Episode 18 recap: Lei Li Zhou passed away, and students bid farewell.
Let's go back to the year 2005. Initially, Sang Xia was also known as a troublemaker, sitting in the back row of the classroom. During a class, Sang Xia forgot to erase the blackboard and was harshly scolded by the teacher. Naturally, Sang Xia didn't want to be treated unfairly. The teacher was already angry due to personal issues and vented it out on Sang Xia. In response, Sang Xia threatened the teacher with suicide, which frightened the teacher into inaction.
Sang Xia asked a close friend to read tarot cards, but the recent fortunes were not good. However, the friend told Sang Xia that everything is in one's own hands. The next morning, Sang Xia planned to secretly return to Class 11 by stealing the keys. However, to their surprise, five classmates were already there. Apparently, they preferred studying together in that classroom. Upon returning to their former class, they felt uncomfortable and were even looked down upon by their classmates.
Sang Xia accepted that they would continue attending classes in Class 11. They moved all the flowers and plants from the office to the sun for some time. During this period, everyone diligently listened to the teacher's lessons. Although the teacher couldn't come to the classroom, they continued teaching through video.
Sang Xia couldn't find Lei Li Zhou, and Lei Ming couldn't be contacted either. So, Sang Xia had no choice but to inquire in the high school student group chat. However, not many people knew about the situation. Even when Sang Xia made a discreet phone call, classmates still overheard it.
Sang Xia confessed to everyone that Lei Ming's father was their own father as well. The reason Sang Xia respected Lei Li Zhou so much was that when Sang Xia was preparing to commit suicide, Lei Li Zhou intervened and even held the knife, causing their hand to bleed. Sang Xia was emotionally shattered witnessing the blood. Ultimately, this incident led to the teacher's dismissal. To take care of Sang Xia, Lei Li Zhou allowed them to come to their house every day for remedial classes with other students. At that time, only Lei Li Zhou supported Sang Xia's decision to pursue a psychology major. Lei Li Zhou was like a guiding light for Sang Xia.
Li Ran also confessed that they secretly followed Lei Ming because they were angry about Lei Ming's actions. They discovered that Lei Ming was actually taking care of their father in the hospital. Lei Li Zhou's health was deteriorating rapidly, and Lei Ming stayed by their side constantly.
Finally, on the afternoon of November 18, 2008, Lei Li Zhou passed away due to illness. Lei Ming held a funeral for their father, and Sang Xia and the others came to mourn. However, Lei Ming couldn't shed a tear. Suddenly, Lei Ming noticed a cuckoo bird outside the mourning hall, and their aunt advised Lei Ming not to be distracted.
Sang Xia cried uncontrollably, but at that moment, many of Lei Li Zhou's former students from years ago came to visit him. They all knelt down to accompany Lei Li Zhou on his final journey. It can be said that Lei Li Zhou had a significant impact on their lives, and even after many years, they still remembered him.
The greatest satisfaction for a teacher is to see that their students remember them. After the farewell ceremony, Lei Ming sat alone in a chair, thinking about the conversations they had with their father. Sang Xia came over to be by Lei Ming's side and told them that a few days before Lei Li Zhou's passing, Sang Xia had taken the students from Class 11 to visit him. Lei Li Zhou spoke incoherently, but when Sang Xia listened carefully, they realized that Lei Li Zhou was expressing concern for Lei Ming.
Lei Li Zhou worried that Lei Ming wouldn't become a good teacher, and Yu Yang held Lei Li Zhou's hand and said that Lei Ming had always encouraged them. Without Lei Ming, they might never have continued their education. Everyone gathered around Lei Li Zhou and spoke highly of Lei Ming. Cheng Yu Shan even told Lei Li Zhou that they all liked Lei Ming. Lei Li Zhou found solace in his heart.
That night, Lei Ming went to a snack stall alone. The mother of the girl who attempted suicide told Lei Ming that she had also gone to say goodbye to Lei Li Zhou that day. Lei Ming was surprised that they knew each other. The girl's mother said that after Lei Ming ran away, Lei Li Zhou took the initiative to apologize and came to their house. In a fit of anger, she slapped him, but for the following year, even if she ignored him, Lei Li Zhou would still come to apologize and visit them. He even provided the money for her husband's stomach ulcer surgery. Lei Ming couldn't hold back their tears anymore and they began to flow freely.
The news conference for the upcoming educational college entrance examination sprint class was about to be held. Lei Ming, as one of the main creators, would also give a speech on stage. Lei Ming went directly to the podium, and the students from Class 11 watched the live broadcast. Lei Ming stated that they realized the real protagonists today were the five students from Class 11. Lei Ming admitted that they had been a fraud, and they changed their speech on the spot. However, at that moment, Sang Xia, based on Lei Ming's location shared earlier, was preparing to go to the designated location.
Meanwhile, Lei Ming was still giving the speech on stage and told everyone that education should not be driven by profit. They presented the most authentic big data in front of everyone. The expression on Mr. Wang's face in the audience turned unpleasant. The students from Class 11 didn't expect that Lei Ming hadn't thrown away their tree but had quietly planted it elsewhere.
Lei Ming's speech today aimed to demonstrate that they were not just big data but simply a teacher. They directly stated that the success of the students from Class 11 was not calculated by big data but achieved through their dedicated studying and hard work. This incident caused a great stir, and the reporters rushed to interview Mr. Wang.
I can't understand how Lei Ba could give away his own son's tuition to someone else. There are so many unfortunate people in the world, can he take care of them all? Who should love his own biological child if not him?
It reminds me of someone who sponsored many impoverished students but when they were critically ill and needed money for medical treatment, those vampires still wanted to ask for money. Only when we work hard for our own money do we truly understand the value of it and strive to be a good person, while those who gain without effort eventually start taking things for granted.
It's like the classic story of "The Farmer and the Snake." Did that so-called Ye Chao ever come forward to repay Lei Ba when he was critically ill and needed money for his elderly care expenses?
If you don't love your own son, then don't get married. If you can't take care of your family, then don't get married! Does he even have his son in his heart? If I had a father like that, I would have already started a fight at the motorcycle place.
This is using the name of love to harm your own family. The family members can't even resist because nobody would believe it if they said it out loud. Others would only think that such a good person wouldn't do such a thing.
The injured family members can only endure the grievances.
Although there has been some foreshadowing, the plot twists in these two or three episodes feel quite abrupt, especially in this episode. They keep "whitewashing" Lei Lizhou, and everyone praises how good of a teacher he is, but we can't see the sorrow of his son.
As students who have benefited from him, they have their own lives and won't contribute a penny to support this teacher in his old age. However, when they find themselves in dire straits, they desperately cling to him as a lifeline, demanding care and even money.
And what about Lei Ming? He is despised and criticized. The students he taught, led by Sang Xia, go to Lei Lizhou's sickbed dressed in fancy clothes, seeking his approval. It's truly pathetic. Does Lei Ming really need that recognition?
Or is it something others think he needs? Is Lei Lizhou's so-called recognition really worth it?
If you don't love your own son, then don't get married. If you can't take care of your family, then don't get married! Does he even have his son in his heart? If I had a father like that, I would have already started a fight at the motorcycle place.
This is using the name of love to harm your own family. The family members can't even resist because nobody would believe it if they said it out loud. Others would only think that such a good person wouldn't do such a thing.
The injured family members can only endure the grievances.
Actually, I want to say that Lei Lizhou, as a father, may not be the most competent in Lei Ming's eyes. But as a teacher, he is definitely a competent teacher in the eyes of his students. No father doesn't love his own child, and Lei Lizhou is no exception.
However, as a teacher, he has put in all his efforts for his students. It's like police officers and firefighters. Don't they want to be with their own families? But they love their professions. They sacrifice their personal lives for the greater good, which is truly noble.
So, in terms of right or wrong, there is actually no right or wrong. Lei Lizhou is like many examples of Chinese-style paternal love, silently doing a lot for his son behind the scenes.