Episode Summary
Zhixia caves and lends her mom money for Zhidong's wedding. Her dad gets into trouble trying to earn it himself. Mingzhu's life with her in-laws is a pressure cooker of judgment and control, leading to a major fight where she finally stands up for herself after a false alarm sends her to the hospital.
Spoiler Alert
The Price of a Wedding
A Surprisingly Reasonable Dowry
The episode kicks off with the parents meeting. They need to hash out the details for Xu Zhidong and Bichen's wedding. You know how these things can get tense. Bichen's family lays out their terms. They want a 200,000 bride price. They also want an apartment for the couple.
But here's the twist. They state very clearly that they won't keep the money. It all goes to Zhidong and Bichen to start their new life. They also don't care if Bichen's name is on the apartment deed. Honestly, this is about as reasonable as it gets. The problem is, Zhidong's family doesn't have the cash.
Zhixia Puts Her Foot Down
Yu Jingxiang, Zhidong's mom, empties the family savings. She's still short 100,000. She knows it's a bad idea, but she goes to her daughter, Xu Zhixia, for a loan. Zhixia is already angry with her parents. She feels they've always favored her brother and, more recently, Shen Mingzhu.
Now they want her to pay for her freeloading brother's wedding. Zhixia is having none of it. She refuses flat out. She reminds her mom that Zhidong swore he'd never borrow money from her. Zhixia tells her that if he wants the money, he can come ask for it himself. The conversation gets heated. Yu Jingxiang calls her daughter heartless. Zhixia fires back, accusing her mom of blatant sexism. Yu Jingxiang storms out.
Mingzhu's New Life Isn't So Golden
The Pressure Mounts at Home
Over at Shen Mingzhu's new home, things are just as tense. Her mother-in-law, He Lihua, gives her a jade bracelet. It's a family heirloom worth 100,000. Mingzhu is terrified of breaking it. Later, her own mom, Yue Xiue, sees the bracelet and is obviously jealous. Her dad and brother even take her shopping for one, but she can't bring herself to spend the money.
Work is also a nightmare for Mingzhu. Her father-in-law, Feng Zhi, praises her for working while pregnant. He uses it to shame his own daughter, Feng Meiqi, for not having a job. Mingzhu seizes the opportunity. She asks her father-in-law to load up his hotel card to help her meet a sales quota. He Lihua and Feng Meiqi make some snarky comments. Mingzhu is clearly miserable and calls a friend to vent.
A Ghost from the Past Returns
Things get even more awkward. Guan Weidong shows up at the house. His son's life was saved by He Lihua's dead son, Feng Jianqi. He came to thank the family on his own son's birthday. The visit completely wrecks He Lihua. She locks herself in her room. The family asks him to leave.
Mingzhu walks him out and tells him not to come back. But then Guan Weidong goes to her hotel and puts 100,000 on a card to help her sales goal. Feng Meiqi overhears this. She accuses Mingzhu of being shameless and using her dead brother-in-law's memory to make a sale. Mingzhu finally snaps. She screams that she's doing everything for her unborn child and her conscience is clear.
Desperate Times for the Xu Family
A Father's Risky Move
Back with the Xu family, Yu Jingxiang is blaming her husband, Xu Dacheng, for not earning enough. So he takes matters into his own hands. He starts driving an illegal motorcycle taxi to scrape together the wedding money. It doesn't end well. He gets chased by the police, crashes, and has his bike confiscated. He has to ask Shen Shengli for help getting it back.
Eventually, Zhixia feels guilty. She transfers the 100,000 to her mom. She can't stand to see her parents so desperate.
The Strawberry Scare
The family stress comes to a head in a ridiculous way. Mingzhu is at home eating strawberries her birth mom, Yu Jingxiang, gave her. Her mother-in-law, He Lihua, complains about the cheap gift. She tells Mingzhu she should only eat organic food.
Suddenly, Mingzhu feels sick and runs to the bathroom. Feng Meiqi follows her and sees what looks like blood in the toilet. She screams. They rush Mingzhu to the hospital in a panic. The doctor asks a few questions and figures it out. Mingzhu drank dragon fruit juice earlier. It wasn't blood. He Lihua is not amused.
Mingzhu Finally Fights Back
The hospital trip ignites another fight. He Lihua wants Mingzhu to switch doctors and quit her job. Mingzhu refuses. She wants to earn her own money to support her child. Feng Meiqi mocks her for her sales job. Mingzhu fires back, calling Meiqi a freeloader.
When her father-in-law gets home, Mingzhu lays it all out. She tells them she doesn't want their expensive gifts or fancy supplements. She wants her freedom. Then she drops a bomb. She reveals she returned all the expensive clothes and shoes He Lihua bought her. She used the money to buy gold bars instead. Mingzhu says she's always been frugal and believes in her own ability to provide for her child.
