Episode Summary
He Jiaxi's manipulative actions cause a major rift in the family, leading to He Jiali and Zhang Jianguo being forced out of the family home. He Jiahuan is released and remarries Fang Tao. Family tensions and living arrangements dominate the episode.
Spoiler Alert
This episode sees major shifts in the He family dynamics, with alliances forming and old resentments boiling over. With He Jiaxi's help, Liu Xiaoling not only finds a job but also secures a new place to live that's conveniently close to her second sister's home. She moves out of her mother's place. He Jiali and He Jiawen visit, and Xiaoling expresses her desire for her daughter, Yangyang, to live with her. Jiali promises to do her best to help make that happen.
Meanwhile, He Jiaxi, having sold her house to He Jiayi for 100,000 yuan, moves back into the family home under the guise of taking care of her daughter, Yan Xiaoman. She informs He Jiali about the sale, and while Jiali sees through the situation, she doesn't show her dissatisfaction. However, Jiali's husband, Zhang Jianguo, suggests they start planning to either rent or buy their own place.
The episode also features He Jiahuan's release from detention. Fang Tao, along with their son, is waiting for her outside the detention center. He personally brings her home and cooks her a meal. Although Jiahuan is declared innocent, the ordeal has left her spiritless, and she struggles to accept the loss of her job. Fang Tao patiently comforts her, expressing his desire to remarry her. When Jiayi questions why Fang Tao doesn't leave, he sincerely expresses his feelings, and the two share a heartfelt embrace.
The next morning, the He sisters gather to welcome Jiahuan back. Jiahuan, filled with remorse, kowtows before their grandmother's photo. During the meal, Jiali announces her and Jianguo's plan to move out. The announcement sparks various reactions: He Xiangdong worries about his parents' living situation and wants them to move back in, while Li Wen only pretends to be welcoming, secretly pinching his leg under the table.
After the meal, He Jiawen complains about He Jiaxi's actions, and even the usually mild-tempered second sister expresses her anger. Jiali, surprisingly calm, suggests that Jiaxi is simply close to their mother and might genuinely want to care for Liu Meixin. However, back home, Jiaxi throws a tantrum over Jiali's public announcement about moving, further deepening the resentment between the sisters.
On July 19, 2002, Fang Tao and He Jiahuan go to the Tianjia'an District Civil Affairs Bureau to get remarried, their hearts filled with forgiveness and love for each other. Meanwhile, Chen Guangming finishes his college entrance exams. When he checks his results, he finds he's been accepted into Jiangnan Forestry University, but he seems less than thrilled. He Jiawen and Lao Fan try to reassure him that it's a good school.
The tension between He Jiali and He Jiaxi escalates as Jiali and Jianguo struggle to find a suitable house and delay their move. Jiaxi, impatient to get them out of the house, goes to Liu Meixin to stir up trouble. She then brings a group of construction workers to the house and starts demolishing the kitchen without warning.
Jiahuan and Jianguo try to stop her but fail. When Liu Meixin returns home, Jiaxi pulls her behind her and loudly demands that Jiali and Jianguo move out immediately, claiming that their mother's days of hardship are over. Heartbroken by their mother's silence and Jiaxi's actions, Jiali and Jianguo pack their belongings and leave the house, walking away in the pouring rain.
Even after they're gone, Jiaxi continues to play the good daughter in front of Liu Meixin, claiming everything she did was for her mother's benefit. Jianguo takes Jiali to a temporary hotel, where Jiali breaks down, unable to accept that after years of selfless devotion to the family, she's been treated so poorly and criticized by Jiaxi. Liu Xiaoling and He Jiawen visit them at the hotel, and Jiawen points out that the biggest problem is their mother, Liu Meixin.
When Aunt Liu (Xiaoling and Jiali's mother) learns that Jiali has been kicked out, she believes Liu Meixin's actions are inappropriate, but Liu Meixin dismisses her concerns, feeling that Jiali is not close to her. Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoling finds a new house for her older sister, which seems to be in a decent environment, and Jianguo gives Jiali his savings from over the years.
