Episode Summary
The final episode brings the story to a dramatic and emotional close. The immediate conflict with Niwei and the Japanese soldiers is resolved through a combination of sacrifice and a timely rescue by the Eighth Route Army, led by Ning Kejin. This is followed by the peaceful death of a redeemed Ning Xuexiang, who makes peace with his family and his relationship with the land. The episode then moves through several time skips, showing the village rebuilding, the tragic death of Big Foot Feng in a flood, and finally, an elderly Ning Xiuxiu reminiscing in her former home, which has become a museum, ending the series with a reflection on family, loss, and the passage of time.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 36 of This Thriving Land begins with a tense standoff. Ning Xuexiang, unable to watch his son Ning Xuerui be tortured to death by Niwei, claims he knows where the grain is hidden. He makes a deal: he'll trade the grain for the safety of the villagers and the right to take his son home. Niwei agrees, but warns that if Ning Xuexiang doesn't deliver, all the villagers will die.
Ning Xuexiang and Big Foot Feng rush to free Ning Xuerui. His daughter, Ning Kebi, runs to embrace him, but he manages to say only one sentence before taking his last breath. A heartbroken Ning Xuexiang hands over his family's grain to Niwei, who then shows his true colors. He has Kuangzi arrested for defying orders, forces Ning Xuexiang to sign over his land deed, kicks him to the ground, and kidnaps Ning Keyu.
Later, the Japanese soldiers try to force the villagers to name the person who set fire to the wheat fields. When no one talks, Niwei threatens to burn Ning Keyu alive. Thinking fast, Big Foot Feng lies, saying he knows who did it. He uses the opportunity to grab Niwei and hold him hostage, while Tie Tou tackles another soldier. Just in the nick of time, Ning Kejin and Chang Chun arrive with the Eighth Route Army guerrillas. A fierce battle breaks out, and all the enemy soldiers are killed. Meiwei bravely shields Big Foot Feng from Niwei's gun, and when Niwei sees Ning Kejin and Chang Chun charging, he panics and runs away.
The reunion is emotional as Ning Xiuxiu and Ning Keyu realize their brother, Ning Kejin, is the one who led the rescue. He then takes the village militia to the front lines. While Ning Xuexiang recovers at home, cared for by Yinzi, he listens with pride as Ning Keyu tells him all about Ning Kejin's heroic actions. Soon after, Ning Kejin's unit destroys an enemy stronghold and returns the stolen grain, crushing the enemy's plans. Back in the village, Meiwei discovers Niwei hiding in her home. She reports him to Big Foot Feng and then cleverly tends to his wounds to buy time until Big Foot Feng arrives to arrest him.
With peace returning, the villagers, led by Big Foot Feng, begin farming again, giving half of their harvest to the army. The government helps them rebuild with tools, seeds, and livestock. Ning Xuexiang gets his land back, but his health is failing. He inspects his fields one last time, happy to see the crops growing well. He has a heartfelt talk with Ning Xiuxiu, apologizing for their years of conflict. Knowing his time is short, he divides his land among his family—Ning Xiuxiu, Yinzi, Ning Keyu, Ning Kejin, and Xiao Chuanzi—and gives the rest to the government. Ning Kejin is deeply moved by his father's final act of generosity. Ning Xuexiang passes away peacefully at Biedingzi, a place of significance for him.
Months later, the village is reorganized. Tie Tou is elected village chief, Big Foot Feng becomes the production team leader, and Ning Xiuxiu is named the women's team leader. The story then jumps through the years. In 1964, a terrible flood takes the life of Big Foot Feng, who dies trying to save the farmland. By 1986, the village has changed with the times. The old Ning family home becomes a folk museum. An elderly Ning Xiuxiu walks through it, flooded with memories of her parents, her siblings, and a young, hopeful Big Foot Feng, bringing the series to a close on a nostalgic and bittersweet note.
