Dao Reurng Episode 4

Dao Reurng makes one big mistake that will have her reeling and having to succumb to Khun Palat’s wishes.

Episode 4 Recap

Kamjorn doesn’t agree with Khun Palat putting too much hope in Ai Reurng when it comes to raising those ducklings, he advises Khun Palat to distribute them among the needy townspeople instead, because Reurng would inevitably kill them all. Furthermore, Kamjorn says that she’s probably making alcohol or reading her cartoon magazines. Khun Palat is looking thoughtful, as he seems to be the only one in the village who believes there is more to Dao Reurng than meets the eyes.

But Kamjorn couldn’t be further from the truth, because Dao Reurng is reading a book on how to care for ducklings. Worried about them, she takes off in the middle of the night to check up on them. She wonders why they aren’t sleeping, whether they’ll be ok if it rains. Cute. Momma Bancheun observes her daughter from the doorway and smiles.

Morning comes and Reurng carries a box of bottled alcohol when she spots Khun Palat jogging in the morning. Worried that she’ll get caught, Reurng masks the box.

He meanders over, “What are you doing?”

“Collecting coals,” she replies and stands up, “are you suspecting something?”

“If you’re merely collecting coals, why would I suspect you?” he retorts.

Reurng doesn’t back down, “Don’t you have work to do?” And she implies that he’s bugging the townspeople.

“Work. That’s right,” he says, “thanks for reminding me.” He sidesteps her and walks right into her home. Heh. Someone’s making himself at home.

He works his way around the house and climbs into the chickpen. Concern etched his face.

“You feed them yet?”

She shakes her head, feigning lack of interest.

“How about water?”

She shakes her head again.

He proceeds to pack the chicks into a box.

Reurng storms over to him, “What are you doing?!”

“If you’re lazy to raise them, I will bring them elsewhere. It will be useful to others.”

“No need! I will raise them,” she spat.

“So you’re not going to be lazy about it?”

“Erh!”

“So have you fed and watered them?” he questions.

She retorts that she’s done everything, and removes the chicks from the box.

Khun Palat hands her a wad of cash for the ducklings’ food.

Ha, but her mom completely ruins her form. She tells Khun Palat that Reurng eyes those chicks every 5-10 minutes.

Just as Khun Palat jogs back to his home (after declining breakfast from Momma Bancheun), Little Pian whispers to Reurng that the coast is clear this afternoon.

Apparently that afternoon, Sergeant Men finds his car dying in the middle of the road as he is pressed for time. He’s caught wind that Ai Reurng is at it again, distributing alcohol, and Sergeant Men wants to catch her red handed. Khun Palat and Kamjorn drive by and decide to help him, despite Khun Palat’s disbelief in her nonchalance this morning.

Reurng is transporting over a few boxes of alcohol when she spots Khun Palat’s jeep. She makes a beeline for the fork in the road. (How is it that a jeep can’t outmaneuver a motorcycle that’s carrying a heavy load?) I guess we’ll just have to go with it.

They holler at her to stop, but she speeds up, taking a sharp turn. She instructs Little Pian to drive while she stays behind with a box. The Sergeant surmises that they must follow her into the woods because she wouldn’t trust Little Pian to drive off with the goods. Khun Palat believes the contrary but Sergeant cuts him off and says that they need to be smarter than Ai Reurng.

We all know by now that the box Reurng possess doesn’t contain alcohol and she intends to be caught. Once they catch up to her, she tells them that she’s in a rush to get rid of her momma’s urine (lol.) Sergeant doesn’t think so and orders her to hand over the alcohol. He shakes the single bottle and is confident that this is enough evidence- and he proceeds to DRINK said bottle- yet before it makes it to his lips, the pungent smell causes him to pass out. LOL. We think he’s in the clear but as he’s on the floor, the bottle of urine pours over his face and into his mouth.

Khun Palat and Kamjorn try to come to his aid, but the smell causes them to recoil. “Pee!” they all say at the same time. Heh.

Khun Palat tells her that she’s crossed the line but Reurng relents that she forewarned him. She even retrieves her bottle and takes off with a sneer. Undeterred, Khun Palat follows.

Reurng arrives at the meet up spot with Little Pian and laughs her ass off that Sergeant actually drank Little Pian’s pee. They think they have gotten away and Reung says, “they’ll stop meddling for a while now!”

“Can’t stop meddling now, we’ll miss you too much,” Khun Palat says behind her.

Uh oh, Reurng spins around.

“That box, it contains alcohol right?” he questions.

Reurng denies and says that it’s fish sauce, is that breaking the law?

He retorts that he’s not Sergeant Men that she could easily fool, and sniffs the contents of the bottle. “Now that is clearly alcohol.” She’s busted.

But before he could finish his sentence, Reurng smashes his head with a stick. He goes down for the count. A look of remorse crosses her face.

The two covers Khun Palat’s body with banana leaves and takes him to her house where she calls for her momma’s assistance. Momma Bancheun orders her to take Khun Palat to the hospital and Little Pian wonders if his P’Reurng would be locked up for it. He advises to abandon Khun Palat’s body on the streets and they could escape this. But Reurng doesn’t think Khun Palat would make it. So she does have some conscience. Momma Bancheun and Little Pian take turn offering to turn themselves in. Aw. Not that I think she deserves it.

Reurng relents that she will deal with her own mistake and orders Little Pian to bring her some fish sauce. And what does that entail? Dumping fish sauce on his body and pushing his gurney right down the hallway of the hospital. Kamjorn had been waiting for his superior when a gurney hits him in the ass. He pinches his nose from the fish sauce stench, then realizing that Khun Palat is lying unconscious on the gurney, Kamjorn hysterically screams as if mourning his boss.

Kamjorn tells Sergeant about Khun Palat’s unfortunate condition, that he’s barely worked for 100 days and his body has to be cremated. Sergeant vows to lock her up in jail by his own hands.

Reurng and Little Pian spy by the corner, Reurng doesn’t want to leave until she knows for certain that Khun Palat is safe (alive.) Little Pian says that it sounds like Reurng is more concerned about Khun Palat’s life than her own, but Reurng denies it, saying that she needed an answer in case her mother questions them. Sure..

In the hospital ward Reurng observes with her own eyes that Khun Palat stirs awake. She immediately sneaks back home, where she reports to her momma that he’s survived. But on her tail is Sergeant, who is taking her to the police station under the claim of being a suspect to Khun Palat’s death. Momma Bancheun balks that Reurng says that Khun Palat is alive now- which only condemns Reurng further.

The trio, Wan and his minions ride by Reurng’s food booth where Wan orders them never to utter her name again. He is only here this time to tell her that he would never speak to her again. But he sees Little Pian who is desperate for his help. Wan feigns disinterest until he hears that Reurng has been arrested.

Momma Bancheun seeks Phoo Yai’s help to bail out Reurng, but the man is disinclined to help because Reurng has burned her bridges with so many of the elders in the village. But Momma Bancheun pleads for him to do it for her.

One of Phoo Yai’s wives spy them from a corner and exaggerates to the other wives that they are getting it on. The three stomps to Phoo Yai (with wives # 7,8,9 in tow too?) They see Bancheun crying loudly, with Phoo Yai holding her. Bancheun smirks at him when she thinks he’s not going to help and walks away, which leaves the first wife to deal with Phoo Yai. She’s super jealous of the ex-girlfriend (who keeps rubbing it in that she could very well be the first wife) and says that for wife #10, she would be the one to choose for Phoo Yai. (Apparently anyone but her.)

Wan shows up and pleads for his mom to bail Reurng out, when she refuses, he throws a fit. He threatens to sever their mother-son ties. Which is the wrong thing to say after what had happened between Phoo-Yai and Reurng’s mom, so Momma Wiang, says she’s capable of cutting ties too.

Reurng is being questioned at the police station, she denies all charges. She tells Sergeant to wait until they get the statement from Khun Palat first, and that they don’t have any evidence to convict her. If Khun Palat says that he’s the one who hit is own head with the fish sauce, then she would sue the entire police station.

Momma Bancheung pays a visit to Khun Palat, bearing gifts. He doesn’t look happy seeing her, Kamjorn even whispers in his ears to be careful, because momma could be here to finish the job. Heh. But Khun Palat tells Kamjorn to wait outside as he chats with Momma Bancheun.

Meanwhile Wan and the minions try to conjure a way to help Reurng, they think she’s in jail. After some debate, one of the minions advises Wan to sit in jail with Reurng. It is an opportunity to prove his love for Reurng, that he has never deserted her during tough times.

Momma Bancheun tries to make it up to Khun Palat by buying him snacks and apologizing for her daughter, she asks him not to send her to jail, she’s still young and doesn’t know right from wrong- she didn’t mean to hurt Khun Palat. But our guy says she hit him- which Momma says she didn’t have any other choice. She even adds a few tear, Ai Reurng is the head of the household, she doesn’t even get to further her education because she has to work, so Momma hopes Khun Palat could forgive her. He tells her yes that he would forgive her, but she still needs to be punished.

Not knowing what else to do, Momma Bancheun goes to Luang Taa for a reading, who surmises that Reurng will make it. She asks for his help and tells her to do it for their “old flame.” Gosh, she’s using this card for all of the guys. I guess when you’re desperate you’ll do whatever it takes.

So Luang Taa pretends to be possessed with the spirit that the townspeople obey, and he tells his audience at the police station that Reurng was possessed at the time by the heavens to punish Khun Palat. Suddenly Reurng starts shaking too, pretending to be possessed. They put on a show. But when the director appears, the two spirits seem to conveniently disappear.

The director asks to speak to Reurng one on one.

Khun Palat is released from the hospital but decides to go straight for the police station.

Meanwhile the director tells Reurng to be careful next time, but Reurng argues that the Khun Palat is the one who is meddling too much. The director reminds her that Khun Palat is just doing his job, he’s a good guy. What they need to focus on right now is how they’re going to stop him from condemning her.

Much to everyone’s surprise however, Khun Palat arrives at the police station but before he could do anything, Ai Wan and gang runs into the station and hits the Sergeant over the head with a stick. What is wrong with this town?! (Totally a rhetorical question.) Obviously he’s trying to get into jail with Reurng.

Khun Palat rushes over to see to the Sergeant, apparently only he is concerned about another person’s life in this lakorn.

Wan gets locked up in jail, as his wish. When he sees Reurng outside of the jail cell, he wonders why she’s not in the jail cell with him. The director says that she’s under suspicion but the victim hasn’t made a report yet, while Ai Wan confessed and walked into jail himself. Also, if he wanted to be in jail with Ai Reurng, that would have been impossible, because men and women’s jail cell are separated. Ha.

Khun Palat asks for a word with Dao Reurng, who balks that she has nothing to talk about, but she follows him anyway. Reurng can’t keep denying that she didn’t hit him and that it was fish sauce and not alcohol, because her momma has already confessed everything to Khun Palat. He tests her to see if she would admit to her own crimes by offering to send her or her mom to jail. Once she admits to it, he says he won’t send her to jail, but there is a condition: she will be his assistant and take him around town for work. Reurng refuses and tells him that if he wants her to do anything, he would need more evidence. But Khun Palat is already a step ahead of her and has her confession recorded. Haha.

Much to her chagrin, (after agreeing to be his assistant I presume) she learns that Khun Palat had deceived her- her momma didn’t confess to him. Little Pian and Momma Bancheun have a good laugh over this, that she’s cunning but he’s more cunning.

Khun Palat arrives the next day and tells her that he’ll be picking her up for work, which she balks and tells him to get the heck out. She’s mean and rude, her usual self, and tells her mom not to forget what he’s done to her. Then Khun Palat says why doesn’t she remember what she did to him. He reminds her by playing her voice recording.

Wan gets a visit from his parents, he completely baby talks to them and refuses to eat until they bail him out.

That night Reurng decides that she would tag along with Khun Palat, but that also means she can do her “other” job as well.

Mer goes to see Wan at the jailhouse but he still shoos her away like flies. She brought him mosquito repellant but he stubbornly tells her that she doesn’t’ need it, until she slaps a mosquito off his face. Ha. But when Mer leaves, Wan grabs the repellant before his minions could use it.

Phoo Yai and his three wives pay a visit to Sergeant Men, with three baskets of goodies to take some of the pain away. They plead for him to forgive Ai Wan because he has a great future ahead of him. Sergeant speaks righteously that the law must be upheld, he won’t take any bribes.

They got his attention at the mention of Bancheun’s name. Lady Wieng says that ultimately the fault is going to lie on Bancheun because Ai Wan did everything for Ai Reurng. This seems to turn things around for Sergeant Men who is willing to forgive Ai Wan if they could get him and Bancheun on a date together. Heh.

And so Phoo Yai and Wieng arrive at Reung’s house to plead for their help. Remember earlier that Phoo Yai didn’t help Bancheun bailout Reurng, so Momma ain’t gonna help nobody now. But Reurng decides to talk her mom into it, which would mean that not only would Phoo Yai have to pay for her time and prepare food that is worthy of a palace chef, he would owe them a favor too. I’m sure this will come in handy in the future. Reurng would also write this debt on the board so everyone would know. Ha.

Reurng picks up her minion from school who complains that he doesn’t see the point in going to school, he would rather work with her and earn money. His P’Reurng tells him knowledge is good so people won’t take advantage of him. When they return home, Khun Palat is patiently waiting for her, it’s almost time for her new line of work. But Reurng stalls, indicating that she still has three minutes to drink a glass of olieng. Khun Palat looks up, praying for patience.

They finally get on the road, and she is tasked with showing him around town. However at every location, he notices that Sia Gampon is the man behind all of the charity work, he has sponsored many causes and monuments. In disbelief, Khun Palat wonders if the man actually does any real work. Reurng decides to open his eyes.

She takes him into the forest, because where there’s a forest, there’s Sia Gampon’s work. They run into the man and he’s very gracious and says that if he had the time, he would show Khun Palat around the wood mill. But for the time being, Dao Reurng is welcomed to show him around, since she knows the land well. As he is driven away, Reurng says to Khun Palat that this is the god of Don Pattana. But she seems disillusioned by it all.

Khun Palat observes the large wood mill and wonders if this is all legal (which is an odd question to ask Reurng because to her, there is a considerable buffer between legal and illegal.) But Reurng replies that it is all legal with both the law and in Sia Gampon’s eyes. Khun Palat wonders what that means, legal in Sia Gampon’s eyes? Reurng provides that as long as it meets his goodwill image and brings benefit to him. Hm.

Back at the jailhouse, the three are getting bitten up alive. Ai Wan tells his minions to get Reurng and have her release him (as if she has the power.) It’s hilarious how they are all screaming at each other, serves them well for trying to be such thugs and taking matters into their own hands!

Ai Wan’s mom is frantically managing the wives in the kitchen, ensuring the meals are up to par for Bancheun who wants palace worthy meals. Heh.

Sergeant Men is dressed up and ready to go, while Bancheun is getting dolled up by Mer’s aunt, they compliment that she looks 10 years younger. She says she’s only getting ready for old time’s sake (on principle) not to give the sergeant any hope.

Khun Palat drops Reurng off at home and thanks her for her help today. She tells him to switch it to a termination of their promise would be better. He gives her a bemused look. Little Pian teases them for being alone which causes Reurng to blush after she tells Khun Palat to hightail out of there.

The crew arrives to set up the romantic dinner table and the date commences!

Sergeant and Bancheun dress to the nines while Reurng and Little Pian play servers. As Reurng and Little Pian concoct their 100% orange juice, Sergeant asks Bancheun how long she has been lonely now. Momma Bancheun says that she’s opposite of lonely, she has two kids and a nephew. But Sergeant refers to the loneliness in her heart (lol.)

Reurng adds a few drops of something or other (never a good something) and presses Sergeant to taste it. She even adds salt to heighten the flavor. She beams as he finishes the entire glass and leaves the two ‘lovebirds’ alone. And Little Pian locks the door to the bathroom. Heh.

Sergeant Men is saying sweet loving words to Bancheun when he lets out a sound (from below.) Bancheun asks him if he heard the sound, lol, which we know he felt it. As he continues, he lets a few more go, which shocks Bancheun because she could smell the fart.

He makes a dash for the restroom, only to find it locked. And he just shits on himself. LOL.

What makes it worst, Bancheun walks behind him and is disgusted at what she sees. She pinches her nose and points her finger at the feces streaming down his pants. This is gross and hilarious at the same time.

To punish the kids, Bancheun makes them clean up Sergeant’s poop on the ground. Ha.

Time passes by because the little ducklings in Reurng’s custody go from little yellow chicks to white young swans.

Sia Gampon pays a visit to Phoo Yai and requests him to expedite an event/party at the temple a week earlier than scheduled, which Phoo Yai happily obliges. He also tells Sia Gampon that he can order a new set of fertilizers. The other man wonders about this talk about nature fertilizers and how it’s faring, but Phoo Yai says they can’t compete with Sia Gampon. With a smile, Sia Gampon says he’ll give Phoo Yai a cut off the purchase and sale.

In the car, Sia Gampon says that Phoo Yai is both dumb and greedy. So all’s he has to do is feign that the events he sponsors are for merit and offer a cut of the profits from the chemical fertilizers. He intends to use the event at the temple as a front to transport drugs to the city.

Khun Palat wants to use the temple’s event as an opportunity to continue teaching the people about natural methods of farming. He thinks that by creating a competition during the event and giving out prizes, it would motivate the townspeople to partake in the game.

The committee presents the event to the monk (Luang Phor) which is set for the following week. The problem is, how will they prepare everything in time? Phoo Yai and Luang Taa Kong argue (using impolite words) right in front of the monk, who watches on with dismay. These two never see eye to eye anyway.

Ai Wan and gang spots Reurng following Khun Palat’s car in her motorcycle and intervene.

“So you didn’t care to stop by and see me at the jailhouse ‘cuz you’re too busy following this Palat?!” questions Wan. He accuses her of being alone with Khun Palat and Kamjorn chimes in that is he not a person then? Heh. The minions try to stand up to Khun Palat but shrinks when the man comes to his full height.

Khun Palat tells Wan to quit his lame accusations because other people have work to do.

Dao Reurng steps around Wan and tells him that she will go with Khun Palat because she happens to be his assistant. Which takes the trio by surprise. They wonder when that happened, he only spent a night in jail. Then of course the minions have another bright idea, that if he wants to compete with Khun Palat, he too must have a position.

He smiles cunningly and comes up with a position, it’s something that people are willing to wai him for (respect him for.) I don’t know what that is, but it’s going to be ridiculous, funny, and ultimately fail.

—

Thoughts:

Clearly there are a lot of things wrong with this village, Don Pattana. It’s such a dysfunctional town but it must be organized chaos because each member of this society (this world) certainly knows how to play against each other, in a way that would maximize their own benefits.

The problem I have with this episode is the complete disregard of another’s life. It happened two times. 1) Reurng smashes Khun Palat’s head, which is a crime in and of itself. Her punishment: a quick scare and having to work with Khun Palat as his assistant. But the remorse goes away soon as she realizes that he have survived the hit. This irks me in many ways. As of now, I only like Khun Palat. I think the whole town is insane and Khun Palat should hightail out of there if he wants to maintain his sanity. Yet even Khun Palat’s character hasn’t gotten me smitten. 2.) Just to prove his love to Dao Reurng, Ai Wan smashes the Sergeant’s head and gets admitted into jail. Who does that? And unlike Reurng, he has no remorse.

I also understand that something severe must happen in order to get Reurng to agree to work with Khun Palat. But physically hurting someone, then blackmailing someone as a solution- is not equivalent to organically having someone willing to help on their own accord- it just comes off feeling contrived.

It’s giving me a good laugh, but not so much a good story. I’m still holding out hope.. since this is what I signed up for anyway, I should hope to enjoy it.