Episode Summary
This episode sees Yu Leshan make the devastating choice to give up Nuannuan, lying to Sheng Xuezhu about it. Sheng Xuezhu moves to Heshan Hospital and learns Qiao Zhengjun has been released, only to be confronted by Liu Tianyao, who falsely claims to be his fiancée. Meanwhile, a dark family secret is revealed, explaining Sheng Xuezhu's long-held grudge against Bai Yufei, just as her father prepares to return home and marry the woman.
Spoiler Alert
A Heartbreaking Decision and a Painful Lie
Yu Leshan Gives Up Nuannuan
So, Qiao Zhengjun's mother, Shao Jie, is not having it. She absolutely refuses to accept Nuannuan as her granddaughter. She gives Yu Leshan a thousand yuan. She tells him to send the baby away.
Yu Leshan is completely gutted. He takes the money and gives Nuannuan to a pair of adoptive parents. As he's walking away from the building, he hears Nuannuan start to cry. You can just see it breaks him. But he forces himself to leave.
The Lie He Tells Sheng Xuezhu
Back at the hospital, Wang Xiao shows up every single day. He keeps asking if Sheng Xuezhu is starting her new job yet. His uncle, who is the hospital director, totally sees that Wang Xiao has a massive crush on her.
Yu Leshan lies to Sheng Xuezhu. He tells her he took Nuannuan back to his hometown. Sheng Xuezhu believes him. She has no idea what really happened. She just trusts him completely.
New Beginnings and Old Flames
Sheng Xuezhu's New Job
Sheng Xuezhu finally decides to take the job at Heshan Hospital. The entire village comes out to see her off. They walk her all the way to the edge of the village. It's a really emotional goodbye.
Wang Xiao finds out she's officially coming to work at the hospital. He is absolutely thrilled. He's literally jumping for joy.
Qiao Zhengjun Is Free
Before leaving for her new job, Sheng Xuezhu makes one last stop. She has written over a dozen appeal letters for Qiao Zhengjun. She's been trying to clear his name. She takes another letter to the Revolutionary Committee.
There, she runs into an old friend of her father's, a man she calls Uncle Chen. He gives her some huge news. Qiao Zhengjun was already released. He's working at a local grain and oil shop now.
Awkward Encounters and Unwanted Advances
Sheng Xuezhu Meets the "Fiancée"
Qiao Zhengjun is trying to move on. He spends his free time studying. His coworker, Liu Tianyao, does the opposite. She spends her days staring in the mirror and fixing her makeup. She also constantly flirts with Qiao Zhengjun. He is clearly not interested.
Sheng Xuezhu goes straight to the shop to find him. But Qiao Zhengjun is out on an errand. Liu Tianyao is there instead. She starts questioning Sheng Xuezhu. Then she drops a bomb. She introduces herself as Qiao Zhengjun's fiancée and tells Sheng Xuezhu to get lost.
Friends Reunite
Yu Leshan makes it back to the city. He runs into his childhood friends, Zhang Yadan and Guo Hongqi. They haven't seen each other in two years. They're all excited and make plans to go out for drinks.
Later that night, they catch up. Life is tough for everyone. Zhang Yadan can't find a steady job. She just takes whatever odd jobs she can get. Guo Hongqi couldn't find work either, so he set up a small bike repair stand on the street. Yu Leshan floats an idea about selling medicinal herbs down south. They think it sounds too risky.
A Family's Buried Trauma Comes to Light
Sheng Bijie's Return
Good news comes for Sheng Xuezhu's father, Sheng Bijie. The government has officially cleared his name. He's being transferred back to Liangchuan. The first person he tells is Bai Yufei. He tells her he wants to marry her.
Bai Yufei has been waiting for this. But she's also worried. She doesn't think Sheng Xuezhu will ever accept her. Later, Sheng Bailing (Xuezhu's sister) wakes up and finds Bai Yufei crying in their father's arms.
The Truth About Bai Yufei
Sheng Bijie decides to tell Sheng Bailing the whole story. He explains what happened years ago. Their mother was targeted by political rivals. They forced Bai Yufei to publicly denounce her. They even hit Bai Yufei in front of everyone. She felt she had no choice. Shortly after that, their mother died.
Sheng Xuezhu saw the public denouncement. She was just a kid. She has always believed Bai Yufei was the one who caused their mother's death. After hearing the full story, Sheng Bailing isn't ready to forgive Bai Yufei either. Sheng Bijie insists that Bai Yufei is a good person caught in a terrible time. He asks Bailing to keep this a secret from Xuezhu for now. He plans to explain everything to her himself when he gets back to Liangchuan.
A Marriage Proposal Is Shot Down
Back at the Qiao household, Shao Jie goes to Qiao Zhengjun's mother, Zhao Xianzhi. She formally proposes a marriage between her daughter, Liu Tianyao, and Qiao Zhengjun. Zhao Xianzhi has never liked Liu Tianyao. She thinks she's spoiled and arrogant. But she doesn't want to be rude, so she says she'll ask her son.
When she tells Qiao Zhengjun, he immediately shuts it down. He has zero feelings for Liu Tianyao. Zhao Xianzhi is relieved. She agrees to turn down the proposal and tells her son he needs to find a nice girl to marry soon.
