Episode Summary
Liu Guoning buys expensive sneakers with money he conned from his grandparents, but feels guilty after a lesson on vanity from Sun Jiayu. His sister, Liu Guobao, wants to throw a party, so the kids trick their parents into leaving the house. The parents, who are aware of the plan, bust the party and redirect the kids to a more meaningful celebration at a nursing home. Guoning feels ashamed when he sees Sun Jiayu use her prize money for thoughtful gifts. The episode ends by highlighting Liu Guobao's slow pace and Liu Guoning's lack of ambition.
Spoiler Alert
The Sneaker Situation
So, Liu Guoning is our problem child this week. He tricks his grandma and grandparents into giving him money. He uses it to buy a pair of flashy, limited-edition sneakers. You know the type.
He immediately hops into his group chat to show them off. He's soaking up all the envy and it's feeding his ego. But not everyone is impressed. Sun Jiayu and her brother peace out of the group. She can't stand Guoning's show-off attitude. She's also worried it'll be a bad influence on her little brother.
A Lesson in Vanity
The next day at school, the teacher asks everyone to share a book they've been reading. Sun Jiayu gets up and talks about a story on the dangers of vanity. She says it can ruin a person. She hopes her classmates focus on improving themselves instead of getting lost in silly status symbols.
The message hits Guoning hard. He sits there, thinking it over. He finally realizes he messed up.
The Confession
Guoning gets home, ready to come clean to his parents. He's prepared for the worst. But he walks in and finds them already waiting for him with punishment tools at the ready. Turns out, the grandparents already called and spilled the beans.
The surprising part? Liu Xiangshang and Dai Jing are caught off guard by how genuinely sorry Guoning is. He doesn't just apologize. He explains what he did wrong and why. They see his remorse is real, so they decide to forgive him.
The Party Plot
Now for Guoning's sister, Liu Guobao. She's also got a bad case of wanting to show off. She's desperate to host a party for her friends at their house.
Guoning sees his sister begging and his heart melts a little. He decides to use his own money to make her happy. He gets his friends together to brainstorm a plan.
The Kids' Big Plan
The kids decide they need to get all the parents out of the house. Ma Ziheng suggests his dad should take his mom on a date. He also says they should bring Guoning's parents and Lao Yang's family along as witnesses.
The parents all agree to the plan. The kids are thrilled. They think they've pulled it off. What they don't know is that the parents have been talking. They are fully aware of the scheme. They're just playing along to see what their children are planning.
The Parents Strike Back
Liu Guobao invites everyone over for her "birthday" party. It's not actually her birthday. Her classmates show up and she's all dressed up, happy to finally be hosting.
The party is just getting started when the parents all walk back in. The kids' faces drop. Their plan has failed. But instead of grounding them, the parents have something else in mind.
A Different Kind of Party
The parents take all the kids to a nursing home. This is where Sun Jiayu's family regularly volunteers. Her dad had an idea. He wanted to do something meaningful for his son, Sun Jiaxin's, birthday. He told the other parents, and even Teacher Ouyang decided to join.
A Lesson in Giving
Sun Jiaxin's dad tells the kids that if they want to have a party, it should be a positive and meaningful one like this. The kids end up sharing their presents with the elderly residents at the home. They all have a great time together. Even Liu Guoning and Liu Guobao find themselves genuinely happy.
Later, Sun Jiayu wins first place in a city-wide speech competition. She uses her prize money to buy a birthday gift for her brother and a neck massager for her dad. Liu Guoning sees this and feels a deep sense of shame about his own recent behavior.
Lingering Problems
The episode wraps up with a couple of loose ends.
Guobao's Pace
We learn that Liu Guobao does everything slowly. She eats slow. She does her homework slow. She even does her classroom cleaning duties slowly. She doesn't think it's a big deal. The only time it's a problem is when her slow cleaning makes her late for class. Teacher Ouyang overhears her explaining this and seems to be thinking it over.
Guoning's Ambition (or Lack Thereof)
Liu Guoning writes a school essay about wanting a "lie-flat" life, which is basically a life with minimal effort or ambition. His teacher, Ms. Li, gets worried. She finds his attitude dangerous, so she sends the essay to his mom, Dai Jing.
