Episode Summary
Xuezhu leaves home after a fight with her brother over his new wife, Bai Yufei. While her brother leads a police crackdown, Xuezhu tries to build a new life. We learn she hates Bai Yufei for causing their mother's death. In hiding, Yu Leshan discovers from a diary that Nuannuan is not his daughter. Just as Xuezhu is about to take the college entrance exam, an anonymous report about her having a child threatens to destroy her future.
Spoiler Alert
A Family Divided
Xuezhu Leaves Home
So, things kick off with a huge fight. Sheng Xuezhu and her brother, Sheng Bijie, are at each other's throats over Bai Yufei. It gets so bad that Xuezhu just packs up her baby, Nuannuan, and leaves. She tries to go to her godmother's place. But the house has already been given to a neighbor, Grandma Shi. Luckily, Grandma Shi sees Xuezhu has nowhere to go and takes them in.
An Impossible Ultimatum
Bijie shows up later with their sister, Sheng Bailing. He starts by apologizing. He wants Xuezhu to bring Nuannuan back home. But Xuezhu draws a hard line. She tells him to kick Bai Yufei out of the house. If he doesn't, she's never coming back. This puts Bijie in a terrible spot. He reveals that he and Bai Yufei are already legally married. Grandma Shi sees how stuck he is. She offers to let Xuezhu stay with her for a while. Bijie has no choice but to leave with Bailing.
The Crackdown Begins
Bijie's Big Move
Over at his job, Bijie is all business. He's a police officer. He and his team have been investigating illegal ticket scalping markets across the city. They even have a bead on a guy named Shanzi. Bijie reports to the city leadership. He wants to move fast and shut down all these operations. His superior, Liu Dasheng, suggests they should be careful. He thinks they need to understand why these markets exist first. But Bijie is having none of it. He insists it's all illegal profiteering and needs to be stamped out. The committee votes, and most of them side with Bijie.
A Warning and an Escape
The police launch a massive city-wide raid. They start arresting all the vendors at the small markets. Guo Hongqi hears about the crackdown. He also learns that Shanzi is a primary target. He quickly closes his stall and rushes to warn Yu Leshan.
While all this is happening, Xuezhu is trying to get her life together. She gets a job as a teacher through one of her godmother's friends. She pays rent to Grandma Shi, who helps take care of Nuannuan. Then, Wang Xiao hears she's back in town. He comes to visit and is relieved to see that she and the baby are safe and settled.
Guo Hongqi gets to Yu Leshan and gives him the warning. Zhang Yadan and Yu Leying both tell him he needs to get out of town and hide. After thinking it over, Yu Leshan decides to leave Liangchuan.
Old Wounds and New Beginnings
A Mother's Hatred
Sheng Bailing tries one more time to get Xuezhu to come home. She even tries to defend Bai Yufei. This was a bad move. Xuezhu finally unloads the real reason for her hatred. She personally witnessed Bai Yufei publicly denouncing and hitting their mother. She believes this is what caused her mother to die of grief. Her hatred is bone-deep. She repeats her ultimatum. If Bai Yufei is in that house, she will not be. Bailing finally gives up.
On a lighter note, Wang Xiao asks Xuezhu to take a day off. The two of them take Nuannuan to the park. And then it happens. Nuannuan speaks her first word. She says "Mama." Xuezhu is overwhelmed with emotion and just holds her daughter tight.
A Villain's Return
Xiao Shude's detention period is over. He gets out. The local brigade gives him a room to live in. Of course, the neighbors are all talking about him. Uncle Ma runs into him and throws a few nasty comments his way. Xiao Shude is furious but keeps it to himself.
The brigade captain, Chen Zhiqiang, checks in on him. Xiao Shude asks where Sheng Xuezhu is. He lies and says he wants to apologize to her. The captain tells him she went back to the provincial capital. This is all the information he needs.
The Truth Comes Out
A Diary Changes Everything
The police raids are a success, but their main target, Yu Leshan, is gone. Bijie issues a province-wide alert for him. Back in hiding, Yu Leshan is staying at Old Qi's house. When the police come around asking questions, Yu Leshan decides to leave so he doesn't get Old Qi in trouble. He heads for a small cabin deep in the woods.
Meanwhile, Xiao Shude lies to his captain. He says he needs to go to the provincial capital for a doctor's appointment. He goes straight to Zhongzhou University and finds Qiao Zhengjun. He demands to know where Xuezhu lives. Qiao Zhengjun says he doesn't know. Xiao Shude doesn't buy it. He accuses Qiao Zhengjun of having an improper relationship with both Xuezhu and Qu Fangfei. To get this guy to leave him alone, Qiao Zhengjun tells him Xuezhu lives in the textile factory alley.
Xiao Shude stakes out the alley. He sees Xuezhu leave for work. He then goes to Grandma Shi's house, pretending he needs a drink of water, and starts asking questions about Nuannuan.
In the woods, Yu Leshan opens his bedroll. He finds a diary left by Qu Fangfei. He reads the whole thing. The diary reveals everything. Qu Fangfei was in love with Qiao Zhengjun. She got pregnant with his child. Her marriage to Yu Leshan was a total sham, just a way to cover up the truth. As he reads, he remembers Qu Fangfei, and the tears just start to fall.
Xuezhu's Future Is on the Line
The college entrance exam is coming up. Xuezhu goes to pick up her admission ticket. But there's a huge problem. Someone reported her. They claimed she falsified her application materials. The form says she's unmarried, but she's raising a two-year-old girl. Xuezhu tries to explain that Nuannuan is her adopted mother's child. The official doesn't care. He demands the name of Nuannuan's father. Xuezhu refuses to say. The official tells her she needs proof. By the time an investigation could be completed, the exam would be long over. Xuezhu is left completely desperate.
