Episode Summary
Hua'er is rescued by the bandit Xiao Baima, leading to a tense but successful negotiation when Lao Shandong pretends to be her father. While Hua'er recovers at the bandit fortress, Lao Shandong travels to Songlin Town, where he narrowly avoids a Japanese trap that kills his resistance contact. He now plans to sell the valuable ginseng and regroup with other survivors.
Spoiler Alert
A Messy Rescue
An Old Friend Shows Up
This episode kicks off right where we need it. Hua'er is cornered by two Japanese soldiers. Just when it looks bad, Xiao Baima and his horse appear out of nowhere. He kills the soldiers and saves her. It’s a clean rescue. But nothing is ever that simple.
We learn that Xiao Baima and his second-in-command were the ones who stole the ginseng. They pulled a fast one by having the second-in-command pretend to be a mute who needed help.
Lao Shandong and Tian Xiaogui are tracking the bandits. They spot Hua'er on a horse-drawn cart. They immediately assume the worst. They think Xiao Baima kidnapped her.
A Very Strange Negotiation
Lao Shandong decides to handle this himself. He walks into the bandit camp. He claims he's Hua'er's father. Xiao Baima doesn't buy it for a second. He thinks Lao Shandong is just there for the stolen ginseng.
Lao Shandong denies it. So, Xiao Baima tells him to prove he has some skills. Lao Shandong looks around, grabs two pig shoulder bones, and starts performing. He launches into a kuaiban story, a type of rhythmic talk-singing. The story is all about how heroic Xiao Baima was back in his volunteer army days.
The flattery works. Xiao Baima is completely won over. He agrees to let Lao Shandong see the girl. When Lao Shandong enters the room, he yells "Daughter!" Hua'er plays along perfectly. She runs to him, crying and calling him "Dad." A bandit sees this and reports back to Xiao Baima, who finally believes the story.
Plans and Problems
A Temporary Truce
Lao Shandong needs to figure out if Xiao Baima is trustworthy. He decides to test his character. If he passes, he'll leave Hua'er there to recover from her injuries. He can come back for her after he gets his own business sorted in Songlin Town.
Meanwhile, the labor camp is grim. The Japanese are forcing the laborers to work constantly. They only feed them moldy bread and thin soup. Katayama Shinji gets sick from the bad food. Tang Deyuan and Fuqing are smarter. They only eat half of their rations and find wild vegetables to survive. Tang Deyuan also notices something important. He keeps seeing Japanese trucks hauling gasoline and explosives up the mountain. He suspects there's a hidden fuel depot nearby.
A Marriage Proposal
Back at the fortress, things get complicated. Xiao Baima now wants to marry Hua'er. Lao Shandong shuts that down immediately. This angers Xiao Baima. His second-in-command pulls a gun on Lao Shandong. But Lao Shandong is faster. He disarms the man without breaking a sweat.
Xiao Baima calms down. He swears he will treat Hua'er well for the rest of his life. Lao Shandong agrees to let Hua'er make her own choice. He thanks Xiao Baima for the rescue and asks him to look after her. He promises to return in half a month. As a gesture of goodwill, Xiao Baima gives the stolen ginseng back to Lao Shandong.
A Trap in Songlin Town
The Wrong Safe House
Lao Shandong and Tian Xiaogui finally make it to Songlin Town. They find the resistance contact point. It's a leather goods shop called Xinglong Hao. It's late, so they decide not to bother the shopkeeper, Zhu. They find another place to sleep for the night.
That decision saves their lives.
Later that night, another man shows up at the leather shop. He claims to be a resistance contact also named Zhu. The real Shopkeeper Zhu lets him in. The imposter knows a lot about the leather business, which makes him seem legitimate. He asks to see the best goods. Shopkeeper Zhu thinks he's important and sends his assistant, Hei Hu, on an errand. The moment Hei Hu steps outside, Japanese soldiers grab him.
Inside, the imposter drops the act. He reveals he knows about the hidden resistance fighters. He shoots and kills Shopkeeper Zhu. The Japanese soldiers then rush in and kill the three fighters who were hiding there.
The Aftermath
Lao Shandong hears the gunshots from a distance. He gets a bad feeling. The next morning, he sends Tian Xiaogui to check things out. Tian Xiaogui arrives just in time to see the Japanese carrying out the bodies of Zhu and the three fighters.
He rushes back to tell Lao Shandong what happened. They realize how close they came to walking into that trap. With their contact gone, Lao Shandong makes a new plan. He needs to sell the ginseng. Then they will head to a new rendezvous point, Eight Pine Trees, to find any other survivors.
