It has been a few months since I came
[Year 1901]
to China from Italy to study the Grand Canal.
Today,
as I was lifted into the air in a hanging basket
before the gates of Wuxi,
I felt for the first time what it was like
to rise above the world of smoke and fire.
It's also here that
I met my Chinese translator,
Xie Pingyao.
He will go northward with me
and start our journey on the canal.
You, the one wearing the red hat!
Add five cents more!
Pull me up! I'm stuck!
Who let them stop? Wait!
They want more money.
Otherwise, they won't pull you up.
This thousand-year-old canal
carries the enduring history and cultural legacy
of the Chinese civilization.
It has nurtured and enriched
the lives of countless families living by the canal.
Ships traveling north and south
carry memories that span across the ages.
For people living by the canal,
the canal is more than just a waterway.
It's also a compass,
pointing the way to the world.
The canal is their vanguard in discovering the world.
It stands for them,
and journeys in their place
to a wider and more expansive world.
The canal even signifies
their entire lives.
[NORTHWARD]
[Episode 1]
[Year 2000]
In the year 2000,
as the new millennium arrived,
the children living by the canal
may still struggle to discern between the directions.
However, they had already begun to know that
if one heads left at the end of the bridge,
it leads to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall,
and Quanjude roast duck.
If one heads right,
it leads to the dazzling neon lights of Nanjing Road
and White Rabbit candy.
If one heads down,
there will be an endless supply of free watermelon.
The ship is here!
Hurry! Run!
Hurry up!
Haikuo, get ready.
Okay!
Hurry, run!
I know, I know.
Xie Wanghe, hurry up!
Got it.
Shao Xingchi, you're the slowest.
Come on, hurry!
Wait for me.
The ship is here, hurry up.
-Xie Wanghe! -Hurry up!
Hurry up!
Xingchi, hurry up.
Shao Xingchi, hurry up!
Hurry!
The ship is here.
Hurry up.
Hurry, hurry!
Stop nagging.
Go watch the ship.
Get ready!
Jump!
Run!
You brats!
Do you want to die?
Put down my watermelons!
Xingchi, run!
Run! Quick!
My watermelons!
Don't you jump!
Do you want to die?
I know you!
You're Boss Xie's son!
Later,
I'll tell your dad to punish you!
If you dare to steal my watermelons,
I'll make sure to skin you alive!
My name is Fenghua.
This is the ten-year-old me.
As you can see, my baby teeth have yet to fully fall out.
The ones running ahead
are my neighbors,
Xie Wanghe, Shao Xingchi, and Zhou Haikuo.
We all live on Flower Street.
At that time,
we were fooling around every day,
and our little gang was well-known.
We were excellent swimmers
and notorious troublemakers.
We were known for catching mussels and prawns, and stealing watermelons.
Summer
is our happiest time of the year.
As the saying goes, with protection comes ease of mind.
Under the protection of the canal and our families,
our childhood days
were carefree.
It was like a beautiful dream.
[Flower Street]
Haihong!
Liang Haihong!
Yes, Mr. Zhang?
Haihong!
Let me tell you something!
What's wrong?
Your brat stole my watermelons.
He stole more than a dozen of them.
I'm telling you,
your son must take responsibility for this.
Mr. Zhang.
I understand. Please don't stay mad at the child.
As for the payment for the watermelons,
I'll bring it over with my eldest son later.
The first bow is to heaven and earth.
The second bow is to the parents.
The couple bows to each other.
The ceremony concludes.
Hey, bride!
The bride is so beautiful!
When I grow up, I want to have my wedding on a ship too.
You're talking as if you could even get married.
If no one wants me,
I'll marry Wanghe.
I'll pass.
You're a glutton.
My family will go bankrupt from feeding you.
What are you doing?
Look.
That's the groom and the bride.
Isn't she pretty?
Granny Ma!
Wanghe!
Fenghua!
Granny Ma!
Slow down.
Granny Ma!
Look, they're here to greet you.
Granny Ma.
Did you guys miss me?
Granny Ma.
I've missed you too.
Who is she?
She's my granddaughter.
Are you a foreigner?
No way.
Look at her face.
Mixed-blood people look like this.
I have seen some of them
when they ate at my father's restaurant.
Really?
My name is Fenghua.
What's your name?
Ma Siyi.
What?
Louder, I can't hear you.
Are you deaf? Her name is Ma Siyi.
Okay.
Hello, I'm Xie Wanghe.
This is Zhou Haikuo.
This is Shao Xingchi.
-Hello. Hello. -Hello. Hello.
You can play the guitar?
A little.
Play it for us.
This is my dad's guitar.
Why can't I touch it?
Go away. Go away.
Let's go back.
She's a girl.
Don't run so fast!
Let me carry the guitar case for you.
You naughty boy!
All you know is to run wild all day long.
He's driving me crazy.
Granny Ma is back.
Granny Ma!
This is...
Siyi?
Siyi!
Look at this kid.
Look.
You've grown up.
Right?
You've grown so tall.
Siyi, look.
This is Aunt Liang,
Aunt Yan, and Aunt Ling.
Is she here for vacation?
Yes.
She's staying here for a while.
Go on with your work.
I'm leaving.
Siyi, say goodbye to your aunties.
Bye.
Bye, Siyi.
Go on with your work.
Alright.
Go back and rest.
Don't worry about it.
We're all here.
Just tell us if you need anything.
Okay.
Be careful.
Why did she bring
the child back all of a sudden?
She said the child would be staying for a while.
What about the kid's mother?
Didn't her daughter-in-law remarry?
She just had a son.
They must think
the child's an eyesore.
Slow down.
They are quite mischievous.
Siyi!
Siyi.
Siyi, come play with us.
Yes.
Let's go out and play.
She's too tired today.
She'll play with you tomorrow, okay?
Okay.
See you tomorrow.
I'm making wontons for dinner, so come over and eat.
Okay!
Let's eat together.
This is our home.
Come in.
Siyi.
You must be tired today.
I'll take you to school tomorrow
for the procedures.
Let me put your luggage in your room.
It was a typical summer day when Siyi
came to our Flower Street courtyard.
In contrast to our cacophony,
Siyi was quiet
and headstrong.
She also seemed troubled.
At that time, we had no idea that
this foreign-looking girl
who doesn't talk much
will eventually change our life.
Want to see where you're sleeping?
Come.
Here.
It's here.
You'll sleep here with me at night.
Look at your guitar case.
Shall we put it here?
Here.
Yes, give it to me.
Okay.
Grandma.
Will I be staying here from now on?
What did your mother tell you?
She said you're old,
so she asked me to help take care of you.
Exactly.
I'm getting old,
so I need you to take care of me.
Isn't it?
All's good.
Look, there's a desk here.
Come on.
A desk for you.
I prepared these for you.
It comes with a chair.
Sit here.
Try it out.
From now on, you'll do your homework here.
Okay?
Did she say for how long?
Oh, let me show you the kitchen.
There's a kitchen.
Come, let me take you to the kitchen.
Later,
I'll make you some wontons.
In the future, just tell me what you want to eat.
I'll make it for you.
The kitchen is over there.
Here.
Look, this is the kitchen.
[News]
Mom.
Mom!
Mom.
What are we eating today?
You.
Listen,
if you dare to steal watermelons again,
I'll break your hand.
Go.
Borrow some onions from Aunt Liang.
Aunt Liang, do you have onions?
Yes, leek or spring onion?
Mom, leek or spring onion?
I'm cooking fish.
What do you think?
You didn't say you were cooking fish.
Didn't you see what this is?
Spring onion it is. Here.
You don't even know what type of onion to get.
Can you use your cleverness
in your studies?
How dare you steal from people?
Grandma!
Alright. Alright.
Why are you yelling?
I could hear you from far away.
I'm not cooking these tonight.
Share it with everyone when you're done.
Okay, I'll do it.
Thank you, Granny Ma.
I'm going to Grandma's house to eat wontons.
You're going to Grandma's house for dinner again?
Alright. Let's go.
Siyi!
Grandma's wontons are delicious.
She made them for me every day when you were not around.
Aren't they especially tasty?
How old are you?
I'm ten years old.
Me too.
You don't look like you're ten.
You seem more mature than me.
But maybe it's
because you don't talk much.
If I don't talk,
would I look more mature?
Alright.
I think
only these wontons can keep you quiet.
You're so talkative.
Granny Ma, please teach my mom when you're free.
No matter what my mom cooks,
it tastes like soy sauce.
Your mother is the wife of a seafarer.
She likes things with a strong flavor.
Where are you from?
Me?
I'm from Shandong.
Shandong, Linqing.
Siyi's grandfather's ancestors
were foreigners.
Really?
Why would I lie to you?
Here.
I have photos.
Let's see...
See?
Aren't these people
all foreigners?
Right?
This one is her grandpa.
Am I right?
Who is this?
This is my dad.
This is me.
Your dad is so handsome.
Big eyes and a high nose bridge.
I knew it, you are a foreigner.
I'm Chinese.
Okay, Chinese.
Grandma.
Which country is Siyi's grandpa from?
China.
He was born in China.
It's just that his ancestors were Italians.
Where is Italy?
I don't know either.
Ask Grandpa Zhou when you have time.
Grandpa Zhou must know.
I only know
Italy is very far away.
Go back.
Grandma, when we grow up,
I'll drive a ship
and take Siyi to Italy.
You should come with us.
Sure.
I'll be waiting.
Eat up.
Siyi, eat quickly.
I'll show you around the neighborhood later.
Show me around?
This is our courtyard.
As you enter and turn right,
the Zhou's occupy the first house.
Grandpa Zhou is cultured.
He's very nice.
We hide at his house whenever we're in trouble.
Grandpa Zhou!
Fenghua.
I know.
You're here to eat again.
No.
No?
This child is really good-looking.
Her name is Ma Siyi,
Granny Ma's granddaughter.
-Siyi? -Hello.
Hello.
You've grown so tall.
Zhou Haikuo!
You even know about this door?
Grandpa Zhou's grandson
is Zhou Haikuo.
He is my classmate.
He is a good student.
If you want him to do your homework for you,
just give him money.
Fast and good, right?
I see.
You're doing people's homework for money?
Grandpa,
don't listen to them.
I only let Wanghe copy my math homework twice.
Grandpa Zhou, we're leaving.
I didn't take any money.
Uncle Zhou.
Fenghua.
Who is this doll?
Ma Siyi,
Granny Ma's granddaughter.
Hello, Uncle.
Hello.
You can speak Chinese?
Oh, yes.
You're Granny Ma's granddaughter.
Alright.
I'm heading to the kitchen.
Oh, right.
Do visit my restaurant, By the Canal.
I'll cook you something delicious.
Okay?
Bye.
Uncle Zhou is a cook.
He's a master of Huaiyang cuisine.
He opened a restaurant called By the Canal.
It's in the alley on Flower Street.
Haikuo's mother performs Kun opera.
She’s prettier than you.
This is my home.
My dad's Xia Lao'er,
a seafarer.
My mom is Li Yan.
She runs a breakfast stall.
You met her before.
Is your mom good to you?
No, she's always scolding me.
She's super talkative.
She'll suffocate if she's silent for three minutes.
Who are you talking about?
Run!
You naughty kid!
Aunt Liang!
This is Aunt Liang's house.
She runs the breakfast stall with my mum.
Hello, Aunt Liang.
Have you had dinner?
Yes.
Wanghe.
Xie Wanghe!
Xie Wanghe.
Wanghe.
Xie Wanghe!
What?
I'm introducing Siyi to everyone.
We're brothers from now on.
Fenghua, who taught you to say that?
Uncle Xie,
Xie Wanghe's dad.
My dad is Xie Tiancheng.
He's the boss of the Flower Street portion of the Grand Canal.
Everyone has to listen to him on the river.
He's like the Dragon King.
He's a seafarer with my dad.
He makes a lot of money.
Who told you that?
My mom.
He doesn't make that much money.
If we really made money,
we would have bought a house
instead of renting from Granny Ma.
Siyi, come with me.
Don't hang out with her anymore.
She is unreliable.
A boy holding a girl's hand.
Isn't that shameful?
I'm afraid she'll get lost.
Stay away from Wanghe.
He's a bad kid.
And you are a good kid?
At least I'm not being punished by the teachers every day.
Fenghua, you...
Shao Xingchi!
Let's go play!
I'm not free today.
I'm not going.
No.
Why are you cooking for yourself again?
My mom is sick.
Why is your mom always sick?
Go away if you have nothing else to say.
Xingchi,
what did your dad teach you?
You can't be this rude.
Mom, eat it while it's hot.
They are so annoying.
Stop it.
Auntie, what's wrong with you?
I'm fine.
My back is hurting again.
Where is Uncle Shao?
He probably got off work and is on his way.
He hasn't come back yet.
Do you need something?
I'm here to introduce Siyi to everyone.
Siyi.
Come play with them whenever you're free.
Uncle Shao works at the cultural museum.
He's a writer who writes articles.
He was even featured in the newspaper before.
Don't play outside for too long.
Your dad will be back soon.
Siyi, let's go.
Let's go stargazing.
Look.
Go that way.
Haikuo!
Here.
Siyi, look.
Dad.
Why are you back so late?
Did you drink again?
Why would I drink?
Why are you sitting there?
Come down.
Mr. Shao.
Mr. Zhou.
You had a drink again?
I have something to tell you.
Really? Come on.
Mr. Zhou.
I heard at the cultural museum today that
Boss Xie is planning to change ships.
Change ships?
Isn't the current ship pretty new?
Exactly.
So why the need?
How would I know?
We all chipped in
to help buy his current ship.
It's only been a while
and he wants to change the ship.
What is he trying to do?
Who told you that?
I heard it from Zheng who sells antiques
in front of our cultural museum.
His son
works in a shipyard.
He said that
Boss Xie has been negotiating with the shipyard people
for several rounds now.
You must talk to him about this.
Don't let him do anything stupid.
You...
Don't worry. It's fine.
When he comes back tomorrow,
I'll ask him about the details.
Tiancheng
is meticulous.
He won't do anything reckless.
Don't worry.
You have to talk to him tomorrow.
Okay.
I'm leaving, Mr. Zhou.
Okay.
Take care.
Okay.
Will you be fine?
No problem.
Okay, take care.
Xingchi.
What time is it now?
Go home now!
Have you finished your homework?
I'll be back later.
Okay.
Why are you laughing?
Have you finished your homework?
Yes.
Can you stop drinking?
When did I drink?
Wanghe!
Look at the time. Don't you know when to stop?
Let's go home.
♫When the moon hangs in the sky♫
Siyi.
She just got here and you're already dragging her along.
♫And it's cooling in the yard♫
Time for bed.
♫Who is still by your side?♫
Hurry up
Yan!
Take Fenghua home to rest.
It's late.
♫As time passes♫
I'm not sleepy yet. Let me play some more.
You should behave more like a big brother.
Don't you know when to stop playing?
♫Is a lifetime really that long?♫
Do I have to tell you what to do?
Do you need to be scolded to be good?
♫When youthful company fades♫
♫Leaving only small talk and pleasantries♫
♫Spring feels short, while autumn lingers♫
♫A gentle breeze carries dreams away♫
♫Dreamland and dreams♫
[Welcome]
Boss!
You're back!
Let's have a drink sometime!
Sure thing.
I'll order thirty more packs of instant noodles from you.
Alright.
Got it.
Si!
Come here!
Take it.
Okay.
Xia!
Let's go.
Okay. Come again.
Will do.
The kids will be so happy to see us back.
Definitely!
Look at this puppy.
You must have made quite a bit on this trip, right?
Here, have some fresh water chestnuts.
These are really fresh.
Of course.
Only the best for our children.
Boss, please consider my son.
He's graduating next year.
Can he join and work for you?
Sure.
Leave your son to me.
Thank you, Boss Xie.
Take my son along to see the world too.
Your son is not even a month old yet.
You... Fine, fine.
I've already split them into stacks.
It's all in this bag.
Okay.
I'll leave this matter to you.
Okay.
In my opinion, the canal
is a main pillar of transportation.
There was a ship
carrying foreigners.
It was called Little Polo.
It carried Italians.
More than 100 years ago,
Flower Street might not have existed.
Look at you.
Ask...
Ask Mr. Shao.
I can testify.
See?
See what I said?
I said the ship must have sunk here.
Little Polo must have been
related to her.
Is he talking about that ship again?
Yes.
He's obsessed.
Shao Xingchi.
Look at him.
Come on.
Is she your granddaughter?
Yes.
Fenghua! Stop!
I'll beat you!
Give it to me.
Enough.
Are you not performing today?
Yes.
I took time off to come back.
The restaurant has gotten busy.
If I don't come back,
Yanlin will quarrel with me.
He wouldn't dare.
It's not that. Our son misses her.
That's true.
Are you playing with Grandpa?
Why are you so wet?
Who is this girl?
Siyi.
Ma Siyi.
-Granny Ma's granddaughter. -Granny Ma's granddaughter.
You're here.
How nice. You're so pretty.
You're back.
Everyone is here!
Long time no see.
Let me report to you.
This time,
This seafaring trip with Xia and I
earned us...
24,000 yuan!
As usual,
half the money is mine.
As for the rest,
it will be divided
according to your shares, okay?
Okay!
Xia!
Split the money!
Okay.
This looks pretty cool.
His mother bought it for him.
That seems advanced.
Thank you.
That seems really advanced.
I have a suggestion.
Since we have this new gadget,
why don't we take a photo?
Okay?
I can do it myself.
He even has a temper.
This is amazing.
Haikuo, come on.
Come on.
One, two, three.
Cheese!
Happy holidays!
Don't kick up a fuss.
Go have dinner.
Hurry up.
Let's eat.
The dishes are getting cold.
Since everyone is here,
I want to discuss something major with you.
Do you all know?
Recently, construction is happening all over the country.
The demand for transportation of materials
is rising every day.
And transportation fees keep rising.
I think our 500-ton ship
is not big enough
to meet transportation demands.
Look at the 1,000-ton ships.
We have to make two trips
to match their single trip.
And the fuel costs aren't that different.
Right?
More critically, we are wasting time.
We're wasting time, isn't it?
So I think
now
is the best time to change ships.
This is what I'm thinking.
We'll sell the old
500-ton ship
and top up 300,000 yuan
to get the 1000-ton ship.
Our common account
currently has
200,000 yuan.
So,
we still need 100,000 yuan.
100,000 yuan is not a small amount.
Of course.
Why are you poking me?
Do you have 100,000 yuan?
Of course, I know 100,000 yuan
is a big amount.
But I did a rough estimate.
After we get the 1,000-ton ship,
we'll definitely break even
if we work hard for two years.
The rest
will be...
Pure profit.
Right.
Boss, I think we should...
discuss this matter a bit more.
The Beijing-Shanghai Expressway
will be completed at the end of the year.
I'm just a little worried that
our canal's traffic may be affected.
It's best to be more careful.
About that,
I did a thorough research.
The queue for buildings above 20 floors
has been lined up till 2008.
I know that highway transportation
is much faster.
But it costs a lot.
We just need to focus on
the Honghuai transportation route
to make a small fortune.
Right?
Yes.
Jiangnan Shipyard has enough orders
lined up for the next two years.
See?
But the problem is...
Enough.
If you don't want to do it, withdraw your shares.
I'll cover the rest.
Don’t say that.
I didn't say I want to withdraw my shares.
Let me tell you.
The canal
raised us.
We must not forget our origins.
Mr. Zhou.
I'll go.
No, Mr. Zhou.
Yanlin was just looking out for us.
Let's drink.
Come on.
Come.
Let's soak your feet.
Slowly.
I can do it myself.
Changing ships is a big deal.
Don't do anything reckless.
I don't care about others.
But Granny Ma
is raising her granddaughter alone.
If we lose money,
even if it means we have to pay,
we can't let their family suffer a loss.
Why don't you have any faith in me?
No...
What are you talking about
after listening to others?
Have I ever lost money in business?
Have I?
Let's talk about this ship.
Since I bought it,
did I lose any money?
Haven't I been leading everyone
on a steady path towards prosperity?
Think about how much they profited too.
You're worried for nothing.
Let's decide
after everyone has come to a consensus.
Do you know how much it costs to drive
a truck on the highway?
You have to pay for the bridge.
You have to pay for the road.
If you enter the city,
you have to pay the parking fee.
How much will it cost?
These are all free
on the canal.
I don't understand.
What's wrong?
What's with the attitude?
Have you lost some weight lately?
No.
You don't feel as full as before.
I think I gained weight though. Feel it.
Nonsense, that's your ribs.
Where am I supposed to feel?
Here, feel down here.
We have to check
your body thoroughly tonight.
Look at my waist.
What time is it?
Still fooling around?
Wanghe.
Let me ask you something.
How much is one jin of watermelon now?
25 cents.
No, 26 cents.
It has risen recently.
So can't our family
afford it
or something?
How dare you
steal from the ship?
Why are you hitting me?
You stole things when you were young too.
What did I steal?
You stole sweet potatoes
and chives.
You stole whatever was in the field.
Who told you that?
Granny told me that!
Why bring this up with your dad?
You still want to...
How dare you talk back?
I'll kill you!
Stop!
You can't hit me.
How dare you talk back?
Mom!
Mom, Wanghe is getting beaten again!
Do you know why his father is beating him?
He stole watermelons.
What about you?
You stole them too, don't you know?
Enough.
Listen to me.
Enough.
I'll beat you.
Alright, alright.
Why are you hiding?
Stand still.
In just one essay,
you have over ten wrongly written characters.
Your handwriting is atrocious.
You even misused idioms.
Are you trying to piss me off?
Don't yell at him.
If you feel uncomfortable,
we can withdraw our shares.
I'll go talk to Haihong about it, okay?
Don't withdraw it.
Why?
Our pride's on the line, that's why.
No one else is withdrawing.
If I withdraw now,
what will people think of me if this gets out?
Wouldn't I look petty?
So you know that too.
What do I not know?
Let me tell you.
People are social creatures.
No other creature is more sociable than us.
That's why even when
an individual clearly knows
the group is making a wrong decision,
in order to not be isolated from the group,
it is forced
to follow the group's wrong decision.
For example, the Second World War.
So many people were
against the war.
But if you throw them in Germany,
would they dare to speak up against the war?
They would be thrown into a concentration camp!
Let's still withdraw.
I'll go talk to them.
Come back.
I'll be join in this round, okay?
I'll stop.
It feels like someone forced you.
No.
No one forced me.
I did it willingly.
What are you looking at?
Have you reflected on yourself?
I confess.
This was written
by Haikuo.
I even bought him three sticks of ice cream.
I kept it a secret.
How dare you do this?
Was that beating too light?
Help!
Stop!
Granny Ma!
You naughty brat!
Stop!
Help!
Haikuo!
Damn you!
Are you really changing the ship?
He said we can make more money with a bigger one.
Why not?
Is there that much demand?
He said yes.
What do you think?
I'm just his lackey.
Why should I care so much?
He said it, so he must be right.
You've worked with him for so many years.
Don't you know anything?
You're a man
but you have no opinion of your own.
What a loser.
Of course I have my own opinions.
It was my idea and opinion
to marry you back then.
So many people opposed it.
I didn't listen to any of them.
Who opposed it?
Your mother?
Your third uncle, or your fourth aunt?
Listen, Xia Lao'er.
You had no house and no car.
It's a blessing to your family
that a pure maiden like me
married you.
You claim you're the good fortune of our family,
but that's just your opinion.
Xia Lao'er!
We agreed not to fight!
Stop!
Xia Lao'er, don't run!
Explain yourself!
You always hit me!
I can't explain anything to you!
Xia Lao'er, are you really leaving?
Come back here!
Xia Lao'er, you bastard!
How dare you say such things!
What are you laughing at?
I'm watching the videos Haikuo took during the day.
It's so fun.
Seriously.
You said such off-putting words
in front of so many people.
How can Dad be happy about it?
It's my fault.
Let me tell you.
Dad's feelings for the canal
is not the same as ours.
We can invest
in that new ship.
It's not a big sum of money anyway.
It's fine if we make a loss.
As long as my dad is happy.
Make a loss?
Will he be okay with that?
Seriously.
All my dad
cares about is the prosperity of the canal.
He doesn't care about money.
Think about it. He prospered
and suffered before.
He's been through ups and downs.
Nothing really fazes him anymore.
Given that every family has to chip in for the new ship,
do you think Granny Ma still has money?
You're right.
She spent her all savings
on her son's medical bills.
But he still died.
At this age,
she still has to raise her granddaughter.
It must be hard to get by.
What's wrong, Siyi?
Can't sleep?
I'm thinking about things.
At such a young age?
What are you thinking about?
Our ancestors were Italians.
It was chaotic back then.
Why did they come to China?
Wasn't it better to stay at home?
Okay.
Come.
Come to me.
Let me tell you
about your family.
Your grandpa told me this story.
He said that
his grandfather
was named Marford.
He was indeed an Italian.
During the war,
in order to protect his wife and children,
he stabbed the Japanese
and killed two of them.
But later,
the Japanese released hounds
to attack him.
He was badly wounded.
Before he died,
he told his son
that
his brother
was coming from Italy to see him.
He was on a ship on the canal,
cruising northwards.
He asked your great-grandfather
to find his brother no matter what.
Since then,
your great-grandpa led the family
to head southwards.
When he reached Linqing,
your grandpa married me.
I then followed him to continue further south.
So we ended up here
at Flower Street.
Later,
our Ma family settled here on Flower Street.
What about the person Grandpa was looking for?
Have you found him?
It's been too many years.
We can't find him anymore.
So what if we found him?
That's how people are.
We all have feelings.
Just like our courtyard.
Look at the neighbors.
We respect, care for and support one another.
We aren't relatives, but we're closer than relatives.
Some blood relatives
don't contact each other for a long time.
Gradually, the relationship fades.
Just like my mom and I.