Always on the Move Episode 34 Recap
> Always on the Move Recap
Ten years prior, an incident occurred on a train where railroad officer Ma Kui apprehended a thief. In the struggle, the thief was injured. Wang Yongge was present in the corridor of the dining car and witnessed the events. However, Wang Yongge did not testify for Ma Kui, which resulted in Ma Kui being wrongfully imprisoned for a decade.
After his release, Ma Kui confronts Wang Yongge, accusing him of causing his suffering by being timid and refusing to speak up. Ma Kui recalls seeing Wang Yongge in the dining car corridor during the incident, panicked, stating he could never forget the look in his eyes. Wang Yongge denies being there, asking what he possibly did to wrong Ma Kui.
Wang Yongge pleads with Ma Kui to let the past go, saying Ma Kui's suffering has ended and he is now living a happy life. He specifically asks Ma Kui not to make things difficult for their children, Wang Xin and Ma Yan. Ma Kui retorts that Wang Xin is a good boy, but unfortunately has a father like Wang Yongge, suggesting Wang Xin should hate Wang Yongge instead.
Wang Yongge seeks Ma Kui's acceptance for the relationship between Wang Xin and Ma Yan, but Ma Kui is firm in his refusal. Ma Yan returns home upset, and Ma Kui tries to comfort her, telling her not to think about "this matter" and that she will understand eventually.
Troubled by the unresolved conflict, Wang Xin asks Wang Yongge if anyone was with him in Carriage 2 that day who could corroborate his story and help resolve the tension between him and Ma Yan. Wang Yongge becomes agitated, avoiding the questions and accusing Wang Xin of interrogating him like a police officer. The intense emotional exchange causes Wang Yongge to suddenly collapse.
Wang Xin calls for help, and with the assistance of neighbors, he carries Wang Yongge to the hospital. Ma Yan learns that Wang Yongge has suffered a stroke and rushes to the hospital, stating she needs "to do what people should do." At the hospital, a doctor updates Wang Xin on Wang Yongge's condition, saying it's "better than expected."
The doctor confirms that the "brain hematoma" has been largely cleared, "intracranial pressure" is normal, and the patient is "temporarily out of danger." Ma Yan arrives and is relieved by the news. Wang Xin handles the necessary hospital procedures while Ma Yan waits. Under Wang Xin's care, Wang Yongge's condition improves, and he later wakes up. Neighbors, including Cai Xiaonian, visit him, bringing food and expressing their relief at his recovery.
Cai Xiaonian brings stewed mutton, advising Wang Yongge to drink the soup for energy, joking about his quick recovery. Cai Xiaonian reflects on Wang Yongge's previous good health and notes how his illness has made Wang Xin's burden heavier. He also comments on Wang Xin's growth under Ma Kui's mentorship, praising his progress. Ma Kui is present during one of these visits but is called away to deal with an issue in a carriage.
After being discharged, Wang Yongge uses a cane to walk. Cai Xiaonian visits again with food. From his window, Wang Yongge sees Ma Kui walking by and calls out "Old Ma," but Ma Kui does not seem to hear him and keeps going. At home, Wang Xin finds Wang Yongge searching for a lock he can't remember buying, indicating memory problems as a sequela of the cerebral hemorrhage.
Ma Yan visits Wang Xin, asking about the conversation between their fathers and why Wang Yongge fell ill. Wang Xin explains Ma Kui's accusation that Wang Yongge saw him on the train but didn't testify out of fear, leading to the imprisonment, while Wang Yongge insists he wasn't there. Wang Xin tells Ma Yan he believes his father but feels he can't push Wang Yongge further given his current state, admitting he doesn't know whom to believe.
Ma Yan is visibly upset by the situation. Later, Wang Yongge consults a doctor about his forgetfulness. The doctor explains that memory confusion, aphasia, and motor dysfunction are common sequelae but warns that the memory issues may worsen with age, potentially progressing to something like senile dementia in severe cases, advising Wang Yongge to be mentally prepared. Ma Yan is later seen working at her stall, and Wang Xin helps her.
Haunted by his secret and fearing his worsening memory will soon prevent him from confessing, Wang Yongge decides to reveal the truth to Ma Kui. He goes to Ma Kui's door and calls out. Ma Kui initially refuses to open, recalling Wang Yongge's past denials and declaring their relationship is over.
Wang Yongge persists, explaining he has something important to say and that he is afraid because his "brain is going bad," fearing he will lose the chance to speak the truth if he doesn't do it now. He admits, "I was in the train. That day, I was in the dining car." Hearing this admission, Ma Kui opens the door. Inside, Wang Yongge confesses, "I. . . killed that man."
He describes being in the dining car getting meat for his child when the injured thief ran in. The thief grabbed a knife and threatened him before opening a window to escape. Wang Yongge admits he grabbed the thief's leg but lost his grip, watching the thief fall to his death from the train. Terrified, Wang Yongge "ran away" and did not testify for Ma Kui because he felt he was the one who caused the death.
He repeatedly apologizes to Ma Kui. Ma Kui is enraged by the confession, demanding to know why Wang Yongge let him go to jail instead. Wang Yongge denies "intending" for Ma Kui to go to jail, explaining he couldn't admit the truth because he had a child at home – Wang Xin, who was only eight years old at the time and had lost his mother. Ma Yan enters and overhears the conversation.
Heartbroken, she cries out that she was only seven years old that year, highlighting her own suffering of growing up without a father while Ma Kui was imprisoned. Wang Xin is also present and stunned by the revelation. Wang Yongge expresses his guilt, acknowledging it was all his fault and that he owes Ma Kui, offering to compensate him. Ma Kui furiously rejects any compensation, yelling that Wang Yongge can never make up for what he did.
He orders both Wang Yongge and Wang Xin to leave his house immediately and never return. As they are forced out, Wang Xin questions his father, asking why he made someone else a scapegoat for his own mistake. After being thrown out, Wang Xin locks himself in his room, refusing to speak with Wang Yongge. The next morning, Wang Yongge goes to the Ningyang Railway Public Security Branch Office.
He introduces himself to Captain Hu as the Deputy Superintendent of the passenger section and states he has come to turn himself in for the killing that occurred in 1968, which wrongly implicated Ma Kui. Due to his recent memory problems, he explains he wrote down the details in a "letter of confession" to ensure everything was accurate.
He presents the letter to Captain Hu, affirming its truthfulness, and asks to be handcuffed as a murderer, also requesting to see Ma Kui. Captain Hu informs him that Ma Kui was released long ago and that Wang Yongge will be transferred to the detention center temporarily while the case is investigated. Wang Xin arrives at the station with his father's medicine.
Captain Hu takes the medicine, noting Wang Yongge's fluctuating clarity but the clear nature of the confession letter, and informs Wang Xin his father will be transferred to the detention center. Separately, Ma Yan tearfully admits to Ma Kui that she is "not pregnant" and tears up the test results, apologizing. Ma Kui tells her he already knew.
