Episode Summary
Sheng Bijie begins to question his rigid principles after seeing the desperation of a poor family. Yu Leshan is sentenced to four years but forms a deeper bond with Sheng Xuezhu, who asks him to be Nuan Nuan's godfather. After a time jump to 1982, old tensions resurface when Wang Xiao interviews Qiao Zhengjun for a newspaper. As Yu Leshan's release date approaches, Xuezhu continues to reject both Qiao Zhengjun's money and her own family's attempts at reconciliation.
Spoiler Alert
The Consequences of Scalping
A Glimmer of Empathy
The episode kicks off with a woman named Lin Xiaocao getting arrested. She was scalping tickets to make ends meet. Her two little kids are left crying outside the police station. It's a rough scene.
Sheng Bijie happens to see the whole thing. He's clearly affected by it. He tries to give the kids some money, but they refuse to take it. So, he has his secretary take them for a meal instead. Later, Bijie sends his secretary to check on Lin Xiaocao’s family. The situation is grim. Her husband is dead, and her mother-in-law is sick. This family is just trying to survive.
Sheng Bijie then reads a newspaper article. The headline is about practice being the only way to test the truth. This article gets the gears turning in his head. He starts to reconsider everything, especially how he handled Yu Leshan's case.
Four Years for Yu Leshan
Sheng Xuezhu keeps visiting Yu Leshan’s mother. She brings her health supplements and keeps her company. Leshan's mom is incredibly grateful. During one visit, Zhang Yadan points out that the family doesn't eat apples. Xuezhu finds this very strange.
After she leaves, Xuezhu pulls Yadan aside to ask about the apple thing. The story is tragic. Yu Leshan had an older sister who died as a child. She accidentally ate an apple that had rat poison on it. Ever since that day, the entire family has refused to eat apples.
Sheng Bijie feels that Yu Leshan had his reasons for scalping. He understands the desperation. But a crime is still a crime in his book. Yu Leshan is sentenced to four years in prison. After the sentencing, Bijie goes to Liu Dasheng to talk about the laws on profiteering. Liu Dasheng is confident the government's policies on private business will change soon.
Family Secrets and New Bonds
A Prison Visit and a Godfather
Sheng Xuezhu learns about Yu Leshan's sentence. She immediately goes to the detention center to see him. She promises to visit him every week. He tells her not to, saying he's only worried about his mother. Xuezhu assures him she will take good care of his mom.
She also has some good news. She tells him she was accepted into Zhongzhou Medical University. He's happy for her and congratulates her. He then asks how her daughter, Nuan Nuan, is doing. Xuezhu shows him a photo of Nuan Nuan and tells him some funny stories. Then, she asks Yu Leshan if he will be Nuan Nuan's godfather. He is overjoyed and accepts right away.
Back at the Sheng house, Sheng Bijie wants to celebrate Xuezhu's university acceptance. He has Bai Yufei cook a big dinner. He also tells his other daughter, Sheng Bailing, that she should be more like her sister. Bai Yufei feels guilty. She thinks Xuezhu is staying away from the family because of her. Bijie just tells her to stop overthinking it.
Awkward Romances and Bad Ideas
Wang Xiao Crosses a Line
Wang Xiao is still trying to get close to Sheng Xuezhu. He helps her by watching Nuan Nuan. But he makes a huge mistake. He teaches Nuan Nuan to call him "Dad." Xuezhu comes home and hears it. She is furious. Wang Xiao knows he messed up and leaves quickly. The next day, he picks her up for work and promises to back off and stop pressuring her.
A Desperate Plan
Guo Hongqi is completely bummed out about Yu Leshan going to prison. His plan was to work with Leshan for another year. That would have given him enough money to pay the dowry and marry Zhang Yadan.
Yadan tells him she doesn't care about the money. She has another idea. She suggests they sleep together. If she gets pregnant, her mother will have no choice but to let them get married. Guo Hongqi thinks it's a great plan.
A Time Jump and Old Tensions
New Jobs, Same Problems
We jump forward to 1982. The government has new policies. Guo Hongqi and Zhang Yadan are taking advantage of them. They now run a street stall together, selling clothes and shoes.
One day, Qiao Zhengjun and his girlfriend, Liu Tianyao, are out shopping. They stop at the stall. Tianyao finds a pair of shoes she loves, and Zhengjun buys them for her.
Qiao Zhengjun has a new job. After graduating, he was assigned to be the deputy secretary at the Nanling Commune. His boss, Secretary Ma, tells him he needs to be interviewed by a reporter from the Liangchuan Daily.
The World's Most Awkward Interview
The reporter sent to interview Qiao Zhengjun is Wang Xiao. This is uncomfortable for everyone. Secretary Ma has to leave for a meeting. He tells Zhengjun to give Wang Xiao all the details about their new household farming contracts. Wang Xiao is cold and strictly professional. He acts like he barely knows Zhengjun.
Meanwhile, Liu Tianyao is complaining to her father, Liu Dasheng. She hasn't seen Qiao Zhengjun in two weeks. She blames her dad for encouraging him to take a job in the countryside. She then threatens to get pregnant so she and Zhengjun will have to get married. Her dad completely loses his temper.
The Final Days Before Freedom
A Misunderstanding in Prison
Sheng Xuezhu visits Yu Leshan. She's about to graduate and start her internship at a hospital. He is just about to be released from prison. She tells him she wants to throw a party to welcome him home.
Yu Leshan assumes she and Wang Xiao are a couple now. He wishes them happiness. Xuezhu immediately corrects him. She makes it very clear that she and Wang Xiao are not together.
After his interview, Qiao Zhengjun gives Wang Xiao a stack of cash. It's all the money he has saved. He asks Wang Xiao to give it to Sheng Xuezhu. Wang Xiao tries, but Xuezhu refuses to take it. She just responds with sarcasm.
More Family Drama
Xuezhu gets home from the prison. Nuan Nuan and Sheng Bailing are gone. She correctly assumes they're at her father's house. She goes there to pick up her daughter. Sheng Bijie asks if Nuan Nuan can stay the night.
Xuezhu says no. She gets angry with Bailing for taking Nuan Nuan there without asking. She grabs Nuan Nuan by the hand and storms out.
The episode ends with Qiao Zhengjun arriving home, covered in mud from working in the fields. His mother, Zhao Xianzhi, complains as she washes his dirty clothes. She wants him to get a job back in the city. Just then, Liu Tianyao shows up at his door late at night. She's upset and demands to know why he didn't come see her.
