Shanghai Bund Tidal waves roll in and recede, from far away, Shanghai is a brilliant point of starlight. Worldly matters and excessive turmoil roll in as a surging host of diminishing tsunami waves. Crying and laughing, drifting on waves of grief, happiness and suffering. Geese take flight from the swamp, warily glancing at any person who might capture them. Loving you but also hating you, understanding that passionate feelings unlike water may not flow away. Moving a thousand mountains, taking innumerable journeys to reach heavenly heights. This life’s journey is a lonesome road, since time immemorial, the quiet and desolate path of heroes. Then one morning, seeing beyond the facade completely, looking for just one pure and honest person after all. Loving you but also hating you, understanding that passionate feelings unlike water may not flow away. Moving a thousand mountains, taking innumerable journeys to reach heavenly heights. This life’s journey is a lonesome road, since time immemorial, the quiet and desolate path of heroes Then one morning, seeing beyond the facade completely, looking for just one pure and honest person after all. Then one morning, seeing beyond the facade completely, looking for just one pure and honest person after all. Shanghai Bund Episode 01 You all came to Mister Feng’s dock to raise a disturbance. Do you not want to live? Feng Jingyao, he’s only some northern bumpkin, he’s nothing! You’re already dead, fat man, the moment you too joined them in challenging Mister Feng! You’d better let me go right away and then give me, your daddy, a lot of silver. Or else... this evening, you will become a lump of Huangpu River fish dung Shut up! Dead fat man, I, your daddy, want you to make a note of this. If you touch me today, tomorrow I’ll pay you back ten times over! You think you’ll be around tomorrow? A’Jin has already gone to inform them, Mister Feng’s troops will be on top of you any minute! What? A’Jin went to inform them? Your men will be here in a minute? Their men are on their way? Look, A’Jin’s coming right now..! No, A’Jin didn’t go inform them. A’Jin...A’Jin! What the hell do you think you’re doing! Suppose you lend me the use of your dock... Then go ahead and kill me. Mister Feng owes me favors piled as high as a mountain, Want proof, go ahead and pull out my guts. You didn’t like being tricked so easily? I’ll do this for you today. How’s that? Being tricked really feels unpleasant! Dahua Department Store’s Mister Wang congratulates Mister Feng on marking the beginning of his sixth decade! Have all the important people arrived? Almost everyone is here. Master Jin has arrived! Hengda Precious Metals Trading Company’s Boss LI presents twenty thousand in silver! Uncle Xiang? Please. Mister Feng, Hengsan would like to congratulate you on your birthday, may great fortune come to you! Lately, fortune’s been pretty good. Good, good! I know Mr. Feng will take care of the brothers as they walk down the city streets! I hear you’re doing well in the northern canal district. You and your brothers have worked very hard. Mr. Feng handles all matters impartially. The brothers who follow you have no complaints! Thank you. Take some part of the profits and give some small gifts to the brothers. This also is Mr. Feng’s idea. Thank you, Mr. Feng, for your great favor. You may go now. Mr. Feng, there’s something. Hengsan is very embarrassed to mention that some of Hengsan’s people are not showing Mr. Feng the proper respect. Last year, the northern canal district’s profits were twenty-seven thousand pieces of silver. Mr. Feng drew out eighteen thousand. What do you expect? Isn’t this too much? Okay. Let me calculate this again for you. Last year, the northern canal district paid out eighteen thousand. From this year’s, the northern canal district will pay out twenty-eight thousand! If it’s one silver short, you won’t be looking at this accounting next year! Mr. Feng. Hengsan was not thinking right! Your happiness in your old age is very precious, I will change the thinking of my followers! Hengsan was not thinking right! See him out. Really rare to see him have this much guts! Maybe someone is holding a hatchet hidden behind his back? Lao Jiu’s police station does not appear to be inundated. Lao Jiu just now delivered a gift, handled it personally. Said he’s busy on official business, will visit you later. He’d better damn well show up! Uncle, hello! Hi, hi, hi! Uncle, this is my classmate. This is our class’ most beautiful schoolgirl! Hello, she is beautiful indeed! Yes, of course! Thank you.<b>- Thank you, Uncle!</b> I’ll go find my father now. We’ll take a raincheck. Bye! Okay! See you later! Cigarettes! Cigarettes for sale! Buy my cigarettes! Cigarettes for sale! Cigarettes for sale! Tanghulu! (sugar-coated hawthorn berries on a stick) Ice cold tanghulu! Chengcheng. Wenqiang! Wenqiang! Xiaoyi! Hurry up, Yueqi! Come. <b> - I’ve been looking for you!</b> Great luck, good profit! Great luck, good profit! Bless and protect my A’Li’s pear cart so it may possibly sell out! Sell out to return home to my mother with a cooked chicken to eat! Bless and protect, bless and protect, great luck good profit! Big pears! Big juicy pears! Elder San, does this really concern us? With Mr. Jiu and Jin Dazhong together, is there anything to fear? But messing with Feng Jingyao’s daughter..? Fear death? If I feared death, I’d go back to the countryside and farm! That bastard! Feng Jingyao lives the good life! Some of that should be divvied up and given to us to celebrate! Mr. Feng. The goods will arrive at the dock in three days. A’Bing. Come. Come over here. A’Bing. A’Bing, today is my auspicious day. We won’t discuss business matters. Today is a day for all the brothers to eat well, drink well, and get red packets! Thank you, Mr. Feng. How’s A’Jin doing recently? I haven’t seen him in a long time. A’Jin, his father passed away. He went home for the funeral. Only a small matter, nothing to worry yourself about. For those who are my subordinates regardless of whose parents have died, it is not a small matter but a very important one. A’Xiang. <b>- Here.</b> Draw twenty silvers and take them to A’Jin. Properly bury his dead. A’Bing on behalf of A’Jin thanks you, Mr. Feng! Your complexion doesn’t look too good. The dock was busy these last two days. Yesterday, we were up all night and didn’t sleep well. Get some good rest. I have a lot to do these days. I understand. I’ll withdraw then, Mr. Feng. Newly-arrived big pears! So cheap, taste one! Just two copper coins!<r>- Why haven’t we met up with them? Have a look, sir! These pears, how much for one catty? Ten coppers, ten coppers! Move aside, move aside! Go on, go! Who told you that you could sell pears here? Brother Kun, have a pear. What a rotten pear! Handle this matter, for me, it’s interfering with my making a small, quick profit.<b>- Let's go.</b> Take a car? Two seats, Miss, take a car! Take a car? Take a car? Mister, take a car? Mister, Mister! <b> - I’ll take a rickshaw!</b> How many coins to the shikumen? (T/N style of Western and Chinese architecture, aka “lane houses”) The shikumen, how much? Very expensive, sir! This is yours. You just can’t afford to take a car! Take a car? Take a car? Who’s taking the car? Brother Kun, Brother Kun! One of Mr. San’s men! Let’s go. We have to take care of our business first! How about we find our way back ourselves. Just wait a minute! Which one? Over there, to the right! Not bad! Let’s take it back with us for the amusement of our brothers. Let’s go! Miss, Uncle Shu told us to wait here for you. Come on! Help me with my luggage. My father?<b>- At home, at a dinner party!</b> Let’s go. Don’t be angry! Mister...Mister... Wouldn’t you like a pear? I would. Who says these pears are for sale? Brother Kun, I haven’t done any business yet today! Do me a favor, help me out? Okay, I’ll help you make your first sale of the day! Miss, Master sent us to pick you up. Who are you! Changgui, run! Help! Let me go! Help! Help! Let me go! Come with me. Let's go. Come with me! Hello. <b>- Hello.</b> Is Fang Yanyun there? Is Miss Fang home? Jingyao...wishing you a happy birthday! My congratulatory gift, I already sent a man over to deliver it, have you seen it? You’re still mad at me about what I said the other day. How would I dare be mad at you? I’ll send someone to pick you up. I’m still waiting for Chengcheng to arrive. Let’s sit down together. That’s all you have to say? I won’t come over. Besides, that young lady doesn’t like me, so don’t scowl. I don’t want to be the woman you think of when you scowl. Some day, when you’re on Xiafei Road, come see me. I’ll be waiting for you. Sure, sure, sure. Mr. Feng, there’s been an accident! The young lady’s been kidnapped! This way, this way! This way! What are you doing? I don’t have any morey on me. It doesn’t matter if you have any money or not. What we want is your person! <b>- Let me go!</b> No need to run! Mister, what’s your name? Xu Wenqiang. Mine is Ding Li. There was a lot of anger there!! Didn’t hurt you, but you lost your watch! Was your watch very expensive? <b> - No.</b> Let me go! Such a gentleman... but you’re dressed like a scholar? A fairly well-dressed scholar! Then you must know a lot of good words! Myself, I know a lot of characters, but I can’t write my own name! “Ding Li..” My family lives up north. Everyone around here calls me “Fruit Vendor A’Li”! I’m really good at peeling skins! The pears I sell are really delicious! You’re not hurt, are you? Who are you? Why did they tie you up? Who are you? Miss, where’s your home? What? Take you home. I don’t need you to take me home, I’ll go myself. Let’s go. You’re not very smart, you really don’t understand! Sorry. I misjudged you. Thank you for saving my life. My name is Feng Chengcheng. I’m Ding Li. Family name “Ding” as in “fourth heavenly stem”, “Li” as in “power”. His name is Xu Wenqiang. His “Wen” is the one meaning “culture”, and “qiang” meaning “strength”. Mr. San, there he is! Let’s go! Those two don’t seem to be part of the Feng clan, do they? I know the brat in the coat. Ding Li, he often sells things in the station. Yes. I am aware of this. Right! First, save Chengcheng. <b>- Yes.</b> A’Xiang. Mr. Feng. You go check Hengsan’s house, along with everybody else. Mr. Xu, is your nose all right? Just a small memento. Let’s hail a cab, so we can take the young lady home. Rickshaw! Here we go! Take the young lady home.<b> - Okay.</b> I’m going home by myself? What if I meet more bad guys on the way? There aren’t that many bad guys. Get in the cab! Go. Mr. Xu, I’ll go get the car. Will you meet me at the front, near the intersection? Stop the cab. What are you doing here? What’s up? It’s all right. I just wanted to come back to thank you. Why did you save me? I did nothing more than raise my arms. You don’t really need to know. I do! Then can you tell me why they kidnapped you? I also want to know why! What does your family do? What does it matter, what my family does? Miss, I’m not interested in your family’s business. The reason I rescued you is because I hate seeing men bully women. Is it that simple? It’s that simple. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get into trouble? What do you mean? Are you really that ignorant about things in Shanghai? This must be your first visit to Shanghai. Yes. What are you doing in Shanghai? Miss, that’s my private business. Mr. Xu! Quick! Someone’s chasing me! Let’s go! Come on, let’s go! Do you know where Ding Li’s home is? No idea. You?<b> - I don’t know either.</b> Looks like he sells pears with Ding Li! After him! Stop!<b> - Stop right there!</b> Capture him! Where you running to? Get up! Take us to Ding Li’s house! Let’s go. Come on. Quick, hide! Come on, come on! What are they doing with Changgui? Does Changgui know where you live? We live on an alleyway. Who else is in your family? Just me and my mom. Mom! Miss, you hurry home! Don’t make trouble! This started because of me. I can’t just let it go! Go! Little scoundrel, where are they! How would I know? You bastard! Little punk, you have the nerve to lord it over me. Let’s go. Some...somebody! Help! Fire! Just so-so. It would be nice to eat well. Well that’s better than we’re doing. Mother Ding, Mother Ding! Your house is on fire! Why are you still doing laundry? Hurry and go look! It’s a big one! Don’t go in there, don’t go in! A’Li! A’Li! A’Li! Mom, mom, mom! A’Li! A’Li! Save my mom! Mom, mom! Mom! A’Li! I thought I’d never see you again! Mom. Mom. Chengcheng. Uncle Baogen. There you are! Mr. Feng is wild with panic! Come on. Come home with me. There they are! <b> - There it is!</b> Grab him! Stop right there! What? Let’s go<b> - You go.</b> Let’s go. Be honest. Hengsan If I remember correctly, your father has been blind for about ten years now? Old man Xiang. Don’t you lay one finger on my father! I won’t spare you! A’San! Please let Miss Feng go! Release Miss Feng now! Dad! A’San, please let Miss Feng go! Dad! You letr Chengcheng go now, I won’t embarrass your blind old man. Let Miss Feng go, A’San. Let Miss Feng go! Let go, let go, let go! Yes. Chengcheng Uncle Xiang, get in the car, quick! A’San, A’San! A’San, is that you? Where are you? A’San, is that you? Dad, that’s Uncle Xiang. He’s not going to embarrass you. It’s Uncle Xiang. Uncle Xiang. Screw off! You... Who told you to do this? Tell me, who told you to do this! Old man Xiang, do you think you can take this back? Old Master, Old Master! Miss is back home! Miss is back home! Uncle Baogen is dead. Your dad is beside you, you shouldn’t be afraid of anything. Come. Stand on this. Let everyone take a good look at you. Turn around. Feng Chengcheng is blessed, she survived the disaster! Good! Get out of here! You’ve failed to live up to my expectations, from childhood to adulthood, you’ve never lived a peaceful day! A’Li. Why are you doing that? My mother is my only relative in this life. My mother gave me this life too. You saved my mom. From now on, my life is yours. You can take it whenever you want. Brother. What you’re saying is very serious. A’Li, this gentleman is who? Mom. It was Brother Xu Wenqiang who rescued you. I consider him my elder brother now. Seeing you like this, you’re a man of learning! Our family, A’Li is very kindhearted. I have a bad brain, it doesn’t work well. Mom. You’re now the big brother, in the future, help lead him onto the right path! Don’t let him learn bad habits from the punks on the docks. Mom, nobody died here! Mom, don’t let Brother Qiang look down on me! Grandma, don’t worry. A’Li has a good heart and won’t go astray. Besides, I have no relatives and no backing in Shanghai. I have to rely on his help more now. Brother Qiang is a man of culture, that’s true. A’Li, you’re grown up now! This friend’s mother is pleasant to look at. Morning, Dad. Take a look, see if you like it. Would you like auntie to cook you some reheated rice? Let’s have that rice tomorrow. All right. Dad. I am going out today. All right, take a couple of people with you. I’m going out alone. That won’t do. After you slept, you forgot what happened last night. I’m not afraid of them. They did that to you, not because of me. You’re my daughter. What they do to you, they do to me. I don’t want to go out and be followed by a bunch of people! There’s no freedom! Trading freedom for safety is worth it. Dad, someone helped me yesterday. Hengsan burned down someone’s house. I’m sorry about that. Yes. Yes, you should thank the people who helped you. Who are they? Where do they live? Why is this hard to say He must be a good man. He lives...he lives in the canal district. Canal district. What’s your name? What’d you do? Look at your bad attitude. If you want to thank someone, this college student is too easy. There is nobody who is in Shanghai for no reason. When it comes to you, why is everything so complicated? I think those two young people are okay. I want to meet those two young men personally. I don’t have any friends in Shanghai. Stay out of my affairs. Yes. When you find a husband and mother-in-law, I don’t care. No more! I’ll allow this, Uncle Xiang Ask Uncle Xiang to draw a sum of money from the accounting office. Why not just take it and thank your benefactor? I understand. You... Ever more alienated from myself, my heart is exhausted... Only sighing about fate being extremely shallow, dreams cannot be made real... Wanting to embrace you fully once again, even for an instant... Stopping my obsessively examining your picture, permitting myself toirresistibly yearn for you... Will there be a tomorrow, between the two of us? Will our passion linger, and reach the heights again? Even if the Will of Heaven changes and vast oceans become mulberry fields, those promises still linger on in the world... Between us, even if we’re not granted a tomorrow, Memories, no matter how distinct, in the end dissipate into misty clouds My youthful appearance was exchanged for loving passionately, but I was willing, with no regrets or complaints. Will there be a tomorrow, between the two of us? Will our passion linger, and reach the heights again? Even if the Will of Heaven changes and vast oceans become mulberry fields, those promises still linger on in the world... Between us, even if we’re not granted a tomorrow, Memories, no matter how distinct, in the end dissipate into misty clouds... My youthful appearance was exchanged for loving passionately, but I was willing, with no regrets or complaints. I was willing, with no regrets or complaints....
