Episode Summary
In episode 23, Feng Qiulan learns about Chen Ling's shady dealings. Dong Dalin impresses officials with his passion for green farming, securing funds for the village. Meanwhile, there's high school drama with cheating accusations and romantic rivalries, and family tensions rise during a lunch gathering. Jiang Menglian gets a transfer order.
Spoiler Alert
"Green Hills Are Home" Episode 23: Recap & Spoilers
So, things are really heating up in "Green Hills Are Home"! Let's dive into what went down in episode 23.
Feng Qiulan gets an earful when she overhears some juicy drama coming from her neighbor Sun Bo's apartment. Turns out, Sun Bo is involved with Boss Lin, who's also working with Chen Ling. And Boss Lin isn't holding back – he's badmouthing Chen Ling for allegedly trying to steal his shares. Qiulan, being the good neighbor, tells Dong Dalin about it, worried Chen Ling is playing a dangerous game.
The next morning, Dong Erlin shows up with their parents, trying to convince Dong Dalin to take a job managing finances at Chen Ling's construction site. But Dalin is stubborn and wants to stick with his green farming dreams. The elders think Dalin's obsession has made him a bit loony, and things get pretty chaotic until Dalin finally gets a call from Mayor Zhang, summoning him to the government hall that afternoon.
Dalin, armed with two bags of millet, heads to the hall and runs into Wang Zhiyuan. Wang stresses the importance of Dalin's presentation, especially since big shots from the Land and Food Bureaus will be there. Jiang Menglian can't make it, so Dalin has to carry the whole thing on his shoulders.
Mayor Zhang leads the meeting, and Dalin gives a heartfelt speech about his love for the land. His sincerity moves everyone, and Mayor Zhang uses Dalin's words to outline the city's agricultural development plans, proposing rewards for innovation and hard work.
Back home, Dalin excitedly shares the news that they won't have to pay the fine. The Dong parents and Feng Qiulan are overjoyed. Meanwhile, Wang Zhiyuan confronts Fu Lijun, hinting that Chen Ling spent 10,000 on Fu's kid's vocational school and pinned it on him. Fu Lijun calls Sis-in-law Feng, furious, realizing he's been played.
Chen Ling visits, and Feng Qiulan returns her bank card, revealing she knows about Boss Lin's ranting. She urges Chen Ling to do things the right way and avoid shady characters. Dong Xin is helping out at a BBQ place and getting close to a coworker, Zhang Na. Sister Yun suggests to Feng Qiulan that Dong Xin should quit to focus on studying.
High school drama alert! Gao Bingbing, trying to win over Wang Wei, frames Dong Peng for cheating. Teacher Li tells Feng Qiulan about it. Dong Peng insists he's innocent but can't explain why the answer key was in his desk. Dong Xin comes up with a plan, and the teacher announces fake security cameras in class, forcing the real culprit to confess. This creates a major rivalry between Dong Xin and Gao Bingbing. Dong Xin is determined to protect his brother's girlfriend and challenges Gao Bingbing to a showdown on Wang Wei's birthday.
After the cheating incident, Feng Qiulan praises Dong Xin to Grandma Dong, saying that even if his grades aren't great, he's a good kid. Dong Yan invites Grandma Dong to lunch. Dong Xin charms everyone with his smooth talk, but he makes a joke about Zhang Qianqian being disciplined by Feng Qiulan, causing Zhang Qianqian to storm off. Zhang Kun then throws shade at Dong Yan's parenting skills, leading to a full-blown family feud.
Dalin gets home, and Wang Zhiyuan arrives with good news: the city's Land Bureau awarded them 210,000, and after deducting the 130,000 fine, the remaining 80,000 is already in their account. Wang Binzi and the others are thrilled, and Wang Zhiyuan urges them to finalize the membership contracts. Finally, Jiang Menglian gets transferred back to headquarters, and the chairman, who is also her ex-mother-in-law, has always wanted her to remarry her son.
