Episode Summary
In this episode, Zhuang Ziqiang's harassment of Fu Hua escalates, but she and a hidden Wang Yu manage to outsmart and intimidate him. The guerrilla forces, led by Zhuang Qifeng, score two major victories by taking over the Liu Village blockhouse through persuasion and eliminating the Japanese garrison at Dawang Village with a clever banquet trap. However, their success leads to a devastating consequence as the Japanese army, under the command of Ono, carries out a brutal revenge massacre in Liu Village, spurring the survivors to demand vengeance.
Spoiler Alert
A Messy House Call
An Unwelcome Guest
This episode kicks off with Wang Yu visiting Fu Hua and her infant son. It’s a quiet, tender moment. You can see Wang Yu soften as she looks at the sleeping baby. But this is a drama, so of course, the peace doesn't last. Suddenly, there’s a racket outside. It’s Zhuang Ziqiang. He’s brought his men and they’re climbing over the wall. He’s screaming, convinced Fu Hua is hiding a man.
Wang Yu immediately pulls her gun. But Fu Hua tells her to hide. She grabs a kitchen knife and opens the door herself. She stands there, blocking the way. Zhuang Ziqiang is a little surprised to see her armed with a knife. He tries to push his way in, but she doesn’t back down. He keeps yelling for her to hand over the "other man." Fu Hua just scoffs at him. She tells him she’d never associate with a traitor and agrees to talk tomorrow in the front yard.
Seeing her ready to fight to the death, Zhuang Ziqiang backs off for now. He’s not done, though. He secretly orders one of his servants to stay behind and watch the house. He wants to catch this mystery man. Plot twist. The servant is an old family retainer from Wang Yu’s household. He knows her well. After Zhuang Ziqiang leaves, the servant gives Wang Yu the all-clear, and she slips out. The servant then goes back and tells his boss the truth. He says the "man" was actually Wang Yu. He also adds that she had a gun aimed at Zhuang Ziqiang’s head the entire time. The news sends a chill down Zhuang Ziqiang's spine. He breaks out in a cold sweat.
The Next Day's Showdown
The next morning, Fu Hua walks right into Zhuang Ziqiang’s home. She’s not scared. She tells him straight up that he already has a wife in the city. She makes it clear she has no intention of ever marrying him. He gets furious and tries to grab her. But Fu Hua just gives him a cold smile. She tells him to ask around about the last guy who tried to force himself on her. That guy is now a one-eyed man. Then she gets closer and implies that if he ever tries anything, he might just lose something important on a dark night.
That threat works. Zhuang Ziqiang doesn't dare touch her. But as Fu Hua turns and walks away, he does something pathetic. He runs after her, grabs her in the middle of the street, and forcibly kisses her. This, of course, just makes the village gossip about her even worse.
The Guerrillas Make a Move
Taking the Liu Village Blockhouse
The story then shifts to the guerrillas. After they destroyed the blockhouse in Liu Village, the Japanese army came and rebuilt it. They left two Japanese soldiers and a small puppet army squad to guard it. Liu Zengxiang reports this to Zhuang Qifeng and asks for another attack. Zhuang Qifeng scouts the area carefully. He leads his district team and sets up an ambush near the new blockhouse.
With two precise shots, his snipers take out the two Japanese soldiers. Zhuang Qifeng immediately calls out to the puppet army commander, Ma Shaojie. He offers him a chance to surrender. Ma Shaojie knows he’ll be punished by the Japanese for losing the blockhouse. So, he makes a quick decision. He and his entire squad surrender and join the Eighth Route Army.
The Birthday Party Trap
Soon after, Zhuang Qifeng and Wang Yu secretly meet with Xing Zongmao. The three of them start planning an uprising. Their next target is the blockhouse in Dawang Village. This one is tougher. It’s guarded by more than ten well-equipped Japanese soldiers. A direct attack is too risky.
After some discussion, Xing Zongmao comes up with a clever idea. That night, he uses his mother’s birthday as an excuse. He invites all the Japanese soldiers from the blockhouse to his home for a banquet. After a few rounds of drinks, the soldiers are completely wasted. That’s the signal. The district team, who were hiding and waiting, rush in. They eliminate the entire group of unsuspecting soldiers.
The Price of Victory
The Massacre at Liu Village
Word gets back to the Japanese command. An officer named Ono is furious. He immediately leads an elite unit to surround Liu Village before dawn. As the sun rises, the Japanese soldiers storm the village. They are there for revenge. They drag every man, woman, and child to the village threshing ground. They tie up the village chief, Liu Zengxiang, for everyone to see.
An officer announces that twenty lives will be taken to pay for their two dead soldiers. Then, the massacre begins. It’s brutal and merciless. They even kill babies in their mothers' arms. The villagers, watching their families die, are filled with rage and want to fight back. But the Japanese soldiers warn them. Any movement will result in everyone being machine-gunned. An old man cries and begs everyone to hold back.
Amid the chaos, a man named Liu Fusheng manages to escape. He runs and finds Zhuang Qifeng. In tears, he describes the horrific things the Japanese did. He begs the guerrillas to get justice for the dead.
