Episode Summary
In 2007, teenager Qiao Qingyu and her family move from their rural village to the city to open a noodle shop, hoping for a fresh start after the death of her older sister, Bei Yu. The business struggles immediately, and Qingyu feels isolated at her new school. She is soon targeted by a rebellious student, Ming Sheng, who harasses her and reveals a connection to her late sister. The episode ends with Ming Sheng blackmailing Qingyu into doing his homework by claiming he knows the truth about how Bei Yu died, forcing Qingyu to cooperate to uncover the mystery.
Spoiler Alert
Reborn Episode 1 Recap: A New City and an Old Mystery
The year is 2007, and for sixteen-year-old Qiao Qingyu (played by Zhang Jingyi), the future is a turbulent road. The series, whose English title is Reborn, opens with Qingyu and her family crammed onto a rickety bus, leaving their home in Nanjiao Village for a fresh start in the city.The journey is anything but pleasant; the bus is packed, and the air is thick with the smell of live ducks someone has carried aboard. As Qingyu stares out the window, her expression is a mixture of anxiety and nostalgia. She once yearned to grow up, but now, faced with an unknown future, she finds herself clinging to the memories of her past.
The family's new life is centered around a small noodle shop, but their hopes for a prosperous beginning are quickly dashed. On opening day, Qingyu and her father stand outside, handing out flyers to no avail. The few customers they get include a woman who attempts to dine and dash, forcing Qingyu’s mother to swallow her pride and handle the situation with a forced smile. The financial strain and disappointment cast a pall over the family. That night, sharing a small room with her younger brother, Qingyu is asked if she regrets the move. Back home, she was on track to attend a prestigious high school, but now she must adapt to a new school where she knows no one.
The family's relocation is overshadowed by a tragedy: the death of Qingyu's older sister, Bei Yu. The grief is a silent, heavy presence in their new home. While trying to find a moment of peace in a park, Qingyu is harassed by a local troublemaker named Ming Sheng (played by Zhou Yiran). He leaps down from a tree, snatches a letter she was writing to a friend, and taunts her. When she tries to leave, he stops her with a chilling question: "Are you Bei Yu's sister?"
On her first day at her new school, Qingyu’s sense of isolation deepens. She sees classmates putting up posters criticizing Ming Sheng, confirming he is the same punk from the park. Later, two students, Qiao Jinyu and Ye Zilin, trick her into cleaning the swimming pool. Inexperienced with the slick floors, she slips and falls into the water. In a moment of panic, Ming Sheng appears and extends a hand to help, but Qingyu defiantly refuses his aid, instead grabbing a flotation ring thrown by other girls.
The episode culminates in a tense confrontation after school. Ming Sheng corners Qingyu, demanding she do his homework for him. She flatly refuses, but he plays his trump card, whispering that he knows the truth about how her sister, Bei Yu, really died. Stunned and desperate to uncover the mystery that haunts her family, Qingyu stops resisting and agrees. A dark bargain is struck, setting the stage for a search for truth that will force Qingyu to confront her family's painful past.
Spoilers & Key Takeaways
- A Rough Start: The family's move from their village to the city is marked by discomfort and anxiety, establishing a tone of unease for their new life.
- Struggles at the Noodle Shop: The family's new business faces immediate hardship, including a lack of customers and a dine-and-dasher, highlighting their precarious financial situation.
- A Confrontation and a Ghost: Qingyu is harassed by Ming Sheng, a rebellious student who reveals he knew her deceased sister, Bei Yu, directly linking Qingyu to the show's central mystery.
- A Hostile Welcome: On her first day at school, Qingyu is pranked by classmates and falls into the swimming pool, underscoring her isolation and her defiant pride when she refuses help from Ming Sheng.
- A Dangerous Bargain: The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Ming Sheng leverages a shocking claim—that he knows the truth about Bei Yu's death—to blackmail Qingyu into doing his homework.
