Episode Summary
Wang Chunsheng overcomes his hesitation and joins the Duck King competition to save the restaurant, though he suffers from a psychological aversion to cooking duck. Tong Qiu fails to convince his wife to move back to Beijing. Jin Tong discovers Ma Weiguo is secretly battling a tumor but agrees to keep his illness a secret.
Spoiler Alert
The Old Guard Steps In
Grandpa Tong decides to take a crack at Wang Chunsheng. He heads over to Wang's place with Jin Tong tagging along. The old man plays it smart. He doesn't nag or beg. He just sits there and reminisces about the glory days of Penglexuan. Wang Chunsheng isn't stupid. He knows exactly why Grandpa Tong is there. The guilt trip gets too heavy. Wang makes up a flimsy excuse and bolts.
Relationship Roadblocks
Zhang Xiaoshi is back home. Tong Qiu tries to smooth things over after their recent fight. He washes some fruit and plays the attentive husband. It works a little. He uses the peace to drop a request. He wants her back in Beijing. He hates living apart. Zhang Xiaoshi shuts that down. She is chasing a Director position. She needs to stay in Xi'an for another year to secure it. Tong Qiu hates the idea of another year of long-distance. Zhang Xiaoshi refuses to waste the opportunity.
The Deadline Looms
It is the final day to register for the Duck King competition. Wang Chunsheng is ghosting everyone. Ma Weiguo, Jin Tong, and Wang Fei are in full panic mode. Ma Weiguo heads out and bumps into Tong Qiu. Tong Qiu is still moping about his wife. Ma Weiguo doesn't have time for pity. He tells Tong Qiu that Li Lianbao is in serious danger if Wang doesn't compete. That wakes Tong Qiu up. He agrees to help hunt Wang down.
Business and Betrayal
Dong Qian is relentless. She corners Li Lianbao again. She wants to buy Penglexuan right now. Li Lianbao refuses to sell. He is holding the line. Then Master Sun reaches out. Li Lianbao thinks he found a lifeline. He is wrong. Sun is petty. He agrees to help only if Wang Chunsheng acts as his assistant. He wants to humiliate him. Li Lianbao has too much pride to let his big brother suffer that. He explodes and kicks Sun out.
The Gang Gets Back Together
Ma Weiguo and Tong Qiu find Wang Chunsheng fishing by the lake. They don't even have to give their speech. Wang Chunsheng beats them to it. He already decided to enter the competition. Ma Weiguo fills him in on Li Lianbao's desperate situation. Wang Chunsheng goes straight to Li Lianbao. He scolds him for keeping secrets during a crisis. The air clears. The four brothers take a group photo. They are ready.
Physical and Mental Battles
There is a massive problem though. Wang Chunsheng gets nauseous whenever he smells duck. It is a psychological block. He tries to train. He keeps gagging. He can't shake it. Dong Qian hears the news that Wang is competing. She gets nervous. She demands Ma Weiguo keep feeding her intel.
A Heavy Secret
Jin Tong is looking through photos of Ma Weiguo. She gets nostalgic about their time in the US. Then she spots something. There is a medicine bottle in one of the pictures. She looks it up. It is tumor medication. This hits her hard. She confronts Ma Weiguo. She gives him a hug. He swears her to secrecy. He doesn't want the others to know. The Duck King competition begins. Everyone heads to the venue to support Wang Chunsheng.
