Hu Tong Episode 33 Recap
> Hu Tong Recap
Sun Xiaomin commended Lin Yue for her resourceful solution to the parking problem in the old community and hutongs, which involved arranging off-peak parking with Mr. Zhang from a nearby office building. She informed Lin Yue that her innovative approach had been reported to the district government, which, recognizing its significance, decided to report it to the municipal government for city-wide promotion.
Lin Yue expressed surprise at the widespread impact of her idea, but Sun Xiaomin quickly redirected her, outlining the next critical task: establishing a "symbiotic yard." This project aimed to appropriately resettle residents moving out of the hutongs and enhance the living environment for those who chose to stay, thereby fostering architectural, residential, and cultural symbiosis. Lin Yue confidently accepted the new assignment.
Lin Yue then visited Grandma Hao, who, after Lin Yue spent the morning with her, accurately predicted Lin Yue’s intention to persuade her to move. Lin Yue acknowledged the difficulty of leaving one's ancestral home but highlighted the advantages of moving from her "cloudy and dark" twenty-square-meter room to a spacious, modern two-bedroom building. She detailed the complete facilities available, such as food stations, supermarkets, and hospitals, and even suggested moving to a well-appointed nursing home with social interaction opportunities.
However, Grandma Hao firmly refused. Tearfully, she explained that her husband had died young, leaving her with no children. She cherished their home as a lasting memory of him, making her a "lonely old woman" guarding their past. Lin Yue empathized but noted the house was small, cloudy, and damp, which was detrimental to her health. Unable to persuade her, Lin Yue later sought help from her grandmother, Tian Zao.
Tian Zao elaborated on Grandma Hao's story, revealing that she and her husband were deeply in love. After his death, despite having many suitors, Grandma Hao chose to remain alone, guarding the home as a way of guarding her memory of him. Shortly after, Grandma Sui, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, anxiously approached Lin Yue, unable to recall the location of her passbook.
Lin Yue, familiar with Grandma Sui's memory issues, retrieved the passbook from the wardrobe, reminding her where they had jointly placed it. She also realized Grandma Sui had forgotten her medication and provided a pill, emphasizing the importance of taking one after meals to manage her memory. Grandma Sui playfully assured Lin Yue that remembering her was all that mattered. Grandma Sui then mentioned that her son, Li Jian, and daughter, Li Fen, had recently visited.
Lin Yue, noting the uncharacteristic family gathering after a long absence, suspected their visit was related to the house vacating. Before leaving, Lin Yue instructed Grandma Sui on how to send a WeChat message if anything important happened. Lin Yue, Ding Ding, and Ouyang Hui subsequently visited Uncle Wei's home. The family, three generations crammed into a tiny space, was desperate to move but dissatisfied with the compensation, which they felt was insufficient compared to previous cultural relic retirement policies.
They argued that the offer for a two-bedroom apartment was inadequate for their five-person household. Lin Yue promised to report their situation to the district and the person in charge to facilitate further discussion with the vacating office, empathizing with their desire for better living conditions. Meanwhile, Li Jian and Li Fen visited their mother, Grandma Sui, ostensibly bringing snacks and supplements. However, their visit quickly devolved into a bitter argument over her property.
Li Jian suggested that if Grandma Sui moved, they could secure a larger apartment, and he, his wife, and grandson would move in to care for her. Li Fen immediately challenged this, demanding her rightful share, accusing Li Jian of trying to claim inheritance before their mother had passed. The siblings exchanged heated insults, each disparaging the other's ability to care for their mother. Grandma Sui, caught in the escalating conflict, was visibly distressed and rendered speechless.
Separately, Lin Weimin, frustrated by his inability to secure the "symbiotic yard" project for his real estate company, approached Sun Xiaomin. He disingenuously claimed he wished to "do good for the neighbors" and "give back to the community" as someone who grew up in the alley. Sun Xiaomin, however, clarified that the project was for improving living standards, not for profit, and stated she could not help him with the bidding as she had no right to intervene.
Feeling rejected, Lin Weimin implied she was being unhelpful. His brother, Lin Weidong, scoffed at Lin Weimin's supposed altruism. After Lin Weimin's departure, Sun Xiaomin confided in Lin Weidong that her refusal was also due to "some problems" within Lin Weimin's real estate development company, cautioning him against prying further. Later, Lin Yue brought staff from the vacating office to conduct an on-site meeting to clarify compensation terms.
The staff reiterated that while the program was voluntary, illegally built structures would not be compensated. They also addressed Uncle Wei's family's concern about the moving deadline, explaining that signing by September 30th did not require an immediate move; they could move after the National Day holiday. With this clarification, Uncle Wei's family happily signed their contract. However, Li Jian and Li Fen, also present, aggressively demanded two two-bedroom apartments, insisting their self-built house should be included.
The staff firmly explained that illegal structures were not counted and that the unified policy could not be altered. Enraged by the refusal, the siblings stormed off without signing. Lin Yue reported these developments to Director Chang, specifically mentioning Li Jian and Li Fen's demands. Concerned that the siblings might return to harass Grandma Sui, Director Chang urged Lin Yue to immediately check on her.
Lin Yue arrived to find Grandma Sui suffering a heart attack amidst a ransacked home, clearly a result of another fight between Li Jian and Li Fen. Lin Yue promptly called for an ambulance, and Grandma Sui was rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, Li Jian and Li Fen arrived, immediately downplaying their mother's illness and accusing Lin Yue of meddling. Lin Yue confronted them, criticizing their long-term neglect and blaming their recent dispute for Grandma Sui's heart attack.
The siblings denied any wrongdoing, accusing Lin Yue of having "impure motives" for caring for their mother and suggesting she had mishandled Grandma Sui's finances. Ding Ding defended Lin Yue, explaining Grandma Sui's Alzheimer's and Lin Yue's assistance. Lin Yue instructed Ding Ding to stay with Grandma Sui and took the siblings to their mother's home. There, she presented Grandma Sui's medical diagnosis, passbook, and detailed bank statements, challenging them to find any inaccuracies.
The siblings remained skeptical, asserting their rights as future inheritors. Lin Yue then produced the wardrobe key, sternly warning them not to touch anything, as all items were registered, and she would pursue legal action if anything went missing. Faced with her firm resolve, Li Jian and Li Fen reluctantly left. Back home, Lin Yue expressed her frustration to Sun Xiaomin and Tian Zao about the siblings' outrageous behavior.
Sun Xiaomin advised that instead of anger, Lin Yue needed to work on changing Li Jian and Li Fen's mindset to foster genuine filial piety. Lin Yue countered, arguing that if they had any filial feelings, they wouldn't have behaved so cruelly. Sun Xiaomin acknowledged the complexity, stating that supporting the elderly was a social issue requiring various channels, including education, involving their unit leaders, or legal action.
Lin Yue suggested immediately contacting their unit leaders, but Sun Xiaomin cautioned against it, as it would "intensify the contradiction." She emphasized that the immediate priority was Grandma Sui's recovery, after which the neighborhood committee, in conjunction with the siblings' employers, could collectively undertake ideological work. Meanwhile, Lin Weimin continued to struggle to secure the "symbiotic yard" project. Feeling desperate, he tried to contact someone by phone, but the number was unreachable.
He then decided to visit his brother, Lin Weidong, late at night, inviting him for a drink. At a restaurant, Lin Weimin reflected on how much Beijing had changed, lamenting that despite his business success, he felt he had to beg for projects. He confessed his profound unhappiness, revealing that his relationship with his wife, who lived abroad with their daughter, had become distant. He felt they only cared about his money, viewing him as a "machine that makes money."
He lamented his daughter's indifference, as she, educated in the West, was detached from traditional Chinese family values, neglecting even birthday wishes. He questioned if his life was a failure. Lin Weidong listened sympathetically, expressing concern about his brother facing a "miserable old age."
