Northwards Episode 29 Recap
> Northwards Recap
After leaving the hospital, Xia Fenghua sought refuge alone in the Celestial Exhibition Hall of the planetarium. She watched the vast star-filled sky, finding solace as a voice-over described the wonders of the universe, from billions of stars and nebulae to supernovas and black holes. When Xie Wanghe persistently messaged her, asking, "Where are you? Don't make me call the police. Where are you, really?" , she eventually sent him her location.
He rushed to her side, immediately asking, "Are you sick?" Xia Fenghua, feigning normalcy, claimed, "It's just anemia. It's nothing serious," offering to show him her medical report as proof when he questioned, "Are you sure?" Relieved, Xie Wanghe confessed, "You really scared me." Xia Fenghua then pointed to a projection, noting, "UY Scuti. It's one of the largest known stars. Even the sun is just a speck of dust in front of it.
Compared to it, we are all so tiny." On the drive back, Xie Wanghe urged her, "Take a long leave. Go home and have some rest." Xia Fenghua refused, stating, "I can't." He then suggested she quit, to which she retorted, "Will you provide for me?" He earnestly replied, "I will." Xia Fenghua firmly rejected his offer, asserting her independence: "No. I'm capable myself. I don't need your help. If anything, I’d be the one supporting you."
Xie Wanghe persisted, telling her to "Just take some time off. Take some time to rest and recuperate," but she insisted, "I'm in good health." Concerned, he pointed out, "You look so pale. How can you be fine? Your work is not that important. They won't starve to death without you." Xia Fenghua conceded that she would "try to hold on for a while. If I can't, I'll let you know."
Xie Wanghe warned her that it would "be too late" by then, questioning why she wouldn't listen when he was "looking out for" her. Tired of the argument, Xia Fenghua simply asked him to "Just drive." Later that night, as Xie Wanghe drove her back to her station, he watched her sleeping in the passenger seat, memories of their past, including their high school graduation and vows to stay together, flashing through his mind.
Before she entered her door, Xie Wanghe stopped her, handing her a bag and explaining, "This is the prescription given by Grandpa Zhou. A foot bath before bedtime can boost your blood circulation." He instructed her to "Don't just say okay. Make sure you do it. Use water of 40 degrees. Take a photo and send it to me." Xia Fenghua playfully retorted, "You want to see my feet? Are you a pervert?" before heading inside.
As he drove away, he sent her a text message: "Go to bed early. Don't stay up late." Later, Xia Fenghua sat by her bed, soaking her feet as instructed, and looking at an old high school graduation photo of the four friends. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she couldn't help but weep. Meanwhile, feeling uneasy, Li Yan initiated a video call with Xia Fenghua, who was having her foot bath. Li Yan immediately noticed, "You caught a cold?
Why do you sound so nasal?" Xia Fenghua tried to dismiss it, "Do I? No. Don't be so paranoid all the time. I'm not a little girl anymore." Li Yan expressed her concern that Xia Fenghua "didn't look well when you came back last time. You looked pale. You had no energy at all." Xia Fenghua insisted she "was just tired," promising, "Don't worry. I won't stay up late anymore."
Li Yan advised her to "eat on time from now on. Eat well. Don't work so hard," and even offered, "If you're really worried, I'll come back." Xia Fenghua discouraged this, saying, "Don't bother. It's tiring to travel back and forth. You’d be better off using this time to get some proper rest." Li Yan then proposed, "I mean it. I can provide parcel delivery services anywhere. I'll go back to Flower Street and open a new delivery station.
Let's work together. We'll definitely make money." At this, Xia Fenghua admitted, "Mom. I miss home," and promised, "I'll take care of matters in Beijing. Then I'll come home." Li Yan, sensing the seriousness, cautioned, "Fenghua. This is a serious matter. Don't just joke about it. You have to think carefully." Xia Fenghua brushed it off, "Don't worry. It's not that complicated. Soon, I'll deliver myself back to you as an urgent package," before hanging up.
Li Yan then turned to Xia Maotian, relaying, "Fenghua just said she doesn't want to work in Beijing anymore. She wants to come back." Xia Maotian, worried, asked, "Did something happen to her company?" Li Yan replied, "She didn't mention that. She just said she missed home." Shao Xingchi, out of concern for his delivery riders, had limited their daily orders to twenty or thirty per person. This decision was used by Qiu Lin as leverage against Xie Wanghe.
Qiu Lin confronted Xie Wanghe, stating, "Mr. Xie! Your buddy is going too far. Shao Xingchi. . . actually allows the delivery riders under him to only take 30 orders a day. The rest of the orders are all dumped on Stations 202 and 204. What's the deal? Are the riders at Station 203 more precious than others? Do the lives of the riders in other areas no longer matter?"
Xie Wanghe instructed Qiu Lin to handle it according to company policies if Station 203 was negligent. Qiu Lin noted that since Shao Xingchi was Xie Wanghe's "best friend," he needed to inform him first before taking harsh action. Xie Wanghe reiterated that "any matters related to the company's business must be handled according to the rules," adding pointedly, "Next time when you come into my office, remember to knock."
Xie Wanghe then went to Station 203 to confront Shao Xingchi directly. Seeing Shao Xingchi distributing snacks to the riders, Xie Wanghe asked, "What's wrong?" Shao Xingchi challenged him back, "You tell me what's wrong. Didn't we agree before that I'm in charge of Station 203? Everything will be done according to my rules." Xie Wanghe questioned, "You won't change your rules even if they're wrong?" Shao Xingchi acknowledged the current performance was not ideal but insisted he had plans.
Xie Wanghe argued that Shao Xingchi had "spoiled them," reminding him that "people work to earn a living. We're not here for a vacation." Shao Xingchi, frustrated, dared him, "If you think I'm not doing a good job, then replace me as the station chief. Cut to the chase." Xie Wanghe highlighted the lower income of Station 203's riders compared to other stations, stressing that people work "to make money" and "can't be opposing the mainstream."
Shao Xingchi countered by describing the immense pressure riders face daily, being "scolded by customers and merchants, and also by the pedestrians on the road," and facing penalties for "one order cancellation, bad review, or complaint." He questioned, "Do they deserve to be treated as less than human?" Xie Wanghe then passionately argued about the company's need to compete: "If we're slower than others, if merchants and customers are dissatisfied with us, how can we compete with others?"
He dismissed Shao Xingchi's analogy of canal ships having different lanes, stating, "Now we're in the same lane." He recounted the "all-out business war in the past two years," emphasizing that the company's survival was due to the "joint efforts of hundreds of thousands of employees and delivery riders."
He warned that if they failed, "hundreds of thousands of people will instantly lose their jobs," and no one would then care about Shao Xingchi's "concern and sympathy," only "the management's incompetence." Finally, Xie Wanghe asserted his authority, declaring that he was there "to change the rules."
He announced that "Starting from this month, Station 203 must align and keep up with other areas," setting new goals: "ensure that the delay rate stays below 5%, and receive no negative reviews or complaints. If this is achieved, performance bonuses will be doubled. If this is not achieved, Station 203 will be dissolved immediately and merged with Stations 202 and 204. Additionally, the delivery rider with the lowest number of orders will be fired immediately."
That evening, a dejected Shao Xingchi sat in a restaurant, contemplating his situation. A rider named Wang Yuan, who was also finishing for the day, invited him for a drink. Shao Xingchi initially declined, citing a report due to his superiors, but Wang Yuan insisted, "One drink won't hurt." Over drinks, Wang Yuan confessed, "You don't have to feel bad. Personally, we understand your good intentions. Everyone sings praises of you as a person.
I'll get angry at anyone who says otherwise." He acknowledged Shao Xingchi's kindness but added that he was "too nice," and his ideas were "a bit unrealistic and disconnected from reality." When Shao Xingchi asked if he too thought he was wrong, Wang Yuan clarified, "You're not wrong. Mr. Xie was wrong." Asked why they didn't support him, Wang Yuan simply stated, "We're poor. We're terrified of being poor."
He explained that for riders, seeing "a few hundred more in our account when we get home, that makes us happy. No matter how hard or tiring the work is, seeing the money in our wallet increase gives us peace of mind." He concluded, "If anyone tries to stop me from making money, I'll get angry with them, even if they truly mean well for me."
When Shao Xingchi asked if he wasn't "afraid of working yourself to death," Wang Yuan calmly replied, "If I really can't take it anymore, I'll just lie down. It's still better than dying poor." As Shao Xingchi later wandered through the bustling city, a voice-over from Wang Yuan reflected on the harsh reality: "A few years ago, before I came to Beijing, I was full of ambition. . . But now, after all this time, I still have nothing. .
. Every time I see the lights. . . I realised not a single one belongs to me. In Beijing, people like us are destined to be a passerby." Sun Sanliang, who had once been considered somewhat unreliable, had become a renowned businessman in Honghuai. He approached Zhou Yanlin to discuss a major opportunity, explaining that the Grand Canal had become a World Heritage Site, leading to high demand for Huaiyang cuisine.
He revealed that city leaders wanted to establish a Huaiyang cuisine heritage center in the city and sought to invite Zhou Yanlin, a recognized master, to teach there. " Only with your presence will this heritage center possess real value," Sun Sanliang emphasized, suggesting they "move this century-old By the Canal into the city and bring Huaiyang cuisine to greater heights by allowing more people to enjoy your culinary skills."
During their discussion, Liu Yuling arrived at By the Canal and greeted Sun Sanliang, expressing her delight at the news: "A heritage center? Master Zhou, this is great news. Your business is growing." Sun Sanliang then took his leave, awaiting Zhou Yanlin's decision. Zhou Yipu's condition continued to worsen. One day, he mistook Zhou Yanlin for a child, asking, "Why aren't you in school today?"
After learning it was a day off, he encouraged Zhou Yanlin, "If you don't want to study, then go learn to cook. As long as it makes you happy, I'll support you." He mused on the changing perception of chefs, asserting, "Cooking is a form of artistry too. A good chef is an artist. With exceptional skills, you can conquer the world."
Later that night, Zhou Yipu, concerned for Granny Ma, began frantically knocking on her door, crying out, "Granny Ma!" His neighbors, Xie Tiancheng, Shao Bingyi, and Xia Maotian, quickly came out. Zhou Yipu explained, "I haven't seen Granny Ma all day. I'm worried something might have happened again." The neighbors quickly fabricated a story, telling him, "Granny Ma went back home to visit her family. Her daughter-in-law had another baby. She went back to help with the postpartum care."
Zhou Yipu, confused, asked, "Isn't her son dead? How could his wife have a baby?" The neighbors improvised, saying the daughter-in-law had remarried and had a son with someone else, and Granny Ma, being "so kind-hearted," was taking care of him. Still worried, Zhou Yipu then asked, "Now that Granny Ma is gone, what will happen to Siyi?" They assured him, "We'll all look after Siyi. Don't worry, she won't go hungry. Yes, we're here for her."
Relieved, Zhou Yipu instructed Xie Tiancheng to "bring a crucian carp for Granny Ma" on his next trip, as it "promotes lactation." He then repeatedly murmured to himself, "She didn't even say a word." Zhou Yanlin met with Xie Tiancheng, Shao Bingyi, and Xia Maotian, who enthusiastically discussed the long history of By the Canal restaurant, recalling salt merchants traveling for days just to dine there.
They praised Zhou Yanlin's cooking as "intangible cultural heritage" that he had a "responsibility and the obligation to let more people taste." Hearing about Sun Sanliang's offer, they urged Zhou Yanlin to "go without worrying," assuring him, "As for Mr. Zhou, we'll be here for him, right?" Shao Bingyi spoke passionately, emphasizing their bond, "How many years have we been together? Don't you consider us family yet?"
He recounted how Li Yan, Haihong, and Liu Yuling had researched nursing to prepare for caring for Zhou Yipu, creating a detailed duty roster and a WeChat group for coordination. " Leave Mr. Zhou to us. We won't let him suffer even the slightest discomfort. You won't have to worry about a thing," Shao Bingyi promised, advising Zhou Yanlin to "put your mind at ease."
Zhou Yanlin, touched, admitted he had only kept his father's condition private because he "really just didn't want to trouble" them. However, after much consideration, Zhou Yanlin decided to decline Sun Sanliang's offer. He met Sun Sanliang again and gently explained his decision: "The local environment shapes the local cuisine. If we really leave the canal, I think the canal's cuisine would lose its flavor."
He offered to join if the heritage center was established on Flower Street, but otherwise, he would "have to decline your kind offer." Sun Sanliang, understanding, did not press further. Liu Yuling later expressed surprise to Zhou Yanlin that he had "turned him down," but respected his decision. With the continuous care and efforts of his Flower Street neighbors, Zhou Yipu's days remained vibrant, filled with games and delicious food, though his memory continued to decline.
Neighbors constantly ensured he was safe and happy, playing Chinese chess with him and showing him old books and photos about his youth, trying to engage him despite his confusion. Xia Fenghua met with her doctor, asking if she only had two options for treatment. The doctor explained that "If you opt for surgery, we can manage its growth to some extent.
But there are associated risks with any surgery, especially craniotomy," mentioning "many uncontrollable factors" and "a possibility of relapse after the operation." Regarding conservative treatment, the doctor warned that "This tumor will grow faster and faster. It will continue to oppress your nerves." After hearing this, Xia Fenghua decisively stated, "I've made up my mind. I'll continue with conservative treatment." The doctor, concerned by her decision, asked, "Are you sure? You're still young. You can give it a try."
But Xia Fenghua remained firm, explaining, "No. Instead of risking it, I want to hold onto something that is more tangible." The doctor accepted her decision for now, telling her, "Think about it some more. If you change your mind, you can come to me anytime."
