Episode Summary
Liu Zhumei and Wang Yu empower Jiang Lizhen to stand up to her abusive husband and then tackle the harmful tradition of foot-binding, which leads to the successful formation of the Women's Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association. In the meantime, Liu Baisong's return from military school bolsters the local forces, and his father, Liu Zuguang, decides the time is right to launch a major offensive to liberate the city of Gucheng.
Spoiler Alert
Our Homeland (2025) Episode 9 Recap: A Time for Change
Episode 9 of Our Homeland (2025) begins with Liu Zhumei and Wang Yu paying a visit to the home of Wang Suozhu, a man introduced to them by Wang Mantun. They're there to meet his wife, Jiang Lizhen, but what they find is pretty shocking. Wang Suozhu is a total macho man, bossing his wife around constantly. Things get tense when he disagrees with something and rolls up his sleeves like he's about to hit her. Liu Zhumei and Wang Yu yell at him to stop, and while he backs down, Liu Zhumei quickly notices old bruises on Jiang Lizhen’s wrist. They ask Wang Suozhu to step out so they can have a private chat with his wife.
As he leaves, Wang Suozhu mutters a warning to his wife not to say the wrong thing. But with the bruises right there, Jiang Lizhen can't hide the truth. She admits that her husband is angry and resentful because she hasn't been able to give him a son. Liu Zhumei and Wang Yu immediately fire back, saying that having a boy is the man's responsibility, not the woman's. Seeing an opportunity, they invite Jiang Lizhen to help them start a Women's Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association in their village, and she eagerly agrees.
That night, Wang Suozhu is terrified that Liu Zhumei will report him for domestic abuse. Jiang Lizhen sees her chance and tells him she'll let it go if he agrees to three things: first, he can never hit her again; second, he can't blame her for not having a son; and third, he has to support her work with the new women's association. He agrees, and just like that, the chauvinist begins to transform into a good husband, giving Jiang Lizhen a newfound sense of dignity.
The very next day, as Jiang Lizhen, Liu Zhumei, and Wang Yu are walking, they hear a child’s screams coming from Xiniu's house. They rush over to find Xiniu's grandmother forcibly binding the little girl's feet. The grandmother is completely defiant, insisting that men only like women with small feet. A struggle breaks out, and in the chaos, the grandmother accidentally shoves Liu Zhumei, badly injuring her shoulder.
Even in agony, Liu Zhumei’s first thought is for the terrified little girl. She comforts Xiniu, who is so distraught she's talking about cutting off her own feet, and makes her promise to focus on getting an education instead. Just then, Zhuang Qifeng and some others arrive. The stress and pain are too much, and Liu Zhumei faints. When she wakes up, she's massively relieved to hear that Xiniu's grandmother has finally agreed to stop the foot-binding.
Zhuang Qifeng is clearly worried about Liu Zhumei. He comes to visit her while she's recovering, bringing a bag of red dates as a gift. Wang Yu gives them some privacy, and Zhuang Qifeng admits how shaken he was by the incident. Liu Zhumei explains that the thought of a bright, lovely girl like Xiniu being harmed by such a cruel old tradition broke her heart, and she would have gone through anything to save her. Hearing this, Zhuang Qifeng's admiration for her sense of justice and compassion only grows.
Soon after, the Women's Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association is officially launched. Liu Zhumei gives a powerful speech, inspiring the women of Dawang Village to stand up against feudal traditions like foot-binding. Moved by the passionate and logical words from Liu Zhumei, Wang Yu, and Jiang Lizhen, Xiniu's grandmother is the first to publicly support unbinding feet. Her support starts a chain reaction, with other women in the village joining the cause, marking a new phase for women's rights in the area.
Meanwhile, there's big news on the military front. Liu Zuguang has successfully re-established the united government. His son, Liu Baisong, has graduated early from the Nanjing Military Academy and returned to Gucheng to join the fight. He's appointed the deputy commander of the Anti-Japanese Advance Detachment. Wang Yu can hardly contain her excitement when she sees him, and her crush is obvious to everyone. Liu Zhumei would love for Wang Yu to become her sister-in-law, but she knows that the war has to be everyone's top priority.
In a war council meeting, Zhou Mi delivers new orders from high command. Based on the latest intelligence, Liu Zuguang analyzes the enemy and friendly forces around Gucheng and declares that it's the perfect moment to attack. Their combined forces are strong: the Anti-Japanese Advance Detachment led by Liu Baisong and Peng Yong has over a thousand soldiers, Sun Yulin's New Seventh Division has more than two thousand, and with the local village self-defense units, they can gather a total of seven to eight thousand troops. In contrast, the enemy defending Gucheng consists of just one small Japanese squad and about five hundred puppet guards. With such a clear advantage, Liu Zuguang is confident and makes the decision to launch an offensive to reclaim the city.
