Wind Direction Episode 10 Recap
> Wind Direction Recap
In the autumn of 1987, Cheng Yaya drew a pink lake. His teacher corrected him, stating that lakes are blue and not pink. Yaya responded by saying that just because the teacher hadn't seen one, it didn't mean they didn't exist in the world. Cheng Miaomiao visited Qiang Xiaowa's home, which was a large boat in the village. Qiang Xiaowa initially tried to prevent her from entering, telling her to go home.
However, his Grandpa heard that a classmate had come to visit and warmly welcomed Miaomiao aboard, noting she was the first girl to visit since Xiaowa started school. Miaomiao expressed her fascination with living on a boat and explored the different sections, finding it all very cool and like something out of a movie. She asked Qiang Xiaowa about his life as a fisherman, including if he caught all the fish and if he could dive to the ocean floor.
She then enthusiastically shouted her name to the sea from the deck. Meanwhile, Cheng Yaya visited Yuan Shanqing and brought a new toy, Xiao Bai, for Zi. He was concerned to find that Zi, despite being over two years old, still couldn't speak. Yuan Shanqing explained that Zi might be a bit slow in development, sharing that she herself spoke late as a child, though she walked early. She reassured Yaya that children develop at different paces.
Xiaowa's grandpa prepared a delicious seafood dinner for Miaomiao. She enjoyed the food and shared that her parents' cooking was not to her liking. Grandpa asked about Qiang Xiaowa's performance in school and if he was fitting in. Miaomiao reassured him that Xiaowa was liked by teachers and students.
Grandpa also mentioned school rules about hair length and uniforms, explaining that Qiang Xiaowa was stubborn about haircuts because his older brother, who used to cut his hair, was away for work. When Miaomiao inquired about Qiang Xiaowa's parents, Xiaowa bluntly stated he didn't have any. Grandpa then explained that he had adopted Xiaowa, admitting he was uneducated and worried about Xiaowa's stubbornness leading to him being bullied at school.
Miaomiao promised Grandpa that she would protect Qiang Xiaowa and not let anyone bully him. As she left with a large quantity of seafood from Grandpa, she told Qiang Xiaowa that from then on they were "brothers" and she would teach him Mandarin, considering the seafood her "tuition fee." After Zi fell asleep, Cheng Yaya noticed Yuan Shanqing hadn't eaten. He offered to make scrambled eggs, but Yuan Shanqing revealed they had no eggs.
Yaya then produced milk powder from his bag, explaining that his mom used to make him drink it for nutrition, and he discovered a "new way" to eat it dry with a spoon. He shared the milk powder with Yuan Shanqing, who found it surprisingly tasty. That night, Cheng Yaya and Cheng Miaomiao returned home very late, much to Jia Daiyu’s anger.
Miaomiao, still carrying a bounty of seafood, was questioned by her mother about its origins, with Jia Daiyu suspecting theft. Miaomiao vehemently denied it, explaining that Qiang Xiaowa's Grandpa gave it to her, but his dog chased her, causing her to fall. Jia Daiyu then chided both children for eating at other people's homes instead of their own. Miaomiao then asked for Cheng Yaya’s old school bag and uniform, intending to give them to Qiang Xiaowa.
She described Qiang Xiaowa's family as extremely poor, living as if in the past on a boat, a discovery she had feigned excitement about during her visit so as not to embarrass him.
Miaomiao explained that as a class leader candidate, she felt responsible to help Qiang Xiaowa integrate by encouraging him to cut his hair, wear a uniform, and learn Mandarin, inspired by her teacher, Mr. Gao, who encouraged students to be good people and define their own dreams beyond high scores. Jia Daiyu scoffed at this. Cheng Pengfei intervened, gently advising Miaomiao that being a good person was a worthy goal, but she needed to be strong herself to achieve it.
He suggested that Qiang Xiaowa's reluctance stemmed from an inferiority complex due to his poverty, and true help would involve breaking down that shame. Meanwhile, Cheng Yaya was engrossed in books, researching Zi's developmental delay, wondering if it indicated a cognitive issue.
Jia Daiyu expressed extreme frustration, complaining that one child wanted to help a local child, and the other wanted to help the child of a fugitive, sarcastically asking if their home was to become a temple for saving all beings. Cheng Pengfei then suggested they take a walk together. During their walk, Jia Daiyu expressed her discomfort, stating that people from the oilfield disliked locals, especially after Yuan Yong's incident, making the children's acts of kindness complicated.
Cheng Pengfei then reminded her of a time when Yaya, at five or six, drew a pink lake, and how he had taken him to the library to research, discovering that such lakes, like Lake Retba in Senegal, Hillier Lake in Australia, and Rose Lake in Canada, actually exist due to Dunaliella salina algae. He explained that if he had dismissed Yaya’s imagination, he would have stifled his curiosity and love for reading, which now contributes to his academic success.
Cheng Pengfei then drew a parallel, arguing that if they stopped their children from helping others just because "those people are disliked by everyone" to avoid trouble, they would be crushing the children's inherent kindness and sense of justice. He urged that as parents, they should be their children's strongest support, giving them the confidence to help others.
He added that if their children faced unfairness or bullying for their good deeds, it was their duty as parents to step in and shield them, ensuring their hearts retained justice and kindness. Jia Daiyu, impressed, jokingly regretted not studying hard like him, while Cheng Pengfei deflected her praise with false humility. In class, Li Si noticed Cheng Miaomiao and Qiang Xiaowa's rapidly developing friendship, feeling a strong sense of crisis.
He observed Cheng Yaya and Yuan Shanqing sharing a knowing smile across the classroom, which he also found unsettling. To reassert his close bond with Miaomiao, Li Si approached Qiang Xiaowa, detailing their shared history: born in the same hospital room, growing up together from infancy, attending the same schools, and never being apart for seventeen years.
He dramatically declared his importance to Miaomiao, likening it to a father-daughter bond, and stated that their marriage was decided when they were three years old, warning Qiang Xiaowa not to create conflict. Meanwhile, Yuan Shanqing discovered milk powder and eggs, presumably left by Cheng Yaya, in her desk, which brought a warm feeling to her heart.
Cheng Miaomiao, still enthusiastic about helping, arrived at Qiang Xiaowa’s home with a foldable desk, Cheng Yaya’s old school uniform, and a stack of review materials, including specialized Huanggang test papers from Wuhan. She explained that she noticed him doing homework without a proper desk and wanted to provide him with necessities and study aids, warning him about the difficulty of their school exams and the public posting of results on "the big yellow board."
However, Qiang Xiaowa quickly grew defensive. He confronted her about the items, accusing her of thinking he was too poor to afford things and of treating him like a charity case. He expressed his disdain for "oil-field people," claiming they were arrogant about their wealth and privileged background, born on the "fancy side of town."
He defiantly stated he wouldn't wear a uniform or cut his hair, challenging them by saying they wouldn't be "anything either" if they were born in his poor fishing village. Miaomiao, hurt and angry at his ingratitude, retorted that she wouldn't be so ungrateful even if she were born there, and told him to do whatever he wanted with the items. Hu Yue was reviewing Yang Songbai's expense reports and grew suspicious.
She found gasoline receipts even though he didn't own a car, and a restaurant bill for a day he was supposedly at home. Yang Songbai tried to blame these on his colleague, Wang. However, a hotel receipt from a day Yang Songbai was supposedly at sea completely exposed him. After further probing, Yang Songbai confessed that he had borrowed the receipt and lent three thousand yuan to his ex-wife, Feng Jing, whose family was in urgent need of money.
Hu Yue became enraged, accusing him of prioritizing his ex-wife over her, despite her sacrifices for his entire family. She tearfully offered to leave if he wanted to rekindle his relationship with Feng Jing. The heated argument was abruptly interrupted by the return of Hu Qiumin, prompting Yang Songbai and Hu Yue to quickly feign a harmonious atmosphere. Later that night, Hu Qiumin, still awake, heard noises from their bedroom.
When she questioned Yang Songbai, he quickly claimed to have accidentally knocked over a washbasin while going to the bathroom, dismissing her concerns and urging her to go back to sleep. The next day, Hu Qiumin confided in Li Si and Cheng Miaomiao about her lingering suspicion that her parents, Hu Yue and Yang Songbai, were still fighting, even if they were now hiding it from her.
Miaomiao offered encouragement, suggesting that hiding arguments meant they still cared about Hu Qiumin's feelings and that showing happiness about their "peace" might serve as positive reinforcement. Suddenly, a transformed Qiang Xiaowa entered the classroom with a new haircut and wearing a school uniform, causing a buzz. Gao Feiyang gave Miaomiao a subtle thumbs-up, acknowledging her efforts. However, Hu Qiumin observed that Miaomiao wasn't happy about Qiang Xiaowa's change and felt something was wrong between them.
Miaomiao admitted she had realized not everyone could be friends. Li Si questioned Qiang Xiaowa, sarcastically implying he only changed for Miaomiao, but Qiang Xiaowa dismissively walked away. Moments later, a student announced that the police were at school. Yuan Shanqing was then called to the office by a teacher and taken away by the police, leading to widespread commotion and rumors among the students.
Miaomiao reflected on her father's advice to always be a good person, but felt her kindness had met a wall with Qiang Xiaowa. She observed how both Qiang Xiaowa and Yuan Shanqing always kept people at a distance, seemingly hiding secrets, and how students like them were often unfairly labeled as "bad people" by others, with no one truly understanding their burdens.
