Episode Summary
Family reunions, financial struggles, and housing issues dominate this episode. Liu Xiaoling returns from Shenzhen successful and pregnant, causing a stir. She buys a new apartment, faces her estranged son, and ultimately reconciles with him before leaving. Meanwhile, other family members grapple with business woes and housing desires.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with the parents of two children meeting to discuss their kids' relationship. The mothers are handling the negotiations, but Li's mother is unhappy with the couple's small two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. She insists on a larger three-bedroom, one-living room place, believing it's barely adequate. Zhang Jianguo, hearing about this, decides to take early retirement from his county regiment position. He plans to downsize from a three-bedroom to a two-bedroom in hope to make the marrige for his son possible. Meanwhile, Grandma He Wen wants to leave her house to He Xiangdong, but Liu Meixin disagrees. She tells He Xiangdong that any future children shouldn't take the He family name, insisting they stick with the Zhang surname.
Early one morning, Liu Meixin and He Jiali receive news that the fifth sister, Liu Xiaoling, is returning from Shenzhen for a visit. The sisters rush to the He house to wait for her. He Jiahuan confides in He Jiawen that her blind date, Lao Fan, has been obsessed with her since their first meeting, declaring he won't marry anyone else. However, He Jiawen doesn't give a direct response.
Liu Xiaoling has been thriving in the South. She's not only paid off all her debts but also brings back a boyfriend – Huang, the KTV manager. Although Huang seems older, he's generous, handing out red envelopes in accordance with his customs. He even books a banquet hall at the Guyuan International Hotel to treat the He family.
It's clear that Liu Xiaoling is now the wealthiest of the sisters, prompting even Ouyang Bao to remark on how fortunes can change. He and his wife are still struggling with their failing business. Similarly, He Jiaxi regrets not venturing south earlier, imagining how much more glamorous her life could have been. He Wen and He Jiali discuss Liu Xiaoling, both realizing she's pregnant.
Later, at the banquet, Huang publicly announces his intention to propose. He Jiali tells him that if they're serious, they need a home. Even if he has a place in Shenzhen, they should have a house in their hometown for when they visit. Huang hesitates, but at He Jiali's insistence, he goes with her and Zhang Jianguo to look at a three-bedroom, two-living room apartment and buys it on the spot.
Liu Xiaoling hasn't seen her son, Yangyang, in years. She wants to see him but doesn't know how to face him. Yangyang returns home and overhears Liu Xiaoling and He Jiali's conversation, learning about her pregnancy. This deepens his resentment towards her.
To help Liu Xiaoling fulfill her wish before leaving, He Jiali visits Tang Zhenmin to talk things over. She tries to reason with him, but Yangyang is adamant, claiming he doesn't have a mother. He Jiali is at a loss and seeks Zhang Qiufang's help. Just as Liu Xiaoling is about to board her flight, Zhang Qiufang arrives with Yangyang. He finally gathers the courage to call her "Mom," moving Liu Xiaoling to tears.
Meanwhile, business at the Baoyi Bathhouse is declining, but the couple's relationship remains strong. Ouyang Bao remembers He Jiayi's birthday and celebrates with a cake. In contrast, Lao He visits He Jiawen, but Chen Guangming is hostile towards this unfamiliar man in his mother's life, showing him a bad attitude.
He Jiali, entrusted by Liu Xiaoling, is renting out the new three-bedroom apartment. He Jiaxi sees an opportunity to save on rent and wants to move in. Liu Meixin, easily swayed by He Jiaxi, suggests she'd like to enjoy the new house herself, but He Jiali refuses, explaining that the rent is for Yangyang's upbringing. She later lies to He Jiaxi, saying the house is already rented out, but He Jiaxi sees through the deception.
