Hu Tong Episode 1 Recap
> Hu Tong Recap
In early 1949, Beiping was covered in heavy snow, and its residents eagerly awaited the arrival of the People's Liberation Army. Following Fu Zuoyi's surrender, the Nationalist Party faced total defeat, and the PLA was poised to enter the city. Unwilling to concede, the Nationalist Security Bureau Director Mao Renfeng implemented a "whole retreat, zero advance" policy, tasking Beiping station group leader Zheng with selecting and deploying secret agents to carry out sabotage.
Zheng convened a clandestine meeting in a tea house, where he informed the agents that despite the current danger, they still had half the country and could make a comeback. He reiterated Director Mao Renfeng's strategy, assigning them missions of assassination, bombing, intelligence gathering, and organizing armed riots.
Zheng declared that the Communist Party must not be allowed to have a peaceful day in Beiping and rallied his loyal fighters, urging them to fight to the end, proclaiming, "If you don't succeed, you will become benevolent." The agents solemnly repeated the vow. Outside the tea house, Tian Zao and a group of orphans lay in wait.
As the agents emerged from their meeting, the children swarmed one man, with a young orphan taunting him and drawing him into a nearby alley. Tian Zao and Dayong quickly followed, ambushing the agent, pulling a sack over his head, and seizing his pistol before disappearing into the night. Orphaned at a young age, Tian Zao was known for her boldness, carefulness, and generous spirit.
She had taken in many destitute orphans, and though their lives were hard, begging for food, they shared a strong bond and found joy together. Later, Tian Zao and the children stole military provisions, which they sold to Uncle Qian at his grain store. Uncle Qian, sympathetic to Tian Zao's plight in caring for so many orphans, gave her extra money but also warned her to be careful, as the soldiers might give her a "black date" if caught.
Tian Zao, with a defiant spirit, boasted that no one capable of hurting her had yet been born, to which Uncle Qian remarked that he had seen many wild individuals, but none as wild as her, adding that her parents would be "pissed to death" by her naughtiness if they were alive. With the money, Tian Zao bought a warm cotton hat and a windmill for the youngest child, Meihe.
When other children expressed a desire for similar items, Tian Zao explained her limited funds, then sold a basket of coal to Uncle Gui, a street vendor, distributing the proceeds among the children so they could eat. She also asked the other vendors to look after them. Tian Zao and Meihe then went to Uncle Gui's stall for some tripe.
Tian Zao found the tripe unusually tough and complained about it, but Uncle Gui explained that in these war-torn times, good quality ingredients were hard to source. He offered her an extra flatbread to compensate. As she ate, Tian Zao suddenly remembered that her father's apprentice, Tie Dan, was scheduled to wrestle Kong San, another local master. She immediately left to cheer for Tie Dan, instructing her companions to meet at their usual spot later that night.
Despite their reputations as skilled wrestlers in Beiping, Tie Dan was defeated by Kong San. Furious, Tian Zao, herself proficient in wrestling, confronted Tie Dan, chastising him for shaming their family's wrestling tradition and asking when he would "really become a man."
Tie Dan, indignant, defended his prowess, claiming to be a "big number one" in the wrestling circuit and recalling that Tian Zao's father, their master, had once called him a "good prospect of practicing wrestling once in a hundred years." Tian Zao scoffed at his "Iron Master" title and challenged him to a real fight, vowing to take his surname if she didn't defeat him. She quickly overpowered him.
Tie Dan, acknowledging her skill, attempted to concede, but Tian Zao refused. In their continued struggle, Tie Dan pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her nose, which immediately began to bleed. Enraged, Tian Zao stormed off, ignoring Tie Dan's pleas. Back home, Tian Zao's neighbors, Aunt Li and Boss Tong, offered her comfort, seizing the opportunity to suggest she consider Tie Dan as a suitor.
Tian Zao immediately rejected the idea, her anger flaring at the mere mention of him. That night, Tie Dan came to her door, kneeling and begging to be allowed in to check her injury, promising to do whatever she asked. Tian Zao angrily ordered him to leave, threatening never to speak to him again if he remained outside when she departed. After a stern countdown, she left, taking with her the pistol they had stolen earlier.
Tian Zao informed Uncle Gui, who was returning from his stall, that she was going out to handle something important and wouldn't be back for a few days, entrusting Meihe to his care. Meihe wanted to accompany her, but Tian Zao gently instructed him to listen to Uncle Gui and Aunt Li, promising him a new windmill upon her return.
Uncle Gui, sensing the gravity of her mission, pressed her for details, but Tian Zao refused to elaborate, telling him not to ask. Unbeknownst to Tian Zao, Uncle Gui quietly followed her. Dayong and the other orphans, who had gathered, informed Tian Zao that her father's killer, Han Qingkui, was at the opera house. Tian Zao resolved to confront him alone, but her companions insisted on helping her.
She adamantly refused to involve them, threatening to disown them as siblings if they followed, and reminded Dayong to watch over the others, as the army would soon enter the city. Dayong and the others reluctantly retreated. Tian Zao positioned herself by the road and, as Han Qingkui emerged from the opera, fired her pistol. Her shot missed, and she was quickly apprehended by Han Qingkui's men.
Han Qingkui recognized her, mockingly noting her use of a gun, and, despite his men's suggestion to kill her, ordered them to bring her back to his residence, intending to question her about the weapon. At his house, Han Qingkui confronted Tian Zao, accusing her of repeatedly trying to kill him and spreading rumors, claiming he had once pitied her as an orphan. Tian Zao defiantly challenged him to kill her if he dared.
Han Qingkui, in turn, expressed regret for his past "good-hearted mistake" in sparing her, lamenting that he should have "cut the grass root out" to prevent her from becoming a "scourge." Just then, Group Leader Zheng arrived with his men. Han Qingkui, without explaining Tian Zao's presence, quickly ordered his subordinate Erbao to take Tian Zao to the backyard and bury her alive.
Zheng, seemingly unfazed by Tian Zao, presented Han Qingkui with a box of guns, confirming his sabotage mission and promising substantial rewards. Zheng also instructed Han Qingkui to withdraw his men to Xishan after the operation and join the Zhongyi National Salvation Army for guerrilla warfare. Han Qingkui was delighted, acknowledging that his fate was sealed once the PLA entered the city and expressing his eagerness to "fight to the death with them."
As Erbao and his men began digging a pit for Tian Zao, Tie Dan and Dayong, who had followed, suddenly burst in, quickly overpowering Han Qingkui's men. Han Qingkui drew his pistol, but his advisor, Shiye, whispered something to him, prompting Han Qingkui to reluctantly order Tian Zao's release. Tie Dan lifted the injured Tian Zao and carried her away, vowing that Han Qingkui would not live.
Later, Aunt Li and Boss Tong visited Tian Zao, while Tie Dan insisted on staying to care for her. Aunt Li initially objected, citing the impropriety of a man staying overnight, but eventually relented. Uncle Gui arrived with a bowl of wontons for Tian Zao, who, still recovering, asked him to put them aside. She then sent Meihe to rest with Uncle Gui's daughter, Xiulan.
Left alone, Tian Zao pondered why Han Qingkui had released Tie Dan so easily, especially after Tie Dan had beaten him while Han Qingkui had a gun. Tie Dan, equally puzzled, admitted he had no explanation, and they agreed to focus on Tian Zao's recovery, as the PLA was expected to enter the city the next morning. Meanwhile, a fuming Han Qingkui was chastised by Erbao for losing face to "just a wrestler."
Shiye cautioned Han Qingkui against rash actions, reminding him of the impending arrival of the PLA and the larger mission at hand. Han Qingkui, however, dismissed Shiye's warnings, agreeing with Erbao that he needed to regain his dignity. He declared that while Tie Dan could not be touched, Tian Zao "can't be kept."
Confident in the new weapons provided by Zheng, Han Qingkui ordered Erbao to take his men and guns and "kill them all" before Tian Zao and her group could react. When Shiye questioned how this would be explained to Zheng, Han Qingkui nonchalantly dismissed the concern, stating that killing "a little girl" was insignificant as long as Tie Dan was spared. Early the next morning, Tian Zao awoke feeling refreshed and eager to go out and welcome the PLA into the city.
