Dear Mayang Street Episode 8 Recap
> Dear Mayang Street Recap
In the autumn of 1984, Guangzhou was gripped by fear as City News reported a significant influx of criminals. A recent incident involving a transient criminal with a knife attacking and severely injuring a citizen, who was still at large, added to the widespread panic. Police had heightened their vigilance, conducting strict checks on suspicious individuals. The unsettling news spread quickly through Mayang Street, with residents discussing the escalating danger.
Many parents worried about their children's safety, with Chen Lili cautioning Sun Falcon not to go home alone at night, and one mother emphasizing her husband's warning not to go out alone at night, always urging her to be accompanied. Ma Dada, needing bus fare due to recent safety concerns, asked her mother, Aunt Niu. Ma Dada claimed Ma Xiaoxiao, her sister, had requested it because they had evening tutoring and the city was unsafe.
Aunt Niu was skeptical, suspecting Ma Xiaoxiao had ulterior motives for the money, but eventually conceded. Meanwhile, Aunt Niu also cautioned her son, Yi Dongdong, to travel to and from school with friends for safety, a sentiment he echoed, stating he would take the bus with his classmates. Yi Dongdong, along with Yi Nannan, Liang Xiaobao, and other friends, gathered for school.
Upon realizing Ma Xiaoxiao had already left on her bike, Yi Dongdong expressed concern about her traveling alone, despite Ma Dada's assurances that her sister would be safe. Ma Xiaoxiao later took a fall from her bicycle, coincidentally encountering Ou Xiaojian. He promptly helped her repair her bike chain. Ma Xiaoxiao inquired about his recent activities, to which he vaguely replied that he had been busy. After fixing her bike, Ou Xiaojian advised her to hurry to school.
Shortly after, Huang Mao arrived in a car to pick up Ou Xiaojian, informing him that "those punks" were causing trouble and Brother Mouse needed him to "teach them a lesson." Ou Xiaojian handed off his motorcycle to another friend and departed with Huang Mao. Yi Dongdong, still at school, worried about Ma Xiaoxiao's continued absence. Ma Xiaoxiao, having followed Ou Xiaojian, arrived at the scene of the impending confrontation.
Ou Xiaojian, seeing her, urgently told her to leave, warning of danger. However, Ma Xiaoxiao defiantly insisted on staying to witness the danger herself and stand up for Ou Xiaojian. Intervening as Huang Mao questioned her presence, Ou Xiaojian asserted his authority and instructed Huang Mao to disperse the crowd, preventing the fight. Ma Xiaoxiao then directly asked Ou Xiaojian if he had been worried about her safety, highlighting that he now understood her own constant concerns for him.
During PE class, Yi Dongdong was disappointed that Ma Xiaoxiao was not there, as she had been called away by a teacher to discuss a competition. He had hoped to show off his badminton skills to her. Inspired by classmates who suggested he could earn extra points for the college entrance exam by winning a provincial badminton competition, Yi Dongdong challenged Sun Falcon to a match. Although he initially performed well, he eventually fell and lost, leaving him crestfallen.
Back home, a dejected Yi Dongdong struggled to eat. Later that night, his father, Yi Shengli, found him brooding. Yi Dongdong confessed feeling like a failure, citing his poor academic performance and inferior badminton skills. Yi Shengli offered him what he claimed was white wine (though secretly diluted), encouraging him to embrace challenges as a man.
He then shared his grand vision: leveraging the reform and opening-up policy, he planned to become a commodities circulator, bringing Hunan specialties like lotus seeds, citrus, and ginger to Guangzhou, while transporting Guangzhou fashion and electronics across the country. He emphasized the importance of a strategic mindset, telling Yi Dongdong that overcoming personal setbacks was crucial for supporting his future family.
Yi Dongdong's mother, Hao Pushi, later revealed to Yi Shengli that Yi Dongdong was medically unsuited for badminton due to a foot injury sustained at age six, but she had kept it secret from him, fearing it would deeply wound his spirit. Yi Shengli commended her thoughtfulness. Subsequently, Hao Pushi sent Yi Dongdong to Grandma Ou's grocery store for salt.
Grandma Ou, still grateful for Yi Dongdong's past act of saving Ou Xiaojian, generously gave him a large assortment of snacks and treats, which he reluctantly accepted. Outside the store, Ou Xiaojian approached Yi Dongdong. After a brief exchange, Ou Xiaojian, knowing Ma Xiaoxiao's independent nature, suggested that Yi Dongdong ask Ma Xiaoxiao to protect their group on the way to school, believing she wouldn't refuse such a request to safeguard her friends.
Yi Dongdong realized Ou Xiaojian's deep understanding of Ma Xiaoxiao, and his subtle way of ensuring her safety without her knowing his involvement. He later convinced Ma Xiaoxiao to join them on their bus commute, stating that her presence made everyone feel safer. The next morning, Ma Xiaoxiao joined Yi Dongdong and his friends, and they even requested the bus driver to wait for her.
Yi Dongdong reflected on how well Ou Xiaojian understood Ma Xiaoxiao, a stark contrast to his own struggles to connect with her, yet he was determined to bridge that gap. By the winter of 1985, Ou Xiaojian had overseen a significant renovation of Grandma Ou's grocery store, introducing new products that led to a booming business. He continued to be busy around Mayang Street, his relationship with Ma Xiaoxiao appearing less contentious.
Grandma Ou, while pleased with the store's success, remained concerned about his late hours and associations, urging him to quit his job at the repair shop. She questioned the source of his funds for the renovation, hinting at his ties to "those people." Ou Xiaojian reassured her that the money came from his own savings and that he would never betray her trust in the store. However, he sidestepped her plea to leave the repair shop, asserting his adulthood.
Shortly after, Big Fat arrived and spoke quietly with Ou Xiaojian. Ou Xiaojian then abruptly left, telling his grandmother he had an unfinished car to repair. At the repair shop, Ou Xiaojian observed Brother Mouse supervising the unloading of goods. He later met discreetly with Li Zhaohang, handing over a recording pen containing crucial evidence of Brother Mouse's transactions, though the precise timing of the deal still needed verification.
In a separate instance, Ou Xiaojian asked a friend to procure a specific, hard-to-find imported beauty cream for someone, dismissing teasing about a crush. Due to ongoing sewer repairs on Mayang Street, Grandma Ou announced that residents should use the communal public bathhouse. She specified that women could shower before 8:30 PM, and men after. At the Yi family home, where they were hosting the Sun family for dinner, the aging roof began to leak.
Yi Shengli and Hao Pushi discussed the house's long-standing need for repairs. Yi Nannan suggested that rats might have built nests in the roof, a plausible explanation for the leaks, as rats could hollow out the entire structure. Chen Lili mentioned the regular distribution of rat poison, but Yi Nannan revealed that his mother, Hao Pushi, disliked using it, fearing dead rats in the house.
Just as Sun Falcon's father proudly served his family's "ancestral ribs noodles," a rat suddenly fell from the ceiling directly into a bowl, sending everyone into a panicked uproar. Following the unsettling dinner, Ma Dada was immersed in a gossip magazine, attributing her lack of "fairy-like beauty" to her parents not being "especially, especially in love," a theory her mother swiftly dismissed, calling her daughter's brain "full of plastic."
Yi Shengli, disturbed by Ma Dada's reading, warned her against "capitalist spiritual rubbish," drawing a parallel to Ou Xiaojian's father's suicide due to excessive gossip, and emphasized that "idle talk is a silent killer." Ma Dada, however, pressed her father on whether he and her mother shared "true love." As the evening progressed, Hao Pushi urged everyone to hurry to the public bathhouse before 8 PM. Ma Xiaoxiao left first, reminded to bring a hair clip.
Later, Ma Xiaoxiao entered the women's section of the bathhouse only to discover Yi Dongdong already inside, having misread the gender sign. Incensed, she punched him, giving him a nosebleed. Back home, Hao Pushi chastised Yi Dongdong for his embarrassing mistake, calling him a "pig," a comparison Yi Nannan comically protested. Yi Shengli arrived with some safflower oil from Grandma Ou's well-stocked shop to treat Yi Dongdong's bleeding nose.
