Dear Mayang Street Episode 9 Recap
> Dear Mayang Street Recap
As students dispersed from school, Yi Dongdong approached Ma Xiaoxiao to apologize for seeing her exposed "last night." Ma Xiaoxiao, still fuming, warned him sternly, "If you dare to say half a word about what happened yesterday, I won't spare you." Her sister, Yi Qianqian, observed the interaction and asked Ma Xiaoxiao what was wrong, but Ma Xiaoxiao dismissed it, even as Yi Qianqian questioned why Ma Xiaoxiao had hit Yi Dongdong.
Ou Xiaojian was at a bar, singing, when Brother Mouse joined him. Ou Xiaojian seized the opportunity to inquire about sourcing gold watches, specifically Rolex. Brother Mouse, boasting of his "nimble routes" that even the police couldn't track, assured Ou Xiaojian of the safety and reliability of his supply. Ou Xiaojian expressed his willingness to buy any amount available, prompting Brother Mouse to invite him to a shipment on the 27th.
Ou Xiaojian initially seemed to hesitate at the date, which a friend had just mentioned was also Ma Xiaoxiao's birthday, but quickly agreed. At the public bathhouse, Yi Dongdong was nervously entering, having been told by Zeng Hao that it was empty. However, Ma Xiaoxiao was still inside, leading to another embarrassing encounter.
Ma Xiaoxiao, realizing that the bathhouse's gender signs were easily mistaken, confronted Yi Dongdong about running away as if he had done something wrong, asking if she was "that scary." Moments later, as Yi Dongdong was washing his hair, Zeng Xing, pretending to be Ma Xiaoxiao, doused him with a bucket of cold water.
Shivering, Yi Dongdong, annoyed, soon learned it was Zeng Xing, who then offered to tutor him in English, promising to "take care of him more" as a friend. Ou Xiaojian met with Li Zhaohang to relay the intelligence: Brother Mouse's group would be conducting a transaction at Huangpu Wharf on the 27th, and Ou Xiaojian anticipated a potential double-cross.
He asked if this operation would guarantee his entry into the police force, to which Li Zhaohang assured him he would advocate for him. Later that day, Yi Dongdong, Sun Falcon, and Liang Xiaobao were seen in a sundry shop, where Yi Dongdong was struggling to pick a suitable birthday gift for Ma Xiaoxiao. He sought advice from his friends, emphasizing he had saved money for something special.
Ou Xiaojian, passing by, advised Yi Dongdong to choose wisely so Ma Xiaoxiao would appreciate the gift, but offered no specific suggestions before excusing himself. At Ma Xiaoxiao's birthday party, she appeared subdued and stepped out briefly. Sun Falcon speculated that she was unhappy because Ou Xiaojian hadn't arrived, noting that Ma Xiaoxiao always cherished his presence on her birthday, even during their past "cold war."
He mentioned their "cold war" began when Ou Xiaojian started associating with street figures, leading to a big fight where Ma Xiaoxiao tore up a photo of them. Zeng Xing, overhearing this, feigned a need to study and left, but not before observing Ma Xiaoxiao's emotional state. Ma Xiaoxiao went to Grandma Ou's grocery store, hoping to find Ou Xiaojian, but Grandma Ou simply stated that he wasn't coming home again, leaving Ma Xiaoxiao crestfallen.
Back at the party, Zeng Xing presented Ma Xiaoxiao with a new translation of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," only for her to reveal she already owned the book. Ma Xiaoxiao then noticed Yi Dongdong trying to hide his gift—a small horse doll. Zeng Xing quickly mocked it as "ugly and dull," but Ma Xiaoxiao found it rather endearing. Yi Dongdong wished her a happy birthday, and she thanked him.
Later that night, Ma Xiaoxiao, encouraged by Yi Qianqian, secretly left home. She recalled Ou Xiaojian's past promise to give her a birthday gift every year, a promise he made when he gave her "A Tale of Two Cities" when they were young. However, this year, due to his undercover identity, he couldn't be there to celebrate with her. She found Ou Xiaojian, covered in injuries.
He apologized and wished her a belated happy birthday, saying he hadn't forgotten and truly wanted to be there. Ma Xiaoxiao, heartbroken, questioned why he constantly got hurt despite promising to protect himself. She recounted his past choices—giving up university for his Grandma, joining the police academy, turning the grocery store into a thriving business—all of which made her believe he was returning to a normal life, a life where they had promised to go to Beijing together.
She confessed that while she tried to trust him, his repeated injuries made it impossible for her to simply ignore it. Overwhelmed, she declared that he could continue living his "life of fighting and killing." Ou Xiaojian successfully helped the police break Brother Mouse's smuggling ring. However, the subsequent report in the Yangcheng Evening News made no mention of Ou Xiaojian's involvement, leaving his efforts unrecognized, a silent burden he had to bear.
As the 1985 Spring Festival approached, Mayang Street was abuzz with joyful preparations. Hao Pushi reminded Yi Dongdong to attend English tutoring at Zeng Xing's, noting that Ma Xiaoxiao, a top student, would also be there, making it an invaluable opportunity. Yi Dongdong, excited by the prospect of wearing new clothes and showing off in front of Ma Xiaoxiao, looked forward to the tutoring session.
At Zeng Xing's, Zeng Xing deliberately spilled coffee on his clothes, prompting Ma Xiaoxiao to help him clean it. Yi Dongdong observed this with a profound sense of unrequited love, wondering who invented such complex feelings and wishing he could "beat them to death." Back at home, Hao Pushi discovered money missing from her savings. She gathered Yi Dongdong, Yi Nan Nan, and Yi Qianqian, demanding a confession.
Finding Yi Qianqian's hairpin near the missing money, Hao Pushi immediately accused her of stealing to buy it and began to hit her. Ma Xiaoxiao, witnessing the injustice, intervened, urging Hao Pushi to investigate properly before resorting to violence and to consider Yi Qianqian's self-esteem. Yi Dongdong tried to explain to Ma Xiaoxiao what had happened, while Yi Qianqian, upset and hurt by her mother's accusations, ran out of the house.
Worried for Yi Qianqian's safety, Ma Xiaoxiao organized a search party, dividing their friends into groups. Yi Dongdong, searching with Ma Xiaoxiao, expressed his fear that Yi Qianqian might have been abducted. Meanwhile, Yi Qianqian was confronted by a group of hooligans demanding money. Ou Xiaojian, who was nearby making arrangements with some local toughs, intervened, claiming Yi Qianqian as his sister to deter them.
However, Yi Qianqian kicked one of the gangsters and fled, only to be chased by another menacing group, including Brother Dao. Ou Xiaojian once again came to her rescue, telling her to go home while he dealt with the aggressive gangster. As Ma Xiaoxiao and Yi Dongdong continued their search, they stumbled upon Sun Falcon, who was in a heated argument with Yangzi and his friends.
Yangzi accused Sun Falcon of cheating in a basketball game and forcing him to call him "Dad," a grave insult given Yangzi's father was a fallen hero. Just as Ma Xiaoxiao attempted to de-escalate the situation, Brother Dao's group, still pursuing Yi Qianqian and recognizing her, converged, transforming the argument into a chaotic brawl involving multiple factions. Yi Qianqian, fleeing into Ou Xiaojian's shop, was met by Ma Xiaoxiao and Yi Dongdong.
As the fight spilled into the street, Ou Xiaojian, declaring that no one would cause trouble on his "territory," rallied his own allies, and the street erupted into a massive three-way fight.
