Hu Tong Episode 4 Recap
> Hu Tong Recap
Tian Zao, aspiring to join the Communist Party, was informed by Li Hongying that she was still too young but promised to introduce her in two years. When asked if she could read, Tian Zao explained that her parents died early and she had no time for schooling, only able to write her own name, "Zao." Li Hongying was touched, kept the written character as a souvenir, and promised to teach Tian Zao to read and write in the future.
Li Hongying then asked Tian Zao about the shop owners on Yan Dai Xie Street, as Tian Zao and her younger brother Meihe frequently begged there. Tian Zao, intimately familiar with all the shops and their owners, described them as profiteers who were reluctant to give anything away. Li Hongying then cautioned her not to ask about things she shouldn't. Meanwhile, Dapeng was staking out Yan Dai Xie Street when he finally saw Zhou Ping enter the ready-to-wear shop.
He immediately reported to Lin Zheng, who, having investigated Zhou Ping's true identity as a latent Kuomintang spy named Zhou Guifen from a wealthy family of traitors, confirmed the shop was a contact point. Lin Zheng decided not to alarm them and instructed Dapeng to continue the stakeout, hoping to capture Zhou Ping and her accomplices together.
He theorized that if Zhou Ping didn't emerge from the shop as expected, it must be a secret transit point with a hidden passage, as there was no back exit. Just as Lin Zheng suspected, Zhou Ping did not exit the ready-to-wear shop but somehow appeared at her home. Lin Zheng personally led a team to stake out Zhou Ping's residence.
After she failed to appear, he sent a neighbor to check on her, only to discover she had been murdered. Realizing someone had silenced her, Lin Zheng immediately took his team to the ready-to-wear shop. They found a secret passage hidden beneath a wardrobe, which led them out to a small ruined temple. Lin Zheng, feeling responsible for the turn of events, expressed remorse to his superior, vowing to quickly solve the hospital murder case.
Dapeng, in the meantime, interrogated the ready-to-wear shop owner. The owner confessed that the secret passage had been there since he took over the shop and that his mission was to maintain it for his superior, who was Zhou Ping. However, he claimed ignorance of whom Zhou Ping met after using the passage. Later, Tian Zao, with Meihe and other children, arrived at the street government to report important information to Li Hongying.
Li Hongying, returning late, took Tian Zao to meet Lin Zheng. Tian Zao vividly explained how she and her network of street contacts, including car repairmen, popcorn sellers, and knife grinders, had closely monitored Zhou Ping. They observed Zhou Ping entering Yan Dai Xie Street, then emerging from a small temple via Yaer Hutong, before proceeding through various alleys to a single courtyard at No. 6 Bei Guan Fang Kou, which was previously occupied by a Kuomintang officer.
Lin Zheng praised Tian Zao's vigilance and the power of the masses. Acting on Tian Zao's intelligence, Lin Zheng dispatched Dapeng that night to raid the courtyard, resulting in the arrests of two agents, Xu Ming and Lao Mu. During their interrogation, Lin Zheng extracted confessions about two more hidden agents in the hospital and identified Zheng Qiang as a significant figure in the Beiping spy organization.
Lin Zheng promptly reported this to the city bureau, initiating arrests for the hospital agents and a city-wide manhunt for Zheng Qiang. Lin Zheng's superior commended his effective handling of the case, emphasizing the importance of mobilizing the masses. He then assigned Lin Zheng a critical new mission: the Kuomintang had dispatched agents to carry out a large-scale assassination during the upcoming National Day ceremony, targeting national leaders.
Lin Zheng was tasked with swiftly apprehending these agents, with the suggestion to further mobilize the public and strengthen grassroots Party organizations. The superior also instructed Lin Zheng to publicly honor Tian Zao for her contributions. Tian Zao, excited, recounted her spy-tracking adventure to Tong Xiaoting, Sou Qian, and others, describing how even Li Hongying and Lin Zheng were amazed by her detailed knowledge of the streets.
Li Hongying soon arrived to inform Tian Zao about her upcoming commendation meeting, promising to apply for her Party membership afterward. At the commendation meeting, as Tian Zao went on stage to receive her award, she spotted Qin Defu and, without hesitation, began to physically assault him, accusing him of killing her father. Lin Zheng and Li Hongying struggled to pull her away.
Qin Defu frantically tried to explain that he was only following orders when he arrested Tian Zao's father and that it was Han Qingkui who sent men to kill him in prison. Tian Zao, however, refused to believe him, angrily dismissing his words and walking out. Concerned, Lin Zheng advised Li Hongying to carefully reconsider Tian Zao's Party membership, worrying that her impulsive and hot-headed nature could cause problems.
Feeling wronged, Tian Zao poured out her frustrations to Tie Dan, who, fearing she might do something rash, stuck close by her side. Upon returning home, Tian Zao asked Xiulan to retrieve her certificate of merit and red flower. She then proudly hung the certificate on the wall, repeatedly reading its contents, which detailed her outstanding meritorious service in cracking the hospital assassination case.
Meanwhile, Meihe collected a large basket of coal and sold it to Uncle Gui for two pancakes. Tong Xiaoting, finding Meihe dirty, immediately took him to wash up. Later, Tong Xiaoting dressed Meihe in opera costumes, styling him as Wang Baochuan, and decided to teach him opera. Separately, Sou Qian brought pastries for Chunxi, but the madam of Chunhua Tower refused him entry, forcing him to leave the pastries with her.
When Tie Dan and Tian Zao were out shopping, they unexpectedly ran into Li Hongying. Feeling ashamed about her outburst, Tian Zao quickly fled. Tie Dan chased after her, urging her not to feel bad and reminding her of the Communist Party's imminent victory across the country, which would soon bring complete liberation.
