Episode Summary
A family secret threatens the Tangs, while the He family faces a devastating loss. Relationships are tested, and the youth prepare to be sent to the countryside.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with a bombshell. Early one morning, He Wen visits Matriarch Tang with a serious revelation: a member of the Tang family, the third uncle, had defected to the Nationalist Party. This news is devastating for the Tang family. If word gets out that the third uncle was a spy, their chances of improving their social standing would be ruined. Matriarch Tang, understanding the gravity of the situation, sternly warns Big Bro Tang to avoid causing any more trouble and to be more respectful towards the He family.
This warning causes a complete shift in Big Bro Tang's behavior. He surprisingly starts showing concern for He Changsheng, who is taken aback by this sudden kindness. He Wen is pleased, believing in the socialist ideal of mutual support and harmonious neighborly relations. Liu Meixin praises her mother-in-law's high level of ideological awareness.
Good news follows as Liu Meixin becomes pregnant again. The whole family is excited. With the government providing free wool every month, the daughters argue over who should get a new sweater. He Wen decides that He Jiali should get it first, as it can be passed down to the younger sisters. However, the third daughter, He Jiayi, claims she dreamt that her mother was carrying a boy, delighting both He Wen and Liu Meixin.
Liu Meixin, now a model worker at the sauce factory, throws herself even more into her work. However, she suffers a dizzy spell due to low blood sugar, prompting a panicked He Changsheng to rush home and bring her sweet biscuits. Driven by her ambition to join the MSG team as a technician, Liu Meixin works even harder, ultimately leading to a tragic fall and a miscarriage. It turns out the baby was the boy He Changsheng had longed for.
The miscarriage casts a dark shadow over the He family. Unable to cope, He Changsheng applies for a business trip to escape the painful reality. Liu Meixin is equally heartbroken. He Wen stays by her daughter-in-law's side, caring for her and managing the household, lamenting that Liu Meixin has been through so much and that it's not her fault they lost the baby.
He Jiali notices her mother's chapped hands and asks Zhang Qiufang to help her unravel some wool to make gloves. When He Changsheng returns from his trip, He Jiali is happy but still harbors some resentment for his sudden departure. That night, Liu Meixin and He Changsheng sleep in separate beds. He Changsheng, aware of his daughter's feelings, explains that people often yearn for what they cannot have, hoping she can understand and forgive him.
Moved by her father's words, He Jiali gives Liu Meixin the gloves she made, pretending they are from He Changsheng. When the couple compares notes, they realize their daughter's thoughtful gesture, and their previous resentment melts away. He Changsheng then takes his daughter's sweater and adds some extra wool to it, deeply touching He Jiali.
At school, Tang Weimin gives He Jiali a book with a note inside, causing Zhang Qiufang, who has a crush on Tang Weimin, to feel jealous. As graduation approaches and everyone plans their futures, He Jiali tells Zhang Qiufang that she wants to join the army and defend the country like a man.
Tang Weimin confesses his feelings for He Jiali. However, she falls and sprains her ankle, and he carries her home. Because Tang Weimin likes garlic, He Jiali brings him some pickled sweet garlic from home to thank him. Tang Weimin, claiming his hands are dirty, asks He Jiali to feed him. Zhang Qiufang arrives to give Tang Weimin some garlic and is heartbroken to witness this scene.
The time has come for educated youth to be sent to the countryside for re-education by the poor and lower-middle peasants. He Jiali is the first in the He family to be sent. She eagerly applies to join the army, but the registration office has no plans to recruit female soldiers. Director Zhang Jianguo explains that there are no such plans this year. He Jiali is surprised to find that the man is so young, discovering that he is a veteran who joined the army at the age of fifteen.
Soon after, He Changsheng brings the devastating news of Brother Zhu's death. The family is deeply saddened, experiencing the reality of death for the first time. The assignments for the countryside are finalized: Zhang Qiufang is going to Fei Dong, while He Jiali and Tang Weimin are going to Feixi. On the day of departure, all the parents come to see them off. As the truck carrying the youth to the countryside drives away, the sound of the gongs and drums from the Workers' Propaganda Team somewhat alleviates the sadness of parting.
