[NORTHWARD]
[Episode 20]
Dad.
About Siyi repeating a year,
I've been thinking,
our family will cover
the tuition fees.
Let's not have the other families pay.
What do you think?
Money is not a problem.
The key is her mentality.
Siyi takes things to heart.
It's hard to say if she'll agree to repeat a year.
If she doesn't repeat, what will she do?
She can't just waste time, can she?
Kindness can turn into resentment.
We also have to take into account the kid's psychological endurance,
don't we?
Raising one daughter
or two, there's no big difference.
At worst, we'll tighten our belts for two years.
We have to support Siyi through university no matter what,
right?
Even Fenghua isn't going to university.
You want to support Gu Siyi through university? Are you doing too well yourself?
Well, Fenghua isn't going to university
because she can't get in.
If she could get in,
I'd sell my blood to support her if I had to.
That goes without saying.
If Siyi doesn't want to go to university,
then let her be.
She can open a small shop with Fenghua in the future
and do some small business.
They can split the profits evenly.
In a couple of years, if she's getting married,
we'll scrimp and save
to prepare her dowry.
That would be enough as a neighbor, right?
No matter how much we want to help Siyi,
you still have to consider Fenghua's feelings.
Siwei.
Your sister is back.
Siyi.
Have some candy.
I just licked it.
Ge Siwei!
Aren't you disgusting?
Alright. Stop it.
Grandma, look at her.
Alright, alright.
Grandma will protect you.
You're a big boy now, still being bullied by girls?
When our Siwei
grows up tall in the future,
he'll protect his sister well, won't he?
Yes.
When I grow up,
I'll protect Siyi.
♫Far away, so far away♫
♫The hometown I can never return to♫
♫Sitting quietly in the city♫
♫Listening to the river flow♫
Dear uncles, aunts, and Grandpa Zhou.
♫Hometown, oh hometown♫
I've left.
♫Now a distant place I can't go back to♫
I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye
to you all in person.
I just couldn't muster the courage.
♫Sitting quietly in the city♫
I came here when I was ten,
♫Listening as time drifts by♫
and I'm leaving at 18.
These short eight years have been
the happiest time of my life.
I'll always remember the kindness
you showed me in the past.
I hope you all stay healthy and happy in the future,
just like in the past,
with your hearts filled with sunshine and infinite warmth.
[Wanghe] [Fenghua] [Haikuo] [Xingchi]
These insoles were handmade by Grandma
as a high school graduation gift for you.
She didn't have the chance
to give them to you.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
On behalf of Grandma,
I wish every step you take in the future
to be steady and firm.
[Xingchi]
Farewell,
this miraculous courtyard.
Farewell,
the kindest family in the world to me.
[Station 1 Honghuai to Chengdu]
Siyi!
[Honghuai to Chengdu]
[Station 1 Honghuai to Chengdu]
[Jixiang Passanger Transport Co., Ltd.]
Siyi!
Ma Siyi!
Siyi!
Ma Siyi!
Get off!
Siyi!
Ma Siyi, get off!
Siyi, get off already!
Siyi!
Ma Siyi!
Siyi!
-Siyi! -Siyi!
Siyi!
Siyi was gone,
and our youth was over.
The summer we graduated from 12th grade
felt incredibly long.
On countless difficult summer nights,
we learned how to force a smile
all by ourselves.
♫Stepping on the old time♫
♫The wind blows gently♫
♫Blowing through the forest and the city♫
I dare you to push me again.
Girls, show your ears.
[Group Photo of the 2008 Graduating Class of Honghuai No. 7 High School]
Come on, time for graduation photos.
♫Blowing through your face♫
Everyone, cheer up.
-Got it! -Good.
♫And my heart♫
Come on.
Come on, students.
Look at the camera, come on.
One.
Two.
♫The wind blows gently♫
[Group Photo of the 2008 Graduating Class of Honghuai No. 7 High School]
Three.
Cheese!
Good.
♫Blowing through summer♫
Alright.
The second one, come on.
Cheer up.
Alright, get ready.
♫Blowing through the eaves♫
Three.
Two.
One.
Cheese!
♫It blows past me♫
♫Warm love♫
[IOU]
♫How many years♫
A relationship
ended
♫Have you changed?♫
before it even started.
♫How many years♫
♫How far has the old times♫
A sunken ship
which had undergone the passage of time
♫We miss gone♫
was reborn.
There really is a ship!
♫I was lost in a distance♫
Move back a bit.
At every gathering,
♫I couldn't forget♫
we'd turn around,
♫The first growth♫
hoping there were still people in that room
and we could still hear their laughter.
After Siyi left,
we could never get in touch with her again.
Sometimes, we also wonder
if this person really existed in our lives.
Are you watching TV?
I miss you.
♫That's me♫
♫Thinking of you deeply♫
Take care of yourself.
See you in Beijing.
... Cheer for peace,
and play the most beautiful music
for the Olympic spirit.
♫Welcome to Beijing♫
♫Open up the world for you♫
♫The charm in the flow is full of vitality♫
♫Welcome to Beijing♫
Just like what we dreamed of when we were young,
♫Breathe together under the sun♫
we came to Beijing one after another.
♫Achieve new things on this yellow land♫
Wanghe got into Renmin University of China
and majored in economics.
He became a top student
in the class as everyone expected.
[Welcome New Students]
Haikuo got into Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
and majored in computer science.
He met his first love
on the first day of university.
In order to keep his promise to Siyi,
Chen Rui disregarded his family's objections
[Honghuai Normal University]
and got into the archaeology department
of Honghuai Normal University.
♫My door is always open♫
♫Accepting the world♫
Hello.
At the end of summer in Beijing,
♫Time blooms and youth smiles♫
there are countless students full of expectations for the future.
♫Welcoming this day♫
[Zhongguancun South Road]
There are also dream pursuers who are just taking one step at a time
♫We're all friends♫
like Xingchi and me.
♫Please don't be shy♫
♫A bright smile♫
Fenghua!
♫Waiting for you♫
Oh my god, why are you here?
♫Welcome to Beijing♫
♫Touching you like music♫
When we were home,
we always found our parents annoying
♫Let's try our best to surpass ourselves♫
and wanted to grow up quickly
so that we could live alone.
[Housekeeping]
Only after we went to Beijing
♫Welcome to Beijing♫
did we start to miss home
and realize how happy we were as kids
♫Anyone who has dreams is amazing♫
with our parents' protection.
♫There will be miracles if you have courage♫
[A ship from Qing Dynasty: Dragon Boat]
[]
The sunken boat
salvaged a kilometer south of the Flower Street
carries the hidden history of our courtyard
and the earnest expectations of our uncles and elders.
Keep up the good work.
Okay.
And we
are just like migrating birds,
no matter how tired
or busy,
every year,
we'd take the same train
and return to our hometown.
It's the New Year.
What wishes do you have?
I hope we all
have good luck in Beijing!
I hope I can make more money!
Then I wish you both
all the best!
May all our wishes come true.
Xie Wanghe.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year!
Only at this moment do we realize
that we've grown up
without noticing.
[2014]
[Fenghua Express]
Fenghua.
Fenghua, you're back.
After years of hard work,
I, Fenghua, finally
got a place to myself in Beijing,
an express delivery station that belongs to me
in Haidian district.
Good work.
Remember to deliver it.
Thank you.
Fenghua.
Shall we deliver the package to Jinxiu Nancheng Community?
Deliver it right away.
Customers are the most important.
Got it!
Graduation certificate?
[Graduation Certificate]
[Chen Rui]
Hello, where are you now?
Okay, I'll come pick you up in a bit.
It's all right. It's a bit congested at this time anyway.
See you later. Bye-bye.
Careful, careful.
Careful. Careful!
We're all well aware of your achievements.
Over the past few years,
you've trained
a formidable ground promotion team for Bee.
While other platforms
were burning money
to grab market share,
you led your team
to work hard in second, third, and fourth-tier cities.
In over sixty cities,
you've attained the top market share.
This accomplishment
helped Bee
successfully complete its Series C funding.
It's impressive.
This is mainly because
the boss's designated strategy was well-executed.
We just carried it out.
At most, we put in some effort.
You're being too modest.
So capable yet so humble.
No wonder my client
is willing to pay such a high price to poach you.
At Bee,
even if you reach the top,
at most you'll be
a VP in charge of sales,
doing all the hard and tiring work.
But if you switch to a different platform,
your room for growth will be different.
Your horizons will be broadened.
As Gu knows,
I'm doing quite well at Bee.
I have no plans to switch jobs for now.
Hello?
Where are you?
I've been calling you for ages and you're not picking up.
Where are you?
Here. Over here.
[No. 001, Zhongguancun Avenue]
Bro.
What?
Where's the money?
Don't worry.
It's the only one in Beijing.
It's absolutely authentic. Hurry up.
Are you sure it can be verified?
It's registered on the Ministry of Education's website.
Otherwise, would I dare to sell it for 20,000?
Come on, 20,000 is too expensive, bro.
Can't you give me a better price?
Do you know what you're saying?
You think 20,000 for a doctorate is expensive?
Do you know how much it costs to actually get a doctorate?
Hurry up.
I still want to see the certificate first.
Otherwise, I won't feel at ease.
Besides, this money isn't just pocket change.
You've got to let me see the sample first, right?
Are you sure you'll buy it?
Yes, I'm sure.
You know what?
This does look quite real.
It is real.
[PhD Graduate Certificate]
Stop!
Don't run! Don't run!
Excuse me! Coming through!
Stop! Don't run!
Shao Xingchi!
Stop!
Don't run!
Stop!
Catch him! Catch him!
Move! Move!
Excuse me! Coming through! Make way!
Excuse me! Sorry! Pardon me!
Make way!
[Xingchi]
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
Hello.
The number you dialed is busy now.
Please try again later.
[Xingchi]
Judging from the current market demand,
Java is still the mainstream.
The underlying logic
of most commercial websites in the market today
is still primarily based on
Java.
So, Java's application platforms
include Java SE, Java EE,
and Java ME.
In common application areas,
it's obvious that
web applications are still dominant.
Wanghe and the others have to work, so they can't come over now.
We'll meet at home tonight.
Okay.
What brings you to Beijing this time?
There's an expo.
Isn't the canal applying for World Heritage status?
I'm here to lend a hand.
Hello?
I might be detained.
Stop!
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Shao Xingchi!
Shao Xingchi.
It's you again, Officer Xia.
Take him away.
What happened?
Xingchi has been detained again.
Again?
He sells fake diplomas.
I've had to bail him out several times already.
No time to talk.
Let's get a taxi first.
Mr. Xie, you're back.
Hello, Mr. Xie.
Mr. Xie.
I need your department's plan as soon as possible.
Alright, got it.
Hello, Mr. Xie.
Mr. Meng.
What took you so long?
A headhunting company wanted to poach me.
We chatted for a bit.
Which company is it this time?
I didn't ask.
I guess it's either Yuntu or Eat Well.
Now everyone has realized the importance of ground promotion.
Many people in the ground promotion team I led before
have been poached.
Their salaries are now double what we offer.
Come on.
Look at that.
We've covered several more places.
Make sure you retain our core staff.
For someone at my level,
with stock options, it should be okay.
As for the lower-level staff, we still need to retain them with salaries.
And the top priority after that
is to refine management and training.
I have complied
the training manual for ground promotion.
I will arrange personnel to implement it step by step.
Good. It's very thorough.
We've had a pretty high market share in second and third-tier cities.
Next step, we're going to target first-tier cities.
From now on, you'll be based in Beijing.
Help me keep an eye on the business,
especially in Haidian.
Can you give me another district?
No.
You have concerns?
Qiu Lin, Chief of Haidian Distribution Station,
is Song's brother-in-law.
And Song is a veteran in our company.
It's impossible to handle.
Veteran.
What does being a veteran matter?
Even the company
is at a critical moment of survival.
Face-saving
isn't that important.
What will be my main responsibilities
after I relocate to Haidian?
In the shortest time possible,
increase our market share
to over 50%.
To achieve this,
you can use any means necessary.
Can I go against Song?
Why are you already thinking about flipping the table before you even arrive?
It's not like that.
If he doesn't cause me any trouble,
I certainly won't let him lose face.
But if he gets in the way of my work,
then don't blame me for not respecting the elderly.
Otherwise, I can't do the job.
I only care about market share.
On this premise,
there're no constraints.
Alright.
I was waiting for you to say that.
If I can't increase the market share to 50%,
you can fire me.
You said it.
Stand up straight.
Other than this,
don't you have any other means of making a living?
I do.
I used to run a karaoke bar.
and it closed down.
I also worked as a real estate agent.
I didn't make any money from that either.
Illegal money-making businesses
are all written in the law.
I'm not that greedy for money.
But
at least I have to survive, right?
There are so many people working in Beijing.
Did they all starve to death since they didn't take shortcuts?
Don't try to persuade me.
If I had any other way out,
I wouldn't have risked my own future.
Don't you agree?
[Waiting Room 1] [Waiting Room 2]
Shao Xingchi, come out.
Let's go.
Officer Xia, I've brought him here.
Untie him.
Fill out the form first, then complete the procedures.
Keep your phone turned on.
Officer Xia.
What if my phone runs out of battery?
Are you crazy?
You're addicted to coming to the police station, aren't you?
Let's complete the procedures first.
-Let's talk outside. -Alright, alright.
Who's going to process the paperwork?
I'll do it.
Come with me.
What are you going to do next?
None of your business.
Xingchi.
The police have already warned you.
If you don't change your line of work, you'll get detained again.
If you keep doing this,
I'll call your mother.
When I was learning how to modify cars,
I got burned by the exhaust pipe and got this scar.
This one was from
when I was running a karaoke bar. Someone got drunk
and stabbed me.
And this scar on my leg.
You deserve it.
It's all your own doing.
Do you know how I've been living?
My pirated DVD store got raided.
My street vending cart was confiscated by city inspectors.
I finally saved enough money to open a karaoke bar with some friends,
and someone was caught doing drugs inside.
So it got shut down!
Since I came to Beijing,
not a single thing has gone my way!
You can't blame others
for not doing well yourself.
You only have yourself to blame.
It's only been a few years.
How did he become like this?
Mom.
Son, why was your phone turned off?
I was in a meeting just now.
Where are you?
Your dad and I are resting by the roadside.
What's Dad doing?
He's changing the tire.
Son, how have you been lately?
Is your stomach still acting up?
I'm fine.
I had to wine and dine some clients in the past couple of days.
I'll take some stomach medicine, and I'll be fine.
You shouldn't take too much Western medicine.
You should see a traditional Chinese doctor for treatment.
I've seen one. Don't worry.
By the way, check your card.
I transferred some money to you yesterday.
I've received it.
With this money you sent
and this run we're making,
our family's debts will be completely cleared.
That's good.
This way, you and Dad can make fewer runs from now on.
Don't work so hard.
We'd just be sitting idle at home anyway.
At least we can enjoy the scenery while driving.
Alright.
Don't worry about your dad and me.
Just take good care of
your own health.
Okay.
There's no need to worry about me.
Keep an eye on Dad.
He's hot-tempered.
Keep an eye on him.
Okay. Okay.
Bye-bye.
Who was that?
Our son. Who else could it be?
How is he?
Same as always.
He only tells us good news and never bad news.
He never tells us the truth.
If we want to know what's really going on with him...
Don't get your hands dirty.
We'd have to ask those kids he hangs out with.
Weren't we also like that when we were young?
No matter how tough and tiring it was out there,
we had to endure it ourselves.
When we got home,
we could brag all we wanted.
With the money our son sent us,
our family's debts will be cleared.
After we complete this run,
let's take a break.
Here's what I'm thinking.
Look.
Our son has come of age.
It's time for him to get married.
What if they want to buy a house in Beijing?
We can't
contribute nothing, right?
Forget about taking a break then.
Let's keep working.
Why didn't your parents think of
buying you a house back then?
We've been renting for so many years.
Stop saying useless things.
Back then, it was...
Don't get your hands dirty. Give it to me.
Back then, the government allotted the house to us.
Now, to buy a house,
the whole family would be exhausted to death.
Your son definitely won't be like that.
I believe in him.
He's definitely better than you.
You are always right.
Mr. Du.
You're here.
You don't have to
bring gifts.
How could I come empty-handed?
About Xingchi's matter,
it's not that I don't agree.
The point is
whether he's willing to learn this craft or not.
Whether he wants to or not,
he has to learn.
If he doesn't learn, I'll break his legs.
Isn't he doing pretty well in Beijing?
Why are you urging him to come back?
Don't get me started.
If he doesn't come back soon,
his mother and I will worry ourselves to death.
What happened?
I don't mind telling you.
You know, when Xingchi
was a kid,
he was quite well-behaved.
But since he went to Beijing,
he's been causing trouble every other day.
He's been arrested and taken to the police station two or three times already.
Every time he'd say
it wasn't his fault.
He was just unlucky.
But you know,
other kids don't get themselves into that kind of trouble.
You know what kind of person I am.
I don't easily ask for favors.
But for Xingchi,
Mr. Du,
you really need to help me.
Have some tea.
[Xiuchun Suzhou Embroidery Shop]
All the clothes here in my shop
are hand-embroidered.
They need it urgently.
I don't want to cause delays for them.
Please take your time to choose.
How did it go?
Mr. Du agreed.
That's great!
Give him a call
and ask him to come back quickly.
Okay.
I'll be off then.
Where are you going?
I'm going to the sunken ship.
Chen and Mr. Zhou are waiting for me there.
They said they had a new discovery.
I'm off then.
The sunken ship is even more important than your son.
Hello.
The subscriber you dialed is power off.
The canal in Tongzhou is different from what I thought.
It's quite beautiful at night.
You might as well open a restaurant.
We'll chip in some money for you.
Find a good location
and open a Huaiyang snack shop.
It won't make money.
How do you know it won't make money if you haven't tried?
Your cooking skills are so good.
If you have something to say, just say it.
I'm not that thin-skinned.
Is everything okay between them?
Yes.
I've already criticized Xingchi.
What did he say?
He believes he did nothing wrong.
Stubborn as hell.
For this kind of thing, we still need Wanghe to step in.
Do you believe those two could actually fight?
It can't be that bad, right?
They're as close as brothers after all.
What do you want to bet on?
Can't you just stay out of trouble?
Would it kill you to make some honest money?
There are so many people forging certificates.
Why am I the only one getting caught?
I'm contributing to society, right?
What's wrong with helping increase the employment rate?
I don't blame Fenghua for not understanding me.
I accept that.
How can you, Mr. Know-it-all, not tell right from wrong?
What kind of bullshit theory is this?
I can't tell right from wrong?
Bro,
how many messes have you made over these years?
Do you want me to list them all out for you?
And I'm the one that can't tell right from wrong?
It's always the same old story with you.
Are you senile or something?
Let's eat!
Aren't you hungry?
Wait a moment.
I've got something nice to show you.
[Graduation Certificate]
Not bad, Fenghua.
You've finally grown a brain.
Just a moment.
Well done!
Name: Xia Fenghua.
Major: Business Management.
Self-study Higher Education Examination for Bachelor's Degree.
Passed all courses.
Approved for graduation.
Well done!
Come on, everyone.
Let's raise a toast to Ms. Xia.
Cheers!
Congratulations!
Is a self-study diploma also considered a diploma?
Xingchi, seriously?
With her diploma, would you let her come for an interview at your company?
I'm doing well with my own business.
Why would I interview at his company?
You've started your own business, why bother getting a diploma?
You must have too much time on your hands.
Xingchi, you're not doing badly because of us, right?
It has nothing to do with you.
I'm just unlucky!
It has nothing to do with any of you!
Then why are you like this all day?
Being all sarcastic
and having such an odd way of speaking!
As if we owe you something!
Stop it!
Let him speak!
A successful person, aren't you?
Give us backward folks
some advanced advice!
How much motivational crap do you have?
I'll take it all!
You bastard, Shao Xingchi!
Can't you stop fighting?
Are you two still high school students?
Sit down. Sit down.
You work in Haidian.
Why do you live so far away from work?
Don't you think
the smell here is similar to home?
If there were a ship,
we could sail
all the way home along the river.
You guys
must look down on me, right?
Yes.
You've been causing trouble these past two years.
When we tell you off,
we don't feel good about it either.
Then don't say anything.
I know what I'm doing.
You know what you're doing?
I don't even want to bother talking to you.
Yeah.
I got caught making fake IDs this time.
But it gave me a new idea.
What idea?
When I save up enough money,
I'll find some diploma mills abroad.
They're all real.
The certificates will all be genuine.
Let's see how the police can catch me then.
Can't you find some other way?
This is too risky.
As long as you're willing to work hard
and not try to exploit legal loopholes,
we'll all support you.
Who has the time to bother with you anyway?
We know you're in a bad state of mind,
and you feel anxious.
But we haven't made it big either.
We're also working hard from dawn to dusk,
gritting our teeth and pushing forward, aren't we?
You all went to prestigious universities.
After a few years of hard work,
you'll all have bright futures.
So what?
Is Fenghua a graduate from a famous university?
Look at her. With her IQ,
she couldn't even understand basic arithmetic.
But at this age,
she managed to self-study and get a degree.
You didn't support or encourage her,
and even made sarcastic remarks instead.
Do you think you're doing the right thing?
I'll go kowtow to her.
Stop it.
Can't you read the room?
Just try not to upset her again in the future.
Oh, right.
This.
For you.
What is it?
The money you paid as compensation when you got into a fight for me during our senior year.
Are you serious?
It's been so long.
You may have moved on, but I haven't.
That incident caused a lot of trouble for you and your family.
I didn't have the money back then,
so I could only pretend to be ignorant.
I've been saving money all these years.
I've finally saved enough.
Here.
Are you crazy?
Take it.
I won't.
Just take it.
I won't take it.
If you don't take it, I'll give it to your parents.
Even if you give it to them, they won't accept it.
Hey, Xie Wanghe.
Can't you stop being so selfish?
I'm selfish?
Because I feel
that I've worked hard on my own all these years
to make up for my childhood mistakes.
I'll feel a great sense of accomplishment.
You take it for now.
I'll ask you for money when I need it.
Is that okay?
Sure.
Then I'll keep it safe for you.
Let's go.
Where is everyone?
They left without saying goodbye.
Yes, they're gone.
We're all drunk.
We're off.
Sorry about today.
Xingchi is just reluctant to admit his mistakes.
Alright then.
I'm off too.
I'll walk you out.
No need.
You still have to get up early for work tomorrow.
I'll walk you to the subway then.
Okay.
♫What would you do without me?♫
♫Who would wipe away your tears?♫
♫Who would hold an umbrella for you?♫
♫Comfort you when you're troubled♫
♫On sleepless nights, you fear loneliness the most♫
That time, you sprained your ankle,
and I carried you on my back all night.
I almost died from exhaustion.
Aren't you alive and well?
Isn't that thanks to you?
Time really flies.
Yes, it does.
Back then, I was a beautiful young girl.
What are you now?
An old lady?
When I was a kid,
I loved Beijing,
because Beijing is big enough,
unimaginably big.
It made me feel
there were endless possibilities here.
But now,
because of how big Beijing is,
it's pushing us further and further apart.
We are in the same city,
yet we barely see each other in a year.
Near my express delivery station,
there's an old lady.
She has trouble walking
and doesn't go out much.
But every month,
she receives flowers sent from Guangzhou.
Sometimes it's roses,
and sometimes narcissus.
From Guangzhou to Beijing,
it's over 2,100 kilometers.
But for her,
it's very close.
As long as there's love,
distance isn't a problem.
[Jiukeshu Subway Station]
I'm off.
Good night.
Bye-bye.
Text me when you get home.
[Jiukeshu Station]
[Amour Bar]
♫What should I do♫
♫Without you♫
♫Who will♫
♫Wipe away your tears?♫
[2014]
[2008]
Let's go to the Great Wall again tomorrow, shall we?
I can't.
I have a program due on Monday. You guys go ahead.
I can't go either. I haven't finished my thesis yet.
Why don't you go with Fenghua?
Well... Forget it then.
We finally have a chance to sleep in.
Let's go some other day. Maybe next time.
Right, next time.
I've been really busy lately.
It's okay. I understand.
It's good to be busy, to have things to be busy with.
Let's go another day.