Episode Summary
A poor scavenger's selfless act to secure his son's future leads to the boy's reunion with his wealthy biological father, who had been searching for him for over a decade. In parallel, another family is joyfully reunited with their missing grandson, while Auntie Zhang's Alzheimer's diagnosis introduces a somber note.
Spoiler Alert
In a desperate bid to give his son a better life, Qi Defu, a poor scavenger from Qingluo Town, makes a heart-wrenching decision. Knowing he cannot afford to send the brilliant and hardworking A'Yuan to a good school in the city, he reports to the Anti-trafficking Office, claiming A'Yuan is a foundling he discovered in a garbage heap. He begs the officers to find A'Yuan's birth parents, hoping they can provide the future he cannot.
Officers Yan Lei and Chang Rui arrive at Qi Defu's dilapidated home to investigate. They find A'Yuan diligently helping his father sort cardboard. When A'Yuan learns the purpose of their visit, he vehemently protests, insisting he wants to stay with the only father he's ever known. The situation escalates into a heated argument, with a distraught Qi Defu pushing his son to the ground. A'Yuan, feeling betrayed, declares he would rather die than leave and storms out. Yan Lei follows and gently explains the truth: his birth parents didn't abandon him; he was abducted as a child. Yan Lei persuades A'Yuan to honor Qi Defu's selfless sacrifice, study hard, and repay his adoptive father's love in the future. A'Yuan, who deeply loves Qi Defu and sees the physical toll his work takes on him, tearfully understands.
The emotional reunion is set in motion when a DNA test confirms that A'Yuan is the long-lost son of Sun Wenhan. Initially, a drunken and grief-stricken Sun Wenhan dismisses the news. However, upon sobering up the next morning, he confirms the life-changing information and rushes to the Anti-trafficking Office. There, he finds Qi Defu and his son, Xiaoguang (A'Yuan's birth name). Overcome with emotion, Sun Wenhan falls to his knees to thank Qi Defu, offering him his life savings. Qi Defu refuses the money, his only wish being for the boy to have a good education. The farewell is gut-wrenching, as A'Yuan cries, not wanting to leave Qi Defu. Later, Sun Wenhan brings his son home, where A'Yuan is moved to see a wall covered with his childhood photos and evidence of his father's relentless, decade-long search for him.
Meanwhile, other storylines unfold. Auntie Zhang is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after she briefly goes missing and is found by Deng Yan, confused, at Linshan Elementary School trying to pick up Lin Ranran. The doctor advises her loved ones to withhold the diagnosis for now to avoid causing her distress. In the criminal underworld, Li Gang pressures Zhen Ni to secure overseas labor contracts, a front for trafficking kidnapped young women abroad, threatening to get rid of her if she fails again.
The episode also brings closure and new personal challenges. The Anti-trafficking Office, acting on a tip from Auntie Hong, successfully finds Liu Weiguo's missing grandson, Liu Xiaotong, leading to a joyous family reunion. On a more personal note, Yan Lei confides in Chang Rui that he was also adopted. He reveals his dilemma: his adoptive parents, who sacrificed having their own children for him, have found his birth parents, who want a reunion. He feels torn between his profound gratitude for one family and his connection to the other.
