Always on the Move Episode 17 Recap
> Always on the Move Recap
Niu Dali frequently used his free time to teach Yao Yuling how to ride a bicycle. She quickly learned and, feeling confident, decided to ride to the store alone. However, she hadn't gone far before she fell to the ground, the bicycle wheel detaching from the frame. Seeing she was injured and unable to walk, Niu Dali offered to carry her, insisting she get on his back despite her protests.
He carried her all the way back to the courtyard, first leaving the damaged bicycle at Mrs. Lu's doorstep and asking if her husband, Mr. Lu, could repair it. Then, carrying Yao Yuling into the courtyard, he openly showed off. Cai Xiaonian and Mrs. Wu immediately noticed, asking what happened to Yao Yuling and making jokes about Niu Dali carrying her.
Cai Xiaonian openly questioned if Niu Dali had deliberately loosened the screws on the bike wheel just to have a reason to get close to Yao Yuling, a suspicion also shared by Mrs. Wu. Niu Dali strenuously denied it, claiming he was innocent and shouldn't be wrongly accused, but they continued to tease him, suggesting he needed to do more than just carry her to win her over, like holding her close or even kissing her.
Niu Dali carried Yao Yuling upstairs, insisting she couldn't manage the stairs herself, and carefully put her down on her bed, tending to her leg injury. He insisted on staying to take care of her, offering to make dinner and even help her to the toilet or bring her a basin, arguing that since the injury happened while she was riding his bike, he was responsible.
Yao Yuling thanked him but told him she didn't need his help, though he insisted on staying to finish caring for her tonight after making dinner. He prepared a meal for her, which she admitted tasted good, but still urged him to leave as she felt better. Upon returning home from work, Ma Kui called out for Wang Sufang and found her collapsed on the floor.
He rushed her to the hospital, where a doctor informed him that Wang Sufang had late-stage lung cancer which had already metastasized, and that she didn't have much time left. The doctor revealed that Wang Sufang had asked him to keep her condition a secret. Ma Kui was devastated, asking why she had hidden such a serious illness from him. She told him there was no cure.
He blamed himself, feeling that his ten years of wrongful imprisonment had caused her immense suffering and that he should have been there for her instead of working or solving cases. Wang Sufang, however, told him not to say such things, that he had important work to do catching bad people, and that she was satisfied with the good days they had spent together since his return. Hospital staff then instructed Ma Sufang's family to complete the hospitalization procedures.
As they did so, a colleague comforted Ma Kui, telling him that after so many years, he was back now, and they had many happy days ahead. Ma Yan was heartbroken upon learning the news, refusing to believe the diagnosis and urging her father to take her mother to another hospital for a second opinion. Wang Sufang told Ma Yan she had grown up and needed to help support the family, especially since her father was busy with work.
Wang Xin visited Wang Sufang in the hospital. Ma Yan was still insisting on seeking treatment elsewhere, but Wang Sufang stated she was fine. Wang Sufang asked Ma Kui and Ma Yan not to stay at the hospital together, suggesting one could stay while the other went home, mentioning that Ma Jian was being looked after at Old Lu's place.
She spoke with Wang Xin, asking him to be patient with Ma Yan's temper in the future and to look out for her, expressing her trust in them since they grew up together and knew each other well. She then asked Wang Yan to leave the room with Wang Xin, stating she wanted to have a private conversation with Ma Kui. After they left, Wang Sufang comforted a tearful Ma Kui, urging him not to cry.
She gave him instructions regarding their family: she had made cotton clothes for Ma Jian that would fit him until he was eighteen and sewn thirty pairs of insoles for Ma Kui's sweaty feet, reminding him to change them often. She then gently suggested that after she was gone, with Ma Yan and Ma Jian still young, he should consider remarrying if he met someone suitable.
Ma Kui was heartbroken, telling her he only wanted her and for them to go home safely together. She then brought up Wang Yongge, urging Ma Kui to reconcile with him someday if the opportunity arose, and he agreed for her sake. She expressed a desire to look at him again before saying she was tired and wanted to sleep.
As she rested, Ma Kui spoke of their future plans – her recovery, Ma Yan marrying and having a child, and his eventual retirement so they could travel together by train to places like Beijing and Shanghai to see landmarks and eat local food. He spoke of how he thought of them every day during his ten years away and thanked her for giving him the strength to survive and return.
He repeatedly called her name, realizing with agony that she had passed away in his arms. Ma Yan returned to the room and cried out for her mother. After Wang Sufang's death, Ma Kui was consumed by grief. Ma Yan took on the responsibility of caring for him and Ma Jian. At dinner, she prepared food and, heartbroken, set a place for her mother at the table.
Ma Kui was visibly distraught, weeping and blaming himself for not noticing the severity of his wife's illness. Ma Yan comforted him, telling him that their mother had been very happy since his return, having not smiled much during his ten years of imprisonment, and that she had dedicated her heart to their family. She reassured him that their family would continue to live well, just as they did when their mother was with them.
Ma Yan also showed her maturity by preparing warm water for Ma Kui to wash his feet, telling him she would have Ma Jian sleep with her that night so he wouldn't disturb him, and that she planned to move downstairs the next day to better care for both him and her younger brother. Ma Kui watched her with a sense of solace, seeing how much she had grown up.
Before attending an urgent meeting, Ma Kui took Ma Jian to the store where Ma Yan worked, intending to leave the child with her. He learned from a colleague that Ma Yan had gone home sick about five minutes earlier. Finding no one else to watch Ma Jian, Ma Kui took him home.
There, he found Ma Yan and expressed concern that she hadn't gone to work again, reminding her that being a salesperson was a good job many people wanted. He explained he had a meeting and needed her to look after Ma Jian.
He gave her strict instructions to be particularly careful, noting the presence of many strangers outside, and emphasized that Ma Jian was young and should not be allowed to go out alone; if they did go out, she must hold onto him tightly. Later, at the railway public security branch office, Captain Jiang from the detective team addressed a meeting of railroad officers.
He announced that a group of drug traffickers had been transporting drugs by rail and had now extended their operations to the Ning-Ha Line. He explained that the previous day, a conductor at Haihe Station had discovered drugs hidden inside a roasted chicken during a routine check. Although they were too late to apprehend the suspect or recover the chicken, they had a witness in Hacheng.
Captain Jiang stressed the importance and difficulty of the case, noting that many officers were unfamiliar with drugs. He proposed transferring Comrade Ma Kui to the detective team in Hacheng to assist with the investigation. Ma Kui accepted the assignment and requested a helper. Ma Kui and Wang Xin, dressed in plain clothes for their mission, prepared to board the train from Ningyang to Hacheng.
Wang Xin addressed Ma Kui as "Mentor," expressing his excitement that his dream of becoming a detective was finally realized, and thanked Ma Kui for making it happen. Ma Kui told him to stop showing off and remember to call him "Mr. Ma" while they were undercover. As they boarded, Wang Xin noted how heavy their bags were.
Ma Kui joked that they didn't need much, as Wang Xin would be there to protect him, to which Wang Xin readily agreed. On the train, a man immediately recognized Ma Kui despite his plain clothes. It was Peng Mingjie, the warden from Hacheng prison. The two men, who hadn't seen each other in years, were clearly emotional upon meeting.
Peng Mingjie remarked on Ma Kui's sharp eyes, saying he recognized him instantly, and asked if he was back to being a police officer. Ma Kui replied that it was the only profession he knew. Ma Kui told Peng Mingjie he had been looking for him, and Peng Mingjie said he was on the train returning to Hacheng after visiting his daughter who was attending university in Ningyang.
Ma Kui expressed his happiness at encountering him and urged him to visit again, inviting him to his home in Ningyang with his daughter and jokingly claiming he was her godfather. Peng Mingjie mentioned he was now the warden in Hacheng and told Ma Kui to look him up if he ever needed anything there, stating they were all public servants. They exchanged addresses and promised to visit.
Shortly after, Wang Xin apprehended a thief who had attempted to pickpocket him right in front of him. The thief cried out in pain as Wang Xin held his arm. Wang Xin handed the thief over to Officer Hu for interrogation. Hu commented on how quickly the thief confessed, noting that being caught red-handed by Wang Xin made resistance futile. Hu praised Wang Xin's skill in catching the thief so quickly and quietly.
Wang Xin downplayed it, saying the thief was practically asking to be caught, and that he would have interrogated him himself if he weren't concerned about maintaining his undercover identity. Officer Hu then teased Wang Xin, asking if his wrist hurt from holding the thief, and implying Wang Xin was just praising Ma Kui because he wasn't there.
