The Troubleshooters,' by Wang Shuo

Chinese Education and Society, vol. 31, no. 1, JanuarylFebruaty 1998, pp. 15-99.
01998 M. E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved.
1061-1932 / 1998 $9.50 + 0.00.
WANG SHUO
The Troubleshooters
1 FUTUREFILMTITLE
On the black background, the name of the studio in white gradually fades in
and out along wih quiet music.
The white coloredfeature title is shown on the screen: The Troubleshooters.
2 A CROWDED STREET DOWNTOWN /
EXTERIOR / DAY / LONG SHOT
Following the music, the scenefades in porn the white feature title. The scene
gradually zooms out.
People are strolling along in a crowd, and getting lost in their own train of
thought. The relationship between these people rambling about will be revealed
as thefdm continues.
As the movie unfolds, the scene will be repeated
3 A BUSY COMMERCIAL, STREET DOWNTOWN /
EXTERIOR / DAY
The ambient sound of the hustle and bustle porn a busy street can gradually
be heard.
At a scaffold facade of a secondhand shop, the signboard is taken off Several
workers are busy knocking a wall down and lifiing a door ojsits hinges.
The pedestrians walking by stop, surround them, and watch them as if enjoy
ing a money show.
Translation (6 1998 M. E. Sharpe, Inc., hm the Chinese text. The screenplay was
translated by Huihui Bang and John Michaan.
The filmscript from which our translation is taken appears in Qingchm whui: Wang
Shuo yingshi zuopinji (Youth has no regrets: A collection of Wang Shuo's film and
television scripts) (Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe, 1993), pp. 3-79.
I5

16 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Close up: In the smog, two hands hold a notice “3-T Company Grand Trial
Opening,” and post it on the shop window.
4 ON THE STREET /EXTERIOR / DAY
At the intersection of a busy downtown street, radiant with happiness, YANG
ZHONG is marchng toward a girl waiting under a police tower, whom he has
never met before.
YANG ZHONG: Sorry I’m late. I tried to rush, but I’m still late. Have you been
waiting long?
GIRL: (Looking at YANG ZHONG curiously) That’s all right. No need to say sorry.
I’m not waiting for you anyway. It wouldn’t matter if you didn’t come.
YANG ZHONG: Actually you are waiting for me, but you don’t know it. No one
else will be coming today.
GIRL: Yeah? You seem to know better than I what I’m doing. Don’t bother, the
cop’s just next to you.
YANG ZHONG: (Smiling, feeling not at all awkward) Did I get the wrong person’?
Isn’t your name Liu Meiping? You work at the department store as the team head
of the handkerchief counter. You’re waiting for Wang Mingshui, a proctologist.
Who really’make a mistake, you or me?
LIU MEIPING: But there are two moles next to Wang Mingshui’s nose.
YANG ZHONG: Sure, the two moles are still there. He was driven away this
morning to see a leader who couldn’t stop bleeding. He didn’t want to upset you
so he made an urgent call to our company and requested a substitute for his date.
My name is Yang Zhong, an agent from the 3-T Company. Here’s my card.
LIU MEPING: (Hesitantly taking his card and glancing at it) 3-T Company?
5 MA QINGS APARTMENT / INTERIOR / DAY
YOUNG WOMAN: (Frowning, with angry eyes, curses hh QING) Why the hell
did you come back, you bastard? Go ahead, go bullshit with your buddies!

JANUARYflEBRUARY 1998 17
MA QING endures her tirade with an extremely pleasant demeanor.
YOUNG WOMAN: Don’t come home any more. How boring it is for you to be
with your own wife. Bullshitting with the guys day and night you’ll probably be
able to dazzle another young woman student like you did me before. You piece
of shit! I’ve heard of addictions to alcohol, chess, or drugs, these are common
enough, but I’ve never heard of an addiction to bullshitting. Whenever you sit
down, your ass seems heavier and your eyes turn brighter. Whether or not you
know someone, whether or not he knows who you are, your ravings are like a
toilet bowl: as soon as you push the button, it’s immediately flushed away. If
your special gift were known early enough, you would have been invited to join
the Sino-Soviet negotiations. You’re like a mynah bird outside, but not a word
with me at home. If I say even one extra sentence, you get annoyed!
MA QING: I’ll change.
YOUNG WOMAN: The shit you will! What the hell have you ever changed in your
life? Except for wetting your bed, you haven’t changed anything since you were
born. (YOUNG WOMAN bursts into tears.) I can’t live like this anymore. No way.
I could still see you before marriage, but now I’ve totally become a young
widow.
YOUNG WOMAN raises her hand and knocks all the drinking glasses on the
table to thejloor. After that, she starts breaking the cups on a tray one by one.
MA QING also follows suit; he grabs an ashtray and throws it on the jloor, then
lits a TV set and is about to throw it across the room.
MA QING: All right. We have no reason to live.
YOUNG WOMAN screams and by grabbing his arm deters himfrom destroying
the television.
YOUNG WOMAN: No! Don’t break this, too! Are you trying to help me vent my
anger or make me even angrier than before?
MA QING: (With pevect poise) You’ve told me your husband throws whatever he
can get his hands on when he’s angry, and you asked me to make my acting as
authentic as possible.
YOUNG WOMAN: My husband doesn’t break valuable stuff even when he’s angry;
you’re suffering from wishful thinking.
MA QING: Well, you didn’t explain that to me clearly.

18 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
YOUNG WOMAN: I didn’t think that needed an explanation.
hb QINO: Okay. What shall I say next?
YOUNG WOMAN: Too bad. It’s clear your company sent you over without the
proper training. Next time, you should say, “I love-”
MA QING: I love you.
MA QING and YOUNG WOMAN stare at each other blankly.
MA QING: (With more intensity) I love you.
MA QING begins to improvise afkr receiving no repnsefim YOUNG WOMAN.
MA QING: C’mon, honey, don’t be angry anymore.
YOUNG WOMAN begins to gently laugh. MA QING blushes and tries to conceal
his embarrassment.
MA QING: Forget authenticity! These words are too tempting for me.
YOUNG WOMAN: (Dismissing him with laughter) Okay, okay, I won’t make any
more excessive demands. You’ve passed the test even though you don’t mean that.
MA QING: I actually do love you in my hart, but I couldn’t tell you.
YOUNG WOMAN: I’d prefer that you not keep your love hidden in your heart; tell
me how you feel.
MA QING: (Grimacing, as ifhis crotch had been squeezed by a Kung Fu boxer)
Can’t you see what you’ve done to me?! (Pam) You are so pretty when you’re angry.
YOUNG WOMAN: All right. That’s enough. Now you’re being too kind.
YOUNG WOMAN again laughs and begins to hiccup.
MA QING: Well, as long as you’re satisfied, I’m happy.
YOUNG WOMAN: I’m very satisfied. Did my husband pay you?
MA QING shakes his head negatively. YOUNG WOMAN removes cashfi.om her
purse so as to pay him.

JANWARYREBRWARY 1998 19
YOUNG WOMAN: Thanks. Even punishing my husband isn’t as much fun as what
I did with you. I’ll call 3-T again next time.
6 THE BUSINESS OFFICE OF THE! 3-T COMPANY /
EXTERIOR / DAY
It is morning in the reception room of the 3-T Company, where YU GUAN, the
manager, is interviewing a third customer, a young man with fragile-looking skin
and an oversized head
The outside once, discernible through French windows, is in the process of
being redecorated and chaos reigns: wallpaper rolls, aluminum siding sheets,
and decorating materials are strewn everywhere.
YOUNG GUY: My name is Bao Kang, and I’m a writer. Have you ever head of me?
Yu GUAN: Uh, no. I’m sorry, I haven’t.
BAO KANG: I write under the pen name of Zhi Qing.
Yu GUAN: Sorry, I haven’t heard of that one, either. Is there something I can do
for you? Are you here to apply for an internship?
BAO KANG: No, no, my life’s experiences are rich enough without an internship.
The reason I’m here is that I’ve written something out of the ordinary and very
significant; it’s a real sleeper; It’s pretty shocking for most readers, even stunning,
but everything I’ve written is red, not exaggerated. In fact, some of the
people who’ve read it think I should be awarded a national prize, but-
Yu GUAN: But thus far it has come to nothing?
BAO KANG: Well, to be exact, I’ve never entered it into a competition. I thought
it was hopeless. Look, I know who I am. Maybe you don’t know how the literary
system works, but every award is carefully distributed so as to maintain a balance.
Sometimes good novels are given awards, and sometimes other good ones
don’t even get an honorable mention.
Yu GUAN: Well, I’m sorry, but we can’t help you on this issue; we don’t have
any connections with the Writers’ Union, and we are short an attractive female
staff member at the moment.
BAO KANG: Well, I didn’t expect miracles, you know. I don’t care it it’s a

20 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
national prize or not; I’m not particularly interested in fame or wealth. All I want
is for my hard work to be recognized in some way. Any kind of award will be
great.
Yu GUAN instantly grasps BAO KANG’S idea.
Yu GUAN: (Tentatively) So, you mean even if the award is bestowed by 3-T?
BAO KANG: (Smiling nervously) I’m embarrassed. Am I so obvious?
Yu GUAN: No, no, not at all, you’re exactly right. But you would, of course,
want an awards ceremony on a grand scale.
BAO KANG: No, the scale doesn’t really matter, but it has to be given with a
generous cash endowment in a magnificent, luxurious rented auditorium, with
the social elite in attendance. I can bankroll it; I’ve got lots of money.
7 STREET SCENE / EXTERIOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG and LIU MEIPING are walking along, side by slde, having an
amiable conversation.
LIU MEWING: Why did you guys create such an odd name for your company? It
sounds like a pesticide.
YANG ZHONG: 3-T is an abbreviation for three substitutes. We hire people to get
people out of trouble, to accept other people’s punishment, or just to amuse
people.
LIU WIPING: You guys are nuts! You’re helping people escape responsibility for
their actions.
YANG ZHONG: No, we’re honest business people with a mission to improve the
quality of life in the community! Wouldn’t you be disappointed if I hadn’t come
along today?
LIU MEIPING: But, you know, I don’t feel comfortable with this idea. I originally
planned a date with my boyfriend, and now, instead, I’m dating his substitute!
Should I fall in love with his substitute, too?
YANG ZHONG: No, absolutely not! As a matter of fact, our business code, and my

JANUARYREBRUARY 1998 21
promise to your boyfriend, won’t permit me to seduce you, either. Let me explain.
What I will do is take care of you and keep you company today just as
Wang Mingshui would‘ve done.
LIU MEIPING: Will you be as kind and understanding as he?
YANG ZHONG: Well, I won’t shatter any world records, but I’ll do my best.
That’s the way it should be, right? So, what did you guys plan to do today?
LIU MEPING: Oh, he was planning to buy me a fur coat.
YANG ZHONG: Well, he didn’t authorize his substitute to do that. Sorry.
LIU MEIPING: See? Didn’t I tell you it wouldn’t be the same? My Mingshui is
always generous with me.
8 3-T COMPANY OFFICE / INTERIOR / DAY
Negotiations between Yu GUAN and BAO KANG are continuing.
Yu GUAN: How about one room air conditioner per prize winner?
BAO KANG: For every winner? Isn’t that a little-
Yu GUAN: A red flower should be accompanied by green flowers, don’t you
agree? Wouldn’t you feel lonely standing on a stage by yourself? I think we
should get a few other writers involved, too. I suggest that when we award you
the prize we present prizes to some famous writers at the same time. In this way
our prize will seem even more magnificent, and you can also join the ranks of
acclaimed authors at the same time, Being given a literary award with famous
writers on the same stage sounds awfully impressive!
BAO KANG: Wait. How much does each air conditioner cost? Standing shoulder
to shoulder with famous authors for a few minutes is attractive to me, but I don’t
want to spend my family’s fortune just for that.
YU GUAN: If you don’t want the luxury deal, we have an economy version
available. For this one, the prizes will be divided into three levels; the first prize
is an air conditioner for you, and then two levels of “idiot” automatic cameras.
Don’t forget, we will control the number of prize winners, with awards being
given to only the famous people.

22 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
BAO KANG: (Beaming with pleasure) That’s fine. This approach is a lot more
reasonable; I’ll get the air conditioner, they’ll get the idiot cameras. Go ahead
and prepare the budget. I’ll pay you later.
Yu GUAN: When you come back to pay, will you bring a copy of each of your
novels with you? Although you’ll decide which of them will win an honor, I’d
like to read them. I’m sure I’ll enjoy them even though I don’t know much about
literature. In fact, I’ve never been face to face with an author before today.
BAO KANG: (With reservations) Sure. I can even autograph a copy for you. My
most famous novels are, The Legend of the East Empress and I May Say I Don ’t
Want to, but I’ll Still Talk about the Writer’s Union.
Yu GUAN: Cool! They must all be quite exciting.
Yu GUAN gives BAO KANG a contract.
BAO KANG: Are you asking for my autograph?
Yu GUAN: Well, yes, in a way I am. This is our prelmnary contract; the permanent
one will be ready later on.
9 ENTRANCE TO 3-T COMPANY / EXTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN escorts BAO KANG to the door; the latter is suddenly seized with
great anxiety.
BAO KANG: What will we do if the established Writer’s Union authors won’t get
off of their high horses and accept our prizes?
Yu GUAN: (Comforting) Don’t worry about that! To accept or not is their business;
however, if they refuse us, we will try every means to coerce them into
accepting the prize.
BAO KANG: Thank you! I really appreciate your help!
BAO KANG warmly shakes Yu GUAN’S hand and sets 08
BAO KANG: A candle can’t be bright wthout first being lighted. Your remarks
have enlightened me.
Yu GUAN: Please don’t mention it. It’s our company’s policy to assist people
like you, with an exalted self-vision and no method to fulfill it.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 23
Yu GUAN watches BAO KANG leave the premises. BAO KANG, exuding selfconjdence,
slowly disappears in the bustling crowd. A voice-over is heard emnatingfrom
an area behind Yu GUAN.
VOICE-OVER: Life is boring.
Yu GUAN turns his head to locate the speaker. STOUT MAN is standing
nearby, in front of the sign that bears the legend, “3-T Grand Opening, staring
at the sign and talking aloud to hime&
Yu GUAN: Life is boring.
MAN: What should I do?
Yu GUAN: What can any of us do about it? We continue to live, even if it is
boring.
MAN: (Staring intensely at Yu GUAN) Is this your company? Okay. If you help
me truly live, I’ll live, but you’ll have to find something for me to do.
Yu GUAN: Okay, then, come with me. The registration fee in the hospital is the
same as mine: two dimes. The consultation fee will be billed separately.
Yu GUAN escorts MAN into his oflce.
10 SCAFFOLDING OUTSIDE 3-T COMPANY FACADE /
EXTERIOR I DAY
For unknown reasons workers are removing the two characters that together
man 3-T.
11 INSIDE THE 3-T OFFICE / INTEIUOR / DAY
Yu GUAN and STOUT MAN sit on opposing sides of a desk
Yu GUAN: Shall we play cards
MAN: Boring.
Yu GUAN: How about chess?

24 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
MAN: Even more boring.
Yu GUAN: Go to the park to row a boat? Or go to a movie?
MAN: Progressively more boring. You have the same vulgar habits as all the
others.
Yu GUAN: Well, why don’t you suggest something that we can do? Whatever
you suggest I’ll be right there beside you, keeping you company.
MAN: Will you join me in jumping off a building? Why do I need your company,
anyway? Besides, you’re no woman.
Yu GUAN: Nope, you can’t meet hookers here at this company. If you have too
much time on your hands you should practice calligraphy, become a connoisseur
of music, or maybe do volunteer work.
MAN: You can go to hell! I can’t imagine why two dimes are charged for such
poor ideas! Are you trying to cheat me?
Yu GUAN: Look, I’m no superman, nor am I the visa officer at the American
Embassy. To acquire a fortune requires the cultivation of civilized behavior. Just
relax.
MAN stares intently at Yu GUAN with glittering eyes.
hh~: Do you think your life has any meaning?
Yu GUAN: Yes, it does; it has a lot of meaning.
MAN: Well, I believe you’re boring, terribly boring, so boring that I can’t even
be bothered to contradict you.
12 AN UPSCALE BAR / INTERIOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG is smoking, creating smoke rings with each exhalation, staring
at the ceiling.
YANG ZHONG: Life, after all, is just life. It’s like playing soccer: A group of
players are running back and forth on the field. No one can shoot a goal, but they
try their best to score. Why? Because the audience is cheering and encouraging

JANUARYREBRVARY 1998 25
them to win. Life is like that: Running back and forth to hear the cheers.
LIU MEJPING is spellbound by this talk; her chin is cupped in her hands, and
she is so absorbed by the talk that she forgets to eat her yogurt.
LIU MEJPING: I believe you to be terribly profound. Do you like to ponder?
YANG ZHONG: (His eyes, dull and glassy) Sure, I like to have deep, profound
thoughts.
LIU MEIPING: Have you ever been to college?
YANG ZHONG: Me? Well, kinda-sorta.
LIU MEIPING: No wonder. College grads are all burdened with anxiety, the result
of constantly thinking deep thoughts.
YANG ZHONG: Do you also enjoy having deep thoughts?
LIU MEIPING: Yeah. Well, I like to fantasize, and I am a dedicated people watcher.
My job involves a lot of public contact, so I talk to several thousand people each
day. That gives me a great opportunity to observe their characteristics. For example,
I’ve noticed that a fat man will generally prefer to buy a large hanky, and
will have a lot of snot. The thin man will generally buy a smaller one.
YANG ZHONG: Do you think there’s a correlation between body weight and body
fluids?
LIU MEIPING: Oh, absolutely. What on earth doesn’t have a relationship with
something else? If we were to trace your genealogy you might find you have a
blood connection with this yogurt bottle. Let’s say, for example, that one of your
ancestors died and had his ashes spread over a field, which were then in turn
mixed with clay, then later dug out to produce porcelain or glass bottles, one of
which, in turn, was filled with yogurt and served to you!
YANG ZHONG: This is the most remarkably naive dialectic I’ve ever heard.
LIU MEJPING: I don’t know if it is or not, but I do know that everything that has
happened has its reason. Someone once wrote a dissertation of several thousand
words about sneezing, and earned a doctorate for his trouble.
YANG ZHONG: True. The dissertation was passed around at my school, but it
wasn’t about something as nonscientific as sneezing; it was about a “fierce,

26 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
jetlike expulsion of fluid triggered by the irritation of the nasal mucosa.”
LIU MEPING: You are remarkably learned.
YANG ZHONG: It’s nothing, really. You actually know more than I.
LIU MEIPING: No, you’re better than I.
YANG ZHONG: Let’s not argue; it could go on forever for it’s clear you admire
intellectual people.
LIU MEIPING: My praise is earnest and sincere. I feel we get along very well and
I understand you.
YANG ZHONG: But I just can’t stand being praised.
LIU MEIPING: I’ll be angry if you continue to deny your own talent . One would
think that my praise might harm you.
YANG ZHONG: Okay, let’s assume that I’m learned. As a matter of fact, I feel the
same way about you: You’re talkative and I understand you.
LIU MEIPING: I’m very happy right now.
YANG ZHONG: I am, too.
13 THE BUSINESS OFFICE OF THE 3-T COMPANY /
EXTERIOR / DAY
MA QING returns to the office looking utterly exhausted. He relaxes a bit
when he notices the redecoration of the once’s facade. He glances at the interior
of an ofice. Something out of the ordinary is apparently going on inside.
The workers who are redecorating the office also stop and look at the goings-on
in the interior ofice. He rushes into the ofice.
14 OFFICE / IN’IERIOR / DAY
STOUT MAN has seized Yu GUAN’S collar and is dragging him back and forth
across the room.
Yu GUAN: Stop! Let me go! If someone sees us we’ll be disgraced.

JANUARYflEBRUARY 1998 27
MAN: If you want to help me, help me by letting me slap your face two rimes;
just two times!
Yu GUAN: No, I can’t do that. I have a weak body.
MAN: Please let me do the one thing I want to do. Even though I’m an adult I’ve
never made my own decisions.
Yu GUAN: I might bargain with you on other things, but this is a definite NO!
If you so much as lay a finger on me I can’t be responsible for the consequences.
MAN: All people are selfish. They only consider themselves and ignore the needs
of others. How can you claim to replace people when they’re in trouble with
someone else, and help people amuse themselves? You won’t do it once you’re
offended.
MAN releases his hold on Yu GUAN’S collar and begins to cry.
MAN: I’m incredibly unlucky. I have no freedom.
Yu GUAN takes a deep breath of relieJ straightens his shirt, and indicates to
MA QING to replace the baseball bat behind the door. He returns to his desk and
sits down behind it.
Yu GUAN: Stop sniveling. Take your money and get the hell out of here.
MAN, choked with sobs, accepts his dimesfrom MA QING, holds them tightly
and walks out of the door. MA QING closes the dark brown wooden door topped
with a glass panel: he walks over to Yu GUAN’S desk and sits on it.
MA QING: These are incredibly lousy assignments! I am cursed, house by house,
day by day, and you are nearly beaten up in your own office. The only lucky one
around here is Yang Zhong, who gets to be a substitute date every day. I’d like to
exchange assignments with him once in a while. After all, even farmers take a
break during the winter.
Yu GUAN: Look, you know we have a gentlemen’s agreement around here: We
assign people based on their ability and teach students based on their aptitude.
You’re too tender hearted to work as a substitute date. If you were asked to go
out with other men’s girl friends you would change from a part-time worker to a
project contractor. I can’t risk being beaten up by the outraged husbands who
would come to my office every day.

28 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
MA QING: So you’re telling me I can only look forward to endless scoldings by
women and never have a chance to talk with them about my feelings?
Yu GUAN: Hey! Don’t say “they.” It’s “she”; one at a time. You can exchange
your precious ideas with one woman at a time. You know, one mouthful
of food at a time when you’re eating, one battle at a time when you’re at
war. Your behavior is just too daring, and will upset just people. That’s a
degenerate-
MA QING: But YANG ZHONG isn’t a eunuch, you know.
The telephone starts to ring. Yu GUAN answers and before answering offers a
retort to MA QING.
Yu GUAN: Well, Yang Zhong knows how to discard the dross and keep the
select, distinguished ones-you swallow the date seed. He has patience. He can
talk nonsense all day long, but still do it with pizzazz; you, on the other hand, can
hold a dustpan for only three minutes before you rush away for the next one.
Hello? May I help you?
15 IN THE UPSCALE BAR / INTEIUOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG, leaning against the bar, talks on a telephone and watches LILJ
MEIPING, who is sitting at the far end and registering immense self-satisfaction.
YANG ZHONG: This is YANG ZHONG. I desperately need your help; I just can’t
keep it up any more. This girl is a modernist!
Yu GUAN: (Voice-over) I was just praising you for your patience.
YANG ZHONG: No, it won’t do. I have nothing to say to her. I’ve told her all the
foreigners’ names that I can remember!
16 THE 3-T OFFICE / IN’IERIOR / DAY
MA QING stands close to Yu GUAN, who is holding the telephone receiver
and listens to the conversation the latter is having with YANG ZHONG.
MA QING: (To Yu GUAN) I can deal with a modemist.

JANUARYflEBRUARY 1998 29
Yu GUAN: (Giving 1MA QING a scathing look) Talk about Nietzsche.
17 UPSCALE BAR / INTERIOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG: (to Yu GUAN) I’m not familiar with Nietzsche, and frankly I can’t
keep up the B.S. any more. The look in her eyes is frightening.
At this very moment LIU MEIPING looks at YANG ZHONG and gives him a
radiant smile. YANG ZHONG instantly breaks the eye contact.
Yu GUAN: (Voice only) No, we can’t do that. We’re covering for the proctologist.
Perhaps you should withdraw.
YANG ZHONG: She won’t permit that-and
each passing minute.
she is becoming more effusive with
LIU MEPING smiles at YANG ZHONG, who smiles stifly but politely back at her.
18 THE 3-T OFFICE / INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN: Okay, we are going to effect an immediate rescue. The thing to do is
change the subject to one of rotten taste;that will cause her to change her image
of you, see you as a vulgar man.
YANG ZHONG: (Voice only) Please get here ASAP! I’m hopelessly confused.
19 UPSCALE BAR / INTERIOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG: Before today I didn’t believe the hearsay about modernism, but
now, after today. . .
YANG ZHONG turns around. LIU MEIPING, smiling, approaches himji-om the
background.
YANG ZHONG: (Speaking so$ly into the phone) I’ve gotta go; she’s coming over here.
20 OFFICE OF 3-T COMPANY / INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN: Remember, use Freud to make the transition.

30 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
MA QING giggles and jumps of of the desk He paces around the room with
great excitement, impatiently waiting for YU GUAN to clean up his desk
Yu GUAN: You are a Xerox copy of one of Freud’s worst patients. I won’t let
you get the chance to show off, though.
21 UPSCALE BAR / INTERIOR / DAY
LIU MEIPING is talking with great passion and eloquence with a radiant
intensity in her face.
LIU MEIPING: Freud said, “All sons want to marry their mothers,” isn’t that
right?
Confronted with LIU MEIPING’S high spirits YANG ZHONG seems, in comparison,
dull and lifeless.
YANG ZHONG: Oh, no. It was my father who married my mother; 1 couldn’t
possibly marry my mother before my father did. The schedule isn’t correct.
LIU MEPING: I didn’t mean that you want to marry your mother. That would be
improper; no one can marry his own mother; that’s incest. What I mean is, you
want to marry your own mother, but you can’t because of your father and
morality. Therefore, you’ll feel pained. You won’t like many different girls the
way you like your mother, but you can’t do anything because of your father.
Wait. Why did I go in a circle? Well, anyway, I don’t exactly know why, but the
foreign literature said you have your mother as the object of your affection.
YANG ZHONG: But my mother is a one-eyed dragon.
Yu GUAN and h.IA QING rush into the bar. YANG ZHONG is magically reborn.
He introduces hh QING, who is immediately attracted to LIU MEIPING, and YU
GUAN, who takes the seat that YANG ZHONG offers him, nexl to LIU MEIPING.
YANG ZHONG: This is my colleague, Ma Qing, and this is our manager,
Yu GUAN. They are both my teachers and are gifted students from the Raving
Lunatics University Department of Communications. They are also members of
the Central Shit-Shooting Committee.
LIU MEIPING: What? I don’t have enough time to talk about life with three guys
at once.

JANUARYLFEBRUARY 1998 31
MA QING: That’s okay.
MA QING shelters ?he other two men with his body.
MA QING: Why don’t you talk primarily with me? If there are any points I can’t
handle, they’ll help me out.
LIU MEIPING: Look, don’t try to be a buddy with me. I don’t know you.
MA QING: Does that proctologist of yours look like your father? How is his job,
anyway?
LIU MEIPING: What are you talking about? I don’t understand what you mean.
Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG are talking on the other side of MA QING.
Yu GUAN: Did you two waste the entire morning without even going to a
movie?
YANG ZHONG: Yeah, we did. We saw Ostobie Donkey in Action.
Yu GUAN: Is that a foreign film?
YANG ZHONG: Nope, it’s homemade. Don’t you know that all domestic movies
are now given foreign titles?
MA QING continues to talk at a machine-gun pace until LIu MEIPING is
reduced to shocked silence.
MA QING: Well, I agree, I feel spiritually barren, too; being married is dull, too.
No matter whom you date, they are either like your mother or father. Look at
those foreign countries; people there can sleep with anyone they choose. It’s also
convenient over there, everyone has his own house. Do you have your own
house? Another thing I really like about those foreign girls; no matter how many
times they sleep with their boyfriends they never ask them to buy expensive
stuff. My anns haven’t been twisted by a girl yet, but Yang Zhong has had his
arms twisted, nearly dislocated, several times.
MA QING turns around and winks at YANG ZHONG.
MA QING: Am I right, Yang Zhong?
YANG ZHONG: Hey. Are you making fun of me?

32 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
LIU MEIPING leans backward from her chair, beyond MA QING, and begins to
talk to YANG ZHONG.
LIU MEIPING: Let’s go, Yang Zhong.
YANG ZHONG: Let’s stay for just one more minute, please.
MA QING: Hey, don’t try to take my buddy away from me, okay? You’ve
been taken over by me now. Yang Zhong is going on another date this afternoon.
LIU MEIPING: Is that me, Yang Zhong?
YANG ZHONG nods his head affirmatively and smiles at LIU MEIPING.
YANG ZHONG: Involuntarily.
MA QING: You’d better not let your attention stray from me ‘cause I still have a
lot to tell you.
LIU MEIPING: Yeah, but you’re not serious. Do you mind taking me to lunch?
Sitting here listening to you makes me hungry.
MA QING: If we were dating on our own I would be happy to invite you out to
lunch, but I’m working now, so 1’11 have to ask for my manager’s permission.
Manager Yu, may I treat Meiping for a simple lunch?
Yu GUAN: Sure, but you have to pay Erom your own pocket.
MA QING: What? I have to do damage to my own wallet? (He turns to
LIU MEIPING) I’d really rather invite you to try out the bumper cars. It’s
really very expensive, too, but it’s a lot of fun; you won’t feel hungry
after that.
LIU MEIPING: No, I’d rather not, because I always become carsick.
MA QING: Naw, c’mon! These are not regular cars. I’m sure if you play once
you’ll want to stay and not stop.
MA QING forces LIU MEIPING to her feet by taking her arm. He then calls out
to Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG who are laughing quietly in their seats.
MA QING: You two had better move, too.

JANUARYRBRUARY 1998 33
22 AMUSEMENT PARK TICKET OFFICE / EXTERIOR / DAY
MA QING buysfour tickets at the window, then speaks to YU GUAN and
YANG ZHONG.
MA QING: We’ll bump hex car until she feels faint!
LIU MEIPING seems attracted by the colorjklfacilities and is visibly happy.
23 IN THE BUMPER CAR ATTRACTION /
INTERIOR / DAY
The facility isn’t heavilypopulated at the moment, and the three men each
climb into the cars of their choice trying to restrain their laughter. MA QING
raises his voice, eqlaining things to LIU MEWING who is carefully entering her
car.
MA QING: Once you start rolling, just go wherever you want to go.
A park employee turns on the electriciry to activate the cars. The four cars
begin to circle around in an erratic pattern. The four cars disperse and then
reconvene, bumping into each other all the while. Because of her inexperience
with her car, LIU MEIPING cannot control it very well. The cars careen back
and forth fiom diflerent directions but often bump into her car; she bounces
up and down, feeling quite helpless. The three men can be seen laughing
crazily, each of them bumping into LIU MEIPING’S car. The four cars collide
and form a crude pyramid. LIU MEIPING bounces noticeably during the final
moment of the game. After the game’s conclusion, Liu, looking pale, angry,
and stunned, crawls wordlesslyfiom the car in a slightly wobbly condition. MA
QING runs toward her.
MA QING: Are you okay? The foreigners enjoy this game, and find it very
stimulating.
LIU MEIPING: (Forced) I’m okay. (Her voice then adopts a sad tone) But my
Mingshui never allowed me to undertake such strong activities without fast
eating food.
MA QING: Then perhaps you’d better go to your Mingshui right away. He must
miss you, too.

34 CHLVES EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
24 EXITING THE AMUSEMENT PARK / EXTERIOR / DAY
IMA QING supports LN MEIPING as she dizzily walks toward a bus stop on the
street. LN MEIPING turns her head with some dificulty and yells to YANG
ZHONG who is also exiting the park
LN MEIPING: Bye-bye.
25 AN OVERCROWDED STREET / EXTERIOR / DAY
YU GUAN, YANG ZHONG, and W QINO are walking along in the crowd, as a
trolley passes the trio.
YANG ZHONG: (To Yu GUAN) Someone is calling you.
YU GUAN: (Turning and looking around in the crowd) Who is it? I think I heard
it, too.
YANG ZHONG: It’s gone; whoever it was was in the trolley.
The trolley pauses at a stop, grows half empty ajler passengers exit and is
then refilled, ajier which it drives away.
Yu GUAN: Forget it. Let’s go.
The three are about to set olfwhen YU GUAN’S name is again called; the men
turn around lo see DING XIAOLU, and her girlfriend, walking toward them along
the crowded streel.
Yu GUAN: (Happily) Hi! It’s really a surprise to see you here.
DING XIAOLU: Why didn’t you hear me?
DING XIAOLU no& her headpleasantly to YANG ZHONG and IMA QING.
DING XIAOLU: (Directing her question to YU GUAN) Why are you guys standing
on the street? Where are you going?
Yu GUAN: We’re looking for a place to eat.
YU GUAN introduces YANG ZHONG
turn introduces LIN PEI to the others in the group.
and IMA QING to DING XIAOLU, who in

JANUARYflEBRUARY 1998 35
Yu GUAN: You’re an actress? Whoa, what an ideal job!
DING XIAOLU: I suggest that you guys don’t waste time looking for a restaurant.
Why don’t you come to my home and we’ll fix lunch together. We two haven’t
eaten lunch, either.
YANG ZHONG: Is there anyone in your home?
DING XIAOLU: Just my mom. (Turning to face YANG ZHONG) It doesn’t
matter.
Yu GUAN: Her mother doesn’t mind, and she’s funny, too.
MA QING: Okay, let’s go. Let’s not behave like most city slickers, talking endlessly
on the street. Which is the best bus to take?
DING XIAOLU: Let’s take the subway.
Beaming with pleasure while holding LIN PEI’S arm, DING XIAOLU guides the
group.
26 INSIDE THE SUBWAY TRAIN I INTERIOR / DAY
DING XIAOLU: (Speaking in a low voice to YU GUAN) Have you any plans for
the afternoon?
Yu GUAN: Nothing, really. I’m planning to investigate a theater.
DING XIAOLU: Why?
Yu GUAN: We’re going to have an award ceremony for prominent Chinese
writers, to offer them encouragement and recognition.
DING XIAOLU: That’s nonsense.
Yu GUAN: Not this time. Our company has a contract to produce this show. Do
you have connections to any theaters?
DING XIAOLU: How big a theater do you want?
Yu GUAN: The bigger and cheaper, the better.

36 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
DING XIAOLU: Well, how about the International Expo Center? The management
is setting up a stage for a fashion show. You can use it during their breaks, and
pay less. The stage designer is a good friend of mine.
Yu GUAN: That’s great. It’s settled.
27 DING XIAOLU’S HOME / INTERIOR / DAY
[NOT IN FILM]
DING XIAOLU’S home is in a Russian-style building, constructed with large,
gray bricks, a thick rooJ and large windows. Each apartment contains a small
number of large-sized bedrooms, which are all furnished by the government in
an old-fashioned style. niey are shabby, with peeling paint on the walls and
broken sofa springs. An elderly woman, relaxing in a refurbished rattan chair,
holds a large white cat. The cat jumps to the floor when it detects the group of
people entering the apartment. Everyone greets her, and she politely replies to
each of them, then invites them to sit. The woman exudes a sense of calmness and
dignity, and some of her cruel struggles are etched into her face.
DING XIAOLU: My friends have come here for lunch, Mom. Is there anything
here to eat?
OLD LADY: Let me go and see. (Walks toward kitchen, then speaks to YU GUAN)
You haven’t visited us for a long time.
Yu GUAN: I’m particularly busy these days.
OLD LADY: Oh, even Yu Guan is busy these days, too.
Yu GUAN: (Smiling shyly and going off to help the woman) Auntie, don’t bother.
We’ll fix something for ourselves.
OLD LADY: Well, let me see what’s here. Any time you come to Auntie’s home,
you should have food; I want you to eat your fill.
Afer a short while, the woman rejoins the group.
OLD LADY: (TO DING XIAOLU) The only things I could find in the refrigerator
are a little ground meat, potatoes, and cabbage.
DING XIAOLU: I’ll go buy some groceries.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1998 37
DING XIAOLU prepares to leave the apartment, but Yu GUAN stops her.
Yu GUAN: (To DING XIAOLU) No, please don’t go to the store now. There’s
enough here for us to make good dumplings.
YANG ZHONG: There’s no need to buy food. Don’t bother; we won’t eat much
anyway.
OLD LADY: You’d better go buy something. The men can eat whatever they can
find, but the girls deserve something delicious.
LIN PEI: I don’t care. I like dumplings.
Yu GUAN: (To DING XIAOLU) Please don’t go. If you’re too polite we’ll feel
uncomfortable and we’ll have to go.
DING XIAOLU: (To OLD LADY) Okay, let’s just make some dumplings. After all,
they are not strangers.
Yu GUAN: That’s good. All right, I’ll mix the flour, and Xialou will do the
stuffing. Auntie, why don’t you rest while we prepare the food. Yang Zhong,
don’t smoke without offering a cigarette to Auntie.
YANG ZHONG: I’m sorry. I didn’t know you smoke, Auntie. Here, please have
one.
YANG ZHoNG’sfreshly lit cigarette dangksfrom his lips. He gives the woman a
cigarette. She lights it and checks the brand.
OLD LADY: You young people all smoke brand-name cigarettes today.
YANG ZHONG: We don’t save our money for real estate, so we smoke for fun if
we have some extra money.
OLD LADY takes a pufi smiles, then returns to her rattan chair.
OLD LADY: You people don’t have any burdens these days.
YANG ZHONG: You’re a pro at smoking, Auntie.
OLD LADY: I’ve been smoking for more years than you’ve been alive. I
learned to smoke during my early years, when we had meetings and smoked
every day.

38 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
28 IN THE KITCHEN / INTERIOR / DAY [NOT IN FILM]
Yu GUAN and DING XIAOLU are busy cooking. One is kneading the dough
and the other is washing and chopping the cabbage. In the adjoining living room
people are having animated conversations and occasional bursts of laughter can
be heard, the OLD LADY’S laughter being particularly loud.
Yu GUAN: Your mom is quite healthy.
DING XIAOLU: She has no need to worry, or hurry, so of course she’s healthy.
Yu GUAN: And you? How’re you doing?
DING XIAOLU pushes strands of hair offof her face, then turns to Yu GUAN.
DING XIAOLU: How are you doing?
Yu GUAN: Good.
YU GUAN carefully daubs his face, which is wet with perspiration.
DING XIAOLU: I see you are no longer very talkative.
Yu GUAN: Why do you say that? You haven’t heard me when I’m talking. Well,
sometimes I’m talkative. Maybe.
MA QING’S machine-gun conversation can be heard, followed by laughter
when he stops talking. Afer the laughter stops, there’s more again afer a few
sentencesfrom YANG ZHONG.
DING XIAOLU: Are your two colleagues very funny?
Yu GUAN: They are my best friends.
DING XIAOLU: Your friends seem to be quite kind.
Yu GUAN: I always feel happy when I’m with them.
The laughter becomes quite loud LIN €%I enters the kitchen quite suddenly.
DING XIAOLU: What do you need? What are they talking about out there that’s so
funny?

JANLIARYBEBRUPRY 1998 39
LIN PEI: They’re talking about their customers. I really don’t like those
stories.
LIN PEI leans against the door.
DING XIAOLU: But I heard you laughing, too.
LIN PEI: Laughter is laughter, but I don’t like their distasteful stories. One of
their female customers, for example, tried to have a discussion about life with all
of them? What’s wrong with that, anyway? Instead of talking, they tricked her
into going to an amusemat park to use the bumper cars; then they bumped into
her car so much that she developed chest pains.
DING XIAOLU: (Laughing) I’m quite sure that must have been Yu Guan’s
scheme.
Yu GUAN: No, it wasn’t mine; it was Ma Qing’s plot.
Yu GUAN laughs, patting the kneaded dough. MA QING enters the kitchen, a
cigarette danglingflom his lips, grinning, in search of a match. DING XIAOLU
lights a match at the stove andpasses it to him.
MA QING: Why is Lin Pei standing here?
DING XIAOLU: She’s talking about you.
MA QING: What is she saying about me?
MA QING lights his cigarette and returns the extinguished match.
LIN PEI: I said you’re bad and that you’ve done some bad things, too.
LIN PEI, afier speaking bluntly, looks at MA QING.
MA QING: I’ve never offended you. What’s wrong?
LIN PEI: You treated your female customer quite badly. I am a girl, too, and I
don’t like to hear you boasting about how you made fun of her.
DING XIAOLU: That’s right. You should respect women.
DING XIAOLU adds the chopped cabbage to the mixing bowl and begins to stir
the combination with all her strength.

40 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
MA QING: Well, I’m not always “bad.” Shall I perform a “good” deed for you? I
will, but I’ll have to think about it for a while.
DING XIAOLU: C’mon, let’s make the dumplings. Go wash your hands and don’t
be so talkative.
DING XIAOLU, holding the mixing bowl, walks into the living room. LIN PEI
heads toward the bathroom.
MA QING: (To Yu GUAN) That girl doesn’t feel comfortable with me.
Yu GUAN: She’s not used to you; she’s basically a nice girl.
MA QING: So we’re all bastards.
29 THE LIVING ROOM / INTERIOR / DAY [NOT IN FILM]
The entire group is busily involved making dumplings.
OLD LADY: Xiaolu must find some music for us to listen to as we work.
DING XIAOLU gets up and turns on an old, box-stye radio, twisting the tuning
knob until shefinds music about going on a nature expedition. Everyone’s head
bobs in time with the music, and they all hum along. When the song’s lyrics, “If
this happens, don’t be sad, are heard, the three men begin to sing the second
part with robust enthusiasm, “I will not be sad.”
30 OFFICE OF THE 3-T COMPANY / IN’IERIOR / DAY
The redecoration of the company’s ofices is proceeding apace. An electrician
can be seen breaking the newly repapered wall with a drill so as to install a new
wiring system. Because, in the largest area, the wallpaper is ill-matched, all of it
is being torn off in large strips.
Yu GUAN is up to his ears in work, with telephone calls coming one afer the
other in quick succession. His desk is surrounded by several eager customers. A
gentlemanly intellectual bows until his head nearly touches the poor.
INTELLECTUAL: My mother is a heroine of the revolution. She is the one who
created the “Press Forward” posters. My mother now suffers from incontinence
and is forced to wear chemical fertilizer bags.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1998 41
Yu GUAN: Sir, I’ve already talked to you about this case. We have a big event on
in the next two days, and we can’t assign anyone to your problem until the
event’s over. You’ll have to let your mother wear fertilizer bags for two more
days. We’ll send someone over as soon as we’ve finished. You can’t bring your
mother here, after all.
INTELLECTUAL: (Leaving the ofice suflirsed in gloom) On whom may I rely?
Only you. I’ll bring testimonials to you tomorrow.
Yu GLJAN: (Ignoring him and continuing his telephone call) The Young Pioneer
Band? It will pollute the younger generation; this show is not appropriate for
kids. Tell the band to get two suona players. Just try your best. Yeah, prerecorded
first, right. Okay. Don’t forget to ask the tech guy to dub the applause.
Get the voices recorded in your vegetable cellar at home.
Yu GUAN answers a second telephone.
Yu GUAN: Why aren’t the models going to show up? Too little money? Okay,
well, see if you can find a drama troupe or a dance company. They won’t
complain because they get so little work as it is and this can be considered a little
venue diversity. Uh-huh. Can’t they figure out costumes? Whatever they have
available is fine, and we will have Chinese traditional garments made for the
awards show.
Yu GUAN accepts the third successive telephone call.
Yu GUAN: You can’t find flowers anywhere in this entire city? Well, look, why
don’t you go over to the nearest cemetery and disassemble a few wreaths. The
writers? Do you think the writers will notice? No. Just tell them the floral
arrangements were hand assembled by young women.
Yu GUAN ends the call, looks up, and sees an intense old woman gazing
steadily at him. He rubs hisface with his hands and then speaks to her.
Yu GUAN: You should help me out this time. If you’ll see the payroll clerk I’ll
Pay YOU.
3 1 RAIN SCENE / EXTERIOR / RAIN
Rain is quietly, but steadily, fallingfiom a bright and windless sky. Trees
lining the street are neatly trimmed, quite straight, their branches still; the scene,
overall, is reminiscent of a child’s painting.

42 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
32 STREET /EXTERIOR / RAIN
MA QING is astride a tricycle and covered with a plastic poncho. Although he
isn’t sitting, he is nonetheless soaked and resembles a drowned rat, He scans his
surroundings. Through the mist and rain one can see the sleek, elegant outline of
the International Expo Center (IEC).
33 INTERNATIONAL EXPO CENTER /EXTERIOR /RAIN
Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG are standing at the entrance to the IEC elegantly
dressed, hair neatly arranged with serious expressions on their faces. The
two men greet each guest as he or she ascends the white staircase, politely
nodding their heads, much as chickens do eating grains of rice.
MA QING arrives at the foot of the staircase atop the tricycle. He stops
the device by extending his leg outward and dragging his foot on the
ground.
Yu GUAN spots MA QING frOm the top of the stairs, and shouts at him.
Yu GUAN: Hey, you. Deliveries are to be made at the backstage entrance. Did
you hear me?
MA QING gives a sad look up at Yu GUAN who, in turn, chooses to ignore it.
MA QING, having no other choice, submits to the humiliation and pushes the
tricycle around to the backstage entrance, one hand on the handlebar, the otkr
on the seat.
BAO KANG is standing next to YU GUAN in a gleaming dinner jacket, his
hands clasped behind his back, squaring his shoulders, which causes his stomach
to protrude. He looks with smug satisfaction at pale-complexioned guests,
clad in Western clothing, leisurely ascending the wet staircase.
BAO JXANG, beaming with pleasure, puts a question to Yu GUAN.
BAO KANG: Where did you find these dissidents? They will really give me a
good reception. Everyone is wearing collars that are as white as snow.
Yu GUAN: They’re not here because of my efforts but because you are admired. I
put out a few fliers and attracted all of these young lovers of fine literature.
BAO LING: Do you think they’d be surprised if they were to find out that this
nondescript man standing here at the entrance is none other than the noteworthy
Bao Kang?

JANVARYLFEBRVARY 1998 43
Yu GUAN: Yeah, definitely sure. I’ll bet when they’re watching the streets for
foreigners, and they spot you, they’ll mob you.
TALL YOUNG MAN, holding his girlfriend’s arm, approaches YU GUAN.
TALL MAN: Sir, is there a dance after the ceremony?
Yu GUAN: (Lowering his voice) Yeah, just as it was stated there’d be on the
invitation.
TALL MAN: You’ll have to forgive me for asking, but we’ve often sat around for half
a day listening to fools and then been kicked out without even getting to dance.
Yu GUAN: I can assure you that not only will there be a dance but there’ll also be
a disco.
TALL MAN: Will there be a fashion show, too?
Yu GUAN: Yes, an excellent fashion show.
GIRL: Will there be free drinks after the dance?
Yu GUAN: Yeah, ffee liquor, but only on the premises.
GIRL: Okay. Now the ten-yuan ticket seems reasonable.
The young couple show their tickets and are admitted to the theater.
Yu GUAN: (Giving a timorous sidelong glance at BAO KANG) What can you do?
Whenever you get a large group of people together you have artists and philistines.
BAO KANG: (Completely unconcerned) Oh well, a couple of vulgarians won’t
upset the show. What do you think will happen if I talk too much about myself?
Yu GUAN: Oh well, it’ll add to the variety of the show. When you’re giving your
acceptance speech you should mention all of the people who’ve helped you, such
as teachers, the concern of the government, warm social support. You know.
34 A BUS STOP NEAR THE IEC /EXTERIOR / RAIN
The rain is subsiding. DING XIAOLU and LIN PEI are walking toward the IEC;
a bus passes in the background LIN PEI is carrying a SS-cm, patterned umbrella,

44 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
and DING XIAOLU, although unprotectedfrom the rain, is walking along leisurely
and seems not to get wet.
35 AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE IEC / EXTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN waves to DING XIAOLU and LIN PEI as they approach him.
Yu GUAN: Well, what a surprise! You said you weren’t coming.
DING XIAOLU: I thought I should come, after all,and see what on eartb you guys
are trying to pull off.
DING XIAOLU goes over to shake hands with YANG ZHONG.
DING XIAOLU: Hi, Yang Zhong.
YANG ZHONG looks a bit shy and uncomfortable when shaking hands. LIN PEI
looks beyond YANG ZHONG.
LIN PEI: Where is Ma Qing?
Yu GUAN: He’s unloading the award gifts backstage.
36 HALLWAY OF THE IEC / INTERIOR /RAIN
The hall is crowded with the massed audience awaiting the commencement of the
ceremony. Yu GUAN accompanies DING XIAOLU and others to the auditorium
DING XIAOLU: Hey, it looks spectacular. You guys did a great job.
37 THEATER / INTERIOR / EVENING
It is completely dark The stage is abruptly flooded with light and music is
heard. Thousands of heads can be seen in the auditorium. Atop a T-shaped stage,
models are parading back and forth, in couples, clad in all sorts of garments.
A banner strung across the width of the stage proclaims, “Three-T Literature
Awards Ceremony. ’’

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 45
Models are wearing an eclectic array of clothing, including ancient theatrical
costumes, national minority costumes, clothing for farmers, Sun Yat-sen
jackets, unvorms for the Eighth Route Army and the new Fourth Army,
Red Guard outfits, Western suits, American cowboy-style jeans, and evening
gowns.
Models begin to dance to a disco rhythm and soon reach the end of their
routine.
38 BACKSTAGE / INTERIOR / EVENING
Yu GUAN: This is what you got?!
Yu GUAN stares disbelievingly at the oversized jar, and then abruptly squats
on the floor.
Yu GUAN: (Angrily) This is a jar used for preparing salted goose eggs! How can
it be a prize cup?
MA QING: (Amused) Don’t be angry, boss. The jar is extremely heavy and of
good quality. You didn’t give me a single cent and yet you wanted good stuff.
I’m lucky to have been able to get these jars. A jar is still a jar, no matter what.
He carefully and neatly lines up a row of jars on the floor.
Yu GUAN: (Zn desperation) Well, I guess it will turn out to be pickling jar alley.
But how can I present a pickling jar to each famous writer and not bat an eye’?
They’ll be furious.
39 FRONT OF THE STAGE / INTERIOR /EVENING
The fashion show is still under way. A group of both young and OM performers
in the robes of the mandarins march close to the audience. They lif? their
robes and take out basins filled with flames.
40 BACKSTAGE / INTERIOR / EVENING
MA QING: (In a fury) Dammit! Not one of the writers has shown up.

46 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
YANG ZHONG: Shall we wait a few more minutes?
Yu GUAN: No. Why should we spoil them? Listen, there’s more than one way to
skin a cat. (Shouts to stagehands) Spotlight! Ready? (Turns to those standing
near by) We’ll have to use pumpkins and vegetables as replacements, okay? If
you don’t have anything to do, then go sit on the rostrum. Ma Qing, pass notes to
everyone. Quick!
MA QING, who is holding a pack of notes, gives a note to each person present,
h.IA QING: These are well-known sayings from famous people. Remember, when
the spotlight is on you, you’ll need to project your voice; it needs to be sonorous.
You need to project confidence as if what you’re saying is your own idea.
Yu GUAN: (In a serious tone) Don’t laugh! No one will know that you’re impersonating
a celebrity.
41 ON STAGE / INTERIOR /EVENING
The fashion show has just come to an end. Afer ajlurry of drumbeats, the
theater is darkened The spotlight is turned onto h.IA QING who had been furtively
showing off in the dark. A famous but seldomly seen author’s name is
announced over the PA system. h.IA QING’S face is a blank: he stares at the
ceiling, resigned to his fate.
hlA QING: I was dead when I was born!
The audience erupts in a wild frenzy of enthusiastic applause as the profound
remark filters into each person. Men’s and women’s faces are shown with broad
smiles, and as the camera pans over the group, the lenses of their glasses
sparkle.
The spotlight is extinguished. Another burst of drumbeats and another famous,
but seldomly seen poet’s name is announced. LIN PEI is pushed onto the
stage where she is illuminated by the spotlight.
LIN PEI: (Her voice trembling) Fresh flowers are blooming on the prairie, while
that which the cattle found to eat here is nothing but forage.
Thunderous applause is heard. Lights are illuminated and extinguished, drums
are heard and silenced
All the so-called literati follow the same pattern as the first two, then bow or

JANUARYREBRUARY 1998 47
kowtow. All of them are lined up, backstage, much like animals in a circus, as
they are prepared for their performance.
At the conclusion of the foregoing, the stage is brightly lit and, with music, the
faux authors take their seats, in a single file, while beaming with unnatural
smiles.
Yu GUAN: Ladies and gentlemen.
Yu GUAN hesitates infront of the live mike, coughs, then speaks loudly.
Yu GUAN: I would like to welcome you this evening to the 3-T Literature Award
Ceremony.
Thunderous applause echoes through the theater and abruptly stops. Three
mysterious “hello’s” are heard, followed by More loud applause. Yu GUAN,
sitting onstage, grimaces and closes his eyes when he realizes the “hello” is his
voice, mistakenly recorded, on the day he pushed the wrong button to test the
recorded audience applause level. Backstage staff frantically turn off the recorded
applause.
Yu GUAN: The first speaker we will hear this evening is Comrade Yang Zhong,
the chair of 3-T’s Literature Evaluation Committee. Comrade Yang?
More thunderous applause breaks out, then stops, followed by a loud “hey!”
YANG ZHONG accepts the mike from YU GUAN, but remains silent: he slowly,
tentatively, begins to speak.
YANG DONG: We have come togethex this evening. . . for this cedemony. . . fine. . .
Thunderous applause, and the “hey!” sound Laughterfrom the audience can
be easily heard on the stage, and an onstage participant laughs, too. Yu GUAN
has adopted a facial expression of fatalistic resignation.
Yu GUAN: Our next speaker this evening is a lading and acclaimed comrade.
Yu GUAN glances at the participants who have all lowered their heads to
avoid eye contact with him. No one volunteers to speak, and Yu GUAN, obviously
trapped, looks as i;f he would like to jump into a river. Yu GUAN, in
desperation, passes the mike to the person seated ne4 to him: that person,
horrified and stunned, passes it in turn to the adjoining participant, who follows
suit. It’s clear that an onstage, soundless game of “Beating the Drum and Passing
the Flower” is going on among the participants. The last one in the row of
seats, realizing his bad luck, accepts the mike and begins to mumble.

48 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
UNLUCKY ONE: My invitation to tonight’s program was extended to me only at
the last minute, leaving me no time to prepare a speech. There’s not much to say
except congratulations to the winners! The 3-T Company did an excellent job ...
MA QING, who is sitting in immediate proximity to the speaker, greatly encourages
UNLUCKY ONE in a low voice.
MA QING: Good! Very good! Keep it up!
UNLUCKY ONE, emboldened by MA QING’S remarks, actually raises his head
to face the absolutely rapt audience. He is cheered by the vast number of innocent
eyes watching him. He unbuttons and removes his jacket, and then talks
with his arms akimbo.
UNLUCKY ONE: We’re all a bunch of young, cool people here tonight, aren’t we?
(He glances at BAO KANG who is sitting in the second row) I see the award
recipient is pretty young, too. Isn’t this great? Young people writing literature
and receiving awards from other young people. I think this is a vev creative,
daring, imaginative thing to do. It is simply incredible that in the past ...
Yu GUAN, wet with perspiration, whispers and gestures to MA QING that he
should attempt to stop UNLUCKY ONE, and the speaker notices this.
UNLUCKY ONE: (Smiling benevolently) What? What did you say, Comrade Yu
Guan? Don’t you agree we need to have more events of this sort? It’s really quite
good, I’m all for it. However, I believe the value of the award can be increased
and the selection criteria enlarged. Has any thought been given to creating a
reader’s prize, too? In that way, everyone who attends the ceremony may receive
a souvenir. After all, we came here tonight to support you.
Genuine, warm applause erupts from the audience. UNLUCKY ONE, glowing
with happiness, passes the mike to MA QING.
UNLUCKY ONE: It serves you right!! Anyone who passes a mike to me deserves
to listen to my speech!
Yu GUAN: (Now holding the mike, he addresses the audience) We will now
award the prize.
The award is carried onstage to strains of “The Suflerers Anticipate a Better
Lve. ” Yu GUAN presents a pickle jar to each participant, which they lift over
their headsfor the inspection of the audience. MA QING stands behind LIN PEI
and helps her lift her jar.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 49
MA QING: Do me a favor and think of this as exercise.
Holding his jar over his head, BAO KANG talks to Yu GUAN in the next seat.
BAO KANG: (Grumbling, in a low voice) I haven’t spoken yet. I paid for all this. I
won’t be satisfied unless I give a speech.
Yu GUAN: You will have a chance to talk after you are presented with the prize.
The prize winners line up and slowly exit the stage, all the while clapping
their hands rhythmically, leaving BAO KANG alone on the stage. BAO KANG puts
his jar on the stage and picks up the mike, beaming and in high spirits.
42 BACKSTAGE / INTERIOR / EVENING
LIN PEI throws her jar on thefloor with all her strength, and it shatters into a
great m y pieces.
LIN FW: (Shouting) I came here for a monkey show, and you guys have made me
a monkey!
43 FRONT STAGE / INTERIOR /EVENING
BAO KANG rambles incoherently at great length, shedding tears all the while.
BAO KANG: It was at that moment that I remembered my mother, my childhood,
the little river that ran along the edge of the village, the squeaking noise made by
my elementary school teacher as her chalk moved along the blackboard. I also
remembered my aunt, and the policeman in my town; they both treated me well,
not as a bad guy. When I was unsuccessful I didn’t feel sad for myself but mher
for them. I’d rather jump to my death than disappoint them. From that moment
on, I poured all my energy into my work . . . I can hardly believe it now.
44 IN THE AUDIENCE / INTERIOR / EVENING
A middle-aged man arrives late, squeezes into a seat, hears the very last of
BAO KANG’S remarks, and then forcefully addresses himself to the person in the
adjoining seat.
LATECOMER: So, the young whippersnapper is giving a good talk.

50 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
45 MISTY STREET / EXTERIOR / EVENING
It is still raining, but lightly: each street lamp creates a pool of light, and as
pedestrians pass through the light one sees that their shoulders are hunched
against the rain. The shops, red and green neon lights, mist, all blend into a
lovely urban scene.
46 IN A TAXI / EXTERIOR / NIGHT
Yu GUAN, DING XIAOLU, BAO KANG, and others, are jammed into a taxi,
laughing and talking all the while. me nervous taxi driver constantly scans the
street: his concern deepens when he sees a solitary police car pass nearby.
DRIVER: There are too many of you guys in this car. If a cop sees all of you he’ll
give me a ticket for sure.
M.4 QING hunkers down on the seat and then stretches out to hisfull length.
MA QING: What are you complaining about’? You’re really most annoying. Even
if you were to get a ticket it’d only be a few bucks.
DRIVER argues while cautiously negotiating the streets.
DRIVER: Well, the point is the police won’t give the ticket to you. You aren’t
worried, of course, and I wouldn’t either were I you.
BAO KANG is in the back seat but cannot be seen: only his voice is heard.
BAO KANG: I’m really happy to be hanging out with you guys. You don’t give a
shit about anytAing and you don’t have any problems.
LIN &I
is squashed between YANG ZHONG and BAO KANG.
LIN PEI: If you’re laid back, you don’t care at all about anything.
BAO KANG: No, no; I think laid back means, in this case, that you don’t have any
expectations. By the way, I’ve read all your poems and I like them very much.
LIN PEI: (Laughs) I’ve never written a poem in all my life. You were deceived by
these guys. I was asked to substitute for the poet at the last moment.

JANUARYfiEBRUARY 1998 51
BAO KANG: Really?! That’s wild! (Turns to DING XMOLU at his side) So you’re
not Meng Die, either, are you?
DING XIAOLU: Nope.
BAO KANG: No wonder I felt so confused! I thought Meng Die looked different!
I kept wondering if I’d remembered his face incorrectly; I was really worried
about making a fool of myself.
LIN &I: Don’t blame us. It’s Yu Guan’s deal; go complain to him about it.
BAO KANG: Ha. It doesn’t matter. But you completely deceived me, because you
have a temperament like a poet.
YANG ZHONG, in thefront seat, murmurs to MA QING.
YANG ZHONG: Looks like he’ll start raving now.
IMA QING: Hey, I want to learn something. I want to learn from the writer.
BAO KANG: I’ve found out from you guys that Yang Zhong has pretty good
manners, he’s even profound sometimes.
YANG ZHONG: Well, well, dude, no need for sarcasm. I know I’m silly.
47 A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY / EXTERIOR / NIGHT
The taxi arrives at its destination and stops at the suie of the street. BAO
KANG exits, but before closing the door he quickly gives LIN &I a notepad and a
pen.
BAO KANG: Please give me your phone number in case I want to call you.
LIN &I jots down the number while talking.
LIN &I: I can only give you my work number. If we’re not having rehearsals,
though, you may not fiid me there. If I’m not at work, call Xialou, she always
knows where I am.
LIN PEI returns the notebook andpen to BAO KANG, who, in turn, gives them
to DING XMOLU.

52 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
BAO KANG: Would you give me your number, too?
DING XIAOLU jots down a series of numbers.
BAO KANG: (Addressing the group) I’ve already got yours so I don’t need to ask
for it again.
BAO KANG: Bye, dudes!
LIN F%I waves to BAO KANG.
48 TAXI /EXTERIOR / NIGHT
The occupants in the taxi are quiet except for LIN PEI, who is loquacious.
LIN PEI: I think Bao Kang is a pretty cool guy. you fooled him tonight; he didn’t
even get angry about the mistakes.
MA QING: That doesn’t count for much. You naively believe everyone is
good.
LIN PEI: You’re right; I think everyone is good except for you.
MA QING turns to the perpetually quiet YU GUAN.
MA QING: Where do you think we should go now? How about all of us going
somewhere together? We’d better get out of the cab, because our depresseed
“master” is just driving in circles.
The cab driver does not reply and continues to drive.
DRIVER: Oh, so now you have sympathy for me, eh? It doesn’t matter. We can
continue to go in circles for all I care, just don’t try to strangle me when it comes
time to pay the bill.
MA QING: That’s not very suitable, but it’s kind of you. We really need to make
a decision.
DING XIAOLU: Okay, well, why don’t we go to my house if you still want to talk.
Yu GUAN: No, I don’t think so; I think I’ll just go home.

JANUARYflEBRUARY 1998 53
MA QING: Okay, you can go home. We’re going to visit Ding Xiaolu’s place.
“Master,” please stop here.
YANG ZHONG: (To Yu GUAN) Hey, c’mon, don’t go home. Why go there, anyway?
It’s pretty boring without a wife, and your dad isn’t thrilled b have you there
anyway.
DRIVER: Shall I stop here?
YANG ZHONG: No, just continue on, please.
49 A HOTEL’S CAFETERIA / INTERIOR / NIGHT
A group of young adults are clustered around a table, drinking beer and
smoking cigarettes.
1MA QING: Well, boss, we had a successful night, didn’t we?
Yu GUAN: Yeah, sure, we had a successful evening.
YANG ZHONG: If we could get more contracts like the one we had tonight, we’d
soon be in the black.
MA QING: Shall we ask Yu Guan if we can make it an annual ceremony?
YANG ZHONG: Next time we should have the event at the zoo.
MA QING: Look at Bao Kang’s fucking drivel. I wonder if he’s really literate.
DING XIAOLU notices that LIN PEI looks quite unhappy.
DING XIAOLU: What’s up, Lin Pei? Have you been offended by something? Are
you unhappy?
MA QING notices LIN PEI’S unhappiness, too, and moves to her side.
MA QING: Are you unhappy with me? C’mon, cheer up and don’t be angry,
okay? We’ll solve our family business at home. You gotta either slap me or
accept my apology. I’m on my knees to you! Give me face, please!
LIN PEI: (Gives MA QING a dirty look) Shame on you. Who’s in your so-called

54 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
family? (Speaks to DING XIAOLU in a carefiee tone) I don’t like hearing his
remarks about the award ceremony. It just makes me sick. He simply has no
respect for others.
DING XIAOLU: (To Yu GUAN) My dear friend, Lin Pei, has a strong sense of
justice, eh?
LIN PEI: You’re completely insincere to everyone.
Yu GUAN: Look, tonight wasn’t my original idea. Once it got started we lost
control; it was like the Old Man when he started the Cultural Revolution.
LIN PEI: I don’t like to put people down. How can I believe you? I don’t think I
have the courage to have a deep relationship with you guys.
DING XIAOLU: (Attempting to reconcile the two) They’re not as bad as they
seem. I can vouch for them.
Yu GUAN has grown bored, yawns, and looks around. At a nearby table a
child is attempting to sit properb, hold on to the table, and eat ice cream, all at
once.
50 DING XIAOLU’S HOME / INTERIOR / MORNING
It is a brilliant morning. The sounds of traflc, and the mufled conversation of
passing pedestrians can be heardfiom the street below the apartment.
Yu GUAN tiptoes across a corridor. He enters the kitchen, armed with a
toothbrush, to clean his teeth.
The family’s large white catjumpsflorn the table to thefloor and in so doing
hits a bottle of milk. Yu GUAN makes a fiantic effort to intercept the bottle but
the milk has already splattered across the table.
5 1 DING XIAOLU’S BEDROOM / INTERIOR / MORNING
YU GUAN enters the bedroom. DING XIAOLU is sitting, blank-faced, on the
bed, with dishevelled hair, clad in herpajamas.
Yu GUAN: Why did you get up so early?
DING XIAOLU: I have to work today. I can’t be on vacation forever. Do you want
anythmg to eat? There’s milk in the kitchen.

JANUARYREBRUARY 1998 55
Yu GUAN: The cat has already drunk that, I’m afraid.
DING XIAOLU: Really? That greedy cat. What would you like for breakfast? I’ll
be happy to fuc it for you.
Yu GUAN: Thanks, but there’s no need for that. I don’t want anything to eat; I
don’t much care about eating, it’s not a must.
DING XIAOLU: You have a highly irregular lifestyle. It’s bad for your health, you
know.
Yu GUAN: I don’t plan, or want, to live for a hundred years, you know. Who
cares, anyway?
DING XIAOLU: Yu Guan, anything . . . forget it. I know you don’t need my
advice. Just come here any time, okay?
Yu GUAN: I know.
Yu GUAN buttons up his shirt, glances at DING XIAOLU, and then leaves.
52 BRILLIANTLY LIT STREET /EXTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN is sauntering along the sidewalk An overcrowded bus passes him,
and he starts running as fast as he can to catch it, which he does, and then
manages to squeeze himself into the vehicle.
53 SIDEWALK JAMMED WITH PEOPLE / EXTERIOR / DAY
Scene starts with a long shot, then zooms out. The downtown street is sufsused
with a warm, dry wind. People are movi.ag along unconcerned when their hair,
skirts, or pants’ cuffs are blown about, such is their languid, casual mood.
54 LUXURIOUS RESTAURANT / INTERIOR / DAY
Seated near brown French-style windows, h4~
QING and YANG ZHONG are
listening to the ravings of an enthusiastic man and watching pedestrians.

56 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
MAN: Just think about it! A restaurant that can seat ten thousand people. Man,
wouldn’t that be exciting? It’s gonna be constructed in the vast, ancient land of
China. Don’t assume that the foreign moon is brighter than it is here, for we also
have things of wonder right here. I’ll quit my job. I’ll do anything to see this
project materialize. Are we really gonna do it? If we are, we don’t have to spend
our money. Remember that when the Great Wall was under construction the
treasury was drained, but how about now? We all depend on it to attract tourists.
MA QING: Well, fine, but how are you going to coax so many tourists to come
here?
MAN: That’s not the problem, believe me. What do you think foreigners are
doing every single day? They’re coming to China to have a giant feast!
YANG ZHONG begins to shout and pound on the glass with his hand when he
notices Yu GUAN walking by, clad in his wrinkled jacket.
YANG ZHONG: Yu Gum!
Yu GUAN turns in response to hearing his name. He leaves the crowded
sidewalk when he ident#es YANG ZHONG and MA QING as the people waving at
him from inside the restaurant, much like caged simians. YU GUAN enters the
restaurant and slowly approaches his friends table.
YANG ZHONG: We were looking for you. Instead of going back to the office,
why don’t you stay here with us? We’re going to have a luncheon here.
Yu GUAN: Who’s the host?
Yu GUAN sits at the table, sips some of YANG ZHONG’S leftover cofSee and
then replaces the cup on the table.
YANG ZHONG: We were invited by Bao Kang. Ding Xiaolu called us and told us
to be sure you made it here.
Yu GUAN: Why did Bao Kang decide to sponsor a luncheon?
YANG ZHONG: He called Ding Xiaolu and told her to bring Lin Pei. Understand
now?
YANG ZHONG winks at Yu GUAN.
Yu GUAN: Have you guys been hanging out here all morning?

JANUARYtFEBRUARY 1998 57
MA QING: This dreamer has been telling us about how he wants to build a
restaurant that can serve ten thousand customers.
Yu GUAN gives an elaborate grimace upon hearing this news.
Yu GUAN: Ten thousand customers? Another fantasy.
Throughout this discussion the man has continued to argue for his idea.
MAN: It’s not a fantasy, it’s cold reality. Citibank has already approved a loan, at
6 percent, to do it. The only hitch is that they want the Bank of China to
guarantee it.
Yu GUAN: That’s impossible. Don’t forget this is the same financial institution
that made loans to the Vietnamese to fight the Yankees in the sixties. I’ve never
heard of a bank extending a commercial loan at such a low rate of interest. I’m
not sure who’s cheating whom. So, a ten-thousand-customer restaurant? My
God! Let’s estimate that there are two meals served per day, one entree per meal,
well, let’s see, that creates the need for more than seven million foreign devils!
(Said with sardonic humor) How many Eight-Power Allied Forces* will be
formed, do you think?
MAN: Maybe you haven’t been keeping up with your current events, huh? The
power of the proletarians is growirg while the number of capitalists is sharply
increasing. I only hope you can help me get Bank of China underwriting.
Yu GUAN: I somehow doubt that I can. The Bank of China doesn’t normally
involve itself with amateur projects.
MAN: (To YANG ZHONG) I seem to remember your telling me that your maid
used to work in the home of the Bank of China’s vice chairman.
YANG ZHONG: True. If you want to kidnap his kid, then I’d go and talk to her.
MAN: Okay, if that’s the best you can do, don’t wony about it. If you can’t help
me out, I’ll try to find someone else.
YU GUAN: I actually do want to help you, it’s just that there’s nothing I can do.
MAN: Hey, don’t wony about it, I’m learning a lot as I go along. To tell you the
truth, I’m trying to walk on a tightrope, knowing that if I can pull it off I’ll get a
windfall. If I can’t, it won’t be a surprise.
*An alliance, in 1900, of troops from Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Tsarist Russia, and the United States to suppress an indigenous anti-imperialist Chinese
political movement.

S8
CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Yu GUAN: Well, I’m afraid that’s all we can do right now.
The three of them flash broad smiles then begin to laugh. MA QING notices
YU GuAN’sjacket.
MA QING: Didn’t you return that jacket? Why are you still wearing it?
Yu GUAN stretches one of the sleeves with the other hand.
Yu GUAN: Well, the clerk at the store told me they wouldn’t exchange it because
the collar had gotten dirty. I thought I’d promised the guy to exchange it, and
even gave him the refund early. I’d feel embarrassed to go back again. Forget it. I
actually need a jacket for the spring and fall.
MA QING: It doesn’t fit you, though. The sleeves are too short. That damned
bastard asked us to exchange a used jacket! Too bad you didn’t check it before
you accepted the job.
Yu GUAN: Look, it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t have to be a model. It’s
manageable.
The man who had raved about the ten-thousand-seat restaurant has become
bored. He gets up and puts a packet of foreign cigarettes in his pocket.
MAN: I gotta go. You guys just go on.
YANG ZHONG: Leaving now? Why don’t you stay and have lunch with us?
MAN: Naw, thanks, but I’ve passed the age when I’d do anything just for a meal.
I’m busy. Later.
The man concludes his last words with a smile, then leaves. The three remaining
men watch him, also smiling.
Yu GUAN: He’s had too many punches to the head.
The man slowly walks to the entrancdexit of the restaurant just as LIN PEI
dashes in, lightly, like a butterfly in the wind. The man steps aside for her,
glances at her with interest, then leaves the room. LIN PEI moves nimbly across
the room: as she passes tables she attracts appreciative glances. She joins the
group and takes the chair recently occupied by the man who has just lejt.
LIN PEI: Am I late? I rushed here as soon as rehearsal finished at the theater.

JANUARYREBRUARY 1998 59
The three Men clt the table give her benign smiles.
MA QING: No, you’re not late.
LIN PEI: (Ash MA QING) Are you hosting the lunch?
MA QING: Are you kidding? Bao Kang is the host. I could never afford this.
LIN PEI: Why is he hosting the luncheon?
MA QING: If you don’t know, how would we know? We’re riding on your
coattails.
LIN &I:
My coattails? What do you mean? I’m not involved with Bao Kang.
Yu GUAN: (SmiUng) No one said you’re involved with him. Don’t get upset.
LIN PEI: Why should I be nervous? Why are you guys being so weird? Is something
going on I don’t know about? I don’t want any connection to Bao Kang. He’s
odd, strange, and not a nice man.
YANG ZHONG: You don’t have to explain.
LIN &I: Hey guys, get lost. I’m not talking to you anymore.
The more nervous LIN PEI becomes, the more amused the men become. MA
QINGfinally acts to rescue herfrom their teasing.
Xvh QING: Are you going to be in tonight’s show?
LIN %I: Yeah. Will you guys come and cheer for me?
YANG ZHONG: Sure. You won’t escape this afternoon if you don’t perform.
LIN &I: Great. Will you charge me for your applause? The problem is I have no
money to pay your fee.
MA QING: No charge. Instead of cash, why don’t you serve the wine for each of
the brothers at the luncheon later on?
LIN PEI: Deal.
YANG BONG: Have you ever noticed that an actress smiles in a different way

60 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
from regular people? Normally, when people smile they narrow their eyes at the
same time, but actresses smile with their eyes wide open.
Yu GUAN’S attention is suddenly diverted to the far end of the room. He then
cups his hands and shouts.
Yu GUAN: Bao Kang!
BAO KANG, at the entrance to the restaurant, hears Yu GUAN and smiles
happily in their direction. He is standing next to a visibly amiable and gentle
muidle-aged man.
55 LUXURIOUS CHINESE RESTAURANT / INTERIOR / DAY
A close shot of the aforementioned amiable, middle-aged man.
BAO KANG: (Voice-over) This gentleman is Zhao Yaoshun, my teacher.
The group moves into a traditional Chinese-style dining room, with gold and
red color themes. They sit around a huge, round, sandalwood table. BAO KANG
introduces Yu GUAN to the older man.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: I decided to join Bao Kang here this afternoon because I’ve
heard so much about all of you from him. I want very much to know you.
As ZHAO YAOSHUN speaks, he removes a pack of cigarettes from his shirt,
selects a cigarette, inserts it in his mouth, and attempts to light it. The cigarette
lighter is defective, however, and refuses to work even afer several attempts.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: What’s wrong with this thing?
Yu GUAN tosses YANG ZHONG’S matches to ZHAO YAOSHUN. BAO KANG
grabs them and then lights ZHAO YAOSHUN’S cigarette.
BAO KANG: Professor Zhao enjoys meeting new people. He has a lot of friends
from our age group.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: That’s true. You young people today are completely different
from the way my generation was when we were young. However, I think that
some of today’s young people need to change the way they think. Even so, I
don’t think it’s hard to understand your ideas and lifestyle; the important thing is

JANUARYEEBRUARY 1998 61
to try to understand. Because many of my friends are young I’ve learned to get
along with them and feel sympathetic when they are depressed and feeling lost.
BAO KANG: Professor Zhao is also enthusiastic about the new directions we’re
exploring in society.
Yu GUAN: Well, that’s great, but we’re a bunch of uncouth guys who only care
about eating, drinking, and chasing women.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Well, I never disagreed with the idea of calling today’s youth
the “Lost Generation”! You have your values and goals; everyone does, how else
could we live? If our values weren’t different, how uninteresting life would be
for all of us. We individuals all have an inclination toward hope; no matter if our
lives are good or bad, we live for change, newness, uncertainty, or otherwise our
lives would have lost their luster, I think that’s true of you, too.
Yu GUAN: Yes, that’s true. No doubt about it.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: There’s no other way, otherwise, to explain humanity’s curiosity
and quest for change.
Yu GUAN: (Smiling at ZHAO YAOSHUN) I don’t think that I ever thought about
whether I have an unavoidable debt to my fellow humans.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (Giving Yu GUAN an agectionate, light pat on the shoulder) If
we have the time we’ll have a good talk.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: I think, young friend, you have a bright future.
MA QING: Professor Zhao, you need to give me a little praise too, not just Yu
Gum.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: You’re not bad, Ma Qing. All of you here are good people.
Yu GUAN: (To BAO KANG, in a loud voice) I wonder why Ding Xiaolou isn’t
here yet? Did you tell her we were planning to meet here for lunch?
BAO KANG: Yes, I did. I can’t guess why she isn’t yet here.
ZHAO YAOSHUN directs a question to Yu GUAN and BAO JSANG while srrwking
and holding a cigarette in his hand.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Is this Ding Xiaolu the same one I know?

62 CHWESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
BAO KANG does not respond, and Yu GUAN lowers his head while playing
with his chopsticks.
Yu GUAN: She works at the Smart Women newspaper.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Oh, yes, I know her very well, indeed. You need not worry,
she’ll make it, especially if she knows I’m here. Did you tell her I’d be here?
BAO KANG: Yes, I told her you’d be here.
ZHAO YAOSHLJN: Oh, so you also know her. (Looks around and glances at each
person ’sface) She’s a nice girl. I also knew her mother, who was once a colleague
of mine. I guess she’s not young anymore. I wonder if she’s still married?
Yu GUAN: We’re only casually acquainted, not terribly close.
Zmo YAOSHUN: The girl is kindhearted, but (pointing to his head and smiling) a
little slow.
LIN PEI: (Using her hands to brace herseK tilts her chair backward and stares
up at the recessed ceiling lights) Shall we order now? Bao Kang, can you ask the
waiter to start the meal? I’m very hungry.
BAO KANG hum’edly asks the waiters to commence serving the meal.
BAO KANG: All right, let’s order. Waiter, please bring the dishes now. (Addressing
LIN PEI) Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have plans for the
afternoon?
LIN PEI lowers thefiont legs of her chair to the ground, holds her chopsticks
in a peflectly vertical angle to the table and gives sour glances to the assembled.
LIN PEI: I have a performance tonight, and I must go to the theater to get set up.
A waiter brings a variety of cold dishes to the table, followed in quick succession
by several entrees. LIN PEIpicks up a bottle of wine and stands.
LIN PEI: I’ll serve the wine.
LIN PEI, smiling, serves wine to IVh QING; when she reaches ZHAO YAOSHUN
she asks a question.
LIN PEI: Would you care for some wine?

JANUARYPEBRUARY 1998 63
ZHAO YAOSHUN: A little please.
LIN PEI pours the wine into his glass, spills a little of it, then begins pouring
for the nexl mede. BAO KANG hps his g hs and glances around at the assembled.
BAO KANG: I’d like to say a few words now.
MA QING: What are you planning to say? Don’t let’s be polite; let’s help OUTselves.
MA QING seizes a big piece of beef and stuffs it into his mouth.
BAO KANG: AU right, help yourselves.
BAO KANG takes his seat, waves his hand to everyone to suggest they begin
eating, then offers a preserved goose egg to ZHAO YAOSHUN.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Thanks, but I’ll get it myself.
ZHAO YAOSHUN begins to eat, and turns his head to look at YANG ZHONG
who is sitting next to YU GUAN.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Are you also affiliated with the 3-T Company?
YANG ZHONG: I’m a damn fool, but don’t worry about it.
YANG ZHONG continues to eat, unconcerned by his rude response to ZHAO
YAOSHUN. ZHAO YAOSHUN is unconcerned, too, and reaches toward aplatter of
eggplant.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: It’s really unfortunate that young people so very often underestimate
themselves.
BAO KANG notices Yu GUAN isn’t eating very much food.
BAO KANG: (To Yu GUAN) Why don’t you have some more wine? You’re not
eating anything, either.
Yu GUAN: I never have eaten much food. It’s not the food; all my friends will
tell you the same thing about me.
BAO KANG: That’s amazing. A man who doesn’t drink! (Picks up a glass of
wine) I’ll have this glass with you. If you don’t drink you’re not a real man.

64 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Zmo YAOSHUN: You only need to start with a little bit of wine. At the beginning
I didn’t drink very much either, but later on there were more and more
parties that helped me learn how to hold my liquor.
YANG ZHONG: (To BAO KANG) Don’t try to force him to drink if he doesn’t want
it. What do you mean by “a real man,” anyway? It’s pathetic, believing that
doing certain things will put hair on your chest. Do you think only men drink?
Women do it, too, when they’re lonely. Look, we’re the men here; we don’t have
to try to act like men.
M,4 QING: C’mon, I’ll drink it with you.
M,4 QING stands, toasts BAO KANG, then quickly drains his glass. BAO KANG
retakes his seat.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (Smiling at BAO KANG) You guys said some interesting things
just now.
BAO KANG: That’s precisely why I enjoy being with them.
Zmo YAOSHUN: To tell you the truth, I think they’re some valuable friends to
have.
56 STREET /EXTERIOR / DAY
The group of friends are dispersed among others on the street, each of them
staggering along and reeking of alcohol. Zmo YAOSHUN, flanked by MA QING
and Yu GUAN, with his hands clasped behind his back, walks along the street,
too.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: What do you guys do in your spare time?
h4A QING: Not a lot. Sometimes we watch kung fu tapes, sometimes we get
together for cards; we sleep a lot, too.
Zmo YAOSHUN: You should get some books to read. Reading a compelling
book is the perfect antidote to loneliness and depression.
Yu GUAN: We don’t worry, actually. We never read, and we never worry.
Zmo YAOSHUN: To worry too much is not good, but to not worry at all does not

JANUARYflEBRUARY I998 65
seem very wise, either. Perhaps you can make more fiiends if you don’t like to
read as a way of enlarging your lives; it’s not wise, again, to limit yourselves to
only the people in your own group.
h4~ QING quickly notices that ZHAO YAOSHUN, while talking, is visually
scanning the crowd; his eyes lock on an object in the crowd ahead. MA QING’S
eyes follow ZHAO YAOSHUN’S line of vision, and he detects a shapely young girl
in jeans.
MA QING: Professor Zhao, are you interested in that hot number up ahead? Shall
I catch her for you?
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (Surprised, quickly stops looking at the young girl) What are
you talking about?
MA QING: Oh, you don’t have to play innocent. I know you’re very interested in
that young girl.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Xiao Ma, don’t kid me. I’m not up to such things; that’s a
game for the young.
MA QING doesn’t hear the disclaimer because he has already spurted ahead
to catch up with the young woman who has remarkably bouncy steps.
MA QING: Excuse me! Can you tell me how to reach Flat-Pot Lane’?
YOUNG WOMAN, as she seems to bounce along the sidewalk, glances at MA
QING, then knits her eyebrows in concentration.
YOUNG WOMAN: Flat-Pot Lane? Is there a street with that name around here?
MA QING: Yeah, I think so. I asked a professor who’s right behind me, and he
said it’s close by.
YOUNG WOMAN: (Glances over her shoulder in the direction of the two other
men) Well, why didn’t he show you where it is?
MA QING: Well, he said he’d been there only once before and couldn’t remember
how to get there now. All he could remember was that there was a bakery at the
intersection where the street begins.
YOUNG WOMAN: Oh, yeah, I think that’s right. Uh, why don’t you go straight
ahead, pass the next traffic light, and at the second block you’ll see a bakery

66 CKINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
there; but I’m not sure if the name of the street is Flat-Pot Lane. You’d better ask
someone else.
MA QING: Thanks! People here in the capital are real nice.
YOUNG WOMAN gives a quick glance at MA QING, gives him a winsome smile
and then walks away. MA QING stops to wait for Zmo YAOSHLJN with his face
sheathed in a broad smile.
MA QING: Well, Professor Zhao, I’ve asked that girl to go out on a date with you.
You can meet her tomorrow afternoon at 5:OO o’clock at the entrance to the Great
Wall Hotel.
Zmo YAOSHUN: That’s remarkable! You were able to do so much with such
ease? What did you tell her?
MA QING: Well, I told that sweet young thing that the famous Professor Zhao
wanted very much to meet her. The girl was impressed and said she’d heard of
you and told me how much she admires you. Then I told her that you’re very
busy and couldn’t see her at just any old time; I told her you have meetings
scheduled with high-ranking Central Party Committee officials and must prepare
a presentation. So if you want to meet him you have to make an appointment.
The girl said that was cool, but she didn’t know where or when, so I told her the
Great Wall Hotel because you will have some business meetings there.
Zmo YAOSHUN: What have you done?! If any of this gets out it’ll have an effect
on my reputation !
Yu GUAN: (To MA QING) Don’t tease an old guy like that. (To ZHAO YAOSHUN)
Don’t listen to his B.S.; he’s teasing you.
Zmo YAOSHUN: Don’t you think I know, after all these years, when someone is
kidding me? It doesn’t matter; we’re having a quiet walk after lunch and cracking
jokes. I like to make jokes, too.
MA QING: Professor Zhao, tell me the truth. Have you had any affairs in your
life?
Zmo YAOSHUN: No, I never could. You don’t understand how it is for a man in
my position. The fame and social status is one thing, but people forget that it’s
very confining; it’s not like your lives which are carefxe. Young people today
are very different from the young people of my day; people were very conservative
back then. Did you know we had to report our love affairs to the Party? My

JANUARYflEBRUARY 1998 67
wife-well, that’s meaningless now, let’s not talk about that. Tragedy followed
my generation. Where’s Bao Kang? Where did he go? (Looks around) Where did
he and Xiao Lin go? Should we wait for them?
57 RESTAURANT /INTERIOR / DAY
The restaurant provides an elegant, understated environment. BAO KANG and
LIN PEI are sitting close to each other, sipping coffee and chatting.
LIN PEI: I really don’t much like the guy you brought with you to the luncheon.
He’s like an artificial Kung Fu boxer.
BAO KANG: I don’t like him very much either, but it’s hard to say in absolute
terms that you like or dislike someone.
LIN &I: Is he truly your teacher?
BAO KANG: That’s what I call him, but when I think about it, I actually call
everyone teacher whenever I open my mouth. There are too many teachers on the
planet! How long have you known Yu Gum and Ma Qing?
LIN PEI: Not very long; about the same amount of time as I have known you.
BAO KANG: Really? I thought you guys were really tight. Do you like them a
lot?
LIN PEI: Well, they’re pretty cool guys, and funny, too.
BAO KANG: Yeah? Don’t you think they’re pretty dumb?
LIN PEI: Yeah, I realized that as soon as I met them.
BAO KANG: I think they really don’t care about anything the way they behave. I
know enough about them to realize they’re really very depressed. They really
want to do something big with their lives, but they never do anything. It’s too
bad, they have ambitions but no talent. I don’t think you should get too close to
them; they’ll play with your head and give you problems.
LIN PEI: I don’t hang out with them very much; it’s nothing serious. That’s why I
just have fun with them. I think you’re probably right: I need to learn more, and
do something with my life.

68 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
BAO KANG: Well, no matter how deep you were with them, I really couldn’t
blame you, ’cause you’re pretty naive. There are lots of guys who’d like to be
involved with you and really mess up your life. You know I’m serious. I really
couldn’t handle seeing you go to a bad end, end up on the streets.
LIN PEI: Yeah, I think I know that.
BAO KANG: Hey, what do you know? You don’t know anything. You know how
to blend in: other people laugh, you laugh; they worry, you worried. You spend
your life with makeup, clothes, junk food, forgetting that your youth is slipping
away.
LIN PEI: You’re really heavy. What do you think I should do? I don’t have a lot
of self discipline.
BAO KANG: I’ll help you. Would you like to write novels?
LIN PEI: Sure! But I don’t think I know how to do it.
BAO KANG: You can learn step by step. I can teach you.
LIN PEI: Oh, that’d be fantastic! Are you really sure you want to do it’? I’ve
always wanted to write about my crazy ups and downs, but I never had anyone
who’d teach me how, and now I’ve found you. You know, even though I’m
young I have already experienced a lot. Whenever I think about those old days I
want to cry.
58 FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE GREAT WALL HOTEL /
EXTERIOR / DAY
Zmo YAOSHUN is impatiently pacing back and forth in a Western-style suit
and formal dress shoes. He glances at his watch periodically, and it is clear he’s
awaiting the young woman he saw on the street.
59 DEPARTMENT STORE /INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG are window shopping. YANG ZHONG hears
someone call his name. He turns and sees a clerk smiling at him from a nearby
counter. He walks over and talks with her; the girl soon calls out to Yu GUAN, too.

JANlJARYflEBRUARY 1998 69
YANG ZHONG: Come over here. Look who’s here.
LIU WIPING: (Smiling) You’ve already forgotten me, haven’t you?
Yu GUAN: (Smiling) No, of course not; how could I? I remember you. So this is
where you work, huh?
LIU MEIPING: Yup, this is it. Would you like to buy some handkerchiefs?
Yu GUAN: Naw, that’s okay. How’re you doing?
LIU WIPING: Good, thanks. Where’s Xiao Ma? Isn’t he with you? How’s he
doing?
YANG ZHONG: He’s okay. Are you still dating that guy?
LIU WIPING: Yeah, we’ll probably get married pretty soon. I’m really happy to
see you again; I had a wonderful time the other day, and I keep thinking about it.
I even tried to call you the other day.
YANG ZHONG: Really? I wonder why I didn’t get your call. I’m in the office
every day.
LIU WIPING: Who knows? I just wanted to visit you there, but felt too shy to do
it. Anyway, I figured you’d forgotten me by now.
YANG ZHONG: No, how could we do that? Feel free to stop by anytime. We talk
about you and wonder when we can have some of your wedding candy.
LIU MEIPING: Really? Well, I’ll come see you soon. I really like hanging out
with you guys.
60 OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT STORE /
EXTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG are emergingpom the store.
Yu GUAN: What’s her name? I can’t remember.
YANG ZHONG: I don’t either. I just remembe seeing her somewhere in the
past.

70 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
61 OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE TO THE GREAT WALL HOTEL /
EXTERIOR / DAY
ZHAO YAOSHUN looks at his watch again and realizes he has been duped. He
turns and walks away, visibly angry.
62 STREET / EXTERIOR / DAY
ZHAO YAOSHUN wak through the street aimlessly with a blank face. He
passes a phone booth, makes a U-turn to return to the booth, enters it and
carefully closes the door. He consciously steadies his breath, picks up the receiver,
inserts coins into the phone and begins to dial. The connection is completed,
he speaks three words with great seriousness, then hangs up. Afrer he
einergesfrom the booth he is visibly calmer than before.
63 SERIES OF SHOTS OF 3-T COMPANY FACILITIES
ILLUSTRATING ITS GROWING PROSPERITY
[The series of shots were actually completed along the sidewalk at a busy
street downtown]
The following shots may be done within the 3-T business ofice, but the elapsed
time period may be stretched The background can include decorators busily
absorbed with their work as customers enter and depart the facility. Yu GUAN is
talking with a thin, weak-looking, middle-aged m.
Yu GUAN: I understand that your manager did not approve your transfer, but we
can’t send someone to punch his son. That’s unreasonable and we are decent
people. I think you should have a good, solid discussion with your boss. Maybe
you could go to his home, talk to him in a patient way. Don’t take a box of dim
sum. He’d think that that’s vulgar and it wouldn’t work. In fact, you could take
your sleeping bag, and after eating with him, sleep over. You remember the line
from the Beijing opera, “camping forever in Shajiabang”?
YANG ZHONG, halfasleep on a sofa, talks to a muscular man in the ofsice.
YANG ZHONG: You’d better go to the police station again, and whatever the cop
tells you, just accept it. Don’t be proud, just take it as if you were a little boy and

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 71
your father is scolding you. Remember that those guys are standing on the street
every day, and they don’t earn a high salary, either. If they couldn’t reprimand
you on occasion they would go berserk. He’ll return your bike to you; don’t
worry about that. He’d rather deal with a traffic matter than gangs.
MA QING: (Patiently talking with a blue-collar worker) You know as well as I do
that living standards for most people have improved. No one complained about
the high cost of meat in the past because no one had any meat. You might
have bought twenty cents’ worth of fat and made that into a dumpling dinner.
If the price of meat were the same now as it was then, the government
couldn’t afford to give you meat even if the entire country were to be converted
into a pig farm.
Yu GUAN: (Talking on the telephone) When you see your wife you’ll probably
feel dizzy, so you’d better take some Chinese medicine pills before you go home.
Golden Box Kidney, for example, will protect you. If that doesn’t work, try
putting sleeping pills in your wife’s porridge bowl. When she finishes dinner
she’ll feel so sleepy she won’t even open her eyes to watch Donald Duck or even
wash her feet. Believe me, she won’t be in the mood to do anything else but
snore. This way, you won’t threaten your health in your next half life.
YANG ZHONG: (Talking to a pale-skinned young man) Here’s what you need to
do. Don’t go to bed too early, and when you do, wear loose shorts, buy two iron
balls and hold one in each hand. Get up at daybreak and jog for ten kilometersevery
day! Don’t put any film stars’ posters on your bedroom wall. If you find
any sexy thoughts drifting into your mind, think of the hippo Liu Yingjun. If that
doesn’t work, you should imagine that you’re at the Lao Shan Front and you’re
trying to defend it alone. Whether you hold it or lose it, there’s honor in the
effort!
The preceding scenes should be accompanied by music. When the scenes
come to an end. so does the music.
64 3-T BUSINESS OFFICE / INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN writes a check and gives it to a unvomd tax ofsicial.
Yu GUAN: Why must we pay such a high tax?
TAX OFFICIAL,: You get off easy! Your tax is calculated at the special business
tax rate.

72 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Yu GUAN: Okay, okay. Whatever you say.
Yu GUAN turns back to continue his discussion with a handsome man who
looks tired; the men sit on opposite sides of a desk
Yu GUAN: Yup. Love and marriage are definitely two different things. One is
one, and two is two, but why don’t you look like one is one and two is two?
Oh, sorry. I’m thinking of something else. I hope you’re not pissed. Go
ahead.
HANDSOME MAN: Forget it. I’m not angry; I don’t ever want to be angry.
Yu GUAN doodles aimlessly, creating circles on paper, as he listens to the
man.
Yu GUAN: All right, go ahead. Love and marriage are not the same. Finished?
HANDSOME MAN: Let me make this short and sweet. I’m finished with her. I
don’t want to deceive myself and her as well. I want to break up with her.
Yu GUAN: Break up with whom?
HANDSOME MAN: Break up, of course, with the woman who wants to marry me.
If you’re only dating someone, breaking up comes as no surprise.
Yu GUAN: Sure, you’re right, it’s no surprise. Break up with her, then; what’s
the big deal?
HANDSOME MAN: You don’t get it. I want to break up with her, but I haven’t
done it yet. I don’t want to hurt her-well, I don’t want to hurt her face to face. I
don’t know what to say, how to handle this in a proper way. I think you can do it,
though. You guys are pros with these kinds of dilemmas, aren’t you? Sophisticated,
aren’t you?
Yu GUAN: We’ll do it, no problem. We’ll think of all sorts of high-minded
reasons why it can’t go on.
HANDSOME MAN: Listen, you can’t imagine how much I appreciate all this.
You’re saving my life. I’ll write thank-you letters with both hands! I think you
should ask her to accept reality, and accept it without crying. I cannot accept the
idea of her crying.
Yu GUAN: I don’t think I can assure you that it won’t happen.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 73
HANDSOME MAN: Yeah, you’re right, I probably want too much. Okay, well,
let’s try this instead; her crying is okay. If she needs to cry, let her cry. Don’t let
her cry out loud or faint or make a scene. I don’t think you should leave her alone
until she has calmed down. You can’t imagine how much she loves me. When
she’s told I don’t love her anymore, it’ll be like a bolt from the sky. It might cost
her her life.
Yu GUAN: Okay. Now, our fee schedule is like this. We base our prices on the
wages of a skilled worker, level five. Anything less than half a day, we charge
for half a day. Anything over eight hours will be billed as overtime. Lunches
outside and night-time work are all billed according to current government policies.
You’ll have to reimburse us for all transportation expenses.
HANDSOME MAN: No problem, man. I’ll pay whatever it is. No matter how many
days it takes for her to recover, then that is how long you need to work. She can’t
go through her life in a heartbroken condition.
Yu GUAN: By the way, how intimate was your relationship? Did you, uh, sleep
together?
HANDSOME MAN: I can’t lie to you under these circumstances; I can’t say we
didn’t. I hope this won’t offend your sense of propriety. It’s not important
now; it doesn’t matter; it’s very popular now. She won’t care about that;
she’s a nice girl.
Yu GUAN: What’s her name and phone number?
HANDSOME MAN: You’ve seen her. In fact I asked someone from your company
to date her once when I didn’t have time to see her. Her name is Liu Meiping, a
sales clerk at the department store.
Yu GUAN: Hey, wait, are you the asshole professional?
HANDSOME MAN: Your remarks are really gross.
65 STREET /EXTERIOR / DAY
LIN PEI, walking backward, stares at, andprecedes, BAO KANG.
LIN PEI: What am I doing wrong? Why can’t I write? As soon as I put the pen on
the paper, my mind goes blank. Is there a shortcut to writing?

74 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
BAO KANG: The only thing I know is being willing to sacrifice yourself.
66 BUSINESS OFFICE OF THE 3-T COMPANY / INTERIOR / DAY
The background is that of the firm’s unending interior redesign.
MA QING: (Angrily) How could we have abused your mother? How do you
imagine we could have caused your mother to move her bowels in her clothes?
We don’t know your mother!
Yu GUAN is rousedfrom his stupor and recognizes the man who’s quarreling
with MA QING as the intellectual with whom he’d spoken on an earlier day. YU
GUAN hurries over to the two men.
Yu GUAN: (To MA QING) Don’t forget the oath we all took: Never argue with a
customer. (Turning to the intellectual) Please don’t be angry with Ma Qing when
I’m the one who should be blamed. You’re right. Your mother is our responsibility.
We’ll send someone over to the hospital right now.
INTELLECTUAL is far from pacified; he stares at MA QING with open hostility.
INTELLECTUAL: You have a bad attitude. I’m going to write a letter to the evening
newspaper and criticize you.
Yu GUAN is able to Move quickly and suppress the response that MA QING is
about to offer in response to INTELLECTUAL’S threat.
Yu GUAN: Just clam up. The customer is always right! (To INTELLECTUAL, while
smiling) We’ll get that into his skull one of these days.
67 ABOARD A MOVING SUBWAY CAR / INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN, while hanging onto a ceiling strap, is speaking to LIU MEIPING in
a slow, patient way. LIU MEPING is about a half head shorter than Yu GUAN.
The few other rlders are scattered around the car and many of them are falling
asleep.
Yu GUAN: All of us live for others, don’t you think?

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1998 75
LIU MEIPING: Yes, I think so.
Yu GUAN: Others’ happiness is our own.
LIU MEIPING: That’s what is said, yes.
Yu GUAN: We agree that we wouldn’t, under any circumstances, refuse to suffer
bad luck if it’s for others’ good luck.
LIU WIPING: I wouldn’t hesitate.
Yu GUAN: Do you really think so?
LIU MEIPING: Sure! When I was young I took an oath, and I swore that even if I
was asked by Liu Hulan to contribute my own life, I wouldn’t hesitate for a
moment.
Yu GUAN: Would you be willing to become inferior to those two?
LIU MEPING: Yes, I’d do that, too.
Yu GUAN: Well, bere’s an oppartunity, now, far you to give a guy great happiness.
LIU MEIPING: Really? Does he want to buy handkerchiefs?
Yu GUAN: No, he doesn’t want to buy anything. I know you’ll do your best to
offer great service and treat the guy as if he were a family member. But it’s
something completely different; he needs you to help him escape his agony and
start a new life.
LIU MEIPING: Wow! Can I really do that much for someone?
Yu GUAN: You can do more than you imagine. You’re kindhearted, you understand
the idea of mercy, you think about other people. In your mind there are
always other people, never yourself.
LIU MEPING: Go ahead. Tell me. What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything.
Yu GUAN: It’s really simple. You don’t actually have to do anything as much as
you have to not do something. If you don’t go see this guy, everything will be
solved.
LIU MEWING is speechless and confounded.

76 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
LIU MEIPING: (Zn a tremulous voice) You mean .. ,
Yu GUAN: Yes. I mean Wang Mingshui. He has asked me to tell you that he
doesn’t want to see you again, and he hopes you won’t make any effort to see
him again.
The subway arrives at the station.
LIU MEWING: You’re not kidding, are you?
Yu GUAN: No, I’m in no mood for joking around. Can you handle all this’?
LIU MEIPING turns pale, turns away from Yu GUAN, and dashes from the
subway car. Yu GUAN also rushes out of the car in hot pursuit.
68 IN THE SUBWAY STATION / INTERIOR / DAY
The train moves away from the couple, leaving behind only the two of them in
the station.
Yu GUAN: You’d better not go look for him at home.
LIU MEIPING remains silent.
Yu GUAN: You’d better not go look for him at home.
LIU MEIPING: I’m not going to his house, okay?
Yu GUAN: Don’t be upset. This doesn’t matter very much.
LIU MEIPING: I’m not upset. I know it’s nothing. You don’t have to waste your
time standing around talking to me. I have to go; I’m busy. Get out of my way!
Get out!
LIU MEIPING walks directly to the stairs and exits the station. Yu GUAN, mute
and numb, watches her go.
69 IN THE 3-T BUSINESS OFFICE / INTERIOR /DAY
MA QING (Answering the telephone in a rude, aggressive fashion) Who? (Pause
as he listens) Yu Gum is not here, he’s out.

JANWARYLFEBRUARY 1998 77
CALLER: Where did he go?
MA QING: What’s it to you? Why do you ask?
CALLER: Don’t worry about that. Just tell me where he went.
MA QING: Fuck off!
Music
70 LONG SHOT, BUSY STREET / EXTERIOR / DAY
Gradual zoom out of scene. Seemingly millions of pedestrians’ heads are
bobbing along the sidewalk.
71 YU GUAN PASSES A BOOKSTORE / EXTERIOR / DAY
Camera pans over an assortment of magazines.
72 YU GUAN PASSES A STUDIO / EXTERIOR / DAY
Camera pans over filmstars’ posters.
73 YU GUAN PASSES A DEPARTMENT STORE WINDOW /
EXTERIOR / DAY
Camera pans over an array of mannequins, in different postures, wearing
imported clothing.
74 ICE CREAM SHOP /EXTERIOR / DAY
YU GUAN passes the shop; he looks inside and sees LIU MEIPING inside,
simultaneously eating yogurt and weeping.

78 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
75 ICE CREAM SHOP / INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN enters the store, purchases a yogurt, and sits nent to LIU MEIPING.
He does not eat his food. He stares dreamily through the window. The light
entering the room through the brown-colored glass suggests a dreary outside
world instead of a sunny day. There seems to be an endless stream of pedestrians
and vehicles outslde the window. LIU MEIPING has stopped crying; she sucks
yogurt through a straw and does not glance at Yu GUAN. The music slows and
becomes leisurely.
Yu GUAN: Am I a jerk? You’re making me feel dirty.
LIU MEIPING blinks and continues to eat her yogurt.
Yu GUAN: Don’t forget I’m only doing my job. It’s not that I’m unsympathetic
to you.
LIU MEIPING: (Whispering) I don’t blame you. It’s not your fault.
Yu GUAN: But it’s me. I sincerely want you to feel a little better. Is it a little less
painful now?
LIU MEIPING: (Flippantly) Sure! Why not?
Yu GUAN: Please don’t be sarcastic.
LIU MEIPING: You think this is easy? (Bursts into sardonic laughter, then wavers
between tears and laughter) You didn’t suffer from this little meeting.
Yu GUAN: It was only painful for a short while, right? Don’t let it go on for too
long, okay? Is one hour enough?
LIU MEIPING: (Goesfrom tears to laughter) No.
Yu GUAN: An hour and a half’? How about an hour and forty-five minutes? How
about the time for a movie? Would that be enough?
LIU MEIPING: My heart is broken, but you are still making jokes. You don’t have
that right. You should soothe me.
Yu GUAN: Okay, so have another yogurt.
Yu GUAN gives her his untouched yogurt.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 79
Yu GUAN: Do you eat when you feel sad?
LIU MEIPING: Yeah. How did you know?
LIU MEIPING is nibbling her straw and looking at YU GUAN as she speaks.
LIU MEIPING: What else is there to do, anyway? I can’t curl up and die, you
know.
Yu GUAN: (Smiling) Good for you! To live on happily is the best revenge.
76 THE 3-T BUSINESS OFFICE / INTERIOR /DAY
An elderly man with peerfect posture, clad in a uniform minus lapel insignia,
charges into the ofice in a great rage.
OLD MAN: Who in this office answered the phone a moment ago? The fiend
even dared to curse me!
MA QING is surprised but soon regains his composure.
MA QING: (Feigning ignorance) What are you talking about? Why don’t you sit
here, calm down, and tell me what’s bothering you.
OLD MAN: (YeZling) I don’t want to sit! Don’t uy to jerk me around! I want to
see the one who cursed me on the phone!
MA QING: (Adopting a smile) The man who talked to you is gone for the day.
The one who answered the phone has left the office. Is there something I can do
for you?
OLD IV~AN: He’s out? I think “he” is you!
MA QING: (Nervously perspiring) No, no, it’s not me. I just got here.
YANG ZHONG scurries over with a chair for the elderly man.
YANG ZHONG: (Scurrying over with a chair for the elderly man) No, no, it’s not
this guy; he just got here. Don’t worry, I’ll give the other guy hell when I see him.
OLD MAN sprawls in the chair, his legsflung apart, his back straight.

80 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
OLD MAN: Is Yu Guan here? Where did that other jerk go? Go and get him.
Now.
YANG ZHONG and MA QING exchange a wink.
YANG ZHONG: The manager, Mr. Yu? He’s out right now. You can talk to me
about anything on your mind.
OLD MAN: (Scanning each of the two men, from head to toe) Talk to you? Okay,
I’ll talk to you. Tell me, what kind of nasty deals is he pulling off these days.
Who’s he involved with, anyway? He never comes home anymore. Are the
police after him?
Yu GUAN: No, nothing has happened to Mr. Yu. He’s fine. He hasn’t had any
run-ins with the police. You know what? He’s getting a lot of good press from
the business community.
OLD MAN: I might’ve known you would cover for each other. Are you in the
same gang? A gang of thieves. I heard about your ridiculous company a long
time ago. People paying you to solve their problems? Ludicrous! Why, then, do
we need the Communist Party? Tell Yu Gum I want to see him as soon as he
gets back.
MA QING: You’re a monk in which Buddhist temple-
OLD MAN: I’m his goddamned father!
77 STREET / EXTEFUOR / DAY
BAO KANG: (Whispering to LIN PEI) Don’t turn around.
The two are standing before a glass window of a candy store: inside can be
seen a large variety of candies and chocolate confections. In the reflection of the
street are the images of Yu GUAN and LIU MEIPING.
LIN &I:
Isn’t that Yu Guan?
BAO KANG: Don’t say anything to him. If you call him, then I’ll have to be polite
and say hello. I don’t like him.
LIN PEI: Didn’t you say you like to be with those guys?

JANUARYmEBRUARY 1998 81
BAO KANG: That was a false compliment. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t like
him at all.
The couple turn around and Yu GUAN and LIU MEPING are gone.
BAO KANG: What shall I say? The step beyond senselessness is degeneration.
78 THE 3-T BUSINESS OFFICE / INTERIOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG greets Yu GUAN after the latter enters the once.
YANG ZHONG: Well, Yu Guan, you’re finally back. You missed a real fireworks
show a minute ago. Ma Qing and your dad had a real battle.
MA QING joins the two men.
MA QING: Yu Guan, why is your father such an ornery son of a bitch? He’s just
like a junkyard dog, bite anyone he can get, just like a junkyard dog.
Yu GUAN: (Addressing someone behind him) Come on in.
LIU MEPING enters the once with a hint of nervousness in her behavior.
LIU MEIPING: Hi, Ma Qing, Yang Zhong.
MA QING: (Pulling up a chair for her, exuding warmth and cheer) Please sit
down. (To YANG ZHONG) Yang Zhong, can you get some water for our guest?
YANG ZHONG brings a glass of water.
YANG ZHONG: Sorry we only have water. We never drink tea
LIU MEIPING: Thanks.
MA QING: Please don’t be polite around here. We want you to feel at home:
we’re all your friends. Yu Gum, your father must really be pissed off at me.
Yu GUAN: (Taking a seat at his desk) When I’m at home we don’t talk much.
YANG ZHONG: (Joining him) You’d better go home. There may be something
important going on with your dad.

82 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
YANG ZHONG notices that LIU MEPING has again begun to cry.
YANG ZHONG: Oh, man, why are you crying again? Ma Qing, have you said
something stupid to make her cry?
LIU MEPING: (Raising her tear-streaked face) Don’t worry, I’m not really crying;
I’m okay. Ma Qing means well. I suddenly felt sad.
79 YU GUAN’S HOME / INTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN enters his home looking morose. He enters the living room, puts on
slippers, and unbuttons his shirt without saying a word to his father. He glances
at the old man who is casually sprawled on the sofa, legs ajar, with an odd smile
on his face. Yu GUAN abruptly pulls off his shirt and enters the bathroom while
wearing an athletic undershirt and is shown opening a faucet for a shower. In a
short time he reenters the living room, wearing only underwear, and vigorously
drying his head, glancing periodically at his father.
Yu’s FATHER: Why are you looking at me? You’re angry ’cause your old man
made you lose face at work?
Yu GUAN: No, you actually gave me face. Now it’s a well-known fact that I have
an energetic father. Now I see that your learning Kung Fu really paid off for you.
Yu GUAN casually throws the bath towel onto the arm of the sofa
Yu’s FATHER: Put on a shirt; want to catch a cold? Your foolish buddies complained,
did they? I was actually polite to them.
The elderly man gets up from the sofa and paces the room with an air of
self-satisfaction. YU GUAN gives a snort of contempt but says nothing.
Yu’s FATHER: I’m concerned about you. Why the hell do you think I bothered
those poor street thugs? Who the hell arranged for you to be my son, anyway’?
Yu GUAN: That’s why I didn’t say anything at work. If it had been anyone else
I’d have beaten them to a pulp.
YU~S FATHER: Look at you. Go look at yourself in the mirror. You’re a picture of
a cynical face; you’re old, without any suggestion of being a part of the young
generation.

JANUARYF’EBRUARY 1998 83
Yu GUAN: It’s a young face, but no one put any onion or ginger in the dough.
Yu GUAN puts on his shirt and and begins to button it. He begins to mve
toward his room. The old man blocks his path with his arm and looks upward at
his tall son’s face.
Yuls FATHER: Sit down. I want to talk to you.
Yu GUAN sits on the sofa and picks up a copy of a magazine entitled Chinese
Elderly and thumbs through it, visibly bored
Yu GUAN: What happened? Not enough people today at the Ma Jiang table’?
Yu-s FATHER: C’mon, be serious with me,
The old man sits next to his son on the sofa.
YU~S FATHER: I need to un&rstand you. What do you do with your life these days?
Yu GUAN: I eat, drink, talk,and sleep; pretty much the same things you do.
YUT FATHER: Don’t give me your gangsta B.S. Look, I’m womed about you.
You’re a grown man; why do you fool around like a teenager every day? Don’t
you think about your future? You should think about how you can have a meaningful
life.
Afer Yu GUAN glances at his intense father he bursts out laughing which
causes his father’s face to blush with confusion and embarrassment.
YU~S FATHER: Why the hell are you laughing? Was I so stupid?
Yu GUAN: No, you didn’t say anything wrong. I’m laughing at my own pathetic
life.
Yu9s FATHER: I didn’t say anything wrong? I can tell you don’t care about what
I’ve said. I wonder what could move you? I attended a presentation the other day
that was about heroic tales from the Laoshan [Vietnam] front lines. The heroes
were all quite young, younger than you, and they kept fighting until they were
blind. Don’t you feel ashamed when you compare yourself to them?
Yu GUAN: Ashamed?
Yu*s FATHER: You’re not moved?

84 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Yu GUAN: Yeah. Moved.
Yu’s FATHER: Even we old men cry, you know.
Yu GUAN: I cry, too.
The old man unleashes a deep sigh.
Yu’s FATHER: Well, I have no idea what the hell to do with you. How did I raise
a son like you, a man with no shame?
Yu GUAN: What do you want me to say, exactly? Would you be happy if I said
I’m a bastard, your parasite? What the hell have I done to make you unhappy?
I’m not a murderer or an arsonist; I don’t march in the street. I’ve always
behaved myself. Have I bothered anyone? Is that what you think? The only way
to be a good son is to have tight muscles, to push out my shoulders and hold up
my head with pride? I guess I am a little vulgar, after all.
Yu’s FATHER: I don’t think you’re ready to talk directly with me right now.
Yu GUAN: Hey, why don’t I cook something for you? I’ve learned some Western
cooking.
Yu’s FATHER: No, I don’t want any Western food. Most of it is undercooked and
too hard to chew. What would be betier is our hometown’s famous clay pot meatballs.
I think we have some tofu, vegetables, and mushrooms in the refrigerator.
Yu GUAN: Yeah, but those vegetables should be cooked separately.
Yu’s FATHER: Naw; it’s better to cook everything together. The nutrition will be
locked in that way.
Yu GUAN: But it won’t taste good.
Yu’s FATHER: What flavor do you want? It’ll all taste like MSG anyway.
Yu GUAN: Who the hell is doing the cooking around here, you or me?
Yu’s FATHER: How many bowls of rice have you eaten in your lifetime? How do
you know what delicious food is, huh kid?
Yu GUAN: Okay. Have it your way. I wonder who the hell arranged for you to be
my father?

JANUARYPEBRUARY 1998 85
Yu GUAN gets up and sluggishly begins to prepare the vegetables and meat.
Yu ’s father turns on a small radio, tunes in to a program of Beijing opera, puts
on his reading glasses, and picks up Chinese Elderly.
Yu GUAN: (Clad in an apron, his hands wet, dashes into the room) Can’t you
help me out in the kitchen?
His father gives him an icy stare over the top of his glasses.
Yu’s FATHER: Can’t you see I’m busy reading?
Yu GUAN: Yeah, but you weren’t busy when I wasn’t working. As soon as I
need your help you’re busy. When the hell did you become so lazy? I remember
that you’re from a poor family, and that as a child you were bitten on the leg
while you were begging. How many times did you pull up your pants leg to get
sympathy?
YU~S FATHER: So how did you grow up? If I were as lazy as you seem to think,
how did you become so strong?
Yu GUAN: Because of the people; they fostered me. They gave money to you
and told you to produce a revolutionary generation.
Yu’s FATHER: You forget that I held you to pee when you were a baby.
Yu GUAN is speechless.
Yu’s FATHER: Speechless, are you? Where do you get off comparing this or that
with me. How many days did it take for you to learn to walk?
Yu GUAN: You should put it this way: Which of us calls the other Dad? If you
called me dad I’d hold you to pee.
80 FUNERAL SERVICE / EXTERIOR / DAY [NOT IN FILM]
A dirge is being played in the background. An enormous monochrome poster
of a teenaged boy is hung in the middle of the room while two long swatches of
silk with elegaic couplets written on each in characters surround the poster on
each side and are draped on the floor beneath it. The couplets are the following:
Young in age / brave to capture wild turtles in jive seas / Crystal blue waves /
turtles carried the magical boy to the west.

86 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Just outslde the reception area is a carved stone column with silken swatches
hung on either side, also bearing elegaic couplets. They are as follows: Pity us
who have no capacity to see you / For you vanished in the water without a trace.
At the bottom of the silk is the legend, “Underwritten by the 3-T Company.
In a Ma0 jacket, with a small white power pinned to his chest, Yu GUAN is
standing in the section of seats reserved for family members. He is supporting a
mlddle-aged woman who is visibly distraught. Also in the room are several
Young Pioneers, many of whom are openly sobbing. MA QING, in a dark-colored
Ma0 jacket, complete with an arm band, is posed before a mike so as to present a
funeral oration.
MA QING: Student X drowned, an unfortunate death indeed. However, throughout
his short life he searched for truth, lived a simple life, was an amiable and
easy-going fellow, and insisted on the highest principles, even when facing the
waves that would bring death . . .
As the dirge drones on, those in attendance bow three times before the large
poster, briefly shake the hands of the family, and then move on. Yu GUAN
whispers appreciative remarks to each invited guest. The young man featured on
the poster smiles blindly, knowing nothing, and yet somehow resembles Yu
GUAN.
81 STREET /EXTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN and MA QING are unbuttoning their Ma0 jackets as they trudge
along.
Yu GUAN: We’ve really got to hurry to the hospital. Yang Zhong said he was
about to finish the supply of toilet paper he had with him. The client’s charming
son didn’t want to be bothered to buy toilet paper. He said he’d pay for it
afterward.
82 HOSPITAL CORRIDOR / INTERIOR / DAY
ZHAO YAOSHUN has picked up some medicine from an in-house Chinese
pharmacy and is about to leave with his bulky package, when he sees MA QING
and Yu GUAN. They are in the process of removing their Ma0 jackets and
donning rubber aprons and gloves, and are carrying a large package of toilet
paper.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 87
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Xiao Yu! Xiao Ma!
Yu GUAN and MA QING, hearing their names being called, stop, see ZHAO
YAOSHUN, and force themselves to smile.
Yu GUAN: (To MA QING) Bad luck today. (To ZHAO YAOSHUN) So, are you
busy these days?
ZHAO YAOSHUN: No, no, I just wanted to say hello to you guys. (He looks at
both men in their costumes, clutching the toilet paper) Do you have some business
with the mortuary?
Yu GUAN: Oh, no, we’re going to keep an old paralyzed woman company.
Yu GUAN gives a hint to MA QING and the two begin to walk away. ZHAO
YAOSHUN, insensible to the snub, follows them.
MA QING: Hey, why don’t you get lost? It smells like shit in the room and you
might get poisoned.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Who do you think I am? I’m from a poor family. Those smells
don’t bother me.
The three walk along, pass a few intersecting corridors, and then arrive at the
inpatient area.
83 IIWATIENT AREA / INTERIOR / DAY
YANG ZHONG dozes off with the back of his head supported by a wall. He,
too, is clad in a rubber apron and gloves, all of which are soiled with waste. YU
GUAN shouts at himfrom across the room.
Yu GUAN: Yang Zhong, we’ve come to relieve you.
YANG ZHONG rouses and looks completely exhausted
YANG ZHONG: Don’t come in. The old woman just fell asleep and her diaper is
freshly changed.
Yu GUAN: Go home and get some rest. You’ve suffered these last few nights;
this week it’s my turn.

88 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
YANG ZHONG: I’m not tired, really, just bored. Poor old woman.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (Smiling) Why is there nowhere to sit in here’?
Yu GUAN: Has the son visited her?
YANG ZHONG: No, but the grandson showed up.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (Feeling out ofcontrol) It’s all meaningless.
Yu GUAN, MA QING, and YANG ZHONG all turn and look at ZHAO YAOSHUN.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (Glaring at the three men) Yeah, I said “meaningless.” What
you have contributed to her isn’t matched with your real talents. In fact it’s a real
waste of your skills. Yes, there is the issue of social responsibility, but there are
limits to the social contract.
The three men stare at ZHAO YAOSHUN.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: (In a sincere tone of voice) It’s not that unusual. Young people
like you, undereducated, victims of discrimination, are pained by your dilemma,
but there’s nothing you can do; you must pretend to be cheerful.
Yu GUAN stares at ZHAO as he slowly lights a cigarette.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: It’s not fair at all. Society should have created better conditions
for you guys. I’m going to launch a campaign to improve things for people like
you. I’m not young, clearly, but my blood still runs hot. Whenever I think of you,
Ma Qing and Yang Zhong, I can‘t control my rage; I can’t sleep.
MA QING: Did you say you think we’re in pain by our plight?
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Sure. It’s obvious to me, even though you don’t really mention
it.
MA QING: What if we really don’t feel pain inside?
ZHAO YAOSHUN: That would be impossible. It’s only logical; you must be pained.
Why wouldn’t you be in pain? Only after pain can you be rescued.
Yu GUAN: Okay, now listen. None of us are in pain.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Really?

JANUARYflEBRVARY 1998 89
Yu GUAN: Really.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: That’s pathetic. That explains how numbed you are by your
situation. You’re not awake; you’re lost! You should cry!
MA QING: But we don’t cry, we laugh.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: The proletariat has nothing to lose but its chains.
Yu GUAN: Listen, we can tolerate anything and still be comfortable because we
know nothing is perfect. We’ve had some miserable things happen in our lives,
we don’t blame anyone; we don’t feel abused, we don’t complain. Whenever we
get rich we’ll try to help the world while we’re poor we’ll try to behave politely.
Although we’re not successful at very much, we don’t mind waiting till the end
of the world. Tell me, do you know how to get rid of someone without causing
him to lose face even though he disgusts you?
ZHAO YAOSHUN: It’s probably better to be silent, which means you’re not interested
in him any longer.
The three young men remain pointedly silent.
ZHAO YAOSHUN: Okay, I get it. I’m leaving now.
Afer his departure, the three men remain silent for a time. Yv GUAN throws
his cigarette to thepoor and stubs it out with his shoe.
Yu GUAN: I just want to blow that bastard away.
84 STREET / EXTERIOR / DAY [NOT IN FILM]
ZHAO YAOSHUN is walking aimlessly through the streets. He passes a phone
booth, turns into a liquor store, and returns to the booth clutching coins. He
enters the booth and carefully closes the door. He smoothes his breathing, inserts
some coins, drops some into his pants, makes a call. The call is under way.
He says three words, intently, then hangs up. He exits the booth, then walks
away, seemingly without a care.
85 HOSPITAL / INTERIOR / DAY
The intellectual rushes along the corridor, spies Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG
standing outside the ward and stops in his tracks.

90 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
INTELLECTUAL: Why are you standing out here? Why aren’t you taking care of
my mother?
MA QING: (Unhappily) Your mother just deposited a pot of gold onto the bed.
We’re debating how to share the wealth.
Yu GUAN: Your mother just fell asleep. We’re taking a break.
INTELLECTUAL gives MA QING a dirty look, then pauses before entering the
ward.
INTELLECTUAL: My mother has never fallen asleep naturally since she turned
eighty. You’re lazy scum.
INTELLECTUAL enters the room, his loud voice trailing him.
INTELLECTUAL: (Ofscreen) Where’s my mother?!
86 HOSPITAL WARD / INTERIOR / DAY
The elderly worn’s bed is empty. Adjoining patients are waking, looking
dazed by the hubbub. INTELLECTUAL is leaning out the window, nearly doubled
over.
87 THE 3-T OFFICE / INTERIOR / DAY
Although the decoration is nearly at an end, there are still tools lying on the
poor. The workers have abandoned their work and are lined up, peering into an
inner office through a glass window. Sitting opposite MA QING, Yu GUAN, and
YANG ZHONG, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a nonspecflc uniform, a powerful-looking
ofSlcial is hoMing court. Sitting against the office wall are several
family members of the deceased. INTELLECTUAL, wearing a black arm band, sits
with a mournful wife and kid. Sorrow pervades the room.
OFFICIAL: Although you guys didn’t throw the elderly woman from the window,
something established by the coroner, the patient died in your care. That’s negligence.
(Glances at the family) The family has filed a suit against you and demands
payment for their emotional suffering. The court has accepted the case,
and will soon begin proceedings.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 91
OFFICIAL passes a sumns to Yu GUAN who looks at it without moving
more than his eyes. In front of her, on the table, are two similar court documents.
OFFICIAL: The second complaint was filed by Comrade Zhi Qtng, the novelist.
He fiied suit claiming you illegally benefited &om an awards ceremony. The
court accepted the case, and proceedings will soon begin.
YANG ZHONG: (To MA QING, in a stage whisper) Who’s Zhi Qing?
MA QING: (Whispering) Bao Kang. I always knew he was an asshole. Haven’t
you heard that thugs are now called writers?
OFFICIAL passes a second subpeona over to them.
OFFICIAL: The third lawsuit was filed by Dr. Wang Mingshui, a proctologist,
who complains that Yu Guan took a business opportunity to seduce his girlfriend.
The case was accepted by the court.
An outburst is heard in a comer, which attracts the attention of the four men
nearest the camera. The cries stop almost at once, followed by a sour glance from
the intellectual. The three return their attention to OFFICIAL who clears her throat.
OFFICIAL: Because of the many problems that have occurred within the 3-T
Company, and the suggestion of illegality, the Party branch in the community
has decided that (1) the 3-T Company must cease operations immediately and
seal its accounting records; (2) all the company’s employees are hereby suspended
and ordered to await settlement demands from the court; and (3) the
hospital settlement must be met by you three. All requests from the deceased’s
family must be met by all available means. The pension to the family will be
made at the highest possible dollar amount. Is that clear?
Yu GUAN, YANG ZHONG, and MA QING nod their heads. OFFICIAL gathers
her papers and stands.
OFFICIAL: If that’s clear, then please implement it at once. (She points to those
against the wall) Those people will be given their meals here from now on.
OFFICIAL leaves.
Yu GUAN: (Chin cupped in his hands) What do you want to eat?
Several kds shout noodles, tofu. A toothless old m n calls out that that’s silly,
only the best food for us.

92 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Yu GUAN: (To YANG ZHONG) Take them outside to eat.
YANG ZHONG: I’m not going to do it.
MA QING quickly interjects, before Yu GUAN can look at him.
MA QING: Don’t ask. I’m not going to do it, either.
Yu GUAN: (To the group) Well, then, let’s do it this way: Go ahead and eat
whatever you want. 1’11 fully reimburse you when you get back here.
INTELLECTUAL: Give me some money first. We don’t have any money.
Yu GUAN, smiling, searches his pockets for money and gives what he has to
the group.
INTELLECTUAL: That’s not enough. We’ve got to feed a lot of people.
YANG ZHONG and MA QING also take moneyfrom their pockets and give it to
INTELLECTUAL. He inserts it into his pocket and leads the group from the room.
He pauses at the door and addresses the trio.
INTELLECTUAL: This way of dealing with us won’t work. We’re not here for only
a couple of meals; you’d better get some big money.
Intense silence fills the room, with none of the three men looking at one
another. The decoration workers resume their work, with electric drills
and staple guns, making a lot of noise. MA QING abruptly jumps to his
feet.
MA QING: I want to hit someone! I just want to bash someone!
YANG ZHONG: (Making fists with his hands, shaking them excitedly) I, too! I
want to bash in someone’s head! If I would have charged ahead some time
ago, if I hadn’t warned myself that if I hurt someone I would be jailed and
would have to take my medicine; I also knew if I hurt an elderly person, I
would then have a foster father for no reason and would have to take care of
him all my life.
MA QING rolls up his sleeves and one can easily see craziness in his eyes.
MA QING: I really want to hit someone. I don’t care who. If I can’t hit someone
else, I’ll hit you two.

JANUARYEEBRUARY 1998 93
Yu GUAN abruptly stands up, holding his fists in a defensive posture, but he
slips past MA QING and rushes out the door.
Yu GUAN: All right. Let’s go out in the street, stir something up and have a fight.
MA QING: That’s cool. I haven’t done anything like this in a long time.
MA QING and YANG ZHONG run afer him, fists clenched, and they’re clearly
excited.
88 STREET /EXTERIOR / DAY
Out on the street the three young men deliberately knock over middle-aged
men, men who are neatly dressed but look unhappy and are in the process of
getting too fat. Afer they’ve been toppled the men, prepared to begin complaining,
see they’ve been surrounded by the physically fit young toughs and instead
of countering the trio find face-saving ways to avoid overt conflict. The tolerance
of their abuse greatly pleases the trio, and imparts a sense of power.
89 ANOTHER S’REET /EXTERIOR / DAY [NOT IN FILM]
ZHAO YAOSHUN is walking along, blankfaced and aimless in his movements.
Passing a phone booth, he visits a liquor store, returns to the phone with coins in
his hand and enters the telephone booth.
90 STREET / EXTERIOR / DAY
MA QING: (In a manic state, waving hisfists at fellow pedestrians) Who wants to
take me on? Who?!
A broad-shouldered, solidly built man, clad in work clothes, approaches him
and speaks.
TOUGH: I’ll take you on.
MA QING is shocked to the point of being witless. YANG ZHONG’S mood is
also shattered YANG ZHONG, in amndly manner, grabs the tough guy by the arm.

94 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
Yu GUAN: Okay. Who wants to fight with us?
91 ANOTHER STREET /EXTERIOR /DAY
[NOT IN FILM]
ZHAO YAOSHUN enters a phone booth, carefilly shutting the door. He breathes
evenly, picks up the phone, puts some coins in the machine, places the remaining
coins in his pocket, and begins to dial a number.
92 BAO KANG’S HOME / INTERIOR / DAY [NOT IN FILM]
BAO KANG, while lying in bed, answers the phone; afer doing so, his face
becomes flushed with anger.
BAO KANG: (Shouting) Fuck off!
LIN PEI, lying next to him in bed, looks up from her snug spot beneath the
comforter.
LIN PEI: Whom are you cursing?
BAO KANG violently slams the receiver onto the cradle and jumps out of bed,
enraged, and begins to pace back and forth while wearing only a pair of briefs.
BAO KANG: It’s not the fmt time he‘s called. He has no shame. He started cursing
without any preliminaries. I can tell you it’s Ma Qng just by the tone of his voice!
93 ANOTHER PHONE BOOTH /EXTERIOR / DAY
[NOT IN FILM]
ZHAO YAOSHUN carefully checks his phone book, inserts coins and dials a
number. The connection is made.
AN OLD SERIOUS VOICE: Hello?
94 SMALL BAR / INTERIOR / EVENING
Yu GUAN, YANG BONG, and MA QING are drinking with the tough nuuz they’d
met earlier on the street. They’re busily consuming potent alcoholic beverages.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1998 95
TOUGH: ... not at all easy. Take my movie company as an example. Whatever
movie we produce loses money; as a result we have even less money than before
with which to pay employee salaries. We have the same one billion people in this
country who were interested in serious film themes. Now, all they want is action
and violence. I can hardly imagine what the future will bring for us. Well, what
the hell, let’s drink.
They all begin to drink.
TOUGH: The movie we’re filming now is about a poultry farm, but today it must
have a detective and some kind of special effects. So we’ve dreamed up a
collision between a French car and a man, followed immediately by three other
people being hit.
MA QING: (With great interest) That’s crazy.
TOUGH: The director is demanding I find a substitute, for no one wants to do it.
The Magic Wind Hong Kong stuntmen offered to do it for fifty grand. Who can
afford that much? The screenwriter is nuts.
Yu GUAN: Is it a real crash or is it faked?
TOUGH: It’s faked, of course. How could we cause someone to die? On the other
hand, it can’t be too safe or the audience won’t believe it.
Yu GUAN produces a 3-T business card from his shirt pocket and gives it to
the tough.
Yu GUAN: This is your lucky day. Our company just started to do film stunts
today.
YANG ZHONG and MA QING are taken aback, thinking he has had too much
to drink. The tough jumps from his seat and enthusiastically shabs his hand.
TOUGH: Mr. Yu, I’m very happy to meet you. There should have been someone
in Chi years ago who had the vision to pursue this career.
MA QING secretly nudges Yu GUAN.
MA QING: (Whispering) We three are all skinny.
TOUGH: (Overhearing the remark) No big deal. It’s you skinny guys who are
tough, and, anyway, it’s not a real collision. When it happens, the car is moving

96 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
very slowly, and then the person will be trapped in front of the car and can go
through the windshield. (Notices MA QING’S enlarged, frightened eyes) Don’t
worry! The windshield is made of sugar and won’t hurt you. In fact you can even
eat it. C’mon, think of it as buddies helping one another out, but don’t worry, you
won’t get reduced pay because we’re buddies.
Yu GUAN gulps two glasses of alcohol and appears drunk.
Yu GUAN: Okay, it’s a deal. But I think if we’re going to do this we’ll have to
make it real. Anything else won’t fool the audience, and we have to please the
audience.
The other two look at him as though he’d lost his mind.
95 STREET / EXTERIOR / DAY
Yu GUAN is rlding alone on a bicycle, as other cyclists dash past him. His
.face is red thanks to the alcohol he consumed earlier in the evening.
96 STREET INTERSECTION / EXTEFUOR / NIGHT
The street light facing Yu GUAN is red, but he, lowering his head, rushes past
the “stop here” line painted on the pavement and into the stream of opposing
traffic. After he realizes that he has gone past the red light, Yu GUAN
makes a left turn and discovers that two brilliant, dazzling headlights are
approaching him. He quickly turns to the right to avoid the car, andfinds
another set of headlights coming toward him. The sound of screeching
brakes is heard, and crashing sounds begin. A shot is begun from within
the accident vehicle. One sees the bicycle strike the bumper, and Yu
GUAN is thrown into the air in front of the car and breaks the windshield.
Tiny bits of glass are strewn everywhere as Yu GUAN is propelled into the
cabin of the car. The shot zooms out. It is then revealed that this is a shooting
site, with movie cameras, klieg lights, and onlookers, with police officers maintaining
order. Standing next to the camera, the director, satisfied by the take,
shouts his instruction.
DIRECTOR: Okay, cut!
At the periphery of the scene several staff members from the film team and the
rescue crew are about to run over to the car. However, the cameraman shouts
his instruction.

JANUARYFEBRUARY 1998 97
CAMERAMAN: Don’t move. I need to shoot a three-foot length of film.
MA QING is crowded on the outskirts of the scene with other onlookers. He is
wearing a 3-T badge on his chest, the same one the shooting team staff
members are wearing on their chests. MA QING is just about to run to Yu
GUAN’S rescue when the tough blocks his way. The director then shouts out a
new instruction.
DIRECTOR: Everyone freeze. Change the angle and shoot a close shot.
The staff members hurriedly move equipment around to accommodate
the director’s wishes. The driver, lying on the ground, doesn’t move. MA
QING and the tough run over to him: the tough pats the driver on the
head: the driver raises his head and reveals himselfto be YANG ZHONG.
TOUGH: Are you okay? Not bad at all. It’s done now. Get up. Now we’ll use the
actor again.
MA QING helps YANG ZHONG get up. YANG ZHONG’S head is bruised; he
realizes he is still clutching the steering wheel, and then throws it on the ground.
He is supported by MA QING, who’s holding his arm: the two walk away. The
actor, a fair-skinned man with a creamy complexion, accompanied by two makeup
specialists, comes over to the scene. He pick up the steering wheel and places it on
the ground as did YANG ZHONG. The makeup specialists dot synthetic blood on
the actor’s forehead.
MA QING: (To YANG ZHONG) Does he really look like a driver? He must have
connections to the director.
YANG ZHONG shakes his head but seems disoriented.
YANG ZHONG: (Suddenly remembering) Where’s the boss?
They dash over to the car, but cannot find him in it. YANG ZHONG and MA
QING frantically search among the onlookers for YU GUAN, as the director’s
voice is heardfrom the background.
DIRECTOR: Silence, please. Ready? Go.
The camera starts to roll. Yu GUAN, who has positioned himself at the far
end of the group of onlookers cranes his neck and is obviously pleased to watch
the shoot.

98 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
97 THE 3-T OFFICE / INTERIOR / NIGHT
The interior decoration is at last at an end. There are a disparate collection of
shots of the ofice, and for the first time it is handsome, neat, quiet. The final shot
is a full scene, with the neon sign on the roof that spells out 3-7’ Company
conspicuously missing. There is a sign attached to the brown, tinted glass, similar
to one at the beginning of the film, that now says, “Business Closed.” Beneath
that line are the following sentences: “The company has been ordered to
close by administrative order. This ofice space has been rented to XYZ Electricity
Company. Any affairs awaiting resolution with the 3-T Company should be
directed to Yu GUAN at XYZ St.”
In the stillness, vague noises suggestive of people quarreling, chatting, or
laughing can be heard in the distance. The camera is slowly moving into the
ofice. The noise is becoming clearer, and it is a party. The camera is now inside
the ofsice complex, then pans inside where Yu GUAN, YANG ZHONG, MA QING,
DING XIAOLU, LIU MEPING, and the tough from the film staff are all present.
They’re all playing cards and looking happy.
W QING: (Threatening LIU MEPING) Move? If you move, I’ll chop you into
bits. (To Yu GUAN) Hurry, go! Damn! Look what they led; it’s an opening.
Yu GUAN, pondering his next move, plays his last card, a queen.
YANG ZHONG: (Shouting) A big one. A big one. Everyone’s already vomited
blood.
TOUGH: (Smiles after removing a cigarette from his mouth) Wait. Damn! You
want to lead that card? I didn’t say a word, even though I have a king. (Pulls out
a king and then turn to Yu Gum) Cut me down? I’ll crush anyone who hies to do it.
Holding her cards DING XIAOLU does not say anything, but turns around to
turn on a television set behind her.
98 CLOSEUP OF A TELEVISION SCREEN
The television picture fills the screen and shows the CC7V programming for
the next day. The sound of switching channels is heard. A weather forecast tww
jills the screen, and a voice-over is heard
VOICE-OVER: In Beijing the clouds will disappear, with a high of twenty-five
degrees centigrade and a low of five degrees centigrade. The wind, tomorrow

JANUARYmEBRUARY 1998 99
morning, will be blowing from the north, and at about three to four kilometers
per hour. In the afternoon the wind will be from the south and fmm four to five
kilometers per hour.
me channel changes again and the word ‘Lgood-bye” appears.
99 YU GUAN’S HOUSE / EXTERIOR / NIGHT
Yu Guan’s father sits before a television set punching buttons on his remote
cpntrol. Most of the channels have 110 pictures, but he punches the buttons
nonetheless.
100 CLOSEUP OF A TELEVISION SCREEN
Electronic snow is all that can be seen. Finally, a last channel has the word
“good-bye” on the screen, which in turn vanishes and is replaced by snow.
Music starts. me cast members’ names are scrolled across the screen.

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