Episode 2 recap: Anxin and Chen Ruoxuan had a car accident.
After accepting this task, Chen Ruohua and Chen Ruoxuan went to their aunt's house. Chen Ruoxuan was still lying in his aunt's arms, playfully asking her if it was a mistake for his mother to give birth to him. Hearing Chen Ruoxuan's question, Zhao Xiufang asked him curiously if he didn't do well in his exams, and she consoled him by saying that life is like a long-distance race and it's not always smooth sailing.
Chen Ruoxuan felt particularly at ease lying in his aunt's arms and couldn't help but say that it would be great if his aunt were his mother. Zhao Xiufang couldn't help but laugh when she heard this joke because Anxin and Zhao Xiuli had made similar jokes before. Zhao Xiuli also envied her sister and said that it wasn't easy for her to raise her daughter so well after her brother-in-law passed away so early.
Because she had her sister as an example, Zhao Xiuli kept a close eye on Chen Ruoxuan, which made him feel under pressure. Chen Ruohua saw that Chen Ruoxuan was still chatting nonsense with his aunt and quickly signaled to him. Only then did Chen Ruoxuan start talking about business, but no matter how he persuaded her, Zhao Xiufang refused to go back. She felt that running a small dining table and earning some extra money for her daughter was not wrong, but Anxin believed that their husband Qin Feng's family had paid the down payment for that house.
She taught dance at a dance class, and her income was very considerable, so she didn't need her mother to earn that money, especially since Qin Feng's parents were leaders in the city and had a good reputation. Seeing that her aunt was not receptive, Chen Ruohua reminded her if Anxin would also not attend the birthday banquet arranged for her. This statement struck a nerve with Zhao Yufang, and she immediately stood up and went to the birthday banquet venue with Chen Ruohua and Chen Ruoxuan.
The mother-in-law's birthday banquet was organized in a grand manner, and many influential people were present. Anxin even performed a self-choreographed dance on the spot, dancing gracefully to the music of "Where Did the Time Go?". Many people present were touched by this beautiful scene, and tears couldn't help but flow.
During the meal, the mother-in-law approached Zhao Xiufang and quietly told her something. She revealed that there was a vacant storefront in their family, and if Zhao Xiufang could persuade Anxin to give birth to a healthy grandson, the storefront would be given to Zhao Xiufang as a gift.
Although Zhao Xiufang was somewhat tempted by the storefront, she knew that her daughter had given up the opportunity to develop in Beijing for her sake. Now, after much effort, her daughter had finally gained some fame. Furthermore, they had already discussed with Qin Feng before getting married that they would not have children for the time being. Therefore, she declined the mother-in-law's offer.
During the meal, Chen Ruoxuan quietly left the table and put a few pills into his mouth. Zhao Xiuli noticed that her son was acting strangely and asked him what was wrong. Unexpectedly, Chen Ruoxuan got angry with her. Seeing that there were so many leftovers at the banquet, Zhao Xiufang packed everything to take home. When she arrived downstairs, Chen Ruoxuan insisted on going to her house because her sister didn't want to, and she even helped persuade Zhao Xiuli.
On the way back, a large truck suddenly rushed over and collided with Anxin's car, crushing it. The three of them were taken to the hospital. Chen Ruoxuan died despite rescue efforts, Anxin lost both legs, and only Zhao Xiufang was unharmed. Zhao Xiuli angrily shook her shoulder and asked if she had eaten the packed food. If it weren't for her packing it and delaying their time, they wouldn't have encountered that unlucky truck.
After being scolded by Zhao Xiuli, Zhao Xiufang felt even more upset and walked out of the hospital in a daze. After comforting her mother, Chen Ruohua went to see Anxin. Seeing that Anxin wasn't eating or drinking, Qin Feng asked Chen Ruohua to find Zhao Xiufang and persuade her. Zhao Xiufang returned to the hospital, put on a forced smile, praised the food sent by Qin Feng's mother, and said it looked very delicious. Upon hearing her words, Anxin, in a hurtful manner, said that if she was craving it, she should just eat it all.
Chen Ruohua was about to start school, but seeing her mother neglecting to eat and placing her father and brother's ashes on the sofa, she couldn't help but worry. When a heavy rainstorm occurred, she saw her mother carrying an umbrella to go out and pick up her brother. She couldn't bear it and reminded her mother that her brother was already dead, urging her to live well for her sake. After hearing Chen Ruohua's words, Zhao Xiuli couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears, holding her daughter tightly.
Yesterday I watched half an episode, and today I watched the first two episodes. Let me share my impressions. I have read the novel, and it's rare in this era of shallow writing that the novel requires a lot of imagination during the reading process.
It's very good. The screenwriter did a great job, visually portraying many things that could be explained in a single sentence in the novel.
Additionally, the storyline of Ruo Hua, which was relatively weak in the novel, has been strengthened in the drama (at least in the first two episodes).
This makes the character of Ruo Hua more well-rounded. The setting of Qin Feng's parents as cadre members, however, feels like a questionable change. It doesn't seem to align well with the subsequent events in the novel. Let's see how the drama unfolds.
I'll share a real-life situation that happened around me, also involving a car accident resulting in a fatality. The driver who caused the accident died on the spot due to fatigue.
When the driver's family members arrived, there was only an elderly lady, extremely poor to the point where selling themselves wouldn't be enough to compensate for the loss.
What options are there? Seeking compensation from others, but they couldn't even afford a lawyer. When faced with such a situation, you have all this resentment bottled up inside with nowhere to vent it.
You can't fight, and there's no money to compensate. As we say in our region, it's a senseless tragedy.