Three-Body (2023) s01e26 Episode Script
Episode 26
Endless drifting ♪
To the end of the dark forest ♪
The wind is like a hand ♪
Trying to keep time ♪
Who is the hunter with a gun ♪
Trying to devour the entire universe ♪
The light is like an eye ♪
That penetrates dreams ♪
Don't answer ♪
Who is eager to fill his eyes
with the starry sky ♪
The earth is no longer rotating ♪
You gave me a small universe ♪
In the arms of the universe ♪
Calling humbly for
the vast space and time ♪
The world aches dully ♪
=Three-Body=
=Episode 26=
Wenjie, you must believe me.
Weining has been my comrades
for so many years.
We have a deep personal friendship.
I have to help him with this.
As long as you cooperate, you can avoid
the disastrous consequences.
(At that moment,)
(I knew what Lei Zhicheng was after.)
(He wanted to become)
(the first man to discover
extraterrestrial intelligence.)
(It really was a great opportunity to get
his name into the history textbooks.)
Once he reported this,
my reply would soon be discovered.
(Humans would exhaust all technological
and military power)
(to stop Trisolarans from coming.)
(I assented.)
But at that time,
I'd already decided everything.
(I loosened the bolt that secured
the ground wire to the bottom)
(on the main cabinet
in the equipment closet.)
(I would do equipment checkups a lot,)
(so no one noticed what I did.)
(Similar malfunctions
happened many times,)
(that was easy to identify.)
(But no one would think
that it was the ground wire,)
(because it was well fastened.)
(No one would touch that.)
(Such problems would often involve)
(the part of the wire on the cliff.)
This is the monitor room. The ground wire
is having a problem again.
OK. I'll get it fixed.
Sure.
Oh, you came back.
Something's wrong with the ground wire.
I'll go check it out.
I'll go. You stay here.
If the surveillance is affected,
you'll report to the command center.
OK.
How is it going?
(Why were you certain
that Lei Zhicheng would go down there?)
(He was a dedicated political officer)
(who would faithfully follow the orders
given to him.)
(He were to be a part of the masses
and always be on the front line.)
(Maybe it was just for show,)
(but he performed well.)
(Whenever there was some difficult
and perilous work at the base,)
(he would always volunteer.)
Well, have you found the problem?
I checked everywhere.
But I didn't find anything.
Maybe the problem isn't here.
Maybe?
What do you mean, maybe?
You don't say "maybe"
when fulfilling an important duty.
- Take off your bag.
- Political Commissar.
(What he did the most)
(was ground wire emergency maintenance,)
(which was a dangerous
and exhausting job.)
Political Commissar.
It's not safe. I'll go down there, too.
(So your plan was to cut the rope)
(during his descent.)
Pilers.
I may need them. All of them.
Many reasons can cause a malfunction.
It may be the exposure
of the ground wire
that causes bad contact
or the dry weather
that leads to poor electrode
conductivity of the ground wire.
It could be a minor
and a complicated one.
You are new here.
Political Commissar Lei won't blame you.
You go back to the main control room
to check if other machines
are functional.
OK.
Go.
(My plan was to cut the rope
with a short hacksaw that was broken)
(into three pieces,)
(and it wouldn't be obvious that
the rope was cut through with the saw.)
Wenjie.
(But I didn't expect that)
Wenjie.
How is it going?
Who's down there?
Political Commissar Lei.
He's on his own?
That
That's not right.
It is too hard for him to do it
on his own.
I'll help him.
Use another rope.
No, that won't be necessary.
The rope can take
the weight of the two of us.
Don't worry.
To shorten the time,
three people descended
using only one rope.
He's been down there for quite a while.
Let's not keep him waiting.
I need to hurry.
It is a maintenance rule
that two people can't share one rope.
You must use another one.
All right.
Go get one, then.
I'll be here waiting.
Go.
Take it easy.
No running.
I have checked everything.
It's all good here.
Maybe it's the part that connects
to the main cabinet.
Let's get up there.
OK.
Be careful. It's slippery here.
Yeah.
(When I got back there,)
(Lei Zhicheng and Yang Weining
had finished the inspection,)
(and they were ascending
using one rope.)
(Yang Weining was on the top,)
(and Lei Zhicheng was under him.)
(I knew)
(that)
(I would not have another chance.)
(So)
(I took out the hacksaw.)
(I did it calmly,)
(without feeling anything.)
(I had found)
(a goal to which I could devote myself.)
(I didn't care
what price had to be paid,)
(either by me or by others.)
(And I knew that)
(the entire human race)
(would pay an unprecedented price)
(for the goal.)
(That was only the beginning.)
(I heard two or three surprised cries,)
(and then the sound
of bodies slamming against the rocks.)
(After a while,)
(I saw that the stream
at the foot of the cliff)
(had turned red.)
(Perhaps,)
(the red waters)
(were only my illusion.)
(After all, the current of the stream)
(was not as strong as it was
in summer.)
Too many tubes, no?
Well, we need to run a full examination.
- Is your admission procedure finished?
- Yes.
What are you doing here?
I'm here to check you up.
No need. I'm fine.
Just go.
I'm sure you're busy.
(Inpatient)
You found Ye Wenxue?
No, I didn't.
I've been in the business
for over twenty years.
I know it is the best way
to deal with people like that.
I knew it.
What about Ye Wenjie?
Has the interrogation begun?
Yes, it began this morning.
What are you doing here then?
Go watch the whole thing.
And you'll repeat everything
to me word by word.
Why are you still sitting here?
Hurry up.
Take Professor Wang back.
He's got a mission.
Professor Wang, don't worry.
I'll take good care of Captain Shi.
You let me know at once
when you have the examination report.
Eat the apples.
(The Third Affiliated Hospital of Capital
Medical University Examination Report)
Captain Shi, the indicators
I know.
I understand the numbers.
Wang Miao mustn't see this.
I know him.
Once he knows,
he'll find a place and cry by himself.
Look at you.
I'm not dead yet.
- Give me a cigarette.
- No smoking in the hospital.
(The Third Affiliated Hospital of Capital
Medical University Examination Report)
(Respondent: Ye Wenjie)
Professor Ye,
have you regretted it?
No.
Perhaps
for a small while.
(The deaths of Lei and Yang)
(were treated as accidents.)
(Everybody at the base knew)
(that Yang Weining and I
were a happy couple.)
(So)
(no one suspected me.)
(It didn't take long before
a new commissar came to the base.)
(And my life returned
to its habitual peace.)
Until one day,
Zhang told me
that someone wanted to see me.
Those kids came from
the village of Qijiatun.
They were told
that people were well-educated
here at Radar Peak,
so they would like to ask you some questions
about their study.
Are they even allowed to be here?
Well, the base's security rating
has been reduced.
It'll be fine
as long as they stay outside.
Yesterday, some local villagers came to
bring us vegetables.
Kids, this is Professor Ye
who you asked to see.
Hi. Hello.
Nice to see you, Professor Ye.
Can I ask you a question?
The textbook said that a body in free
fall is under constant acceleration,
but will always reach
a terminal velocity.
We've been trying to figure out why
for several nights.
You came all the way up here
just to ask this?
The Exam draws near.
Our teacher told us
that it was an important one.
What exam?
You know,
the National College Entrance Exam.
Whoever studies hard and gets
the best score gets to go the college.
It began two years ago.
Didn't you know?
You don't need
a referral letter anymore?
No. Anybody can take the exam.
(More and more kids would come
and ask me more questions.)
(If there was a large group,)
(the leaders at the base would allow)
(me to place a blackboard in my room
to teach the kids.)
Every object will remain at rest
or in uniform motion in a straight line.
Inertia varies with mass.
Do you understand?
Yes.
All right.
We'll end here today.
Today is New Year's Eve.
You'll go home and enjoy the evening.
Professor Ye, my mom invites you to
have dumplings at our home with us.
Professor Ye, my mom also
wants to invite you.
Professor Ye, come to my home.
My home. My home.
I appreciate it, but no.
Just go home.
Be careful when you
go down the mountain.
(Wedding Photo, Winter of 1973)
Happy new year, Ye.
What are you doing here
on New Year's Eve?
Come on. Come here.
Happy new year, Professor Ye.
What are you doing here?
Come inside.
It's cold out there. Quickly.
Come on. Hurry.
Get inside.
I'm freezing.
It happens that I'm on duty.
Or these kids wouldn't
have found the place.
Ye, I'm still on patrol.
You keep them here.
Kids, listen to Professor Ye,
don't run about.
Come and get me before you leave,
I'll lead you down the mountain.
Got it?
Got it.
All right.
Ye, I'm off.
Thanks.
Come on. Warm yourselves up.
Thank you, Professor Ye.
Do you feel cold?
What is this?
Professor Ye, my mom said dumplings
are essential on the New Year's Eve.
We know that you can't
go down the mountain.
So we're here to keep you company.
Thank you.
(I thought
it would be a cold New Year's Eve.)
(In June,)
(I gave birth to Yang Dong.)
(Due to malpresentation,
my poor health condition,)
(and the clinic's inability
to deliver a baby at the base,)
(I was taken to the nearest
hospital in town.)
(I had a heavy hemorrhage on the way.)
(I was thinking,)
("This probably is it.)
(This is the comeuppance
for my betrayal.")
Everybody, wait outside.
(Operation Room)
It's been ages. She's still in there.
Right. Did something go wrong?
Ye always has a poor health condition.
I don't know.
I hope she's okay.
Is her family here?
How's she doing?
Her family!
She's got no family here.
Right.
Listen, she had a heavy hemorrhage.
We don't have enough blood.
We need a blood donor.
Me. Me.
We can't just take random blood.
Your blood type needs to match hers.
(Later, the doctor told me)
(that I lost over 2,000 cc of blood.)
(The villagers in Qijiatun
donated their blood)
(to sustain my life.)
I tutored some of their kids,
but most of them, I never met before.
They had only heard about me
from their children or parents.
If it weren't for them,
I would have been dead.
(Yang Dong was born,
but I was too weak)
(to take care of the baby.)
(One villager from Qijiatun
went to talk to the leaders at the base)
(and proposed
to look after me and my baby)
(in his own house.)
Qi.
How is Professor Ye doing?
Don't get in there, you.
But I Can you keep it down?
You're too loud.
You are disturbing the kid.
My sister-in-law has a relative
in the city.
(Malted milk powder)
She gave me these.
They are supposed to be nutritious.
I figure Professor Ye
will be needing nutrition at the moment.
I'll hand these to her.
Just leave them here.
See all those things?
You know Professor Ye's students?
Their parents bring food here every day.
The leader said this.
He said, "Professor Ye can
return to the base
after she gets better."
But she has to keep herself busy.
She said she'd teach the kids
right in this yard.
Right here? That's good, isn't it?
Hey, you!
Keep it down.
I mean, look at her.
Quickly, quickly.
Where were you, Feng?
What took you so long?
The kid is crying.
My in-law had to see the baby.
I was so anxious.
All right. All right.
Just make it quick.
Hurry. Hurry.
Quickly.
- All right. All right.
- Hurry. Hurry.
Qi.
- You'll be fed, baby girl.
- Qi.
You can't follow us in.
What is Feng doing here?
Professor Ye can't produce any milk.
Feng is a strong girl,
and she just gave birth.
She's full of milk.
So I got her back.
She can feed two babies, can't she?
Many women fed Dong.
Everybody in the village
was fond of her.
They said my girl looked smart.
Gradually, the house became
the gathering place for the villagers.
Old and young,
they all liked to come here.
- He can't look like that.
- She's asleep.
Hurry.
Let me hold her.
It's fine. Go get some rest.
I'll go.
Sister, listen to me.
No, no. She can do that.
You were up all night.
Comrades, I think I'm doing very well.
Is this
Is this okay?
So?
You like him, don't you?
Is he your type?
No.
What?
No.
Right?
We're better than that.
No, no, no. Don't do that.
(That piece of memory)
(doesn't even feel like my own.)
More. More.
(It felt more like
the fragments of someone else's life)
(barged into mine.)
Let me see.
What is that, a tail?
One more.
This, this is how you do it. Like this.
(What's the most unforgettable
is those nights I spent with Feng.)
(Qijiatun had no electricity,)
(we would sit next to the oil lamp
to look after the baby.)
I feel cold.
What's on your mind?
Nothing.
These days
feel like a dream to me.
It doesn't even belong to me.
What are you talking about?
All right, I need to add more wood
to heat up the bed.
I'll help, so you don't have to
go in and out twice.
Look at the bright stars.
Wenjie,
how come the stars
don't fall from the sky?
Are you afraid that they will fall?
I'm not.
They are so small.
They are very far away from us.
They won't fall.
All right, back to the wood-burning.
Get back into the room.
It is cold outside.
Get inside.
(That was a brief)
happy moment.
But you lived through the worst time.
Two years after your daughter was born,
you and your father
were politically rehabilitated.
Yes.
I received a letter from my college.
They said I could return to work.
A sum of money came with the letter.
That was the back pay owed to my father
after his rehabilitation.
At base meetings,
they finally
addressed me as Comrade Ye Wenjie.
At the time,
I remembered the letter
that I sent to Trisolaris
two years ago.
But I was very aware
that they'd never see me
as their comrade again.
Until you left the base,
you never received anything
from Trisolaris ever again?
It would take at least eight years
to receive the reply from Trisolaris.
And after I left the base,
I no longer had any way
to receive replies.
How did you cope after you went back?
After all, the time had changed.
Right.
Everybody had changed.
They started to
take technology seriously.
They started to approach science,
believe in the good qualities
of being hard-working
and down-to-earth.
At the first National Conference
on Science,
Guo Moruo declared
that it was the season
of rebirth and renewal
for China's battered science establishment.
At the time,
I would often ask myself,
"Is this the end
of the madness?
Is science and rationality
really coming back?"
As time went by,
the Red Coast Base
started to feel surreal to me.
(That thing was too important.)
(And I had done it all by myself.)
(It felt more and more
like my hallucination.)
(Like a dream.)
(Could the sun really
amplify radio signals?)
(Did I really use the sun as an antenna)
(to send a message into the universe)
(about human civilization?)
(Did I really receive a message
from an alien civilization?)
(Also, Lei Zhicheng,)
(and Yang Weining.)
(Did I really)
But that was real.
I started to have doubt
about the super betrayal.
I tried to numb myself with work
in order to forget the past.
It made me
feel safe.
Professor Ye,
could you really forget that?
It was difficult.
I tried to sympathize with
those who once harmed me.
I thought benevolence
might be helpful.
I hoped
that they, too,
could move on.
You mentioned people who harmed you.
Who were they?
My mother.
Shao Lin.
And the one who led
the interrogation
on my father.
After my father passed away,
my mother soon recovered
from her mental breakdown
and found ways
to survive through the hardships.
(In 1977,)
(she married)
(a dismissed high-level cadre
from the Ministry of Education.)
(She correctly foresaw the future)
(and made the right choice.)
(Before the end of the revolution,)
(her husband was partially
restored to his old position.)
(After the Third Plenary Session
of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee,)
(he was promoted rapidly.)
(Shao Lin left her old college,)
(and was promoted to be the vice president
of another famous university.)
What?
Put it here.
No eggplant tonight.
Wenjie doesn't like that.
Cook a fish.
It's good for the children.
Want a candy?
I'll remove the package for you.
Oh, the sea ♪
She's such a good girl.
It's just like our mother ♪
I'm sure you went through
a lot of sufferings.
How did you cope with them?
Here, Grandma's got it.
Grandma's got it.
Welcome home.
Mother used to tell me ♪
That I'm from the sea ♪
I was born by the sea,
raised in the sea ♪
Is everything okay at work?
That's alright.
The teachers are mostly Father's
former students and co-workers.
They are nice to me.
I don't want it.
OK.
I bought some new clothes for you.
Would you like to have a look?
I want this one.
OK.
Take the candy with you, all right?
Good girl.
All of them.
Always by my side ♪
Oh, the sea ♪
It's just like our mother ♪
After the dinner,
her husband walked us a long distance.
You're welcome to come home with
your daughter more often.
But remember, do not try to pursue
old historical debts.
Your mother bears no responsibility
for your father's death.
She, too, was a victim.
Whereas your father
clung to his own faith
in a manner that was not healthy
and walked all the way
down a blind alley.
He abandoned his responsibility
to his family
and caused you
and your mother to suffer.
You have no right to speak of my father.
It is between me and my mother.
It has nothing to do with you.
Well, you're right.
But I'm only passing
on a message from your mother.
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
=Three-Body=
To the end of the dark forest ♪
The wind is like a hand ♪
Trying to keep time ♪
Who is the hunter with a gun ♪
Trying to devour the entire universe ♪
The light is like an eye ♪
That penetrates dreams ♪
Don't answer ♪
Who is eager to fill his eyes
with the starry sky ♪
The earth is no longer rotating ♪
You gave me a small universe ♪
In the arms of the universe ♪
Calling humbly for
the vast space and time ♪
The world aches dully ♪
=Three-Body=
=Episode 26=
Wenjie, you must believe me.
Weining has been my comrades
for so many years.
We have a deep personal friendship.
I have to help him with this.
As long as you cooperate, you can avoid
the disastrous consequences.
(At that moment,)
(I knew what Lei Zhicheng was after.)
(He wanted to become)
(the first man to discover
extraterrestrial intelligence.)
(It really was a great opportunity to get
his name into the history textbooks.)
Once he reported this,
my reply would soon be discovered.
(Humans would exhaust all technological
and military power)
(to stop Trisolarans from coming.)
(I assented.)
But at that time,
I'd already decided everything.
(I loosened the bolt that secured
the ground wire to the bottom)
(on the main cabinet
in the equipment closet.)
(I would do equipment checkups a lot,)
(so no one noticed what I did.)
(Similar malfunctions
happened many times,)
(that was easy to identify.)
(But no one would think
that it was the ground wire,)
(because it was well fastened.)
(No one would touch that.)
(Such problems would often involve)
(the part of the wire on the cliff.)
This is the monitor room. The ground wire
is having a problem again.
OK. I'll get it fixed.
Sure.
Oh, you came back.
Something's wrong with the ground wire.
I'll go check it out.
I'll go. You stay here.
If the surveillance is affected,
you'll report to the command center.
OK.
How is it going?
(Why were you certain
that Lei Zhicheng would go down there?)
(He was a dedicated political officer)
(who would faithfully follow the orders
given to him.)
(He were to be a part of the masses
and always be on the front line.)
(Maybe it was just for show,)
(but he performed well.)
(Whenever there was some difficult
and perilous work at the base,)
(he would always volunteer.)
Well, have you found the problem?
I checked everywhere.
But I didn't find anything.
Maybe the problem isn't here.
Maybe?
What do you mean, maybe?
You don't say "maybe"
when fulfilling an important duty.
- Take off your bag.
- Political Commissar.
(What he did the most)
(was ground wire emergency maintenance,)
(which was a dangerous
and exhausting job.)
Political Commissar.
It's not safe. I'll go down there, too.
(So your plan was to cut the rope)
(during his descent.)
Pilers.
I may need them. All of them.
Many reasons can cause a malfunction.
It may be the exposure
of the ground wire
that causes bad contact
or the dry weather
that leads to poor electrode
conductivity of the ground wire.
It could be a minor
and a complicated one.
You are new here.
Political Commissar Lei won't blame you.
You go back to the main control room
to check if other machines
are functional.
OK.
Go.
(My plan was to cut the rope
with a short hacksaw that was broken)
(into three pieces,)
(and it wouldn't be obvious that
the rope was cut through with the saw.)
Wenjie.
(But I didn't expect that)
Wenjie.
How is it going?
Who's down there?
Political Commissar Lei.
He's on his own?
That
That's not right.
It is too hard for him to do it
on his own.
I'll help him.
Use another rope.
No, that won't be necessary.
The rope can take
the weight of the two of us.
Don't worry.
To shorten the time,
three people descended
using only one rope.
He's been down there for quite a while.
Let's not keep him waiting.
I need to hurry.
It is a maintenance rule
that two people can't share one rope.
You must use another one.
All right.
Go get one, then.
I'll be here waiting.
Go.
Take it easy.
No running.
I have checked everything.
It's all good here.
Maybe it's the part that connects
to the main cabinet.
Let's get up there.
OK.
Be careful. It's slippery here.
Yeah.
(When I got back there,)
(Lei Zhicheng and Yang Weining
had finished the inspection,)
(and they were ascending
using one rope.)
(Yang Weining was on the top,)
(and Lei Zhicheng was under him.)
(I knew)
(that)
(I would not have another chance.)
(So)
(I took out the hacksaw.)
(I did it calmly,)
(without feeling anything.)
(I had found)
(a goal to which I could devote myself.)
(I didn't care
what price had to be paid,)
(either by me or by others.)
(And I knew that)
(the entire human race)
(would pay an unprecedented price)
(for the goal.)
(That was only the beginning.)
(I heard two or three surprised cries,)
(and then the sound
of bodies slamming against the rocks.)
(After a while,)
(I saw that the stream
at the foot of the cliff)
(had turned red.)
(Perhaps,)
(the red waters)
(were only my illusion.)
(After all, the current of the stream)
(was not as strong as it was
in summer.)
Too many tubes, no?
Well, we need to run a full examination.
- Is your admission procedure finished?
- Yes.
What are you doing here?
I'm here to check you up.
No need. I'm fine.
Just go.
I'm sure you're busy.
(Inpatient)
You found Ye Wenxue?
No, I didn't.
I've been in the business
for over twenty years.
I know it is the best way
to deal with people like that.
I knew it.
What about Ye Wenjie?
Has the interrogation begun?
Yes, it began this morning.
What are you doing here then?
Go watch the whole thing.
And you'll repeat everything
to me word by word.
Why are you still sitting here?
Hurry up.
Take Professor Wang back.
He's got a mission.
Professor Wang, don't worry.
I'll take good care of Captain Shi.
You let me know at once
when you have the examination report.
Eat the apples.
(The Third Affiliated Hospital of Capital
Medical University Examination Report)
Captain Shi, the indicators
I know.
I understand the numbers.
Wang Miao mustn't see this.
I know him.
Once he knows,
he'll find a place and cry by himself.
Look at you.
I'm not dead yet.
- Give me a cigarette.
- No smoking in the hospital.
(The Third Affiliated Hospital of Capital
Medical University Examination Report)
(Respondent: Ye Wenjie)
Professor Ye,
have you regretted it?
No.
Perhaps
for a small while.
(The deaths of Lei and Yang)
(were treated as accidents.)
(Everybody at the base knew)
(that Yang Weining and I
were a happy couple.)
(So)
(no one suspected me.)
(It didn't take long before
a new commissar came to the base.)
(And my life returned
to its habitual peace.)
Until one day,
Zhang told me
that someone wanted to see me.
Those kids came from
the village of Qijiatun.
They were told
that people were well-educated
here at Radar Peak,
so they would like to ask you some questions
about their study.
Are they even allowed to be here?
Well, the base's security rating
has been reduced.
It'll be fine
as long as they stay outside.
Yesterday, some local villagers came to
bring us vegetables.
Kids, this is Professor Ye
who you asked to see.
Hi. Hello.
Nice to see you, Professor Ye.
Can I ask you a question?
The textbook said that a body in free
fall is under constant acceleration,
but will always reach
a terminal velocity.
We've been trying to figure out why
for several nights.
You came all the way up here
just to ask this?
The Exam draws near.
Our teacher told us
that it was an important one.
What exam?
You know,
the National College Entrance Exam.
Whoever studies hard and gets
the best score gets to go the college.
It began two years ago.
Didn't you know?
You don't need
a referral letter anymore?
No. Anybody can take the exam.
(More and more kids would come
and ask me more questions.)
(If there was a large group,)
(the leaders at the base would allow)
(me to place a blackboard in my room
to teach the kids.)
Every object will remain at rest
or in uniform motion in a straight line.
Inertia varies with mass.
Do you understand?
Yes.
All right.
We'll end here today.
Today is New Year's Eve.
You'll go home and enjoy the evening.
Professor Ye, my mom invites you to
have dumplings at our home with us.
Professor Ye, my mom also
wants to invite you.
Professor Ye, come to my home.
My home. My home.
I appreciate it, but no.
Just go home.
Be careful when you
go down the mountain.
(Wedding Photo, Winter of 1973)
Happy new year, Ye.
What are you doing here
on New Year's Eve?
Come on. Come here.
Happy new year, Professor Ye.
What are you doing here?
Come inside.
It's cold out there. Quickly.
Come on. Hurry.
Get inside.
I'm freezing.
It happens that I'm on duty.
Or these kids wouldn't
have found the place.
Ye, I'm still on patrol.
You keep them here.
Kids, listen to Professor Ye,
don't run about.
Come and get me before you leave,
I'll lead you down the mountain.
Got it?
Got it.
All right.
Ye, I'm off.
Thanks.
Come on. Warm yourselves up.
Thank you, Professor Ye.
Do you feel cold?
What is this?
Professor Ye, my mom said dumplings
are essential on the New Year's Eve.
We know that you can't
go down the mountain.
So we're here to keep you company.
Thank you.
(I thought
it would be a cold New Year's Eve.)
(In June,)
(I gave birth to Yang Dong.)
(Due to malpresentation,
my poor health condition,)
(and the clinic's inability
to deliver a baby at the base,)
(I was taken to the nearest
hospital in town.)
(I had a heavy hemorrhage on the way.)
(I was thinking,)
("This probably is it.)
(This is the comeuppance
for my betrayal.")
Everybody, wait outside.
(Operation Room)
It's been ages. She's still in there.
Right. Did something go wrong?
Ye always has a poor health condition.
I don't know.
I hope she's okay.
Is her family here?
How's she doing?
Her family!
She's got no family here.
Right.
Listen, she had a heavy hemorrhage.
We don't have enough blood.
We need a blood donor.
Me. Me.
We can't just take random blood.
Your blood type needs to match hers.
(Later, the doctor told me)
(that I lost over 2,000 cc of blood.)
(The villagers in Qijiatun
donated their blood)
(to sustain my life.)
I tutored some of their kids,
but most of them, I never met before.
They had only heard about me
from their children or parents.
If it weren't for them,
I would have been dead.
(Yang Dong was born,
but I was too weak)
(to take care of the baby.)
(One villager from Qijiatun
went to talk to the leaders at the base)
(and proposed
to look after me and my baby)
(in his own house.)
Qi.
How is Professor Ye doing?
Don't get in there, you.
But I Can you keep it down?
You're too loud.
You are disturbing the kid.
My sister-in-law has a relative
in the city.
(Malted milk powder)
She gave me these.
They are supposed to be nutritious.
I figure Professor Ye
will be needing nutrition at the moment.
I'll hand these to her.
Just leave them here.
See all those things?
You know Professor Ye's students?
Their parents bring food here every day.
The leader said this.
He said, "Professor Ye can
return to the base
after she gets better."
But she has to keep herself busy.
She said she'd teach the kids
right in this yard.
Right here? That's good, isn't it?
Hey, you!
Keep it down.
I mean, look at her.
Quickly, quickly.
Where were you, Feng?
What took you so long?
The kid is crying.
My in-law had to see the baby.
I was so anxious.
All right. All right.
Just make it quick.
Hurry. Hurry.
Quickly.
- All right. All right.
- Hurry. Hurry.
Qi.
- You'll be fed, baby girl.
- Qi.
You can't follow us in.
What is Feng doing here?
Professor Ye can't produce any milk.
Feng is a strong girl,
and she just gave birth.
She's full of milk.
So I got her back.
She can feed two babies, can't she?
Many women fed Dong.
Everybody in the village
was fond of her.
They said my girl looked smart.
Gradually, the house became
the gathering place for the villagers.
Old and young,
they all liked to come here.
- He can't look like that.
- She's asleep.
Hurry.
Let me hold her.
It's fine. Go get some rest.
I'll go.
Sister, listen to me.
No, no. She can do that.
You were up all night.
Comrades, I think I'm doing very well.
Is this
Is this okay?
So?
You like him, don't you?
Is he your type?
No.
What?
No.
Right?
We're better than that.
No, no, no. Don't do that.
(That piece of memory)
(doesn't even feel like my own.)
More. More.
(It felt more like
the fragments of someone else's life)
(barged into mine.)
Let me see.
What is that, a tail?
One more.
This, this is how you do it. Like this.
(What's the most unforgettable
is those nights I spent with Feng.)
(Qijiatun had no electricity,)
(we would sit next to the oil lamp
to look after the baby.)
I feel cold.
What's on your mind?
Nothing.
These days
feel like a dream to me.
It doesn't even belong to me.
What are you talking about?
All right, I need to add more wood
to heat up the bed.
I'll help, so you don't have to
go in and out twice.
Look at the bright stars.
Wenjie,
how come the stars
don't fall from the sky?
Are you afraid that they will fall?
I'm not.
They are so small.
They are very far away from us.
They won't fall.
All right, back to the wood-burning.
Get back into the room.
It is cold outside.
Get inside.
(That was a brief)
happy moment.
But you lived through the worst time.
Two years after your daughter was born,
you and your father
were politically rehabilitated.
Yes.
I received a letter from my college.
They said I could return to work.
A sum of money came with the letter.
That was the back pay owed to my father
after his rehabilitation.
At base meetings,
they finally
addressed me as Comrade Ye Wenjie.
At the time,
I remembered the letter
that I sent to Trisolaris
two years ago.
But I was very aware
that they'd never see me
as their comrade again.
Until you left the base,
you never received anything
from Trisolaris ever again?
It would take at least eight years
to receive the reply from Trisolaris.
And after I left the base,
I no longer had any way
to receive replies.
How did you cope after you went back?
After all, the time had changed.
Right.
Everybody had changed.
They started to
take technology seriously.
They started to approach science,
believe in the good qualities
of being hard-working
and down-to-earth.
At the first National Conference
on Science,
Guo Moruo declared
that it was the season
of rebirth and renewal
for China's battered science establishment.
At the time,
I would often ask myself,
"Is this the end
of the madness?
Is science and rationality
really coming back?"
As time went by,
the Red Coast Base
started to feel surreal to me.
(That thing was too important.)
(And I had done it all by myself.)
(It felt more and more
like my hallucination.)
(Like a dream.)
(Could the sun really
amplify radio signals?)
(Did I really use the sun as an antenna)
(to send a message into the universe)
(about human civilization?)
(Did I really receive a message
from an alien civilization?)
(Also, Lei Zhicheng,)
(and Yang Weining.)
(Did I really)
But that was real.
I started to have doubt
about the super betrayal.
I tried to numb myself with work
in order to forget the past.
It made me
feel safe.
Professor Ye,
could you really forget that?
It was difficult.
I tried to sympathize with
those who once harmed me.
I thought benevolence
might be helpful.
I hoped
that they, too,
could move on.
You mentioned people who harmed you.
Who were they?
My mother.
Shao Lin.
And the one who led
the interrogation
on my father.
After my father passed away,
my mother soon recovered
from her mental breakdown
and found ways
to survive through the hardships.
(In 1977,)
(she married)
(a dismissed high-level cadre
from the Ministry of Education.)
(She correctly foresaw the future)
(and made the right choice.)
(Before the end of the revolution,)
(her husband was partially
restored to his old position.)
(After the Third Plenary Session
of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee,)
(he was promoted rapidly.)
(Shao Lin left her old college,)
(and was promoted to be the vice president
of another famous university.)
What?
Put it here.
No eggplant tonight.
Wenjie doesn't like that.
Cook a fish.
It's good for the children.
Want a candy?
I'll remove the package for you.
Oh, the sea ♪
She's such a good girl.
It's just like our mother ♪
I'm sure you went through
a lot of sufferings.
How did you cope with them?
Here, Grandma's got it.
Grandma's got it.
Welcome home.
Mother used to tell me ♪
That I'm from the sea ♪
I was born by the sea,
raised in the sea ♪
Is everything okay at work?
That's alright.
The teachers are mostly Father's
former students and co-workers.
They are nice to me.
I don't want it.
OK.
I bought some new clothes for you.
Would you like to have a look?
I want this one.
OK.
Take the candy with you, all right?
Good girl.
All of them.
Always by my side ♪
Oh, the sea ♪
It's just like our mother ♪
After the dinner,
her husband walked us a long distance.
You're welcome to come home with
your daughter more often.
But remember, do not try to pursue
old historical debts.
Your mother bears no responsibility
for your father's death.
She, too, was a victim.
Whereas your father
clung to his own faith
in a manner that was not healthy
and walked all the way
down a blind alley.
He abandoned his responsibility
to his family
and caused you
and your mother to suffer.
You have no right to speak of my father.
It is between me and my mother.
It has nothing to do with you.
Well, you're right.
But I'm only passing
on a message from your mother.
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
I've seen things
you people won't believe ♪
Soon our planet will vanish ♪
I've known the future
you people won't think of ♪
Soon your planet will be punished ♪
=Three-Body=