Dragon Seed Page #9

- Don't shoot. Don't shoot.

- Do not be afraid.

I am not going to shoot you.

Come to bed, old man.

Or have you learned to sleep standing up?

The name of the book

that Jade once read...

...was it not All Men Are Brothers?

It was. But is that something

to steal your rest?

This is what troubles me.

How can Jade send forth her husband

to kill other men if all men are his brothers?

Perhaps because the bandy-legs

are no longer men but beasts.

But must we, too, become as beasts?

Tonight, I learned

that men kill differently.

I saw our third son with his knife and...

He came back into this house...

...and picked up food and ate it

with the blood still upon his hands.

I say that is wrong.

Yet the enemy is upon us.

We must kill them or be killed.

But there is one thing we must remember,

old woman, or we have killed ourselves too.

Peace is good.

The young cannot remember it.

And it is we who must remember...

...and teach them again

that peace is man's great food.

If you had two sons,

there would be no work done.

Someone comes.

It is only your elder sister.

- Do not tell them we are here, Mother.

- We will go to the hidden room.

This is a strange day when brothers

and sisters hide from each other.

All days are strange now.

Soldiers.

They look rich.

Were they always so fat?

Perhaps our eyes have grown

used to people afraid and hungry.

My old ones, here we are to see you.

A thousand fortunes.

I trust you are well.

Are we then welcome to come within?

You and your family are welcome.

But I cannot let others into my house.

You need not fear.

These two only came to guard me.

What guard do you need in my house?

My father-in-law is old and afraid.

I'm not afraid.

But I will not have them in my house.

Then I must wait here with the guards.

- Will you bring stools to sit upon?

- I will.

Country people, they have no manners.

Where, then, are my brothers?

They are gone, and we are alone.

Even your elder brother's children

are dead.

They died of sickness and starvation.

It is the times.

I grieve for my elder brother

and for you also. I weep for you.

Do not waste your tears.

My own have dried.

Why are you so stiff?

You must know that what I do

is done only for the best.

I do not know what you do.

Times are times, and the wise man

takes his time as he finds it.

Compromise is sometimes

better than valor.

Where do you live now?

At the 10th house

of the North Gate Street.

That is a street of fine houses.

How can you live there?

I am told to live there.

I work for the new government.

I'm well-paid and I'm content.

You see what I would say,

my father-in-law?

I am a common man. I am so stupid...

...I understand only a thing when it

is said to me, and when I hear it.

I come here today to help you.

If you do as I say, your life will be easier.

- What must I do?

- Do whatever is told you to do.

And I will manage for you

here and there as I'm able.

What had you to do, son-in-law?

For one thing, I'm a controller

of all incoming goods.

Rice and wheat, fish, opium, salt...

Opium? Opium? That evil was driven from

our country by great pain and suffering.

- And now you bring it back.

- But I'm not my own master.

How can you be so hard?

After all, there are only

you two old people left.

- And we are all you have.

- We can live.

You do well to leave.

We are not wanted here.

What our son feared was true.

Curse this enemy.

He has made me quarrel

with my daughter.

See? Silk coats and enemy soldiers

to serve him.

It is plain Wu Lien

has got his fingers into the fat.

Of what value is a rich relative

unless you can put him to use?

We are his kinsmen

and would see Wu Lien.

Go in. Wu Lien sees anybody.

Where are the rooms of Wu Lien,

our rich relative?

In there.

What greater pleasure is there

than a short visit from relatives?

But next time, eat the fish.

Do not bring it to us.

Wu Lien, you're a kind, good man.

Can you not find my old man

a worthless little piece of work...

...here in these walls

to pay us something?

But will my father-in-law

let him come here?

My husband by right should have

more power than your father-in-law...

...because he is older.

And it is time he took that power.

Do you think the same way,

elder cousin?

- My husband always thinks as I do.

- And how's that?

I think we must save ourselves

at all cost...

...and bow before what is upon us...

...and do what we can

to make something of it.

Yes, perhaps you will be more content

to remain in the village...

...where you are known

and know everybody.

But you are welcome to visit us here.

We'll give you food, money.

And then you can give us the news.

We have very little to tell.

Nothing happens in our village.

Much has happened and more will.

Wu Lien.

My old man and I will be

as one eye and one ear.

And all that we see and hear,

you shall see and hear also.

We always like to hear how you do,

and my wife's father and mother.

- And her brothers also?

- Of course, of course.

They are also our kin.

But since they are away,

there must be little news of them.

True, true, they're all in the free land

and not at home.

Then perhaps I saw Jade

and her fat child in a dream.

Oh, Jade has a child, then?

Yes, yes, the news came in a letter

from the free land.

- But we've not seen the child.

- Child is a fine boy. Too fine.

Death sits on his eyebrows, I say,

whenever I look at him...

...which is often.

You live well here, cousin.

Your position must be good.

It is smooth on the top

but under it is another thing.

Our conquerors feel a rising anger

that may engulf us all.

How then?

Too many soldiers have gone forth

from the city for food and goods...

...and have not returned.

Not even their bodies have been found.

It is a great mystery,

and one that may destroy all of us.

Even the innocent.

Now, now, I will speak and fully.

The enemy is sure to find out

that the killing started in our village.

Then what will our lives be worth?

Wu Lien, we had nothing to do with it.

It is Ling Tan.

Ling Tan and his sons. They are

all returned and work with the hill men.

- I've seen them and they are the leaders.

- The woman's blind as a mole and crazy.

Not too blind to see enemy dead

piled in the streets and buried...

...in the hidden room beneath

Ling Tan's house where men and guns are.

Yes, other young men have died,

my son among them.

But not the sons of Ling Tan.

No, they still spit

and stride about and boast.

Woman, how can you utter

such lies against Ling Tan?

He has been good to us.

He has fed us often.

- Can you forget this?

- I can forget it.

He likes to give us small gifts.

It makes him bigger in his own eyes.

- Shall we thank him for his own pride?

- I'm not concerned with his pride.

- I'd rather have some of my own.

- And you shall have. I will see to it.

When you wear a silk coat

over a full round belly...

...you will have pride in yourself then.

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