Chinese Drama 2023
Meet Yourself (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
Meet Yourself poster
- Genre: Rural Life, Romance
- Release Date: 3 January 2023
- Origin: China
- Cdrama: 40 Episodes
Cast
- Crystal Liu as Xu Hong Dou
- Li Xian as Xie Zhi Yao
- Hu Bing Qing as Lin Na
- Niu Jun Feng as Hu You Yu
- Estelle Wu as Granny Xie
- Dong Qing as Xie Xiao Chun
- Fan Shuai Qi as Huang Xin Xin
- Ma Meng Wei as Zhou Qing Tian
- Zhao Zi Qi as Bai Man Jun
- Tu Song Yan as Ma Qiu Shan
- Shi Peng Yuan as Xie Xiao Xia
- Leo Li as Liu Xu
- Yang Kun as Aunt A Gui
- Cui Yi as Liu Gui Qin
- Fu Jia as Xie He Sun
- Zhang Lei as Yang De Qing
- Hao Wen Ting as Shen Xiao Mei
- Zhao Pei Lin as Hong Hong
- Li Wei Long as Yang Guan Jun
- Hao Ping as
- Gong Bei Bi as
- Annabel Yao as Xie Qin
- Liu Mei Han as
- Jiao Gang as Xie Si Ping
- Zhao Jing Yi as Zheng Zi
- Xu Zi Li as Ye Sen
- Chen Xiao Han as
- Peng Bi Yao as Ge Zi
- Wang Tian Yu as
- Cheng Yuan Yuan as
- Sissi Yin as
- Janice Wu as Chen Nan Xing
Snippets
- This drama was filmed in Dali, Yunnan
Episode 1
Wow! I love this drama. It feels like watching a film, there are so many evocative touches to be had like a ticking clock, traffic lights, etc.
Just be warned this first episode is a bit of a tearjerker.
Anyway, Xu Hongdu is a very efficient hotel manager. Her job is keeping her busy that there are not much time for social life. Her last boyfriend, with whom she was having an LDR, broke up with her by text because they don’t have time to meet and even phone calls are often cut abruptly. When he texted to break up, she immediately replied, Ok.
Her male colleague was inviting her to dinner but she repeatedly turn down his overtures. The last time, she told him that she was busy on her day off.
Hongdu was indeed busy because her best friend, Nanxing was coming to visit and they will be going for their routine medical check-up the next day.
The two girls shared their hopes and dreams. They have been both busy but Nanxing said she was going to change she was going for her goals: buy a house, buy a car and get a boyfriend. She said that she has someone in mind at work but he is five years younger than her. She wanted a relationship that would become serious.
Hongdu in the meantime said that she was content with her life, she will be promoted to director soon.
The next day, they went to the hospital for their check-up. They were both patiently🤪 waiting for their turn and then result when the doctor wanted to know if Hongdu was Nanxing’s guardian.
The doctor said that from the initial result, it looks like Nanxing’s pancreas had enlarged. After more, scanning, it was confirmed that Nanxing had advanced pancreatic cancer; it is inoperable and the hospital could only provide her conservative treatment which is palliative care, meaning just ease her pain as much as possible.
Hongdu’s life had turned into an automatic drive. She functions just like a robot, doing what is necessary as she’s used to.
The end came for Nanxing.😭😭😭
Hongdu listened to the voicemails from Nanxing where she told Hongdu to carpe diem because what is money for? You can’t take it with you to the other side. Nanxing told her to experience life more.
This was a wake-up call for Hongdu. She immediately composed a resignation letter. She was planning to take a trip to Yunnan as she and Nanxing had planned but had put it off for three years due to work schedules.
Crystal and Janice acted so well as best friends.
Episode 2
Hongdu travelled to the scenic Yun Miao Village. She was going to homestay at a courtyard made up of quaint apartments if you can call them that. But they are beautiful overlooking the vastness of the countryside.
Hongdu did not travel lightly. She already packaged most of her favourite comfort things from home to the homestay nook as she intends to stay for at least two months just relaxing, taking stock of her life.
She was trying to get the feel of the little community when a white horse passed by followed by a boy who knocked down her phone.
Unfortunately, her phone was her lifeline as there are no ATMs in the village she found out after she ate in a restaurant and then was unable to pay afterwards as her phone did not work and the little restaurant does not accept cards.
The owner kindly waived the payment but Hongdu would not have it and promised to pay as soon as she gets the money.
She went looking for the boy who knocked down her phone. She found him in the middle of lunch with his family which comprised of Granny Xie, Xie Zhi Yao, and the boy Xie Zhi Yuan.
She explained what happened. Gorgeous Xie Zhi Yao asked what she wanted, a new phone or having her phone repaired. She immediately said that she wanted the phone repaired as she had some important things in it.
But during the course of the day, she continuedly bumped into Xie Zhi Yao. He even played her knight on the shining white horse and rescued her from a pile of cow dung, which shocked her to the core as she had not seen or stepped on one before.
Anyway, there are more side stories with familiar actors. I love this quaint drama because it makes me nostalgic for the quiet life in the province while I growing up.
Episode 3
This drama is heartwarming. It is gentle because of the slower phase of life in a rural community. Love it.
Anyway, Hongdou met the other homestayers.
Mr Ma who spent the day meditating, Damei a shy writer, Nana, who works at the restaurant and You Yu, a musician who is so enthusiastically friendly.
She also met the landlady who was gregarious.
Life in the village is probably too slow for the young folks because they wanted to leave and work in bigger towns and cities.
Xie Zhi Yao had a blind date arranged for him by Xie Xiao Chun but he was more interested in watching Hongdou enjoying her pizza/pancake.
Episode 4
Xie He Sun was upset that he can’t seem to keep his apprentices. Xia Xia had decided to go to Shanghai to meet an entrepreneur he got to know online.
Xie He Sun told Zhi Yao that traditional wood curving done manually is a dying art. Everything is now done by machine as it is faster and much cheaper.
Mr Ma suddenly invited Hongdou for tea. She noticed that he talks in quotations. Zhi Yao came to her rescue when he turned up with her mother on his phone.
Zhi Yao asked Hongdou why she had not told her mother that she resigned from her job?!!! She said that she does not want to go to many details.
Mr Ma was about to launch more quotations but both Zhi Yao and Hongdou said that they had something to do.
Episode 5
Hongdou is beginning to immerse herself in the lives of the villagers.
Her bedroom overlooked Yao’s house. She saw him helping his grandma wash her hair. This reminded her of her own grandmother. She remembered telling her that she wanted to stay with grandma and not go to school anymore. She wanted to raise chicken with grandma. When grandma asked her what she really wanted to do when she grows up, Hongdou said she wanted to open a shop and sell noodles and sweets which she could eat.
The next day, Hongdou and the usually quiet Damai were dragged by their landlady to help Bao Ping make rose jams, flower cakes, and milk flowers. They did look delicious.
Anyway, Bao Ping was making the cake for Xia Xia to take with him to Shanghai. But it looks like Xia Xia is taking more than the cakes because he sneaked into his mother’s room and stole her debit card. It seems his Shanghai venture was going to be a con.
Anyway, the ladies made so many flower cakes, Hongdou was able to package some for her mother, her older sister and Nanxing’s parents.
Yao’s young brother, Yuan, refused to go back to school. Yao and Yuan were arguing when Hongdou turned up with Bao Ping’s flower cake.
Yuan ran towards her and clanged to her leg and won’t let go. He made her stay because Yao was about to beat him.
Anyway, Hongdou stayed for supper of braised chicken. She got on with the brothers who joked about Yuan messing his pants. Yuan made her promised not to tell anyone.
She promised readily enough. She finally got her phone and was quite happy to find many lovely messages from her family but her first call was from Yuan who was berating her for telling everyone about how he messed up his pants.
She then called Yao about it.
This is such a pleasant drama. Not too exciting at the moment but still rather compelling.
Episode 6
Yuan ran away in shame.
Hongdou made sure that Yao knew she did not blab. And then said that there is only two of them and Yuan knew about the pants.
Yao was shocked that Hongdou would think he would tattle about his brother.
Anyway, Yao did not make any effort to find his brother. The villagers were telling him to find Yuan because he might be in danger.
Still Yao remained calm and said that he was pretty sure when his brother had run out of money, he will return.
What they did not know was that Yao knew where Yuan was all the time. Because Xia Xia told him.
Yuan was working as a waiter in a busy restaurant.
Speaking of a busy restaurant, Hongdou had to lend a hand to Nana who was run off her feet. Hongdou efficiently served food, cleared tables, take orders and pacify customers with little snacks if their orders are long in coming.
Yao saw how useful Hongdou was and admired her a little bit more.
After the restaurant had quieted down, Hongdou had a bit of a girl gossip with Nana.
Nana said that Yao is a young entrepreuner. He actually owned the restaurant, the embroidery shop, an online business, and of course, the horse stable.
Hongdou was impressed. She did not expect it.
It was also the day that Xia Xia was leaving for Shanghai and Bai Ping gave him advice as he boarded the taxi to take him to airport.
Episode 7
Xie Xiaochun mentioned to Yao that she was having trouble controlling their employees. Their more mature employees kept making mistakes because they were chatting all the time.
Yao understood. He said that it was indeed hard to work with people you know so well. He said they had to hire a manager who is not familiar with anyone of them. Yao then had the most brilliant idea and already had the person for the job. Of course, he was thinking of Hongdou.
Meanwhile, when Yao went to town, he saw Xia Xia looking all forlorn and relying on selling the milk fan to get money.
It turned out Xia Xia did not steal his mother’s bank card but actually took his own card which his mother insisted on keeping so he could save for his marriage one day.
Anyway, he invested all the money he’s got into bogus shares and stocks. When he went to the police, they were sympathetic but they could not believe how stupid he was to fall for such a scam.
Poor Yuan was finally feeling the hardship of earning his own money.
Episode 8
This episode is heartwarming.
Yuan finally returned the 100 texts and missed calls from Hongdou. It so happened that Grandma Xie was next to Hongdou when Yuan called. Grandma dragged Hongdou to go find Yuan.
Xiaochun gave them a lift as she was also on her way to town.
Grandma found Yuan at the hotpot restaurant where he was working and beat him up. Thank goodness, Yao spotted them on their way to the restaurant and followed them, otherwise Yuan would have been really hurt as Grandma is quite a feisty little old thing.
When everything calmed down, Grandma told Yuan to return home with her. Yuan said that he will but he had to work another day so he could be paid for the work he had already done. Grandma agreed.
Meanwhile, Xiaochun found her brother Xiaxia by the layside selling the milk flower. She felt so sorry for how beaten and pathetic he looked so she just quietly sat next to him without saying anything until he was ready to talk.
Xiaxia said that he was a victim of phishing and he had lost 30,000. He said he wanted to get rich quicker because he was the man of the family and he would really like to look after them all.
Xiaochun was touched. She could not really scold her brother to death. Instead, she told him that she had some savings and would transfer them to his account so they don’t have to tell their mother what had happened.
Xiaxia was so grateful to his sister that when she stood up to go, he hugged her. She let him hug her for a few moments and then told him to let go because it was disgusting. This scene made me tear up because as she was leaving Xiaochun was annoyed with herself for saying that it was disgusting. Xiaxia was thinking that he should have not hugged her. And yet they both looked back at each other as happy siblings. So cute.
Episode 9
Nana and Yao are bemused with the two mature ladies who worked for them. They are unmanageable. They worked (or not worked) at their own pace.
Yao asked Nana if she had asked Hongdou to work at the restaurant. Nana said that she had mentioned it but Hongdou was not interested. Hongdou would volunteer though when Nana gets extremely busy.
Yao, however, told Nana that he has a role for Hongdou.
Yao was being attentive to Hongdou which made her ask Grandma if Yao has a crush on her. Grandma almost choked to death laughing.
Anyway, Yao was feeling especially happy and said that he will hold a drink-up party that night.
Yuan was at the party as he had come home. The adults drank wine and told stories. Nana told her most embarrassing story when she was in high school. She said that she had her skirt tucked in knickers at the back. Everyone laughed at her but she thought they were just admiring her beauty.
Yuan was very interested in the story and asked Nana if she left school. Nana was surprised by the question. She said the embarrassment died down and everything went to normal.
He was told that it was better for him to continue studying as Mr Ma said, Knowledge is the bridge to the world.
Meanwhile, Xiaxia went to find Master Xie He Shun and asked him if he can come back.
By the way the culprits for spreading Yuan’s embarrassing story were the children who overheard the whole thing when Hongdou, Yuan and Yao were talking rather loudly about it.
Episode 10
Yao finally asked Hongdou to help him deal with the manpower in his shops.
Episode 11
Yao was so impressed of how Hongdou managed to revitalise his workforce. With the promise of bonus money, she was able to convince to work on time and to take less time off.
I love this episode. The tete-a-tete between the homestayers is very enlightening. Auntie Gui managed to bring out Mr Ma out of his stupor.
Apparently, Mr Ma wanted more than anything to start a business again.
Hongdou saw a foal being born and it was such an emotional time.
Episode12
Apparently, tourism in Dali increased by 90% since this drama started broadcasting.
Xin Xin had good news. A big bookshop in Beijing would like to open a branch at Yun Miao Village. Yao asked Hongdou to be a part of the welcoming party of the manager of the Beijing bookshop, Shaohua.
Love this drama. It tackles so many issues like ‘left behind children’ like the case of young Toutou. At first Toutou was bawling his eyes off when he found out that they were leaving for Beijing for his father and mother’s work. He was heartbroken to leave his three friends. But then he found out that his parents were leaving him at the village and he cried his eyes out too.
Huzi
Mr Ma and tea culture.
Episode 13
Anguish is the soil of creation. Damai was in anguish after suffering from mental block. She can’t continue on with her writing.
News about Hongdou and Yao getting married spread like wildfire.
Episode 14
Why Hongdou did not tell the children about the fake relationship?
Girls’s day out, girls got drunk, Hongdou cried and Damei talked nonstop. Nana as a singer.
Xiaochun having problem with her ex-husband who can’t seem to move on.
Damei is coming out of her shell more.
Episode 15
Yao’s father came to visit.
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