Episode 1 recap: Luo Qi Qi had conflicts with her mother, and she wanted to escape from home and school.
Many years later, Luo Qi Qi (played by Zhao Jin Mai) returned to the place where she had grown up. The rice fields there were still the same as they were in her childhood, and she ran through them, reminiscing about her innocent self. Luo Qi Qi greeted her former self.
In December 1994, during the first semester of her freshman year of high school, as Luo Qi Qi entered the classroom, three girls from her class approached her, wanting to paint her nails. Irritated by their persistent nagging, Luo Qi Qi deliberately knocked the nail polish off the table. The three girls mocked her for being haughty, and at that moment, the teacher entered the classroom and saw Luo Qi Qi reading a book unrelated to the class while other students were studying diligently. Unable to resist lecturing her, the teacher scolded her. Luo Qi Qi believed that it wasn't yet class time and she could manage her own affairs, which displeased the teacher and resulted in her being punished by having to stand outside the classroom for failing the exam. After school, Luo Qi Qi rode her bike to Yao'er Alley. She intended to sell some magazines from her bag but ended up attracting the attention of three troublemakers. Familiar with the alleys, Luo Qi Qi ran wildly through the narrow paths, but the three troublemakers were equally familiar and cornered her. Despite being trapped, Luo Qi Qi, known for her stubbornness, defiantly challenged them to a fight. The three were furious and demanded that Luo Qi Qi hand over what she had obtained. Knowing that Xu Xiao Bo, who frequented Jiajia Game Hall, was Luo Qi Qi's brother and not someone to mess with, they still couldn't resist teaching Luo Qi Qi a lesson. Just as they pushed Luo Qi Qi, Xu Xiao Bo arrived and defeated the three troublemakers, taking Luo Qi Qi back to the game hall.
Xu Xiao Bo (played by Bai Yu Fan) didn't know why Luo Qi Qi was so desperate to earn money. He noticed that her backpack was damaged and gave her a new one. Luo Qi Qi was deeply touched. That night, when she returned home and everyone was already asleep, she counted and recounted the money she had hidden in her books. Luo Qi Qi knew that Xu Xiao Bo's father had passed away when he was young, and his mother was sick. He had a strong desire to go to college, so she wanted to help him buy a portable cassette player. With her saved money, Luo Qi Qi went to buy the cassette player. She had her eye on an expensive one but didn't have enough money. While thinking about how to make more money, she was spotted by three disliked girls from her class. They were displeased that Luo Qi Qi had helped Zheng Yu Xia, and they wanted to cause trouble for her. As Luo Qi Qi tried to escape, she stumbled and realized she couldn't run away. In desperation, she sought help from the neighborhood watch, and all four of them were taken in for questioning.
Luo Qi Qi was finally taken home by her mother, who had already found a clerical job for her in a factory. Her mother hoped that Luo Qi Qi would start working, but Luo Qi Qi didn't want to. She wanted to continue studying. Her mother was angry at Luo Qi Qi for not taking things seriously. Either she was having conflicts with her classmates or not paying attention in class, or she was late or leaving early. Her mother wanted Luo Qi Qi to think it through.
Luo Qi Qi reminded her mother that she hadn't received her allowance for this month. Her mother gave her twenty yuan, and Luo Qi Qi used all her money to buy a portable cassette player. As soon as she brought it to school, her classmates broke it and made her desk dirty and messy. Their smug expressions angered Luo Qi Qi, so she poured nail polish on the heads of the three of them. As a result, the teacher called them all for a talk. Luo Qi Qi was not at fault this time, but the teacher blamed her for not reporting to the teacher before taking action against her classmates. So Luo Qi Qi had to call her parent. She had no choice but to go to the factory to find her mother. However, her mother was annoyed by all the trouble she had caused and didn't want to go. This hurt Luo Qi Qi deeply. She reminded her mother that she was her parent, which made her mother furious. She slapped Luo Qi Qi and scolded her for not being grateful and talking back. This greatly saddened Luo Qi Qi, who was celebrating her birthday today. Despite being strong-willed, tears welled up in her eyes. She rode her bicycle away, while her mother felt embarrassed by being surrounded by so many colleagues and went back to the factory. The mother and daughter parted ways unhappily.
Luo Qi Qi returned to school and waited outside until late. Seeing that no one came to pick her up, the teacher reluctantly told Luo Qi Qi to go home and write a one-thousand-word self-reflection for tomorrow. Today was Luo Qi Qi's sixteenth birthday, and Li Shu had prepared a cake for her. While Jiajie and Xu Xiaobo were present, Li Shu announced that his nightclub application had been approved and asked everyone to help come up with a name. Luo Qi Qi suggested "By the Water's Edge," a name that Xu Xiaobo liked. Li Shu thought water represented wealth and decided to use that name. Luo Qi Qi made three wishes, hoping that Xu Xiaobo would pass the college entrance exam, that Li Shu's business would prosper, and that she herself could leave school and home soon. Xu Xiaobo, aware of Luo Qi Qi's situation, specially bought her a book called "How the Steel Was Tempered" and hoped that Luo Qi Qi would study hard and strive for improvement.
Just finished reading the original novel. The changes in the adaptation are quite significant. Well, the novel spans a long period of time, and condensing it into three years of high school in the TV series is indeed challenging.
Moreover, there are certain aspects of the novel that couldn't be portrayed on screen. But in my mind, Zhang Jun is the male lead!
The actors did a great job, and since it's an adaptation, it would be nice if they could give them a better ending.
The novel already had many regrets, so let's not add more heartache in the TV series.
I just finished watching this drama today, and it brought back memories of my youth, along with many deep-rooted regrets and dissatisfaction. I really liked Maimai, and it was my first time watching Wu Jia Kai's drama. I quite enjoyed his portrayal of Zhang Jun, especially his rebellious gaze.
He captured Zhang Jun's handsomeness, youthful innocence, and emotional confusion perfectly. I also feel heartbroken for his loneliness, self-doubt, and the sacrifice he made in their friendship. Qiqi will always be the light in his eyes. Although many things can't be returned to the way they were, I still hope that Qiqi and Zhang Jun will eventually come together and fulfill the dreams of their youthful years.