Episode 29 recap: Luo Qiqi doesn't want to take the college entrance examination.
The Luo Qiqi family was having a meal while the news of layoffs was being reported on TV. Xu Huizhong sadly put down his bowl and retreated to the room. Junhong quickly followed and closed the door, comforting Xu Huizhong in a low voice, urging him not to be too upset and to consider the feelings of their child. It turned out that Xu Huizhong had been laid off this time. She couldn't understand why she, who had been a diligent employee for over twenty years and an outstanding performer every year, was being laid off. She felt unjust in her heart, but now that it was a settled matter, Junhong could only advise her to be more open-minded as they still had each other.
Luo Qiqi had been sleeping in class lately, but that didn't stop her from ranking first in her grade. Guan He was working hard, but her grades kept falling, which made Guan He secretly resent why she couldn't surpass Luo Qiqi. Guan He's mother was worried that if things continued like this, even if Guan He took the college entrance examination, she wouldn't be able to get into a good university. So she found another way for Guan He—getting her admitted to a normal university without taking the college entrance examination. Not only would she be exempt from the exam, but after graduation, her husband would send Guan He abroad to study.
Guan He was unwilling in her heart but listened to her mother's advice, knowing that she had to choose the path that was most advantageous to her. So she agreed to her mother's arrangement. Luo Qiqi, worried about the family's financial situation due to her mother's layoff, knew that going to a normal university meant not having to pay tuition fees and receiving subsidies. She became intrigued. When she saw Guan He also competing for the spot as a recommended student for the normal university, she decided to join the competition as well.
Guan He saw Luo Qiqi closely following her and couldn't help but resent her, but she couldn't do anything to Luo Qiqi and could only grit her teeth in frustration. Xu Huizhong received a call from the teacher and realized that Luo Qiqi wanted to go to a normal university. She became furious and scolded Luo Qiqi, feeling that she was losing face because of her. Luo Qiqi retorted, blaming Xu Huizhong for not caring about her when she first arrived in Hannan and now she had no right to interfere with her decisions.
Xu Huizhong was hurt by Luo Qiqi's words and realized that Luo Qiqi's character flaws were caused by her own actions. So she waited for Luo Qiqi at home one day, showing her the books she had carefully prepared for her and the 20,000 yuan savings left by her grandfather specifically for Luo Qiqi's university education. It was evident how much expectation her grandfather had for her.
Luo Qiqi finally learned that her mother had grown up with the stigma of her parents' divorce and deliberately didn't attend high school out of rebellion. Now she deeply regretted it and hoped that Luo Qiqi wouldn't follow in her footsteps. She advised Luo Qiqi to think it over carefully and not rush into a decision.
Today is the day of the physical fitness test, and if she fails, Luo Qiqi will have no chance of taking the college entrance examination.
Luo Qiqi had a severe stomachache, and her desk mate knew that she wanted to go to a normal university. Feeling sorry for her, the desk mate wrote words of encouragement in her workbook, urging Luo Qiqi to take the college entrance examination. Despite the intense pain, Luo Qiqi endured and participated in the physical fitness test. At first, she could rely on her willpower to forcefully suppress the pain and run ahead, but as the stomachache intensified, Luo Qiqi slowed down, falling far behind. Pressing her stomach with one hand, she struggled to move forward. She fantasized about Zhang Jun running out and tightly holding her hand, leading her to the finish line.
Finally, Luo Qiqi reached the finish line, but the Zhang Jun she had imagined never appeared. She felt sad, and when she returned home in the evening, she constantly felt like Xu Xiaobo was secretly following her from behind. But it was just her imagination. Feeling the loneliness, Luo Qiqi didn't know the meaning of her efforts. She sat alone on the empty stairs, shedding tears.
At that moment, Luo Qiqi seemed to see Ge Xiaofei sitting beside her, telling her that going to college was their promise. Guan He also appeared, thinking that if Luo Qiqi didn't go, it would be mocking her. Zhang Jun, as always, believed that Luo Qiqi could do it and become the first. Xu Xiaobo also showed up; he wanted to tell Luo Qiqi a joke, but they quickly disappeared. Then, young Luo Qiqi appeared, saying that when she was young, she always wanted to go home with Ge Xiaofei, but they lived in different parts of the village. No matter how they walked, they would always go back to their own homes. Just like the path of life, as they walked, people would take different forks, leaving only oneself.
Luo Qiqi understood, but she still needed a reason to go to Beijing. So she signed up for a study tour to Beijing. Zhang Jun sat in Ma Li's taxi and watched Luo Qiqi enter the station. Luo Qiqi seemed to sense something and turned around, but she didn't see anything.
Since the incident with Chen Xiaojun, Zhang Jun had lost his drive after going to the police station. He still remembered the fear he felt at that time, afraid of being trapped in Hannan forever and afraid of not having any books to read. Tears fell uncontrollably. Ma Li had never seen Zhang Jun like this before. While feeling sorry for him, she also felt relieved for him. From now on, he would never take the wrong path again.
Qiqi went through a personal transformation, facing everything on her own. The process was incredibly challenging. If she persevered, she would become a great success, but if she couldn't endure it, she would be ruined.
Everyone thinks leaving is for Qiqi's own good, but has anyone really considered whether she can withstand it? True strength can only be forged by enduring all difficulties and conquering all loneliness in one's heart.