Episode Summary
In this episode, the villagers, led by Fei Wendian, intercept Ning Kejin's grain transport to feed the refugees. This act leads to the capture and torture of Fei Wendian and Big Foot Feng. Ning Xiuxiu and Ning Susu must then confront Ning Kejin and bribe a corrupt police chief to secure their release, forcing Fei Wendian to leave town to continue his revolutionary work.
Spoiler Alert
"This Thriving Land" Episode 30: The Grain Heist and a Daring Rescue
Episode 30 of This Thriving Land begins with Ning Xuexiang refusing to open his grain stores to the starving refugees. Instead, he orders his son, Ning Kejin, to secretly move the grain, even using police cars as an escort. His daughter, Ning Xiuxiu, tries to block the convoy, pleading with her father to show some compassion, but he won't listen. Ning Kejin forcibly pushes her aside, and the trucks roll out.
However, Fei Wendian, Big Foot Feng, and Tie Tou have a plan. They rally the local villagers and refugees to intercept the convoy. When Ning Kejin refuses to give up the grain, Ning Susu and Ning Xiuxiu threaten to take their own lives to stop him. In a moment of frustration, Ning Kejin fires a warning shot. But it's too late for him—Fei Wendian's men had already disarmed the police escort. On Big Foot Feng's command, the people seize all the grain and take it back to the village, leaving a stunned Ning Kejin behind.
The next morning, the grain is joyfully distributed among the villagers. Ning Xuexiang is seething with anger, but he's distracted when his wife, Yinzi, suddenly goes into labor. He rushes home, and Ning Susu goes over to help. Soon after, Yinzi gives birth to a son. Ning Xuexiang finds himself caught between the joy of his new child and the bitterness of his lost fortune. After the baby, named Ning Keyu, is born, Yinzi pressures her husband into sending grain and money to her own family, which he reluctantly agrees to do.
With their work in the village complete, Fei Wendian tells his friends he must move on to continue his revolutionary work elsewhere. He worries that their clash with the police could bring trouble and advises everyone to be careful.
Later, Fei Wendian visits his stepmother, Fei Zuoshi, to apologize for his actions. She is heartbroken to see him so thin and worn down. She recalls how she was widowed at a young age and left to raise him and manage the entire Fei household alone. She offers him the key to the family granary, feeling she has failed their ancestors because it's empty. He refuses to take it, telling her not to blame herself and to let go of the heavy burdens she has carried for so long. He has a mission to complete and leaves quickly.
The situation takes a dark turn when Fei Wendian is ambushed and captured on his way to the county town. At the same time, Big Foot Feng is also taken. When Fei Zuoshi hears the news, she panics and gives Ning Xiuxiu and Ning Susu fifty silver dollars to go rescue them.
At the police station, Fei Wendian is brutally tortured but remains defiant. He tells Big Foot Feng to place all the blame on him, asking him to take care of Ning Susu if he doesn't make it out alive. When the sisters arrive, they are horrified to see Fei Wendian's condition. They confront Ning Kejin, who admits he only intended to teach them a lesson to save face. He tries to get them released, but the police chief reveals that Fei Wendian is on a list of known communists. Ning Kejin is forced to bribe the chief to secure their freedom.
Once released, Fei Wendian knows he cannot stay. He tells Ning Susu he must leave to continue the revolution, as he doesn't want to endanger her or have her live a lonely life like his stepmother. Ning Susu insists she will wait for him. The episode closes as Big Foot Feng returns home safely, much to the relief of his family.
