Episode Summary
Tingting proves to be a natural at marketing, bringing new customers to Tang Xiaowei's store. While some of the younger kids learn a hard lesson about not studying for exams, Liu Guoning's acting ambitions lead him to skip school for an audition. His plan backfires when the casting director calls his father, leading to a much-needed reality check. He finally buckles down and aces his finals. In a separate conflict, Shiwu and his father, Lao Yang, have a major falling out over his plans to study abroad.
Spoiler Alert
The Business of Friendship
Tingting's Big Break
So, Tang Xiaowei finally agrees to let Tingting work with her. But she's not just handing over the keys. She tells Tingting to start with promotions and get a feel for the business first. If things go well, they can talk about a real partnership later.
Tingting actually has a knack for this. She immediately starts marketing in the parent groups online. It works. A lot of parents share the info with their coworkers and even parents of older kids. Tingting focuses on getting elementary school parents in the door with a big discount. The shop gets a ton of new customers. Xiaowei knows she's giving a discount, but she also knows she's not losing money on it.
Exam Season Hits Hard
A Lesson in Studying
Final exams are just around the corner. Liu Guobao is in second grade, where they have open-book tests. He and Xiao Jiarui don't bother studying at all. They figure they can just copy everything from the book. Ma Ziheng tries to warn them, telling them they should practice studying now because third grade won't be so easy.
Of course, Guobao and Jiarui don't listen. Ma Ziheng, Gao Feihu, and Chu Yi all hit the books. When the test happens, Guobao and Jiarui can't even finish the exam. They couldn't even copy from the book fast enough.
Guoning's Acting Dream Takes a Nosedive
The Audition Scheme
Liu Guoning is in sixth grade, and he's still obsessed with becoming an actor. He finds an online ad for a child actor casting call. The problem is, he'll have to skip school for the audition. He's too scared to tell his parents.
Instead, he goes to Sun Jiayu for help. She thinks it's a terrible idea and wants him to focus on reality. But Guoning literally gets on his knees and begs her. She caves. Jiayu is smart, though. She makes a resume for Guoning. On it, she makes sure to list his dad's name, Liu Xiangshang, and his contact information. She figures the casting people might just call him.
Guoning needs to forge a sick note to get out of class. Jiayu handles it, faking Liu Xiangshang's signature on a request for leave due to "gastroenteritis." She hands it to the teacher, who thinks it's weird she didn't get a text from the parents. But the bell rings, and the teacher has to run to class. Jiayu breathes a sigh of relief.
The Reality Check
Guoning gets to the audition and immediately realizes he's out of his league. The place is packed with kids, many of them younger than him. Their resumes are full of experience. Some have been acting since they were one year old. He even runs into a scammer who wants him to sign a contract and pay a monthly fee. Guoning knows a scam when he sees one and walks away.
He gives up. He finally sees that he can't compete right now. As he's leaving the building, he sees his parents, Liu Xiangshang and Dai Jing, waiting for him. The casting director saw his dad's name on the resume. Since Liu Xiangshang is known in the industry, the director called him directly to see if this audition was his idea.
They take Guoning home and give him a serious talking-to. This time, it seems to sink in. Guoning admits he was wrong and promises to focus on studying for his exams. And he does. He does really well on his finals. Sun Jiayu even predicts he'll rank in the top fifteen of his class.
Trouble at Home
There’s also a bit of drama with Shiwu and Lao Yang. Lao Yang is suddenly regretting his decision to let Shiwu study abroad for high school. He now wants him to wait until college. Shiwu is furious. After a big fight, he packs a bag and leaves for the school. Tingting tries to calm Lao Yang down, but it's no use.
