Dear Mayang Street Episode 3 Recap
> Dear Mayang Street Recap
Ma Xiaoxiao found herself in a heated argument with her mother and father after her mother had unilaterally arranged for her transfer from the science stream to the liberal arts stream at school without her consent. Ma Xiaoxiao angrily confronted her mother, stating they had agreed to discuss the decision, not act directly. Her mother retorted that she had tried to discuss it, but Ma Xiaoxiao was indecisive.
Ma Xiaoxiao insisted that while her parents supported her education, they couldn't dictate her choices, especially when her science grades were excellent and she preferred the subject. Her mother, however, believed that liberal arts offered a more stable future for girls, dismissing her father's point about science preparing one for the world. Ma Xiaoxiao, feeling unheard and frustrated, ran out of the house.
As she did, she saw Grandma Ou waiting anxiously at the intersection, worried about Ou Xiaojian who had promised to return home the previous night but had not yet appeared. Unbeknownst to Ma Xiaoxiao, Yi Dongdong was the only one who knew Ou Xiaojian was in the hospital, and Ma Xiaoxiao’s own search for him at the repair shop had been fruitless. Meanwhile, a financial crisis struck the Yi family.
Yi Shengli revealed to Hao Pushi that all the money they had invested in a partnership for a truck business was gone, a venture he had pursued after secretly applying for demobilization; his supposed partner had absconded with the funds before any trucks were acquired. Hao Pushi was distraught, crying and yelling at Yi Shengli. She had warned him the venture was unreliable.
Now, with all their savings gone and Yi Shengli unemployed, she feared for their family's survival, especially with the children's future education expenses looming. That evening, dinner at the Yi household was strained. Yi Qianqian complained about the lack of meat dishes. Hao Pushi explained their predicament, telling the children they could only afford sweet potatoes and shredded potatoes. Despite her earlier anger, Hao Pushi's maternal instincts took over.
She retrieved a small piece of cured meat and, along with several stinky mandarin fish, cooked a meal whose pungent aroma wafted through the entire neighborhood. She instructed her children, Yi Dongdong, Yi Nannan, and Yi Qianqian, to deliver some of the fish to their neighbors: the Sun family, Grandma Zeng, and the Ma family.
Yi Dongdong, offering to take the fish to the Ma family as he planned to study on their rooftop, ended up tripping on his way, shattering the plate. Resourcefully, he managed to save the fish from hitting the ground, then delivered it to Ma Xiaoxiao, jokingly telling her that while it smelled fragrant, it tasted terrible. Later, Ma Xiaoxiao joined Sun Falcon and other friends to review for their mock exams.
Sun Falcon, overwhelmed by the difficulty, immediately sought Ma Xiaoxiao’s help. However, Ma Xiaoxiao was preoccupied, her thoughts drifting back to a memory of Ou Xiaojian. Ma Dada also revealed to the group that Ma Xiaoxiao had argued with their mother earlier that day because of the forced transfer to liberal arts. While they were studying, Sun Falcon brought up Ou Xiaojian, asking if he had returned home and wondering if he had gotten into trouble with the police.
This discussion reminded Ma Xiaoxiao of her first true encounter with Ou Xiaojian on a bus, back when she was deliberating her academic path and he was a student at the police academy. She recounted how he had playfully teased her but ultimately promised her he would never lie to her, even after she reacted strongly to his joke about not wanting to attend the police academy.
Yi Dongdong, observing Ma Xiaoxiao's fluctuating moods at the mere mention of Ou Xiaojian's name, noted how her emotions, like the weather, shifted between cloudy, rainy, and sunny, and how all her vivid expressions seemed to revolve around Ou Xiaojian. In the hospital, Ou Xiaojian finally regained consciousness. Doctors and nurses expressed relief, but his first question was where he was. Grandma Ou, who had been called by the police, rushed to his side, her face etched with worry.
She asked why he kept his troubles to himself and why he hurt himself, lamenting her inability to help him. Ou Xiaojian, downplaying his injuries, simply told her he was fine and expressed a desire for fish soup. Grandma Ou, despite her distress, hurried out to get fish to make the soup. Her conversation with Liang Xiaobao's mother, who learned of Ou Xiaojian's hospitalization while Grandma Ou was buying fish, further spread the news.
Back at the Ma household, Ma Dada woke Ma Xiaoxiao, chastising her for studying all night. As they prepared for school, their father handed them boiled eggs. Ma Xiaoxiao received two, while Ma Dada received one, which he protested as unfair. Their father explained that Ma Xiaoxiao, being a hardworking student, deserved the extra egg.
He also tried to smooth things over with Ma Xiaoxiao about her transfer to liberal arts, admitting her mother's actions were perhaps "a bit inappropriate" but meant well. Their mother later chastised Ma Dada for wanting to wear inappropriate clothing for school, playfully correcting his classical poetry recitation. Later, the Street Health Team began inspections to prevent infectious diseases. They visited Hao Pushi's home and immediately found her home-cured Hunanese stinky sauce.
Despite Hao Pushi's explanation that it was a local delicacy, the inspectors deemed it unhygienic and confiscated it, citing concerns about attracting pests. Chen Lili, observing the scene, openly questioned Hao Pushi's choice of food, which infuriated Hao Pushi. She accused Chen Lili of reporting her family to the authorities. A heated argument erupted between the two women, with Hao Pushi accusing Chen Lili of looking down on outsiders and Chen Lili responding with equally harsh words.
Yi Shengli tried to calm his wife, but Hao Pushi, feeling deeply wronged and asserting that stinky mandarin fish were not pests, continued to loudly express her indignation, blaming Yi Shengli for their misfortunes and lamenting her choice of husband. Meanwhile, the police, having found no useful information from the distracted Ou Xiaojian at the hospital, reviewed the hospital's duty records. They discovered that Yi Dongdong was the person who brought Ou Xiaojian in that night.
Consequently, two police officers arrived at Yi Dongdong's home. They informed Yi Shengli and Hao Pushi that Yi Dongdong was suspected of involvement in a violent brawl and requested him to come to the station for questioning. Upon hearing this, Hao Pushi immediately fainted, prompting Yi Shengli to frantically search for their "tiger oil" to revive her. On the first day of the new semester, Ma Xiaoxiao and Yi Dongdong joined their new liberal arts class.
Their teacher, Teacher Su, addressed the class, emphasizing the importance of focusing on studies with the college entrance examination approaching. She introduced Ma Xiaoxiao, highlighting her excellent grades and encouraging others to learn from her. Then she introduced Yi Dongdong, who introduced himself clearly. Shortly after, police officers arrived at the school looking for Yi Dongdong, drawing the attention of all the curious students who secretly listened outside the classroom door.
Yi Dongdong was questioned about the night of August 30th. He initially claimed to be home, but when reminded about being at the hospital, he recalled that after getting up to pee during a heavy rainstorm, he found an injured person on the second floor of a building.
Inspired by the spirit of Lei Feng, he carried the person to the hospital and even tried to find a police station to report it, but couldn't locate one in the vast city of Guangzhou. Yi Shengli, present during the questioning, initially thought Yi Dongdong was making up stories, but Yi Dongdong insisted he was simply doing a good deed without seeking recognition, as his parents had taught him.
The police then revealed that someone had seen Yi Dongdong walking the streets in his underwear after the incident, which Yi Dongdong dismissed as a misunderstanding. Yi Shengli, however, jokingly accused his son of being possessed, while Hao Pushi was just exasperated. Amidst these events, Liang Yuanchao’s infidelity was exposed. Lin Jiahao discovered photos of him dancing intimately with another woman.
Her heartbroken cries and angry shouts filled their home and spilled out into the street, alerting neighbors to their tumultuous argument. Lin Jiahao furiously confronted Liang Yuanchao, accusing him of shamelessness and threatening to never let him return home if he left. Liang Yuanchao, seemingly unperturbed, retorted that dancing was no reason for such a dramatic reaction. Lin Jiahao continued to wail, lamenting her fate as an "orphan and widow," to which Liang Yuanchao dismissively replied that "God is busy" and couldn't be bothered with her "mess."
