Octogenarian, and The 90S Episode 2 Recap
> Octogenarian, and The 90S Recap
As the morning sun illuminated the 'Sunshine House' nursing home, Vice President Wu Hui led the elderly residents in morning exercises. Dean Lin Sufen arrived early, diligently checking night patrol records to monitor residents' sleep and then inspecting the day's meals in the cafeteria. Concerned about food quality, she decided to personally investigate the source of the ingredients. Meanwhile, Bu Gaoxing, a resident with a drinking habit, secretly retrieved his hidden liquor from the kitchen.
Later, Lin Sufen, noticing food waste, decided to eat in the cafeteria herself. She suddenly experienced severe abdominal pain, causing her to drop her meal. Bu Gaoxing, rushing to her aid, ironically reminded her not to waste food. Lin Sufen, enduring the pain, remained silent about her discomfort. Outside the nursing home, Guo Sanshuang, a sales representative for a health product company, successfully pitched his products to a group of seniors, boasting impressive sales figures.
He was on the verge of being promoted to store manager when Sun Erniang, a small loan company owner, arrived with her associates to collect a debt. Guo Sanshuang discovered his ex-girlfriend, Qiao Yi, had used his ID to borrow 100,000 yuan through an app. Despite claiming he had broken up with her, Sun Erniang insisted he sign a repayment agreement, threatening to involve his grandfather, Guo Jiangdong. Guo Sanshuang managed to evade them and escape.
Ye Xiaomei, dealing with a recent breakup and unemployment, was sleeping in at her grandmother Lin Sufen's house. A friend called about a translation job interview, urging her to go immediately. In her rush, Ye Xiaomei mistakenly brought her comic drafts instead of her resume. The HR manager gave her until noon to provide a proper resume, otherwise she wouldn't be hired. Rushing home, she realized she had forgotten her house keys.
She called Lin Sufen, who instructed her to wait at the nursing home. Lin Sufen was at the market with staff, confronting vendor Mr. Li about stale vegetables and threatening to end their business relationship unless he provided fresh produce. She meticulously selected suitable ingredients, showing her deep understanding of each resident's dietary needs. At the nursing home, Bu Gaoxing greeted Ye Xiaomei, complaining about her absence. Ye Xiaomei, detecting the smell of smoke and alcohol, sternly lectured him.
Their argument escalated, and Bu Gaoxing dramatically feigned a sudden collapse. Lin Sufen rushed to the hospital. Bu Gaoxing's son soon arrived, angrily blaming Ye Xiaomei. Ye Xiaomei, discovering a mineral water bottle filled with baijiu on Bu Gaoxing, exposed his secret drinking and smoking, suggesting he was faking his illness. Bu Gaoxing, startled, opened his eyes to protest but then dramatically fainted again due to emotional distress.
His son continued to verbally attack Ye Xiaomei, and Lin Sufen pressured Ye Xiaomei to apologize. Meanwhile, Guo Sanshuang's promotion was stalled due to his creditors' public demand for repayment. His manager reprimanded him, urging him to secure orders from the 'Sunshine House' nursing home residents. Dejected, Guo Sanshuang returned home to find the creditors at his door. He hid, and they spray-painted "REPAY DEBT" on his door before leaving.
Guo Sanshuang bought red paint and covered the graffiti by painting the entire door red. His grandfather, Guo Jiangdong, was puzzled by the new door color, but Guo Sanshuang claimed a fortune teller had advised it, and Guo Jiangdong reluctantly accepted, urging him to cook. Lin Sufen visited Bu Gaoxing in the hospital, warning him not to fake illness and delay actual treatment. Bu Gaoxing apologized profusely. As Lin Sufen left, her abdominal pain returned.
She bravely endured it and went for a hospital check-up, receiving a diagnosis of advanced liver cancer. Although mentally prepared for such news, she found herself plunged into a deep state of confusion. That evening, Ye Xiaomei found Lin Sufen sitting in the dark, lost in thought. She comforted her, and Lin Sufen, unable to hold back, broke down in tears. Lin Sufen tearfully embraced Ye Xiaomei, expressing her regret that life was passing too quickly.
Ye Xiaomei, unsure how to respond, offered words of comfort. Meanwhile, Guo Sanshuang distractedly prepared a meal. His grandfather, Guo Jiangdong, a former chef who had lost his sense of taste, still found fault with every dish. Suddenly, a knock on the door startled Guo Sanshuang, who initially feared it was his creditors. To his relief, it was just the neighborhood committee collecting gas fees. He suggested to Guo Jiangdong that they move, but his grandfather adamantly refused.
Ye Xiaomei sought out Bu Gaoxing to apologize, but he was initially unreceptive. She then promised not to expose his secret of refilling mineral water bottles with baijiu, which finally appeased him. Later, Ye Xiaomei discovered her file containing comic drafts was empty. Grandpa Hou, a resident known for gathering information, claimed he could help her find them if she bought him some cigarettes. Guo Sanshuang later arrived at Sunshine House Nursing Home to promote his nutrition bottles.
However, he was immediately spotted by Ye Xiaomei, who forcibly escorted him out. Ye Xiaomei secretly gave Grandpa Hou a pack of cigarettes, eager for information about her missing drafts. Grandpa Hou, however, feigned ignorance, admitting he only wanted the cigarettes, which exasperated Ye Xiaomei. Around this time, Ye Xiaomei heard that a group of college volunteers had arrived, including a particularly handsome young man, prompting Shi Changsheng to go investigate.
Guo Sanshuang used a card game as an opportunity to pitch his nutrition bottles to the residents. He delivered a passionate speech about his own experience, claiming that at nearly forty, he had regained his vitality thanks to the "epochal pure natural nutrition" and emphasized that "the future only exists when you're alive." Shi Changsheng, deeply convinced, declared his ambition to live beyond 135 years to break the Guinness World Record, and Guo Sanshuang promised to help him achieve this.
Ye Xiaomei rushed into the Activity Hall, publicly accusing Guo Sanshuang of being a fraud. However, Shi Changsheng, now seemingly swayed, claimed he (Shi Changsheng) was Guo Sanshuang's "Grandpa," a claim that the other residents, influenced by Guo Sanshuang's persuasive tactics, also supported. Ye Xiaomei questioned the gatekeeper, Uncle Zhang, about how Guo Sanshuang gained entry.
Uncle Zhang explained that Guo Sanshuang had entered with the college volunteers, presenting a legitimate letter of recommendation, which made it difficult to simply expel him. Seeing an opportunity, Ye Xiaomei convinced Grandpa Hou to impersonate "Mr. Li" from the university's activity department. Grandpa Hou called the student volunteer, reprimanding him for allowing an unauthorized person to sell products in the Activity Hall and instructing him to remove Guo Sanshuang immediately.
The volunteer apologized profusely, explaining that Guo Sanshuang had lied about visiting a forgotten relative. Guo Sanshuang had no choice but to depart, but not before promising the elderly ladies he'd take them to a good place to get their hair permed and declaring, "I'll be back." Ye Xiaomei stopped him at the gate, telling him to take his "Grandpa" (Shi Changsheng) with him, adding that since everyone now knew his face, he wouldn't be able to return.
Despite Guo Sanshuang's departure, Shi Changsheng continued to enthusiastically promote the nutrition bottles, claiming they enhanced immunity and prevented cancer, a "secret national formula" for longevity. Ye Xiaomei forcibly confiscated the bottles, and in the process, accidentally scattered their contents on the floor. While cleaning up, some elderly residents mistook her for a new housekeeper, demanding she clean their rooms, further frustrating her. Meanwhile, Grandma Gui, disoriented with Alzheimer's, sat nearby tearing paper.
Ye Xiaomei was distressed to discover the fragments were from her first short comic manuscript. Grandma Gui, in her delusion, pulled Ye Xiaomei closer, calling her "granddaughter-in-law" and claiming her handsome grandson would visit and she would introduce them. Grandpa Hou gently explained that Grandma Gui suffered from Alzheimer's.
Years ago, her grandson had died in an accident, leaving Grandma Gui in a state of perpetual confusion, constantly speaking of his visits and attempting to arrange matches for him with various girls in the nursing home. Understanding her tragic past, Ye Xiaomei felt a pang of sympathy and began painstakingly collecting the torn pieces. Later, Lin Sufen discovered that Ye Xiaomei had secretly given Grandpa Hou a pack of cigarettes.
Lin Sufen sternly admonished Ye Xiaomei, reminding her of Grandpa Hou's mild cerebral thrombosis and the need to control his smoking to prevent a stroke. Lin Sufen expressed her worry, stating she was "almost dead" and still had to fret over Ye Xiaomei, demanding an immediate apology. Ye Xiaomei, deeply hurt, refused to apologize, revealing the 'cigarettes' were actually candies for quitting smoking.
She expressed her disappointment that after spending decades together in the nursing home, Lin Sufen lacked basic trust and didn't understand that "seeing is not always believing." Ye Xiaomei then left in anger, leaving Lin Sufen to regret her harshness. Feeling remorseful, Lin Sufen went to buy a fish, intending to cook Ye Xiaomei's favorite sweet and sour fish.
Guo Sanshuang, after careful consideration, decided the best strategy was for his grandfather to move into Sunshine House Nursing Home, which would allow him legitimate access to sell his nutrition bottles. Guo Jiangdong was initially furious at the suggestion, but Guo Sanshuang persuaded him by touting the nursing home's excellent environment and care. He also subtly mentioned his acquaintance with Dean Lin Sufen, implying she was single, which piqued Guo Jiangdong's interest.
They engaged in a contentious discussion, with Guo Sanshuang using his father's previous debts as leverage, claiming that living in the nursing home was a "strategy" for "survival in desperation." Guo Jiangdong, though calling it a "trick," agreed to visit the nursing home. Ye Xiaomei returned home late. Lin Sufen was waiting for her, apologizing for her earlier distrust and offering to cook fish. Ye Xiaomei declined, having already eaten.
Lin Sufen expressed her deep fear of dying and leaving Ye Xiaomei alone, emphasizing her desire for Ye Xiaomei to become independent and plan her future. Despite Ye Xiaomei's weariness, Lin Sufen insisted on teaching her to cook the fish, guiding her through each step. Ye Xiaomei was clumsy and unenthusiastic, and the resulting dish was unpalatable. Lin Sufen, however, encouraged her, saying she would do better next time.
Lin Sufen then declared Ye Xiaomei needed to learn to drive and insisted they go practice immediately, citing fewer cars on the road at night. Ye Xiaomei protested, revealing she hadn't touched a steering wheel in three years since getting her license. With Lin Sufen instructing from the passenger seat, Ye Xiaomei struggled, accidentally putting the car in reverse at one point.
Overwhelmed and feeling pressured, Ye Xiaomei angrily questioned why Lin Sufen was pushing her so hard, stating her life was terrible enough. Lin Sufen calmly responded that she wouldn't be with Ye Xiaomei forever and that these were responsibilities Ye Xiaomei would have to handle herself in the future. Ye Xiaomei eventually gave up, claiming she was sleepy and wanted to go home, and Lin Sufen didn't force the issue further.
That night, Lin Sufen, unable to sleep, crept into Ye Xiaomei's room, gently covering her. She noticed Ye Xiaomei's torn comic pieces laid out, missing a small fragment. Lin Sufen immediately returned to the nursing home, searching until she found the last piece under a chair. Knowing her time was limited due to her advanced liver cancer diagnosis, Lin Sufen, accompanied by Vice President Wu Hui, began interviewing professional managers to take over the nursing home.
However, she was disheartened to find that all the candidates viewed the nursing home purely as a profit-making enterprise, directly contradicting her philosophy of care. She struggled to find a suitable successor. Early the next morning, Ye Xiaomei received a call from the gatekeeper, informing her that Guo Sanshuang had returned to the nursing home to sell his nutrition bottles. Initially, Ye Xiaomei wanted to avoid involvement, but upon learning that Lin Sufen and Wu Hui were out on business, she rushed over to investigate.
