Wind Direction Episode 21 Recap
> Wind Direction Recap
During the summer of 1978, at Niu Lingling and Li Dahai's wedding, Niu Lingling's father's friends expressed their delight, referring to Li Dahai as "half our son-in-law" and offering their support. Niu Lingling, in turn, asked them to look after Li Dahai. Seizing the opportunity, Li Dahai requested assignment to the newly opened No. 0782 well, despite its challenging terrain and sparse workforce, promising high production and vowing not to return home for three months until the job was done.
Impressed by his ambition, the elders agreed, and Niu Lingling toasted to their acceptance. Years later, at a volleyball match, the No. 3 Factory team leader, Bai Shuang, gave a speech, reminiscing about how meeting Li Dahai at 19 inspired her to become an oil worker and join the volleyball team, emphasizing the values of teamwork and perseverance. Niu Lingling attended the match to support Li Dahai.
During the game, Li Dahai, seeing Niu Lingling, asked why she was ignoring him and urged her to cheer. After No. 3 Factory won, Niu Lingling insisted Li Dahai introduce her to Bai Shuang, who graciously complimented Niu Lingling's beauty. Niu Lingling then invited Bai Shuang to dine at her restaurant, but Li Dahai nervously tried to dismiss the idea by suggesting they needed to discuss game tactics.
Later, Niu Lingling questioned Li Dahai about Bai Shuang, asking if he was hiding something, but he denied it, claiming he was only focused on the game's champion. Cheng Pengfei and Yang Songbai cornered Li Dahai, stating they knew his unease wasn't just about facing his old flame. They pressed him to reveal what he was truly hiding. Li Dahai reluctantly confessed that, after calculating the timeline, he believed Bai Shuang's child might be his.
His friends, however, reacted with surprising nonchalance, making a bet on his revelation, which only infuriated Li Dahai further. Meanwhile, Yuan Shanqing, dressed cautiously, found her door locked and resorted to climbing out a window to leave. Alone in the house, Yuan Yong saw the young Zi and called out her name, "Shanzi," a hint of unspoken emotion on his face.
Yuan Shanqing later returned, bringing several bottles of wine, and urgently advised Yuan Yong to leave soon, fearing they would be discovered if he lingered. Concerned for Yuan Shanqing, Cheng Yaya stealthily climbed onto the roof in the middle of the night to peer into the house. Yuan Yong, brandishing a knife, quickly pulled Yuan Shanqing and Zi into hiding, narrowly avoiding detection.
Desperate to meet Bai Shuang alone and clarify matters, Li Dahai enlisted Cheng Pengfei and Yang Songbai to devise a plausible excuse to get Niu Lingling out of the house. They brainstormed several ideas, including a work emergency, a staged illness requiring hospitalization, or simply getting too drunk to come home. Li Dahai, however, found flaws in each suggestion, pointing out how easily Niu Lingling would see through them.
Cheng Pengfei then proposed a more drastic solution: simply getting Niu Lingling out of the house wouldn't be enough; getting rid of her, Jia Daiyu, and Hu Yue—all three—would be the safest option, even if it meant sending them out on a cold winter night. The difficult task of orchestrating the three women's departure fell to Yang Songbai.
That evening, feigning nervousness, he called his mother, discussing his brother Yang Tao's upcoming New Year's visit and promising to send a lamb leg for the celebration. He then turned to Hu Yue, informing her of his plans and casually asking her to call his mother on New Year's Eve. When Hu Yue initially refused, Yang Songbai deliberately provoked an argument, criticizing her lack of "normal courtesy" towards his mother and complaining about her brother still owing him 2,000 yuan.
Hu Yue defended her brother, citing his financial difficulties, and accused Yang Songbai of being selective with his sympathy, comparing his willingness to help his ex-wife to his refusal to help her brother. As the argument intensified, Yang Songbai instructed his daughter, Hu Qiumin, to call her "two aunts," Jia Daiyu and Niu Lingling, claiming her mother was "very upset" and wanted to fight him.
Back at his own home, Li Dahai sat restlessly on the sofa, anxiously awaiting the call that would summon Niu Lingling away. Niu Lingling, however, was in no hurry, persistently questioning him about Bai Shuang. She mentioned hearing that Bai Shuang's husband had passed away young, leaving her to raise a child alone, and asked if Li Dahai had offered any help.
Li Dahai, flustered and visibly sweating, vehemently denied any contact or knowledge of Bai Shuang's current situation, desperately trying to distance himself. Soon after, Hu Qiumin frantically called Jia Daiyu, reporting that her mother and Yang Songbai were fighting. Enraged, Jia Daiyu immediately pulled Cheng Pengfei along and rushed to Hu Yue's house, making sure Niu Lingling was also informed. When Jia Daiyu and Niu Lingling burst in, Yang Songbai was about to smash an expensive item.
Seeing them, he deliberately escalated the scene, shouting that their marital issues were none of their business and blaming them for the discord. Jia Daiyu and Niu Lingling loudly reprimanded him. Jia Daiyu tried to take Hu Yue away, but Yang Songbai stubbornly blocked their path, his insults growing increasingly offensive, leaving Cheng Pengfei stunned by his behavior. He yelled, "None of you are any good!"
While Yang Songbai endured a combined assault from Jia Daiyu and Niu Lingling, Li Dahai finally arrived at Bai Shuang's hotel. They had not seen each other in 23 years. Bai Shuang remarked on his numerous promotions, noting that his past hardships had not been in vain, and she had even heard he was "about to be promoted again." Li Dahai, visibly uncomfortable, eventually voiced his deepest concern, asking if the child was his.
(The scene intercut with Yang Songbai continuing to take a beating from the two women, as Cheng Pengfei helplessly tried to intervene. ) Bai Shuang showed him a picture of her daughter. Overcome with guilt, Li Dahai apologized, admitting he had wronged Bai Shuang and vowed not to fail the child.
He confessed his inability to admit his true motivations at the time: he desperately wanted a stable, formal position at the oil field because he was "terrified of being poor" and believed he had "no other chance." Bai Shuang acknowledged his past struggles, stating she understood and did not make it difficult for him to leave. However, Li Dahai, still burdened by remorse, expressed regret that he didn't know she was "pregnant" when she left.
Bai Shuang then revealed the truth: the child was not his. She explained that after their breakup, she returned to her hometown, where her brother and sister-in-law had tragically died in a mudslide. Her pregnant sister-in-law was rescued, but passed away after giving birth. Bai Shuang raised the orphaned baby as her own, bringing her back to the oil field and initially fabricating a story about being married to a man working out of town.
Later, to explain the absence of a father, she told the child that her father had passed away, thus becoming a "widow." She lovingly named her daughter Bai Qingyun, combining her brother's name, Qing, and her sister-in-law's name, Yun, noting the child's striking resemblance to them.
Bai Shuang reassured Li Dahai that they were doing well and he no longer needed to feel guilty, as he now had a wonderful wife and son, affirming that they had both made the right choices for their lives. Just as the chaos at Hu Yue's house peaked, Li Dahai rushed back, halting the escalating fight and apologizing profusely to Niu Lingling. The next day, his stepson, Li Si, confronted him by blocking his car.
He angrily accused his stepfather of abandoning Bai Shuang for a promotion to be with Niu Lingling, only to now "bring everyone back," causing trouble for his mother. Li Si mentioned that Yang Songbai and Hu Qiumin had disclosed everything. Li Dahai, furious, lashed out at Li Si, calling him a "disappointment" and a "failure at 17" who only wasted money, caused trouble, and got bad grades. Feeling even more dejected, Li Si sought out Qiang Xiaowa.
Li Si confided that while his parents weren't bad people, they were always busy—his mother with her business and his father as a leader at the oil field—leaving him feeling neglected, rarely even eating home-cooked meals. Qiang Xiaowa, who had no parents but a loving grandpa, expressed envy for Li Si's privileged life, believing he could never achieve such comfort.
Li Si, in turn, admitted feeling like a "loser" and wished he could prove himself by working in the outside world to earn his own money. Qiang Xiaowa cautioned him about the dangers of the world outside the oil field and encouraged him to appreciate his current comfortable life. Li Si confessed his shame, admitting he didn't want to "suffer" by working in the oil field as his father desired.
Qiang Xiaowa reassured him that it was natural not to want hardship, and while he used to find Li Si annoying, he now saw him as "nice," "sensible, responsible, and purposeful—like a real man" compared to himself. Li Si then playfully asked for more dried fish. Finally, Yuan Yong prepared to leave after staying for several days, leaving some money for Yuan Shanqing and Zi.
His departure was witnessed by Cheng Yaya, who immediately recognized him as Yuan Yong, the wanted criminal. Yuan Shanqing rushed to intercept Cheng Yaya, desperately pleading with her not to call the police and to pretend she had seen nothing. She tearfully explained that despite Yuan Yong being a criminal, he was still her father.
