Episode Summary
Shen Minghui becomes a successful livestreamer, while Xu Zhixia and Zhang Hao's marriage fractures over money, family priorities, and a sexist housing scheme. This leads to Xu Zhixia leaving him. At the same time, the late Feng Zhi's mistress, Ding Hong, appears. She demands insurance money, gets into a physical fight with Feng Meiqi, and ultimately abandons her young son with Shen Mingzhu.
Spoiler Alert
The Family Business is Booming
I have to start with Shen Minghui. He’s found his calling. He started live-streaming to sell the family’s famous pork ribs. And guess what? He’s actually good at it. He's funny and charming on camera. People are eating it up. The orders are flying in so fast that Shen Shengli and Yue Xiue can barely keep up. It’s chaos in the kitchen.
His newfound fame isn't just online, either. Everyone at school is talking about it. Even Lu Bing, who never gave him the time of day, is suddenly looking at him differently. Success looks good on him.
Trouble at Home for Xu Zhixia and Zhang Hao
Things are not going so well for this couple. Their marriage is starting to crack under all the pressure.
A Promotion Lost and a Nasty Fight
First, Zhang Hao didn't get the promotion he was counting on. He's convinced it was an inside job. He thinks another guy, Xiao Wu, used his connections to get the spot. When Xu Zhixia calls to check in, he tells her the bad news. She starts complaining about it. That was the wrong move. Zhang Hao was already furious. He just snaps and starts yelling at her over the phone.
The Mother-in-Law Makes Everything Worse
After the fight, Xu Zhixia gives him the silent treatment. Their daughter, Jiaojiao, can tell something is wrong between them. Zhang Hao eventually apologizes the next morning. But then his mom shows up. She’s angry that Jiaojiao is taking piano lessons online now.
This is where it gets messy. We learn Zhang Hao borrowed money from his mom to pay for those lessons. But Xu Zhixia admits she didn't use the money for that. She lent it to Shen Mingzhu instead. His mom completely loses it. She accuses Xu Zhixia of only caring about her own family and not their little family. The argument gets so heated that Xu Zhixia threatens to divorce Zhang Hao. He says no way. Their daughter Jiaojiao walks in on them, which shuts them up immediately. The kid is so scared of them splitting up that she starts acting like a perfect little angel. She makes them breakfast and tries to get them to reconcile. It’s both sad and sweet.
The Real Reason for the Baby Pressure
Later, Zhang Hao tries to make things right. He brings Xu Zhixia some soup and even goes with her to a prenatal appointment. He wants to ask their doctor friend, Li Jingzhe, to secretly tell them the baby's gender. Xu Zhixia shuts that down.
Then his mom calls. She wants Xu Zhixia to go to some small clinic to find out the gender. Xu Zhixia refuses. She finally asks why her mother-in-law is so obsessed with this. Zhang Hao confesses the truth. The old family house is scheduled for demolition. If they have a boy, they'll use the money to buy a new apartment in a good school district. If it's a girl, they get nothing. Xu Zhixia is disgusted by the old-fashioned, sexist thinking. She tells Zhang Hao she is done living her life for other people. Then she walks out, leaving him standing there alone.
The Mistress Makes Her Move
While all that family drama is happening, another storm is brewing for the Shen family.
A Demand for Insurance Money
Shen Minghui brings his sister, Shen Mingzhu, some food. He happens to see a text on her phone. It's from a woman named Ding Hong, who wants to meet. Mingzhu has to come clean. Ding Hong was their late father-in-law's mistress. She tells Minghui to keep it a secret from Feng Meiqi.
Mingzhu rushes home to meet Ding Hong. The mistress gets straight to the point. She knows Feng Zhi had a life insurance policy. She wants a piece of the money. Mingzhu tells her no. Ding Hong threatens to take her to court.
An All-Out Brawl
Back at the hospital, Feng Meiqi realizes Mingzhu is gone. She senses something is wrong and grills Minghui until he spills the beans. They both rush home. The second Feng Meiqi sees Ding Hong, she slaps her across the face. A full-on fight breaks out. Mingzhu and Minghui have to pull them apart. Ding Hong storms out. Mingzhu is furious with both of them.
An Abandoned Child Changes Everything
The drama with the mistress doesn't end there. Shen Mingzhu goes home to get a gold lock. She realizes it was meant for Ding Hong’s son, a little boy named Xiao Qi. Just then, Feng Meiqi calls her in a panic. Ding Hong is at the hospital with the boy.
Mingzhu races to the hospital. Ding Hong claims she needs to go back to her hometown to get some money. She shoves her son into Mingzhu’s arms, drops his things, and just runs away. Feng Meiqi tries to chase her, but she’s gone.
They can't reach Ding Hong. Mingzhu has no choice but to take Xiao Qi to the police. The police manage to contact Ding Hong. She tells them she left her son with his "sister and sister-in-law," putting it all on Mingzhu and Meiqi. Mingzhu is forced to admit that Xiao Qi is her late father-in-law's illegitimate child. The police try calling Ding Hong again, but she doesn't answer. They tell Mingzhu she has to take the boy home.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhixia has checked into a hotel. She officially ran away from home. The episode ends with Zhang Hao coming home to an empty apartment, realizing she's gone, and starting to panic.
