Dragon Seed Page #8

for sending us back but one?

Quiet, woman, or heaven will hear you

and take even him away.

Thank you, cousin.

This news lightens our heavy hearts.

A grandson is no small thing.

By rights, this child of Jade's

is not yours.

You talk with no thought.

Pray excuse her.

Bitterness has turned her words to gall.

Had Jade married my son as she ought...

...he would be alive today

and safe there with her.

And so before the gods,

her child is our grandchild.

I should drive you from my house...

...but it would soil this moment.

This joyful moment.

But not even the enemy

could stop the seasons.

And at last it was spring.

And each farmer was given grain.

Not to eat, but to plant.

And it was said that each seed

was counted...

...and the man would answer for it

if each seed did not yield.

So Ling Tan harnessed himself

to his plow like an ox.

And together, he and his old woman

felt the earth turn beneath their feet.

The grain grew straight and tall.

But Ling Tan and his wife could no longer

take pleasure in it's promise...

...for they knew that what they worked for

would not be theirs.

Now what, old woman? Has the enemy

not done enough damage to my house?

Must you dig up the foundations?

We will keep our seed

and the vegetables we grow...

...and hide them in this hole.

- I will make it big enough to hold a pig.

- What pig?

The one you'll steal

from the enemy's breeding farm.

But it will have to be big.

How can you dig such a thing without help.

The earth is stubborn.

Heaven gave me the thought.

Heaven will provide the help.

The shovel is there.

We will steal food from ourselves

and eat it.

I am too just a man to deny sense

even to a woman, when I hear it from her.

If all do this, we'll harry the enemy

like fleas in a dog's tail.

And it may be that he will make little

headway for stopping to gnaw at his rear.

- My son.

- My father.

Oh, what gladness.

My mother.

Have I no grandson?

Where is he? Where is he?

Quiet, woman. Before you burst,

and the enemy hears the sound you make.

Where have you left

my little dumpling?

Books, still books.

You've crushed him beneath them.

You seem to love them

more than you love your child.

How sweet his flesh smells.

Bring the lamp close so I can see him.

Oh, my little meat dumpling.

Oh, how firm he is of body,

and his hair like black silk.

He's exactly as I thought he would be.

I knew you'd bring him back to me.

I knew. I knew.

Else I could not have lived.

Night after night,

I've dreamed of holding him like this.

Guard you heart, old woman.

Guard your heart.

Yes, my mother, too much joy

is as bad as too much sorrow.

Here, my mother, drink down this cold tea.

Then the words can come out.

Why, this is no usual child.

Look at his face, how square it is.

And he has a square mouth.

- Now give him back to me.

- In a moment, old woman. In a moment.

What can the enemy do to us

when our family goes on like this?

There, now.

You are in your home and you must eat.

I beg you not be angry with me, Mother...

...but do not put food from your mouth

into the child's.

Well, I fed my own son so.

It did him no harm.

But it is not thought good now. I bought

a book and it told how to care for children.

- And it spoke against such things.

- Why, you better take your child back.

- Doubtless, I pollute him when I hold him.

- Mother, it was for you I brought him home.

Cool your anger, both of you.

Should we quarrel this night, of all nights...

...and over the child

who is the center of our hearts?

Did I ever have a book

to feed my children?

Did I ever lose a son?

Indulge her with the child.

It will heal her for everything.

Our house has come alive again, old man.

- Good day, friends.

- Good day.

My son comes from the free land.

He has a message from the high command.

There are many like me

and we spread among the villagers...

...to tell such men as you

what we must do.

This enemy must be resisted.

Openly where the land is free

and secretly where the land is lost.

We, who must resist secretly,

have a harder task than the others.

We must work together

as the fingers on one hand.

We must track down this enemy

and kill him.

What we should do is this...

Join with the hill men?

You're inviting us to die.

Yes, but to die like men,

not sheep on the butchering block.

You must not blame our cousin.

A scholar can never be as brave

as one unlettered.

We must build the hole under

my father's house into one strong room.

And there we will hide the men

that must be hidden.

- Where did you find these guns?

- Some have foreign writing on them.

A wise man does not question a gift

too closely.

I will take the guard now.

No, eat first. I am not weary.

One of our kinsmen wants to know

where you found the guns.

Tell him they are easiest found by sticking

a knife into the belly of an enemy soldier:

And there is the gun for you,

as if from his insides.

My sons, all my sons.

What more can I ask,

who am only a woman?

To hear our third son speak,

one would think he'd like to kill.

Oh, how well he looks.

And not on my cooking.

I do not understand it.

Oh, you should see the women

admire him now.

- And still he has yet to choose one.

- Women.

Do not turn your nose toward heaven.

It's time you brought home

a daughter-in-law. See that you do.

What would become of us if we did not

have the women to keep at us?

If you had no women,

none of you would be born.

I want grandsons before I die.

Let fat men like Wu Lien

bother with such nonsense.

I'm lean enough to fight.

That is what I'm going to do.

I wanted to ask, what news of Wu Lien?

He and his family live in the city

and are protected, I heard.

Yes, we have heard, but they haven't

come to tell us so themselves.

Nor has Wu Lien been here

to his mother's grave.

I have known of others

who are protected.

Could this mean

he deals with the enemy?

- I will not believe that until I know it is so.

- Nor will I.

Someone comes.

It is Neighbor Shen, the lookout.

Enemy soldiers are in the village.

They look for young men

to slave for them.

Well, then, let us help them

find what they seek.

- How many of the enemy?

- A line from here to the door.

Kinsman, come out

and bring enough guns...

...for the others who will act with us.

This is the beginning of it, then.

- You will be safe?

- Let them come, the bandy-legs.

Get into the cart.

These Chinese pigs do not fight.

They were born to be slaves.

But this one is strong.

Yes, a good work animal.

- This one will be sent to the mine.

- We made a good catch tonight.

This is almost too easy.

Bring the rest to the cart.

They're the ones I found.

We need more work animals like this.

Search the houses again.

Some of them are still hiding.

Shoot any that resist.

We must teach them

that it is an honor to serve the emperor.

- Stop him.

- Catch him.

If he escapes, we are lost.

He will bring others to kill us.

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