Episode Summary
Lao Shandong (Lu Changshan) needs weapons for his new recruits and seeks out a reclusive ex-commander, Liu Baye. After a series of deceptions where Liu Baye tests his intentions, Lu Changshan proves he is a genuine resistance fighter. Liu Baye gives him a coffin full of guns and ammunition, along with his personal savings. Lu Changshan returns to his men, reunites with Platoon Leader Zhao Youwang, and sends the new recruits off for training while he continues his own mission to find more allies. The episode concludes with the news of General Yang Jingyu's heroic death, which inspires an act of public defiance and mourning among the townspeople.
Spoiler Alert
The Hunt for Guns
So, our guys have a problem. Lao Shandong and Old Donkey managed to rally the men from Yematan to fight the Japanese. That's the good news. The bad news? They have a bunch of eager new recruits and only twenty rifles that Tian Xiaogui stole from his family.
Tian Xiaogui is too scared to go back to his dad for more guns. He does have an idea, though. He remembers his father talking about a guy named Liu Baye. This Liu Baye was a brigade commander in the Northeast Army who fled and is now hiding out in the mountains of Yangshu Zhuang. The rumor is that these old officers made a fortune selling off their weapons. Lao Shandong decides it's worth a shot. He grabs some gold bars and heads off to find this supposed gun runner.
A Test of Trust
Lao Shandong finds Liu Baye's house easily enough. But getting to the man himself is a whole other story. When he knocks, a guy answers and pretends to be a servant. He says Liu Baye is in Harbin and sends Lao Shandong away.
Of course, Lao Shandong doesn't give up that easily. He comes back, finds the door locked, and just hops the wall. He tries to talk business, name-dropping Xiao Baima from Cong Mountain to show he's serious. But then a carpenter shows up, and he has to slip out the back.
Liu Baye tries to give him the slip again, packing his bags and leaving in the middle of the night. Lao Shandong follows him. Liu Baye then leads him to a bedridden old man and claims that is the real Liu Baye. It's a pretty weak attempt to throw him off. Lao Shandong explains he wants to buy guns and ammunition, but the man flatly refuses.
The next day, Lao Shandong returns to find a funeral being set up. He's told that Liu Baye died suddenly during the night. He doesn't believe it for a second. He demands they open the coffin so he can see the body. That's when the man who first pretended to be a servant steps in to stop him.
Lao Shandong finally calls him out. He knows this is the real Liu Baye. To prove he's on the level, Lao Shandong (who reveals his real name is Lu Changshan) provides specific details about a mutual acquaintance from the army. That finally does the trick. Liu Baye admits who he is and trusts him. He has the coffin opened, and inside, it’s packed with guns and ammo. He not only gives all of it to Lu Changshan but also throws in his own stash of gold bars. He wants to do his part to fight the Japanese.
Regrouping and a Hero's Fall
Lu Changshan gets the weapons back to the mountain and starts handing them out. Just then, Platoon Leader Zhao Youwang shows up with his men. It’s a happy reunion. Zhao Youwang is shocked to see how many new fighters Lu Changshan has recruited.
Lu Changshan hands over the rest of the gold to Zhao Youwang. He tells Tian Xiaogui to take the new recruits and go with Zhao's unit. He has his own mission. He's heading to Songlin Town to find his old comrades and link up with Xiao Baima's group.
Elsewhere, Gao Yunhu and Wan Fuqing have opened their own business, the "Yunhu Mountain Goods" store. They changed the name from its original "Taiping Mountain Goods" specifically so Lu Changshan would have an easier time finding them.
The episode ends on a heavy note. News arrives that on February 23, 1940, General Yang Jingyu, a major leader of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, was killed in battle.The Japanese beheaded him and paraded his head through the streets, dropping leaflets from planes to celebrate their victory.The local people quietly collect all the leaflets off the ground.
Da Kuo Zhi, wearing a white mourning band on her head, buys drinks for the whole town to honor Yang Jingyu's spirit. Pang Sihai tries to stop her, terrified of what the Japanese will do. But she ignores him, leading the townspeople in a toast before they burn all the leaflets. Even Pang Sihai is moved by her defiance.
