Children Of China (1940)

nestled in a broad fertile plane of western China is the ancient Village of Guan Shin it is early morning but already the day's activities are getting underway a farmer from an outlying District drives his noisy flock of ducks to the guanin Village Market Porters with squeaky wheelbarrows make their way along long roads nearby to Market with grains to Market with pigs pigs that swing from shoulder poles produce and people baras and Rick Shaws Move Along roads that lead to the village for centuries ornamental Gates which Mark the entrances to Guan shim have witnessed the round of Village Life this morning as on countless other mornings Porters trudge along with their speaking shoulder poles bearing the goods of Commerce bearing well-to-do passengers in swaying sedan chairs men with burdens on their backs others leading herds of goats pass along the narrow streets after the quiet of the night the village comes to life shops boarded up while the village slept are now opened wide for trade again as customers come along once more more goods are displayed as buyer and seller bargain shops that deal in household goods and shops that offer vegetables begin once more to serve the needs of customers from the village through the day the handheld scale will weigh out many a purchase and in a nearby lumber yard the saws will hum until Darkness Falls among those having early morning errands in the village is old grandfather Lee long a well-known farmer of guanin his farm on the village outskirts no longer needs his labors the lands owned by the Lea Family through the centuries are now farmed by grandfather Lee's Sons already in a garden patch beside the Family household Lee Wing kuang the eldest son is carefully tending the soil and as part of the preparation for the morning meal mean a sister-in-law draws water from a well like all water used for drinking it will be boiled and perhaps made into tea meanwhile in the kitchen the wife of Lee win kuang busies herself over a large Iron Kettle using charcoal for fuel she has prepared a large large quantity of steaming rice there are many mouths to feed in the Lee household her son leeu Ming will want a good meal before he leaves for school just now he is finishing the long and careful brushing of his teeth that starts off every day the washing of his hands follows next as he stands before a basin of water from the well his sister and a cousin having already finished dressing play with baby brother tending little Alli young is one of sister's regular tasks though she is often gladly assisted by grandmother Lee who sits close by proudly knitting a little jacket for her grandson but now as sister-in-law M Lon brings in some dishes she has prepared for the morning meal the group is assembled for breakfast are ready to begin now the Chopsticks go into action everyone helps himself from the dishes of vegetables placed in the center sister and brother Mother and Father aunt and uncle all hold rice bowls in the left hand and Chopsticks in the right as they eat there are frequent pauses for sips of tea tea from cups that are filled and filled again with breakfast over farmer Lee leads his water buffalo from the stall for the day's work in the rice fields his brother and a helper take up their farming tools and the three men together with their faithful Buffalo proceed to the family lands on their way they pass a small Shrine housing local gods of the fields meanwhile Shu Ming and his sister Ming have started off to school on the way they call for a friend are you ready King Chan in a minute Shing and now joined by their friend King Chan the children proceed to school they make their way through the traffic of the village streets swinging along with their school books entering the school grounds other boys and girls of the village are also arriving for class they are proud of their school the children of the village proud too of their Boy Scout and Girl Scout uniforms to these organizations almost all the children belong though not everyone wears his Scout uniform to school when all have entered the classroom and have taken their places lessons proceed reading is first on the schedule for today Ming takes out her reader which contains stories teaching the importance of loyalty to parents from these stories King Chan is first to read while he reads his father a wealthy silk Merchant of the village calculates his accounts with an abacus while this girl reads her father an honored Miller of the village grinds grain with ancient Stones while this lad reads his father a musical instrument maker is busy with his work the wooden parts for loots violins and flutes he shapes by hand with greatest care but the fathers of most of the children are farmers like the father of shuing and Ming here he plows his Fields while his brother Works nearby breaking up the clouds of Earth with a hole and making ready for planting as the day wears on mother Lee makes her way to the field bringing a pot of tea to her husband for father Lee as with other Farmers the work day is long and a refreshing drink of the hot thirst quenching liquid most welcome in the afternoon grandfather emplo a scribe to write a letter to a friend grandfather Lee never learned to write but his grandson is more fortunate writing is one of the first things Shu Ming is taught in school here for the children to copy the teacher writes chungua chunga meaning Middle Kingdom the Chinese name for China shuming is more fortunate than grandfather too in Sharing in the play program of the modern School likewise the girl girls learn bodybuilding games their mothers never played games Ming enjoys in the late afternoon both schoolyard games and classroom lessons are over for the day boys and girls file out of the gate some to work some to play with school over King Chan thinks it would be nice to play Checkers but Shu Ming wants to go swimming there's an easy way to decide the game name of stone scissors and paper King John wins and checkers it will be in one of the dimly lighted rooms off the courtyard of the Wong home the friends take up their game perhaps in this game shuing will win and now toward evening grandfather makes his leisurely way through the village back to the Lee home it has been a pleasant day with many a friendly chat now too farmer Lee leads his Buffalo back to the stall after a Long Day's Work in the fields before little Al Young is put to bed there must be fond good nights to grandfather and grandmother now in the evening farmer Lee who does the buying for the family makes a purchase of salt mother is once again at her stove preparing the evening meal for her [Music] family to the children seated in the darkening Courtyard come the strains of a neighbor's [Music] violin the wistful Melody floats out over the ancient Village toward the mountains that Loom Beyond [Applause]