Song of the Exile (客途秋恨)

Miss, what would you like to eat?

What should we have?

I don't know

You choose, Hueyin. You're the expert

Spring rolls?

- Yeah! - Great!

Spring rolls

Delicious

I finished my education in England in summer, 1973

For me, life only started then

I lived happily. The Vietnam war, the Mideast War

were nothing but TV newsreels only

I was then 25

He was horrible! He stank of Brut, imagine!

Well, you didn't have to stand so close, he wore it all over him

Oh, the world's forgotten me

Oh my God, I don't believe it!

I've got an interview with the BBC!

Jesus Christ! What about you, Hueyin?

I'm sorry

It's ok

Look Hueyin, let's celebrate anyway I've got a bottle in my room

Ok, I won't be a minute

Hello, I'm Tracy Cavalier, how do you do?

How do I look?

It'll be their loss if they don't choose you

I agree with you

I think there's something missing here

Do you think I should wear some jewelry?

Try this

Thank you, it's great. I love it!

There's something mysterious and oriental about it

Do you think it'll bring me luck?

- I hope it works better for you than it did for me— - Oh, don't be silly

I want to see you as a bride too,

but I got an interview with a TV station

You know, that's a rare chance for an oriental—

There are so many TV stations, but you've got only one sister

Hey! Sis

I know

Frankly, can you arrange the interview for another time?

We haven't seen each other for a long time

After the ceremony,

we're emigrating to Canada

We'll have even less chance of seeing each other

Well, I'll try

Don't be disappointed if I can't make it

We'll see each other in Canada. Bye-bye

Sis! Mummy, it's sis!

Ma!

My eldest daughter Hueyin just back from England with a master's degree

You two go in. I'll join you later

What did your daughter major in? Law?

I've no idea, so long as she could earn more money …

How do you find the groom?

Great, he looks as if he's going to be rich some day

And my bridal gown

Simple, but elegant

Tell mummy about it

She's been griping about it,

saying more lace and beads have to added here

The designer nearly blew his top

Hueyin, come out

Look, beautiful isn't it?

Try it on

We can still make some modifications

Mummy, it's too red and too loud

I'll buy another one for myself tomorrow

What's wrong with red? Mine's red too

Red suits the occasion

Go and try

So you think it's too loud now?

When you were a child, you'd wear nothing but red

How nicely it fits!

This pair of shoes will match it perfectly

Have your hair clipped and permed tomorrow

Dressed up like that, everybody will know you're my daughter

Well, hang it up now to avoid wrinkling it

My God! Since when has she become like that?

In Canton—

Huewei

Your daddy bought this one year when he got a bonus

You were still kids then

Daddy said it's for his daughter

when she gets married

Now that you' re both here, my idea is to

give it to Huewei since she is getting married first

I shall be fair

I'll buy another one for you when you get married

It's daddy's money anyway

So it'll also be a gift from daddy

Mummy there's no need

Maybe I'd never get married

Or suddenly got married abroad and wouldn't come back

You won't stay in HK?

Why ask her?

Didn't she say she might marry

someday without even telling us?

Of course she won't stay!

What's the matter with her?

Sis, you don't understand mummy

Maybe I've never understood my mother

In my memory, mother wasn't like that

When we were children, Daddy worked in Hong Kong

while we lived with our grandparents in Macao

I remember my mother

as a silent and reserved person

Bread for sale

Grandma, the bread man's here

Hey, bread man!

You want bread. Good, good

Thank you

Hueyin, take these buns to grandpa

Take care

Grandpa, have some buns

Good girl, you eat first

Mummy, have some bums

Grandma will crack it for you

Don't go

Drink up the lotus seed soup first

Have a bun

Thank you, grandpa

It's almost done

What a good smell

Hueyin, come

Tasty, isn't it? Grandma cooks well, unlike your mummy

who serves everything cold

Bad for the stomach

Everything should be taken hot

Wild flowers grow beside Chu Chu Bridge

As the sun sets in Wu Yi Lane

Swallows of the former Wang Shih clan

fly into a layman's family

Excellent. Grandpa will give you a sweet

If you study every day, you won't forget your origins

When our home town is safe

I'll bring you back

Be a doctor when you grow up

A doctor or a seer serves the people

Dr. Sun was a doctor

and a great man from our Guangdong province

Though the men under him didn't do well

Anyway, things are getting better

Grandpa wanted to learn western medicine once

but your great grandpa owned a Chinese medicine shop

and forced me to learn Chinese medicine …

Miss, this style is not bad

It's the latest

It will look good on you

Mum, can't I do without a perm?

What's wrong with straight hair?

It's just that

It doesn't match the gown I made for you

Remember Mrs Lo?

When her daughter got married last year

All her female relatives had the same perm and the same dress on

They stood in a row to give a feeling of splendor

and the impression of being the same family

It's this hair style

If I don't perm my hair does it mean we're not in the same family?

Forget it

It's up to you

We aren't family even if you permed your hair

Why did you bring me back then?

And made me give up an interview?

Sis, please don't argue with mummy

Let me be a happy bride, won't you?

Okay, then, if it pleases you

You brat!

I don't want it, I don't want it …

Stop

I don't want it, I don't want it …

Grandpa

Sit down

You must go to school, must cut your hair, and wear this

Grandma, grandpa

Why is mummy beating you?

Mummy wants to cut my hair

and put on that ugly dress

Mummy says if I don't cut my hair & wear that uniform

the school won't let me in

Who says so, I'll take you there tomorrow

and see who'll stop us from entering

Yin-yin, put this envelope of snacks

in your schoolbag. Eat them when you're hungry

Remember, I'll wait outside the school for you

Don't worry, and study hard

Mrs Chang, congratulations!

The bride and groom toast the guests

Shall I dump these leftovers? They're nauseating!

They're for making a hot pot

I brought them back specially

You loved them you were a child

Remember you were always eating in the room your grandpa?

Ma, I hope you're not serious

What do you mean by "dying in Japan"?

I'm serious

Your dad is dead, and Huewei is now married

You said you won't return to HK

So it's better for me to return to Japan