The Hope Episode 14 Recap
> The Hope Recaps
On Shen Yao’s birthday, his father returned home very late. His mother questioned his lateness, and his father explained that his flight was delayed, promising to have his assistant deliver a gift the next day. Annoyed, Shen Yao’s mother asked him to stop letting his assistant buy gifts, to which his father retorted it was a special circumstance.
Shen Yao, visibly upset, thanked his father and then refused to eat when his father asked for food to be reheated, saying he had already eaten. Shen Yao showed his father his recent mock exam results, but his father criticized his score in Chinese, stating there was still room for improvement. He then lectured Shen Yao's mother, Mengyao, to focus more on their son rather than dramas and stocks.
Throughout dinner, his father’s phone kept ringing, and he eventually left, citing company matters. Later, his father was on the phone, dismissing a report about damaged shoes as a prank. A flashback revealed that Shen Yao, in a fit of rage, had deliberately broken high heels implied to belong to his father's mistress. Later that night, Li Ran discovered Shen Yao had self-harmed.
The school organized a farming practice day, emphasizing discipline and active participation, as it was directly linked to the new college entrance exam’s qualitative education assessment. Class 11, with fewer students, was instructed to merge with Peach Plum Class 2. As students boarded the bus, Sang Xia had not yet arrived, and Class 11 students expressed concern. Mr. Xiao, the dean, insisted they depart, but Lei Ming, pretending to throw out trash, deliberately delayed the bus.
Other buses had already left, and Peach Plum Class 2 students grew impatient, arguing with Class 11 about the delay. Lei Ming firmly told the driver to wait. Finally, Sang Xia arrived, bringing buns for Yu Yang that his mother had forgotten. Lei Ming, relieved, then apologized to Sang Xia for his harsh words about her graduate degree at the job fair, admitting he had been harsh. Sang Xia mockingly accepted his apology. Meanwhile, Bian Xiaoxiao appeared noticeably uncomfortable.
Mr. Xiao reiterated the activity rules, which included three competitive scoring events. Students from Peach Plum Class 2 openly refused to merge with Class 11, citing previous losses and disparaging Class 11 as "low-performing students." In response, Lei Ming declared that Class 11 would compete as an independent group, confident they could manage the 20 credits on their own, a decision met with cheers from his students.
Bian Xiaoxiao had been in communication with her father, who spoke about a good harvest at the orchard and offered her money. She informed him that the school's farming practice would be in their village. Her father was thrilled, eager to prepare seafood and delicious dishes for her teachers and classmates. However, Bian Xiaoxiao, fearing her classmates would judge her father's appearance, asked him to take the day off from the orchard.
Upon arrival, she attempted to stay on the bus, claiming a stomachache, but Lei Ming saw through her excuse, offering her medicine for various ailments and insisting she join. She eventually disembarked, trying to conceal her face with a hat and sunglasses. While the students rested, they noticed a man with a burnt face wearing a mask, working in the orchard. This was Bian Xiaoxiao's father, who had come despite her request.
A student accidentally knocked off her father’s mask, revealing his scars. Bian Xiaoxiao, sitting quietly in a corner, was deeply distressed and refused to eat the spicy stir-fried pork her father had specially prepared for her. During the insect identification part of the competition, Li Ran and Jiang Qinglang caught insects.
Shen Yao constantly glanced at Li Ran, increasingly paranoid that Li Ran would reveal his self-harm, especially after overhearing other students discuss a student from Class 1 who had dropped out due to severe depression discovered by a desk mate. Peach Plum Class 2 students mocked Class 11 for their lack of knowledge about insects. After Shen Yao correctly answered an initial question, the teacher posed a more challenging one: "Why do we need pests?"
To everyone’s surprise, Yu Yang answered fluently and correctly, drawing on biology concepts to explain that pests are necessary for maintaining ecological balance in food chains. The teacher awarded Yu Yang points and emphasized that nature has food chains but no hierarchy of disdain, asserting that all creatures are essential. He then instructed the students to return the insects to their natural habitats. The next event was the fishing competition.
In the first round, Peach Plum Class 2 caught five fish, while Class 11 caught none. During the second round, Peach Plum Class 2 accused Class 11 of cheating, claiming Jiang Qinglang was repeatedly re-entering the competition disguised with a hat and mask. When he was revealed, the Peach Plum girls protested that it was unfair for two boys to compete against their two girls. Unable to tolerate it anymore, Bian Xiaoxiao dramatically removed her hat and mask.
She offered to single-handedly take on any number of students from Peach Plum Class 2, proposing double points for a win or double deduction for a loss. Peach Plum Class 2 accepted her challenge. Bian Xiaoxiao then displayed remarkable skill, efficiently catching fish and securing a victory for Class 11 with twelve fish to Peach Plum Class 2's four. A flashback revealed Lei Ming had previously shared fishing tips with her, emphasizing a slow and firm grip.
Later that evening, as everyone prepared to build fires and cook, Sang Xia spoke to Lei Ming about his father, Mr. Lei. She suggested that Mr. Lei cared deeply for him but struggled to express it, a common trait in Chinese fathers. Lei Ming countered that his father did express himself, but in peculiar ways. He recalled his late mother consistently telling him to be sensible and independent, never to trouble his father due to his heavy teaching load.
Lei Ming had followed this, yet never received his father's approval, eventually learning to stop trying to understand him. Sang Xia then theorized that Mr. Lei’s strictness might stem from a fear of Lei Ming becoming overly dependent, wanting him to be self-sufficient if he were ever alone. Lei Ming responded with a hint of envy, implying Sang Xia had a more understanding parental relationship. Meanwhile, Shen Yao was consumed by paranoia.
He misinterpreted Li Ran’s casual conversations with Bian Xiaoxiao as Li Ran revealing his self-harm. Remembering how Qian Ningyu's depression had led to his transfer, Shen Yao's anxiety escalated. He followed Bian Xiaoxiao and confronted her. When she called him crazy, his agitation grew, and he chased her, causing her to fall down a cliff. A search party was quickly organized for the missing Shen Yao and Bian Xiaoxiao. Li Ran eventually found Shen Yao, who was injured.
Li Ran helped him, reassuring him that he had not and would not tell anyone about his secret, which surprised Shen Yao. Li Ran then carried Shen Yao back to the camp. Bian Xiaoxiao, having regained consciousness after her fall, found her leg injured and immobilized. She used her clothes to improvise a bandage. Her father was the one who finally located her, tenderly carrying her on his back.
He informed her that Lei Ming had called him earlier to alert him to her disappearance and had also sent her recent report card, praising her dedication to studying and advising him not to be angry. Bian Xiaoxiao, tearful, confessed that she hadn't wanted her father at the base, not out of shame, but because she feared other students' reactions to his burnt face would make him uncomfortable.
She then pulled a broken pair of sunglasses from her pocket, a gift for her father because his eyes hurt in the sun. She apologized for the gift breaking, but her father lovingly insisted on keeping them. Acknowledging her father's unconditional love, she expressed remorse for her earlier actions. Back at the camp, Bian Xiaoxiao, despite her injuries, refused to go to the hospital and instead joined the others in their celebration.
Lei Ming approached her and suggested she start a "cloud studying" live-stream account. He proposed the name "The Worst Students' Countdown to Qingbei," predicting it would be highly engaging. He explained that if the channel became popular, the collective oversight of the internet would keep her accountable. Even if it didn't immediately go viral, if she succeeded in getting into Qingbei a year later, these videos would resurface, establishing her as a unique education influencer with "looks, talent, and followers." Bian Xiaoxiao was clearly intrigued by the prospect.
