Ordinary Greatness Episode 19 Recap
> Ordinary Greatness Recap
Jia confided in Xia Jie about her mother's plight, revealing that her mother was in poor health and unable to work. Her stepfather, Uncle Yu, subjected her mother to verbal abuse and humiliation, but Jia didn't want to tell her mother about his behavior, fearing it would only cause more sadness, especially since her mother would only cry when asked why she stayed with him due to her lack of economic independence.
Xia Jie was deeply sympathetic to Jia and her mother's difficult situation. Soon after, Li Dawei, Zhao Jiwei, and Yang Shu returned, bearing minor wounds from having confronted and beaten Uncle Yu. Xia Jie immediately chastised them for their rashness, worrying that Uncle Yu might report them, which would result in disciplinary action for all three. She specifically questioned why Zhao Jiwei and Yang Shu, whom she had asked to restrain Li Dawei, had instead joined the altercation.
Yang Shu clarified that Uncle Yu had first scratched his face, and the situation quickly devolved into a chaotic brawl. Li Dawei took full responsibility, stating he initiated the fight alone. However, Xia Jie emphasized that if Uncle Yu escalated the issue, all three would face consequences. Yang Shu, concerned, asked if this would jeopardize his chances of becoming a permanent employee.
Li Dawei suggested that since Uncle Yu had committed vile acts first, they could expose him if he dared to file a complaint. Jia, upon realizing they knew her private struggles, was overcome with shame and retreated to her room, crying uncontrollably. Xia Jie rushed to apologize, admitting her error in revealing Jia's secret without permission, though she had meant to help.
Jia, however, explained through her tears that she wasn't angry but deeply touched and grateful that Li Dawei and the others were willing to risk disciplinary action for her sake. Li Dawei, along with Yang Shu and Zhao Jiwei, joined Xia Jie in the room to apologize to Jia. Li Dawei reassured Jia, stating that as her brothers and sister, they would always protect her, regardless of the difficulties she faced.
He also explained his reasoning for resorting to physical force, noting that Uncle Yu knew Jia's biological father was a police officer yet still dared to harass her. While Jia had video evidence that could lead to five days' detention for Uncle Yu, Li Dawei felt such a minor punishment would not alleviate Jia's trauma and publicly exposing the incident for so little effect might worsen her pain.
He believed his actions were necessary to demonstrate that she had family who would stand up for her, especially given her strained relationship with Chen Xincheng, and to avoid deepening the conflict between Jia and her father. Chen Xincheng, having been informed of the beating by his ex-wife, angrily confronted Li Dawei at the police station the following morning. Li Dawei admitted to hitting Uncle Yu but insisted on taking sole responsibility.
Just then, Jia arrived, intervening in Li Dawei's defense. She criticized Chen Xincheng for his past neglect, recounting how he had never protected her, unlike Li Dawei and the others. She then showed him a video she had secretly recorded of Uncle Yu sexually harassing her. Witnessing the disturbing footage, Chen Xincheng was overcome with fury and vowed to kill Uncle Yu.
Li Dawei desperately held him back, reminding him to consider Jia and her need for his protection, especially since her mother was unable to protect her. Chen Xincheng broke down, expressing deep regret that Jia hadn't told him sooner and admitting his own incompetence as a father. Father and daughter embraced, weeping together, a sight that moved Li Dawei. Later that evening, Chen Xincheng calmly spoke with Jia.
He recounted his own past struggles, explaining that after a prior disciplinary action, he became deeply depressed, and his negative emotions permeated their home life. Over time, her mother lost hope and initiated a divorce. Feeling he had failed them, Chen Xincheng agreed, believing it was better for them to seek a happier life without him.
He also explained that as a police officer on call 24/7, he couldn't adequately care for Jia, which led him to concede custody to her mother, though he regretted it deeply when her mother decided to marry Uncle Yu. Jia acknowledged her mother's hardships over the years. Chen Xincheng then told Jia that as she was now eighteen, she had the right to choose who she lived with, and he hoped she would choose him.
Jia hesitated, inquiring about his own future and potential remarriage. Chen Xincheng promised her that until she became independent and found her own happiness, he would remain by her side, just the two of them. Moved by his words, Jia agreed to live with him. Meanwhile, a passerby had recorded Li Dawei, Zhao Jiwei, and Yang Shu beating Uncle Yu. Uncle Yu, armed with this edited video, came to Wang Shouyi at the police station.
He accused Chen Xincheng of instigating the attack and demanded that all four be fired from the police force, that they publicly apologize, and that they provide a written guarantee to stay away from him. Otherwise, he threatened to release the video online. Chen Xincheng, unaware of these developments, was in high spirits, tidying his home in anticipation of Jia moving in soon.
He cheerfully discussed his plans with Li Dawei, instructing him to deny any involvement and claim Chen Xincheng had coerced them, should the incident surface. Shortly after, Gao Chao approached Chen Xincheng, informing him about Uncle Yu's report to Wang Shouyi. Chen Xincheng immediately tried to shoulder all the blame, falsely claiming he had coerced the three rookies, including Li Dawei, to beat Uncle Yu out of personal resentment for stealing his ex-wife.
Gao Chao expressed skepticism, knowing Wang Shouyi, whom he described as an "old fox," would see through the lie, and that implicating himself as the instigator of a "premeditated crime" would only worsen matters for everyone. Wang Shouyi then called Chen Xincheng into his office, where Cheng Hao and Ye Wei were also present. Chen Xincheng repeated his fabricated story about personal grudges and coercing the younger officers to vent his anger.
Wang Shouyi, however, saw through his thinly veiled attempt to protect his apprentices. He angrily pointed out that Chen Xincheng's story of pre-meditated coercion would not only fail to protect the others but would also severely implicate himself. Wang Shouyi berated Chen Xincheng for his foolishness and lack of awareness, comparing it to a past incident where Chen Xincheng had stubbornly refused to admit fault. As tensions rose and voices were raised, Ye Wei tried to calm the situation.
Cheng Hao suggested that since Uncle Yu's demands were only for an apology, it implied he might have a secret that Chen Xincheng held. Wang Shouyi, however, insisted on a thorough investigation to uncover the full truth before making any decisions, rather than making decisions based on assumptions. Xia Jie, learning of Uncle Yu's report, immediately warned Li Dawei.
Unwilling to implicate Chen Xincheng, Zhao Jiwei, or Yang Shu, Li Dawei ignored Xia Jie's pleas to wait and rushed to Wang Shouyi, confessing to the entire incident and taking sole responsibility. He insisted that Yang Shu and Zhao Jiwei were merely trying to intervene and that Chen Xincheng knew nothing. Xia Jie, following closely, also tried to take responsibility, claiming she provoked Li Dawei.
Wang Shouyi, exasperated by their collective sense of loyalty, reminded them that the police force was not a "band of brothers" and ordered Gao Chao to detain Li Dawei for reflection, prohibiting his release without his permission. Chen Xincheng stormed in, vehemently protesting the decision, declaring that anyone who touched his apprentice would be his enemy. Wang Shouyi sternly warned Chen Xincheng against such emotional outbursts.
Finally, Chen Xincheng, his voice breaking, revealed the truth: Uncle Yu had sexually harassed Jia, and he, as her father, was a "loser" who couldn't protect his own daughter. He admitted that Li Dawei had intervened to save Jia. Overwhelmed by the shocking revelation, Wang Shouyi dismissed everyone from his office, needing time to himself. Outside the office, Cao Jianjun confronted Yang Shu, inquiring about his involvement in the fight.
He criticized Yang Shu for getting entangled with Li Dawei and advised him to prioritize his future career at the bureau by clearly stating he was only trying to break up the fight, thus shifting responsibility to Li Dawei. As Cao Jianjun offered this pragmatic but ethically questionable advice, Chen Xincheng, Li Dawei, Cheng Hao, and Xia Jie emerged from the office, overhearing his words and casting disapproving glances.
Later, Zhang Zhijie and Zhao Jiwei were on patrol in a residential area when they encountered city management officers confiscating goods from street vendors. Zhang Zhijie intervened, advocating for the struggling vendors, explaining that many were community residents, mostly former rural residents relying on their small businesses to support their families.
With Zhao Jiwei's active help in reorganizing their goods, Zhang Zhijie successfully convinced the city management to return the confiscated items, promising to work with the community to find a long-term solution. Zhao Jiwei actively participated, helping vendors retrieve their items and showing genuine concern for the residents' livelihoods, expressing that they needed to find a proper place for them to set up their stalls, a marked change in his attitude.
Noticing Zhao Jiwei's empathy and growth, Zhang Zhijie, his master, decided to revisit the earlier incident, asking Zhao Jiwei again for the full truth behind the fight involving him, Li Dawei, and Yang Shu.
