Episode Summary
In this episode, Shen Mingzhu's family loses their home, but she finds a risky new business opportunity. An old family secret is revealed when her adoptive mother confesses to hiding her biological family's address. Ultimately, Mingzhu sells her house and gets the support she needs from both friends and family to start over.
Spoiler Alert
A Rough Start for the Feng Women
The episode opens on a pretty bleak note. Shen Mingzhu is passed out on the couch from pure exhaustion. Her mother-in-law, He Lihua, quietly drapes a blanket over her. You can just feel how worn out they are.
Then, Mingzhu’s adoptive mom, Yue Xiue, shows up. She brings seafood porridge that her son, Shen Minghui, cooked. While she's there, she spots the foreclosure notice taped to the Feng family's front door. The sight clearly hits her hard. Inside, everyone agrees Minghui’s cooking is fantastic. Yue Xiue feels a little flicker of pride. At least her son is doing well at his restaurant.
Mingzhu's Last Hope at Work
Mingzhu is desperate to keep her job at the Nanxi Hotel. She can't afford to lose it. She has to support He Lihua and her sister-in-law, Feng Meiqi. She goes to her boss, Mr. Zhao, but he says there is nothing he can do. The hotel is restructuring.
He gives her one impossible option. She can take over the hotel's entire catering department herself. The catch? She needs to come up with 300,000 to contract it. Mingzhu has no money. It's a dead end. Later, Yue Xiue shows up again, this time with a whole chicken to make soup for He Lihua. She's trying, in her own way.
Old Wounds and Awkward Family Dinners
This is where things get really messy. The family drama from thirty years ago comes roaring back.
The Ex's Family Drama
First, we check in with Yu Jingxiang. Her ex, Xu Zhidong, has officially moved on. He's working and living with Bichen. Jingxiang is a wreck over it. Her sister, Xu Zhixia, comes to visit. She tells Jingxiang to get a grip and stop worrying about him.
Jingxiang immediately changes the subject to Shen Mingzhu. She feels terrible for her. Then she starts blaming Yue Xiue for all of Mingzhu's problems. Xu Zhixia gets fed up. She tells her to stop complaining and actually go do something to help Mingzhu if she cares so much.
A Painful Confession
Well, Yu Jingxiang takes that advice. She and her husband, Xu Dacheng, show up at Mingzhu's with bags of gifts. Yue Xiue is also there, and she is not pleased to see Mingzhu’s biological parents. The tension is thick. Yue Xiue watches them all laughing with Mingzhu. It triggers a memory. She thinks about the day thirty years ago when she tore up the paper with Mingzhu's original family address.
Later, her husband, Shen Shengli, says he wants to retire and hand the family restaurant to their son. This pushes Yue Xiue to finally come clean. She calls Mingzhu over. She pulls out the old, torn piece of paper with the address for Yujia Village. She confesses she hid it all those years. She was terrified of losing Mingzhu. She didn't want her daughter to go back to a life of poverty.
Mingzhu listens to all of this. And she doesn't get angry. She tells Yue Xiue that she and Shen Shengli have always been her real parents. It’s a huge, emotional moment. They all just hug and cry.
The Big Business Gamble
With the family drama settled for a minute, Mingzhu pivots back to survival mode. She decides to go after that catering contract.
Pitching the Plan
She and Feng Meiqi know they don't have the money. They go to see Mr. Zhao anyway. Meiqi comes prepared. She presents a full business plan. She promises they can make the failing department profitable in just seven months. Mr. Zhao is impressed. He agrees to pitch it to the head office. He even offers them a three-month delay on their first rent payment. It's a real shot.
Selling the Dream
Now they just need the startup cash. Mingzhu makes a tough call. She tells He Lihua she wants to sell her marital home. The money would clear their debts and give them the capital for the restaurant. He Lihua hates the idea.
So, she goes behind Mingzhu's back. She goes to see Guan Weidong to ask for a loan. The stress is too much, and she nearly collapses, having to take her emergency heart medication. Guan Weidong secretly calls Mingzhu to come get her mom.
He Lihua apologizes to Guan Weidong for how she's treated him. She begs him for a loan. Mingzhu arrives and shuts it down. She refuses to borrow money. So, Guan Weidong makes a different offer. He offers to buy the house himself. Mingzhu politely turns him down. He then offers to pay for all the renovations on the new restaurant space. She finally agrees to that. Just then, we learn that Ni Dani heard the house was for sale and wants to buy it. Problem solved, I guess.
Trouble on the Side
We get a quick check-in with Zhang Hao. His new boss, Director Wu, is a piece of work. He calls Zhang Hao during dinner with Xu Zhixia and Jiaojiao. He demands a presentation immediately. Zhang Hao knows the guy is just trying to flex his new authority.
He rushes to the office, but Director Wu still yells at him. Zhang Hao isn't having it and argues right back. His daughter, Jiaojiao, shows up with the dinner he left behind. She sees the whole thing. She just walks up and gives her dad a huge hug.
A Place to Land
The episode ends on a much warmer note. Yue Xiue hears that Mingzhu sold the house to Ni Dani. She tells Mingzhu to pack her bags. She, He Lihua, and Feng Meiqi are all moving in with them. Mingzhu worries about being a burden. But her brother, Shen Minghui, has already cleared out a room for them. Mingzhu is deeply moved. After everything, she still has family to catch her.
