Episode Summary
The Japanese army launches a brutal attack on Lü Family Village, but the villagers use guerrilla tactics to fight them off, suffering heavy losses. Just after the battle, a battalion of the Eighth Route Army led by Xiang Qian arrives and is welcomed. Meanwhile, Zhang Zhiping confesses to Lü Ying that he used a ruse to avoid participating in the attack. The army's strict discipline is put to the test when a medic, Zhao Youcheng, is accused of stealing medicine and sentenced to death, only to be saved at the last second when a missing IOU proves his innocence.
Spoiler Alert
The Battle for Lü Family Village
All Hell Breaks Loose
The episode kicks off with a full-scale Japanese assault on Lü Family Village. It's brutal. Zhuang Qifeng and the villagers put up a hell of a fight, but they are seriously outgunned and outnumbered. They're forced to fall back into the village itself.
This is where it gets ugly. The fight turns into close-quarters street combat. The Japanese soldiers show no mercy. They burn, kill, and steal their way through the streets. They target everyone, including the elderly and children. The episode doesn't shy away from showing the horror. We see an old woman shielding her grandson with her body and a sister trying to hide her younger sibling. One man even straps explosives to himself and takes out a group of enemy soldiers.
The Villagers Fight Back
Faced with these atrocities, the people of Lü Family Village basically become an army. They use every trick they know. They fight from the rooftops, throwing down rocks. They stab with spears from hidden alleyways. They set traps to lure soldiers into ambushes. It's a masterclass in guerrilla warfare. They know their home, and they use that knowledge to pick off the invaders one by one.
Eventually, the Japanese army retreats. But the victory is devastating. The village is a wreck of rubble and bodies. Lü Shicai looks over the destruction of his home, and the old man just breaks down completely.
New Arrivals
Friend or Foe?
Just as the villagers are processing the carnage, another group of armed soldiers appears in the distance. Everyone's first thought is that the Japanese have returned. The tension is thick.
But as they get closer, the officer in charge, Xiang Qian, yells out that they are the Eighth Route Army. Zhuang Qifeng takes a hard look and confirms it. The relief is immediate. The villagers rush out to welcome them. Later, they count the enemy dead. The villagers managed to take out over a hundred Japanese soldiers, a feat that would be impressive even for a professional army.
Subplots and Secrets
Zhang Zhiping's Confession
Remember Zhang Zhiping? He shows up at Lü Ying's place, all banged up. He finally comes clean. He tells her he knew the Japanese were planning to attack her village. To avoid fighting his own father-in-law, he orchestrated a "ruse of self-injury" to get himself out of the battle. Lü Ying is torn between being relieved he's okay and worried sick about her father. When she learns the village fought off the attack, she gets even more anxious. Zhang Zhiping tries to calm her down, saying that based on his read of the situation, her father should be fine.
Winning Trust
The 115th Division of the army sets up camp in the village. They are incredibly disciplined. The soldiers wake up early to help the villagers carry water and chop wood. They help the women with laundry and cooking. They insist on paying for anything they borrow, down to a single needle or a bit of lamp oil. Commander Xiang Qian makes it crystal clear that anyone who breaks the rules of conduct will face severe military punishment.
A Test of Honor
The Missing Medicine
This discipline is put to a serious test. A medic, Zhao Youcheng, is desperate to save a badly wounded soldier. He takes some valuable herbs from Dr. Du's clinic without permission. When Dr. Du gets back, he finds his expensive medicine gone. Villagers tell him an army medic took it. Dr. Du is furious and goes straight to Lü Shicai to complain.
An Accusation and a Death Sentence
Lü Shicai wants to smooth things over privately. But Lü Shiqing insists they handle it officially. He sees it as the perfect way to see if the army's famous discipline is for real. They take Dr. Du to see Commander Xiang Qian and demand an investigation.
Xiang Qian orders a full search. Zhao Youcheng immediately steps forward and admits he took the medicine. He swears he left an IOU note. But Dr. Du says he never saw any note. It's one man's word against another's.
The army's reputation is on the line. Zhao Youcheng declares he is willing to die to prove his honor and protect the army's name. Xiang Qian, though clearly pained, follows military law. He finds Zhao Youcheng guilty of theft and sentences him to death by firing squad, effective immediately.
Just as the execution is about to happen, Zhuang Qifeng comes running. He's holding the missing IOU. It was found stuck in a crack on the pharmacy counter. Zhao Youcheng is innocent.
