Ordinary Greatness Episode 17 Recap
> Ordinary Greatness Recap
Xia Jie returned home to find her mother eager to join her aunt and Uncle Liang for a vacation in Dali. Her mother wished to apply for recuperation funds from the bureau, citing a promise made after Xia Junxiong's sacrifice ten years prior. However, Xia Jie, not wanting to burden the bureau, offered to cover the expenses herself.
Her mother then expressed a desire to pursue a relationship with Uncle Liang, but found the idea of staying with her sister inconvenient, prompting her to seek a separate rental in Dali. Xia Jie's online search for Dali rentals revealed exorbitant prices due to peak tourist season, making her hesitant. Her aunt called, suggesting Uncle Liang could help secure a dormitory from his workplace.
Xia Jie politely declined, explaining that her mother's relationship with Uncle Liang was still undefined, and she feared her mother would feel indebted or coerced into a relationship she might later regret. Xia Jie insisted on paying the rent herself and asked her aunt to create opportunities for her mother and Uncle Liang to spend time alone, cautioning against pressuring her mother into an impulsive decision.
After dropping her mother off at the airport, Xia Jie returned to the station for her shift. As Li Dawei was preparing to leave, Ms. Wu rushed in, reporting her daughter Jingjing missing again. Ignoring Xia Jie, Ms. Wu demanded Li Dawei’s help. Li Dawei directed her to Xia Jie, who was on duty. Xia Jie revealed she had Jingjing's WeChat. Ms. Wu immediately accused Xia Jie of instigating her daughter's frequent disappearances.
Li Dawei defended Xia Jie, stating her intention was concern. Xia Jie quickly messaged Jingjing and learned she was at the same classmate's house as last time. To prevent future runaway incidents, Xia Jie offered to retrieve Jingjing herself, advising Ms. Wu not to appear, which Ms. Wu reluctantly accepted. Li Dawei decided to accompany Xia Jie. Xia Jie asked Officer Cheng to cover her shift.
On the way, Li Dawei expressed his concern about Xia Jie adding a minor like Jingjing on WeChat without parental consent, fearing Ms. Wu might accuse her if anything went wrong. Xia Jie, however, empathized deeply with Jingjing, seeing her own past reflected in the girl's struggles. She recounted how, like Jingjing, she lost her father at age twelve and felt burdened by her mother's expectations, leaving her no escape.
Upon meeting Jingjing, the girl confessed she didn't want to go home. Xia Jie gently advised her that while her mother might have flaws, she ultimately loved her. She urged Jingjing to communicate her feelings, suggesting small steps like asking for half an hour of playtime after dinner, rather than running away. Jingjing shared that her mother never praised her, questioning why she wasn't first when she ranked second.
Xia Jie explained that running away only worried her mother and promised to be there for her. Jingjing, tearfully, apologized and promised to message Xia Jie instead of disappearing again. When Xia Jie returned Jingjing to Ms. Wu, the mother took her daughter home without a word of thanks. The next morning, Ms. Wu stormed into the police station, accusing Xia Jie of instigating Jingjing's disappearance and demanding she be disciplined for adding Jingjing on WeChat without permission.
Wang Shouyi, alarmed, summoned Officer Cheng and Ye Wei, expressing his dismay at Xia Jie's actions and instructing Xia Jie to apologize and delete Jingjing's WeChat in front of Ms. Wu. In the ensuing meeting with Ms. Wu, Xia Jie presented her chat logs with Jingjing, showing mostly Jingjing's messages, highlighting the girl's loneliness and need for a confidante. Ms. Wu, however, dismissed this, asserting her right as a mother to know her daughter's contacts.
Officer Cheng then attempted to take responsibility, claiming he had instructed Xia Jie to add Jingjing for her safety and apologizing for not having informed Ms. Wu. Xia Jie countered Ms. Wu's accusations, arguing that Jingjing, at twelve, needed her own life and space, and that Ms. Wu's control was too stifling. Ms. Wu, enraged, accused Xia Jie of provoking their mother-daughter relationship.
Despite Xia Jie wanting to inform Jingjing before deleting her, Ms. Wu adamantly refused, prompting Wang Shouyi to firmly order Xia Jie to delete the WeChat on the spot. Li Dawei then burst into the meeting, passionately defending Xia Jie. He reiterated that Xia Jie’s actions were born of genuine concern, highlighting Jingjing's lack of friends and how Xia Jie's WeChat contact had allowed for her quick recovery this time.
He challenged Ms. Wu to consider what would happen if Jingjing disappeared again without that contact. Ms. Wu remained unyielding, declaring her family affairs were her own. Xia Jie, with a heavy heart, deleted Jingjing's WeChat and apologized. As Cheng Hao once again tried to take responsibility for Xia Jie's actions, Xia Jie insisted on taking full responsibility herself.
She then issued a final warning to Ms. Wu: her controlling "love" was overburdening her daughter, and without change, Jingjing would likely run away again. Ms. Wu, furious, accused Xia Jie of meddling, prompting Wang Shouyi to officially declare that Xia Jie would no longer be involved in any of Ms. Wu's family cases.
Outside, Xia Jie was still upset, but Li Dawei forcefully pulled her away, advising her not to interfere further in Ms. Wu's family, as her efforts were only worsening the situation and fueling Ms. Wu’s prejudice. He compared Xia Jie's stubbornness to Ms. Wu's own, suggesting that Jingjing could grow up without Xia Jie's constant involvement. Xia Jie worried about Jingjing misunderstanding the WeChat deletion. Li Dawei promised to handle it.
Soon after, Xia Jie received a phone call, informing her that her application to become a ride-share driver had been approved. Li Dawei overheard and vehemently questioned her, fearing she was ruining her police career. Xia Jie remained tight-lipped about her reasons. To prevent Jingjing from feeling abandoned, Li Dawei went to her school and fabricated a story, telling her that Officer Xia Jie was on a secret mission and had to delete all her contacts.
Jingjing, understandingly, accepted this explanation. Li Dawei then gave Jingjing his phone number, assuring her she could contact him if she ever needed help. Later that night, Xia Jie, with a small bag of belongings, prepared to leave to drive for the ride-share company. Li Dawei, Yang Shu, and Zhao Jiwei confronted her, stopping her from leaving.
Li Dawei warned her that driving a ride-share car was a disciplinary offense that could lead to dismissal, emphasizing that in their small town, she risked encountering acquaintances. Xia Jie, struggling financially to afford a separate rental for her mother in Dali, explained that if she couldn't earn money this way, she would have to give up her apartment.
Seeing her distress, Li Dawei, Yang Shu, and Zhao Jiwei all offered financial assistance, promising to cover her rent until she was stable. Deeply touched by their support, Xia Jie abandoned her plan to drive for the ride-share company. Officer Cheng, learning of Xia Jie's resolve to be treated as any other police officer, regardless of gender, and to shoulder all responsibilities, was visibly impressed.
Meanwhile, Cao Jianjun and Yang Shu were staking out the "Lanting Pavilion," a high-end club that Cao Jianjun suspected was a front for prostitution services. Yang Shu was surprised that such an elegant establishment could be involved in illicit activities. Cao Jianjun, with his experience, explained that such "members-only" places were designed to be exclusive and difficult to infiltrate without connections, making it challenging to gather evidence.
Yang Shu, adhering to the principle of "presumption of innocence," argued that they couldn't simply label it a sex-trade venue without concrete evidence. Cao Jianjun jokingly called him a "nerd" but vowed to find the proof. Separately, Chen Xincheng received an urgent phone call from his ex-wife, Shang Zhen, looking visibly distressed. He rushed off work, declining Li Dawei's offer of assistance as he was still in uniform. Chen Xincheng met Shang Zhen, who was crying.
She revealed their daughter, Jiajia, had stopped her art lessons, refused her mother's money, and was now working as an "atmosphere host" in a nightclub, which Shang Zhen clarified meant "drinking with men." Chen Xincheng was furious, lashing out at Shang Zhen for not being a responsible mother.
He immediately drove to the nightclub, found Jiajia, and despite her protests about being at work and the bouncers' attempts to stop him, he forcefully pulled her out of the establishment, revealing he was a police officer to gain passage.
