Hu Tong Episode 17 Recap
> Hu Tong Recap
Lin Weidong, Suo Lanqi, and Juanzi set up their cigarette stall at the subway entrance. Juanzi hummed a popular tune while Lin Weidong accompanied her on his harmonica, mesmerizing Suo Lanqi and others who listened intently. As noon approached, Sun Xiaomin had not yet arrived at the stall, causing Lin Weidong to worry.
Juanzi explained that Sun Xiaomin was likely helping at her house, where her elder brother Gangzi and his wife had returned, and everyone in the courtyard was assisting with renovating the kitchen and building a new room. Hearing this, Lin Weidong immediately wanted to pack up their stall. Suo Lanqi suggested they sell the remaining cigarettes before getting a new batch, but Lin Weidong insisted he needed to return home to help with the construction, so Suo Lanqi reluctantly agreed.
At the construction site, Sun Xiaomin was diligently cleaning lime off bricks, with Tian Zao constantly reminding her to be careful. Lin Weidong soon arrived in a hurry and immediately threw himself into the work, taking on the heavy tasks. Juanzi and Sun Xiaomin continued cleaning bricks. As he worked, Lin Weidong chatted casually with Tian Zao and the others. Amidst laughter and conversation, the new room was quickly completed.
That evening, Lin Weidong, Er Qiangzi, Gangzi, and Suo Lanqi went out for drinks. Gangzi recounted his experiences as an educated youth in the countryside, including marrying the village party secretary's daughter. He explained that their marriage was more about "helping each other live" than romantic love, a concept he found too extravagant for their lives. Later, Lin Weidong went to Sun Xiaomin's house for dinner, attempting to appease Tian Zao.
He vehemently assured her that Sun Xiaomin had not been working at his cigarette stall, but merely observing him to prevent him from getting into trouble or fighting with customers, and to ensure he didn't lead Juanzi and Suo Lanqi astray. Tian Zao then brought up Lin Weidong's recent fight with Liu Zi.
To her surprise, Lin Weidong turned the tables, blaming Sun Xiaomin for not supervising him that day, as she had gone to a poetry reading with his brother Lin Weimin, thus allowing him to make mistakes due to lax ideological consciousness. Tian Zao was left speechless, caught between laughter and tears by his verbose explanation. Seeing her reaction, Lin Weidong quickly excused himself and left. Meanwhile, Lin Weimin met Sun Xiaomin at the park.
He presented her with an admission letter to a night university, along with textbooks, notebooks, and stationery he had prepared. Lin Weimin encouraged Sun Xiaomin to study diligently, assuring her that once she obtained her night university diploma, he would arrange a job for her at his editorial department, making them colleagues who could help each other. Sun Xiaomin was deeply grateful for his support.
For several days, Sun Xiaomin attended night university and didn't visit Lin Weidong's stall, leaving him in a sullen mood. One day, a customer approached another stall, angrily claiming to have bought moldy cigarettes and demanding a refund. The stall owner refused to acknowledge the complaint, leading to a heated argument. Lin Weidong tried to mediate, but the situation quickly escalated. Soon, the joint defense team arrived. Their captain declared that all vendors would be arrested and their stalls confiscated.
The stall owner physically resisted the captain, and Lin Weidong intervened to break up the fight, but he and Suo Lanqi were ultimately arrested by the joint defense team along with the others. Juanzi rushed home to inform Sun Xiaomin about the arrests. Sun Xiaomin then sought Tian Zao’s help to bail out Lin Weidong and Suo Lanqi. At the detention center, the joint defense captain spoke harshly to Lin Weidong.
Unwilling to back down, Lin Weidong retorted, which nearly led to another altercation. Tian Zao quickly intervened, forcibly pulling Lin Weidong away from the scene. Back home, Lin Weidong faced a severe reprimand from his parents. Li Hongying, frustrated by his repeated troubles, decided to put aside her dignity and use her connections to find him a stable job, hoping to prevent further mischief.
However, Lin Weidong refused, not wanting to tarnish his mother's reputation for integrity or accept a low-paying job when his stall could earn him much more. He stated his intention to take a break from work. Separately, Gangzi's wife expressed her discontent with their newly built small room. Gangzi gently tried to reassure her. Two months later, Gangzi was still struggling to find employment, having faced rejections everywhere.
He and his wife spent their days cooped up indoors, much to Xiu Lan’s distress. Xiu Lan sought Tian Zao’s help, who then approached Lin Zheng and Li Hongying. Tian Zao passionately advocated for Gangzi, whose father, Dapeng, had been persecuted to death during the Cultural Revolution while serving as a police officer under Lin Zheng. Tian Zao urged Lin Zheng to arrange for Gangzi to join the police force.
However, Lin Zheng explained that current police recruitment required university diplomas, which Gangzi lacked, making it impossible. Li Hongying empathized with Xiu Lan, noting the overwhelming number of educated youths returning to the city and unemployed young people. She advised patience and promised to do her best to help Gangzi find a job. Xiu Lan relayed the disheartening news to Gangzi. Unwilling to remain idle, Gangzi reluctantly agreed to Gui Shu's suggestion to help Er Qiangzi sell sausages.
Meanwhile, Old Seven from Deshengmen contacted Suo Lanqi, challenging Lin Weidong to another guitar duel at Bayi Lake. Lin Weidong was initially reluctant, having beaten Old Seven multiple times before. Juanzi also voiced her distrust of Old Seven, finding his gaze unsettling. However, Suo Lanqi, emphasizing that a refusal would mean losing face in the city, eventually persuaded Lin Weidong to accept the challenge. Lin Weidong, Juanzi, and Suo Lanqi arrived for the guitar duel.
They played harmoniously, even performing a Japanese song. Old Seven, refusing to concede, also performed a Japanese song. Lin Weidong, however, openly mocked his singing, likening it to "pinching a chicken's neck and barking." Offended, Old Seven then brazenly confessed his feelings to Juanzi and asked her to go dancing with him. Juanzi flatly rejected him, calling him a "smelly rascal." Enraged, Old Seven raised his guitar to strike Juanzi.
Lin Weidong and Suo Lanqi immediately rushed forward to protect her, engaging Old Seven in a fierce brawl. Patrolling police officers witnessed the commotion and promptly arrested Lin Weidong and Suo Lanqi. At the police station, Lin Weidong remained defiant, refusing to reveal his name or address. The station director, recognizing Lin Weidong's name, realized he was Lin Zheng’s son and immediately called Lin Zheng.
The director briefed Lin Zheng on the incident: Old Seven had initiated the fight by harassing Juanzi and then attacking her, but Lin Weidong’s retaliation had been severe, breaking Old Seven’s arm. Lin Zheng, furious at his son’s actions, instructed the director to handle the matter strictly, emphasizing that his son was no exception to the law.
The director then suggested a potential path for leniency: if the victim’s family did not press charges, Lin Weidong could receive a lighter sentence, such as fifteen days of administrative detention. Lin Zheng ultimately agreed to this approach and requested the victim's family's address. Li Hongying was deeply worried about the severity of the situation and the potential consequences for her son.
