Episode 9 recap: Li Si Forced to Kneel in Public by Classmates
In Episode 9, set in the fall of 1987, a young Cheng Ya Ya wakes up to find her father missing. She decides to search for him but accidentally falls into a deep pit. While she cries helplessly inside, a little girl comes to her rescue but ends up falling in as well. Unlike Cheng Ya Ya, this girl remains calm and offers her a steamed bun for comfort. This girl is Yuan Shan Qing.
Yuan Shan Qing also has a younger sister whom she cares for, often drawing complaints from their neighbors. Their dinners are simple, consisting of egg custard and steamed buns. One day, debt collectors posing as police come looking for Yuan Shan Qing's father, Yuan Yong, even overturning their dining table in the process.
Despite Yuan Shan Qing repeatedly stating that her father took the money and left, the men continue to ransack their home, stealing the little money she had saved. Yuan Shan Qing's sister is bitten by one of the dogs they brought along, leaving them in a tight spot. With not enough money for treatment, Yuan Shan Qing reluctantly asks Cheng Ya Ya for help.
Cheng Ya Ya is also bitten by the dog but lacks the funds for her own treatment. After taking care of her sister, Yuan Shan Qing tries to head home, but Cheng Ya Ya stops her and insists they go together for the injections, suggesting they borrow a bit more money since they already owe some. Cheng Peng Fei sees the two girls and kindly offers to take them for their shots, feeling grateful for Cheng Ya Ya's kindness and gentlemanly behavior.
Meanwhile, Cheng Miao Miao is on the phone with Li Si, who wants to confront Li Da Hai about expelling Liu Gang. Jia Dai Yu sees this and angrily chases after them. Cheng Ya Ya takes the Yuan sisters home, only to find their front door covered in paint demanding repayment, and the inside in disarray.
Li Si confronts Li Da Hai over the expulsion, frustrated that the whole class is now criticizing him, which almost leads to another physical altercation.
The next day, Li Si arrived at school in a bad mood. Liu Jun Bao approached him, hoping for help, even going so far as to kneel and beg Li Si for assistance. Seeing this, Li Si was startled and knelt down in return, but some classmates unfairly accused him of lacking compassion.
Yuan Shan Qing was absent from class that day, which worried Cheng Ya Ya, prompting her to go directly to Yuan Shan Qing's house. Cheng Miao Miao was also concerned about Li Si, catching up to him to offer some encouragement. When Cheng Ya Ya finally knocked on Yuan Shan Qing's door for a long time, she discovered that Yuan Shan Qing had a fever and quickly took her to the hospital.
Cheng Miao Miao believed that Li Si was not to blame for the situation, but all the blame seemed to fall on him, which felt unfair. Gao Fei Yang was at a loss for words. After finishing his lesson, he taught the class an important lesson about being oneself.
He explained that while your background and family will influence you throughout your life, your destiny is ultimately in your own hands. If you must make a statement, let it be a choice from your heart. Cheng Ya Ya spent the entire night painting over the words outside Yuan Shan Qing's house.
Li Da Hai ended up giving Liu Gang three months' worth of his salary, which helped resolve the situation. Liu Gang's family left the oil field and returned to their hometown, and Li Si did not go to say goodbye to Liu Jun Bao.
Cheng Miao Miao and Hu Qiu Min had plans to go eat at Li Si's family restaurant. While at the market, they unexpectedly saw Qiang Xiao Wa selling fish. Cheng Miao Miao felt a renewed determination to help Qiang Xiao Wa, wanting to assist at least one more time. She went to the village where Qiang Xiao Wa lived, bringing along a dog to play with him.
Comments(Episode 9)