Nothing But Thirty Episode 28 Recap
> Nothing But Thirty Recap
Wang Manni arrived back in her hometown, pulling her suitcase behind her. Neighbors greeted her warmly, expressing their delight at seeing her return. Her parents were surprised but overjoyed to learn that she would no longer be returning to Shanghai, intending to settle down in her hometown. They enthusiastically told her that her birthday was next week and planned a big celebration. Returning to the small room she lived in eight years ago, Wang Manni felt a wave of emotion.
Everything in her home was familiar and welcoming, and everywhere she went, she was surrounded by friendly faces. She quickly found a sense of belonging. On her thirtieth birthday, the entire village came together for a grand banquet. Wang Manni happily posed for photos with everyone and received numerous congratulatory red envelopes.
She reflected that in Shanghai, her birthdays were often spent working overtime, perhaps with a simple bowl of noodles and a small cake, and she rarely even bothered to make a wish. But here, she was surrounded by blessings. Later, Wang Manni's mother came into her room to show her the day's photos. Wang Manni noticed her mother was wearing reading glasses, realizing with a pang that she hadn't known her mother's eyesight had deteriorated over the years.
Her mother shared her conflicted feelings, saying, "I want you to live better and have the life you want in Shanghai. But I was afraid that you wouldn't come back." She recounted how Wang Manni's visits had become shorter and less frequent over the past eight years, with her and her father even having to visit Shanghai for the New Year. She concluded, "You came back all of a sudden. Do you know how happy I am?
As long as I get to see you and touch you everyday." Wang Manni, touched, agreed that it was wonderful to be back. That evening, Wang Manni walked through the alley and found Uncle Yu's barbershop still lit. She observed that he was using the same old spray bottle and tools from eight years ago. Uncle Yu recognized her hair and remarked that girls with thick hair often have stubborn personalities, which "always ends up getting trimmed."
Feeling she hadn't eaten enough at the banquet, Wang Manni asked if any diners were still open. Uncle Yu chuckled, "No one eats out around here at night. This is not Shanghai." He advised her that since she was back, her heart should come back too. The next morning, Wang Manni's mother began arranging blind dates for her. Despite Wang Manni's protests that she had just returned, her mother insisted, reminding her, "You are already 30!" Wang Manni reluctantly agreed.
Later, a young neighbor offered to take her to a local cafe. At the cafe, Wang Manni tasted her latte and immediately realized it was instant coffee, despite the cafe claiming to grind its own beans. The server then offered her a manicure, explaining that it was their specialty and they had added it to their services to avoid losing money, making them the most popular cafe in town. Wang Manni politely declined.
Meanwhile, Zhong Xiaoqin's parents learned about her divorce due to a previous scandal involving leaked personal information from a mall. They immediately went to Chen Yu's house, with Zhong Xiaoqin's mother initially suspecting Chen Yu of having an affair or that the divorce was due to their baby. Chen Yu denied both, stating that he respects Zhong Xiaoqin's decision. Zhong Xiaoqin then calmly explained that she was the one who asked for the divorce.
She stated there were no scandals, just a fundamental personality conflict. She contrasted her desire for a romantic and fun life with Chen Yu's cold personality and his reluctance to have children. She further clarified, "Mom and dad, we got married because of you. We got divorced for ourselves. I want to live for myself, not for somebody else. . . There's no turning back. We got divorced. Period."
Chen Yu apologized to her parents, admitting he had made many mistakes and let Zhong Xiaoqin down, failing on his promise to take care of her for life. Outside, Zhong Xiaoqin's father tried to be understanding, but her mother worried about her daughter being older and already having a second marriage, fearing she wouldn't find anyone suitable. She fretted, "So many older women can't find anyone. If she gets divorced where will she look?
What is Xiao Qin going to do? Xiao Qin will end up growing old alone." Chen Yu then meticulously gathered Zhong Xiaoqin's belongings, including her identification documents, medicines (with detailed instructions on dosage), bed sheets, shampoo, and even lucky cats from their travels, along with foreign currency savings inside them. He tried to split everything fairly. However, Zhong Xiaoqin only took her documents, leaving the rest.
As she prepared to leave, Chen Yu tearfully apologized, "I'm sorry for making you look at marriage and me in disappointment." After she departed, Chen Yu stood in the empty room, removed his wedding ring, and wept bitterly. Wang Manni decided to try riding her old bicycle from middle school. After cleaning it, she found the brakes were too worn to work, making it dangerous to ride.
Uncle Yu, seeing her predicament, generously offered to take the brakes from his own old bike and install them on hers, telling her, "My arms and legs are all old now. Even if there's a brake I'd be scared to ride it." Wang Manni's father brought Uncle Yu his favorite dish, and soon the bike was fixed, allowing Wang Manni to ride it around town, greeted by neighbors.
Meanwhile, Zhong Xiaoqin was excited about her new, independent life in her own apartment. She went shopping with Gu Jia, realizing how many "knick-knacks" Chen Yu used to handle, making her head hurt. Gu Jia shared her thoughts on Wang Manni's return, stating, "That's how it is. People leave out of the blue. At our age, is it going to be a regular thing for us to bid folks farewell?"
She expressed understanding for Wang Manni's decision, adding, "Everything really is different at 30. . . it may not be a bad thing to go home. It may not be the end either." Wang Manni later received a call from Jiang Chen, who had sent her a coffee machine and coffee beans as a birthday gift. She thanked him, saying it was perfectly timed as she couldn't find good coffee in her hometown.
Jiang Chen offered to send her fresh beans weekly. Wang Manni told him everything else was wonderful, with hot meals every day and greetings from the entire street, making her feel like "the center of the universe." Zhong Xiaoyang, having gotten a key to Zhong Xiaoqin's new apartment, brought over his game console and virtual reality headset so they could play together. While they were immersed in a game, Zhong Xiaoqin's parents unexpectedly arrived, having worried about her settling in.
Her mother was alarmed to see Zhong Xiaoyang with the VR headset and immediately formed a bad impression. Upon realizing he was only 24 and they were dating, Zhong Xiaoqin's mother became furious. She recognized Zhong Xiaoyang as the one who drove Zhong Xiaoqin to the hospital when her father was sick and accused Zhong Xiaoqin of divorcing Chen Yu because of him.
Zhong Xiaoqin vehemently denied cheating and tried to explain, but her mother refused to listen, demanding that Zhong Xiaoqin immediately remarry Chen Yu and separate from Zhong Xiaoyang. Zhong Xiaoyang tried to introduce himself and explain they were dating seriously, but Zhong Xiaoqin's mother scornfully dismissed him, refusing to even look at him, and ordered them to break up.
