Hu Tong Episode 14 Recap
> Hu Tong Recap
Tian Zao, Tie Dan, the children from the orphanage, and their neighbors gathered for Da Yong's memorial service, all heavy-hearted. Tian Zao spent the next few days in tears, overwhelmed by memories of Da Yong. She remembered when he told her he was enlisting, stating, "I would like to sign up for the Army. I just want to defend my country, go to the battlefield as a soldier."
Tian Zao had supported him then, telling him, "A good man should go to the battlefield to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds. I support you." As he left, Da Yong had instructed Tie Dan, "Tiedan, you have to take good care of my sister," and then told both of them, "Sister, Tiedan, you two have to keep your wedding candy for me." Now, with Da Yong gone, Tian Zao lamented, "I thought we agreed to eat wedding candy.
How come you are gone?" Tie Dan stayed by her side, comforting her, "Zao, stop crying. You've been crying for days, don't hurt your body." Tian Zao, heartbroken, replied, "He was such a happy person, what a nice brother. I can't help it, I feel bad in my heart." Tian Zao channeled her grief into serving the community, working tirelessly for the residents and earning their widespread praise and affection.
Meanwhile, Suo Qian wanted to marry Chunxi, but his house was bare and dilapidated, lacking any decent furniture. He regretted squandering his earnings over the years. Suo Qian expressed his worries to Aunt Li, saying, "Aunt, look at my house, how bad it is. It's going to rain here. It will rain heavier in this room than outside. Look at this broken furniture again. The family is surrounded by walls. How do I think I married Chunxi? I'm so worried.
No, no, no, I cannot get married." Tian Zao playfully chided him, calling him a "typical eight-flag playboy, a black sheep of the family," and reminded him of government subsidies he'd received. Suo Qian admitted he spent the money on clothes and dining, prompting Tian Zao to express frustration about his lack of savings.
Aunt Li then gathered Tian Zao and Tong Xiaoting, proposing they help Suo Qian renovate his house, buy new household items and furniture, and host a wedding banquet in the courtyard. They discussed the necessary repairs, from the roof and windows to painting the walls. Tian Zao listed wedding essentials like a wedding bed with festive satin fabric, a beautiful embroidered hijab for the bride, and new daily necessities.
She also planned for a banquet of seven or eight tables in the courtyard, acknowledging the significant cost of wedding candy and cigarettes. The neighbors agreed that Chunxi deserved a proper wedding after her past hardships. Tian Zao organized everyone, assigning Tie Dan and another youth, Feng, to plaster and replace roof tiles, with Dapeng also assisting. Aunt Li and Uncle Gui took charge of the larger renovation tasks like the roof, windows, and painting.
Tong Xiaoting and Meihe volunteered to help. Xiulan offered to clean out Suo Qian's old belongings and prepare new bedding. Tian Zao herself offered to sew the new quilt and embroider the hijab. A neighbor responsible for cooking offered to set up a temporary stove in the courtyard for the banquet. When the topic of furniture came up, Tian Zao suggested Tie Dan, Feng, and Dapeng look for used furniture.
Aunt Li then collected money from everyone to fund the preparations, distributing portions to Tian Zao and Xiulan for bedding and festive items, to Tong Xiaoting and Meihe for daily necessities, and to Dapeng and Tie Dan for furniture. Dapeng and Tie Dan then set out to find used furniture. Dapeng, acknowledging Tie Dan's position as a police director, asked for advice on where to find furniture.
Tie Dan explained that new furniture stores were too expensive, and pawnshops wouldn't accept ordinary worn items. Dapeng then suggested visiting a waste collection place. Tie Dan, after consideration, agreed it was a viable option, noting that many Beijing residents were upgrading their homes and selling old furniture to junk dealers.
They quickly headed to a junk dealer, who informed "Director Dapeng" that he had just acquired a complete set of eight sturdy pieces, including a double bed, nightstand, wardrobe, cabinet, chest of drawers, table, and four chairs. Tie Dan praised the furniture's excellent condition. The dealer recounted how he had acquired the set cheaply from a family moving to Shanghai.
Upon learning that the furniture was for Suo Qian's wedding, the junk dealer, who turned out to be a long-time family friend of Suo Qian's family with a history of collecting antiques from their once-wealthy household, offered a significant discount, treating the remainder as his wedding gift. With everyone's collective efforts, Suo Qian's home was completely transformed with new bedding and household items. The wedding ceremony then commenced.
A host officially declared "Comrade Suo Qian and Comrade Chunxi's wedding" as a revolutionary union. Guests offered congratulations, wishing them a lasting relationship and future children. During the banquet, Suo Qian expressed profound gratitude, first to Chairman Mao and the Communist Party, and then specifically to Uncle Gui, Aunt Li, Tong Xiaoting, Xiulan, Tian Zao, and the other kind neighbors, acknowledging that without their help, he and Chunxi would not have been able to marry.
Chunxi, moved to tears, added, "I'm so happy, Meihe and I finally have a home." Afterwards, Suo Qian and Chunxi knelt before Aunt Li, Uncle Gui, Tong Xiaoting, Tian Zao, and Xiulan, acknowledging them as their adopted parents and family, thanking them for everything. Aunt Li urged them to rise, saying, "Get up, get up, don't do this. We are family." Soon after, Uncle Gui hosted a grand wedding for Xiulan and Dapeng at Donglai Tower.
Li Hongying and Lin Zheng, however, held a simpler wedding ceremony. Gao Zhiyuan, celebrating their union, led everyone in singing "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China." On their wedding night, Lin Zheng repeatedly apologized to Li Hongying, feeling he had wronged her by not providing a more elaborate wedding like Dapeng's, even though Dapeng's was due to Xiulan's father being the restaurant's chef and the boss arranging it.
Lin Zheng confessed, "But I always feel that our wedding, it's too shabby. I feel bad about it in my heart." Li Hongying reassured him, "Comrade Lin, how could you think that? We are cadres of the Party, public servants of the people. Hard work and plain living are the fine style of our party. I don't feel bad. I think the big guys get together, drink tea, eat sugar and sing. It's quite lively.
The most important thing is, I can form a revolutionary couple with my beloved. I feel very happy and very contented." The Beijing municipal government established street offices and residents' committees in various city districts, outlining specific work arrangements. Li Hongying convened a meeting of street activists to announce the decision, explaining that the director of the residents' committee would be elected by local residents. Tian Zao was a candidate for the first neighborhood committee director.
Aunt Li told Tian Zao, "You are the candidate for the first neighborhood committee director. Do you know this in your heart?" Tian Zao admitted, "Aunt, I still play drums in my heart." Aunt Li revealed, "I have asked people to inquire about you everywhere. Our part, there are many people who want to be the director of this neighborhood Committee."
Suo Qian added that he'd heard of several educated and cultured individuals running, urging Tian Zao, "Zao, you can't be taken lightly at this time." Tian Zao, however, remained calm. " Neighbors value me and recommend me. In fact, I don't care if I can be the director. As long as it can give the neighbors and ordinary people something practical, I will be satisfied," she said.
The election results were soon announced, and Tian Zao was elected as the first director of the Sanhai District Residents Committee, to the applause and congratulations of everyone. Her neighbors gathered around, with Suo Qian telling her, "You've been doing this since liberation. There is no better director than you. It's deserved to be worthy of the name." Tian Zao, still modest, said, "Third brother, don't laugh at me. I'm not driving ducks to the shelves. I'm in a panic."
That night, Tian Zao practiced reading her speech for the work arrangements. She started haltingly, but with encouragement from Tie Dan, Meihe, Xiulan, and Chunxi, who promised to stay up all night with her, she gained confidence and read more and more fluently. Tie Dan had told her to practice because she would be embarrassed if she stuttered during her first report to the neighborhood committee members.
When she expressed nervousness, Xiulan told her to "take it easy, just keep reading," and Meihe and Chunxi reassured her, "Zao, don't be afraid. If you can't read it well, we will start over. We'll be with you all night." Tian Zao formally took office, announcing the work plan and detailed rules to the committee members. Feeling immense pressure, she reported her thoughts to Li Hongying. Li Hongying praised her strong executive ability in quickly rolling out the committee's work.
Tian Zao, however, confessed, "Sister, don't praise me. Now you want me to be the director of the neighborhood Committee, you don't even know how heavy my burden is." Li Hongying encouraged her, noting that feeling pressure showed a sense of responsibility and that "only when you know your own shortcomings can you make progress. Study while working, learn experience from work, enrich your knowledge." Li Hongying reminded Tian Zao of the Party's oath: "Serve the people wholeheartedly.
You will always be on the right path." Tian Zao, deeply moved, promised, "Sis, this sentence of yours, I will always be remembered in my heart." She then asked if her Party membership application had been approved, to which Li Hongying replied, "Soon." Tian Zao returned home late from work to find Xiulan waiting for her. Xiulan explained that the neighbors were waiting at her house for a "criticism meeting." Tian Zao jokingly guessed they were there to criticize her.
Suo Qian then listed all her virtues, praising her dedication to comrades and work, and her fight against individualism. Tian Zao, confused by the praise, asked, "Didn't you criticize me? Say the neat words that praise me." Suo Qian clarified, "But, you are too bad for yourself. It's not just bad for yourself, it's even worse for the person who loves you the most," revealing the true subject of the "criticism."
Tian Zao, realizing it was about her marriage, asked if Tie Dan had prompted them, noting her recent busy schedule. Aunt Li defended Tie Dan, emphasizing his long wait for Tian Zao. Meihe, a child from the orphanage, pleaded, "Sister, you can quickly marry my brother Tiedan, save my Tiedan brother from frowning all day." Aunt Li revealed that the neighbors had already secretly prepared wedding essentials like a bed and quilt.
Seeing the lovingly prepared items, Tian Zao was moved to tears. The neighbors pressed her for a wedding date. Tian Zao then promised, "I made a deal with Tiedan. When I join the Communist Party of China, that's the day we got married." Soon after, Tian Zao's Party membership application was approved.
Li Hongying led Tian Zao in the Party oath, where Tian Zao repeated phrases like "I volunteer to join the Communist Party of China," "Serve the people wholeheartedly," and "Fight for the cause of communism to the end." Finally, Tian Zao and Tie Dan's wedding was held as planned.
