When We Were Young Episode 15 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
The day began with Yang Xi’s mother pressuring her to recite politics and revealing that she had knitted sweaters for Yang Xi, Li Yu, and Hua Biao. Yang Xi's father then arrived, proclaiming he had brought the much-anticipated "486," only for Yang Xi to discover it was a "Bully Learning Machine." Disappointed, she stormed into Yang Chao’s room to complain and was playfully scared by him with a fake snake.
Meanwhile, at school, the chemistry teacher had been suspended due to an accident involving Situ Ertiao. In the office, the Director and other teachers blamed Ertiao for staying up late playing games, leading to a lack of focus and incorrect chemical procedures. Only Mr. Kong stood by Ertiao, asserting that his student insisted he hadn't made a mistake.
The Director criticized Mr. Kong for always defending his students, highlighting issues with Class 3, including Huang Chengcheng’s pop-song lyrics in essays, general noisiness, poor history homework, and deeming the open class, initially planned for Class 3, as now inappropriate. Mr. Kong maintained his stance, stating that he treated his students like his own children and chose to believe Ertiao until clear evidence proved otherwise.
Later, Mr. Kong, visibly upset, returned to the classroom to find a still-injured Ertiao playing with his classmates. He confronted Ertiao, demanding the truth about the experiment, emphasizing that the chemistry teacher was suspended because of Ertiao. Though he publicly affirmed his trust in Ertiao, he later lamented that Ertiao seemed not to care, and their class had lost the chance to host the open class because of the incident.
After school, the "Flying Car Five Group" gathered, and Ertiao, pressed for the truth, reaffirmed that he had not made a mistake in the lab, though he seemed to hesitate slightly. Hua Biao declared he would investigate and resolve the matter himself. As winter solstice approached, Yang Xi invited Hua Biao to her home for dumplings and sweater measurements, but Hua Biao politely declined, saying he preferred to stay with his granny.
Later that evening, Yang Xi, carrying dumplings and an electric blanket, went to Hua Biao’s home, but found only his grandmother, who told her Hua Biao had gone to school. Yang Xi then headed to the school, finding Hua Biao in the chemistry lab, recreating the experiment to prove Ertiao's innocence. Yang Xi took out a measuring tape for the sweater, and their close proximity created an undeniable, budding tension between them.
The next day, Hua Biao presented his findings to the Director, explaining that the "yellow liquid" Ertiao used was leftover from the previous class, mistakenly left by Class 1’s chemistry leader, which led to the explosion. To Hua Biao’s surprise, the Director informed him that Mr. Kong had already resolved the matter; Situ Ertiao was cleared of responsibility, and Class 3 could proceed with the open class.
However, back in class, the news that Mr. Kong had reapplied for the open class and extended evening self-study by an hour was met with resentment. Students believed he was aiming for the "excellent teacher" award. To ensure a perfect performance for the open class, Mr. Kong made them practice the same math problems for a week, which students saw as "cheating."
When confronted, Mr. Kong scolded them for their lack of effort and intelligence, challenging them to do better without his guidance. In response, led by Hua Biao, the students collectively walked out. Huang Chengcheng, feeling sympathetic, stayed behind and advised Mr. Kong to control his anger and "make friends" with his students. Mr. Kong dismissed her advice. Later, Mr. Kong expressed his frustrations to the Director, regretting his decision to become a teacher.
The Director offered advice on teaching, suggesting taking books from boys and shaming girls who read non-academic materials. Following this advice, Mr. Kong returned to Class 3, publicly humiliated Yang Xi by reading a passage from her Qiongyao novel aloud, and then confiscated Li Yu's treasured manga, threatening to destroy them and telling him his mother would have to retrieve them.
Huang Chengcheng sought out Mr. Kong to explain the immense sentimental value of the manga to Li Yu, given his parents' divorce and his mother's distant presence, and reiterated her earlier advice about connecting with students. Mr. Kong, appearing defeated, acknowledged her words and implied his departure, stating he didn't deserve to be their teacher. He then returned the manga to Huang Chengcheng, who, in turn, gave them to Li Yu.
She criticized both Li Yu and Hua Biao for being self-centered and not considering how their actions affected others. Hua Biao then pressed Li Yu about his feelings for Yang Xi, but Li Yu stated that his relationship with Yang Xi was that of "childhood sweethearts," a definition he refused to explain. Yang Xi later took Hua Biao to the office, where they overheard news of Mr. Kong’s impending departure.
Hua Biao, along with Li Yu, decided to apologize to Mr. Kong and try to convince him to stay by committing to a successful open class. While Li Yu spoke with Mr. Kong, Hua Biao listened as Yang Xi discussed the tragic endings of childhood sweethearts in Qiongyao novels, particularly in "Plum Blossom Scar," and compared it to "Yang Guo and Xiaolongnv."
She pointed out that these "childhood sweethearts" didn’t end up together, subtly igniting a spark of hope in Hua Biao regarding his own unspoken feelings. The students of Class 3, now united in their goal to keep Mr. Kong, dedicated themselves to preparing for the open class, which ultimately went smoothly. At the conclusion of the class, Mr. Kong delivered an emotional farewell speech.
He sincerely apologized to Li Yu for his insensitive remarks about the manga and to Yang Xi for publicly shaming her. He then expressed his deep affection for Class 3, affirming that they were the "first class of students I teach," and therefore, "the only first one," and wished them continued success. The open class was rated "excellent," and the school successfully negotiated Mr. Kong's return.
Mr. Kong announced his decision to stay, telling the students they could "forgive each other." That night, Hua Biao discovered the dumplings Yang Xi had left for him earlier and realized she had also brought the electric blanket, which his granny said she had carefully arranged on his bed. Feeling happy, he repeatedly called Yang Xi, making various excuses about homework, a clear sign of his developing feelings for her.
