[NORTHWARD]
[Episode 29]
Dear visitors,
welcome to
our planetarium's Celestial Exhibition Hall.
Here,
we will take you on a journey through time and space
to explore the mysteries of the universe
and experience the vastness and beauty of the cosmos.
[Wanghe]
This Celestial Exhibition Hall
is the core exhibition of our planetarium.
This space features state-of-the-art technology for astronomical projections
and virtual reality equipment.
Where are you?
Don't make me call the police.
Where are you, really?
You can see
billions of stars and nebulae,
and marvel at the majestic and mysterious beauty of the Milky Way.
[Location]
Additionally,
you can personally experience
various fascinating phenomena in the universe,
such as supernova explosions,
black holes, pulsars and more.
Here.
Why are you here?
I'm tired.
I came out
to get some fresh air.
Are you sick?
Who told you that?
Did you go to the hospital for a check-up?
Yes.
It's just anemia.
It's nothing serious.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Do you want to see my medical report?
You really scared me.
Look.
UY Scuti.
It's one of the largest known stars.
Even the sun
is just a speck of dust in front of it.
Compared to it,
we are all
so tiny.
[Ring Road] [Xidawang Road]
Take a long leave.
Go home and have some rest.
I can't.
Then quit.
Quit?
Will you provide for me?
I will.
No.
Why?
I'm capable myself.
I don't need your help.
If anything, I’d be the one supporting you.
Just take some time off.
Take some time to
rest and recuperate.
I'm in good health.
You look so pale.
How can you be fine?
Your work is not that important.
They won't starve to death
without you.
I'll try to hold on for a while.
If I can't,
I'll let you know.
When that happens, it'll be too late.
I’m looking out for you, so why don’t you listen to me?
I'm so tired.
I don't want to fight.
Just drive.
[Fenghua Express]
Mr. Xie, Fenghua...
Fenghua!
You are asking for it!
Come here!
Xia Fenghua!
You're so dead.
Don’t come over!
Xia Fenghua.
You're awake.
We've arrived?
I'm leaving.
[Fenghua Express]
Wait.
What?
This is the prescription given by Grandpa Zhou.
A foot bath before bedtime can boost your blood circulation.
Don't just say okay.
Make sure you do it.
Use water of 40 degrees.
Take a photo and send it to me.
You want to see my feet?
Are you a pervert?
See you.
Be careful.
It's so cold. Go back.
Go to bed early.
Don't stay up late.
[No, I won't]
Let me join you.
No.
How dare you!
Come.
♫You never hesitate to let me lean♫
♫On your shoulder♫
♫The cover page hides this story♫
We'll never be apart!
♫So many imagined dreams♫
♫But I...♫
♫I just want to hold your warm hand♫
We've graduated.
It's recording.
Come, one...
♫And gently press it against my chest♫
Come on.
We'll be together forever!
Everything has been recorded.
♫A faint light shines through the window♫
I'll be where everyone else is.
♫Glowing on a young face♫
We've graduated!
Wanghe.
♫Nurturing dreams, yet leaving confusion behind♫
Say something.
I hope we can all be happy
♫Time isn't a cure♫
and be together forever.
♫But the most bitter truth♫
Let's never change.
Never change.
Let's adapt to change by remaining unchanged.
♫I want to say goodnight to you♫
♫So we won't get lost in the sea of dreams♫
Let me have a look.
Don't do it this way.
♫You loved my fearless youth♫
♫Only sober love remains pure and clean♫
♫No matter what's good or bad♫
♫I wish you find love in this lifetime♫
♫Don't walk away with regret♫
♫Reunions always come too late♫
♫When the heavy rain falls♫
♫I'll be there to hold an umbrella for you♫
Hello.
What are you doing?
Having a foot bath.
You caught a cold?
No.
Why do you sound so nasal?
Do I?
What about now?
Did you cry?
No.
Don't be so paranoid all the time.
I'm not a little girl anymore.
You didn't look well when you came back last time.
You looked pale.
You had no energy at all.
I was just tired.
Don't worry.
I won't stay up late anymore.
You have to eat on time from now on.
Eat well.
Don't work so hard.
If you're really worried,
I'll come back.
Don't bother.
It's tiring to travel back and forth.
You’d be better off using this time to get some proper rest.
I mean it.
I can provide parcel delivery services anywhere.
I'll go back to Flower Street
and open a new delivery station.
Let's work together.
We'll definitely make money.
Are you serious?
Yes.
Mom.
I miss home.
It's okay.
There's no rush.
Let me...
take care of matters
in Beijing.
Then I'll come home.
Fenghua.
This is a serious matter.
Don't just joke about it.
You have to think carefully.
Don't worry.
It's not that complicated.
Soon,
I'll deliver myself back to you
as an urgent package.
I'm hanging up.
Fenghua just said
she doesn't want to work in Beijing anymore.
She wants to come back.
Did something happen to her company?
She didn't mention that.
She just said she missed home.
Hello, Mr. Qiu.
Mr. Xie!
Your buddy is going too far.
Which buddy are you talking about?
Shao Xingchi.
As the Chief of Station 203,
he actually allows the delivery riders under him
to only take 30 orders a day.
The rest of the orders are all dumped on Stations 202 and 204.
What's the deal?
Are the riders at Station 203 more precious than others?
Do the lives of the riders in
other areas no longer matter?
Mr. Qiu,
you're in charge of
after-sales service.
If Station 203 has been negligent in their work,
you can take action with
the company's policies.
Alright,
I will definitely take action as per
the company's regulations.
But Chief Shao
is your best friend, Mr. Xie.
If I'm going to deal with him,
I should let you know first.
I stand by my words.
Any matters related to the company's business
must be handled according to the rules.
Alright.
With your word,
I'll do as planned.
When the time comes,
if I handled it too harshly,
please...
don't blame me for being inconsiderate.
Next time when you come into my office,
remember to knock.
What are you looking at?
Don't you have work to do?
Come.
I bought some snacks for everyone.
Come, come,
Thank you, boss.
Here.
Take whatever you like.
Thank you, boss.
It's nothing.
Share it around.
-Mr. Xie. -Mr. Xie.
Share these too.
Don't drop them.
What's wrong?
You tell me what's wrong.
Didn't we agree before
that I'm in charge of Station 203?
Everything will be done according to my rules.
You won't change your rules
even if they're wrong?
I know our performance isn't ideal right now,
but I have my own plans.
I believe you have a backup plan,
but do the delivery riders believe it?
When everyone leaves,
what good is your backup plan?
If we follow the company's approach,
everything will be in chaos.
That's because you've spoiled them.
Do you know how much effort we've put in
to get the delivery riders used to to the current delivery pace?
And you?
People work to earn a living.
We're not here for a vacation.
If you think I'm not doing a good job,
then replace me as the station chief.
Cut to the chase.
You know how much lower
the income of Station 203's riders is compared to
other stations, right?
When we come out to work,
when we take on a job,
it's to make money.
You can't be opposing against the mainstream.
Do you know how much pressure
a delivery rider faces in a day?
Running on the streets day and night,
only to be scolded by customers and merchants,
and also by the pedestrians on the road.
If there's even one order cancellation, bad review, or complaint,
the company imposes a penalty.
What can the delivery riders do?
Do they deserve to be treated as less than human?
Then what do you expect the company to do?
If we're slower than others,
if merchants and customers are dissatisfied with us,
how can we compete with others?
Competition, competition.
Those two words are enough to give me a headache!
The market is so big.
Must we fight for first place?
Do we really have to fight to death over this?
We grew up by the canal.
There are so many ships in the canal.
Some ships sail fast,
some sail slow.
I've never seen a slow-moving ship get eliminated.
That's because they have different shipping lanes.
Now we're in the same lane.
You may not have personally experienced
the all-out business war in the past two years,
but I have.
Do you know how many companies
went bankrupt in that competition?
The reason Bee survived is due to
the joint efforts of hundreds of thousands of employees and delivery riders.
Once we fail in the competition,
hundreds of thousands of people will instantly lose their jobs.
I believe at that time,
no one will care about
your concern and sympathy for them.
They will only complain about
the management's incompetence!
I believe everyone is aware of
[To be self-aware, to self-improve, to self-enhance, to self-develop]
the current situation of Station 203.
I'm here today
for nothing else
but to change the rules.
Starting from this month,
Station 203
must align and keep up
with other areas.
The goals are to
ensure that the delay rate stays below 5%,
and receive no negative reviews or complaints.
If this is achieved,
performance bonuses will be doubled.
If this is not achieved,
Station 203
will be dissolved immediately
and merged with Stations 202 and 204.
Additionally,
the delivery rider with the lowest number of orders
will be fired immediately.
This place is not bad.
Boss, one bowl of noodles, please.
To go.
Okay.
Bro?
Here to pick up an order?
No, I'm done for the day.
I was thinking of getting a bowl of noodles to tide me over.
Come have a drink.
No thanks.
I have to give a summary report to the higher-ups later.
Come on.
Have a drink.
One drink won't hurt.
Cheers.
Here, eat up.
These have been grilled.
Bro.
You don't have to feel bad.
Personally, we understand your good intentions.
Everyone sings praises of you as a person.
I'll get angry at anyone who says otherwise.
Back then in the karaoke room,
when I was being bullied by a room full of customers,
you jumped in to help me with
the drinking when you couldn't stand it,
only to end up getting beaten.
Of course.
I'm your boss and you're my employee.
How could I just watch you get bullied?
Bro.
All of us are aware of your kindness.
But you're just...
too nice.
You're always thinking about what's best for us,
but it's overly...
It's a bit unrealistic...
and disconnected from reality.
You think I'm wrong too?
You're not wrong.
Mr. Xie was wrong.
Then why don't you support me?
We're poor.
We're terrified of being poor.
Bro.
In our line of work,
we work from dawn to dusk,
and if we see a few hundred more
in our account when we get home,
that makes us happy.
No matter how hard or tiring the work is,
seeing the money in our wallet increase
gives us peace of mind.
Bro.
Let me put it bluntly.
Take me as an example.
If anyone tries to stop me from making money,
I'll get angry with them,
even if they truly mean well for me.
Aren't you afraid of working yourself to death?
If I really can't take it anymore,
I'll just lie down.
It's still better than dying poor.
A few years ago, before I came to Beijing,
I was full of ambition.
I thought since I was capable, smart and diligent.
I thought I'd make something of myself in just a few years.
But now, after all this time,
I still have nothing.
Every day, I still have to squeeze onto buses
and subways,
and sleep in a basement.
Every time I see the lights
in countless residential areas,
lit up by countless lamps,
I realised not a single one belongs to me.
In Beijing,
people like us
are destined to be a passerby.
If one day
I must leave,
I hope that
people will bury me here.
Come.
Have some tea.
Uncle,
you don't have to be so polite.
Haikuo and I were classmates.
In terms of seniority,
I'm a whole generation after you.
Is Haikuo doing well in Beijing?
Quite well.
He's a programmer in the same company as Wanghe.
Which company?
It's called...
Bee.
The food delivery one.
That's a big company
worth tens of billions.
It looks like Haikuo is thriving.
No matter how much money there is, it has nothing to do with them.
It's not theirs anyway.
Can't compare to you,
right?
I'm just a small business owner.
I haven't seen much of the world.
I am just doing some small local business.
But,
I came today
to discuss a great opportunity with you, Uncle.
You see,
with our Grand Canal
becoming a World Heritage Site,
Huaiyang cuisine is in high demand.
A few days ago,
the city leaders gave me an idea.
They want to establish
a Huaiyang cuisine heritage center in the city.
That's a great idea.
But I said,
having the place without the right people won't work.
We need to invite a master in Huaiyang cuisine.
But throughout Honghuai,
you're the only Huaiyang cuisine master we can count on.
We want to invite you to come out of retirement
and teach at the center.
Only with your presence
will this heritage center possess real value.
We're thinking
of moving this century-old By the Canal
into the city
and bring Huaiyang cuisine to greater heights
by allowing more people to enjoy your culinary skills.
[By the Canal]
Master Zhou.
Auntie.
Long time no see.
It's me,
a classmate of Xingchi.
Xing...
Liang.
Ah, Liang.
I heard you're a big boss now.
No, no.
What brings you to Flower Street today?
I came to invite Uncle Zhou,
no,
Master Zhou to come out of retirement
to collaborate on a
Huaiyang cuisine heritage center in the city.
Alright, Uncle.
I'll be going now.
Please think it over.
I'll wait for your response.
Okay.
Auntie,
see you around.
Alright.
I'll be going now, Uncle.
Okay.
Take care.
[By the Canal]
A heritage center?
Master Zhou,
this is great news.
Your business is growing.
Yes.
You're awake?
Here, let me.
I'll do it.
I fell asleep.
Dad, let me tell you something.
You can't sleep out here anymore.
It's raining outside.
What if you catch a cold?
Why aren't you in school today?
The school unexpectedly gave us a day off.
Okay.
Have you eaten?
Yes, I have.
I'm a bit tired.
I need a nap.
Alright.
If you get hungry,
go eat at Auntie Ma's place.
Bring a smoked fish with you while you're at it.
Okay.
If you don't want to study,
then go learn to cook.
As long as it makes you happy,
I'll support you.
Before the economic reform,
chefs were looked down upon.
It's not like that anymore.
Cooking is
a form of artistry too.
That's right.
A good chef is an artist.
With exceptional skills,
you can conquer the world.
Master one skill, and it’ll take you far.
You said you wanted to take a nap.
You forgot?
Granny Ma!
It's me, Zhou.
Granny Ma!
-Mr. Zhou! Mr. Zhou! -Mr. Zhou!
What are you doing?
I haven't seen
Granny Ma all day.
I'm worried something might have happened again.
Mr. Zhou!
Granny Ma went back home to visit her family.
Yes, that's right.
Her daughter-in-law had another baby.
She went back to help with the postpartum care.
Right.
Yes, to help with the postpartum care.
Yes.
Isn't her son dead?
How could his wife have a baby?
The daughter-in-law remarried.
She had a son with someone else.
Granny Ma is just so kind-hearted.
She’s taking care of someone who isn’t even her own grandchild.
Yes.
Now that Granny Ma is gone,
what will happen to Siyi?
We'll all look after Siyi.
Don't worry, she won't go hungry.
Yes, that's right.
Yes, we're here for her.
That's good, that's good.
Tiancheng.
When you sail again,
bring a crucian carp for Granny Ma.
That fish
promotes lactation.
I'll take care of this tomorrow.
Alright.
She didn't even say a word.
Watch your step.
Come on, have a drink.
Sure.
Come.
Come on.
So, what's the matter?
Zhou,
how many years has
your restaurant been around?
Over a hundred years.
It's been famous since the day it opened.
Back then,
salt merchants from Yangzhou,
Suzhou, and Hangzhou
would come by boat specifically to dine here.
That small dock simply
couldn't fit everyone.
People were packed so tightly they could barely stand.
If it were today,
it would be at least a two-star Michelin restaurant.
Michelin doesn't understand Chinese cuisine.
With my master's culinary skills,
even eight stars wouldn't be enough.
Right. There was another time,
not long ago,
an old gentleman from Taiwan came
to dine at my restaurant.
He specifically showed me an old photo.
He said his father
had dined here
before the liberation.
Later, he went to Taiwan
and had been longing for it his whole life.
As a result, this old gentleman,
upon hearing that the restaurant was still open,
came all the way from Taiwan
to taste my traditional dishes.
Let me tell you.
Your cooking qualifies as intangible cultural heritage.
You
have the responsibility
and the obligation
to let more people
taste the dishes
from By the Canal.
Isn't it?
Yes, yes.
I heard from Yuling that
they're planning to open a shop in the city.
That's good news.
No.
I can't go.
I need to keep an eye on my shop.
I can't get away.
Is it really just because of that shop?
Zhou,
you can go without worrying.
As for Mr. Zhou,
we'll be here for him, right?
Yes.
Come, come.
I'll just say what's on my mind.
How many years have we been together?
Don't you consider us family yet?
No, it's not like that.
What do you mean?
Yan has already told us everything.
Let me put it this way.
Previously, Yan and Haihong,
along with Yuling, went to the hospital
to see how others care for patients.
They discovered that nursing
is not that simple.
It requires a lot of professional knowledge.
They brought back a small booklet
and studied it every day.
Look.
It's all densely written.
There are a lot of notes too.
Don't worry.
Leave Mr. Zhou to us.
We won't let him suffer even the slightest discomfort.
You won't have to worry about a thing.
We're all from the same courtyard.
Tell me,
how is it any different from being family?
When an elder in our own family falls ill,
how could we not care?
You can put your mind at ease.
Look.
[Morning] [Noon] [Afternoon] [Evening] [Night]
They've
even laid out
a duty roster.
In our courtyard,
there are four households,
and seven adults.
Including of Chen Rui and his father,
that means we still have
[Morning] [Noon] [Afternoon] [Evening] [Night]
capacity to take turns caring for him.
This way,
firstly, it's not tiring,
so we keep going at it.
Secondly, it feels natural.
Mr. Zhou wouldn't suspect a thing.
Also,
we've created a WeChat group.
You should join in too.
From now on,
anything related to Mr. Zhou,
we'll communicate in the group chat.
Yes, it's so convenient now.
If anything happens,
just send a message in the group.
We’ll tackle it as a group.
That's right.
Let me tell you,
this is the outcome of their research.
Yes, I know.
They've been researching for a long time.
We'll...
j-just go with this plan.
Don't worry, nothing will go wrong.
I...
It's not that
I was deliberately hiding it from all of you.
I really just didn't want to
trouble you all.
But come to think of it,
your wife's got quite a loose tongue.
If it weren't for my wife...
Well,
let's not talk about it anymore.
Thanks, guys.
Here.
Thank you.
Talk about being polite.
Have some food.
Uncle!
Uncle.
You even came out to greet me.
You're here.
Have you thought it over?
San Liangzi.
I was planning
to call you.
But I thought it would
be better to tell you in person.
Please, go ahead.
I've asked the legal department prepare the contract.
Don't worry, the share distribution is well-arranged.
Wait a minute.
Don't be so anxious.
You need to hear me out first.
Regarding your proposal,
I've been thinking about it,
and I think we should forget about it.
Why?
Look at this shop.
It's a century-old business.
Let me put it this way.
Since the Qing Dynasty,
many guests have
traveled by boat for days and nights
just to come here for a meal.
Do you know why?
Please tell me.
Look at this tree,
this Grand Canal,
and this sign.
The guests who come here
get to feel the breeze from the canal,
and hear the hawkers on Flower Street.
They may be enjoying the food,
but it's the essence of Flower Street they’re truly experiencing.
So, you see,
the local environment shapes the local cuisine.
If we really leave the canal,
I think
the canal's cuisine
would lose its flavor.
So you mean, I...
What I mean is,
the idea of a heritage center is very good.
If you were to set up the center
here on Flower Street,
I would definitely join
without any hesitation.
But compared to the city, the customer flow on Flower Street
is still a bit lacking, isn't it?
Yes.
I know.
So,
you should go ahead with your plans.
I'll have to decline your kind offer.
With your excellent skills,
do you really have to stay on Flower Street?
I'll stay on Flower Street.
I won't take up any more of your time.
Get back to work.
Sorry to bother you, Uncle.
I'm sorry about that.
Mr. Sun is here?
Auntie.
I'll be going then, Uncle.
Alright.
Goodbye, Auntie.
Xingchi, come visit us when you're back home.
I'm sorry about that.
What happened?
The deal didn't go through?
I turned him down.
Turned him down?
♫When the moon hangs in the sky♫
In November 1947,
♫And it's cooling in the yard♫
the People's Liberation Army passed through Shuipu Town.
♫Who is still by your side?♫
Fortunately, there was a
local boy named Zhou Yipu.
♫As time passes♫
Is this right?
♫Is a lifetime really that long?♫
He was familiar with the terrain,
so he helped relay messages
and successfully obtained intelligence about Yancheng.
It's all here, isn't it?
♫When youthful company fades♫
Yes, it is.
That's me.
♫Leaving only small talk and pleasantries♫
That's me.
I remember back then,
♫Spring feels short, while autumn lingers♫
there was a very tall soldier
who asked me,
"What's your name?",
♫A gentle breeze carries dreams away♫
"Are you familiar with this path?"
I was just a playful child back then,
♫Dreamland and dreams♫
always running into the mountains.
I would be
running up those mountain paths,
catching crickets and grasshoppers.
♫Life is long♫
♫No need to dwell♫
♫Like moonlight♫
♫Don't forget♫
You get it, right?
♫Life is long♫
Why is he leaving without paying?
♫No need to dwell♫
Well,
let me handle this.
♫Like moonlight♫
How much is it?
30,000 yuan.
It's made of Chinese rosewood.
♫The old times♫
How about...
we ask Mr. Zhou for the money.
Okay.
Alright.
Grandpa.
I am working overtime with my colleagues.
There's no one there.
Look, this is our company.
There's no one here.
How is it?
No one's here.
Right, they've gone home.
Look!
♫When the moon hangs in the sky♫
Here's two of them.
Grandpa.
♫And it's cooling in the yard♫
Long time no see, Grandpa.
♫Who is still by your side?♫
How have you been lately?
Goodbye.
Good.
♫As time passes♫
How's your appetite been lately?
Take care of yourself, Grandpa.
Grandpa, I miss you.
♫Is a lifetime really that long?♫
I'll come visit you when I get back.
♫When youthful company fades♫
♫Leaving only small talk and pleasantries♫
We're almost at our house.
♫Spring feels short, while autumn lingers♫
Slow down, be careful.
♫A gentle breeze carries dreams away♫
Slowly, slowly.
Don't fall.
Are you alright, Grandpa?
♫Dreamland and dreams♫
Fenghua!
Wanghe!
Eat less snacks.
It's time for dinner.
Grandpa will tell you a story.
♫Life is long♫
Mr. Zhou,
tell me a story first.
Come on, let's take a break.
♫No need to dwell♫
♫Like moonlight♫
It's your turn.
♫Don't forget♫
♫Life is long♫
Mr. Zhou, where's my rook?
I just moved.
It's your turn.
♫No need to dwell♫
Alright.
Okay.
♫Like moonlight♫
It's okay.
I'll jump, jump, and jump.
♫The old times♫
Jump and jump.
You're playing Chinese checkers?
The horse moves in an L-shape.
♫Life is long♫
Okay.
♫No need to dwell♫
This soup,
it's really authentic.
♫Like moonlight♫
Really authentic.
Look,
this is my father.
♫Like moonlight♫
He ate here back in 1929.
Look at this plaque.
♫Life is long♫
He ate right here.
♫No need to dwell♫
♫Like moonlight♫
♫The old times♫
Have you made up your mind
during this time?
Do I only have these two options?
Theoretically, yes.
If you opt for surgery,
we can manage its growth
to some extent.
But...
there are associated risks with any surgery,
especially craniotomy.
During the operation,
there are many uncontrollable factors.
Besides,
there's a possibility of relapse after the operation.
What about conservative treatment?
This tumor will grow
faster and faster.
It will continue to oppress your nerves.
I've made up my mind.
I'll continue with conservative treatment.
Are you sure?
You're still young.
You can give it a try.
No.
Instead of risking it,
I want to hold onto something
that is more tangible.
Okay, then.
Think about it some more.
If
you change your mind,
you can come to me anytime.
Thank you.