Northwards Episode 2 Recap, Plot

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Early in the morning, Liang Haihong stood in front of her stall, deep in thought. The mothers in the courtyard gathered around to ask what was wrong. Liang Haihong was worried about losing money after switching to a larger boat. After all, they were just small households, and hiring workers would significantly increase transportation costs. Meanwhile, Ma Siyi transferred to the elementary school where Xia Fenghua and the others studied.

Because of her mixed-race appearance and unique demeanor, she quickly drew attention. When Xie Wanghe passed a note to Ma Siyi, Xia Fenghua tattled on him, resulting in both of them being punished by the teacher to stand outside.

On the other hand, the mothers in the courtyard, upon learning that Ma Siyi would be staying with them, couldn’t help but complain about her mother, who only gave birth to her but didn’t raise her, showing no sense of maternal responsibility or conscience. During dinner, every household in the courtyard was bustling with liveliness—except for Ma Siyi’s home, which was silent and cold.

The loneliness made Ma Siyi miss her mother, and she sat alone in her room, silently shedding tears. The next day, the courtyard was once again bustling with activity. The mothers helped Grandma Ma sell breakfast at her stall. Xie Wanghe asked his mother for five yuan to buy ice cream, and Xia Fenghua pestered him to share. Later, the four of them saw Ma Siyi secretly calling her mother on the street, hoping to live with her.

However, her mother was cold and indifferent, not considering Ma Siyi’s feelings at all, and quickly hung up after a few words. Seeing Ma Siyi sobbing, Xia Fenghua, Xie Wanghe, and the others felt heartbroken for her. Soon, Ma Siyi’s appearance once again drew the attention of her classmates. A boy named Sun Sanliang started pestering her, determined to befriend her. To protect Ma Siyi, Xie Wanghe got into a conflict with Sun Sanliang. Fortunately, the teacher intervened in time.

While being punished to stand outside, Xie Wanghe noticed that Ma Siyi didn’t have a backpack, only an old cloth bag. He then gathered Shao Xingchi and Zhou Haikuo to discuss pooling money together to buy her a new one. Xia Fenghua helped Ma Siyi secretly climb out of the window and took her to make sugar syrup.

Since Ma Siyi was an excellent student and particularly good at writing essays, Xia Fenghua proposed a deal: Ma Siyi would help her with her essays, and in return, Xia Fenghua would drive away those annoying boys who kept pestering her. Ma Siyi nodded in agreement, and the seeds of friendship began to take root in their hearts. Xie Wanghe and the others gathered to count their money, but they realized it wasn’t enough for a new backpack.

So, they went into the river to catch clams and sold them to Shao Bingyi for eighty yuan. When Ma Siyi received the new backpack from her friends, she was deeply touched, and the bond between the five of them grew even stronger. As noon approached, Zhou Yanlin’s restaurant, "Canal Family," was bustling with activity. He set up a small dining table specifically for the children.

At that moment, District Chief Gu Ailian arrived at the restaurant with her son, Chen Rui. Because of her busy work schedule, she wanted to enroll Chen Rui in the dining group. Coincidentally, Chen Rui was in the same class as Xia Fenghua and the others, and he quickly blended into their little circle. While riding his bicycle past the restaurant, Shao Bingyi caught sight of Gu Ailian and eagerly went up to greet her, expressing his thoughts on cultural creation.

As the children ate, they listened to Zhou Yipu tell stories. Zhou Yipu mentioned an Italian foreigner who had come here and made great contributions to the area. Xie Wanghe assumed it was Ma Siyi’s ancestor, but Ma Siyi immediately denied it. Sun Sanliang pestered Ma Siyi again, infuriating Xia Fenghua, Xie Wanghe, Shao Xingchi, and Zhou Haikuo, who rushed up and gave him a beating.

Their clothes were covered in dirt, and they were afraid of being scolded by their parents, so they sneaked back into the courtyard—only to be caught by Liang Haihong. Liang Haihong dragged Xie Wanghe inside for a scolding. When she found out he was protecting Ma Siyi, she realized her mistake and took the initiative to apologize to her son, instructing him to protect Ma Siyi as an older brother in the future.

Standing outside the door, Ma Siyi overheard their conversation and was once again deeply moved. With this group of friends, Ma Siyi’s life became more colorful. She actively asked Grandma Ma about the families in the courtyard. Grandma Ma told her that everyone in the courtyard was good-hearted. Later, the four families gathered to discuss the boat upgrade. Grandma Ma was the first to step up and offer financial support, and the others also contributed their money.

Finally, Xie Tiancheng successfully upgraded to a thousand-ton ship, returning to Flower Street with a boat decorated in red silk and flowers. The bond between the children grew stronger. They often went swimming in the river, spending their childhood in this lively and warm environment, growing up day by day. Seven years later, all five of them were now in high school. Xia Fenghua refused to go into the river and even took away everyone else’s clothes.

Just then, cries came from the neighboring area. The five of them hurried over and discovered that Lao Wu, a boatman from Flower Street, had accumulated a huge debt and, overwhelmed with despair, had jumped into the river to commit suicide.

Episode 1 Recap

Episode 3 Recap

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