Episode Summary
He Xiangdong's debt crisis forces his family to sell his house and leads to his divorce. Meanwhile, family tensions rise over the impending demolition of the old family house and the care of Liu Meixin after she is injured. A new relationship for Liu Xiaoling is threatened by the revelation of her boyfriend's past.
Spoiler Alert
The drama intensifies in Episode 35 as He Xiangdong's reckless financial decisions come to a head. Initially, Xiangdong was riding high on the perceived success of He Jiahuan's stock trading, and, fueled by envy of his seemingly glamorous friends, he dove into futures trading with a shady character named Xiao Fentou. This disastrous venture leaves him 300,000 yuan in debt, mostly from loan sharks. Xiangdong and his wife, Li Wen, are forced to confess to his parents, Zhang Jianguo and He Jiali. Xiangdong shows no remorse, infuriating Jianguo, who slaps him.
Despite their anger, Jianguo and Jiali scramble to help their son, borrowing money from the other sisters, except for He Jiaxi. Jiaxi, ever the cynic, tells Liu Meixin that she's glad they kicked Jiali and her husband out, implying they would have lost their house otherwise. She blames Jiali's husband for Xiangdong's current predicament.
The consequences of Xiangdong's actions escalate quickly. Red paint is splattered on their door, and debt collectors harass the family constantly. Xiangdong, meanwhile, runs away. Jiali takes charge, confronting the debt collectors and advising Li Wen to divorce Xiangdong and sell their house to avoid further trouble. Xiangdong calls his parents from the train station, saying he's going to Shanghai to find work with an army buddy.
Meanwhile, Wang Huaimin is furious that Xiangdong took 20,000 yuan from her without delivering on his promise. Jiaxi tells Jiali about this, hoping she'll pay Xiangdong's debt, but Jiali claims she knew nothing about it and hangs up. Li Wen and Xiangdong finalize their divorce, and Jiali sells her son's house. Part of the money goes to the loan sharks, and the rest is used to repay her sisters.
Chen Guangming returns home during a break and reflects on his father's photo. He Jiawen tells him about their grandmother's family, emphasizing that she was a good person. He Jiahuan learns from Lao San that their mother's old house is going to be demolished. He immediately goes to Jiaxi to discuss the property distribution. Jiaxi suspects Jiali is manipulating things and speaks ill of her again.
He Jiayi, suspecting that Jiahuan has been swayed by Jiaxi, visits and warns Jiaxi not to try to take the house for herself. Jiaxi uses the same tactics she used on Jiahuan, trying to get Jiayi and Jiahuan to form an alliance.
Liu Xiaoling introduces her new boyfriend, Xiao He, to Jiali and Jiawen. They are suspicious because he is older and has never been married, and they plan to ask relatives back home to investigate him. Xiaoling then takes Xiao He to visit her mother, Meixin, who approves of him. Xiao He has no objections to the bride price. However, Jiali and Jiawen soon discover that Xiao He was imprisoned for manslaughter. They rush to tell Xiaoling, but she explains that it was accidental and that he's fundamentally a good person. Xiao He worries about the family's disapproval, but Xiaoling reassures him, determined to stay together.
Meixin injures herself while exercising with neighbors and ends up in the hospital, much to Jiaxi's annoyance. Jiaxi calls Jiayi and Jiahuan, suggesting they take turns caring for their mother. Jiayi believes all six sisters should share the responsibility. Jiahuan calls a meeting at the Baoyi Hotel.
When the sisters gather, Meixin bluntly states that she expects her other daughters to take care of her. Jiawen, already frustrated with Jiaxi, points out that their father had said whoever lived in the old house was responsible for elder care. Jiayi and Jiahuan state they don't want the house, hoping to pressure Jiali and Jiawen to give up their claim. However, Jiawen sees through their tactics and directly confronts Jiaxi, demanding to see the property deed and the owner's name.
