Original subtitles

=Best Choice Ever=

=Episode 28=

What are you talking about?

When Ms. Chen was alive,

she never made these demands of us.

Mr. Cui, as the most senior colleague, what do you think?

Time to eat.

Mrs. Mai.

Time to eat.

Huan, I brought you some food.

Don't forget to eat

no matter how busy you are. Time to eat.

Mom, I'm in a meeting right now.

Ms. Zhang, have you eaten?

Have you all eaten?

Not yet.

We're in a meeting

and none of us has eaten.

You just said you were running a five-star hotel.

But I think it's a five-star family business.

Watch your mouth.

As I just said,

the new performance review criteria are effective immediately.

Mr. Cui, I'll leave the rest to you.

Okay.

Mom, come with me.

It's time to eat.

She can't even handle her relatives.

Yet she made demands of us.

If you don't know the specifics, keep your mouth shut.

Just tell me what you wanna say. Why are you walking so fast?

I can't keep up. Just tell me.

Chenghuan.

Mom.

I'm telling you for the last time.

Can you not come again when I'm working?

I just told my staff

about standardized management.

Suddenly, my mom broke in

with a lunch box,

telling everyone to eat.

How am I gonna convince and manage my staff?

I didn't do anything.

I was worried you had no time to eat.

I saw that young man talking to you like that

and treating you abominably,

- so I got mad and rushed over. -Mom, I'm already 30.

I have my own way of managing employees.

Forget it.

You don't get it.

You go home, and we can talk after I'm back home.

I haven't seen you at home for so long.

When you were happy, you bought me stuff

and asked me to learn many things.

When you were upset, you blamed me

and gave me a lecture.

What exactly do you want from me?

Oh, my God.

Why did I ask you to learn things?

I hope you can enjoy your life.

I don't hope that your life is all about me.

I want you to have things to do with your life.

Why don't you understand?

Do you enjoy your life right now?

I'm your mom.

Of course, I should focus on you.

I'm concerned about you. What's wrong with that?

Mom, if you really care about someone,

the one should be Zao, not me.

I really hope

you can share your love

and attention with Zao.

Even slightly.

Please.

Don't keep focusing on me.

- You're driving me crazy. - I got it.

You think I'm like extra.

Yes.

You think so?

Every time!

Yao Zhiming.

What's up?

Well,

I just argued with my mom.

Why?

Nothing, it's just...

What I just said to her was

out of line.

My mom is sad.

Could you go and check on her for me?

Right now,

I don't want to go see her myself,

because if I go to see her,

I'm afraid of losing face.

Okay, leave it to me.

Alright.

Mrs. Mai.

Mrs. Mai.

Ziyu, how come you are here?

Isn't it time for a meal?

I invited myself to dinner.

Okay.

Huan didn't eat. It's all yours.

It's a big meal.

It's delicious. You eat more.

Mrs. Mai, do you want some?

I won't eat.

Go ahead and eat.

I can't wait to eat.

Ziyu.

What do young people like you have

in mind?

You don't need to worry too much.

Chenghuan has been quite busy lately.

Put myself in her position.

When I'm busy with work, I don't want my mom to bother me either,

even though she doesn't really care about what I'm doing.

So what kind of mom do you wish to have?

She cares about me, but not too much.

She knows when to let go,

unconditionally believing in and supporting my choices.

When I am confused,

she can be there with me.

When I am sad,

she can encourage me.

Am I being too greedy?

But I...

I never know how to do it.

I don't understand what she says now.

I can't help her

with the things she does.

What I can do for her is

just to cook for her.

Mrs. Mai, don't worry.

You don't have to keep up with your daughter's pace.

Anyway, there is a generation gap between old and young.

Yeah, there is a generation gap.

I can't keep up anymore.

Today, I saw Huan hold a meeting with so many people.

I know what pressures

she's under.

I really envy Chenghuan.

You're so upset but still worried about her.

You're really doing better than my mom.

Come on, Mrs. Mai.

Don't be sad anymore.

Cheer up.

Zhang Ziyu, what are you doing here?

I'm here to comfort Mrs. Mai.

Mrs. Mai, don't be upset.

Mai Chenghuan is now the boss.

At the workplace,

in front of so many people,

she had to be rational rather than sentimental.

Sure.

I know it's not easy for her to be the boss.

I know

she used me to establish her authority today.

Anyway, I can't help her with her work.

I don't mind being a stepping stone.

No, that's not what she meant.

She specifically asked me to come to check on you

and buy you new home appliances.

The stuff is outside.

You don't have to. After all, I can afford them.

Sir, where should I put these home appliances?

I'll return them?

My daughter bought them for me.

Why do you return them?

Coming.

Yao Zhiming.

When did you become Chenghuan's assistant?

It's not like you to do this.

What's going on with you two?

Come here.

Zhang Ziyu, I have something to tell you.

What's it? You're so secretive.

Go ahead. I'm listening.

Mai Chenghuan and I are in a relationship.

And I cherish her very much.

So if you come here again,

you must be careful with your words.

Behave yourself.

Otherwise, I'll have to blame you.

Yao Zhiming.

I'm trying to look out for you, alright?

What?

That's great.

Chenghuan and her family are kind.

You have a good eye.

My mom has never looked after me ever since I was little.

The two of us have been relying on each other.

I've long considered you as my family.

He Dong told me

that you have a girlfriend.

I have to watch out for you.

I think Chenghuan is a good girl.

She is very career-minded.

And her family is very kind.

If you marry into her family, I'll be happy for you.

Marry into her family?

Alright, just be my good brother

and treat Chenghuan well.

I gotta go.

I've been very busy lately.

If there's nothing else, I'm going home.

Zhiming.

You must be happy.

Bye.

Mrs. Mai, I'm leaving.

Little brat.

I've finished the task you gave me.

I'm coming over to pick you up.

How is my mom doing now?

Don't worry. I bought her some new appliances.

She's just busy

studying the instruction manuals.

That's good.

What about you?

Do you choose to face

or continue to evade it?

I don't want to evade anymore.

I'm going home

to have a good talk with my mom.

Let's go home.

Go home.

Yu.

Yu, come here.

Look.

Huan has bought you so many appliances,

like an air fryer,

and a multi-function steamer.

Look, this is a juicer,

a all breaker juicer.

Huan is so thoughtful.

It's all bought for you.

Our daughter was angry,

but she bought you some things.

Our son was angry,

but he was gone without a word.

I told you.

The kids have grown up.

They have their own pride.

I told you to be careful with your words

and pay attention to the way you talk,

but you never listened to me.

So you tell me what to do now.

Just watch your mouth.

Mom, dad.

Huan is back.

I'm back.

How come you two are together?

We ran into each other after work.

Weird. Mr. Yao,

after I sent you back,

I didn't see you go out.

After all, he is Mr. Yao.

Can't he have other things to do?

Dad, that's his privacy, anyway.

Sorry about that.

Have you eaten yet?

Your mom can make you some food.

No need, I've already eaten outside.

You have eaten

outside.

In your eyes, the food outside is better than the one at home.

It's okay.

I'll get you some fruit.

Mr. Mai.

Go ahead.

I'll go and help mom.

Zao said he would come back tomorrow for his birthday.

Okay.

I know

you hate me.

I don't hate you.

I feel pressure

to be your daughter.

I don't know how to communicate with you

or get along with you.

Actually, I can feel

you're quite dissatisfied with me.

I'm not the daughter you want to have.

I don't do as you wish,

like getting married, having children,

and enjoying a better life.

Sometimes I think

if only the person sent back

to the hometown wasn't Zao

but me.

Then I could have been free

and would not been bound by your high expectations

of me.

I never thought

that I was that kind of mom

in your heart.

I know

you've been complaining about me being busy.

Indeed, I am busy with work.

But actually,

I don't know how to communicate with you.

I don't want to face it.

I don't want to go home.

I try to escape.

I also know you have been mad at me

because of the house.

I have never communicated with you.

Do you know why?

I just took over Xing'anli

and couldn't convince my staff.

The employees are dissatisfied with me.

Xing'anli encountered

financial difficulties,

so I had to use the money for the house

to close the loopholes.

Besides,

because of Zao and me,

you had a conflict with my aunt.

We have never talked about this,

but we know

that you and my aunt are good on the surface.

Neither of us dares to bring it up.

Mom.

Do you know why I don't want to communicate with you?

That's because I'm so afraid you'll slap me again.

That slap has cast a shadow on me.

It broke my heart.

It hurt me so much.

Really.

Huan.

I slapped you.

In this lifetime,

I will never forget it.

I slapped you on your face,

but it hurt my heart.

I know I was wrong.

How could I be such an awful mom?

I drove my daughter away by hitting her.

I was so wrong.

How could I hit you

in public?

After that, I was so worried.

I was afraid

you would never come home again,

you wouldn't get over this,

and that you would be very sad.

I couldn't sleep all night.

I stared at the ceiling

in a daze.

I wanted to admit my mistake to you,

but I didn't know how to start.

I'm sorry.

You slapped me.

Even though it hurt my feelings,

it also made me decide

to change the way I live.

I want to live with conviction and confidence.

Do you know why I want to manage Xing'anli well?

One reason is that I don't want to let Grandma down.

And another reason is

that I know too many people look down on me.

They think I got a windfall gain.

They don't think a woman like me

can manage Xing'anli well,

waiting to see me become a joke.

In that case,

I expect to achieve good results.

I want to show them with my efforts

that I can lead Xing'anli to be better.

I want to provide a good life

for my family on my own.

And my family

can be treated with dignity.

I want to make a better life for my family.

Yes.

Live a good life on our own.

Huan.

I gave birth to you and your brother.

What I tried to do

to live well on our own.

But later I found that I wasn't capable of doing it.

I couldn't.

So I...

I did whatever I could

and lost my principles.

I tried to seize every opportunity

without scruples.

As long as you can live a good life,

even if others belittle us,

look down on us, and insult us,

I can endure it all.

I-I started

to rely on others

to give you a good life.

But I didn't expect that the Xin family

would cause you so much pain.

In fact,

I did many things

as I wished.

Well,

I pushed you to buy a house

and moved into this house.

I thought if we had a bigger house,

you could move in.

We could live together and be happy.

But I never considered it from your perspective.

I never thought about what you felt.

I'm not a good mom.

If I could be your mom

in my next life,

I would definitely be a better mom.

Sometimes I even hoped

if only you were a boy.

Then I wouldn't have to worry so much

about you.

Well,

when I was a little girl,

my feelings were always hurt at home.

Your grandpa asked me

to break an egg into a kettle every day.

I took it to the soy milk shop

to buy hot soy milk.

The egg inside would be cooked,

and I'd take it back home

for your uncle to eat.

But one day,

as I walked out of the soy milk shop,

I fell.

The soy milk was spilled.

When I arrived home,

your grandpa accused me of eating it

and scolded me.

At that time, I thought to myself

that if I had a daughter in the future,

I would let her eat eggs every day

and be treated fairly.

What's wrong with being a girl?

Mom, I get it.

Well,

you think

I don't care about you anymore.

But I want to say

that I really love you.

I love you very much, mom.

I just want

to find a way for us to reach a balance.

So we can get along well.

All I want from you is trust and space.

I want you to believe in me.

Is that okay?

It's okay.

Certainly.

I get it now.

All my worries are unnecessary.

Unnecessary.

What's wrong with being girls?

Girls can be successful.

Girls can be excellent.

Girls

can do better than boys.

I will certainly work hard

to be a good mom.

I will support you.

If you're happy,

I'll be happy too.

Mom.

Come in.

Yao Zhiming.

Are you practicing acrobatics?

Why didn't you come in through the door?

I didn't dare to. After all, I was almost caught today.

Come on.

That was so dangerous.

No worries. I'm skilled at that.

I wanted to ask you something.

What does Zao like?

I also want to prepare a gift for him.

Zao is not picky.

Anything is fine. Don't spend too much on it.

Okay, I will choose something.

Wait a moment.

You climbed down

just to ask me this?

Or what?

Of course, I wanted to see you.

Zhiming.

Thank you

for doing so much for me.

Don't be silly. We are a family.

They all look good.

This is so pretty.

Is this made of silk?

Yes, all of these are made of silk.

Here's the thing.

I have a pair of cufflinks.

Could you help me pick a tie

to go with it?

It's suitable for business and casual wear.

Could you help me pick one out?

May I have a look?

Sure.

These cufflinks are really beautiful.

I designed them myself.

Amazing.

I'll try out different pairings one by one.

Okay.

Look at this one.

according to your preference,

it's suitable for business.

I think this one looks a bit casual.

This one.

No, this is too flashy.

This one, and this model.

You have a good eye.

This model was sold out.

But this one just arrived this morning.

Really?

It's the best of the best.

With it,

you're sure to capture your boyfriend's heart.

Alright, I'll take this one.

- Please wrap it up. - Okay.

I'll wrap it up.

Your cufflinks.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, teacher.

Goodbye.

Bye.

(Qisi Kindergarten)

Goodbye, teacher.

- Bye, teacher. - We're leaving.

Miss Zhao.

- Miss Zhao. - Ms. Mao.

Where's Dingding?

His dad has already picked her up.

Today is Friday.

I should be the one to pick Dingding up.

I'm sorry.

Dingding's dad specifically notified us

that you're no longer allowed to pick up Dingding.

After all, he is the actual guardian.

I'm very sorry,

but we can't let you take the child away.

Also,

Dingding has been in a bad mood lately.

If there's any problem between you and her dad,

I hope it can be resolved soon.

Please don't affect the child.

Thank you, Miss Zhao.

Bye.

Song Huaimin!

Song Huaimin, open the door.

Dingding.

Dingding.

I take you to have dinner with Zao, okay?

No, Grandma said you don't love me at all.

How could I not love you?

Grandma told me when she came to see me.

You have a boyfriend

and don't love me at all.

You saw it.

He doesn't want to go with you.

Though you have visitation rights,

you can do nothing if he doesn't want

to go with you.

How could you tell the child about that?

Haven't you always told me to be honest?

Be honest, alright?

You have a young boyfriend,

right?

You were beaten up last time,

so you feel frustrated,

right?

Speaking of which,

I will settle the score with him sooner or later.

Listen.

If Dingding has any mental issues,

I'll make you pay for that.

He will have mental issues if he stays with you.

Dingding, let's go.

I will take you to eat something

and play, okay?

I will buy you an Ultraman, okay?

Let's go, Dingding.

I don't want to go with you.

Come here, Dingding.

It's alright, Dingding.

Ms. Deng, take him back to his room.

Come with me, Dingding.

Why do you touch him?

Let go.

You let go.

You have no children? Why are you pulling my kid?

- Mao! - Let go.

Don't be presumptuous.

You're at my house.

There are cameras in my house.

You're so out of control,

and your temper is so volatile.

How can I hand Dingding over to you?

If you can't change yourself,

I will never let Dingding go with you.

Dingding.

- Come to the room with me. - Dingding.

- Dingding, go with me, okay? - Let go.

Dingding, I will take you to play.

Let go!

Let's go, Dingding.

Grandma told me when she came to see me.

You have a boyfriend

and don't love me at all.

(Chengzao) Where are you? Are you stuck in traffic?

No rush. Drive safely.

(Mao)

Zao.

The traffic is so heavy. Sorry, I'm late.

That's all right.

Happy birthday.

Thank you.

What gift did you buy?

You open it later.

You make it quite mysterious.

I ordered all your favorites.

Do you want to order something else?

Excuse me, I'll serve the dishes.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

So many dishes for just two people.

It's enough.

Where's Dingding? Wasn't he supposed to come too?

He...

He's not coming today.

You know a boy.

Alright, let's eat.

This beef is their specialty, recommended by the owner.

And your favorite vegetable.

You love tripe.

I know you can't handle spicy food,

so I ordered a Yuanyang hotpot.

Here.

Zao, I want

to get back the custody of Dingding.

Sure, I support you.

Eat this.

But during my divorce,

I gave up the custody.

Now to get it back,

I have to go to court.

I'm not sure I can win.

I'll be your lawyer.

Eat.

Zao, I mean,

shouldn't we

reconsider our relationship?

I will take Dingding from his dad

and make him live with me in the future.

I know you don't mind,

but we can't always keep it a secret

from your parents.

What will we do next with our lives?

Have you thought about it?

You don't have to answer me right away.

You're still young.

I'll give you a chance to back out.

Let's think it over again.

I'm going to the restroom.

(You're still young.)

(I'll give you a chance to back out.)

(Let's think it over again.)

Mom.

Don't worry.

Zao said that he would come back.

He promised he would come back.

Why did he break his promise?

Zao didn't say he wouldn't come back.

Maybe something came up

and delayed him.

You call him.

Okay, I'll give him a call.

I'm sorry.

The number you dialed can't be connected for the moment.

He probably didn't check his phone.

It's okay. I'll send him a message.

Zao, where are you?

Mom, dad, and I are all waiting for you.

He's back.

Oh, it's you.

Mr. Yao is back. Come and sit.

Take a seat. Let's eat together.

He texted me back.

(Zao)

What did he say?

He sent me an address.

Well, mom, dad.

Don't wait for him anymore.

You go ahead and eat.

I'll go find Zao and ask what happened

I'll go with you.

I'll give you a ride.

I'll go.

All of you stay. Don't worry.

Wait for me at home, okay?

Zhiming.

You stay with my parents at home.

I will convey everyone's wishes

to him.

Don't worry.

I will inform you if anything happens.

Well...

You eat.

Why did you take the cake away?

He is really not coming?

Sit.

Yes.

Mrs. Mai, don't worry.

Zao is not angry with you anymore.

Actually, today

is also my birthday.

So let's just celebrate it together.

Really?

- Yes. - What a coincidence.

How is that possible?

Today is not his birthday.

How do you know?

I did your laundry that day

and found your ID card in your pants pocket.

I just happened to see it.

I have matched your birthday

with some girls'

for the Chinese zodiac compatibility.

But none of the girls were right for you.

It's a case against you.

So I didn't say anything to you.

Don't worry. I'm working on it.

You will find the right girl.

Thank you, Mrs. Mai.

You treat me like a son.

You're welcome.

Yu.

I think we shouldn't wait anymore.

We have waited for so long.

Besides, Mr. Yao must be hungry.

Let's eat.

Alright, you eat.

Ming, sit down and eat.

Let's have a drink.

Okay.

Take your time.

Eat more.

I'll go upstairs.

Happy birthday, Zao.

Thank you, Huan.

I should thank you.

I'm the only family you're willing to see.

That's my great honor.

This is from dad.

He hopes you won't get too tired when commuting.

I got you this.

I wish you good health.

This is from Zhiming.

He wishes you happiness.

Look how coincidental it is.

All gifts are cards.

And,

Mom did it all for you.

A big dinner.

How's mom doing?

Pretty good.

She's just especially missing you.

Actually, I found

that she had her reasons.

She wanted to tell you

but didn't know how to start.

Just like you didn't tell us that you did the food delivery job.

I know

this is the way you love the family.

But everyone in our family

has always given

silently.

But the result?

None of us know each other's sacrifice.

In the end, we all feel aggrieved.

Huan, I understand.

I also ran away from home before,

so I really understand how you feel.

I won't force you to go back.

You make your own decisions about everything.

But if you need anything,

just let me know.

Actually, I'm sad today

not because of mom.

But because of Mao?

♪My sweetie♪

♪I don't know if I'm a good mother♪

♪It's my first time being a mother♪

♪Though the years have turned my hair white♪

♪I'm too busy to have meals on time, but that's not my fault♪

♪It will make me feel guilty to let you know about it♪

♪I know you care about me♪

♪But it makes me feel like I've never been trusted♪

♪Those carefree people can't be mothers♪

♪I know it all, but it breaks my heart♪

♪Please let me pursue the life that belongs to me♪

♪I'm as brave and kind as you, so I'm not afraid♪

♪One day, you will also become a mother♪

♪Will we embrace each other on that day♪

♪Like a stream traveling around the world♪

♪And returning to where it came from♪

♪I hope you are loved♪

♪I hope you find happiness♪

♪I hope I can shelter you from the storms♪

♪I know that we argue sometimes♪

♪I know that people will grow old♪

♪So we must say I love you out loud♪

- ♪My mother watched me out of sight♪ - ♪Are you nearly home♪

- ♪My memories became so intense♪ - ♪The door is open♪

♪Through the gentle times♪

♪Wherever you are is my home♪

♪Come back home♪

♪My sweetie♪

♪Please believe in yourself♪