Episode Summary
After a failed blind date, Wen Pu encourages Yi Yi as she starts a new job as a night school teacher. Her bitter landlady, Zhang Guihua, falsely reports her to the ambitious official Yang Xue'an for attempting to start an illegal business. While facing this new threat, Yi Yi refuses to leave Shanghai, holding out hope for her husband's return. Her sister-in-law arrives with a shocking revelation: her husband was a celebrated party hero, not an enemy. This moment of joy is shattered when she learns he was killed years ago.
Spoiler Alert
A New Gig for Yi Yi
So, the episode kicks off with Wen Pu. His blind date was a total bust. His friend drives him home, and they spend the ride giving each other a hard time. It’s pretty clear they’re good friends who actually care about each other.
Then we cut to Yi Yi. The neighborhood committee calls her in over that whole diary mess. They make her write a self-criticism letter as punishment. But it's not all bad. They also give her a job teaching at a local night school.
An Unlikely Pep Talk
On her way home, Yi Yi bumps into Wen Pu. She tries to thank him for the job. He just brushes it off, saying it was the organization's decision. He tells her not to lose hope. He says that even though things are tough, the new society is still figuring things out. Wen Pu’s words are a rare bit of comfort for Yi Yi. She’s been feeling pretty hopeless, and he gives her a reason to look toward the future.
First Day Jitters
Yi Yi’s first day of teaching does not go smoothly. She gets up on the stage and barely gets a word out before students start yelling that they can't hear her. She’s completely flustered. Just then, Wen Pu shows up. He gives a speech to the class about how everyone deserves dignity and the chance to pursue a better life. The whole room bursts into applause. His speech helps Yi Yi, too. She’s still smarting from the public humiliation of her diary being read. She decides to pour everything into her new job. She starts creating lesson plans based on her fashion design skills for the night school students.
Old Enemies and New Problems
We meet a new guy, Yang Xue'an. He’s one of those overly ambitious types, always looking to climb the ladder. He has a history of falsely accusing people to get ahead. Wen Pu has had to step in and fix his mistakes before. This guy is so obsessed with his career that he didn't even go home to see his sick mother before she died. His coworker, Zhou Yunqing, was the one who took the call from his family and broke down crying. The office gave him a week off, but he was back in two days.
The Landlady's Revenge
Yang Xue'an is sniffing around for any opportunity to score political points. And he finds one. Yi Yi’s landlady, Zhang Guihua, is still mad that Yi Yi refused to start a secret side-hustle making clothes. So, she goes to Yang Xue'an with a story. She claims Yi Yi was trying to start an illegal private business and even drew up a business plan. In this political climate, that's a huge accusation.
The Search
Yang Xue'an immediately leads a team to search Yi Yi’s place. They're looking for any proof to back up the landlady's story. All they find is a sewing machine. There's no other evidence. Yang Xue'an then forces a confrontation between Yi Yi and Zhang Guihua. The landlady is obviously nervous, but she sticks to her lies. Yi Yi is in serious trouble again.
The Truth Comes Out
Yi Yi's friends hear what’s happening, but there’s nothing they can do to help. They tell her to get out of Shanghai while she still can. But Yi Yi refuses. She’s determined to stay and wait for her husband, Zhou Zhaoyuan, to come back.
A Glimmer of Hope
Suddenly, someone is outside her window shouting for their sister-in-law. It’s Zhou Yunqing, her husband's sister. She has incredible news. She tells Yi Yi that her husband, Zhou Zhaoyuan, wasn't a member of the opposition party like everyone thought. He was actually a party member working as an underground agent the whole time.
The Final Blow
Yi Yi is ecstatic. She thinks this means her husband is finally coming home. She flies down the stairs to meet Zhou Yunqing. But the good news is followed by a devastating blow. Yi Yi learns that Zhou Zhaoyuan was betrayed by a traitor years ago. He was killed in the line of duty.
