Episode Summary
Chen Weiguo passes away, leaving his family devastated. Ouyang Bao and Fang Tao gain a new appreciation for life. He Jiawen struggles to cope with her loss, while family tensions rise regarding her son's future. Chen Guangming prepares for junior high, with the family supporting him.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Yan Hongyu and He Jiaxi settling into their new home, but Jiaxi's job search is proving fruitless. Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoling's new boutique, co-owned with friends Lulu and Maozi, is thriving. However, somber news arrives for He Jiali – Chen Weiguo is in the hospital. She visits him, and it's clear he's deeply worried about his wife and child.
Ouyang Bao, facing financial ruin after his business collapses, is struggling to cope. He Jiayi, initially patient, confronts him, urging him to fight for his family and reminding him that he can rebuild his life. She vows to stand by him.
Chen Kesi (Chen Weiguo's brother) and his wife Tao Yimin make a show of visiting the hospital, but their insincerity is palpable. They wear masks and act as if they're avoiding contamination, even while offering to "help" with Chen Weiguo's child. Chen Weiguo's grateful hand-clasp is quickly rebuffed by Kesi.
Tragedy strikes when Chen Weiguo's condition suddenly deteriorates. The He family daughters and their husbands rush to the hospital. In his final moments, Chen Weiguo comforts his wife, He Jiawen, and son, Chen Guangming, telling them not to grieve and that they might meet again someday.
This event profoundly impacts everyone, particularly the previously despondent Ouyang Bao and the petty Fang Tao. They realize the value of life and the simple joys of everyday existence. On their seventh anniversary, Fang Tao surprises He Jiahuan with a homemade Western dinner, expressing his feelings and deeply moving her.
Liu Xiaoling is getting a good profit from the boutique, but Lulu gives her only a 30% share for various reasons. He Wen and Liu Meixin discuss about He Jiawen, thinking she is still young and should consider remarrying if she finds the right person. Meanwhile, He Jiawen deals with a power outage at home, a task usually handled by Chen Jianguo, but she manages to fix the fuse herself.
He Jiali discusses with her grandmother and mother about He Jiawen's factory restructuring. It's a demanding task, and she asks Liu Meixin to help with cooking for the child. Liu Meixin hesitates, still attached to her pickled vegetable business, but He Wen emphasizes prioritizing the child.
He Wen moves in with her second daughter, but Chen's sisters-in-law are revealed to have their own agendas, wanting to shed the "burden" of He Jiawen and her son. The Chen aunts speak to the child alone, suggesting that He Jiawen will abandon him if she remarries. The He family is furious upon learning this. He Jiali confronts the Chen aunts, declaring that the He family will raise the child from now on.
Three months later, He Jiawen is still grieving Chen Weiguo. Liu Meixin tells her that time heals all wounds and that she should find happiness again, even suggesting she find a new partner. Liu Meixin, anxious about her unsatisfactory pickled vegetables, rushes home, urging Jiawen to reach out to the family if she needs anything.
As Chen Guangming is about to start junior high, the family gathers to celebrate. He Jiali's eldest son, He Xiangdong, now a distinguished military officer, gives Chen Guangming a red envelope. Others also contribute. Because of the expenses of junior high, including tuition, books, and boarding fees, He Jiawen tells everyone that since the school is far away, it's best for her son to board at school to gain independence.
