[NORTHWARD]
[Episode 35]
Weren't you doing well
at Bee?
Why did you suddenly quit?
As a programmer,
where I work doesn't matter.
It matters.
For your profession,
Beijing, Hangzhou, or Shenzhen
can offer better prospects.
Prospects?
Are they important?
Of course they are.
Then why did you come back?
We're different.
How?
You're a boy.
To start a family, you must first establish a career.
I'm a girl.
I can start a family without a career.
Who do you want to start a family with?
None of your business.
Given how pretty, charming, and kind I am,
it's easy for me to get married.
Wanghe is the first in line.
He'll go mad if someone cuts in line.
It's about to rain. Let's go home.
Okay.
Shouldn't you have dinner with me to welcome me back?
Alright, have your dad cook tonight.
I'll order the dishes.
No problem.
Here.
Thank you, Auntie.
How are things lately?
Have you found a job?
No, I...
I don't know what I want to do.
You can't just sit around idle all day.
You need to work, don't you?
Yes.
Am I right?
Mom, stop nagging.
Xingchi isn't a child.
He doesn't need you to worry about him.
I don't worry,
but his parents do.
Enough.
There are a few dirty dishes in the kitchen.
Help me wash them.
Thank you, Mom.
I'll leave you to talk.
Okay.
Don't listen to my mom.
When it comes to finding a job,
you should listen to yourself.
What do you think
I'm suited for?
Rather than what you're suited for,
it's more about
what you like.
When we were young,
we looked for jobs
that had high salaries
and low barriers to entry.
We always felt that as long as we worked hard enough,
we could carve out a path for ourselves.
But think about all these past years.
How many jobs have we tried?
What did we get?
I think at this age,
we should think about
what we really like to do.
Otherwise, you'd still be wasting your life.
You'd regret it when you're older.
Eat up. What are you thinking about?
I'm just…
thinking about how to know what I like.
You need to think about that?
Don't you know
what you like and dislike?
It's just like dating.
Isn't who you are into
crystal clear in your heart?
Also,
when you truly enjoy doing something,
you'll feel that
time passes incredibly fast.
An entire afternoon
will be gone in the blink of an eye.
Right?
Cheers. Congratulations!
Speed it up a bit!
Uncle Zhou.
Come on.
Go ahead. What's the matter?
I want to
become your apprentice.
You...
I've loved cooking since I was a child.
I-I feel
at ease
when I cook.
At ease?
I love
the sizzling sounds in the wok.
I also love the smell of cooking oil.
I just feel that
when I'm cooking,
time passes incredibly fast.
And then?
Then you feel
all your worries
disappear,
and you're able to
control everything on the stove?
Yes, that's exactly the feeling.
That's the feeling.
But Xingchi,
it's a bit late.
You know what?
Cooks need to start young.
I-It doesn't matter.
I-I don't aim to be a top chef.
As long as I can learn something,
I don't mind being a kitchen helper.
Alright.
Then,
you'll start as a kitchen hand.
Thank you, Master.
Hold on.
Have I taken you as my apprentice?
Listen.
Being a kitchen hand means
you won't get to cook for months.
Are you okay with that?
Yes.
As long as I can learn something,
I'm willing to do anything.
Alright then.
When the time comes,
you'll make a bowl of Yang Chun Noodles as the test.
If you pass it,
I'll take you as my apprentice.
No problem.
Don't be so confident.
You think it's easy to make Yang Chun Noodles?
The simpler a dish is, the harder it is to make it great.
Understand?
Then, Uncle Zhou, what should I
do now?
Now?
Cut your hair.
Otherwise, the deal is off the table.
I-I'll go cut it right now.
I'm on it. I'm on it.
Brat.
Dad.
Rui, take a look at this.
Careful.
Look.
Zhou Yiyan?
Yes!
This watch
is a family heirloom of Mr. Zhou's.
Its movement was broken.
Last year, Mr. Zhou brought this watch here for repair,
but he forgot about it.
Zhou mentioned it briefly,
and we managed to retrieve it.
The engraving on it is in Italian.
And I've seen this pattern online before.
The key is the name Zhou Yiyan.
It was mentioned in Little Polo's diary.
He was the second apprentice of the seafarer Xia.
We found a match for the Zhou family too.
Let's go tell Uncle Zhou then.
Let's go.
Here. Look.
Here.
[Zhou Yiyan]
Yeah.
Well…
if that's the case,
my ancestor was also on this ship?
Yes.
Otherwise, why would your dad have paid
so much attention to this matter?
He's never forgotten Little Polo.
He must have heard about him when he was young,
and he's been stuck in his mind.
Yes, yes.
Isn't it amazing how this all turned out?
It's confirmed for the Shao family, right?
So is it for my family.
What about the Xie and Xia families?
We'll keep looking into it.
The Xie family's ancestral home isn't local.
We'll have to make a trip.
The Xia family should be easier to look into.
Then let's discuss it with Uncle Xia
and make time to visit his hometown someday.
No need.
Have Yan make a call.
If they have genealogical records,
ask them to make a copy and send it over.
As long as the name matches,
it's confirmed.
Mr. Shao, you're amazing.
Impressive!
Also,
do you think we should
tell Mr. Zhou this good news?
We should.
We must tell him.
[Zhou Yiyan]
During my afternoon nap,
I had a dream.
I dreamt that
I was on a ship.
It was at night,
and people on the shore were shooting arrows at my ship.
The ship caught fire.
I woke up frightened.
You dreamt of a ship?
Dad.
On that ship you dreamed of,
was there someone named
Little Polo?
That sounds familiar.
Little Polo?
Little Polo
was an Italian.
He grew up
loving Marco Polo's stories,
so he was fascinated by
our ancient country.
After he grew up,
he finally had the chance to come to China.
He rented a ship in Wuxi
and traveled north along our canal.
On board with him were
an interpreter named Xie Pingyao,
a porter named Shao Changlai,
and the ship owner called Xia.
Xia had two apprentices,
one of whom was named Zhou Yiyan.
Zhou Yiyan?
That also sounds familiar.
I must have heard that name before.
Little Polo, along with those people,
traveled along the Grand Canal, observing it.
At the beginning of the 20th century,
what he saw was
a China facing
enormous changes.
On that ship, Little Polo
used a Parker pen
to write his diary in a leather notebook.
He used a Kodak camera
to capture the customs along the canal.
As for Xie Pingyao,
he was reading books by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao.
He was pondering, with the influence of Western ideas,
what path our ancient country
should take.
Xia's apprentice, Zhou Yiyan,
began to show interest in foreign things.
He was secretly learning Italian,
believing that if he mastered a foreign language,
his descendants might become interpreters too
and live a worry-free life for generations.
His eagerness to learn touched Little Polo,
so Little Polo
gave Zhou Yiyan a watch.
And this watch
has been kept by his descendants
until today.
Who'd have known?
-It's shocking. -Yeah.
My family even had a connection to art.
Yes.
Oh, man.
What's the occasion today?
Uncle.
Boss Xie, Boss Xie.
Boss Xie, hurry.
What's this gathering for?
What's going on?
We've been waiting for you.
Look at these dishes.
Let's have a drink first.
Aren't they great?
Let's have a drink first.
Let me tell you
some good news.
Wonderful news!
What's it?
-You drink first. -Drink first.
We'll talk after you drink.
Drink up.
Great!
Here.
Great.
Xia, tell him.
What?
I've
found my roots.
My ancestor
has been confirmed.
Who?
Remember that ship?
They found a seafarer on the ship
whose surname was also Xia.
He was my ancestor.
There are many people with the surname Xia.
How do you know he was your ancestor?
Look at him.
I asked
Yan
to call my parents
and have my mom look for our genealogical records and such.
But we don't have such things.
However, an old person in the village said
that one of my ancestors
indeed worked as a seafarer.
He even worked for a foreigner
and helped him out.
That foreigner
gave him
an old Kodak camera.
The thing Mr. Zhou called
the "soul-capturing cannon."
Yes.
That's it.
M-My family even has an old photo taken back then.
They were afraid of
persecution from the government,
so they kept it hidden and never dared to show it.
Where's the photo?
H-Here.
They've sent it to me. Look.
Look.
Take a look.
See?
This young man
is Grandpa Zhou's ancestor.
This porter on the side
was called Shao Changlai.
He was my ancestor.
And the one
dressed with a scholarly air
and looking like an interpreter…
This one.
He was called Xie Pingyao.
We are not sure
whether this Xie Pingyao
was your ancestor.
So we need to make a trip to your hometown
to investigate further.
Xie Pingyao?
Our ancestors were all on the same ship?
This is too much of a coincidence, isn't it?
Are you really going?
The tickets are already booked.
I have to go.
Besides, Mr. Shao and the others
all have good intentions.
Why did you hang your shirt
in my closet?
It's so flashy.
I think
they've gone crazy.
How can it be that
those on that sunken ship
were all our ancestors?
This is too much of a coincidence, isn't it?
As Mr. Zhou said,
this is fate.
If the guy called Xie Pingyao
on Little Polo's ship
was really the Xie family's ancestor…
You know what?
From now on,
everyone in this courtyard
will be our family.
They already are.
It's different.
Firstly, I'm going
back to my hometown to trace my roots.
Secondly, I want to relax a bit.
Are you sure you won't come with me?
Our son is suffering in Beijing.
I'm not in the mood to relax with you.
Can't you
have a little faith in our son?
People are criticizing him
all over the internet.
It's so upsetting.
I sent him messages,
and he just replied, "I'm fine."
The more he says he's fine,
the more worried I become.
If he was not fine,
he would have come back already.
Look.
Fenghua,
Haikuo,
and Xingchi
have all come back.
They didn't say it out loud,
but it's obvious that
they couldn't hold on in Beijing anymore.
If that's the case,
I hope our son fails
and comes back soon.
He won't come back.
How do you know?
Because he's my son.
At his age,
I had already bought my first ship
and married
you,
an adorable woman
who gave me a strong boy.
Back then,
I felt like a king.
Nothing seemed like a problem to me.
I never
groveled to anyone
or begged anyone.
Just
give our son some time,
okay?
And this.
Take it with you.
Why?
For safety.
Alright.
It's fine.
And this too.
I'm not going to drive the truck. You…
Better safe than sorry.
Okay, fine.
Alright, alright.
And also...
Take care of them on the road.
They don't travel much.
Keep an eye out for them.
[Jixiang Passanger Transport Co., Ltd.]
Alright, be patient.
Don't be downhearted.
This kind of investigation
is just like this.
It takes time.
I think we might as well
head back.
We've been totally clueless,
running here and there.
What can we possibly find?
Now that we're already here,
before we find something,
we can't go back.
If we prove that Xie Pingyao
was your ancestor,
it means
everyone in our courtyard is family.
What are the odds?
Looking back several generations in my family,
t-there wasn't a single scholar among us.
And Xie Pingyao was an interpreter.
I think we just happen to share the same surname.
It's impossible.
So we...
Uncle Shao.
We found something.
What is it?
My dad and I
passed by an ancestral hall just now.
We decided to go in and take a look.
When they heard
that we study history,
they showed us a notebook.
I took a look.
The notes are in Italian.
Boss Xie.
Shao.
Here's the thing.
This gentleman's ancestor
knew Xie Pingyao,
and they were close friends.
This is that notebook.
Thank you.
So this is Italian?
Yes.
I can't understand it.
To my friend Shaoming.
Wang Shaoming,
my ancestor.
Your ancestor?
To my friend Shaoming.
Study it often
and recite it diligently.
You'll then
understand Italian.
From Xie Pingyao.
This can't prove anything though.
There's also a letter here.
Take a look.
Let me.
This notebook was given to me by my close friend Pingyao
before he and his son Lingzhi
left for Hangzhou.
Pingyao once taught me Italian,
but unfortunately, my talent is limited,
and I can't…
Hold on. What?
His son Lingzhi?
His son Lingzhi.
Xie Lingzhi?
To Hangzhou.
That's my grandfather's elder brother!
You eat too.
I will.
Have you decided what major you want to study?
The teacher says
you're good at science.
I'm happy about that,
but I also hope
that you won't neglect other subjects.
How are the other children doing at school?
Xingchi is good.
Wanghe and Fenghua are average.
How about Siyi?
She's at
♫When the moon shines in the sky♫
No. 1 High School.
♫And it's cooling in the yard♫
She wants to apply for a normal college.
Normal colleges are good.
♫Who is still by your side?♫
She'll become a teacher in the future.
It's a stable job.
♫As time passes♫
Granny Ma will have less to worry about.
♫Is a lifetime really that long?♫
I was telling Granny Ma yesterday
that at our age,
♫When youthful company fades♫
as long as we have enough to live on, it's enough.
♫Leaving only small talk and pleasantries♫
Don't work too hard.
♫Spring feels short, while autumn lingers♫
Look at her,
getting up early
and working late every day to earn money.
♫A gentle breeze carries dreams away♫
If she falls ill,
♫Dreamland and dreams♫
it'll not be worth it.
We'll help her pay for
♫Life is long♫
Siyi's education, won't we?
Grandpa.
♫No need to dwell♫
Don't worry.
We…
♫Like moonlight♫
will definitely take good care of Siyi.
♫Don't forget♫
We won't let her suffer any grievances.
And Fenghua.
Although she seems carefree,
♫Life is long♫
in fact,
♫No need to dwell♫
deep down,
she's more fragile than anyone.
♫Like moonlight♫
Her grandma favors boys over girls.
Since she was little,
♫The old times♫
her grandma has never been nice to her.
Fenghua doesn't say it out loud,
but it hurts her inside.
She doesn't want to upset her parents,
so she just keeps it bottled inside
and puts on a happy face.
Girls like her
♫When the moon shines in the sky♫
will suffer a lot.
♫And it's cooling in the yard♫
Their feelings are always ignored.
♫Who is still by your side?♫
Everyone thinks Fenghua is strong
and doesn't get hurt easily,
♫As time passes♫
so they're all very mean to her.
♫Is a lifetime really that long?♫
♫When youthful company fades♫
♫Leaving only small talk and pleasantries♫
♫Spring feels short, while autumn lingers♫
♫A gentle breeze carries dreams away♫
♫Dreamland and dreams♫
When we were kids,
every time we played hide-and-seek,
you were always the first one to be found.
♫Life is long♫
What made you
♫No need to dwell♫
think that…
♫Like moonlight♫
as long as you hid,
you wouldn't be found?
♫Don't forget♫
Now in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai,
we need a regional director.
♫Life is long♫
Hurry up.
Go back and pack up.
♫No need to dwell♫
Go make your mark there.
♫Like moonlight♫
I want to take some time off.
I have an urgent domestic matter.
♫The old times♫
How long do you need?
I don't know.
Not now.
Our company is about to go public.
You can't
be distracted for now.
Otherwise, even if I keep the position for you,
you'll lose people's trust.
If you leave now,
all your previous efforts will be in vain.
Bee wouldn't have made it this far
without your contributions.
Just enjoy the fruits of victory.
I appreciate
your kindness.
But there's something more important at home.
It's about a woman?
If I lose my job,
I can just find another one.
But if I lose her,
I'll regret it for the rest of my life.
Do you understand the cost of doing that?
I do.
I don't want
to be called love-struck
or a loser.
I've hesitated.
But when I thought about
her hiding somewhere and crying,
I just gave in.
♫Fortunately♫
♫You once gave me a warm hug♫
I used to bully her a lot when we were kids.
♫Unfortunately♫
♫I can't have you, yet I still crave you♫
It's time to make it up to her.
♫How can I decide♫
♫Which is messier, the beginning or the end?♫
♫Both are unforgettable♫
Let me tell you something.
♫Why does your kindness vanish♫
You can't hide from me.
♫The moment I let go?♫
♫How could you leave me so heartbroken♫
Nor can you run away from me.
♫That even my tears feel like they're burning?♫
♫Maybe it's a relief that we're not meant for each other♫
♫No need to suffer too long♫
♫Why can you forget my kindness♫
Don't be afraid.
♫The moment you let go?♫
I'm back.
♫Making me look like a fool♫
♫Even my longing feels like begging♫
♫I'll let go eventually♫
♫I'll say goodbye and disturb you no more♫
♫Fortunately♫
♫You once gave me a warm hug♫
♫Unfortunately♫
♫I can't have you, yet I still crave you♫
♫How can I decide♫
♫Which is messier, the beginning or the end?♫
♫Both are unforgettable♫
♫Why does your kindness vanish♫
♫The moment I let go?♫
♫How could you leave me so heartbroken♫
♫That even my tears feel like they're burning?♫
♫Maybe it's a relief that we're not meant for each other♫
♫No need to suffer too long♫
Young man.
Your fried dough sticks.
♫Why can you forget my kindness♫
Thank you.
Enjoy.
♫The moment you let go?♫
♫Making me look like a fool♫
♫Even my longing feels like begging♫
♫I'll let go eventually♫
Don't eat fried food.
♫I'll say goodbye and disturb you no more♫
It's not healthy.
Give it to me.
Just a bite.
Delicious.
How long are you staying
this time?
It depends on you.
Depends on me?
How come?
Don't play dumb.
I'm not playing dumb.
Just speak your mind. Make it clear.
This was found
under your mattress.
It's not mine.
You won't admit it, huh?
Then I'll go talk to your mom.
What do you want?
If you're sick, get treatment.
It can't be delayed.
I am getting treatment. I've been taking medication.
Conservative treatment isn't enough.
You need to go back to Beijing with me.
Get surgery if necessary.
Have radiotherapy if needed.
I'll be with you
until you fully recover.
What if I can't recover?
Open it.
They used to say
I was hopelessly insensitive.
I admit it.
I want to change,
but at my age,
it's too late.
I want to say something romantic,
but I don't know how.
So,
I can only force you into marrying me.
If you don't agree,
I'll go to your parents
and spend all I have on betrothal gifts.
Your mom will definitely relent.
Are you crazy?
Let go of me.
Fenghua.
You've chosen conservative treatment
because you don't want your parents to worry, right?
It's not necessary.
Relax.
Get whatever treatment you need.
If you're cured,
everyone will be happy.
If you die on the operating table…
in the future,
your parents will be my parents.
I'll take care of them for life.
I don't understand…
love and romance.
I've never been in a relationship before.
But I'm sure of one thing:
if your name
can't be on my household registration booklet…
I'll never have peace of mind in my life.
You're just possessive.
It's not love.
I want you to be mine.
Got a problem with that?
From now on,
I, Xie Wanghe,
will be the son-in-law of the Xia family.
I'll spend the rest of my life proving
that you, Xia Fenghua, have impeccable taste
in men.
[Flying Bird Tea House]
Sir.
Are my vegetables packed?
Yeah.
-Okay. -Thank you.
Careful.
Pick one yourself.
Madam.
Where's my tofu?
It's ready.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
It's still hot.
Alright.
Thank you.
No problem.
Thank you.
Uncle.
I heard
you started learning to cook?
Yes.
Great.
That's great.
Maybe you have a talent for it.
Do your best.
Don't worry, Uncle.
You should
come to my place for a meal sometime.
Alright, I'll get going.
Take care.
I'm off.
Take care.
A good cook
is like a painter.
When you start, you can plan and compose,
but you can't be restricted by the details.
Concerns like
the brand of your brushes
and ink
are meaningless.
You must first learn to use your heart, then your mind.
Let me give you an example.
When you like someone,
you don't need to think about it.
You just know
whether you like her or not.
Every cell in your body
is reminding you.
That's not scientific.
Of course it's not scientific.
Cooking itself is an art.
This is important.
What do you think?
It's okay.
Don't just say okay.
Give me some specific feedback.
Specific?
Well…
The soup
seems to be missing something.
M-Missing what?
I can't put my finger on it.
What do you think?
W-What do you think?
I really think it's fine.
It's much better than the noodles in Beijing.
It's pointless asking you.
You even think instant noodles taste good.
In the future,
do you really plan to be a chef?
Fenghua told me
she hopes I can do
something I truly love.
After thinking it over,
it seems
I'm only happy when I'm cooking.
Alright.
Then go for it.
When you're a good cook,
I'll invest in you,
and we'll open a big restaurant
to cut in on his dad's business.
I'll hold you to that.
The apprentice is planning
to steal his master's business?
-No. -Fine.
I'll tell my dad to hold back some skills.
No, no, no.
That's not what I meant, Young Master.
Look.
You were talking nonsense.
It has nothing to do with me.
Well, it depends on your attitude.
And I'll tell my dad how many skills he should teach you.
How do you think they're different from the noodles your dad makes?
If I could answer that, I'd be teaching you myself.
Let me tell you something serious.
After I came back this time,
I proposed to Fenghua.
She said yes.
Congratulations.
It's
good news,
but my parents might not agree.
Why?
Fenghua…
has a brain tumor.
We don't know how long she has left.
Hurry, come and watch!
This TV series is so good.
Look at them,
falling in love so passionately in school.
Look at you.
You guys.
It ends in tragedy.
They won't end up together.
How do you know?
I've read the novel.
It's heartbreaking.
What's the point of watching a story with a sad ending?
What a waste of time.
I'll make up a story
with a happy ending for you.
Go on.
For example,
Fang Hui,
after many twists and turns,
still ends up with Chen Xun.
They are planning to get married.
But before the wedding,
Fang Hui finds out she has cancer.
So the two families…
That's just the classic soap opera plot.
The female lead
either gets into a car accident
or gets cancer.
How can there be so many
young girls getting cancer in this world?
It's lame.
That kind of TV series is pretentious.
I don't want to watch it.
It makes me uncomfortable.
Let me finish.
Fang Hui finds out she has cancer
and is afraid Chen Xun's family will object.
What do you think
they should do?
If she has cancer, she shouldn't be a burden to others.
Just pack up her things
and find a place far away to wait for death.
At least she'll leave a good impression,
right?
What if I had cancer?
What?
I have a brain tumor.
Wanghe wants to marry me,
but he's afraid Ms. Liang will object.
What should we do?
-To our success! -To our success!
Wow,
my ancestor was an interpreter,
an educated man.
How come I
ended up…
I'm a disgrace to my family.
Not at all.
Boss Xie, you're a big shot
on Flower Street, aren't you?
-I'm nothing. -After all this investigation,
it turns out that Shao's ancestor
was a porter,
but Shao is well-educated.
What a reversal of fortune!
Yes.
Mr. Shao,
you should start
compiling your family tree now
and pass it down
from generation to generation.
-No, no, no. -Bring honor to your family.
Here is what I think.
Compiling my family tree isn't very meaningful.
I actually think
we should write a play.
We should include Little Polo
and our ancestors in it.
Think about it.
This way,
the story will not only be written down
but also have sounds and visuals.
Right?
We can tour along the canal.
This way,
it will never be
forgotten by the world.
I think that's viable.
Interesting idea.
-Cheers to Mr. Shao. -Great idea.
Something happened.
Wanghe
wants to marry Fenghua.
I-Isn't that a good thing?
But
something's happened to Fenghua.
But I think we can add
some Italian opera elements.
Opera won't do.
Opera will do.
Just like they do…
Or you could write a…
On the ships in Venice.
You can't have acquaintances perform in an opera, right?
You can go perform in Italy.
That would feel a bit weird.
It's all about…
I don't agree.
-Your dad… -Mom.
won't agree either.
When you have children, you'll understand.
Marrying a girl
who doesn't know how long she has left?
No mother
would agree to her son
doing that.