Episode Summary
This episode focuses on the fallout from the new land arrangements. Tensions explode in the Feng family when Feng Er loses out on Xiuxiu's dowry land. Meanwhile, Tie Tou's love for Yinzi leads to a public confrontation and his running away from home after his mother shames Yinzi's family. The central conflict escalates when Big Belly Fei, denied his land rights, uncovers a shocking secret: Ning Xuexiang's permanent tenancy agreements are a complete sham, a revelation that turns Tie Tou against Ning Xiuxiu.
Spoiler Alert
This Thriving Land, Episode 17: A Mess of Lies and Broken Hearts
Alright, let's break down what happened in this packed episode. It's all about land, love, and lies, and things are getting seriously messy.
The episode kicks off with Ning Xuexiang causing a huge scene. He publicly announces that he's giving his daughter Ning Xiuxiu's dowry land—a whole fifteen acres—to her husband, Feng Er. But just as Feng Er is about to celebrate, his father, Big Foot Feng, drags him away, stopping the deal. Feng Er is furious. He was this close to getting the land, and he takes all his anger out on Xiuxiu. Big Foot Feng steps in to defend her, which leads to a massive shouting match between father and son. Feng Er declares he no longer considers Xiuxiu his wife, leaving her heartbroken and hiding in her room. Later, Big Foot Feng brings her food and tells her not to hold a grudge. Xiuxiu tries to make peace with Feng Er by bringing him food in the fields, but he refuses it. She realizes she's been so focused on getting along with her father-in-law that she never really considered Feng Er's feelings and decides they need to talk properly.
Meanwhile, there's trouble in paradise for Tie Tou and Yinzi. Tie Tou and his mother have secured their permanent tenancy rights from the Fei family, and he's over the moon. He rushes to tell Yinzi the good news, saying all he wants is to farm the land and marry her as soon as possible. He even tries to give her all his money, but she gently refuses. Tie Tou promises her a good life, but Yinzi just gives a sad little smile and walks away.
Things are not going well for Big Belly Fei, either. He's been waiting for two days for Ning Xuexiang to grant him his permanent tenancy rights, but no luck. He shows up at Ning Xuexiang's house, but Kuangzi tries to send him away. Big Belly Fei stubbornly sits outside the door until Ning Xuexiang finally lets him in, only to tell him he owes too much money and won't be getting any land rights. When Big Belly Fei begs for some grain because his family is starving, Ning Xuexiang throws him out.
This is where the storylines collide. Big Belly Fei's wife is so desperate she's begging door-to-door with her three kids. When Tie Tou's mother finds out that Tie Tou has been secretly giving them grain, she loses it. She finds Big Belly Fei's wife and publicly shames her, calling Yinzi a "vixen" who has bewitched her son. She demands that a husband be found for Yinzi quickly so she doesn't ruin Tie Tou. The stress is too much, and Big Belly Fei's wife faints on the spot.
When Yinzi hears about this, she confronts Tie Tou's mother. The argument gets heated, and Tie Tou rushes in. He publicly swears he will only ever marry Yinzi. But Yinzi, probably feeling the weight of all the drama, tells him to give up because she will never marry him. Heartbroken and angry, Tie Tou almost hits her before Ning Xiuxiu stops him. He then packs his bags and leaves home.
In a quieter side plot, Ning Susu is trying to learn to read and asks Fei Wendian for help. He reads to her, mixing in some English words, and she's clearly very impressed with him.
The big twist comes from Big Belly Fei's desperation. After being rejected by Ning Xuexiang, he's advised by Fei Zuoshi to investigate the other tenant farmers who supposedly got their rights. He stakes out Li Laosan's house and makes a shocking discovery: the permanent tenancy rights Ning Xuexiang handed out are fake. He immediately reports this to Fei Zuoshi, who promises to help him get justice.
The episode ends with this new information causing yet another explosion. Fei Zuoshi tells Tie Tou that his new land rights are a sham. Furious and feeling betrayed, Tie Tou storms over to find Ning Xiuxiu, blaming her for the scheme and accusing her of giving her father the terrible idea. Xiuxiu, of course, had no idea about any of it.
