Our Generation Episode 1 Recap
> Our Generation Recap
Lin Cherry, a mischievous girl, often leads her friends into trouble. During an attempt to help her friend Cai Fangyuan get a novel from the library, she is caught by Jiang Qiaoxi, a new student. Startled, Lin Cherry quickly makes her escape. That evening, Jiang Qiaoxi arrives at her home with his father, Jiang Zheng, who is an old acquaintance and the supervisor of Lin Cherry's father, Lin Haifeng.
At dinner, Jiang Qiaoxi refuses to take off his backpack, explaining it contains a dirty coat from his cousin that he doesn't want to discard. Lin Cherry's mother, Zhao Shengjuan, offers to wash it. Worried that Jiang Qiaoxi might report her for the library incident, leading to her being "taken away" like Rapunzel, Lin Cherry tries to win him over with candy, tapes, and comics.
She also insists her friends treat him well, believing that if he is forced to leave, she will be taken with him. Lin Haifeng and Zhao Shengjuan later discuss Jiang Qiaoxi, noting his reputation as a "math genius" and hinting at a past family tragedy that still affects him. Lin Cherry gives Jiang Qiaoxi a tour of the staff dorms, introducing him to her friends.
She points out Du Shang's home, where he lives with his mother since his father was transferred. She introduces Qin Yeyun, whom she dislikes because her "broken palm" makes her hits painful, though she admits Qin Yeyun is pretty. Qin Yeyun lives with her father, Mr. Qin, who runs the convenience store after a work injury left him unable to walk properly; Lin Cherry admires him for practicing Qigong daily to heal his leg.
They also see Yu Qiao's crowded home, where he lives with his parents, grandmother, and young cousin, Yu Jin, who was taken in after his mother fell ill. Finally, they pass the house of Cai Fangyuan, who loves all things delicious and fun. As they walk, Lin Cherry expresses her fear of forgetting her memories of Qun Shan if she were to die, asking Jiang Qiaoxi to help her remember.
He reassures her that parents always remember and love their children who have passed away. When she asks if he will leave one day, he confirms he will. Believing she is doomed after a snake jumped higher than her, an omen she learned from a former neighbor, Lin Cherry writes in a school essay that she is about to die and begins giving away her possessions. Alarmed, her teacher, Miss Zhang, rushes to her home.
Lin Cherry tearfully explains her conviction, but Miss Zhang and Zhao Shengjuan compassionately reassure her that the superstition is false and she is not going to die. For a school assignment about their names, Lin Cherry explains that her name was changed from "Lin Cherry" to "Lin Qi Le" because the former was considered too simple, even though her mother had craved cherries while pregnant.
Her friends also share the stories behind their names, but Jiang Qiaoxi states his name has no special meaning. Later, at a group dinner, Lin Qi Le asks Jiang Zheng about his son's name. Jiang Zheng explains that he and his wife were unprepared for a child and he simply picked the name from a line of poetry in a newspaper when one was needed for the birth certificate. Lin Qi Le overhears her parents discussing Jiang Qiaoxi's family.
They had an older son, Jiang Mengchu, a child prodigy who died young. His death nearly led to his parents' divorce, and they only had Jiang Qiaoxi at the urging of factory leaders. However, they remain emotionally distant, with his father even misremembering his birthday on a transfer form, suggesting he is still fixated on his first son. Moved, Lin Qi Le looks up the character "Qiao" (峤) in a dictionary.
The next day, she takes Jiang Qiaoxi to the highest mountain in Qun Shan and explains that "Qiao" means "a high and sharp mountain." She tells him she once saw a beautiful, brilliant red sunset from that spot, suggesting this is the true meaning of his name. Though it begins to rain, preventing them from seeing the sunset, he asks her to describe it.
As she vividly recounts the fiery, ever-changing sky, he affirms he can see the scene she describes in his mind. She joyfully concludes that "Jiang Qiao Xi" is a meaningful and pleasant name. The friends gather to celebrate Jiang Qiaoxi's birthday. Before the party, an argument erupts at Du Shang's home, prompting Jiang Zheng to intervene and reprimand Du Shang's father. At the party, Jiang Zheng gives his son a black gift, remarking that black suits him.
Jiang Qiaoxi notes it's "black again" and reveals his mother, Liang Hongfei, will be picking him up to return to the provincial city in two days. The friends present Jiang Qiaoxi with preserved flowers they dyed black with ink. Lin Qi Le explains they chose the color because he wears it so often, believing one should like a person as they are.
However, Jiang Qiaoxi confesses he dislikes black; his late brother liked it, and his parents buy him only black things, forcing him to like it because "they don't love me the way I am." He reveals he actually likes red. Lin Qi Le promises to use her next birthday wish for his parents to love him for who he truly is. He tells her to keep her own wish—for them all to stay together—as it means more to him.
Later, Lin Qi Le brings shrimp buns to Jiang Qiaoxi's home, but his parents politely refuse them. She then overhears them planning to keep his departure a secret from her until after winter break to soften the blow. Realizing he is leaving for good, Lin Qi Le is devastated. After her father confirms that his mother is taking him back to the provincial city, she runs after their departing car, crying out his name.
Jiang Qiaoxi calls back, "Cherry, I'll be back after the winter break!" As the car disappears, Lin Qi Le reflects that people, like animals that molt, must eventually break free from their shells and let things go to move forward.
