Episode 32 recap: Du Man Tang Collects Antiques
In Episode 32, a special guest arrives at Du Man Tang's café—a lady pushing a slightly worn baby stroller, handcrafted by the child’s grandfather to avoid the formaldehyde found in store-bought ones, filled with heartfelt meaning. Pierre, a regular at the café, praises the stroller and jokingly suggests he might buy it as a decoration. The lady quickly shakes her head, laughing that selling it would cause chaos at home.
At that moment, a package arrives for Du Man Tang from Wang Bei Yi, a cycling enthusiast whom Du Man Tang had previously helped. Inside the package is an old-fashioned radio that Wang Bei Yi came across during a trip to Shenyang and thought Du Man Tang would appreciate.
Looking at the stroller and then the radio, Du Man Tang feels a warm surge of nostalgia.
Later at home, Du Man Tang pulls out the stroller he and his sister, Du Man Yi, used as children, prompting Du Man Yi's curiosity. He softly explains, "This is our memory."
Meanwhile, Du Man Yi consults Zhang Ze Zhong about their upcoming wedding but is interrupted by a video call from General Guo, who presses for marriage licenses and mentions Amanda's constant money requests. General Guo sternly warns that if they don’t get married soon, the 500,000 yuan deposit will be returned. This makes Zhang Ze Zhong anxious, especially since he has only received 20,000 yuan so far; he starts calculating how to allocate the future 5 million and promises to set aside more for Du Man Yi.
Du Man Yi advises him to be cautious, reminding him not to let small issues lead to bigger losses.
On another front, Old Ai brings a worn teapot to refill with water. Seeing this, Du Man Tang offers to swap it for a new one. He’s planning something big and consults Aunt Zhang about collecting old items in the hutong to prevent them from being forgotten or discarded. He intends to showcase these items in the café to evoke memories.
Aunt Zhang, though reluctant to part with her trophies, understands and supports the idea, even jokingly suggesting Du Man Tang display her trophies as well.
Du Man Tang quickly goes door-to-door to collect antiques, and the older neighbors, including Grandma Liang, enthusiastically respond, feeling these "treasures" finally have a good home.
Meanwhile, Du Li is planning a trip and wants to invite Zhang You Ting to join. However, Zhang You Ting is busy with work and can only promise to join later. Du Li then visits their new neighbor, Wang Xiao Qing, just as she is helping Mr. Jiang with his throat treatment.
It turns out Mr. Jiang has a hoarse voice due to overworking. Du Li is eager to join in, but Wang Xiao Qing politely declines, asking her not to disrupt. The next day, Mr. Jiang wears a high-necked shirt to hide his throat, while Wang Xiao Qing encourages him to relax and not worry too much about what others think.
At the café, old items gradually fill every corner, while Zhang You Ting faces setbacks at work. A client is unhappy with her proposal and considers hiring a foreign designer. Upon discovering that her job was secured through Zhang Ze Zhong's connections, she angrily confronts the client and quits.
Meanwhile, good news spreads in the hutong: the leadership plans to commend Du Man Tang, Wang Xiao Qing, and Fatty for their outstanding entrepreneurship, exciting everyone as they prepare to celebrate this honor.
These events, much like the old items in the café, have weathered the test of time but continue to carry warmth and stories, leaving a lasting impression.
Comments(Episode 32)