Episode Summary
Lu Xiaobo visits his daughter in Shenzhen and recalls his life in the 1980s working on the International Trade Centre. Flashbacks show his romance with his late wife, involving a handmade cardboard piano, and his support for a risky new construction technique despite repeated failures and a dangerous storm.
Spoiler Alert
A Rainy Start and a Trip South
The episode kicks off with a heavy downpour. It sets a gloomy mood right away. Lu Xiaobo is at home by himself. He shuts the window against the rain. Then his phone buzzes. It is his daughter, Lu Zheng. She lives down in Shenzhen with her family. She wants him to come visit the next day. We learn that Lu Xiaobo has been on his own since his wife passed away. He agrees to go.
He takes the train down to Shenzhen. Lu Zheng meets him right at the station exit. They don't waste time. They head straight to pick up his granddaughter, Xiaoxiao. She is at a piano lesson. It has been a long time since Lu Xiaobo visited. The last time was when Xiaoxiao was born. He looks around the city. The changes are massive. They get to the school and see the little girl playing. She looks serious. This sight triggers something in Lu Xiaobo. His mind drifts back forty years.
The Cardboard Piano
We jump back to the 1980s. Lu Xiaobo and his wife, Su Mingshu, are young. They pass a music store one day. Someone is playing a piano inside. Su Mingshu stops dead in her tracks. She loves the music. She stares through the window and doesn't want to leave. Lu Xiaobo sees this. He makes a silent promise to himself. He will buy her a piano once he makes some real money.
They are both working on the construction of the Shenzhen International Trade Centre. They don't have much. Lu Xiaobo gets creative. He builds a model piano out of cardboard boxes. He draws the keys on it with a pen. He gives it to Su Mingshu. She is thrilled. She "practices" on the silent cardboard keys whenever she has a break. Lu Xiaobo watches her. He just wants the building finished so he can get paid. But the construction is moving too slowly.
Back in the present, Lu Zheng tries to talk to her dad. She suggests he find a new partner. Lu Xiaobo shuts that down immediately. He still loves Su Mingshu. He has no interest in anyone else. Lu Zheng sees he is serious and drops the subject.
High Stakes at the Construction Site
The flashback continues with some workplace drama. The construction bosses call a big meeting. They bring in the owners, workers, and tech guys. Chief Engineer Fu is there. He wants to switch construction methods. He demonstrates why the old "flip-form" way is bad. He pushes for a "slip-form" technique instead.
The room is against him. This building is going to be the tallest in China. Engineer Fu has already failed two experiments with this new tech. It looks risky. But Lu Xiaobo stands up. He speaks for the workers. He backs Engineer Fu for one more try. The Commander in charge agrees. He authorizes a third experiment.
The Storm and the Mud
The weather turns on them in the past timeline too. A massive storm hits Shenzhen. The wind is howling. The Commander leads everyone to the site to save the equipment. A huge tower crane starts swinging dangerously in the wind. It looks like it might crash. Lu Xiaobo ignores the safety risks. He climbs up the tower crane. He manages to stabilize it.
He heads back to the living quarters with Su Mingshu. It is a mess. The rain washed away their shed. Su Mingshu realizes something terrible. The water took the cardboard piano. Lu Xiaobo doesn't hesitate. He runs out into the mud to find it.
Later, Engineer Fu runs the third experiment. It fails again. The other workers start mocking the team. They make snide comments. Lu Xiaobo argues back and defends the engineers.
We cut back to the present day. Xiaoxiao is struggling with her piano lesson. The song is too hard. She wants to quit. Lu Xiaobo steps in. He uses his own grit to encourage her. He tells her not to give up.
