The White Silk Dress Page #7

594

01:
33:43,622 -- 01:33:46,623

whose wife has been

breast-feeding an old man,

595

01:
33:47,494 -- 01:33:50,494

I would have slapped her, too.

596

01:
33:51,231 -- 01:33:54,231

The important thing is that you understand

why I did what I did.

597

01:
33:57,704 -- 01:34:00,704

It was all for our children.

598

01:
34:02,376 -- 01:34:05,376

What I said and did to you makes

me feel less than an animal.

599

01:
34:08,682 -- 01:34:11,682

How can you love such a man like me?

600

01:
34:12,986 -- 01:34:15,986

That day when you stole rice

from Mr. Governor to help Mrs. Mui

601

01:
34:17,891 -- 01:34:20,891

and you were nearly beaten to death,

602

01:
34:22,896 -- 01:34:25,896

I swore I would live my whole

life to serve you.

603

01:
34:28,769 -- 01:34:31,769

I love you because you don't

live for yourself.

604

01:
34:32,439 -- 01:34:35,439

You have sacrificed your whole life

for me and the children.

605

01:
34:37,444 -- 01:34:40,444

I am tired of being poor.

606

01:
34:40,680 -- 01:34:41,680

If you were rich,

607

01:
34:41,680 -- 01:34:44,016

I wouldn't have followed you here.

608

01:
34:44,016 -- 01:34:47,017

I wouldn't have been your wife.

609

01:
34:47,421 -- 01:34:50,421

We,re poor, but we have happiness.

610

01:
34:50,724 -- 01:34:53,724

We have each other. We have our children.

611

01:
34:54,795 -- 01:34:57,795

And we have this betel tree as well.

612

01:
35:00,367 -- 01:35:03,367

Sometimes I feel

so guilty for being poor.

613

01:
35:05,505 -- 01:35:08,207

Especially now,

614

01:
35:08,207 -- 01:35:10,109

when I've seen how you've suffered

615

01:
35:10,109 -- 01:35:13,110

trying your best to get the dress made

for our daughters.

616

01:
35:14,614 -- 01:35:17,614

It makes me more miserable

than hearing bombs explode overhead.

617

01:
35:19,753 -- 01:35:22,354

The Governor once told me

618

01:
35:22,354 -- 01:35:24,590

"If a husband can't share in his

619

01:
35:24,590 -- 01:35:26,826

wife's woes or help her,

620

01:
35:26,826 -- 01:35:29,827

then he is smaller than an ant."

621

01:
35:33,366 -- 01:35:36,366

In wartime, one might die several times

622

01:
35:39,039 -- 01:35:42,039

yet only live once.

623

01:
35:44,377 -- 01:35:47,278

We have lived a hard life,

624

01:
35:47,278 -- 01:35:50,049

but my heart goes out to our daughters.

625

01:
35:50,049 -- 01:35:53,050

That's why each day that

I am still on this Earth

626

01:
35:53,653 -- 01:35:56,653

I will do everything that

I can for them, darling.

627

01:
35:59,993 -- 01:36:02,993

Out there, the war rages on.

628

01:
36:02,993 -- 01:36:05,698

Who knows how many people

will die tonight

629

01:
36:05,698 -- 01:36:08,667

and how many families torn apart?

630

01:
36:08,667 -- 01:36:11,668

But you and I and our daughters

are still together.

631

01:
36:13,173 -- 01:36:16,173

Even if we have to eat porridge with tears,

I will still be happy.

632

01:
36:23,683 -- 01:36:26,683

I hope this war will end soon

633

01:
36:26,683 -- 01:36:29,688

so our country can be at peace

634

01:
36:29,688 -- 01:36:32,689

and our children can finish

their education.

635

01:
36:35,028 -- 01:36:37,229

So do l.

636

01:
36:37,229 -- 01:36:38,831

And when that happens

637

01:
36:38,831 -- 01:36:41,832

I'll make you another white silk dress

638

01:
36:42,335 -- 01:36:44,203

and we'll have a proper wedding like

639

01:
36:44,203 -- 01:36:46,438

the fortune teller foretold.

640

01:
36:46,438 -- 01:36:48,974

We must have a wedding.

641

01:
36:48,974 -- 01:36:51,975

When peace arrives and the hatred ends

642

01:
36:53,079 -- 01:36:56,079

I will bring you and our daughters

back to Ha Dong village.

643

01:
39:07,314 -- 01:39:08,064

An.

644

01:
39:15,155 -- 01:39:18,023

There was one excellent essay which

received the highest score.

645

01:
39:18,023 -- 01:39:21,024

I want the entire class to listen to it.

646

01:
39:21,294 -- 01:39:24,294

An...Come up here and read it out loud.

647

01:
39:32,605 -- 01:39:35,605

An...can you tell us

648

01:
39:36,309 -- 01:39:39,309

why you chose the white silk dress

as your essay topic?

649

01:
39:40,980 -- 01:39:43,980

My family is very poor.

650

01:
39:44,384 -- 01:39:47,152

Other than my mom's white silk dress,

651

01:
39:47,152 -- 01:39:50,153

we have nothing of value.

652

01:
39:50,423 -- 01:39:53,423

I'm here today because

of my parents' efforts,

653

01:
39:53,993 -- 01:39:56,862

especially that of my mom.

654

01:
39:56,862 -- 01:39:59,863

Go ahead. Read it.

655

01:
40:02,869 -- 01:40:05,869

The white silk dress which my sister

and I take turns

656

01:
40:08,208 -- 01:40:10,909

wearing to school

is my parents, keepsake.

657

01:
40:10,909 -- 01:40:13,412

My parents, hometown

is in Ha Dong village.

658

01:
40:13,412 -- 01:40:16,413

They immigrated to Da Nang in 1954.

659

01:
40:23,823 -- 01:40:26,823

The only possession my mom had

when they left

660

01:
40:26,823 -- 01:40:29,926

was this white silk dress.

661

01:
40:30,964 -- 01:40:33,932

However, it's no ordinary dress.

662

01:
40:33,932 -- 01:40:36,933

It's the wedding dress my dad offered

663

01:
40:36,933 -- 01:40:40,070

to my mom before they came South.

664

01:
41:04,297 -- 01:41:07,297

My mother told me that after moving

from one village to another,

665

01:
41:09,169 -- 01:41:12,169

they finally settled in Hoi An

666

01:
41:12,472 -- 01:41:15,472

because my mom was pregnant with me.

667

01:
41:16,176 -- 01:41:17,943

Then, when I was born,

668

01:
41:17,943 -- 01:41:20,846

to commemorate their second hometown

669

01:
41:20,846 -- 01:41:23,847

my dad named me Hoi An.

670

01:
41:25,385 -- 01:41:28,385

One by one, my three younger sisters

were born

671

01:
41:31,758 -- 01:41:33,826

by the Thu Bon river in Cam Nam village

672

01:
41:33,826 -- 01:41:36,827

where every year the tide rises to

the roof of our house.

673

01:
41:37,564 -- 01:41:39,299

My family is very poor.

674

01:
41:39,299 -- 01:41:42,267

To raise four of us,

675

01:
41:42,267 -- 01:41:44,870

my parents have to work from

early morning until late at night

676

01:
41:44,870 -- 01:41:47,871

raking mussels along the river

to sell in the market.

677

01:
41:51,277 -- 01:41:52,945

During the flood season,

678

01:
41:52,945 -- 01:41:55,647

they are unable to rake mussels.

679

01:
41:55,647 -- 01:41:58,648

Then the whole family has to eat porridge

or sweet potatoes.

680

01:
42:00,053 -- 01:42:03,053

Sometimes even corn.

681

01:
42:04,657 -- 01:42:07,657

Now and then my parents give up their own

portions in order for us to feel full.

682

01:
42:11,164 -- 01:42:13,165

But as hard it is,

683

01:
42:13,165 -- 01:42:15,934

my mom refuses to let us quit school.

684

01:
42:15,934 -- 01:42:18,935

One ticket for me.

685

01:
43:22,402 -- 01:43:24,102

Why are you so late?

I'm sorry.

686

01:
43:24,102 -- 01:43:26,438

I've been waiting for you.

687

01:
43:26,438 -- 01:43:29,007

I finished a song

and you hadn't even come back yet.

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