Episode Summary
On her wedding day, Ning Xiuxiu is kidnapped by bandits. Unwilling to pay the ransom, her father forces her younger sister, Susu, to marry the groom, Fei Wendian. After being rescued by Big Foot Feng, Xiuxiu returns home only to be rejected by the groom's family due to a cruel deception. Devastated and seeking to punish her father, Xiuxiu falsely claims she was defiled by the bandits, a lie that leads her to impulsively agree to marry Big Foot Feng to escape her family.
Spoiler Alert
"This Thriving Land" Episode 3: A Wedding Turned Tragedy
On what should have been the happiest day of her life, Ning Xiuxiu is kidnapped by bandits who demand a hefty ransom of five thousand silver taels. Her father, Ning Xuexiang, unwilling to sell his precious land to save her, makes a shocking decision. To fulfill the marriage alliance with the Fei family, he forces his younger daughter, Ning Susu, to take her sister's place and marry the groom, Fei Wendian.
The groom's mother, Fei Zuoshi, is complicit in the deception. Worried the scheme will be exposed, she ensures Fei Wendian drinks heavily with the wedding guests until he is completely intoxicated. She then helps him to the bridal chamber, where he passes out, oblivious to the fact that his bride is not his childhood sweetheart, Xiuxiu, but her terrified sister, Susu.
Meanwhile, a man named Big Foot Feng bravely ventures into the bandits' lair at Rooster Ridge and successfully rescues Ning Xiuxiu. As they escape, the bandit Hu San and his men give chase. Big Foot Feng tells Xiuxiu to hide while he leads the pursuers away. After shaking them off, he stumbles upon Hu Zhenlin, a man left for dead by the same bandits. Seeing his critical condition, Big Foot Feng fashions a sled and rushes him to the county hospital.
An exhausted Ning Xiuxiu finally makes it back to her village at dawn. Her joy turns to fury when her father reveals that her sister has married Fei Wendian in her stead.Storming over to the Fei household, Xiuxiu demands to switch places with Susu. However, Fei Zuoshi coldly dismisses her. She cites a strict family rule: a bride taken by bandits cannot enter their home if she fails to return by midnight. To seal Xiuxiu's fate, Fei Zuoshi deceptively shows her a handkerchief stained with blood—her own, from a pricked finger—as "proof" that the marriage between Fei Wendian and Susu has been consummated.
Heartbroken and feeling utterly betrayed after waiting three years for Fei Wendian, Xiuxiu wanders aimlessly to a place called Biedingzi. Overwhelmed by exhaustion and despair, she collapses by the Heavenly Bull Stone.
Back at the Fei house, Fei Wendian wakes up and is horrified to find Ning Susu beside him. As Susu tearfully explains the situation, Fei Wendian wants to rush out and find Xiuxiu. His mother, however, convinces him that doing so would only ruin Xiuxiu's reputation in the village, forcing him to stay.
The unconscious Xiuxiu is discovered by a villager named Sha Tao, who runs for help. Tie Tou finds her and carries her back home. Upon waking, Xiuxiu confronts her father. When his only concern is whether she was violated by the bandits, she lies out of pure spite and hurt, claiming she was assaulted.The lie spreads like wildfire after Tie Tou tells other villagers.
Hearing the rumors, Feng Er—a relative of Xiuxiu's rescuer, Big Foot Feng—sees an opportunity. Eyeing the Ning family's wealth, he immediately sends a matchmaker to propose a marriage between Big Foot Feng and the now "damaged" Ning Xiuxiu.
Despite hearing the terrible rumors, Fei Wendian remains determined to bring Xiuxiu home, but his mother stands in his way. At the Ning house, the family is outraged by the proposal and scolds the matchmaker. But in a final, desperate act of rebellion against her family, Ning Xiuxiu emerges and accepts the offer. Threatening to take her own life if they refuse, she leaves her parents with no choice but to agree to the marriage.
