A Touch of Zen

1

Based on the story The Magnanimous Girl

by PU Songling

from Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

(Liaozha iZhiyi), 1679

A TOUCH OF ZEN:

(XIA NU)

Executive Producer

XIA-WU Liangfang

Planning

ZHANG Jiuying

Producer

YANG Shiqing

Starring

HSU Feng, SHIH Jun

BAI Ying, TIAN Peng

CAO Jian, MIAO Tian,

ZHANG Bingyu, XUE Han

Guest star:
Roy CHIAO

as Abbot Huiyuan

Director of Photography

HUA Huiying

Assistant Director

MIAO Tian

Production Design: ZHENG Zhiliang

Art Director:
CHEN Shanglin

Music by WU Dajiang

Martial Arts Choreography

HAN Yingjie, PAN Yaokun

Written and Directed by King HU

"Fort Jinglu"

"General Cheng Yuan's Residence"

"Letter writing and scroll painting"

"Gu Shengzhai"

- Welcome, sir

- Is this your work?

Just humble efforts

It's excellent

May I do a portrait for you?

All right

Please take a seat

May I know your name?

Ouyang Nian

Mr. Ouyang

You must have had a tiring journey

How do you know?

I know almost everyone in this remote town

I've just arrived

You've lived here all your life?

Yes

Ah... your hat?

And turn your head to the side

What's your name?

Gu Shengzhai.

Good morning!

Shengzhai!

You're early today

Can I offer you some tea?

Not now, you're busy. I'll come by later

See you

Mr. Gu...

- Who is he?

- They sell medicinal herbs

- What's his name?

- Lu. Why do you ask?

Is he local?

No, they came about a month ago

He's quite skilled

He has a stall near the temple

Why do you ask?

No reason

Mr. Ouyang...

I'll be back tomorrow

Mind the step!

Mother!

Mr. Shi

You're back early, Mr. Gu

- Won't you stay a while?

- Another time

See you then

- Bye

- Goodbye

Mother, has someone moved in?

Who'd dare to live there?

Mr. Shi just told your fortune

You know what he said?

I've no idea

Come and eat

He said this is your lucky year

What makes him think that?

I told you, he worked it out

You should take the civil service exam

I'm not interested

Why not?

Why should a sighted man

take a blind man's advice?

Everyone except you wants

to be successful

You're hopeless!

Mother, we may not be rich...

...but we don't starve

When I've saved a little more,

I can open a school

Don't be silly!

You want to be a teacher?

You know the saying...

"Nothing compares to officialdom"

Actually, being a scholar is better!

Why study if you don't want to be an official?

We study to acquire knowledge

But you don't seem to know anything

You're over thirty now...

...but still not married!

Why not?

I'm waiting for the right person

What you mean is, you're too poor!

The Gu family line is going to die out!

"In troubled times, I choose safety..."

"...over jostling for rank and fame"

Don't quote at me!

Save your quotes for the exam!

Oh, you're hopeless!

Mother!

What's going on?

I...

I was looking...

...to see if anyone was there

Have you gone mad?

No-one lives here

Come home!

Come on!

NOW!

You shouldn't be out at this hour

See how dirty your clothes are!

Mr. Gu...

May I ask something?

Of course

I hear that Fort Jinglu is near here

It is

Have you been there?

I live next to it

They say it's haunted

Only those who believe in ghosts!

Mr. Ouyang...

I'll mount the finished portrait

Please tell me tomorrow if you like it

Thank you

It's better to be wary of ghosts

Confucius says, don't speak of such things

I'm afraid I can't agree

Goodbye

"it's better to be wary of ghosts..."

"Taoist exorcism spells"

Mother!

What's all this?

I...

You're behaving like a madman

Let me introduce you

This is Miss Yang

This is my son

Come

Miss Yang...

Just ask if there's anything you need

Who is she?

Our new neighbour

You terrified her last night

She scared me too

She's very brave to live there alone

Same as us, she pays no rent

Shengzhai

Mother, why did you visit her?

I gave them some needles and thread

They have nothing there

Mother...

Who else is living there?

Her bed-ridden mother,

who must be eighty

What's that stick for?

Oh, nothing

What do they do for a living?

Miss Yang sells funeral offerings

She can't be earning much

You're well over thirty...

Not again!

Don't interrupt me!

Miss Yang is single and in her twenties

Why shouldn't you marry her?

Don't "huh" me

They need someone to depend on

And you're not going anywhere

You'd make a good couple

But Mother...

What?

Will she agree?

Why not? Aren't we

good enough for them?

It's all up to you

Isn't this just wishful?

Don't be silly, they have nothing!

She has nothing to lose by marrying

She'll agree

I'll talk to her mother tomorrow

Come back early today

Mother!

You scared me!

Why aren't you at work?

What did she say?

No

Where are you going?

To the shop

It's going to rain, don't go today

What did her mother say?

She wants her to get married

But Miss Yang says no

Why?

She wouldn't say

She must think we're too poor

If only you had an official rank

Not that again!

Take the exam this year!

I've said many times...

What?

If you had an official post,

she would have agreed

Mother...

Go on painting all day and

you can forget about marrying

Mother!

Excuse me...

No one answered,

so I took the liberty of coming in

Sorry, we were out

This is Mr. Ouyang. My mother

Please have a seat

Pleased to meet you

Do sit down

The place is in a mess

Please excuse us

It's a nice room

Very small

- It's quiet here

- Have a seat

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