Episode Summary
The episode centers on a major attack on Tianniu Temple Village by the bandit Hu San, who wants to capture Ning Xiuxiu. The villagers, led by Ning Kejin, fight back. Big Foot Feng makes a heroic return, saving Xiuxiu and helping to drive the bandits away, though the conflict results in Feng Si's death. In the aftermath, Xiuxiu reveals her pregnancy to Big Foot Feng and shows compassion by freeing Feng Si's family, creating a conflict with a vengeful Ning Kejin. The village ultimately chooses forgiveness. The episode ends with a new threat—a drought—and a new opportunity, as a poisoning incident inspires Xiuxiu to cultivate medicinal herbs.
Spoiler Alert
The bandit leader, Hu San, is still obsessed with Ning Xiuxiu and decides he's going to raid her family's home and drag her back to his mountain fortress. He sends his guy, Feng Si, with a couple of other bandits to scout the village first. But Xiuxiu is sharp; she spots them acting suspiciously and immediately has Ning Susu run to tell Ning Kejin. Kejin doesn't mess around and manages to capture all three of them alive.
This, of course, makes Hu San furious. He brings his entire gang and surrounds the village. Ning Kejin rallies the villagers to defend their homes, and a massive fight breaks out. In the middle of the chaos, Xiuxiu tries to save a child and gets captured by Hu San himself. Thinking fast, she plays for time and even threatens to kill herself to protect the others.
Just when it looks like Hu San is about to haul her away, Big Foot Feng shows up out of nowhere! He pulls a total hero move, grabs Hu San, and holds him hostage, saving Xiuxiu. He's so enraged he's ready to go down with Hu San. Seeing this, Feng Si tries to save Big Foot Feng, but in the confusion, he's shot and killed by the other bandits. Right on time, reinforcements arrive, brought by Guo Guiyao and Du Chunlin. With the extra help, Ning Kejin and his men manage to fight off Hu San's gang and send them running.
After the battle, Xiuxiu stands on the village fortifications and tells Big Foot Feng that she's pregnant. He is absolutely ecstatic. Having gone through that life-or-death situation, their bond is stronger than ever. Later, while the village celebrates, Xiuxiu does something incredibly compassionate: she secretly lets Feng Si's wife and children go free. Feng Si's oldest son, Niwei, vows to get revenge for his father, but Xiuxiu calms him down, telling him to focus on protecting his mother and brother for now.
Life seems to settle a bit. Big Foot Feng brings home a big, red bathtub he bought for Xiuxiu, and she loves it. He tells her about his last few weeks, revealing he was smuggling salt at sea with Guo Guiyao. It was a near-death experience, and he's done with that life; he just wants to stay home and farm.He gives the money he earned to Ning Xuexiang, and Xiuxiu puts some aside for their baby.
The drama with Feng Si's family isn't over, though. Ning Kejin finds out they escaped and sends men to bring them back. The wife and younger son, Meiwei, are caught, but the older son gets away. Kejin wants them killed to prevent future trouble. Big Foot Feng and Feng Er rush to plead for their lives, and Kejin finally agrees to spare the little boy, Meiwei. Xiuxiu takes the boy in, bathing him in her new tub and caring for him. The villagers, who now want Kejin as their chief, rally behind Xiuxiu to ask him to release Feng Si's wife. He's reluctant, but seeing that the community has forgiven her, he lets her go.
Meanwhile, other stories are unfolding. Yinzi and Tie Tou are deeply in love but struggling with poverty. There's also a serious drought, and the crops are failing. In the middle of all this, Yinzi's little brother gets critically sick after accidentally eating a poisonous Datura plant. Xiuxiu rushes to help, and a doctor saves the boy. This scary incident gives Xiuxiu an idea: she wants to start cultivating Red Sage, a medicinal herb.
