proprietress
of a theatre troupe.
One day, my step-daughter
called me up...
but I didn't go to the phone.
She must have wanted to
tell me something,
but I let her know that...
I didn't want to talk to her.
Some time later,
perhaps a year later,
we heard rumors
that she'd had a child.
She didn't get along with my wife,
and fell for the wrong guy.
They told me she fell off the stage
and became ill.
Who'd believe that?
When she died,
her mouth was badly swollen.
They made her drink hydrochloric acid
so she wouldn't talk.
The inside of her mouth...
was badly torn and swollen.
Swollen to a pulp!
How could they...
She told me this...
before she died...
she told the proprietress
about her pregnancy,
but the latter wanted
the matter concealed.
My daughter had the baby.
The child must be three or four by now.
What happened was...
I'm sure about this...
the proprietress was in love
with the same guy.
That's why she maltreated
my daughter.
She was jealous.
That's how it was.
Do you know who the man was?
I've an idea.
He was a member of the troupe,
the proprietress' husband.
No wonder she was jealous.
She abused my daughter to death.
Let me introduce Master Zhanh,
the world's snake king!
Please welcome him with
a big round of applause!
ZHANH Cai-Ming,
nickname: A-Ming
Professor Zeng here is
my teacher and my benefactor.
People in developed nations
fancy snakes.
Take Japan, which is 30 years
ahead of Taiwan.
The Japanese come to Taiwan
and eat poisonous snakes.
"Taiwan's snakes give us
a hard-on," they say.
They know the snake's powers.
This one's venomous.
It's a king cobra,
or rice spoon snake.
Don't you mistake it for
a rice scoop, though!
Stand back.
Let me bow again.
It spat at me!
I shall bow again!
Hold its tail, my man.
Watch this!
Professor Zeng's house
In China, the Pao-Jiang-Hu
has a long history.
The first Emperor of Sung,
Zhao Kuangyin, was a great doctor.
He, however, treated the sick
but didn't sell medicine.
His skills were passed down
through various dynasties,
until Hong Xiuquan
of the Qing dynasty...
formed the Heaven and Earth Society.
Its goal was to rebel
against the Qing..
and to restore the Ming dynasty.
Even Sun Wen used the
power of the Society.
He used its propaganda machine
to rebel against the Qing.
He traveled to Taiwan
and met Zhang Chiniu,
who, with the collaboration
of Wu Datiao,
spread the Pao-Jiang-Hu in Taiwan.
It was passed on from
people to people,
all members of the Shaolin Temple,
'kung-fu' fighters.
They peddled medicine
and cured the sick.
They wouldn't accept
payment from the poor.
They didn't have microphones
or musical instruments back then.
They studied Chinese martial art
from an early age,
demonstrated their skills,
and sold medicine.
They didn't use music back then.
They used gongs to
attract people.
Like this one.
I've been using this one
since I was 17.
That's how we'd attract people
in the good old days...
"You went without a bath
yesterday?
"Then I'll pick your fleas,"
said the angel
We're all together,
always together
When we're together,
we're very happy
You're full of smiles,
and I'm full of smiles
When we're together,
we're very happy
Two tigers, two tigers
running very fast
One tiger's ear is bitten
and one tiger's tail is bitten
- A man's underpants!
- They're new!
Put them on.
They're new.
Here's another pair.
Who's next?
A pair per person.
Stop it!
A toothbrush.
A razor.
The Americans told us,
"Don't kill snakes!"
They threatened economic
sanctions if we did.
That's why we protect snakes here.
But the Chinese are far superior
to the Americans.
If your skin doesn't take well
to expensive foreign cosmetics,
just have some snake soup.
Snakes make your skin beautiful.
They give you men vitality, too!
Look how much venom came out,
even without biting!
Look at the curved fangs!
Have a good look, folks!
My hand will turn black
with the venom.
Have a good look.
The venom's lethal!
It's swelling.
It's black already.
Look, it's swollen!
Have a good look!
So much venom's coming out!
Look at it!
This one's a cobra.
This one's a king cobra.
His poison's deadly.
King cobras live in the mountains.
Cobras live in the plains.
They're venomous.
I've been playing with snakes
ever since I was a child.
This is the venom.
He's full of venom.
It's extraordinary.
This one's ferocious as well.
Tell us about the history
of snake charmers.
Hold on.
I'll put them away first,
just to be safe.
They're very dangerous.
Let me tie the end of the bags.
Western medicine uses
serum injection, right?
I've been injured so often,
I had to have my finger cut off.
I have the finger soaked in alcohol,
but it's rotten now.
I have so much toxin
inside me now,
my wounds don't fester anymore.
This area is dark as
a result of training.
I can't straighten or
stretch this finger.
The tendon inside has hardened.
My forefinger is useless now.
Look, the color’s different.
The poisonous one bit me here.
I was bitten by another
kind of snake here.
All around here, too.
It bit me here, too.
A rattlesnake got inside my clothes
and bit me three times.
When you get bitten,
the venom rushes through
your body.
You start aching everywhere.
Here, there, and in the back.
The venom gets in the blood
and rushes through your body.
Is your hand rotten?
Most of my fingers are.
It's so hot, I'm sweating.
Summer's very tiring.
But in winter,
we just can't win.
The cold keeps customers away.
I'll retire when I'm 60.
Medicine peddlers need
to raise their voices.
That taxes the energy.
In the old days,
people used to say:
"Medicine peddling is hard."
A quick mind,
power of observation,
guts.
You need all three.
The words Jiang-Hu...
Jiang means eyes...
and Hu means
Worldwide Presentation by
Shibata Organization Inc.
A Film by Mitsuo Yanagimachi
- Ever been to a big hotel, Mother?
- Never.
- If we ever get to Taipei...
- The Grand's the best!
- Taipei will be fun.
- The Grand?
I've been there.
- I haven't.
- At Donggang, it's karaoke.
- I've been there.
- I haven't.
Let's go to Donggang next.
- You've been there?
- Yes, of course.
- I've been there.
- Well, I haven't.
- Yes, you have!
- You have, A-Hong!
New Prestige Company
In Taiwan, I met a group of people
with an amazing vitality.
Called Pao-Jiang-Hu,
they were medicine peddlers.
Wherever I went in Taiwan,
I saw their energetic presence.
Pao-Jiang-Hu, incidentally,
means 'a moving society'.
Line Producers: Kenza Yoshimasu,
Yoshinori Fujita, Shingo Miyauchi
Sound:
Hitoshi Yamada
Edited by Hiroshi Yoshida
& Mitsuo Yanagimachi
Music:
Yasuaki Shimizu
Cinematographer:
Masaki Tamura
Executive Producers: Kunia Yamada,
Takashi Takizawa, Kenzo Yoshimasu
Produced by Shohachi Sakai
Directed by Mitsuo Yanagimachi
THE WANDERING PEDDLERS
Pao-Jiang-Hu
YE Tian-shuang, father
This altar...
When I was little -
I was nine years old then,
I was beset by misfortune.
I was nine when...
my mother passed away.
I was performing the
Eight Generals dance,
when the gods invited me
and I became a shaman.
A shaman's job is to
serve the gods...
and to cure the sick.
I've devoted my life to the
salvation of mankind.
You practice like this first.
And after that,
you use two.
Like this.
What's important is hand movements.
When, after a lot of practice,
you get skillful/good,
then,
you use three.
You start out by doing it slowly.
When you've mastered that,
you move on to using all three.
One, two... one, two...
Attention, folks!
Now it's time to enjoy...
the beautiful matron's song!
QIU Tu-ban, YE's wife
I met my husband Ye...
when I was in the singing
and dancing troupe.
I'd run away from home,
and was working to make ends meet.
I drifted from place to place,
and ended up joining...
the singing and dancing troupe.
My real parents gave me away
to strangers when I was five.
I went back to my real parents at 16.
By 17 I was working in a factory,
and at 19 I had a boyfriend.
I was married when I was 20,
and had a child.
Living with my husband's parents,
both my father-in-law
and mother-in-law...
treated me very badly.
I couldn't stay there anymore,
so I ran away.
That's when I met Ye.
He had two children with him.
One was three and one
was two years old.
"Where's their mother?"
I asked him.
"She ran away."
That was the answer.
As I looked after them,
I became attracted to Ye.
At that time,
he was working as a musician.
Midheaven is a place...
ruled by Emperor Yuhuang.
He administers for the deities...
who reside in Midheaven.
For example, Wufu, Chiansui,
Xuantian Shangdi,
and Tianshang Shengmu
all reside in Midheaven.
Beside them,
is Jinmu Niangniang,
who is the Emperor's mother.
Not the real mother.
She got the title of Mother.
My stepmother was a singer
in a cabaret before she got married.
She could have married
someone rich.
My dad's poor, and short.
A-HONG, YE's son
My dad's poor, and short.
A-HONG, YE's son
A-HONG, YE's son He also had
us kids, but she married him anyway.
He also had us kids,
but she married him anyway.
I feel grateful for that.
Whenever my father was performing,
my sister and I were kept backstage,
a rope tied around our waists,
attached to a pillar like that.
We'd piss and shit as we were.
Appalled, our step-mother...
took us under her care.
Look at her white, shining skin!
Have a good look!
She's young!
And she's sexy! Show them!
Well?
What do you want to eat?
A-HONG and his girlfriend A-LIAN
You shit!
Don't make me swear.
How long have you been living
together here now?
Six months and four days...
No, six months and seven days.
Since the day we moved in together?
Six months and seven days.
- Six months and five days.
- You've been keeping track?
- Please show me that.
- What is that?
Today's the tenth...
I mark the dates.
- So I can keep track.
- Of your menstruation!
- Keep your mouth shut!
- But you do!
Stop lying,
or I'll cut your dick off!
When did you start calling
Mr Ye your step-father?
Three days after I picked her up
and brought her here.
He's lying.
His father wanted me
to call him that.
I don't mind, anyway.
We might get married, after all.
And I don't mind if we don't, either.
We can't tell the future.
No one can.
He was fine when he was little,
but he's become distant lately.
I can't tell what he's thinking.
I wonder what's going on
inside his head.
A-Hong quit school when
he was in third grade.
There were various reasons for that,
but, ultimately,
he didn't like studying.
There were other reasons, too...
but I can't explain them
to you in a few words.
I'd like A-Hong and my son A-Fa
to take over our business.
They don't have much
of an education,
and although it's a small business,
they can be their own bosses.
It's better than working for someone.
Tomorrow's weather?
- Not bad.
- Wu seems to be opposed to...
President Li's re-election.
- What do you think of that?
- Who told you?
I read it in the papers.
- Who do you prefer?
- Neither.
If I'm lying, may I get
run over by a car and die!
I only sell this medicine.
This cures everything.
Let me make enough to buy
my girls some soft drinks.
For six people only!
It's only 300 yuan!
I'm the only one in Taiwan
selling this!
It'll stay fresh for 8-10 years.
From a baby to a 100-year-old.
Eczema, keratose, psoriasis,
pityriasis... it'll cure all
skin diseases.
If there's anyone else
selling this in Taiwan,
bring him to me.
I'll give you 100,000 yuan!
Selling 3,000 yuan's worth
doesn't give us a profit.
Food, gasoline, pocket money...
and there's nothing left.
Your sales yesterday?
3,600 yuan.
How is it divided up?
500 yuan each to A-Hong
and A-Lian.
500 to our help,
and 300 went on gasoline.
Not much left.
This is all we have left!
Take one each, all of you!
It's only 200 yuan.
It feels great on your skin!
It's a steal!
Only 200 yuan!
Same for the small ones.
Which one do you want?
We paid 180 yuan
for four box lunches today.
300 yuan for gasoline.
And we bought drinks.
All basic necessities.
Subtract the 300 yuan
we paid for the space,
and that leaves us with
1500 yuan.
That's all.
Looks like it's going to rain.
My father taught me tricks
like walking on glass,
and swallowing a light bulb.
Or swallowing a chain...
with decorations tied to it,
and then pulling it out.
He didn't teach me the
fire-blowing trick, though.
I quit when I was four.
I quit because
I disappointed my father.
When all we had were
two wrinkled 10-yuan bills,
I happened to...
I stole one of them.
My father was enraged,
and made me quit performing.
I haven't seen Dad for a year.
I can't go back now.
My grandparents say it's okay,
but I haven't the courage to.
My father's really scary,
I was terrified of him
since I was little.
I'm an adult now,
but the feeling hasn't changed.
He still scares me.
What's his occupation?
He's a cop.
Please try it.
It's good for 8, 10 years.
When I was in sixth grade,
Granny brought me lunch to school.
She made dumplings,
and put them in my lunch box.
She walked all the way to school.
It was about a 10-minute walk
from home to school.
She walked up to me...
and I burst into tears
the moment I saw her.
"Where's my mother?" I cried.
My mother wasn't my real mother.
Your love for me
will never grow cold
I don't want you to be all alone
I want to stay close to you
But I'm faraway now,
thinking of you
Whenever I see the moon
I miss you
How did your real mother die?
Suicide.
Suicide?
I don't want to talk about it.
If you drink too much tea,
you'll get sick.
WU Tian-luo, 65 If you drink
too much tea, you'll get sick.
If you drink too much tea,
you'll get sick.
If you get into the habit...
of drinking too much every day,
you'll start getting jittery
without it.
Have a sip.
The aroma's gone,
but it's good tea.
There's a comic routine
between a young master...
- and his servant.
- How does it go?
They both love to fight,
so they go into town,
looking for it.
"What's going on over there?"
"There's someone under the car!
The car moves and he's dead!"
"I got him out of there,
and he slapped me!
"Look at this, master!
"There's a black hand print
on my face!"
"I don't blame him.
He was fixing his car."
"Fixing his car.
I had no idea!
"I'm not very smart, am I?
"I've certainly learnt a lesson.
I'm a lot smarter now!
"So what would you like me
to do next, buster?"
"Buster?"
"No! I said master.
You must be hearing things!"
They're Japanese.
They heard about me somewhere,
and have come to interview me.
At 33, I formed my troupe.
We traveled around for a while,
but we disbanded in the end.
I realised I liked
performing alone better.
In the old days,
at a certain time,
people used to gather
in front of stores...
to watch a TV program
broadcast in Taiwanese.
I'd be nearby,
waiting with my lights off.
When the program ended
and people got up to go,
I'd put on my lights and start
singing, playing my moon guitar.
When people came over to listen,
that was the time to sell
my medicine!
Do you still play
your moon guitar?
Yes, I do.
Would you like to hear it?
I'll go get it.
Since my husband died
I eke out a living by needlework
I live alone with my only son
Another day has passed
without much incident
Grow up strong, my boy
There isn't a grain of rice left
We haven't eaten anything
since last night
I light my incense day and night
and pray to my ancestors
"Please look after us
and bring in customers"
We haven't eaten anything
since last night
They're making rice cake
next door
Sleep well, my son
I'll find some potatoes
and boil them for you
Where did the Pao-Jiang-hu perform...
in the old days?
In rural areas.
In front of tea houses,
and places where people gathered.
First, I'd have the customers
listen to my song.
If they started asking
for encores,
then I'd start selling!
Did you go on tours?
No, I was alone,
moving around on my bicycle,
so I'd only go to nearby villages.
I didn't have to go far.
I could make a living
just in the neighbourhood.
A performance each in
the village entrance and exit,
in the center of the village,
and, if there was a factory,
at its front gate.
Four places in just one village.
Listen to the tale of Old Taiwan
It's not fiction,
it's a true tale
This medicine works wonders
on anemia.
It gives you vitality.
It contains synthesized hormones,
vitamins B1 and B2,
cures muscle pains,
weak constitutions,
and fatigue,
and it's great for people
with weak hearts.
When my father died,
my mother was 28,
with four children.
Two boys, two girls,
and I was the oldest at 10.
We were poor, and we often
due up potatoes to eat.
But I was a good singer
ever since I was little,
and people would give me
pocket money to hear me sing.
I've always said this to people,
that the ability to sing
is a great gift.
There wasn't much entertainment
back in those days.
I'd make one cent, two cents,
and I was thrilled.
People who were generous
would give me 10 cents.
Being poor, earning pocket money
was like a dream.
This...
is the box I used to take
on my rounds in the old days,
stuffed with intestinal
worm remedy.
They came in a packet
three centimetres thick,
and four centimetres long.
I'd put 100 packets in here,
and would sell them all in a day.
I'd put the box in front of me,
and start singing when
people gathered around.
February in the old calendar
is the time to sow
By March,
the rice will grow tall
It's time to go out
to the fields
to reap what we sowed
Come summer,
the days grow longer
It gets so busy we'll be
running around the fields
Rise early, have breakfast
and off to work we go
When it's June
it gets boiling hot
but we can't goof off
and blame the heat
No work, no pay
June's the hardest month of all
Now you're teaching
classical performing arts,
what's your life like now?
Not bad.
How do you feel when you
look back at the past?
Life was hard then.
I hit the road,
traveled from place to place,
faced inconveniences,
feared for my safety,
and encountered many difficulties.
But people too often look back...
and moan about the past.
It's over.
I'm old now, but I'm teaching
performance to a theatrical group.
The group's doing well,
and I'm content.
There's an old saying:
"The moon begins to wane
after the full moon,
"but a man's heart gets bigger
after middle age."
The past should be forgiven
and forgotten.
My future is to teach my art
to the young.
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
and made America lose its temper
America returned the favour
by dropping the atomic bomb
The power of this atomic bomb
is something else!
And they dropped two
powerful ones on Japan
I'd like a boy first,
then a girl.
What're you doing?!
- Let's go home and screw.
- No!
HUANG Zong-bin,
master of ceremonies
Please gather around quickly!
It's a great show!
Come quickly!
Look!
Doesn't she look fresh...
and delicious?
Can A-Hong make it as
a master of ceremonies?
To answer you frankly, no.
He's got a long way to go.
Why?
Frankly, he doesn't have
what it takes.
He just doesn't fulfill the
necessary requirements.
Firstly, he's short.
Secondly, he's a lousy dresser.
Thirdly, he's too young.
For him to become a proper
master of ceremonies,
it will take him another
three to five years.
When do you think
you can become independent?
Can he?
I think pretty soon.
By the end of the month.
- That's two weeks from now.
- But Mr Huang...
Forget about other people.
This is your life!
Okay, okay.
Don't be spoiled.
Listen, don't "okay" me!
- Don't "okay" me!
- Drop it!
What do you mean, "drop dead"?
A-Hong can do it.
He's memorized all the lines,
so it's up to him.
The line broke.
I intend to hand the troupe
over to him one day.
He's not good for
anything else, anyway.
Sometimes a woman leaves her man
while he's in the army,
but that can't be helped.
If two people really love each other,
they won't split up so easily.
What will you do when
A-Hong goes into the army?
I want to go to Taipei to study.
But I can't tell him that.
He's feeling insecure.
I'm also very concerned
about his family's well-being.
So I need to think about
a lot of things.
But if it's possible,
I'd like to study design...
or technical art.
If I go into the army,
A-Lian will wait for me.
She's not the kind of girl
who would run away.
When A-Hong returns from service,
their relationship will change.
Love is not a simple matter.
They both have complex
family backgrounds.
No one can tell the future,
but I don't think they'll last
after he goes into the army.
He's so wishy-washy.
I don't know what he's up to.
You cut your hair?
- Do I look cool?
- Yeah, very cool.
- Sarcasm?
- Don't start!
You're always so hostile.
So let's drop it.
Or maybe not.
- Do you want to fight?
- No.
You look cool.
- Yeah?
- Very cool. - Right.
- A real ladies' man.
- Exactly.
Do you remember what
you told me yesterday?
You forgot?
What did I say?
"I adore you...
"You're the most wonderful girl
in the whole world, my love!"
He really said that.
He'll be all right.
If my father ever catches
me smoking,
he'll hit the ceiling for sure.
It's a dance show, folks!
Look at her!
What a body!
Go on, dance!
Get into it!
What I have here, folks,
is a magical towel!
If you spill a drink...
on your carpet accidentally,
or if you ladies forget
to close the window,
and rainwater gets in,
try wiping it dry
with tissue paper.
You'll use up a whole box!
The still-wet carpet
will get moldy...
and eventually rot.
So try this towel.
You just leave it like this,
or you can press it like this.
You just use your hands or feet.
"Spilt water can't be gathered"?
Let's see how much water
it's gathered.
Squeeze it and you'll see.
Worth one glass exactly.
This one towel will absorb
all the spilt water.
And one more thing:
When you wash your hair,
wrap the towel around like this.
You just need to press it lightly.
What takes a dryer 30 minutes,
this towel will do in seconds.
A little rub here
and a little rub there.
Tea spilled by a lady,
a baby wetting the bed...
- Garlic?
- Crush all of it.
Chop everything else up.
Ginger, too.
Business is bad lately.
I'm not enjoying it.
- This?
- Chop it up.
The best thing to do in
this business,
is not to think too deeply.
Relate to people kindly,
and be liked by everyone.
Look after our children properly...
and not have people
talk badly of us.
It hurts when people speak
badly of our children.
- A-Fa talks back to me.
- It's our fault.
- The others aren't like that.
- It's our fault.
A-Hong's an adult now.
He'll join the army soon.
A-Fa's a big boy too.
Don't expect our kids
to do anything for us.
Take it as it comes, I suppose.
Mr and Mrs Ye have a big fight
every five days,
and they quarrel every three days.
It's the wife's fault.
She's always looking for
Mr Ye's shortcomings.
And that makes Mr Ye
get on the booze.
And then that affects his work.
All of that...
can't be good for A-Hong.
The chain is heated red-hot.
Red hot!
If this doesn't give you a burn,
we don't need hospitals.
You'll burn yourself!
I'll do it.
Give me a hand.
There are many medicine peddlers
here in Taiwan.
We have to tell people...
that our medicine is unique.
We also have to change...
our products constantly.
You try a product out,
you can tell if it'll sell or not.
But Mr Ye,
he only thinks about
lowering the price.
Some things don't sell,
no matter how cheap they are.
But he's so stubborn,
he never listens to my advice.
To hell with him!
Can you tell us why...
Mr Huang left the team?
I'd rather not.
He left for various reasons.
It's a private matter.
His quitting doesn't affect us.
Life is perseverance.
My daughter was maltreated,
and she fell ill.
It was too late by the time
I found out.
She died in the hospital.
All I can do is sigh.
It's so sad...
to see people with their daughters,
and to know that mine's dead.
All I do is sigh.
It's been two years now.
What can I do...
but sigh...
Fishing develops one's patience.
We have to persevere.
As we do in our line of work.
It's important to be patient.
When my step-daughter was
12 or 13, we sent her...
to the proprietress
of a theatre troupe.
One day, my step-daughter
called me up...
but I didn't go to the phone.
She must have wanted to
tell me something,
but I let her know that...
I didn't want to talk to her.
Some time later,
perhaps a year later,
we heard rumors
that she'd had a child.
She didn't get along with my wife,
and fell for the wrong guy.
They told me she fell off the stage
and became ill.
Who'd believe that?
When she died,
her mouth was badly swollen.
They made her drink hydrochloric acid
so she wouldn't talk.
The inside of her mouth...
was badly torn and swollen.
Swollen to a pulp!
How could they...
She told me this...
before she died...
she told the proprietress
about her pregnancy,
but the latter wanted
the matter concealed.
My daughter had the baby.
The child must be three or four by now.
What happened was...
I'm sure about this...
the proprietress was in love
with the same guy.
That's why she maltreated
my daughter.
She was jealous.
That's how it was.
Do you know who the man was?
I've an idea.
He was a member of the troupe,
the proprietress' husband.
No wonder she was jealous.
She abused my daughter to death.
Let me introduce Master Zhanh,
the world's snake king!
Please welcome him with
a big round of applause!
ZHANH Cai-Ming,
nickname: A-Ming
Professor Zeng here is
my teacher and my benefactor.
People in developed nations
fancy snakes.
Take Japan, which is 30 years
ahead of Taiwan.
The Japanese come to Taiwan
and eat poisonous snakes.
"Taiwan's snakes give us
a hard-on," they say.
They know the snake's powers.
This one's venomous.
It's a king cobra,
or rice spoon snake.
Don't you mistake it for
a rice scoop, though!
Stand back.
Let me bow again.
It spat at me!
I shall bow again!
Hold its tail, my man.
Watch this!
Professor Zeng's house
In China, the Pao-Jiang-Hu
has a long history.
The first Emperor of Sung,
Zhao Kuangyin, was a great doctor.
He, however, treated the sick
but didn't sell medicine.
His skills were passed down
through various dynasties,
until Hong Xiuquan
of the Qing dynasty...
formed the Heaven and Earth Society.
Its goal was to rebel
against the Qing..
and to restore the Ming dynasty.
Even Sun Wen used the
power of the Society.
He used its propaganda machine
to rebel against the Qing.
He traveled to Taiwan
and met Zhang Chiniu,
who, with the collaboration
of Wu Datiao,
spread the Pao-Jiang-Hu in Taiwan.
It was passed on from
people to people,
all members of the Shaolin Temple,
'kung-fu' fighters.
They peddled medicine
and cured the sick.
They wouldn't accept
payment from the poor.
They didn't have microphones
or musical instruments back then.
They studied Chinese martial art
from an early age,
demonstrated their skills,
and sold medicine.
They didn't use music back then.
They used gongs to
attract people.
Like this one.
I've been using this one
since I was 17.
That's how we'd attract people
in the good old days...
"You went without a bath
yesterday?
"Then I'll pick your fleas,"
said the angel
We're all together,
always together
When we're together,
we're very happy
You're full of smiles,
and I'm full of smiles
When we're together,
we're very happy
Two tigers, two tigers
running very fast
One tiger's ear is bitten
and one tiger's tail is bitten
- A man's underpants!
- They're new!
Put them on.
They're new.
Here's another pair.
Who's next?
A pair per person.
Stop it!
A toothbrush.
A razor.
The Americans told us,
"Don't kill snakes!"
They threatened economic
sanctions if we did.
That's why we protect snakes here.
But the Chinese are far superior
to the Americans.
If your skin doesn't take well
to expensive foreign cosmetics,
just have some snake soup.
Snakes make your skin beautiful.
They give you men vitality, too!
Look how much venom came out,
even without biting!
Look at the curved fangs!
Have a good look, folks!
My hand will turn black
with the venom.
Have a good look.
The venom's lethal!
It's swelling.
It's black already.
Look, it's swollen!
Have a good look!
So much venom's coming out!
Look at it!
This one's a cobra.
This one's a king cobra.
His poison's deadly.
King cobras live in the mountains.
Cobras live in the plains.
They're venomous.
I've been playing with snakes
ever since I was a child.
This is the venom.
He's full of venom.
It's extraordinary.
This one's ferocious as well.
Tell us about the history
of snake charmers.
Hold on.
I'll put them away first,
just to be safe.
They're very dangerous.
Let me tie the end of the bags.
Western medicine uses
serum injection, right?
I've been injured so often,
I had to have my finger cut off.
I have the finger soaked in alcohol,
but it's rotten now.
I have so much toxin
inside me now,
my wounds don't fester anymore.
This area is dark as
a result of training.
I can't straighten or
stretch this finger.
The tendon inside has hardened.
My forefinger is useless now.
Look, the color’s different.
The poisonous one bit me here.
I was bitten by another
kind of snake here.
All around here, too.
It bit me here, too.
A rattlesnake got inside my clothes
and bit me three times.
When you get bitten,
the venom rushes through
your body.
You start aching everywhere.
Here, there, and in the back.
The venom gets in the blood
and rushes through your body.
Is your hand rotten?
Most of my fingers are.
It's so hot, I'm sweating.
Summer's very tiring.
But in winter,
we just can't win.
The cold keeps customers away.
I'll retire when I'm 60.
Medicine peddlers need
to raise their voices.
That taxes the energy.
In the old days,
people used to say:
"Medicine peddling is hard."
A quick mind,
power of observation,
guts.
You need all three.
The words Jiang-Hu...
Jiang means eyes...
and Hu means