Always on the Move Episode 22 Recap
> Always on the Move Recap
Ma Yan read the letter Yao Yuling wrote to Wang Xin. In it, Yao Yuling admitted her mistake in leaving him, especially during his most difficult time, blaming it on being young and foolish. She expressed how much she missed him and hoped they could reunite, stating she was genuinely happy when he returned. She confessed she still liked him and wanted him to forgive her and give her another chance to forget the past and start over.
She swore to be devoted to him wholeheartedly. Early in the morning, Shen Xiuping woke up to find herself at Ma Kui's house. She realized she had too much to drink the previous night and had followed Ma Jian home. Feeling awkward, she saw Ma Kui sweeping outside and quickly walked past him and back to her own house. Lu observed this and told his wife that he saw Doctor Shen leaving Ma Kui's house, speculating they were together.
His wife noted that Ma's wife had been gone for years and such a relationship wouldn't be unusual. Lu warned her to keep it secret. Later, Shen Xiuping left for work and encountered Ma Kui and Ma Jian again. She apologized for her behavior the previous night, but Ma Kui reassured her it was fine and told her to reach out if her family needed anything. Wang Xin headed out to see a classmate.
Yao Yuling was waiting and found an excuse to walk with him. Wang Xin mentioned her letter, saying he was quite touched, but mistakenly believed she had wished him and Ma Yan lasting happiness. Yao Yuling was surprised and denied writing that, stating her true feelings were wanting to be good with him and restart their relationship. Wang Xin firmly told her to stop joking, reiterated his wish for her happiness, and left, saying he was in a hurry.
Shen Xiuping went to work after saying goodbye to Ma Kui and Ma Jian. Meanwhile, the train service from Ningyang to Hacheng saw a massive increase in passengers. Stations were overcrowded, with people pushing and even climbing through windows to get onto the trains. Amidst this chaos, a human trafficker seized an opportunity. Dongdong was with his father, who was trying to pass luggage through a window to someone inside.
The father got on the train, but when he turned back for Dongdong, the child was gone. Dongdong's father frantically called out for his son. Captain Jiang received the report and held an urgent meeting. Officers expressed the difficulty of catching the perpetrator. Captain Jiang mentioned a witness confirmed the trafficker got off in Hacheng, noting the city's large size would make finding them like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Wang Xin volunteered to take the case, stating the description of the woman likely matched a trafficker he had previously encountered and was determined to redeem himself. Ma Kui immediately offered to go with his apprentice, saying it was his duty as Wang Xin's mentor. Captain Jiang praised their attitude and assigned the case to them, hoping they would catch the trafficker and find the child quickly. Wang Xin and Ma Kui took a train to Hacheng.
Upon arrival, they checked into a hostel. Wang Xin declared he wouldn't rest until the trafficker was caught, while Ma Kui cautiously reminded him of past setbacks. They began investigating by checking local households for unregistered children, a strategy Ma Kui acknowledged could be time-consuming. As they were discussing the slow progress, they saw a group of six men attacking one person. Ma Kui intervened, pointing out the unfairness of the situation.
The group turned their aggression towards them, surrounding them. Wang Xin and Ma Kui fought back and managed to escape, but the group chased them into an alley. Just as they were cornered, a dry goods merchant named Jia Jinlong appeared. He identified himself as a local and, when the group remained aggressive, he asked if they knew Cripple Teng, claiming he was his elder brother. The men, intimidated by the mention of Cripple Teng, backed down.
Jia Jinlong then vouched for Wang Xin and Ma Kui as his friends and asked the group to let the matter go. They dispersed reluctantly. Jia Jinlong admitted he didn't actually know Cripple Teng but knew Wang Xin and Ma Kui. He reminded them of a time on a train years ago when robbers forced him to buy roast chicken and they intervened to help him, saying he had a deep impression of them.
Recognizing them as police officers, he offered his assistance, being a local. Wang Xin later called Ma Yan from the hostel phone to report his safety, describing how warm her knitted scarf felt and that it made him feel like she was with him. Ma Kui entered and saw him. After Wang Xin hung up, Ma Kui questioned him, guessing he was talking to Ma Yan. Wang Xin lied and said he was talking to his dad.
Ma Kui cut the phone line, accusing him of lying, and warned him to stop pursuing Ma Yan, insisting they were not suitable. Wang Xin disagreed, believing they were. Ma Kui stated it was their families who were not suitable, but refused to elaborate when Wang Xin asked why. Frustrated, Wang Xin said he would leave, but Ma Kui dismissed it as a futile attempt to provoke him and reaffirmed his stance.
Ma Kui then left to handle something, instructing Wang Xin to stay put. Ma Kui went to visit his friend Peng Mingjie. As he arrived, he saw someone leaving and Peng Mingjie quickly hid something before welcoming him warmly. Ma Kui explained he was in Hacheng on a case and decided to visit. Peng Mingjie offered him a bottle of expensive 20-year-old wine, but Ma Kui, being on duty, declined to drink excessively.
Ma Kui asked Peng Mingjie to help him look for information about the human trafficker. He also cautioned Peng Mingjie, as a leader, to be wary of people seeking favors and not to be taken advantage of. Peng Mingjie assured him he understood and knew what he was doing. Wang Xin decided to call Jia Jinlong for help with the case. Jia Jinlong soon contacted him with a lead, stating the children might have been taken to old ditch.
He explained his friend at the police station encountered a couple registering an older child they claimed was adopted from relatives, raising suspicion. When Ma Kui returned, Wang Xin excitedly shared the news. Ma Kui was angry that Wang Xin had contacted Jia Jinlong without reporting it first, calling him undisciplined. Wang Xin defended his actions, citing the urgency and Ma Kui's absence. Ma Kui ordered him to stop talking and leave immediately, promising to scold him later.
They went to 老沟 (old ditch) and found the child. The person there described the woman who brought the child as being in her thirties or forties, neither fat nor thin, with a black spot on her chin. They confirmed the description seemed accurate but said the woman had left immediately after dropping off the child and receiving payment. The trafficker had escaped. Jia Jinlong treated Wang Xin and Ma Kui to dinner. They repeatedly thanked him for his help.
Jia Jinlong insisted it was his pleasure to assist police officers who worked hard for the people. After dinner, at the train station, Jia Jinlong gave them two bags of mountain products as gifts, despite their initial refusal, telling them to accept them as friends. They promised to treat him when he visited Ningyang.
Back at the police station, Captain Jiang commended Ma Kui and Wang Xin for successfully rescuing the child, calling it a significant achievement even though the trafficker wasn't apprehended. He mentioned Jia Jinlong's contribution and noted he had turned the mountain products over to logistics, emphasizing the importance of public support in their work. Peng Mingjie and his daughter Peng Yongli came to visit Ma Kui's house, bringing a sheep as a gift.
Ma Kui searched for his 20-year-old bottle of wine to share, but couldn't find it. He suspected Ma Yan, but she claimed not to know where it was, suggesting he might have drunk it while intoxicated. Ma Kui, certain he wouldn't have touched it without a special occasion, gave up searching. They ate the sheep. During dinner, Ma Kui advised Peng Mingjie about the challenges of being a leader and urged him to remain incorruptible.
Peng Mingjie acknowledged the advice and said he had saved up meat coupons little by little to buy the sheep. Ma Kui warmly invited Peng Yongli to move in with them, offering her the upstairs room and declaring his home was her home. Peng Mingjie expressed concern about imposing, but Ma Kui insisted they were family. Peng Yongli agreed to stay for the night.
Ma Kui further encouraged her to consider living there permanently, saying it would make things easier and waiting for her to acknowledge him as family. Peng Yongli then affectionately called him "Godfather". Ma Kui was delighted to have another daughter and toasted to the happy occasion. Later, Ma Kui searched for the wine again and confronted Ma Yan. When he pressed her, guessing she had given it to "that guy" (meaning Wang Xin), she confessed.
She justified her action by saying Wang Xin had risked his life and needed a drink, and claimed the television she had given him previously was more valuable than the wine anyway. Ma Kui pointed out their possessions were separate, but Ma Yan playfully retorted that his were hers too. Ma Kui lightly chided her but told her to take milk to Peng Yongli, who was studying.
He then said he was going to pick up Ma Jian from Shen Xiuping's house. As 1984 began, the State Council issued a notice about managing the significantly increased passenger traffic expected during the Spring Festival transport period from January 13th to February 21st, anticipating over 600 million travelers. The railway department actively planned for hundreds of additional train trips, including express and slow trains, to handle the volume. The visuals showed trains packed with people and their luggage, all heading home for the holidays.
