Hu Tong Episode 16 Recap
> Hu Tong Recap
Sun Xiaomin returned home with newly purchased classic books. Her mother, Tian Zao, told her to eat breakfast and catch up on sleep. Xiulan, a neighbor, mentioned that her daughter Juanzi had left with Lin Weidong and Suo Lanqi after buying books. Tian Zao was puzzled, as she thought Sun Xiaomin had gone with Lin Weimin. Sun Xiaomin offered no further explanation and went to her room.
Xiulan, observing Sun Xiaomin's quiet nature, humorously remarked to Tian Zao that perhaps she talked too much and fate had given her a silent daughter in return, a sentiment Tian Zao laughingly agreed with. Later, Tian Zao learned from Sun Xiaomin that Lin Weidong had not only helped her queue for the books but also given her his coat to keep warm.
Impressed by his thoughtfulness, Tian Zao began to see Lin Weidong in a better light and wondered why Lin Weimin had not shown the same concern, leaving Sun Xiaomin at a loss for words. Tian Zao then remembered that Xiulan’s eldest son, Gangzi, was returning to the city with his wife that day.
Xiulan, still harboring resentment, explained that Gangzi had gone to the countryside in response to a national call and stayed there for ten years because he married a local woman. She worried about where they would live, as her house was small. Upon hearing the news, Tong Xiaoting, Suo Qian, and Kong Chunxi came out. Tong Xiaoting offered a room, but Xiulan hesitated, knowing it was reserved for Kong Chunxi’s brother, Kong Jianguo.
Upset, Kong Chunxi returned inside, where she wept over her brother's situation until her husband, Suo Qian, came to console her. Rejoining the group, Suo Qian suggested building a new room in the yard, an idea Tian Zao fully supported. The conversation then turned to Suo Qian and Kong Chunxi's son, Suo Lanqi.
Xiulan became angry, complaining that after all her effort to secure him a factory job, Suo Lanqi had become idle, following Lin Weidong and Juanzi to sell goods from a stall. Suo Qian defended their son, noting that he was earning his own money, but Xiulan felt she had lost face, as her colleagues ridiculed her for having a son who was a "profiteer." Meanwhile, Lin Weidong, Suo Lanqi, and Juanzi quickly sold all the books.
Pleased with their success, Lin Weidong led them to breakfast, emphasizing that his idea worked because the books were clearly valuable if hundreds were willing to queue overnight. He promised them that following him would lead to a good life. After the meal, he instructed them to return the money they had borrowed from neighbors in Sun Xiaomin’s name before dividing the profits equally among them.
Delighted, they planned to return to the subway station at midnight to secure their spot. At a neighborhood committee meeting, Tian Zao relayed directives regarding the management of returning educated youths and the unemployed. When a colleague mentioned his son was earning good money from a stall, Tian Zao strongly opposed such activities.
To her shock and embarrassment, the colleague revealed that her own daughter, Sun Xiaomin, was involved with Lin Weidong's cigarette stall at the subway entrance, a fact Tian Zao was completely unaware of. Furious and feeling she had lost face, she rushed to the city wall where her husband, Sun Tie, was teaching wrestling. She confronted him, but Sun Tie calmly admitted he knew and advised her not to worry, which only angered her further.
Blaming Lin Weidong for corrupting her daughter, she stormed off to complain to his parents, Lin Zheng and Li Hongying. At the Lin household, Li Hongying, having learned from Lin Weimin about Lin Weidong’s fight, was blaming Lin Zheng. She reminded him that she had opposed his plan to get Lin Weidong a job in the police force, and despite Lin Zheng finding him several other jobs, he always ended up in trouble.
Just then, Lin Weidong burst in with expensive cigarettes and liquor for his father, quickly quelling Lin Zheng's anger. When Li Hongying forbade him from running the stall, Lin Weidong insisted on being self-reliant. Lin Zheng surprisingly supported him, citing new government policies allowing small businesses and criticizing Li Hongying for not disseminating the information. Shortly after, Tian Zao arrived, storming in to confront them. Lin Zheng, fed up with their long-standing animosity, retreated to his room.
Tian Zao demanded that Li Hongying wake Lin Weidong and scold him for involving Sun Xiaomin. Elsewhere, Erqiangzi brought Gangzi and his wife home. Xiulan and their grandfather, Gui Shu, were moved to tears, overjoyed to see him after so many years. Later, Lin Weimin woke Lin Weidong, persistently questioning him about the previous night's fight and how Sun Xiaomin had resolved it so easily. Annoyed but cornered, Lin Weidong explained.
Sun Xiaomin’s mother, Tian Zao, as the long-serving director of the neighborhood committee, had tirelessly served every family. The local youths, including the hooligans, grew up under her watchful eye and feared her. If any of them dared to bother Sun Xiaomin, their own parents would punish them severely, making Tian Zao's intervention unnecessary. Lin Weimin, who had suspected Sun Xiaomin might be a "hooligan" herself, finally understood.
Lin Weidong continued, revealing that Sun Xiaomin’s father, Sun Tie, was a legendary figure. A respected plainclothes scout hero after the liberation, he had solved numerous major cases before being falsely accused and forced out of the police force. Now a renowned wrestling coach at the Shichahai Sports School, his formidable reputation as a "wrestling king," combined with Tian Zao's influence, meant no one dared to provoke their daughter.
Now fully awake, Lin Weidong complained to Li Hongying about the food and was scolded for involving Sun Xiaomin in his stall. He clarified that she only visited to chat and decided to explain this to Tian Zao himself. Sensing his affection for Sun Xiaomin, Li Hongying encouraged him to pursue her. Lin Weidong admitted he had confessed his feelings but was rejected, blaming his brother Lin Weimin for being a "shit stick" in their way.
He pointed out how Lin Weimin took Sun Xiaomin to poetry meetings and offered her a job, indicating their shared passion for literature. Li Hongying conceded they might be "like-minded." Meanwhile, Tian Zao scolded Sun Xiaomin, who used the same excuse as Lin Weidong—that she was just bored and went to chat. Frustrated, Tian Zao left to visit Gangzi.
At Xiulan’s house, Gui Shu had prepared a lavish meal, and the family was joyfully eating when Tian Zao arrived to confirm the housing plans. That night, Lin Weidong, Suo Lanqi, and Juanzi returned to the subway entrance. Finding that rivals had used bricks to claim spots, Lin Weidong confidently kicked them aside and set up in the prime position.
He motivated his friends by reminding them that one night's earnings surpassed Lin Weimin’s monthly salary and allowed them to provide for their families, even if others looked down on them.
