Episode Summary
In this episode, the villagers of Dawang Village, after being scammed by corrupt Nationalist soldiers, are forced to unite with their rivals in Lüjiazhai to fight off bandits, with unexpected help from a principled Communist squad. Just as peace is forged, Zhuang Qifeng is betrayed and framed as a traitor by his own comrade, Zhuang Ziqiang. With help from Lü Ying, he confronts his superior and begins the process of clearing his name while covering for his betrayer.
Spoiler Alert
Our Homeland (2025) Episode 3: Recap & Spoilers
The people of Dawang Village are terrified that the Japanese army is going to destroy their home. Their leader, Wang Xiangfo, decides to hire a Nationalist battalion commander named Sun Yulin for protection. But as soon as Sun shows up, he demands more money. The villagers have no choice but to pay up. It turns out to be a total scam. Sun's second-in-command, Adjutant Jin, just has his soldiers fire a few shots in the air for show. They're actually working with the local bandits to squeeze even more money out of the villagers.
When Wang Zhiyong figures out they've been played, he tries to warn everyone. But it's too late—the bandit leader, Erheitou, storms back into the village, ready for some serious revenge. With everyone in despair, Zhuang Qifeng comes up with a plan: they need to ask the Village Alliance for help. This is a big deal because they have a long-running feud with the other villages. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so Wang Xiangfo and the other leaders agree to offer up 200 mu of their best land as a peace offering.
Zhuang Qifeng takes the signed agreement to Lü Shicai, the leader of Lüjiazhai Village, and manages to win him over. Meanwhile, Erheitou's bandits attack the stronghold again. Wang Zhiyong leads the villagers in a desperate fight until a squad led by Peng Yong shows up and finally drives the bandits away.
Just as the fighting ends, Zhuang Qifeng arrives with the men from the Village Alliance. Wang Xiangfo is so grateful that he tries to give Peng Yong a whole chest of silver, but Peng Yong refuses. He explains that his Communist-led army protects the people because it's the right thing to do, not for money. This leaves Wang Xiangfo stunned and deeply moved. Since the village is out of weapons, Zhuang Qifeng asks to borrow some from Peng Yong, who happily agrees.
With the bandits gone, Dawang Village and Lüjiazhai Village finally make peace, thanks to Zhuang Qifeng's efforts. But the drama isn't over. Zhuang Ziqiang, a comrade of Zhuang Qifeng, arrives claiming he's there to protect him. Instead, he kidnaps him, accusing him of being a traitor. He takes him to a hillside and tries to set him up to "escape" so he can be shot. Zhuang Qifeng refuses, insisting he wants to see their superior, Zhou Mi, to clear his name. So, Zhuang Ziqiang just shoves him down the slope, yells that he's running away, and his men open fire, hitting Zhuang Qifeng in the leg.
The next morning, Lü Ying finds and rescues him. Still determined to prove his innocence, he has her take him to Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi presents a confession letter with Zhuang Qifeng's signature on it. Zhuang Qifeng immediately sees that the signature is a forgery, probably traced by the police. Lü Ying backs him up, telling Zhou Mi she personally saw the police trying to kill Zhuang Qifeng. This starts to change Zhou Mi's mind. Nearby, Zhuang Ziqiang looks incredibly nervous. Seeing his old friend's warning glance, Zhuang Qifeng covers for him, lying that he simply fell down the slope by accident.
Furious that Zhou Mi can't tell friend from foe, Lü Ying tries to leave with Zhuang Qifeng. Zhou Mi stops them, deciding to go with them to Lüjiazhai to investigate the situation himself. Later, Zhuang Ziqiang gets a doctor for Zhuang Qifeng's leg and swears he wasn't the one who shot him. Remembering their history, Zhuang Qifeng decides to believe him.
