The Hope Episode 7 Recap
> The Hope Recap
In 2008, Lei Ming returned to his alma mater, Xingzhou City High School, as a famous teacher from Zhixiang, to give a speech to the younger students. He stood in a classroom, pointing out that it had 350 seats, twelve of which were broken but now repaired. He asked a student to read the words carved on his seat, "See you at Qingbei," revealing that he himself had carved them.
Lei Ming shared that he used to come secretly to this classroom every night for self-study, changing seats daily, believing that by the time he reached that particular seat, he would have been accepted into Qingbei University. He admitted that senior year was incredibly tough, and he had cried countless times in various seats, feeling completely broken and distant from his dream.
However, after crying and picking himself up, seeing that carved seat always gave him renewed strength, reminding him that Qingbei was not far but waiting for him to proudly claim his place. He then advised the students that they could achieve their goals too, but urged them not to damage public property, keeping their aspirations in their hearts.
Lei Ming concluded his speech by reflecting on how, at eighteen, holding his Qingbei acceptance letter, he felt he had finally mastered and defeated time, repeating the proverb, "Little by little, it merges into the sea; every minute constitutes life," and leading the students in chanting, "Cherish time, and don't believe in fate." Later, Lei Ming and Class 11 were found by Mr. Xiao and Mr. Du in the monitoring room.
Mr. Xiao immediately blamed Sang Xia for the breach and threatened punishment. Lei Ming, however, produced a special pass from the principal, rendering Mr. Xiao powerless and forcing him and Mr. Rong to observe. Afterward, Lei Ming spoke with the male vice principal, explaining that he had anticipated Sang Xia's unreliability and prepared a backup plan.
He reminded the vice principal that they were allies, and the success of Class 11 would ensure that neither he nor Longhai High School would be "swallowed up." Lei Ming also clarified that Class 11's teaching had nothing to do with the "Lizhou Miracle" or his father, Lei Lizhou, beyond using the name as a gimmick. Lei Ming proceeded to give Class 11 a unique lesson using the surveillance footage, teaching them how top students learn.
He introduced a four-step process: trigger, crave, response, and reward. He showed footage of Peach Plum Class 2 and Pine Cypress Class 4, explaining that students' scores are determined by themselves, not by teachers, regardless of whether their teacher is an ordinary level teacher like Mr. Zhu or an outstanding teacher like Mr. Sheng.
He asserted that just as smartphones can be addictive, so can learning, if one establishes a correct reward system that releases endorphins, making them more focused and craving more rewards. He concluded that no one is born a top student; they simply learn to treat studying as a game.
Jiang Qinglang pointed out a student who appeared to be sleeping in Peach Plum Class 2, but Lei Ming revealed this was a "boy who secretly studies," using his in-class sleep to mislead opponents while utilizing class breaks to get free personalized tutoring from teachers. Lei Ming ended the lesson by posing a question: why is there such a stark difference in study habits between Peach Plum Class and Pine Cypress Class?
Mr. Xiao had to admit that Lei Ming "is quite something." During lunchtime, Cheng Yushan observed other students diligently studying in the cafeteria. She realized they were genuinely happy and focused in their own worlds, a feeling she had never experienced herself—the drive to strive for a goal. Sang Xia, observing her students scattering and eating separately, assigned them a task: buy meals for each other without communicating, with results impacting attendance points.
This resulted in confusion, with students bringing meals their classmates couldn't eat, like spicy food for someone who couldn't handle it, sweet food for someone who disliked it, or glutinous rice for Yu Yang, who had a sensitive stomach and was advised by his Auntie Feng not to eat it.
Sang Xia explained that the exercise was not a "love variety show" but about fostering empathy, respect, goodwill, sincerity, and mutual understanding within their collective, emphasizing that without it, they would face "a complete breakdown." She urged them to finish their meals and hoped that next time, they would have a better understanding of each other. Students then began to exchange meals to find something they could eat.
Li Ran confronted Shen Yao, knowing he was responsible for his broken computer, even though the incriminating photos had been deleted. Shen Yao, unfazed, deliberately called Li Ran’s grandmother, Granny Ge, who worked as a housekeeper for his family, to bring him some study materials and soup. He publicly announced that Li Ran's grandmother was his family's housekeeper, further humiliating Li Ran, and then demanded that she deliver soup to him every noon.
Cheng Yushan attempted to intervene by accepting a new computer from Shen Yao on Li Ran's behalf, but Li Ran refused, insisting he could fix his own. Shen Yao then asked Cheng Yushan to deliver the soup to his classroom door. After Shen Yao left, Granny Ge offered Li Ran some freshly peeled walnuts.
Li Ran hesitated, but Cheng Yushan accepted them from her, telling Granny Ge she was Li Ran's classmate and that the walnuts were good for the brain, then distributed them among her classmates. As the dorms were full, Sang Xia announced that Class 11’s accommodation for the ten-day training would be the performance hall. She had the "giant curtain" opened and presented Lei Ming’s supplies.
Seeing the students’ upset faces, she tried to lighten the mood, noting that sleeping on a stage was a rare life experience. She designated the area in front of the curtain for boys and behind it for girls, closer to the restroom, while she would sleep in a separate spot. As everyone started setting up, Bian Xiaoxiao tried to help Yu Yang, but he reacted strongly, telling her not to touch his belongings.
Sang Xia noticed that Cheng Yushan and Li Ran were still wearing their old uniforms. She gave them new ones, having already paid the fee, and told them to consider it a favor owed to her, suggesting they could buy her milk tea someday to foster their teacher-student relationship. Later, in the restroom, Bian Xiaoxiao saw Cheng Yushan washing her face with cold water.
Concerned, she offered Cheng Yushan her facial cleanser, but Cheng Yushan politely declined, stating that she was not there to make friends. Sang Xia, overhearing their conversation, mused that she was observing an interesting dynamic between a people-pleasing personality and an avoidant one. Yu Yang later asked Sang Xia why Lei Ming wasn’t staying with them, and she playfully replied that he had stinky feet.
That night, Jiang Qinglang peered through the stage curtain and saw Cheng Yushan, which brought him back to a memory from 2017, before the merger of Mingying and Longhai high schools. He recalled seeing Cheng Yushan waiting outside a milk tea shop. A boy from Mingying High, who was among the top fifty in his grade, approached her to ask for her QQ number, offering to pay for her milk tea and even tutor her for free.
Cheng Yushan declined, and when he persisted, she wrote the word "hick" on his hand. Jiang Qinglang remembered thinking she was a tough person. He had also received a message from his "strategist" friend, confirming he had dealt with "Voldemort" (presumably a teacher or parent) and told Jiang Qinglang's mother he was at a math training camp. The next morning, numerous alarms blared, waking up the students.
Lei Ming immediately addressed them, declaring that their freedom and time now belonged to him until they received their admission notices. He explained that their sleep schedule of 10 PM to 5:30 AM (7. 5 hours) covered five complete sleep cycles, which, physiologically, should make them energetic upon waking. If they felt tired, it meant they hadn't slept when they should have. He then challenged the notion that morning running was for physical fitness, calling it "pseudo-science."
Instead, he stated that the purpose of morning exercises was to build collective consciousness and study spirit through light activity to awaken their bodies and minds. Finally, he emphasized the importance of a comprehensive and balanced breakfast, detailing the vitamins and nutrients in their assigned meals, which he claimed would enhance memory, combat aging, and promote brain blood circulation, being most effective for those whose "brains have been idle for a long time."
For their first class of the day, Lei Ming introduced Tan Xiaozhou as Class 11's special guest Chinese teacher. Bian Xiaoxiao, excitedly, recognized her as "Tan Dada," the acclaimed author of "Ruan Lang Ling," professing to be her huge fan. Tan Xiaozhou recited lines from "East wind blows heavily, happy time fades away. . ." and "The eternal pledge of love remains, but the embroidered letter can no longer be delivered."
Sang Xia, from a distance, remarked to Lei Ming that he was getting "benefits" from his "ex-girlfriend," but Lei Ming quickly corrected her, stating that Tan Xiaozhou was officially hired by the school. Tan Xiaozhou then questioned Lei Ming, asking why he had sought her help. He replied that she was the only one he knew who understood both literature and the college entrance exam, possessing both looks and soul.
She also asked why he had avoided her previously, to which he playfully replied he hadn't washed his hair. When she pressed about the woman he was with that day, he claimed she was just a colleague. Tan Xiaozhou then teased him for being single for so many years and not asking her to help him find a girlfriend.
In class, Tan Xiaozhou asserted that studying Chinese was not just for exams but for making friends, falling in love, and enjoying life. To illustrate this, she asked the male students how they would confess to someone they secretly admired, with the female students judging their answers. Li Ran struggled, but Jiang Qinglang confidently declared his feelings to Cheng Yushan, stating, "We were friends, but now we're not, because you are now my girlfriend."
Tan Xiaozhou, after Jiang Qinglang sat down, called both attempts "incorrect demonstrations." She then taught them poetic ways to express love, sharing lines like "Trees grow on the mountain, and branches grow on the tree; my love for you grows in heart, but you, dear, don't know it," suggesting they only quote the first half and let the crush look up the rest. She also offered advanced poetic lines and practical applications for social media.
She gave examples of mundane comments people might leave on a QQ post about a beautiful sunset, like "Wow, so many birds," and then contrasted them with more sophisticated literary responses, such as a quote from Rilke's "Autumn Day" for those who want to appear profound. She ended by emphasizing that Chinese, as their native language, was easy to understand and beautiful. As she read a melancholic poem, a loud alarm sounded, and students cried out that someone was jumping from a building.
