Wind Direction Episode 23 Recap
> Wind Direction Recap
In the autumn of 1980, an old grandpa found a crying, abandoned baby by the bridge and took him in. Now, this grandpa is blessed with two filial grandsons, Dawa and Qiang Xiaowa. During the Chinese New Year, at their home by the sea, Grandpa gives Dawa new knee pads he made. He encourages Dawa to marry soon so he can help raise his great-grandchildren, but Dawa admits that while his supervisor's daughter is nice, she has a bad temper.
Grandpa advises him not to rush, noting that their family is doing well, especially with Xiaowa soon heading to college, and expresses his deep attachment to their home. Meanwhile, the Cheng family home is bustling with activity. Grandma and Grandpa have come to visit, and Yuan Shanqing has brought Zi along.
Grandma expresses concern about Zi's illness, but Yuan Shanqing reassures her that Zi is already receiving effective treatment and showing good signs, gently deterring Grandma from suggesting traditional healers or priests. Jia Daiyu playfully mentions that her brother, Jia Baoshan, is out "pursuing love" at his director's house, making a "big step" in life. Just as he is mentioned, Baoshan arrives with the director, Xiao Fang.
Jia Daiyu and Cheng Pengfei immediately greet them, as do the warmly enthusiastic Grandma and Grandpa. Xiao Fang appears somewhat reserved amidst the lively family. Pengfei, who had a minor fall while helping to hang spring couplets, is fine and is offered ice by Daiyu. In another home, Li Dahai is on duty for New Year's Eve, so their family dinner is simpler than usual. His son, Li Si, dissatisfied with the meal, loudly demands pork knuckles.
His mother tries to appease him with mutton dumplings she specially made, promising to have pork knuckles delivered and even liquor for Li Dahai, who had previously claimed he wouldn't drink while on duty. Li Dahai playfully laments that Li Si doesn't resemble him. At Yang Songbai’s home, his son Yang Tao demonstrates thoughtfulness. He toasts his stepmother Hu Yue, expressing gratitude for her hard work in managing the household and acknowledging any unspoken grievances she might have endured.
Yang Tao adds that his sister, Hu Qiumin, despite not being a child anymore, is still the youngest and a "priority protection target" for them, vowing that she should never be made to feel wronged while he is away. The next day, Qiang Xiaowa arrives early to wish the Chengs a Happy New Year, bearing homemade wild vegetable dumplings. Miaomiao joyfully accepts them, noting that her grandmother would also love them.
Xiaowa then mentions he needs to leave to visit the old principal. Shortly after, Li Si makes a grand entrance with an armful of gifts, including wild ginseng for Grandma and Grandpa and a small doll for Zi. He showers the elders with compliments, earning a prediction from Miaomiao and Hu Qiumin that with his smooth tongue, he'll at least become a section chief, if not a factory manager.
Jia Daiyu then distributes red packets to everyone, including Yuan Shanqing, Zi, and a now-adult Yang Tao, whom she playfully teases about his height. At home, Hu Yue tries on a sweater Yang Tao bought her, but finds it prickly and realizes it’s not pure cashmere as he claimed. When Yang Songbai insists that Yang Tao earns more than her and it "should" be cashmere, his comment ignites a heated argument.
Hu Yue feels disparaged and lashes out, calculating her unpaid domestic work as a "free nanny." She accuses Yang Songbai’s mother of never treating her as family and defiantly declares Yang Tao to be his son, not hers. Yang Tao and Hu Qiumin, arriving home, overhear this painful exchange. Hu Qiumin, deeply upset, runs out of the house.
Yang Tao chases after her and is stunned to learn that she once pretended to jump into the river to scare their parents, a serious incident no one had ever told him about. Later, Cheng Miaomiao and Li Si go to visit Qiang Xiaowa, where they meet his older brother, Dawa. Cheng Yaya, Yuan Shanqing, and Zi are enjoying themselves at the market, looking at sugar figures. Xiao Fang, bringing her own New Year gifts, visits Grandma and Grandpa.
Grandma, ever the matchmaker, tries to foster a relationship between Xiao Fang and Jia Baoshan. She praises Xiao Fang's career success and then describes Baoshan as a "late bloomer" with a "good heart," despite his "carefree attitude," asserting that they are "destined to be together." Grandpa, secretly enjoying a cigarette, overhears Grandma's boast about almost marrying a factory manager and complains that her "fortune-bringing fate" actually "delayed" his own career.
He then privately asks Jia Baoshan about his feelings for Xiao Fang. Baoshan confesses that while he initially had no romantic intentions, he now feels a peculiar "fluster" when around her, which Grandpa humorously likens to "meeting a ghost," prompting Baoshan to redefine it as "love." Grandma, busy sewing in the house, dismisses Grandpa's complaint about missing socks. She proudly presents newly made vests for everyone, including Cheng Miaomiao, Cheng Yaya, Jia Daiyu, and Cheng Pengfei.
Miaomiao and Yaya tease Grandma, wishing her to live to be 100 or even 1000 years old, joking that she'd become an "old witch." Grandma also makes a small vest for Zi, explaining that it's important for Zi, who has no parents or grandparents, to feel loved. She reveals that she secretly sewed blessings—money, ingots, and rice—into each vest.
Wearing their vests, Jia Daiyu and Cheng Pengfei reflect on the warmth of their mother’s love, with Pengfei noting, "as long as Mom is here, there is no hardship in life." Outside, Yang Tao waits for Hu Yue as she returns from shopping. Hu Yue quickly apologizes for her harsh words, explaining they were not her true intention.
Yang Tao acknowledges their rocky marriage and confesses that his excuses for not returning home from college were a way to escape the strained family atmosphere, for which he feels guilty for leaving Hu Qiumin to bear the burden alone. He recalls an eye-opening train journey where he witnessed a family handle lost luggage with humor and ease, making him realize the profound impact a harmonious parental relationship has on a child's sense of security.
He admits he longed to escape his family's tense environment. Yang Tao expresses deep gratitude for Hu Yue’s sacrifices, emphasizing that family life is about mutual responsibility, not competition. Overwhelmed, Hu Yue tearfully apologizes, and Yang Tao comforts her, assuring her that her efforts have been truly appreciated. Yuan Shanqing and Zi also don their new vests, feeling cherished. In a heartwarming moment, Zi surprises everyone by clearly calling Yuan Shanqing and Cheng Yaya "Sister."
As the Chinese New Year holidays conclude, loved ones depart. Qiang Xiaowa's older brother, Dawa, solemnly bows to Grandpa before setting off to pursue his own path. The year 1998 has arrived. The narrator reflects on love and family. Grandma, who married Grandpa at eighteen, often recalled being pursued by a deputy factory manager. Yet, despite their lifelong squabbles, she chose Grandpa, who, though not a man of great achievement, showered her and their children with unwavering kindness.
The narrator concludes that while parents believe their love is sufficient, a home filled with joy is what truly matters to a child, determining whether they return to a "safe harbor" or a "cellar," and shaping their desire to come home again and again.
