Dragon Seed Page #11

I will hear no more of this.

All the killing.

Tell your wife not to shudder,

brother-in-law.

People now take these as things

that may happen to any one of us.

- And any day.

- I will get tea.

I trust I did not disturb you.

I heard very little.

Can it be that you have trained your ears

not to hear what you do not wish to hear?

You...

You must forgive my wife.

She is but a woman and not as we are.

I do not think we are the same.

I think you are against me

and all who are with me.

I am against no one.

Are you for us, then?

I'm neither for nor against anything.

What you are not for, you are against.

You have changed

while you were away in the free land.

I'm not sure the change becomes you.

No. No, it does not.

A woman should be soft,

like the skin of a peach.

Not hard like the stone

which does no one any good.

Do not forget that the tree itself

grows from the stone.

Surely that is the beginning

of everything.

If I could see my parents sometimes,

I would be content.

Your husband is content

and so must you be.

Yes, I am what I am. And so is my wife.

And she is one who has always known

her place as a woman and kept to it.

Will you tell my parents this for me?

- Will you tell them I think of them often?

- Yes, she will tell them.

And now, if you wish to feed

your children, we will excuse you.

Will you not share some tea with me,

brother-in-law...

...although I am only a woman?

Come, I will pour it for you.

No. Although I thank you.

I cannot eat when I have

something on my mind to do.

My stomach growls and takes offense.

Surely you are a man who should

nourish himself at every opportunity.

Do not worry about me.

I will eat myself full tonight.

There is duck

and I am very fond of duck.

Oh, enter, enter.

Well, then, cook,

I trust everything in the kitchen is well.

You sent for me. I am here.

Do not waste time on idle talk.

Yes, I sent for you, but only to ask...

...if the food will be prepared

in fashion as I have ordered.

Steamed duck,

pullets with Chinese herbs...

...pigeon eggs in soup,

and shark's fins with crabmeat.

All will be ready.

You have too many words.

- Be sure everything is ready...

- It will be ready when it is ready.

- I am not a man to be hurried.

- Yes.

You see, we have plenty of food here.

More than enough.

- Will you not take some home with you?

- No.

Oh, but why? It will only be thrown

to the dogs. Why do you not take it?

Because, brother-in-law,

we are not dogs.

Wait. You cannot enter.

Strangers are not allowed in the kitchen.

What is the...?

Did you not send for someone?

A new cook, perhaps?

Well, I would not think

cooking is one of your talents.

How can you know that

until you have tried me?

I will throw her into the street.

I will do that myself. Later, perhaps.

Get on with your work.

How did you get into this house?

Is it not plain? Wu Lien sent for me.

Why?

Oh, you need not answer.

I have seen his wife.

It is time to baste the pigs.

Get them ready.

Now, tell me,

why did you come into the kitchen, huh?

I am hungry. There is food here.

Why, did you not get food from Wu Lien?

Wu Lien will not last.

He could not feed me for long.

Nor can I.

Chinese are not allowed in the kitchen.

But I am one who is of no country.

I am only a woman.

Can you blame me if I would be

with those who have conquered here?

- So you like us, then?

- No, I do not.

But I like hunger even less.

Oh, so you're not afraid.

Can it be that I have found

a woman of my own liking?

- You will feed me then?

- Feed you? Food is dear.

How will you pay for it?

How? How else then

to make myself useful?

Useful? Oh, yes, I will make you useful.

Noodles, bring the noodles. Hurry.

Here, you. You, bring the noodles, quick.

I am busy.

Stay out of my way until I finish my work.

Then we shall eat.

Yes, we shall eat together.

Alone and in private.

Here. Soup noodles,

are they ready? Come.

Where are the pigeon's eggs?

These are the fish.

Have you not finished yet?

It's almost time to serve them.

Fine duck. Gravy. Gravy for the duck.

Mushrooms. Where are the mushrooms?

- These are not fine enough.

- The fish.

Noodles. More noodles, hurry.

You fool. Do not burn the sauce.

The crabmeat. Cut it fine.

I have said stay out of my way.

So you have eyes only for the food,

not for me, huh?

Very well, if you are so greedy,

take some of the duck.

Go on, take it.

Eat it.

No. No, little one, it would be my head

if I were to let you have any of that.

Here, now, take these.

Serve them while they're hot.

I have your own word for it, little one.

The hungrier you are,

the better it is for me.

Duck.

Duck, swimming in its own juices.

I went to great trouble to get them

and have them cooked to your orders, sirs.

The wine for the duck, where is it?

Wine?

Well, it will be served soon,

I have ordered it.

- Order it again.

- Yes, great one.

He sweats a great deal,

even for a Chinese.

He will sweat even more tonight.

We will amuse ourselves a little with him

before we make him talk for us.

Excellency, admiral, major, captain,

please.

Be patient, little one.

Now, they call these shrimp?

I asked for fresh shrimp.

Here now.

You would not be leaving

before you have eaten.

I was weary of waiting.

I would eat elsewhere.

- You will not...

- Where is the wine?

- The wine will come later. I am trying to...

- That woman! Stop her. Stop her.

Stop her. That woman.

Stop that woman.

Do not let her get away.

Stop. Stop her.

- You. You frightened her away.

- How long has she been in this kitchen?

Why the difference?

A woman like that is too good for you.

Now neither of us will have her.

Was she...?

Call the guard. Call the guard.

Family.

Call the guard.

Chinaman!

What is it?

The enemy...

...was poisoned.

They blame me.

Go to your father. Take children. Quick.

- Quick, quick.

- No. No, I cannot.

Who did this?

Go.

Our kinsmen are not agreed

among themselves.

Some say kill Wu Lien at once.

I say kill Wu Lien. Yes, kill him

and let me do it.

Heaven will lead me to the place and time

and heaven will put power in my hand.

Do not say heaven this and heaven that.

If we kill, let us not say

it is heaven who bids it.

It is not heaven's will

that men kill each other.

We know better.

You lie dead with your ancestors...

...instead of living.

- How could you have borne such a son?

- How could you have fathered him?

- Wu Lien is of our family.

It is our one hope that he cannot

bring himself to destroy us.

But we must be sure.

My mother, my father,

it is your daughter.

I will go.

- Mother. Mother.

- What is it?

My husband is dead.

And so poison was put into the food

of the high enemy officials by someone...

...and they blamed my husband for it

and killed him.

- The enemy killed him?

- They shot him.

And he came to me holding

the last of his life inside him with his hands.

He lived only for his family,

and now he is dead.

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