Twelve Letters Episode 8 Recap
> Twelve Letters Recap
Ye Haitang learned that Tang Yixun had never celebrated his birthday, which filled her with tenderness. One evening, as they walked, she pointed out a crystal ball, asking if its light resembled the aurora. Tang Yixun offered to buy it for her, but she declined, suggesting he gift it to her on his birthday instead, believing it would be more meaningful.
When she asked when his birthday was, he confessed he didn't remember his actual birthdate, or even the day he arrived at the welfare house, and therefore had never celebrated one. Moved by this, Ye Haitang surprised him by setting up a small "birthday" celebration with a rice cake. She told him that a birthday could be any happy day, proposing that day, November 9th, as his chosen birthday.
Tang Yixun, deeply touched, agreed that it was his first ever birthday. Ye Haitang then promised to celebrate his birthday with him every year, assuring him she would prepare a huge cake with many candles the following year. They made wishes; Tang Yixun wished for Ye Haitang to get into her dream university, stay healthy, and live a good life.
Ye Haitang, in turn, wished Tang Yixun a happy birthday and happiness every day, before they blew out the candle together. Soon after, a tragic event unfolded. Tang Yixun and Ye Haitang found themselves covered in blood, with Tang Yixun clutching a bloodied knife. He desperately urged Ye Haitang to go home, change her clothes, and claim she had never been there, intending to take all the blame himself.
He told her there was no "us," only him, reminding her of her bright future and the need to go to college, asking her to live well for his sake. However, Ye Haitang refused to leave him. Tang Yixun turned himself in to the police, confessing to murder at Half-hill. Ye Haitang rushed to the police station, insisting she was present during the incident and that they were attacked, offering to testify.
Tang Yixun vehemently tried to push her away, repeatedly claiming sole responsibility and denying her involvement. Tang Yixun was subsequently sentenced to prison. Ye Haitang made several attempts to visit him, but each time she was told he refused to see her. She insisted there must be a mistake, believing he would never refuse her. Eventually, an officer handed her a letter from Tang Yixun.
In the letter, he urged her to stop visiting, reminding her that she should be at school, moving forward with her life. He told her to live well for both of them, just as they had agreed. He declared he would not see her again, assuring her he had no regrets about his fate, and that her happiness was all he needed to know his life had not been in vain.
Heartbroken, Ye Haitang held the letter, its words blurring through her tears. She carefully placed it in a biscuit tin and decided to return to school to re-study for the college entrance exam. She also wrote a letter back to Tang Yixun, expressing her profound longing and concern, telling him she was retaking her twelfth grade for their promise and how slowly the days passed without him. In 1993, Ye Haitang prepared for her college entrance examination.
When the results were announced, she was overjoyed and rushed to the prison to share the good news with Tang Yixun. However, she found the prison had been demolished. When she inquired about his new location, she was informed that a prisoner's details were personal privacy, and as she was not an immediate family member, they could not disclose any information.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she stood at the site of the former prison, lamenting to the absent Tang Yixun that she had gotten into university and wished he could see it, asking where he was. She realized she had finally left the place they were in, but in doing so, had also lost him forever.
In 1995, Ye Haitang began volunteering at a welfare house, explaining her emotional connection to the place due to a family member having grown up in one. A year later, in 1996, Rat unexpectedly appeared at the welfare house, having just been released from prison. He told her he had come to see her and that Zhenzhu was doing well. Ye Haitang eagerly asked if he had any news of Tang Yixun.
Rat reluctantly revealed that Tang Yixun had fallen seriously ill and passed away. Ye Haitang was utterly shocked, refusing to believe it, and demanded to be taken to him. Rat gave her an address for his grave in Meiwan, suggesting she visit when she was ready. After Rat left, Ye Haitang, consumed by grief, frantically called out for him. Later, at Tang Yixun's grave, she saw her name, "Haitang," carved into the headstone.
Her legs gave way, and her eyes glazed over as she finally accepted the devastating reality. Distraught, she walked towards a river, reflecting on how she could live well without him. She recalled a past conversation where he had asked why she had grabbed his knife, and she had told him it was simply to help him live.
His words, urging her to move forward, to live well for him, and that her good life would make his sacrifices worthwhile, echoed in her mind. She paused at the water's edge, her gaze slowly firming, and turned away, resolving to carry his hopes and continue living. She thought about how he had done nothing wrong and worked so hard, so he truly deserved to live well. In 2005, Tang Yixun was released from prison.
He signed his release certificate and received his personal belongings, including letters that Ye Haitang had sent him during his imprisonment. Reading one of her letters, written while he was still incarcerated and she believed him alive, he saw her wishing him a happy birthday, describing how she had fixed their leaking roof, and promising to go to college and live well for him while she waited for his return. Tears streamed down his face as he read her words.
He later visited a household registration office to register his household using his release certificate. He found Rat and Zhenzhu happily together, running a sweet soup and fried skewers stall with their son, Teng. Tang Yixun remarked on how much had changed, but the sweet soup remained the same. He learned that Granny had passed away peacefully the second year after Rat's release.
Rat told him that Li Chadong had bought a boat after his release and had last been seen seven years prior, presumed to be living freely at sea. Rat then offered Tang Yixun some money Li Chadong had left for him, claiming it was a debt. Tang Yixun declined, stating he had to go out of town to fulfill a promise to a friend.
Rat then gave Tang Yixun a piece of paper with Ye Haitang's old phone number, revealing that she visited his grave every year. Tang Yixun, however, told Rat that "Tang Yixun is dead," and despite Rat's gentle prodding, he refused to see her, stating he was fine and Rat should return to Zhenzhu. As they parted ways, they both knew it might be their last farewell. Later, Tang Yixun visited his own grave, where he encountered an elderly cleaning lady.
He asked if anyone had been there earlier, and she confirmed that a woman came every year at that time, cleaned the grave, and brought a cake for his birthday. Tang Yixun immediately rushed out, hoping to find Ye Haitang, but she was already gone. He tried to call the old phone number Rat had given him. A child answered, then a woman, who said it was likely a wrong number.
When he heard her mention, "Mom made sweet and sour ribs," he realized she had a family and silently put the phone down, suppressing his longing. Later, Tang Yixun traveled north to visit the mother of his prison friend, Yu Zhiyong. Yu Zhiyong’s young daughter, Nian, immediately mistook Tang Yixun for her father, running to him and calling him "Dad." Tang Yixun introduced himself to Yu Zhiyong's mother as her son's friend, there to visit.
During dinner, Nian innocently asked Tang Yixun about driving big trucks down south, why he was away for so long, and if she could accompany him next time. Yu Zhiyong's mother, who was suffering from a serious illness and coughing frequently, assured Tang Yixun that her condition had improved, but he later learned from a doctor that her illness was terminal and he should prepare for her funeral.
Yu Zhiyong's mother urged Tang Yixun not to waste money on her, saying his visit was enough, and he shouldn't be held back. Tang Yixun, having lost his own family and feeling alone, responded that if she was willing to give him a home, he would take on the responsibility of a son, caring for her and Nian. Tang Yixun took Nian to a new city in the North.
He told her they would live in a big apartment and she would go to kindergarten. Nian was thrilled to see a large ship by the waterfront and asked if they would ride it. Tang Yixun promised her that they would buy a house there if she liked it, to which Nian happily replied that anywhere with her father was fine. They raced on the beach, and he affectionately told her she had grown so fast he couldn't catch her.
He found work at a shipyard as a welder, taking on the identity of Yu Zhiyong. A colleague named Mei, who was fond of him, offered to look after Nian or cook for them when he was busy. Tang Yixun kindly but firmly explained that he had no plans to remarry and did not want to hold her back. Mei understood, assuring him they could remain good friends and colleagues, and she would still gladly look after Nian.
On his birthday, Tang Yixun visited his own grave. He quietly spoke to his past self, telling 'Tang Yixun' that he was living well and had seen real snow, which was beautiful. He promised to live their lives to the fullest, ensuring his friend Yu Zhiyong's sacrifices were not in vain. He concluded by wishing Tang Yixun a happy birthday, confident they would meet again someday. Years continued to pass.
Every year, on his birthday, Tang Yixun would return to the cemetery. And every year, he saw Ye Haitang there. From a distance, he watched as she, too, now older and her figure slightly stooped, arrived with flowers and a cake, still faithfully celebrating his birthday.
Their paths, once deeply intertwined, now converged yearly at a silent grave, a poignant ritual that, over the long passage of time, etched their enduring love and unspoken regrets into an eternal mark on both their hearts.
