Wind Direction Episode 2 Recap
> Wind Direction Recap
Jia Daiyu met Cheng Pengfei after her mother introduced them. He introduced himself as Cheng Pengfei, explaining the characters. He mentioned his past as a military medic, having served in the Nanjing Military District before transferring. Jia Daiyu immediately disclosed that she had dated someone before, noting that a man with his good standing didn't need to get involved with her.
Cheng Pengfei, however, reciprocated, revealing that he, too, had a past relationship, though it only involved holding hands and one kiss. Overcoming their pasts, they naturally came together. Years later, with two children, Jia Daiyu was captivated by a newspaper article about Hong Kong, admiring its name and the sight of its towering skyscrapers. Her husband, Cheng Pengfei, remarked that visiting Hong Kong was out of their reach.
Jia Daiyu challenged this, prompting Cheng Pengfei to suggest that their children could take her when they grew up. However, Jia Daiyu dismissed the idea, joking that she'd be lucky if her children didn't hold her back. Gazing at the image, she firmly declared her intention to visit Hong Kong, no matter what. One evening at dinner, Cheng Pengfei announced it was payday and they were having stir-fried chicken. Cheng Miaomiao deliberately snatched a piece of meat from Cheng Yaya.
In retaliation, Cheng Yaya announced that test results were out and he needed their parents' signatures. His mother, Jia Daiyu, praised his excellent mathematics score of 115, proclaiming him first in his class. When asked about her own results, Cheng Miaomiao claimed they weren't released yet because senior students' papers were harder to mark. Cheng Yaya quickly exposed her lie, stating that the results for her class were already public.
Annoyed, Jia Daiyu chastised Cheng Miaomiao for her poor academic performance and threatened to disown her. Cheng Miaomiao retorted that Jia Daiyu wasn't her mother but only Cheng Yaya's. As Cheng Pengfei tried to mediate, Jia Daiyu received an urgent call from the Emergency Room, forcing her to leave immediately, grumbling about the inconvenience and remarking, "you reap what you've sown."
After rehearsing for an oilfield performance, Cheng Miaomiao, Li Si, and Hu Qiumin were exhausted but proud, even though Li Si had made a few mistakes due to a recent injury. Li Si excitedly shared rumors that the selected acts would perform at Qingdao Stadium on July 1st, confident their group would be chosen.
However, the Director, Xiao Wan, soon announced the shortlisted programs: "The Same Old Song" by the Little Choir, a folk dance called "Young Lady," and the musical "I am the next proud roughneck." Their group was not among them. Cheng Miaomiao immediately confronted Xiao Wan, suggesting Li Si's injury was to blame.
But Xiao Wan sharply rebuked them, revealing that their participation in the preliminary round was already a special concession due to their recent "group cheating in final exams," for which they would face disciplinary action. Feeling humiliated and upset, Li Si complained about his zero score and suggested they forge their parents' signatures.
Hu Qiumin lamented that they couldn't even perform at the local oilfield, to which Li Si retorted that performing in Qingdao was nothing special; with Hong Kong's handover approaching, they should go to Hong Kong instead. Just then, Cheng Yaya arrived, overhearing their defiant talk. Cheng Yaya, upon hearing their talk, inquired if they truly intended to go to Hong Kong.
Cheng Miaomiao confessed that she had been stewing over how to retaliate against their teacher, Xiaofang, who had publicly humiliated them. She then wholeheartedly embraced the idea of going to Hong Kong, imagining them on July 1st at the crossroads of Hong Kong Central, witnessing a historical moment and even meeting the Four Heavenly Kings and shaking Zhou Huimin's hand, while their rivals performed in Qingdao. This, she believed, would earn them respect from the entire Linqi Oilfield.
Cheng Yaya dismissed their ambition as "sick" and tried to leave, but Li Si and Hu Qiumin physically ushered him into a restaurant. Li Si quickly apologized for his earlier remarks, offering to make amends. Cheng Miaomiao declared the formation of the "Linqi four-man group" for a "special operation" to Hong Kong, naming Cheng Yaya as their team leader, hoping to flatter him into joining.
They appealed to Cheng Yaya's empathy, highlighting Cheng Miaomiao's fragile mental state if they failed, and emphasizing Cheng Yaya's own experience traveling for competitions. Li Si even offered a year's worth of arcade tokens as an incentive. Despite their combined efforts and enticing offers, Cheng Yaya firmly refused to join. The trio walked away dejected, with Cheng Miaomiao refusing to eat, convinced their Hong Kong dream was dead without Cheng Yaya. She feared public humiliation for the cheating scandal.
Li Si, trying to lighten the mood, boasted he could handle any public self-criticism, which only embarrassed the girls further. Later, Cheng Yaya found Cheng Miaomiao still sulking and offered her a bowl of noodles he had specifically bought for her. Cheng Miaomiao initially feigned indifference about Hong Kong, but Cheng Yaya's quiet meal provoked her into another outburst, accusing him of deliberately tormenting her and declaring them sworn enemies.
Cheng Yaya calmly explained that while he acknowledged his role in the exam incident, the Hong Kong trip was too significant for him to easily agree. Seeing his sister's fierce determination to prove herself and "make everyone's jaws drop," Cheng Yaya softened, agreeing to help with the trip to prevent her from spiraling into further trouble.
Cheng Yaya meticulously outlined the daunting itinerary: taking a bus to Linchuan Train Station, then train 235 at 11:15 AM to Qingdao, arriving at 2:27 PM. From Qingdao, they would take train 3726 at 8:17 PM to Shenzhen, a journey of over 38 hours, arriving on the third day at 10:41 AM.
The most challenging part, he explained, was crossing the border from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, which required joining a tour group and submitting identification documents, including their household registers. Cheng Miaomiao asked if this meant they had to steal their household registers, to which Cheng Yaya confirmed. The biggest hurdle, however, was funding. Cheng Yaya estimated the total cost for train tickets, accommodation, and tour agency fees at a staggering 2421 yuan.
Hu Qiumin was stunned, suggesting the amount was impossible to acquire and proposing they settle for a trip to Qingdao instead. Cheng Miaomiao, however, refused to back down, declaring that difficulties only made the endeavor more interesting. Cheng Miaomiao and Cheng Yaya agreed to tackle the immediate obstacles. Cheng Yaya knew their household register was in the locked bedroom cabinet, much to Cheng Miaomiao’s surprise. While they bickered good-naturedly, they committed to mutual trust.
To create a diversion, Cheng Miaomiao convinced her mother, Jia Daiyu, whose own performance program was rejected, to practice a lively dance with her. This allowed Cheng Yaya to covertly retrieve the household register from the master bedroom. Jia Daiyu, upon returning home earlier than expected and finding her children diligently studying, was initially suspicious but eventually pleased. Meanwhile, Li Si easily found his family's household register at home, as his parents were often away.
Hu Qiumin orchestrated a plan amidst a heated argument between her mother, Hu Yue, and her stepfather, Yang Songbai, over a mysterious phone call and Yang Songbai’s messy habits. Capitalizing on the tension, Hu Qiumin feigned curiosity about their family's household register, citing a misunderstanding from her grandmother.
Hu Yue, wanting to prove they were a unified family, produced the household register, confirming that the three of them were on one document, while her stepson Yang Tao, who was in college, was on a separate one. Hu Qiumin subtly secured it. With the household registers in hand, the next challenge was funding.
Li Si contributed by selling his father’s hidden cigarettes and alcohol, brazenly claiming it was for his father’s health and the trip’s expenses, despite Hu Qiumin’s protests about his past escapades. Next, they began their "homework" by immersing themselves in Cantonese films, diligently studying the language and culture of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. They found Hong Kong movies engaging but coffee perplexing.
Hu Qiumin contacted her brother, who was in Shenzhen, to arrange a travel agency for their trip and informed him of her intention to stay for a few days after visiting Hong Kong. For a significant boost to their funds, Li Si sold his father's old car, presenting the substantial stack of banknotes to the group under the guise of merely "tidying up the household waste." Despite these efforts, Cheng Miaomiao still worried they might not have enough money.
As they continued their Cantonese studies, a confident Li Si, citing his financial contribution and Cheng Yaya's extensive planning, grandly declared that Cheng Miaomiao and Hu Qiumin would serve them both on the train journey. The following morning, Jia Daiyu and Cheng Pengfei left early for their rehearsal, with Cheng Pengfei donning a suit. They instructed Cheng Miaomiao and Cheng Yaya to make instant noodles for themselves, reminding them to ensure they had everything they needed before leaving.
As soon as their parents were gone, Cheng Miaomiao and Cheng Yaya left a note, grabbed their large bags, and embarked on their journey to Hong Kong. They traveled in a van towards Linchuan Train Station. Li Si, optimistic despite the potential repercussions, reassured everyone that their trip was not running away from home but merely a "vacation internship," driven by their desire to explore the vast world beyond their familiar surroundings.
However, en route, Li Si suddenly declared an urgent need to use the toilet. Despite being urged to hold it until the train station, he couldn't wait, forcing the driver to pull over by a tree. There, an unforeseen mishap occurred: Li Si unwittingly urinated on a hornet's nest, setting off a chaotic start to their ambitious adventure.
