Episode 15 (Recap) – A SPRING EVERY DAY
In the previous episodes of When Life Gives You Tangerines, Eun-meyong’s life took a big turn for the worse. After being wrongly accused of stealing and sent to jail, he learned that his business partner had betrayed him and run away with 70 million won. Feeling hurt and alone, Eun-meyong was scolded by his parents, and he couldn’t hold back his anger, especially toward his father. But after getting out of jail, something changed in him. He realized he needed to change and started looking for any job he could find, hoping it would help him rebuild his life.
Episode 15 starts with Young Gwan-sik’s voice, expressing how much he worries about the time when Ae-sun was giving birth for the first time. After Geum-meyong was born, Our Mother, Ae-sun, taught Gwan-sik how to hold a baby, while Gwan-sik was so scared, wondering what would happen if he couldn’t hold the baby. Ae-sun told him, “We’ll give her everything.”
Now, the scene shifts to 2000.9. In the present, middle-aged Ae-sun is arguing with her daughter about why Geum-meyong didn’t invite them to their new house. She also asks why Geum-meyong takes fruits from her mother’s house. She questions whether her husband was fired from the academy since the IMF crisis was happening at the time. But at that moment, Geum-meyong explained that there was no room for guests as they lived in a small one-room studio, not even a house, because of the crisis. She also mentioned that she had quit her job to start a business. After hearing this, Ae-sun became frustrated, feeling that no one valued her or did what she said. The argument escalated, and Ae-sun said, “I want to raise my children so well that I can buy them clothes and shoes every season. I want to give them everything, and if I can’t, I won’t have anything.” That was the reason Geum-meyong quit her job to start a business with the risk of a better life.
Now, Gwan-sik, seeing the situation, decides to take a risk for a better life. He sold his field to invest in a growing vacation home area, where he planned to run a restaurant.
Later, after signing the papers, they all go to the restaurant site. But everyone is concerned about whether it’s a scam or a fraud. Then, Ae-sun says, “He’s going to do it. And no matter what, I’ll always be with him and support him.” When they reach the place, everyone is happy to see the restaurant. There, Ae-sun and her mother-in-law are gossiping while cleaning the plates and doing restaurant-related work. They talk about the past, apologize to each other, and reminisce.
The scene then shifts to Park Yeong-ran (Eun-meyong’s mother-in-law). She finally manages to get a divorce from her husband, Bu Sang-gil (Eun-meyong’s father-in-law), because he always ran after other women and never loved her properly, as she deserved. But at that time, Bu Sang-gil tries to be a nice husband and a good father. However, it’s too late for him to be a good husband, and Yeong-ran divorces him.
Now, the scene shifts to Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, who are both worried about the future of the restaurant and their lives. Unfortunately, their fears come true—the vacation home was a complete myth, and the dealer ran off ages ago. With heavy hearts, they return home, where Ae-sun and Geum-meyong get into another argument. The argument escalates so badly that, for the first time, Gwan-sik raises his voice at Geum-meyong, calling her by her name. Though it was just that one word, it cuts Geum-meyong to the core, and she thinks, “It felt like someone on my side was calling me trash.” Geum-meyong leaves the house. After she leaves, they find a note saying that Geum-meyong is pregnant, and she had come to share the news. Both of them fall into a sorrowful cry.
The scene then shifts to Geum-meyong’s delivery. She has been in labor for the last 12 hours, and the situation is so dire that neither the mother nor the child may survive. Here, Meong’s husband, Chung-seob, says the most heart-touching sentence: “If there’s any emergency situation, then please save the mother.” That line took most of the heart of the series for the audience. Later, we see Geum-meyong in critical condition while giving birth, but she eventually delivers a precious baby girl. Chung-seob, deeply scared for his wife, continuously says, “There won’t be a second. There won’t be a second.” The scene is emotional and filled with both sadness and joy.
Moving forward, Ae-sun and Gwan-sik are thinking about the restaurant. They decide to run it no matter what, even though it is far from the locality. They choose to focus on home delivery, offering faster services than anyone else. Eventually, their restaurant becomes a success, and they receive a great response for their hard work and home delivery services. As part of their business strategy, they also play the celebrity card, as many idols, actors, and celebrities visit the restaurant. Gwan-sik even shoots a scene with a famous actress, Mi-in, whom he helped in 1987, when she was at her lowest point and contemplating suicide. To repay him for saving her life, Mi-in is determined to help Gwan-sik, and she does so. Thanks to their hard work, their restaurant finally runs successfully, and luck is finally on their side.
In Episode 15, When Life Gives You Tangerines captures the emotional journey of Geum-meyong, Ae-sun, and Gwan-sik as they face setbacks, betrayal, and risks in pursuit of a better life. Despite the challenges—Geum-meyong’s pregnancy complications, the failed investment, and family arguments—they find hope in each other’s support. The episode ends on a note of resilience, showing that through perseverance and love, even the hardest times can lead to new beginnings and eventual success. The last episode will be here by tomorrow. Till then keep exploring wavies.
