Episode Summary
In this episode, Yinzi marries Ning Xuexiang to save her family, leaving Tie Tou heartbroken. On the same day, Sha Tiao gives birth to a boy who is not Tie Tou's. The central tragedy is Ning Xiuxiu's miscarriage, caused by malnutrition and overwork.In the end, as she begins to recover emotionally, she and her husband, Big Foot Feng, take in Sha Tiao's neglected baby, finding a new purpose amid their grief.
Spoiler Alert
This Thriving Land: A Tale of Sacrifice and Heartbreak
Episode 27 of This Thriving Land begins with Ning Xiuxiu making a last-ditch effort to save Yinzi from a loveless marriage. She stops the wedding carriage on the road, pleading with Yinzi to run away with her true love, Tie Tou. Xiuxiu even points to her own difficult marriage with Big Foot Feng as a cautionary tale. But Yinzi’s hands are tied. Her family is on the brink of starvation, her mother is desperately ill, and this marriage to Xiuxiu's wealthy father, Ning Xuexiang, is their only lifeline. With a heavy heart, Yinzi continues on her path, leaving a devastated Xiuxiu behind.
Tie Tou is, understandably, a complete wreck. The love of his life is marrying another man, and he's so angry he wants to kill Ning Xuexiang. His mother and Big Foot Feng manage to talk him down, reminding him that Yinzi made her choice and isn't worth his life. As if things weren't chaotic enough, Sha Tiao, a simple-minded girl living with Tie Tou's family, suddenly suffers a major hemorrhage and goes into labor. Xiuxiu rushes over to help.
The wedding night is a disaster. Ning Xuexiang discovers Yinzi isn't a virgin and, suspecting she's been with Tie Tou, tries to beat her. But Yinzi isn't a pushover; she grabs a stick and fights back, leaving her new husband stunned into submission. Meanwhile, Sha Tiao successfully gives birth to a baby boy. It's clear the baby isn't Tie Tou's, but he doesn't have the heart to throw the new mother and child out.
Life moves on, but not without its struggles. A month later, Sha Tiao proves to be a neglectful mother, leaving her baby to cry while she wanders off. Yinzi, now a frequent visitor to her family, brings them money and medicine, but her greedy father, Big Belly Fei, always demands more. Her relationship with her husband is just as strained; she fights with him constantly, even beating him to get money for her siblings' education.
The village is hit by a drought, and a heavily pregnant Ning Xiuxiu works tirelessly in the fields to water the Red Sage plants. Stretched thin and malnourished, she tragically suffers a miscarriage.The loss is immense, and Big Foot Feng is heartbroken as he buries their child.In the wake of this tragedy, family and friends rally around them. Xiuxiu's sister, Ning Susu, and even Yinzi bring food and supplies, though a proud Big Foot Feng initially refuses their charity, vowing to provide for his wife himself.
Slowly, Xiuxiu begins to heal from her grief. When Sha Tiao abandons her baby once again, Xiuxiu and Big Foot Feng take the child in. Tie Tou, grateful, names the boy Ke La. The episode closes on a hopeful note, with Big Foot Feng showing Xiuxiu the healthy Red Sage seedlings, a small sign of life and promise that brings a rare smile to her face.
