Always on the Move Episode 21 Recap
> Always on the Move Recap
Railway police officers Ma Kui and Wang Xin apprehended Chen Xiaofei, a twenty-year-old man caught stealing railway fasteners. Chen Xiaofei confessed, explaining that his mother was old and in poor health, and he wanted to give her a better life. He initially stole alone, then used a used bicycle, and eventually acquired a motorcycle to go further and avoid capture. He claimed the motorcycle was not stolen but repaired after a friend's accident.
Chen Xiaofei admitted he knew stealing fasteners could cause train derailments, which is why he stole them strategically, leaving several between the ones he took. He expressed remorse and pleaded to see his mother before going to prison, fearing she wouldn't be able to bear his long absence, especially since he had told her he was going away for work. Ma Kui, showing a rare moment of tenderness, agreed to the request, despite Wang Xin's concern about him escaping.
Ma Kui and Wang Xin accompanied Chen Xiaofei home. Chen Xiaofei told his mother he was leaving that day for work in the south with his friends, mentioning "Brother Wang and Brother Ma" would look after him. His mother expressed her concern for him traveling alone and gave him instructions. Chen Xiaofei promised to make money and come back to marry and take care of her, saying he needed to do something serious for once.
After an emotional farewell, he thanked the officers for helping him. Wang Xin advised him to reform and try to get out early, while Ma Kui, still curious, asked why he stole during the day, a time when others were usually not stealing. Chen Xiaofei explained he had scouted the railway and believed thieves only stealing at night was a stereotype, making daytime stealing less risky. Captain Jiang held a meeting to summarize the successful resolution of the case.
He praised the officers involved, noting they saved the country from losses and brought honor to the squad. As a reward for their hard work, each officer received coupons for ten eggs and half a kilogram of meat. Captain Jiang specifically highlighted Wang Xin and Ma Kui. Wang Xin deflected the praise onto Ma Kui, explaining that his mentor had given him the opportunity to make the arrest while not fully recovered.
Ma Kui, however, took the opportunity to criticize his own "empiricism," admitting he had been stuck on the idea that thieves only operate at night and confessing that if he had listened to Wang Xin's earlier suggestion to stake out during the day, the case might have been solved sooner. He emphasized that Wang Xin was indispensable to solving the case and noted his own dedication, mentioning he had developed appendicitis from being too eager to solve it.
The community came together to help prepare for Cai Xiaonian's wedding to Yan Hong. They had initially planned to gather eight Phoenix bikes for the bridal escort team, four from each side. Wang Xin, Ma Yan, and Niu Dali were among the young people waiting in the courtyard. Yao Yuling made a dramatic entrance, dressed up, capturing everyone's attention, while Ma Yan reacted with disapproval. Wang Yongge urged Cai Xiaonian to depart for the bride's house.
Just as they were about to leave, news arrived that the bride's family had prepared eight brand-new Phoenix bikes themselves. This caused concern on the groom's side, who only had four bikes, creating an imbalance. Facing the potential embarrassment, Cai Xiaonian and his father were unsure what to do.
Wang Xin came up with a clever solution: they would wrap four old bicycles in red paper to make them look new and festive, adding them to the four new bikes they had to complete their team of eight. The bridal escort team, including Wang Xin and Niu Dali, set off on the eight bikes, with Cai Xiaonian proudly leading them, chanting a celebratory phrase.
Upon arrival at the bride's home, the mother-in-law noticed the red-wrapped bikes and, tearing off the paper to reveal the old bicycles, became upset, accusing Cai Xiaonian of trying to fool her on her daughter's wedding day and stating she wouldn't let him marry her daughter. Wang Xin immediately stepped forward and took responsibility for the idea, asking her to blame him instead. The father-in-law intervened, smoothing things over. The mother-in-law revealed it was a test of Cai Xiaonian's sincerity.
Reassured by Cai Xiaonian's heartfelt vows to always treat Yan Hong well, she happily gave her blessing and entrusted her daughter to him. The newlyweds then joined the escort team on a bike to head back. As they departed, they noticed that many more bikes from the bride's side had joined the procession, making their group even larger. On the ride back, Ma Yan rode on the back of Wang Xin's bike, and the two chatted happily.
Yao Yuling rode with Niu Dali, remaining mostly quiet, appearing thoughtful or perhaps displeased. Niu Dali tried to engage her in conversation and joked about their speed and her comfort, which she dismissed. Ma Kui joined the procession on his bike to support them. The large group made their way back to the railway community courtyard for the wedding feast. At the wedding banquet in the courtyard, neighbors helped with the preparations and serving.
Cai Xiaonian's father received gifts and money from community members including Wang Yongge, Ma Kui, and others, expressing his gratitude. The banquet began with everyone raising glasses to toast the happy couple. During the meal, Niu Dali playfully suggested Wang Xin and Ma Yan also drink with linked arms, which seemed to visibly annoy Yao Yuling.
Niu Dali then tried to coax Yao Yuling into eating, offering her a chicken leg after she complained about the food being salty, but she refused. Shen Xiuping, drinking steadily, became quite inebriated. Her son, Ma Jian, grew sleepy, and she decided to take him home to bed. Seeing Shen Xiuping stumble, Ma Kui discreetly followed them to ensure they got back safely.
Ma Kui arrived at the house to find Ma Jian fast asleep and Shen Xiuping also having fallen asleep on the bed. He was about to leave when Ma Yan returned home from the banquet. After checking that her mother was asleep, Ma Yan went back out to join the others. After the main banquet, Cai Xiaonian put on disco music, and the younger people gathered to dance.
A tension between Ma Yan and Yao Yuling escalated from the dance floor, leading them to exchange insults, with Yao Yuling calling Ma Yan names related to her work and smell, and Ma Yan retaliating verbally. Their argument turned physical, and they began to fight. Ma Kui arrived and quickly broke them up. Wang Yongge also intervened, scolding them for their behavior at the wedding.
When questioned about the cause of the fight, Ma Yan blamed Yao Yuling, who in turn suggested the fight was due to their shared interest in someone, implying Wang Xin. Wang Yongge asked Wang Xin if the fight was over him, and then spoke to Wang Xin about the difficulty of him and Ma Yan being together due to Ma Kui's likely disapproval.
Later that night, Yao Yuling was unable to sleep and wrote a letter to Wang Xin expressing her feelings, finishing around 2 a. m. She went to Wang Xin's home and slipped the letter under his door. Unseen, Ma Yan came out and witnessed Yao Yuling placing the letter. After Yao Yuling left, Ma Yan quietly retrieved the letter.
