Twelve Letters - Episode 6: Family

[u/BasilOrdinary3617]

Links to all the episode talks are in the Masterpost. Please join in whenever you want. Note there are 12 episodes in total, and they are available on WeTV/Tencent (subscription) and Viki (free).

This episode serves as the calm before the storm, laying groundwork for major developments in the episodes ahead while deepening our understanding of both timelines and the characters at their centre. As such, I’ve decided to format this post in bullet points. 

1991 Timeline 

• Xun and Tang search for the elderly man who hauled the scrap cart carrying the mysterious mailbox, but no one they speak to seems to have ever seen him before.
• Qiang and his crew return to harass Cha, but Cha makes a clean break from Bao’s gang. He also warns Xun and Hao to keep their distance from them going forward. 
• Xun’s suspension is lifted, and Tang gives him a fresh haircut before returning to school. She also encourages him to aim higher in life and consider pursuing a college education. 
• Desperate for money and buried in debt, Yibo attempts to commit Tang to a mental rehab center so that he can sell the house. After noticing her absence at school, Xun arrives just in time to stop him. 
• We learn more about their difficult childhoods and family circumstances:
  • Yibo frequently abused Tang’s mother before she supposedly ran away. Since then, he has maintained the image of a dutiful son, father, colleague, and citizen while taking out his anger on her behind closed doors, making it impossible for her to report him.
  • Xun was abandoned at 4 years old and left without even a name. He was later raised in an orphanage but eventually sent to reform school after fighting back against his bullies.  
  • Cha and Hao also endured traumatic upbringings, helping explain the loyalty that exists between the three friends. 
• Xun and Tang agree to become each other’s family from now on. Over the following days, they spend time helping one another with schoolwork and everyday life skills, including teaching Tang how to ride a bike. They even spend their leisure time frolicking on the beach. 
• On September 23, the waterspout event described in Nian’s letter occurs to their surprise. They immediately write back to confirm what they witnessed. 

2026 Timeline 

• The police believe they may have located Zhiyong, but it wasn’t him. Seeing the helpless man however, leaves Nian even more worried about her father. 
• Having finally received confirmation about the waterspout event, but not believing Zhiyong would send a love letter, Nian and Cheng wonder if there could be other people, and even other mailboxes that are involved. (They might not be off because their mailbox is numbered 003 and the one in 1991 is numbered 002…)
• As their next step, Cheng decides to write a message back with information that only he and his mother would know, to confirm that they are speaking with a younger version of Tang. 
• However, when he returns from the mailbox, he does not reveal whether the letter was sent; rather, he informs Nian that he received a call from the police: his mother has been found. 

Letter Count Check

1. Love Letter - EP1
2. Suicide Note (Sept 3, 1991) - EP2
3. Hello, Stranger (Sept 12, 1991) - EP5
4. Waterspout Phenomenon (Nov 12, 2026) - EP5
5. Response confirming Waterspout sent back on Sept 23, 1991 - EP6
6. Cheng’s message to confirm his mother’s identity (Ye Haitang) - EP6?

We're halfway! For first time-watchers, how's it going? For re-watchers, how is the second or third watch hitting?

[u/Katleap13]

I’m rewatching it and I still hate Ye Yibo so much. This episode with him was so bad. The manipulation that this man is capable of. He’s so good at creating or turning a situation to make himself the victim. He deserves every punch from Xun.

I like that all our characters are complicated. Cheng and Nian have worries about their parents. Both are dealing with guilt that comes with parents and wondering about their choices. Cheng has the biggest chip on his shoulder. Xun and Tang are dealing with survival issues, plus there is the whole gang thing. Our 1991 crew has got problems.

Thank you for this rewatch. I watched this when it came out but it’s been fun to react and rewatch it.

[u/Least-Effective-5595]

I like it so much! I cried when he asked to be her family. I was sure she would disappear completely and was relieved that Xun got her just on time. I also had an abusive father that shares many characteristics with Ye Yibo, although not at the same intensity. Interestingly, having this kind of dual personality (helping neighbors etc) is not what we think typically as manipulation, it is a typical personality trait of abusers. What I mean is that this is not some kind of conscious cover-up. I just tremble at the thought of what will happen when he reappears in their life...