Twelve Letters Episode 6 Recap
> Twelve Letters Recap
Ye Haitang's eyes traced the words on the letter, noting how the detailed descriptions of daily life astonishingly matched Tang Yixun's. Their gazes met briefly, then quickly averted, as an awkward silence settled between them. The letter was, in fact, an unsent love letter. Tang Yixun reflected that if the letter truly came from his future self in 2026, a man in his fifties, he would never pen such sentimental words.
Ye Haitang suggested that the writings felt genuine and indeed mirrored their current challenging lives, marked by daily fights, debt collection, and constant fear, reminiscing about the simpler days she missed. Tang Yixun found it bizarre that his future self would write such things. Determined to understand the origin of the mysterious postbox, Tang Yixun listened as Ye Haitang recalled an old, thin, white-haired man, accompanied by a cat, pulling a flatbed cart with a similar red postbox on it.
She had only seen him once, and he didn't seem to be from their town, but the postbox appeared the day after he left. Tang Yixun also remembered seeing this old man at Ye Haitang's doorstep. With both their names appearing in the letters, they concluded that the phenomenon was directly related to them. They decided to search for this old man, and though they journeyed in the rain, discussing the uncertainties of the future, they failed to find him.
Tang Yixun admitted he still struggled to believe the situation was real, questioning what it all meant even if true. Ye Haitang, however, saw it as an opportunity. If the senders were truly from the future, she wanted to ask if she would get into college and manage to leave Meiwan. Tang Yixun immediately affirmed that she certainly would.
When asked about his own future, he confessed he hadn't given it much thought, only hoping his future self would be doing well, but admitted to a pessimistic feeling that the future might not hold anything good. Ye Haitang countered that knowing bad things in advance could help them avoid them.
They pondered Yu Nian's identity, wondering if she truly knew their future selves, yet both felt an inexplicable trust in her, much like the genuine feeling they had about the love letter. In 2026, Yu Nian anxiously awaited a reply. As she consulted with Ye Haitang’s son about their next steps, a call from the public security bureau reported the discovery of a disoriented elderly man near the Wangjialing National Highway Gas Station, possibly her father.
Yu Nian rushed to the location. Upon arrival, she confirmed it was not her father nor the person they were looking for, and urged the officers to call an ambulance for the elderly man, who was cold and disoriented. Reflecting on the situation, Yu Nian grew distraught, wondering if her father was also lost and unable to remember his name or home.
She was overcome with regret, questioning why she had argued with him, and desperately wished to know where he was and if he was safe. Meanwhile, Li Chadong, Tang Yixun, and their friends were busy cleaning their newly acquired shop. Bao's henchman arrived with fruit, attempting to persuade Li Chadong to return to his old, illicit business.
Li Chadong politely but firmly refused, stating that they were merely "battered soldiers" who could no longer join Bao's "boat" and did not wish to hold them back. When the henchman pressed, implying Li Chadong blamed them for his injury, Li Chadong clarified, declaring that from then on, they would only operate the pool hall to earn an honest living, and their business was no longer connected to Bao's gang.
After the henchman left, Li Chadong advised his men to avoid provoking Bao’s gang but confidently asserted that they would not be forced back into debt collection. He then rallied them to continue their honest work. Soon after, Tan Xin, Tang Yixun’s teacher, visited the shop. She expressed her happiness about Li Chadong’s intention to do legitimate business and offered Tang Yixun a chance to return to school under two conditions.
First, he had to study diligently and cause no more trouble at school, with Ye Haitang agreeing to tutor him so they could both improve. Second, he was strictly forbidden from fighting outside school or associating with outside troublemakers; any violation would result in immediate expulsion. Tang Yixun eagerly accepted, thanking her profusely. Tan Xin declined an offer to stay for dinner, urging Tang Yixun to focus on his studies.
After she left, Li Chadong playfully chastised Tang Yixun for being shy and not keeping Tan Xin longer. That evening, Ye Haitang went to Tang Yixun's place to cut his hair, saying it was in preparation for his return to school the next day. As she trimmed his hair, she stressed the importance of not fighting with Shen Xiaojun or others, promising to help him with any academic difficulties.
Tang Yixun admitted he had many things he didn't understand, and she vowed to teach him until he did. She asked if he had ever considered attending university or his future. He confessed he hadn't, feeling that people like them lived day by day, merely trying to survive, especially since he experienced hunger as a child. He felt being alone made nothing matter. Ye Haitang strongly disagreed, insisting he shouldn't give up.
She revealed that her hope of getting into college was what kept her going. It was her escape from Meiwan and her father, Ye Yibo. Her grandma had left her the house with instructions to sell it after college and leave, taking the money to go as far away as possible. She recounted how, during her father's abuse, she would silently repeat "Get into college, leave Meiwan" a hundred times, feeling each day brought her closer to that dream.
Tang Yixun expressed his belief that she could achieve her dream. Ye Haitang then encouraged him to join her, suggesting they could study together, "charge ahead," and leave Meiwan together. Tang Yixun was skeptical, doubting his ability to get into college, but Ye Haitang playfully assured him it was "easier than fighting."
After finishing the haircut, Ye Haitang remarked on Tang Yixun's new, neat appearance, and Tang Yixun himself said he almost didn't recognize himself, adding that Ye Haitang cut his hair very well. She then suggested that if the events of the 23rd mentioned in the letters proved true, they should ask Yu Nian if they could attend the same university. Tang Yixun, however, stated that he surely wouldn't be able to get into the same university as her.
Tang Yixun then walked Ye Haitang home. Before she entered, she handed him a greeting card addressed "To Tang Yixun," with the message: "May we both have the courage to journey through mountains and seas, and the luck to witness the aurora. - Ye Haitang." Tang Yixun was filled with joy as he watched her go, unaware of the unsettling sounds emanating from inside her house. The moment Ye Haitang stepped inside, she was violently attacked and rendered unconscious.
The next morning, Tang Yixun arrived to pick her up for school, only to find her room empty and her nowhere to be found. At school, Shen Xiaojun tried to provoke him, but Tang Yixun, remembering his promise to Ye Haitang, calmly avoided a fight. However, upon hearing that Ye Haitang had taken sick leave, requested by her father, he instantly panicked. He rushed to the Ye family residence, only to find it deserted. Desperate, Tang Yixun called the police.
Following their hints, he suspected Ye Yibo had admitted Ye Haitang to a psychiatric hospital. It was revealed that Ye Yibo, in his greed for the family property, had falsely claimed his daughter was mentally ill to imprison her. Tang Yixun immediately raced to the psychiatric hospital. He found Ye Yibo trying to force a distraught and restrained Ye Haitang further inside, claiming he was doing it for her own good and that she needed treatment.
Ye Yibo cruelly told Ye Haitang not to blame him, promising to pick her up after selling the house. Tang Yixun confronted Ye Yibo, calling him a "beast." Ye Yibo, feigning victimhood, accused Ye Haitang of trying to stab him and of bringing Tang Yixun, a "punk," to kill him. A fierce physical altercation ensued, with Tang Yixun fighting to rescue Ye Haitang. Other hospital staff intervened, warning of fatal consequences if the fight continued.
Tang Yixun, still calling Ye Yibo an "animal," eventually managed to free Ye Haitang, who was deeply traumatized, repeatedly apologizing. Tang Yixun comforted her, saying "Let's go home," and brought her back. Back at his home, Tang Yixun was enraged by Ye Yibo’s monstrous behavior towards his own daughter. Ye Haitang then opened up about her traumatic childhood. Her mother had left them because she could no longer endure Ye Yibo’s violence.
However, her mother was slandered in the community for taking money from the Fenghua Sugar Factory, where she worked as a cashier. Ye Yibo, in public, was a master of deception.
He never spoke ill of his wife and tearfully promised the factory’s Director Wei and Secretary Liu that he would repay the stolen funds, even offering to have it deducted from his meager wages, claiming he and Ye Haitang could eat simply so he could save money for his own mother's medical bills. The factory leaders were moved by his apparent selflessness, and the factory agreed not to press charges if he repaid the money.
He even became a local hero after rushing into a factory fire to save over a dozen people, receiving an award and publicly declaring his commitment to justice and courage. He helped neighbors whenever needed and refused all offers of remarriage, stating he wouldn't let a stepmother mistreat Ye Haitang.
Because of this carefully crafted facade, no one believed Ye Haitang when she tried to expose his abuse; instead, they were convinced she was mentally ill, a diagnosis Ye Yibo reinforced by learning the term "delusional disorder" from doctors. He would fly into a rage whenever her mother spoke to other men, escalating into violence, eventually driving her mother away. Tang Yixun, in turn, shared his own painful past.
He had never met his father and last saw his mother when he was four, when she promised to find his father and return for him, a promise she never kept. He recounted almost starving to death in their house before being sent to an orphanage. His parents left him nothing, not even a name; "Xun" was given to him by Chubby Auntie (Tan Xin's mother) at the orphanage.
He later learned his birth parents never truly cared for him, which fueled his determination to survive, no matter the cost. He admitted that his early fights stemmed from being bullied and called a "stray dog," with his books thrown into the toilet. He found solace and guidance from Tan Xin and Chubby Auntie, who always encouraged him to study.
He also revealed that Tan Xin and Li Chadong used to be a couple, with Li Chadong cycling long distances to visit her at normal college, but they broke up when Tan Xin felt he strayed to the "wrong path."
Tang Yixun defended Li Chadong and Rat, explaining that Li Chadong, lacking education, struggled to find legitimate work, while Rat had suffered deeply after his murderer father's imprisonment and his mother's subsequent suicide due to bullying, leading him to drop out of school. Seeing so many unfortunate people struggling to survive, Tang Yixun reflected on the fragility of life. Ye Haitang then asked why he saved her when she tried to take her own life.
Tang Yixun simply said he wanted her to live. He added that she hadn't done anything wrong and, being so diligent, deserved to live well. He confessed that when he was injured and saw her frantically trying to reach him, he felt for the first time what it was like to have family. He then offered to be her family if she would accept him.
With tears in her eyes, Ye Haitang agreed, and they resolved to live well together, as each other's chosen family, moving forward. Life slowly returned to normal as they focused on their studies. Tang Yixun practiced riding a bicycle, with Ye Haitang teaching him about mathematics and offering encouragement for finding freedom through education. On the designated day, the 23rd, Ye Haitang and Tang Yixun headed to the dock Yu Nian had mentioned.
As dusk settled and their hope dwindled, the promised waterspout, which the locals called a "dragon," dramatically appeared. Amazed, Ye Haitang immediately wrote a reply to Yu Nian. Her letter confirmed the waterspout, stating her current date as September 23, 1991, expressing her astonishment at communicating with someone from 2026. She clarified that she had received a previous letter, but it was not from "Yu Zhiyong," whom she didn't know, and that the letter was already torn.
She also informed Yu Nian that she didn't know Beixing City and that letters arrive when a cat jumps onto the postbox at midnight. She earnestly asked Yu Nian for an explanation. In 2026, Yu Nian received the reply. Ye Haitang's son, seeing the confirmation of the date, asked Yu Nian if she was sure this was his mother. Yu Nian admitted she couldn't confirm it yet, especially since the letter stated it wasn't from his father.
They hypothesized that the postbox might connect multiple timelines, or that others might also be using it, making the situation far more complex. Ye Haitang's son then insisted on writing the next letter himself, alone, to ask a question that only he and his mother would know the answer to, to conclusively verify her identity. Yu Nian agreed. The episode concluded with Yu Nian informing someone via phone that she was going to Pushui, as her mother had been found.
