Our Dazzling Days Episode 30 (Ending) Recap
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As Factory No. 3 prepared for its official reopening, Xia Lei and his colleagues organized a surprise retirement ceremony for Yan Wenyuan at the East Chemical Plant. Yan Wenyuan was deeply moved as he stepped onto the stage to the sound of applause. He reflected on his forty-year journey from a young technician to the Chief Engineer, describing himself as a lighthouse that had guided the plant through its most challenging years.
During his speech, he recounted the heavy sacrifices made by his peers, such as Zhao Zhiwei, who was the first to charge into a high-temperature reactor repair but never made it out, and Jia Yulan, a thirty-two-year-old female technician who lost her life during a tower installation accident. Yan Wenyuan also shared a personal memory from September 17, 1980.
While he was caught between a critical repair job and the birth of his daughter, a young Ding Guoqiang suggested tying a red ribbon to the machinery for good luck. The repair succeeded, and Yan Wenyuan made it to the hospital in time to hear his daughter’s first cry. He eventually named her Yan Xiaodan, incorporating the character for "red" (丹) to commemorate that day.
As he concluded, he admitted that during the years the factory sat silent, he often sat on the second floor at night, wondering when it would finally wake up. He thanked Xia Lei for bringing the plant back to life and presented him with the old pen he had used to sign every blueprint of his career. Entrusting the workers to the younger generation, Yan Wenyuan asked Xia Lei to look after his old comrades.
Xia Lei accepted the pen solemnly, promising never to let the workers down. Seeing the emotional atmosphere, Ding Guoqiang spoke up, noting that he had not yet reached retirement age and still possessed all his technical skills. Xia Lei immediately announced that Ding Guoqiang was to return to his post effective immediately.
Sun Lulu concluded the ceremony by quoting Pavel Korchagin, dedicating the moment to the four decades of selfless service by the employees of the East Chemical Plant and all Third Front Plants. Xia Lei declared that the new factory would retain the name of Factory No. 3 to uphold the spirit of their predecessors and strive for new heights. At home, Ye Chunchun steamed a large batch of pickled cabbage buns.
When Zhang Xiaoman returned, he mentioned seeing a veteran worker, Mr. Li, heading home with only a bag of dried tofu and some green onions for a meager dinner. This prompted Xiaoman to reflect on how he had grown up eating the food of everyone in the factory district.
Realizing that many elderly workers were now living alone and struggling to care for themselves, he decided to start a communal kitchen to give back to the generation that had raised him. Ye Chunchun fully supported his decision, proud that the boy who once mooched meals had grown into a man capable of feeding others. Meanwhile, Yan Wenyuan’s condition worsened as his memory began to fail.
He struggled to recognize his own wife, questioning how she had entered his home and insisting his wife was much younger and prettier. However, some memories remained vivid, such as the pride he felt for Yan Xiaodan winning a first-prize award for reciting "To the Oak Tree." Yan Xiaodan sat with her father, showing him the designs for the future.
She promised him that the Mahavira Hall he had designed would not be demolished but would instead be preserved as a landmark of the Third Front Construction within a new culture and creative park. In a brief moment of miraculous clarity, Yan Wenyuan remembered her and her plans to work in France. He told her not to worry about him, as he was doing fine. Shortly after this final connection with his daughter, he passed away peacefully.
The day eventually came for the massive relocation of the East Chemical Plant. As loudspeakers announced the departure of the first batch of residents from the family quarters, workers and their families packed their belongings, including old furniture and scrap wood they couldn't bear to leave behind. A long convoy of vehicles prepared to leave as the familiar melody of "Singing of the Motherland" played over the radio, echoing the history of the Third Front Construction.
Ding Guoqiang, his voice thick with emotion, told his old comrades that while they were heading toward a new life at the new plant, this place would always be their true hometown. Yan Xiaodan captured the scene with her camera, regretful that she couldn't record the face of every single person but knowing their legacy would never be forgotten.
In a quiet moment amidst the changes, Zhang Xiaoman and Xia Lei visited the old bathhouse they had frequented since they were boys. Looking at the small lockers, they wondered how they used to stuff their heavy winter coats inside. They reminisced about how the crowded baths felt like dumplings in a pot and how Xia Lei, after returning from Shanghai, would spend entire afternoons soaking there.
Xiaoman noted that even though he had seen the grand hot springs in Japan, nothing compared to the warmth of their home bathhouse. Later, the community gathered at Yan Wenyuan’s grave to pay their respects. Xiaoman and Ye Chunchun also visited the graves of Xiaoman’s grandparents. Clearing the fallen leaves, Xiaoman introduced Chunchun to them, promising that he would stay at the plant forever to welcome anyone who chose to return.
Chunchun stood by his side, vowing to take care of him and manage their home together. Observing this scene, Ding Guoqiang and his wife were filled with emotion. Before Yan Xiaodan returned to France, Xia Lei accompanied her to the Workers' Cultural Center. Standing on the stage where they had spent so much of their youth, Yan Xiaodan began to recite "To the Oak Tree." Xia Lei joined her, reciting the verses perfectly alongside her.
He confessed that on the day of her original performance, he had intentionally made his voice hoarse because he felt a twinge of regret seeing her on stage with Xiaoman. They laughed, agreeing that such feelings were simply the essence of youth. They later met Zhang Xiaoman at the old bridge, discussing how their dreams had evolved.
While Yan Xiaodan once wanted to build the tallest skyscrapers, she now wished to design homes where people could live with peace of mind. She realized that while the other side of the bridge offered scenery, this side was home. Xiaoman added that guarding a place was often more difficult than leaving it to seek higher ground. By 2012, Factory No. 3 was thriving under the national strategy to revitalize the Northeast.
Xia Lei drove through the city with Ding Guoqiang, noting how the policies had helped their operations reach new levels of success. In France, Yan Xiaodan’s architectural designs gained international acclaim. She explained to her partners that her inspiration was drawn from a small, warm place called the East Chemical Plant, a town built by her father’s generation that she had seen decline and be reborn.
Back at home, the culture and creative park had become a success, attracting children of Third Front workers from across the country. Zhuang Sen recorded the lively visitors and sent the video to Yan Xiaodan, asking when their great designer would return to see the results. Finally, Zhang Xiaoman led Ye Chunchun to the bridge, asking her to close her eyes as they walked several steps forward.
When she opened them, she was greeted by a vibrant field of flowers with the factory standing proudly in the background. Xiaoman remarked that he used to think his world ended there, but he now realized what he had was more than enough. Resting her head on his shoulder, Chunchun noted that life didn't need to be perfect to be complete. For them, "Xiaoman," a name meaning "small fullness," was all the fulfillment they needed.
