Always on the Move Episode 13 Recap
> Always on the Move Recap
Wang Xin was preparing to leave, and Ma Kui commented on his departure. Wang Xin remarked that he had finally escaped from Ma Kui. Ma Kui offered congratulations, but Wang Xin expressed confusion as to why Ma Kui seemed to dislike him and always targeted him despite his efforts. Ma Kui suggested it might just be for fun. As they prepared to part, Wang Xin suggested a handshake.
When they clasped hands, Wang Xin attempted to squeeze hard, but Ma Kui gripped his hand firmly, telling him to practice more and that he would have another chance to challenge him as long as Ma Kui was alive. Arriving at Hongyang train station, Wang Xin was approached by an old lady who appeared distressed and claimed her money had been stolen. She said she hadn't eaten in two days and desperately needed help.
Wang Xin, feeling sympathetic, gave her a pancake and two eggs from his bag. The old lady then added that she was sick and needed to see a doctor, but her stolen money prevented her from doing so. When Wang Xin suggested she go home for money, she claimed her home was thousands of miles away. Moved by her story, Wang Xin gave her three yuan, and then another two yuan, despite her initial hesitation.
He then proceeded to the Hongyang Station Police Station to report for duty. He met the Chief, who welcomed him and directed him to find Lin Jianjun. Wang Xin asked about his assigned duties and was told he would primarily be responsible for patrolling the station square throughout the day, including potential overtime. When he inquired about a desk, the Chief told him there were none available and he wouldn't need one for patrol.
Lin Jianjun, referred to as Jun, showed Wang Xin to the dormitory. Wang Xin unpacked and realized he had given away his food to the old lady. Lin Jianjun asked about her appearance and, upon hearing the details of her story about stolen money and needing a doctor, immediately concluded that Wang Xin had been scammed. Wang Xin was initially dismissive of the idea, confident he couldn't be fooled.
Wang Xin began his patrol duties, spending his days walking around the station square. He found the work monotonous despite becoming very familiar with the area. Frustrated, he approached the Chief again, requesting to be assigned more challenging tasks, highlighting his police academy training and experience with serious cases. However, the Chief dismissed his school training as theoretical and insisted he continue focusing on the square, comparing him to a mule or horse that needed to be tested.
Later, the Chief spotted Wang Xin taking a brief rest during patrol and sarcastically questioned if he was already tired, then ordered him to direct traffic. During one of his patrols, Wang Xin saw the old lady again in the square. He confronted her, reminding her that she had claimed to be thousands of miles away and that he had given her food and money. He questioned how much money she had scammed.
She seemed unrepentant and even suggested they cooperate, noting his uniform looked convincing. Wang Xin then revealed he was a real police officer. Startled, she became fearful and began to cry, claiming she was forced to scam people to support her orphaned grandson, whose parents had died. She pleaded that if she were arrested, the child would starve.
Wang Xin was skeptical, saying he wouldn't be fooled twice, but she swore she was telling the truth and invited him to her home to see her grandson. Wang Xin agreed to go, expressing surprise that she was a local resident after her previous lie. The old lady took Wang Xin to a simple home. She introduced him to a young boy, Lu Tiedan, confirming he was her grandson.
She explained the boy's parents were gone and she was raising him alone, pointing out how thin he was at eight years old because she struggled to make money. Despite his lingering doubts about the old lady's story, Wang Xin felt pity for the child. He gave them money and grain coupons, telling the old lady he knew she had done wrong but urged her to stop scamming and take good care of her grandson. She promised she would.
After Wang Xin left, Lin Jianjun questioned him further about the old lady, still suspecting she had lied despite Wang Xin's interaction with the boy. Wang Xin defended his actions, saying they seemed genuinely pitiful and he wanted to help. Later that night, feeling uneasy, Wang Xin returned to the old lady's house and found it empty. He realized he had likely been deceived again, and a fear that the child might have been abducted took hold.
He immediately reported the situation to the Chief, expressing his suspicion and requesting permission to search for the old lady and the boy. However, the Chief reiterated that Wang Xin's duty was to patrol the square and said he would contact local police to handle the search. The next day, while Wang Xin was patrolling, Lu Tiedan ran up to him, calling him "Officer Uncle" and saying he had been looking for him.
The boy revealed that the old lady was not his grandmother and that he wanted to go home. He explained that the old lady had taken him in after his parents died and used him in her scams, while he was made to beg. He told Wang Xin he hadn't gone to the police because the old lady said he would starve if she was caught.
He sought out Wang Xin because Wang Xin had shown him kindness by giving them food and money. Wang Xin took Lu Tiedan to the Chief. Lu Tiedan recounted his story, confirming he was from Baota Town and orphaned. Wang Xin explained how he had been tricked out of kindness, which had inadvertently led to uncovering the situation.
The Chief acknowledged the gravity of the situation and ordered an immediate investigation to determine whether the old lady had abducted or adopted Lu Tiedan. After the events with Lu Tiedan, Lin Jianjun commented on Wang Xin's subdued mood despite the case development. Wang Xin expressed frustration that despite his contribution, he was still stuck on patrol duty. Lin Jianjun argued that patrolling was important and less dangerous than other police work, but Wang Xin felt anyone could do it.
Lin Jianjun reminded him he had only been there a short time and opportunities would come. Meanwhile, on a train, Ma Kui was working with his apprentice, Hu. Hu noticed Ma Kui seemed quiet and asked if he was missing Wang Xin, a suggestion Ma Kui quickly dismissed. They apprehended a suspect and were taking him to the dining car for a statement. The suspect complained the handcuffs were too tight and asked Hu to loosen them.
Hu hesitated and reached for his keys, but Ma Kui arrived just in time, stopping him. Ma Kui recognized the suspect's attempt to escape and warned Hu to be more vigilant, telling the suspect he could see he was involved in something more serious than just theft. Hu was visibly shaken by the close call and thanked Ma Kui for his intervention. Ma Kui told him to be more careful in the future.
Back home, Ma Kui's son, Ma Jian, was playing in the yard. Ma Kui returned and noticed someone observing Ma Jian from a distance. Feeling protective, he cautioned Wang Sufang that they needed to closely supervise Ma Jian, especially when he was outside the courtyard, and to tell Ma Yan not to take the child out alone. Wang Sufang found his concerns a bit alarming but agreed. Doctor Shen was visiting, knitting socks for Ma Jian.
They chatted with her about her background, mentioning she was from Shen Village and had lived in Ningyang alone for ten years. Wang Sufang invited Shen to join them for dinner sometime. Back on patrol, Wang Xin was approached by a person who claimed a man had shortchanged them three yuan when breaking a ten-yuan bill. The person was certain the man had stolen the money. Wang Xin explained that proving theft required more evidence than just the discrepancy.
He offered to take a statement, suggesting it could be helpful if the suspect was later apprehended and confessed. The person declined, needing to catch a train, but provided a description: a man taller than Wang Xin with a round face, wearing a Zhongshan suit and carrying a bag. Later, Wang Xin asked Lin Jianjun if he knew about this type of scam.
Lin Jianjun confirmed it was a known trick that was difficult to prove unless the scammer was caught in the act. Wang Xin expressed frustration about his visibility as a uniformed officer making it difficult to catch someone red-handed in the square. While Wang Xin continued his patrol, scanning for the man matching the description of the shortchange scammer, Ma Yan unexpectedly arrived. She called out to him and had brought food with her.
Wang Xin took her back to the dorm. Ma Yan claimed she was in Hongyang on a business trip, which Wang Xin teased her about, suggesting she just came to visit him. Lin Jianjun returned to the dorm and joined them. Ma Yan was introduced as Wang Xin's classmate and they shared the homemade dishes she had brought, complimenting her cooking. Lin Jianjun encouraged her to visit them often.
