01x16 - Lehmäkauppoja

[bunniefuu]

Part 16: Cow trades
In late summer of 1989

Why in the hell nobody has woken me up?

Now I missed the bus to Kajaani, and
the next one goes who knows when.

Little sweetheart you're still recovering,
and you need to rest.

I think I know, what I
need to do and what not.

Well, it doesn't necessarily help Stigu,
if you go there every day.

If you go now, then it
takes the whole day again...

It's easier for me to
be there than here.

I can't do anything here.

And what if Stigu wakes
up while I'm here?

I have to get there.

Liisa, hey.

Where are you going?

Can I get a ride with
you to the main road?

I could try hitchhiking from there.

Liisa, hey.

Eeva.

Eeva, don't.

Yeah.

Alright. Let's go.

It's good, Risto, that you're fixing the
roof since Antti left it unfinished.

I haven't really had a chance to talk to
you, with Eeva's situation weighing on my mind.

Do you feel good here?

Better than good, Mom.

You're worrying about me for nothing.

The sun will shine for me again.

Mm.

Risto!

Yes?

I have something to talk to you about.

Listen.

We need to put up
some signs by the road.

Ones that say a ski
resort is opening here.

And I thought that would
be kind of your thing.

Yeah, it is.

So, could you make such?

Yeah.

Then go get some paint and whatever
else you need from the store.

And put them on my books.

Is it urgent?

I was thinking of going to
Tampere to look for work.

Well, I’d have work for you here too.

Even in winter.

We need to start working
on the marketing plan.

I see.

Hi.

Oh, hi.

I have really good news for us.

Yeah?

The university has asked me to conduct a
study on the Talakka forest and swamp area.

I need to survey
its vegetation and wildlife.

For what purpose?

It's a scientifically interesting area.

And besides, they’re paying me for it.

It’s not much, but it's extra income.

So that means you can stay here?

Well, what do you think? The Talakka
forest is right here, after all.

Now we just need to get a hold of
this house so we can actually live here.

Have you asked your grandpa who
we should talk to about it?

We’ll ask tomorrow.

We’re going to have to hurry, girl.

Two million marks of tax revenue
from a municipality of this size

for Urja’s water pipelines,
roads, and electricity.

That puts quite a bit
of pressure on the budget.

Listen, it’s supposed to be
funded by state employment funds.

Aha. If that’s the
case, then that’s good.

Then we should take it to the council
and push it through as fast as possible.

What did you just say?

That we should push
it through quickly now.

So you’re not opposing it anymore?

No, no, no. I’m building a holiday
village on the other side of Urjanvaara.

And of course, such a
holiday village needs municipal infrastructure.

So I have a suggestion: if you could go ahead
and get me those permits, I could get started.

And in return, I promise I won’t file any
complaints with the province about the municipal infrastructure.

Yeah, yeah.

So that’s what’s really behind this. For a moment, I thought
you were actually starting to make sense and act professionally.

This is professional.

The permits need to be obtained as
soon as possible so work can begin.

And as soon as I have the permits, I promise
you, at the council meeting, I’ll keep my mouth shut.

This is outright blackmail.

You’re trying to make me
dance to your tune.

Besides, your project won’t go
through without an exemption permit.

I know.

And speaking of being an errand boy, haven’t you
been in that kind of job yourself lately?

Let’s talk about your brother-in-law
while we’re at it.

He hasn’t done his job for two weeks.

Well, you’re the one who hired him.

So you can tell him to resign himself.

Otherwise, the council will fire him, and
then he won’t find work anywhere.

How about this: I’ll take care of
Meriläinen, and you handle the provincial administration.

You sure know how to
turn things upside down.

Nothing is being turned upside down.

I’ve already gone over everything
with the Development Area Fund.

The permits need to be obtained quickly so the
work can start before the investment tax takes effect.

That shouldn’t apply here.

Maybe not, but better safe than sorry.

And it wouldn’t be the first time
the government dumped its problems onto us.

I think we could still wait for a while.

The report said that the back injury
is much milder than you initially thought.

I wouldn’t say it’s exactly like that.

The report says it might be
milder than the initial assessment.

And the same applies
to the brain injury.

We can’t say anything for sure
until the patient wakes up.

And you know as well as I do that the longer
the patient has been unconscious, the worse the prognosis is.

Yeah, but sometimes a healthy part
can compensate for the damaged one...

Eeva. We don’t need
to lecture each other.

Come by my office before you leave,
and you’ll see the latest scans.

Stigu, you have to wake up.

Helena, over here.

Isn't it time you talked to your Mauno?

Tell him to resign, or
otherwise, he’ll be fired.

Is this what you came here to tell me?

That drunk is becoming too
much of a hassle.

I brought him here out of kindness, back
when you all had to leave Oulu.

And if you remember, we
agreed that the drinking...

...would stop right then and there.

Make it clear to him that if he
doesn’t resign, he’ll be removed from office.

Listen, you can come and tell
us that at home yourself.

Besides, that poor guy needs treatment,
not to be knocked down.

Yeah. So why doesn’t he go to treatment?

Well, he doesn’t understand anything on
his own about going to treatment.

You’ve always been soft on these drunks.

First it was Erkki,
and now it’s Meriläinen.

Leave that starving artist
job for a while.

I would have a more
interesting job for you.

Could you move a bit?

So I can concentrate
on this artistic work.

You can design a logo for me.

Business cards, forms, and everything
I need for marketing.

Yeah?

I’m planning to build a
holiday village here with Jaakko.

Yeah, I heard.

And there should be logos, right?

The holiday village will be named
"Holiday Village Jaana's Resort Ltd".

That can’t be true.

What are you paying?

I’m not paying you anything.

Yeah.

Then it won’t happen.

Because...

We lost 12,500 marks in your bankruptcy.

It depends a bit on how you count.

The value of this plot on the free
market was about 200,000 marks back then.

But Jaakko had to guarantee a
150,000 loan for me, with interest.

So you didn't lose in that deal.

We could think of it that way too.

Will you make that logo for me?

Yeah?

Jaana, if you go help mom tonight,

then I might make those logos.

By milking with mom, for example.

I made you a new spoon.

This one works for sauce-dipping.

Thanks.

You could clean up the trash
from around the rocking chair.

I have enough spoons for the
rest of my life now.

Yeah.

I’ve made a few over the years.

At least one a week, and sometimes two.

42 years includes weeks... how
many weeks are there now?

52 weeks in a year.

Well, if that's the case, then let's
say that was the last spoon.

And I haven’t done them every week.

Right. You didn’t do it
the week before Christmas.

Alright then. Let’s agree not
to do it anymore.

Well, hello.

Hello.

I have mail for you here.

Ah, thanks.

Have you seen Erkki?

It’s in the hill.

If you're heading that way, please take this
to him, it’s from the Development Area Fund.

It could be very important.

Yeah.

And tell him also that if humans
were made to rush around like that...

They would have been born with the left hand as
a shovel and the right hand as a saw.

And by the way, if Erkki is there, no,
I mean if Risto is over there, then...

Dad is up in the attic of the barn.

Shout at him to pick his mail.

Ah, ah.

Alright.

Where is Eeva?

She’s is seeing Stig in Kajaani.

I see.

They’re all somewhere.

Is it that large?

Yeah, it just feels that way inside.

It should be big enough to
be visible from the road.

How do you know to adjust that space for
the writing, so it doesn’t run out of room?

You have to measure carefully.

Yeah, yeah.

What color have you used, because
this surface looks so nice?

No, that’s not color, it’s tape.

Oh.

We used to use color, yeah.

When I started, we cut stencils out
of paper and spattered paint over them.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is a much better picture than the
one you gave Eeva as a wedding gift.

Even though that one was made
by hand and with paint.

And this one is just with tape.

You probably understand better that...

Visual art.

Well, you have to understand it,
since you can see it.

Imagine if I carved something from wood, some rubbish, and
took it to the store and said, "Buy this spoon."

That would be fraud.

Listen...

Have you seen that
model for Kekkonen's statue?

That... shot glass?

Yes. That wonky one.

What nonsense does this have
to do with Urho?

If Kekkonen saw this, he’d
die right there. From shame.

The most important thing is what
the artist sees in the subject.

Or which part of Kekkonen’s life
would you make a statue of?

Well, how about when he climbed
up to the palm tree.

There’s even a good photo of
that, it’d be easy to make.

Then you’d be copying
reality, not creating it.

Yeah, yeah, that’s true.

I don’t understand any of that.

I guess it’s best if I just whittle spoons
and leave the artistic interpretations to future generations.

But let’s continue
this symposium tomorrow.

Oh, by the way, I’ve got a letter
for you. It came in the mail.

Alright.

Now they’re demanding I pay
interest on those advance withholdings.

How am I supposed to pay?

And now they’re
threatening with garnishment.

Well, there is nothing to take.

What can they take from you?
You don’t own anything anymore.

No, I don’t own anything, but if I
earn something, they’ll take it right away.

I'm basically a useless cog
in this society, you know.

Listen.

Yeah?

Look, Kalle, hello.

Hello.

You’ve come to visit?

That way.

Look, this center, we should
move it by tomorrow.

By tomorrow, let me see...

Hey, I left the machine on.

Yeah, okay.

Wouldn’t you need a little rest too?

Well, we’ll rest when the tourists
are pushing down the gutters.

Now we need to get the places ready.

You call it a day, right?

Alright then, goodbye. - Goodbye.

See, to this wall here.

Yeah.

We’ll get female visitors.

What’s up, guys?

Nothing special.

Grandpa sent this.

Alright.

Yeah.

Erkki, hey.

- Do you have a knife, by the way?

Say something.

What’s up?

Well, Osmo and I were thinking
of buying an empty farm.

What do you think about that?

Yeah?

Well, what would you do with it?

Well, we’d live there.

Maybe do some farming.

Yeah?

So you’d actually live there.

And farm too.

Yeah.

It’s probably better to think of it
as more of a hobby here.

But you’re so good at business and know everyone,
so tell us, how can we get a loan?

Well...

Aren’t there some
cheap agricultural loans?

There are.

Right.

Then, you just get the agricultural association to approve you as farmers,
and I believe it will work because they want new entrepreneurs here.

Oh, for sure.

Right.

Well, who guarantees the loan then?

Well, the farm itself
can serve as collateral.

Isn't that right?

Yes.

Then it's just a matter of the bank
manager agreeing on it, and that’s settled.

It’s that easy.

Well, we can't just walk in
and say, give us the money?

Of course you can.

Take Osmo along.

And tidy him up a little.

It should work then.

By the way, have you
talked anything to your dad?

Well, I was thinking of asking
around first, and after that.

Talk to him before you do anything.

What’s this?

Oh, hell, damn it.

Can I get to Mayor Tolonen?

Thanks.

Well, Erkki Metsola here, hello.

Listen, clear off one in your
calendar, so let’s go to Helsinki.

The decision from the Development
Area Fund was negative.

Yeah.

If I’m honest, I’m glad you’re coming.

You’ll save my vacation.

You know the people and
the way things work.

You could even take
a permanent position here.

Those are things I honestly can't
even bother thinking about yet.

To be honest, I was planning to
stay only until Stig is in Kajaani.

If Stig gets transferred somewhere
else, I’m going to follow.

By the way, is the
municipal doctor’s house free?

I would need to get out of Leppävaara.

The family is making a huge fuss.

It sure is.

I see, it’s already fully booked here.

Stop right now dad!

Let it be.

Well, one bag won’t make any difference.

I just need to stay here
and stand still like some fool.

So, Osmo and I were thinking
about buying an abandoned farm.

What are you talking about, girl?

We’ll buy an abandoned farm
and move there to farm.

Or the idea is to
grow organic biodynamic food.

Well, that’s some energetic youth.

Nonsense.

We both have savings in the bank.

We thought we’d take out more loans and
go to talk to the bank manager tomorrow.

What’s this organic farming all about?

Isn’t it the same as
any kind of farming?

Well, for example, it doesn’t
use synthetic fertilizers at all.

You’re not moving
anywhere from Leppävaara.

This is your and Risto's home.

And you can’t just leave home on a whim.

I’m not leaving on a whim.
The farm is just nearby.

Listen. Any kind of
farming isn't profitable here.

Livestock farming is the
only thing that works.

We can go take a look at the farm.

But we’ll decide only after that.

Well, if the girl wants to be
a farmer, I won’t stop her.

I’ll do everything I can
to make it work.

Are you serious?

Of course!

I’ll help if you really want me to.

We’ll go tomorrow with your dad
to check the place out.

Umm, when were you thinking
of having a wedding?

That Development Area Fund
guy didn’t even listen.

He ignored my calculations and started lecturing
how Finland has too many hills.

And here we are
again, building another one.

But at least this time there's a thorough study
that forms the basis for their negative statement.

Yeah, but it’s based on the
wrong premise. It’s not like that.

Can you prove they’re wrong?

I can!

On the other hand, they state very clearly that the
hill couldn't be made profitable because there’s no accommodation capacity.

Yeah, yeah. But you can’t just build everything
in one day. One thing at a time.

And there are cottages coming. Kari is building,
and Jaana is making her own plans there.

Besides, we have municipal
guarantees with these loans.

Yeah, the only thing we can do is try to
reach out to the region's parliament members and other leaders.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But if those loans don’t come in
time, we’ll both be in deep trouble. You know that.

I know, I know, I know.

We should have started presenting a golf
course. It would have gone over better.

Yeah, he did suggest that once.

Yeah.

Yeah, up there on the slope. In winter,
it would have beaten our profitability calculations.

It would have been something new, of course.
Ski lift running from hole to hole.

Yeah.

Let’s see how this hand moves.

Is it more than last time?

There’s still something.

It’s a bit stiff still, but
it’s feeling a little better now.

Yeah.

How about up here.

What are you doing here?

I came to clear things up.

You need to go home quickly.

How dare you show up
here in this condition.

In this condition? What
the hell condition?

What do you think? You’re
on sick leave, go home.

Bullshit, I’m not on sick
leave. I’m on forced leave.

He just wrote me off like
that, without asking me anything.

He did it at my request.

Ah, I knew it, you’re behind all this.
You and that damn brother of yours.

He even called me and threatened that if I don’t
resign, I’ll be kicked out of the whole town.

What else can you expect
when you act like that?

And he didn’t even dare come to
talk to me in person, just called.

Try to calm down now.

If he had come in person,
I would have beaten him.

Let go!

Say it, you god damn...!

Let go!

Now, I will go see
what’s happening over there.

Now get out of here, fast.

Go now!

Yeah, go ahead. We’ll manage here.

How badly does it hurt?

I can’t stand it.

Get the hell out of here, all of you!

Leave!

I’m not going anywhere on your orders!

Try to calm down now.

f*ck hell!

Maria!

Call the police!

Now it would be wise to leave.

Three men are asking this nicely.

You're one to talk.

I know you're just
here hitting on Helena.

Look, now you could leave.

Let go!

They might get violent, otherwise.

Don’t touch me!

Such a mess.

So...

Have you seen Eeva?

In the room.

I can't take it anymore.

Every day, he threatens and beats.

No one has to endure being
beaten if they don’t want to.

If she doesn't want to.

It’s not that simple.

He’s a really nice and
kind man when he's sober.

But when he drinks,
he's completely uncontrollable.

Eeva!

Oh, you're here.

What happened to you?

He came here and beat you.

Take a little more.

Are you planning to
do everything yourself?

What do you mean by "yourself"?

There are as many people
here as at Nastri's? funeral.

You should be more
on the management side.

Well, let’s do the paperwork then.

Now it’s just important that the
hill is ready on time.

What date should we put on those signs?

If I was a fortune teller, I could say.

No, but seriously, tell me,
it’s important, you see.

Well, if everything goes
as I’ve planned,

we should be ready by December 2nd.

December 2nd? That’s optimistic.

But what if there’s no snow?

Well, you know that the snow comes here at
Urja at the same time as at Paljakka

And it’s (snow) been here every
year at the end of November.

Yeah, okay, I see.

Hey, but if we put random numbers, we
can always adjust according to the situation.

By the way, do we
have approval for those signs?

What do you mean?

The law says that road signs can only be
put up in urban areas, and this isn’t one.

This is a construction site.
You can have signs here.

Yeah, yeah, but they might fine you.

I’ll appeal that.

And then it’ll take some time
to process, and I’ll appeal again.

And meanwhile, the hill will be ready.

Alright.

December 2nd.

December 2nd. Got it.

Vanhanen?

Yeah, it seems you've got quite a
lot of strong, sedative medication lately.

Have you been having tough times?

Yeah.

And then the child was sick all summer.

It’s an allergy, right?

Yeah.

They say they can only test for
it when she’s a little older.

That’s true.

Sometimes it feels like I just
want to do like Eino.

When nothing works out.

I understand that you can’t keep
taking those meds all the time.

But when you can’t cope without them.

I know exactly how you feel.

You should get away from that
cabin every now and then.

Don’t you have any work lined up?

What work is there around here?

Would you mind if I ask
our Erkki, if he has something?

What are you doing?

I was thinking of making
a wooden spoon here.

Didn't we agree that carving should
be done outside, not indoors?

And my cabinets are
full of wooden spoons.

Could you make me a bread shovel?
The old one is so bad.

Go now.

When I was little, Dad always did
all the woodworking in the kitchen.

And I would like that too.

Yes, but now you're not little, and
you're not your Dad, so go now.

I've never visited here before.

Yes, you do need some
working capital as well.

Need to acquire machines
and other stuff.

The farm is so deserted that
there’s nothing there but the walls.

And they're not in
best possible condition either.

Well, except for the milking machine
equipment and hoses in the barn.

Yes, for a married couple, this matter is quite simple
and clear, but for cohabiting couples, not so much.

I would suggest that you make
legally valid papers between yourselves.

Then I would go clear the situation with
the agricultural board, so there are no obstacles.

They could stop this deal?

Yes, they can.

But once everything is clear, you can
request the guarantor to come here.

Let's talk about practical matters.

I’ll try to contact
the owner from Sweden.

Well, I guess all we can
do is revisit the matter later.

Yeah.

If the bank manager says that you must first talk
to the agricultural board, then you have to go there.

I’ll go with you there.

But what if it causes trouble?

It won’t cause any trouble.

Besides, the chairman and I were once in the same w*r
hospital, so I’m sure we can get them on our side.

As long as Osmo remembers not to
talk too much about organic farming.

Right.

I was just in touch
with the Ministry of Agriculture.

And I heard that next year, they’ll start providing
subsidies for those who continue farming using organic methods.

There will be a law stating that 2800 marks per hectare
will be paid to those who switch to organic farming.

The subsidies will be
paid for three years.

Ah.

Oh, the Ministry of Agriculture.

Yeah, I have a classmate working there.

So, what were you planning to grow?

That should be considered carefully. Maybe it’s best to start by
focusing on one area and then go from there... Oh.

Yeah, yeah. Why not?

But about the cooperation agreement...

You’ll negotiate it with Jaakko.

He’s coming here again for the weekend.

Thanks again.

We’ll go tell Dad too.

Come.

Yeah. Thanks a lot.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Tell Risto that tomorrow there will
be more green fodder work.

Then he can go ahead and set
up those roadside signs however he likes.

Yeah.

They should get married.

For what?

Well, it would be much simpler.

And since they’re already getting houses and
everything, they might as well get married.

They are talking about it in the town.

Well, you must be of
the old school then.

Look, this is the new way.

A natural marriage.

Without any artificial fertilizers.

Come on.

The view here is beautiful.

- Sure is.

- Thank you.

- There you go.

What were you thinking of ordering?

Well, I’m not really hungry.

Right.

You really should eat, though.

I guess, I guess.

But let's wait for the Development
Area Fund CEO to come here.

Yeah, yeah, indeed.

Listen...

I wonder what Kari is plottiin?

He came by a little
while ago giving me orders.

Strangely enough.

He promised not to complain
about the municipal infrastructure.

If I just arrange a
building permit for the resort.

See, he has his own interests, since
he's building his own resort there.

But he's also dependent on my success.

If only he would
understand that himself.

Well, you don’t seem bitter about it.

No, there’s no reason to
be in this situation.

On the other hand, Kari's hill
project actually supports my work too.

Though, unintentionally on his part.

But he's being foolish by not
selling me land for the hotel.

What if he’s planning to take
over the whole hotel project?

Well, take over, take over. I’ve offered him a
stake in the entire business, but he wasn’t interested.

What’s the CEO of
Department Area Fund like?

He’s a nice, easygoing guy.

By the way, he’s leaving there. He’s going
to a big newspaper company to be CEO.

I just hope he'd come.

Yeah.

Alright, first you need to
clean these udders. Like this.

Yeah?

Just hold on tight. Like this.

Like this?

Mm.

But what do we do about
the tail if it starts wagging?

You’ll have to get used to
it, that cows wag their tails.

Well, then we put this here.

And then this goes here.

Like this.

There. So that it's properly there.

Then press this stopper into the bottom.

And it’ll grip the udders.

Now, use your middle finger to press here,
and with your index finger, find the udder.

- Like that.

Hello.

Hello.

Here are the artist
supplies you ordered.

Thanks.

How did it go in Helsinki?

Well, it feels like I’m finally
getting a handle on things.

Yeah.

How much do I owe you for these?

Well, Since I can pay you minimum
wage for 100% of the work.

And we’ll agree that you
get them for free.

No, no charity for me. Let’s not
mix up any tax evasion stuff here.

Yeah.

Well, let’s agree that this is
an advance payment for you

of the painting, that
I'm ordering from you.

Yeah, but I’ll choose
the subject myself.

I’ve got a little gift for you too.

Oh? What is it?

Here you go.

What is this?

It’s the marketing plan for the hill.

Oh, really?

I’ve quietly been putting things together
and wrote a bit on paper.

Well, that went fine.

They were just asking me about something
like this in the Development Area Fund.

You’ve calculated everything
very carefully.

Yes.

Good thing.

The decision on the municipal infrastructure issue needs to be
passed through the council as quickly as possible, without complications.

Because in the next meeting, the municipal board
will present the issue to the council.

Why the rush?

The permits, and all the other approvals,
depend on these problems being solved.

The representatives from Yliskylä and Revonkylä will
never agree to something like that.

If the matter is forced through with
a vote, they’ll definitely make a complaint.

And that’s something we
need to specifically avoid.

Complaints.

They don’t lead to anything but delays.

We need to get the shovel
in the ground, and fast.

And if nothing else helps, then...

Now it’s time for you
to show your political skills.

Let’s start making some good deals.

What kind of cows are being sold
here, when there’s nothing to sell?

I’ve been thinking that we’ll give them the
school they’ve been crying about for years.

You let them think that if this
matter goes through, they’ll get their school.

We can’t promise something like that.

That project will never
receive government funding.

You were the one talking in the school board about this,
and you know very well that their position was completely negative.

That’s exactly why we’re promising it.

Because when we have to apply for that permission from the school board anyway, and the school
board rejects it, we can say that we would’ve built it, but the school board didn’t approve.

It’s a bit of a dirty trick.

In my opinion, it’s practical politics.

Besides, this municipal infrastructure is
being done with employment funds.

Is your interest now because you want to build your
own resort on the other side of the hill?

No.

It’s not about that.

But since the hill is going to be built there
anyway, I think it should be fully utilized, thoroughly.

Besides, I’m absolutely sure that Erkki won’t be
able to manage the hill for long.

Who wouls drive Erkki out
from his own hill?

Even I could.

I’ve got such papers, that he’ll leave
as soon as I say so.

But let Erkki finish
building his hill first.

And then it will be our time.