Episode 23 recap: Jiang Yao spent the New Year alone, missing her father deeply.
Liu Xiaoxian expressed her desire to switch to a different television station. When her father heard that she wanted to go to Hong Kong, he immediately opposed it, fearing that Liu Xiaoxian and Ma Jia's small family would be separated. However, her mother supported Liu Xiaoxian, considering that Liu Xiaoxian's unit in Beijing wanted to recruit her in the past. Liu Xiaoxian stayed because of a remark from Ma Jia. But now, Ma Jia went to Africa without consulting anyone, which made her mother unhappy. So when she learned that Liu Xiaoxian had a better opportunity, she didn't want her to miss it.
Liu Xiaoxian watched her parents argue because of her and quickly left. Her mother reminded her to bring Ma Jia's father to their house for dinner tomorrow, and Liu Xiaoxian agreed. The next day, Liu Xiaoxian rushed to the hospital, where her father-in-law had already undergone an examination. Her father-in-law knew that both Liu Xiaoxian and Ma Jia were busy and advised Liu Xiaoxian to communicate more with Ma Jia. But their schedules never seemed to align, leaving Liu Xiaoxian feeling bitter.
Today is Chinese New Year, and Suleiman, who had been in China for several years, knew it was an important holiday for the Chinese. He specially prepared gifts for the Chinese medical team and even sang a Happy New Year song, making the Chinese medical team feel warm. Liu Xiaoxian attended a gathering for the families of the medical team in Africa. She saw Su Xin's daughter, Guoguo, using crutches and quickly helped her sit down. She learned that Guoguo counts the number of people Su Xin delivers babies for in Africa every day and proudly shares it with her friends, which brought a smile to Liu Xiaoxian's face.
The Chinese medical team in Africa also didn't forget this important holiday. They gathered in Maile Village to celebrate together. Ma Jia had already noticed the relationship between Jiang Daqiao and Shi Zhuzi, so he specifically called for Shi Zhuzi to join them. Liu Qingyang also came and wanted to sit next to Shi Zhuzi, but Wu Mei quickly arranged Liu Qingyang to sit elsewhere.
Changan brought a lot of dumplings filled with leek and egg stuffing. As soon as Liu Qingyang saw them, he immediately moved the dumplings in front of Shi Zhuzi to his own side, explaining that Shi Zhuzi couldn't eat leek due to stomach problems. He asked Changan to cook the shrimp dumplings they brought, which were especially delicious with large shrimp inside.
Ma Jia quickly said that they loved dumplings with leek and egg filling, and encouraged Changan to cook them. Laughter filled Maile Village. Director Zhu and Liang Senlin also attended the gathering. They knew that participating in aid work in Africa was honorable, but the burden on the families was heavy. This struck a chord with Liu Xiaoxian, and she teared up on the spot.
As Ma Jia was born in the Year of the Horse, he raised his glass first and wished everyone a successful Year of the Horse. He encouraged everyone to share their achievements and regrets from the past six months. Peng Wei was requested by Ma Jia to be the first to share. He shamelessly expressed regret for not fully showcasing his medical skills, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Ma Jia is very grateful for everyone's care over the past six months. He carries many regrets in his heart, but those are past regrets. He wants to look forward and prevent them from happening again.
Wu Mei's biggest regret now is that Kase Hospital does not use indwelling needles and heparin caps in a standardized manner. Jiang Daqiao has approached Dr. Kango multiple times, but he keeps evading the issue, which is quite frustrating. Everyone agrees that they should persuade the African Health and Family Planning Commission to promote the use of heparin caps and solve the problem at its root.
When everyone started discussing work, Jiang Daqiao said it wouldn't end and asked everyone to pause and gather closer to video chat with their families who are thousands of miles away. The conversation between Ma Jia and Liu Xiaoxian feels too formal, making it seem like they are not really a couple. Ma Jia quickly tells Peng Wei to be quiet. Jiang Yao didn't come to the gathering this time, which made Jiang Daqiao feel a bit disappointed. Shi Zhuzi quickly comforts Jiang Daqiao, saying that when a girl grows up, she has her own happiness, and he should be happy for her.
The results of Ma Jia's father's examination are out, and the situation is not optimistic. They are considering conservative treatment first. If there is improvement, hospitalization won't be necessary. If there is no improvement, he will have to be hospitalized. Liu Xiaoxian is worried that it will affect Ma Jia's work, so she decides to keep this matter secret and take care of her father-in-law herself. On New Year's Day, Jiang Yao went alone to a pizza shop and ordered two pizzas, but the owner had already decided not to take orders during the holiday season, and he refused even when Jiang Yao offered to pay extra.
Disappointed, Jiang Yao left, but the owner called her back and made two pizzas for her. Jiang Yao looked at the pizzas in front of her and called Jiang Daqiao. Jiang Daqiao could tell from Jiang Yao's voice that something was wrong and quickly asked her what happened. Jiang Yao only said that she missed him and was afraid to cry and make him worry, so she hastily hung up the phone. Afterward, she missed Jiang Daqiao even more.
At that moment, the pizza shop's little boy brought a glass of milk to Jiang Yao. She looked at the smiling face note attached to the milk cup and felt the warmth from a stranger, finally showing a smile.
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