Nothing But Thirty Episode 1 Recap
> Nothing But Thirty Recap
Early in the morning, Zhong Xiaoqin woke up, realizing she had forgotten to change the cat litter once again. She often described her marriage with Chen Yu, a stable government employee, by saying, "I have a cat, and he has a fish." She prepared breakfast for Chen Yu, who was preoccupied with his phone.
He informed her he would be going on a business trip the next day, assuming she would return to her parents' home and insisting she take the cat with her, claiming she couldn't care for it properly. Meanwhile, Wang Manni began her day, characterizing her eight years in Shanghai as that of an independent woman who sticks to her routine, buying breakfast from the same booth and taking the same subway.
She likened herself to Pac-Man, needing to constantly move forward and "devour" to survive in the city. As a top-performing sales associate selling luxury bags and shoes, her success often sparked jealousy among colleagues. At a morning meeting, the store manager praised Wang Manni's exceptional sales of a newly arrived "Dragon collection" bag. Wang Manni had gone to extra lengths to secure a prime parking spot for her client, Miss Wang, by "bribing" the security guard with scallion pancakes.
This act prompted a jealous remark from a colleague, Linda, about Wang Manni "not sparing the security." Wang Manni retorted that she didn't spare anyone, leading the manager to assign Linda to bag sales the following day. At her property management company, Zhong Xiaoqin was her usual helpful self, assisting colleagues with various tasks. While retrieving a nutcracker, she accidentally bumped into a new male employee who was looking for Director Xu's office.
He introduced himself as Zhong Xiaoyang, and the remarkable similarity of his name to Zhong Xiaoqin's, differing by only one character, became a point of amused conversation among colleagues. Their supervisor, noting the coincidence, assigned Zhong Xiaoqin to help Zhong Xiaoyang get acquainted with his new role. This was also the day Gu Jia, her husband Xu Huanshan, and their son Xu Ziyan were moving into their new home.
Gu Jia reflected on how she, a full-time mother, had successfully transformed Xu Huanshan from a fireworks programmer into "Director Xu," always striving for excellence. The property management staff, including Xiao Zhang and Xiao Song, greeted them, having recognized Xu Ziyan from detailed documents Gu Jia had provided. Gu Jia, in turn, offered them homemade desserts. Inside their new home, Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan performed a geomancy ritual for good fortune.
Soon after, Xu Huanshan received a distressing phone call: a major client, Director Wan, was deferring payment and demanding lower prices, threatening the company's capital chain. Xu Huanshan, agitated, refused to negotiate, but Gu Jia stepped in. She called Director Wan directly, assuring him she would personally oversee their orders for the second half of the year and address cost concerns, successfully securing the deal, though the payment terms remained unchanged.
Xu Huanshan complained about Director Wan's constant cost-cutting efforts and offered Gu Jia a sweet tangerine, mentioning his secretary had given it to him for its Vitamin C. Gu Jia subtly noted this detail. Later, she visited a supermarket to buy a bag of tangerines and, passing Wang Manni's store, admired a display of men's clothing. Wang Manni warmly invited her to bring her husband back to try them on.
Back at Wang Manni's store, a plainly dressed woman, Miss Chen, entered, carrying vegetables. Other sales associates initially dismissed her, but Wang Manni greeted her sincerely. Miss Chen inquired if the store had anything "more expensive," leading Wang Manni to introduce their advanced customized jewelry series, which cost over a million yuan. To Wang Manni's surprise, Miss Chen immediately expressed interest, choosing a diamond set from the "Countless Dream Series" catalog.
She was unfazed by the million-dollar price, the five-month production period, or the full payment requirement. While Wang Manni excitedly informed the manager, Linda attempted to take over the client, but the manager insisted Wang Manni retain the sale. Miss Chen politely declined the manager's request to add her on WeChat, insisting on only adding Wang Manni, explaining she didn't have enough money on her card that day but would return in a few days to pay in full.
As Wang Manni's colleagues distracted her by examining her phone, Linda secretly added Miss Chen's WeChat contact to her own phone. That evening, Gu Jia's family celebrated their new home over dinner. Gu Jia felt a touch of guilt, wondering if her desire for a larger house had put too much pressure on Xu Huanshan. He reassured her, affirming it was his decision and expressing a desire for a more comfortable life.
However, they disagreed on their son's education; Gu Jia wanted him to attend a top-tier kindergarten, while Xu Huanshan preferred a more ordinary approach, cautioning against excessive expectations. Gu Jia, resolute, emphasized the importance of their efforts in shaping their son's future and reminded Xu Huanshan to prepare for the kindergarten interview. During dinner, Gu Jia received a congratulatory call from her father. Xu Huanshan, still enjoying the tangerines, asked their helper where they came from.
When he learned Gu Jia had specifically bought them because he liked them, he praised her thoughtfulness. At home, Zhong Xiaoqin expressed frustration with Chen Yu, who was preoccupied with a new fish for his tank. She found the fish unattractive and boring, but he defended its rare qualities and high maintenance, suggesting she was "bored" herself.
They argued about their leisure habits; she complained about the finale of her TV show, and he accused her of watching too much television. She asked him to "play with her," but he cited his upcoming business trip and unfinished tasks. Later, when she discovered one of his new fish floating upside down, she urgently called him to look, but he dismissed her complaint as typical. Exasperated, Zhong Xiaoqin declared he should sleep with his fish.
Meanwhile, at Wang Manni's store, the staff discovered a pair of pants worth eighteen thousand yuan was missing. Despite standing all day, they were exhausted but forced to search every corner, including the storage room. The manager announced that if the pants weren't found by morning, everyone would have to evenly split the loss, causing widespread dismay among the staff.
Later that night, on their rooftop, Xu Huanshan showed Gu Jia a video of a fireworks performance, expressing his deep gratitude for her unwavering encouragement that led him to start his own business. He acknowledged her as the driving force behind their family's success. Inspired, he shared his vision for a unique fireworks artwork called "Blue Dream," describing magnificent blue bursts in the vast night sky, evoking the glittering life of the ocean.
Gu Jia, ever practical, immediately questioned the potential cost of such an elaborate design. As the store employees finished their exhaustive search, they prepared to leave, still without the missing pants, anticipating the shared financial burden.
