The Green, Green Grass of Home

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1

THE GREEN, GREEN

GRASS OF HOME:

When you get to the classroom,

tell everyone ifs self-study time.

Hurry up, or you'll be late.

Why cry over a 98?

I got a 68, and I'm laughing!

100! 100! Don't look at that one,

look at this!

Lin Wen-Chin got a 38 in Chinese!

Class...

You all made progress on

the last monthly test.

You must all keep trying,

especially Yen Cheng-kuo.

He failed all the previous tests.

He got a 67 in Science this time.

Give him a hand.

I have an announcement to make.

You may already know...

that I'm leaving tomorrow.

This is my last day at the school.

My husband was hired

by a cement plant in Indonesia,

and the whole family will

be moving there.

A few months are left

before the end of the term.

My brother will be taking over.

I hope you won't mind.

Hey, can you tell me where

the office is?

Do you attend this school?

Which way to the office?

Can't you talk?

- He's a deaf-mute! - A deaf-mute?!

Ta-nien! Ta-nien!

Hi, sis!

Come on.

I'll take that.

You dope!

That was the new teacher!

It's all your fault!

Mr. Li.

- I'm Li Chung-sheng.

How do you do.

- This is the principal.

This is my brother.

- How do you do.

Meet Miss Chang.

- Miss Chang.

This is Chen Su-yun.

My brother.

- Pleased to meet you, Miss Chen.

Those three are the wildest

ones in my class.

We call them

"the three musketeers".

The three musketeers, huh?

Small wonder.

"Neiwan Theatre".

I'll be living there?

What do I do when there's

a performance?

Other than at New Year,

we rarely have shows.

Don't worry;

Su-yun's family owns the theatre.

She'll tell you when there's

going to be a show.

She lives right across the street.

- Come on in. - Go ahead.

Come in.

It's just up the stairs.

Ta-nien?

Come on up.

This is where I'll sleep?

- Allow me. - Thanks.

I sleep here?

How do you like it, Ta-nien?

It's great! I can even be

the star of my own show!

What are you doing?

Thank you, thank you!

Dad, I need your seal

on my test paper.

Bring me the seal.

Daddy!

- Wen-chin was using your seal!

Wen-chin was using my seal?

A 58 here!

And a 48 on this part.

And a 38 on this!

- Everything's marked in red!

But I got 100 in maths!

What good is that,

if you fail everything else?

And stop pinching!

You even put the seal on

upside down!

Mr. Ta-nien graduated with honors

from Soochow University.

He passed up a chance

to study abroad...

and he has been teaching

up north ever since.

He represents the new generation

of educators here.

We are honored that someone

of his ability...

will be teaching in our school.

Let's welcome him.

This is our first class together.

In order to get to know you

as quickly as I can,

I want each of you to

introduce yourself.

Tell us your name,

your age and your hopes.

Let's start with...

the three musketeers.

My name is Yen Cheng-kuo.

I... I live with...

I live with my father, mother,

sister and brother. My...

My father drives a truck...

My brother is in school.

My sister plays all day.

I'm still in school.

I want to be a soldier

when I grow up.

My name is Huang Chin-shui.

"Huang" means "yellow",

"Chin" means "gold",

and "shui" means "water".

I live with...

My father, mother,

grandma and grandpa.

My father works at the

Asia cement factory.

My mom is a housewife.

I want to be a teacher.

My name is Lin Wen-chin.

I live with my grandma,

my father, mother,

sister and brother...

Go on.

Tell us about your father.

My father is a farmer.

When I grow up I want to...

Be a farmer, too.

- Be a farmer, too.

No good, no good.

Go! Go! Go!

All right. How much?

- 2.8 metres.

Have another sip of cola,

I'll clasp tightly your hand

Get together often and

let our friendship shine

No need to say you like me,

if it's really true

And though / haven 't said it,

you know / like you, too

Mr. Lu, Mr. Li!

Dinner's ready!

OK, be right there.

- Coming!

Thank you, come again.

NT$100 worth of pork.

You must be the new teacher.

- That's right.

My little brother's in your class.

Oh, really?

What's his name?

Chou Hung-liang.

When he came home the other day,

he kept saying how

handsome the new teacher is.

Are you married, Mr. Lu?

No, not yet.

- Not yet?

Good morning.

Ta-nien, how much was that

pork you bought today? - NT$100.

That sure is a lot of pork

for NT$100!

I guess it wasn't too fresh.

Or the "beauty at the

butcher shop" must like you.

I'll bet she did him a

special favor!

From now on, let's send him

whenever we need pork.

Fine with me!

Hey, the rice's ready.

Does everyone have a container?

Yes!

Each term, the Health

Department conducts a test...

to see if there are roundworms

in your stool.

When you get home,

put some stool in the container,

write your name here,

and bring it in tomorrow.

Does everyone understand?

- Yes.

Mommy, mommy, it fell in!

What fell in?

- My ca-ca jar fell in!

Mommy!

What is it? What's wrong?

- It won't come out!

So it won't come out!

What's the big deal?

I have to hand it in at

school tomorrow!

Mommy, where are the plastic bags?

What's that you put in the fridge?

Stool.

- What?!

I have to take some stool

to school tomorrow.

So you put your ca-ca

in the refrigerator?!

I'm going to beat the

daylights out of you!

Wen-chin!

Just imagine!

Putting ca-ca in the fridge!

It has to be kept fresh and soft.

- I'll give you 'fresh'!

Here it is!

OK, pass it to the front.

Quickly, now.

Yen Cheng-kuo...

where's your container?

It fell in the cesspit.

What? It fell where?

In the cesspit.

Mr. Lu!

Huang Chin-shui handed

in duck droppings!

Chou Hsing-wang's dad is

electrocuting fish.

There are no fish left.

He electrocuted them all!

Why don't we use my dad's

electric rod on some fish?

No way! The police will nab you!

- No they won't, you chicken!

It's not that side, but this one.

You're connecting it wrong.

Right, on that side.

There's electricity now!

You got one!

There's another one here.

Let's electrocute it over there.

Got it!

Yen Cheng-kuo!

Bring him over here.

Yen Cheng-kuo!

Yen Cheng-kuo!

He's dead!

- I'll go call for help! - I'll go!

Help save someone's life!

Yen Cheng-kuo,

I didn't do this to you!

You got yourself electrocuted.

Don't fake it to freak me out!

Electrocuted someone?

That good-for-nothing kid!

Always just fooling around all day.

You gotta teach him right. Otherwise,

he'll electrocute someone to death.

Dad's coming!

Stop eating.

My daughter's health is poor,

and she's introverted by nature.

So after school, she just stays

holed up in the house.

With Taipei so hot, and with the A/C

blowing on her...

her respiratory system's no good.

That's why I want a change

of environment for her.

So every aspect of her life

is connected with nature.

Absolutely. I too grew up in Taipei,

so I completely understand.

The air's better in the countryside,

and there's open space to roam in.

We native Taiwanese have

a saying:

"A child who treads upon the soil

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