The Hope Episode 13 Recap
> The Hope Recaps
Sang Xia, a former student of Mr. Lei, recalled seeing photos of his accomplished son, Lei Ming, at their home, impressed by his achievements such as the second prize of the IMO and being the top scorer in the college entrance exam. Mr. Lei, who taught Chinese literature, was known for his modest demeanor.
Years later, during a graduation reunion at Mr. Lei's house—a tradition for his students to "never forget our teacher, gather here each year"—Lei Ming briefly appeared to retrieve some items. Students recognized him from a massive "class for 10,000 people" he once led at a stadium and eagerly took photos. Sang Xia also captured a solo photo with Mr. Lei.
When Class 11 was later formed, Lei Ming specifically requested Sang Xia as the psychology teacher, noting from her resume photo that "she's cheerful. . . It lifts my mood," after rejecting other, more conventional teachers. Sang Xia conducted a class on preventing sexual harassment, titled "Juvenile Sex Education and Physiological Hygiene."
When students questioned the relevance of the topic to their exams, Sang Xia argued that crucial life skills like making friends, dating, waste classification, and fire escape, though not tested, are indispensable. She illustrated her points with scenarios: persistently following a crush, making an inappropriate joke about a female subordinate, or a boss hinting at career advantages to a young secretary—all of which she defined as "sexual harassment," emphasizing that any sexually suggestive words or actions causing discomfort constitute harassment.
She cited statistics revealing that 75% of girls and 40% of boys experience harassment, which can also occur between individuals of the same sex. Throughout the lesson, Shen Yao remained disengaged, focused on his own work. The class was abruptly ended by the Director, accompanied by school leaders, who severely reprimanded Sang Xia.
He brought up her past transgressions, such as discussing the merits of puppy love instead of its dangers and highlighting student suicide rates during a school anniversary, warning her that her "inappropriate" lessons were generating numerous parent complaints. Students then faced their final opportunity to adjust their subject selections for the college entrance exam. Lei Ming advised them to be meticulous and resist external influences.
Li Ran, initially hesitant about physics, was convinced by Lei Ming's compelling arguments about the extensive career prospects in STEM fields like AI, cloud computing, and advanced manufacturing. Cheng Yushan also considered switching to physics, despite her preference for history, as Lei Ming pointed out that medical schools often don't accept history credits. Jiang Qinglang, however, decided to stick with history.
Lei Ming articulated his philosophy that before students develop the necessary vision and ability to make informed life choices, educators should guide them toward the "best" path, such as aiming for elite universities like Qingbei, where they can "choose the love from the best." Sang Xia decided to reclaim the Psychological Catharsis Room, which had been converted into an unofficial nap area by other teachers.
When they resisted, citing their schedule, Sang Xia firmly told them to find another place, playfully suggesting they could "sleep together" with her if they insisted, which promptly cleared the room. Meanwhile, Class 11 students, feeling her absence, sought her out, imploring her to return. They dramatically exaggerated Lei Ming's distress, claiming he "knows he was wrong," was "upset recently," "always scolded us and was upset," and suffered from "dark circles deepening day by day" due to sleeplessness.
They even asserted that Lei Ming, whom they referred to as "Mr. Wrong," had locked himself in his office and refused to teach in her absence. Sang Xia, though skeptical, agreed to visit Lei Ming, partly to retrieve personal items and partly to confront him.
To her surprise, she found Lei Ming enjoying a lively gathering, surrounded by enthusiastic teachers who were eagerly introducing him to various women for matchmaking, praising their culinary skills and appearances, a stark contrast to the students' portrayal of his misery. For students like Jiang Qinglang and Yu Yang who required history, Lei Ming brought in Qi Yingchun, a "walking encyclopedia of history" and a "special-grade teacher of history."
Known for her interactive approach that replaced rote memorization with engaging games, she initially presented a traditional lecture on 1840, the year of the Opium War and Lin Zexu's Destruction of Opium at Humen, but quickly shifted to an adapted "Flying Flower Order." In this game, students had to identify a major historical event starting with a randomly generated number within a minute, with a penalty of drinking water for incorrect or delayed answers.
This dynamic method stimulated engagement; Jiang Qinglang successfully named events like the Battle of Feishui in 383 and the Huns taking Chang'an in 316, though he incurred a penalty for time. Yu Yang, despite a minor error regarding the Tang and Sui dynasties, gained confidence, speaking with a newfound loudness and clarity that his teacher praised, subtly aiding his stutter.
For students studying geography, including Bian Xiaoxiao, Li Ran, and Cheng Yushan, Lei Ming enlisted Xiang Dawei, a veteran geography teacher from Mingying. Although Xiang Dawei was unpopular at his previous school due to his emphasis on "basic and practical knowledge" through "body memory skill" and "experiential teaching," which was considered "too shallow" there, Lei Ming believed his approach was a "perfect fit for Class 11."
Xiang Dawei incorporated tai chi-like movements to teach geographical concepts, illustrating the interplay of "the moon as yin, the sun as yang" and the dynamics of ocean currents like the Peru Current and the East Australian warm current. Lei Ming had persistently messaged Sang Xia, nearly "harassing" her, to attend Mr. Bi's physics class. Initially dismissive, Sang Xia stayed upon realizing the renowned "Dr. Miracle" was teaching.
She soon challenged Lei Ming, accusing Mr. Bi's methods of being "live commerce techniques to attract traffic" that prioritized "pleasing fans" over "teaching students." Lei Ming defended his approach, arguing that some teachers struggled due to their inability to capture student attention. He advocated for a system where teachers are accountable to students as "customers" through "real-time feedback rating systems," asserting that "Compulsory education is our country's welfare, but not a privilege for teachers to condescend."
He believed this would foster "interesting, responsible, and skillful teachers." Sang Xia retorted that Lei Ming was inscrutable, his "just words" often concealing "egoism," making his true motivations unclear. Lei Ming insisted on focusing on "practical deeds," reiterating his conviction that for students uncertain about their futures, it was best to "choose the best for them directly," like aiming for Qingbei, enabling them to "choose the love from the best."
Sang Xia, perceiving his defensiveness, asked if he felt compelled to explain himself. He denied it, and she abruptly left, citing another appointment, ignoring his request to dispose of his trash. After work, Sang Xia visited Mr. Lei, her former teacher. She found him in the canteen, attempting to feed a woman, whom he believed had just finished chemotherapy.
It became clear that Mr. Lei was suffering from memory loss, frequently mistaking women in their thirties for his deceased wife, who had passed away from breast cancer, and insisting they undergo chemotherapy as a form of penance for his past neglect. Lei Ming arrived with Sang Xia and found his father trying to hide food in his pockets for "Ming." They gently intervened, reassuring Mr. Lei and helping him change his soiled clothes.
Lei Ming then confronted Sang Xia, asking if she had known that Mr. Lei was his father. Sang Xia confirmed her past as a 2007 graduate of No. 1 High School, where Mr. Lei had been her Chinese teacher. When Lei Ming questioned her reasons for not revealing this, Sang Xia cryptically replied that it was akin to him not sharing all his secrets.
Despite Sang Xia's earlier decision to leave Class 11, Lei Ming still mentioned the upcoming "rural life" trip, subtly implying her involvement. Sang Xia reiterated her intention to take a day off, asserting that she was no longer the head teacher, though Lei Ming noted Principal Gao had not yet formally approved it.
As Lei Ming accepted her decision, urging her "just don't regret it," Mr. Lei, in a moment of profound confusion, clasped Sang Xia's hand, mistaking her for "Dr. Lu" and pleading with her to perform his "lover's surgery." This heart-wrenching plea brought tears to Lei Ming's eyes.
