When We Were Young Episode 4 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Xia Er discovers the letters "X" and "Y" on a jersey, believing they are clues related to Chu Yinyin's disappearance and her "S. O. S" signal. Feigning amnesia, Xia Er asks Xu Konglin for help recalling what these marks mean. Ni Ke arrives, showing jealousy, but Xu Konglin explains the situation and asks for her input. Li Bai then joins them, immediately suggesting that "X" and "Y" represent a function with X-axis and Y-axis coordinates.
After some calculations, they arrive at several numerical combinations, including "3275," "649878," and "0. 1263." They initially brainstorm various interpretations such as geographical coordinates, basketball scores, enrollment rates, or even bust sizes, discarding most as nonsensical. Following an unintentional action by Xia Er, Xu Konglin remembers a game he used to play with Chu Yinyin, where they memorized library book reference numbers and their corresponding names.
He deduces that "32-75" must be a library book's identification number: bookshelf 32, book 75. Following this lead, Xia Er locates the book, titled "Domestication of Wild Boars," leaving her utterly bewildered. At home, Xia Er begins to read "Domestication of Wild Boars." Chu Mingzhu enters her room, inquiring about her monthly exam results. Xia Er fabricates a story about placing first, which makes Chu Mingzhu overjoyed and she promises a reward.
Xia Er seizes the opportunity to ask if she exhibited any unusual behavior before her disappearance. Chu Mingzhu has a vivid flashback of an intense argument with the real Chu Yinyin, who defiantly admitted to purposely failing an exam, declaring her refusal to always be a "perfect child." In a fit of anger, Chu Mingzhu slapped her. Despite this memory, Chu Mingzhu conceals the truth from Xia Er, claiming there was nothing strange.
She then tries to prompt Xia Er's memory by talking about past family trips and Chu Yinyin's love for Frédéric Chopin's music, suggesting she play the piano. Xia Er, lacking the real Chu Yinyin's piano skills, pretends to have forgotten, which Chu Mingzhu immediately notices. Meanwhile, Chu Mingzhu contacts a judicial identification center, urging them to expedite a DNA comparison between Chu Yinyin's hair and Xia Er's samples that she had already sent.
Xia Er, frustrated by the lack of clear clues and the pressure to maintain her facade, laments the difficulty of her situation. The school announces the monthly exam results, revealing Chu Yinyin (Xia Er) has scored an F, placing her last in the experimental class. Her math teacher, furious that Chu Yinyin had erased the chalkboard during class, reports her to Ms. Lu. Ms. Lu attempts to defend Chu Yinyin, reminding Principal Zhang of her amnesia and the recent trauma.
However, Principal Zhang insists that this is Chu Yinyin's second failing grade, and to maintain the school's integrity and fairness, she must be transferred to a regular class. He instructs Ms. Lu to inform Chu Yinyin's parents. Upon learning of the situation, Chu Mingzhu barges into Principal Zhang's office. She slams Chu Yinyin's medical diagnosis onto his desk, vehemently protesting the transfer and citing her daughter's severely affected mental state. She then offers generous sponsorship for all school events.
Despite Principal Zhang's initial reluctance to bend the rules, Chu Mingzhu's emotional appeals and substantial financial offer ultimately persuade him, and he reluctantly agrees to halt Chu Yinyin's transfer to a regular class. Meanwhile, the real Chu Yinyin is struggling at a vocational technical school. She is frequently pursued by Liu Qiang and his associates for overdue debts.
While attempting to buy a pen at a supermarket, she is cornered by Liu Qiang, who confronts her about her numerous unpaid bills, totaling around 280 yuan for items like seaweed and fruits, which she apparently bought for her father. One of Liu Qiang's associates also mentions they covered her previous medical bills. The real Chu Yinyin, having lost her memory, is utterly bewildered by these accusations and her past self's spendthrift habits.
She notes the accumulated debt and resolves to prioritize earning money to pay it off, after which she plans to focus on her studies. Later, Xiao Mei accidentally hands Chu Mingzhu's "Judicial Identification Center DNA Test Report" to Xia Er. Reading the report, Xia Er is stunned to discover a 99. 9999% probability of a blood relationship between "Chu Yin Yin" and an "Unknown Person."
She realizes that she is the "Unknown Person" and that Chu Mingzhu is their mother, meaning she and Chu Yinyin are twins. Initially thrilled to discover she has a family and is part of a wealthy household, Xia Er soon becomes suspicious about the coincidence of her arrival with Chu Yinyin's disappearance and the cryptic "wild boars" clue.
Learning that the real Chu Yinyin is being pursued by debt collectors, Xia Er feels a strong urge to help her sister and considers drastic measures to earn money to repay the debts. However, she is closely monitored by Xiao Mei, who has been instructed by Chu Mingzhu to ensure Xia Er's safety and prevent her from leaving.
To create an opportunity to escape, Xia Er cleverly demands specific groceries, like chicken feet and big shrimps, knowing they are not readily available at home, thereby prompting Chu Mingzhu and Xiao Mei to leave the house. Having successfully sent Chu Mingzhu and Xiao Mei on their errand, Xia Er makes her way to the New Southern Vocational School, the school where the real Chu Yinyin is.
There, she witnesses the real Chu Yinyin being aggressively pursued by Liu Qiang and his gang. Xia Er quickly orchestrates a diversion, drawing the attention of Liu Qiang's group away and allowing the real Chu Yinyin to escape. Soon after, Xia Er, wearing a mask to conceal her identity, approaches the bewildered Chu Yinyin, claiming to be her devoted fan. Chu Yinyin, stunned by their uncanny resemblance, asks who Xia Er truly is.
Xia Er assures her she is a good person and asks about her amnesia. The real Chu Yinyin reveals that she believes she was hit, possibly by Liu Qiang, which caused her memory loss, and that she currently owes him about 5,600 yuan. Xia Er, expressing concern, offers to help her find more clues, while also encouraging Chu Yinyin to focus on living well despite her past struggles and current difficulties.
