The Jade Pendant

---

1

[mournful theme plays]

[woman speaking Chinese]

[sighs]

[servant]

[woman]

[in English] "All men

are created equal."

Mm.

[laughs]

[coughing]

[wedding party

chattering outside]

[inhales deeply]

[chuckles]

Hmm?

[blow lands]

[stammers]

- [blow lands]

- [slight grunt]

[man]

[chuckles]

- [ships' bells ringing]

- [chatter]

[man]

[in English]

Five years?

Hey!

[in English] I'm excited,

but scared.

Forgive me, but I feel it is

the best choice for me now.

I'll make a lot of money

for you, Dad,

and when I come home,

you'll be proud,

make up for what

I did to my soul,

the shame

I caused the family."

- [metal clatters]

- [man grunts]

[in Chinese]

[in English] I could carry

twice as much as both of you.

[grunting]

[in Chinese]

Speak English!

We're in America.

[with Irish accent] Where the

hell do you think you're going?

Nowhere.

Passing through.

Yeah, right!

You think we're stupid?

No Chinamen allowed

to mine here!

You're bad luck!

[glass shatters]

Go on!

[laughing]

What do you care?

This place has been panned

to death!

That may be, but I don't want

these monkeys to know that.

Get your chink asses

out of here!

Uhh!

[laughs] Shut down!

[hawk cries]

Oh!

It's okay.

I really have a feeling

about this place.

Maybe we'll

get lucky, huh?

[chuckles]

Idiots!

[laughing]

What'd I tell you, huh?

Fool's gold.

You got lucky.

I want you to come with me

to work on the railroad.

Father, we've been

through this.

You think chasing after

a little rock is a living?

The white man throwing

a bottle at you?

The amount of gold

we found today

is more than six months

working on the railroad!

Don't argue with me!

I'm right about this.

[ominous music plays]

Well, well, well.

We meet again.

What do you want?

You Chinamen think

you can fool me, right?

Where's my gold?

What makes you think

we have any gold?

You think you can

buy me off that cheaply?

Where's the rest?

We did not find any more.

We only worked the claims

you abandoned.

Lie to me once,

I can forgive you.

Lie to me twice,

I want half of you.

But if you lie to me

a third time,

I swear to God

you're a dead man.

Now, where is the gold?

What's in that pouch?

Nothing. See?

- [man] Thompson, come on!

- [horse snuffles]

Go on! Look in that pile

over there!

Get on with it, man!

You think you can make

a fool out of me, Chinaman?

Show me where it is,

or I'll put a bullet

in his brain.

That's all, okay?

No funny business.

[man] Thompson,

we gotta go!

Let's get out of here!

Don't you go anywhere,

because I'll be back.

Because if you do,

I will find you

and I will gut you.

[horse neighs]

What were you thinking?

More than the both of you.

They could've

taken everything.

Better that

than getting us killed.

- [gunshot]

- [horse neighs]

[hoof beats retreat]

My son has a lot to learn.

Are you coming with me

to work on the railroad,

or are you gonna stay on

with this nonsense?

I'm staying here.

Father!

[poignant theme plays]

[lively theme plays]

[chuckles]

[in Chinese]

Whoa. Whoa.

That's what he said.

[horse startles]

[laughing]

[chatter]

[Joe, in Chinese]

Mm-hmm.

[Joe]

[Madame Pong]

[laughs]

[in English] Do you want me

to read it to you?

[in English]

You speak English?

I was told I was working

at a flower house,

taking care of flowers.

If I had been told the truth,

do you think I would be here?

I'm willing to scrub

the floors.

[chuckles, in Chinese]

Li Li! Li Li!

[Li Li]

[Li Li crying out]

[gunshots]

We're hungry!

Feed us!

The kitchen is closed.

Sorry, no more food.

Now it's open.

[hunter]

Where's my food?

[in Chinese]

[sniffs]

What is this?

Special food

from China.

Mm!

What do you chinks

call this?

[in Chinese]

Chop...

Suey.

Chop suey.

Here.

[laughing]

Chop suey?

[waitress in Chinese]

[sniffs,

grunts in approval]

[merchant]

[gasping]

[in English]

Having a good day!

Busy!

Good!

Your chop suey

is getting famous.

[in Chinese]

[in English]

Take her order!

Fine.

If you're not going

to talk to her, I will.

Wait! Okay.

[clears throat]

[in Chinese]

Mm!

[in English] Whoa.

[in Chinese]

[laughs]

[laughs]

[door opens, shuts]

Oh!

Uh...

[in English] Compliments

of T. Wong's Chop Suey.

[in English]

Tastes like home.

You speak English?

Yes. My father taught me.

And the kung fu?

My father, as well.

And did he come to America

with you?

No.

I ran away with my friend Lily.

And that's how you ended up here

at the Flower House.

I'm not a prostitute.

I thought the world

was going to be different.

Lily's not so lucky.

[in Chinese]

[child cries]

Ah! Ah!

[laughing]

[in English]

...study, write English.

[in Chinese]

[laughing]

[in English]

Why didn't you marry younger?

Most girls in China get married

when they're 15.

I needed to take care

of my father.

He got sick.

We needed the money.

He was worried about my future,

so he arranged a marriage.

I see.

But I couldn't do it.

How did your husband take it

when you left him?

I don't know.

But seeing him drunk once...

[hiccups]

It was enough.

[hiccups]

[chuckles]

What about you?

What are you

running away from?

My father is very proud.

He works at the railroads.

But when I asked him

to stay with me,

he said, "No. I don't want

to wash dishes for people

who think chop suey

is Chinese food."

Maybe he's proud of you.

When was the last time

you saw him?

He's in Fresno now.

Not much of a chance

to see him.

Why don't you write to him?

Hmm.

I'm sure he's lonely out there.

It's from my grandma.

She said it's supposed

to protect me.

May I?

I must get back to my chores.

On the boat from China,

men kept talking about Jin Shan.

What is it?

It means "gold mountain."

What is Gold Mountain?

It's another name for America.

You mean it's made up?

It's a way

of giving people hope.

We all need Gold Mountain.

[in Chinese]

[firecrackers popping,

people cheering]

[in English]

The American Dream...

Chinese style.

[in Chinese]

[vocalizing music plays]

[crowd cheering, applauding]

[martial art grunting]

[applauding]

[grunting]

Hmph!

[applause]

[Sam]

[in English]

Huh!

[all exclaiming]

Oh! [chuckles]

[in English] Are you having

a little trouble with... this?

I can't seem to get it...

Maybe you're trying it

too hard.

Put this seed

into your mouth like this...

and balance it

between your teeth...

and crack it.

Now you try.

[seed bounces]

[chuckles]

I don't think

I can get it.

You don't know

what you're missing.

[chuckles]

Interesting technique...

but I think you need

to show me that again

so I can learn how.

Open your mouth...

and crack it.

Mm-hmm!

[giggling]

[in Chinese]

[chuckles]

[snorts]

[chuckles]

Hmm?

[chatter]

Huh?

[woman]

[in English] I don't believe

in this Gold Mountain anymore.

- Let me help.

- How?

I can talk to Madame Pong about

buying out your contract.

And what, will you own me

just like Yu Hing owns Lily?

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