Love Story in the 1970s Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Love Story in the 1970s Synopsis

In the 1970s, the ambitious hat factory worker, Fei Ni, was determined to change her fate through education and dreamed of attending university. Her junior high school classmate, Fang Mu Yang, became a hero for his brave act of saving someone, though he was injured in the process. Fei Ni took the initiative to care for him, hoping to do a good deed and be recommended for university, but her hopes were repeatedly dashed.

The pressures of reality mounted. In order to help her brother solve the problem of housing for his marriage, Fei Ni proposed a fake marriage with Fang Mu Yang to get a house. After many ups and downs, they finally got their own home, becoming a small couple who slept in bunk beds. Together, they faced difficulties, encouraged each other to pursue their dreams, and although their journey was filled with setbacks, a romantic connection gradually grew in the midst of their simple and warm life.

Eventually, Fei Ni achieved her dream of attending university, and Fang Mu Yang realized his dream of becoming a painter. Together, they continued on the path of a happy life and a bright future.

Love Story in the 1970s Recaps

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In April 1975, the Jiangcheng No. 1 Textile Factory held a spirited basketball match against the No. 2 Electromechanical Factory. Fei Ni arrived slightly late, carrying a large ceremonial flag, just as her factory's team was trailing. Unfazed, she led the cheers with infectious energy, shouting slogans of perseverance. Her presence galvanized the crowd and the players, especially the standout athlete Ye Feng, leading the textile factory to a jubilant victory.

During the festivities, Fei Ni approached Xu Hongqi, the head of the Publicity Division, to submit her application for the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University. This was her fourth year seeking a referral, and she had spent the past twelve months participating in every collective activity to prove her dedication. However, Ms. Xu remained critical.

Alongside a coworker named Feng Lin, Ms. Xu scrutinized Fei Ni’s latest thought report, accusing her of using overly sophisticated words like "limpidity" to flaunt her education rather than communicating simply with the masses. Despite Fei Ni’s defense that further education would allow her to improve, Ms. Xu dismissed her, citing a need for higher ideological awareness and a less resistive attitude toward criticism.

Dejected, Fei Ni returned home to her small apartment, bringing a portion of braised pork from the factory canteen to her father, Fei Mingde. As she retreated to her room, she reflected in her diary on how she had met every requirement set by leadership, yet remained stuck. Meanwhile, Fang Muyang was traveling back to Jiangcheng on a train after being granted family reunion leave from a forest farm in the Northeast.

To pass the time and earn a bit of food, he used his artistic talents to sketch portraits of fellow passengers, exchanging a drawing of a grandmother and grandson for a piece of corn bread. Upon arriving in the city, he fulfilled promises to his fellow workers by delivering local specialties to their families.

Despite being a model worker, Fang Muyang was personally struggling; his parents had been sent away for re-education, and he no longer had a home to return to. When he found that a single room at a guesthouse cost seventy cents, he decided he could not afford it, as he was saving his meager funds for Fei Ni. Years ago, before he was sent to the countryside, Fei Ni had lent him 1.

5 yuan—most of her lunch money—in exchange for a precious metal box he left in her care. He had promised to return and redeem the box for double the price. After being turned away from a public bathhouse, Fang Muyang wandered near Fei Ni’s neighborhood and settled into a parked cart for the night. In the middle of the night, a violent rainstorm struck, causing old buildings to collapse.

Fang Muyang was jolted awake by cries for help and immediately sprang into action. He risked his life to pull neighbors from the rubble, including the Liu family and Feng Lin’s family. While attempting to save another person whose leg was pinned under a fallen tree, Fang Muyang managed to free the victim just as a large stone fell and struck him on the head. He was rushed to the hospital in a deep coma.

The next morning, the factory leadership visited the hospital. Fang Muyang, now hailed as a hero, remained unconscious with a suspected blood clot in his brain. Since his family was unreachable, the factory needed to appoint a long-term caregiver. Ms. Xu looked to Feng Lin, whose family had been saved by him, but Feng Lin and her mother made excuses to avoid the burden.

Having read a newspaper article about a woman whose selfless care for a hero earned her a university referral, Fei Ni saw a potential path to her dreams. She stepped forward and volunteered to care for the hero until his recovery, a gesture Ms. Xu highly praised as a display of true proletarian spirit. When Fei Ni arrived at the hospital room, she was shocked to recognize the man in the bed.

Fang Muyang had once been her deskmate in school, but he had been a constant source of bad luck for her, often playing pranks or causing her trouble in class. Her initial instinct was to quit, fearing the misfortune he might bring, but her desire for university was stronger. Looking at the unconscious Fang Muyang, she decided to treat this as a mutual arrangement.

She told him that if she took care of him and he helped her become a model worker by waking up, all their past grievances would be settled. With a determined heart, she settled in to begin her long vigil.

Fei Ni’s close friend, Lin Mei, paid her a visit, bringing more than just conversation. Knowing that Fei Ni’s brother was away in the army, Lin Mei had been secretly setting aside supplies from her own household. She presented Fei Ni with a significant haul: half a jin of meat tickets and five jin of national grain tickets, insisting that Fei Ni mail them to her brother.

The two also discussed Fang Muyang, the hero currently lying in a coma under Fei Ni’s care. Lin Mei noted that Fei Ni’s future depended almost entirely on him waking up. Fei Ni agreed, feeling that if he recovered, she would finally have the chance to win a better life through a university education. Fei Ni maintained a tireless routine at the hospital, caring for Fang Muyang with the punctuality of a shift worker.

For over a month, she performed the arduous tasks of turning his body, washing him, and shaving his beard, constantly steeling herself to provide the best care possible. Meanwhile, a hidden tension lingered involving Feng Lin and her boyfriend, whom Fang Muyang had saved from a collapsing building. The couple had been together during the storm when the man’s leg was pinned by debris.

Because they were not yet married, they feared that if Fang Muyang ever spoke of that night, their relationship would be exposed as a scandal. Furthermore, Feng Lin’s father looked down on her boyfriend for being a common worker, making their future uncertain. Determined to secure their status, Feng Lin maneuvered to snatch the factory’s single university recommendation spot, viewing Fei Ni as her greatest threat.

While tending to Fang Muyang, Fei Ni discovered his sketchbook filled with vivid drawings of the Great Northern Wilderness, lumber mills, and massive cranes. Tucked carefully inside, she also found two large bills. The discovery reminded her of the money Fang Muyang had owed her since their youth, and she muttering to his still form that they would settle the debt once he regained consciousness.

The daily grind was interrupted when a nurse informed Fei Ni that Fang Muyang’s girlfriend had arrived. The nurse suggested that Fei Ni use this chance to hand over the responsibility and free herself, but Fei Ni worried that losing her role as his primary caregiver would cost her the chance to be named a model worker. The girlfriend, a young woman named Ling Yi, turned out to be an old middle school classmate.

Ling Yi, who was already a university student working on a journalism assignment, thanked Fei Ni for her dedication. Claiming she was too busy with her studies and interviews to stay, Ling Yi asked Fei Ni to continue looking after him, which Fei Ni readily accepted. Fei Ni tried everything to stir Fang Muyang’s mind. She borrowed a second-hand radio from her father and played revolutionary operas for him until the batteries died. When music failed, she turned to literature.

Despite the risks of being caught with such books, she began reading Shakespeare’s sonnets to him, hoping the beauty of the verses would reach him. However, her hopes were dashed when the university recommendation list was finally posted. Fei Ni rushed to see it, only to find Feng Lin’s name where she hoped hers would be. When she confronted Ms. Xu about the announcement, the official explained that the decision had been finalized early at Feng Lin’s suggestion.

Ms. Xu urged Fei Ni to focus on her "most important task"—caring for the hero. That night, a heartbroken Fei Ni sat by Fang Muyang’s bed and wept. She confessed her deep desire to escape a life where every day was foreseeable, admitting she wanted to study and become a writer like Shakespeare. As she begged him to wake up, Fang Muyang’s eyes finally fluttered open.

Overwhelmed with joy, Fei Ni heard his first words: a soft question asking why she was crying. However, the celebration was short-lived. A medical exam revealed that while his physical functions were fine, the trauma had caused retrograde amnesia. He had forgotten his past, his parents, and even his own name.

Sensing Fei Ni’s disappointment, Ms. Xu offered a new incentive: if she helped him achieve a full recovery, the factory would recommend her as a city-level model individual, making her university admission a certainty. Fei Ni threw herself into his rehabilitation, feeding him nutritious food and showing him his old sketches and watch to trigger memories.

She even took advantage of a stormy night to recount his heroic actions during the collapse, hoping the thunder and lightning would bring back the night he saved so many lives. Despite her efforts, Fang Muyang remained lost in his amnesia. The situation shifted again when his sister, Fang Mujing, arrived. After speaking with Dr. Liang, Mujing realized that her brother lacked the ability to live independently.

She pointed out to Ling Yi that since Fang Muyang had yielded his university quota to her in the past, she should be the one to repay him by caring for him now. However, noting that neither Ling Yi nor Fei Ni could commit to caring for him for years to come, Mujing decided the best course of action was to send him to a rehabilitation center in the countryside. Resolute, Mujing prepared to process his discharge the following morning.

Fei Ni desperately hopes for Fang Muyang to make a full recovery, as his health is the key to her own chance at attending university. While his physical body is healing, his memory remains a complete blank. Distressed by this lack of progress, Fei Ni visits her former teacher, Ms. Chen. In this turbulent era, the once-respected lecturer has been reduced to cleaning a theater. Finding her mentor sweeping the floors, Fei Ni naturally takes the broom to help.

When Fei Ni questions if she is simply not meant for higher education, Ms. Chen advises that if university is merely a matter of fate, it might not be worth the pursuit. However, Fei Ni reminds her that it was Ms. Chen’s own essays and encouragement that sparked her literary dreams. Moved by her student's spirit, Ms. Chen promises to stand behind her like a steadfast pine tree.

Late that night, Fei Ni drafts a detailed "Rehabilitation Plan" for Fang Muyang, including daily exercise, reading, and improved nutrition. Realizing that providing meat and fruit will require money, she looks through her savings. She refuses to touch the money intended for her brother, Fei Ting, or the family’s basic living expenses. Ultimately, she decides she must dip into her "University Fund"—money she painstakingly saved over three years to support her parents once she leaves for school.

She justifies the sacrifice by telling herself that if Fang Muyang does not recover, his sister will take him away, and her own dreams will vanish with him. The next morning, Fei Ni arrives at the hospital to find Fang Muyang perched on a windowsill, threatening to jump. His sister, Fang Mujing, has come to take him to a rural rehabilitation center, but Fang Muyang insists he does not know this woman and refuses to leave Fei Ni.

After Fei Ni coaxes him down, she presents her rehabilitation plan to Fang Mujing, promising to teach him basic life skills. While others see Fang Mujing as cold-blooded for wanting to send him away, Fei Ni expresses admiration for her rationality, noting that no one should be forced to sacrifice their entire life for another. Recognizing Fei Ni’s sincerity, Fang Mujing agrees to leave him in her care and provides one hundred yuan for his expenses.

As Fang Mujing travels back by train, a rude man occupies her assigned seat and refuses to budge. The confrontation escalates as she berates him, comparing him to a pest that wastes resources while better people, like her brother, suffer. Overcome by the emotional outburst and low blood sugar, she faints. A doctor on the train comes to her aid, providing his own sleeper berth and some biscuits.

To ensure she doesn't feel she is taking undue advantage of his kindness, he arranges for her to officially pay for the berth after he departs. Meanwhile, back at the university, Fang Mujing makes the difficult decision to formally cut ties with her parents, who are labeled as part of the "Black Five Categories," to prove her loyalty and remain at the school as a laborer.

Fei Ni begins the arduous process of teaching Fang Muyang how to brush his teeth, do laundry, and mend clothes. She uses the money his sister left to reward his progress with the foods he craves, such as pork cutlets and borscht from the Deda Western Restaurant. Fang Muyang shows a surprising ability to learn, though his emerging memories are entirely focused on food.

However, Fei Ni soon suspects he is tricking her into helping him with tasks he already knows, like trimming his nails. She decides to establish a professional arrangement, creating a price list for her labor: three cents for a shave or nail trim, and ten cents for laundry or sewing buttons. She also reminds him of a debt he owed her back in middle school, when he borrowed five cents and promised to pay her back double.

Fang Muyang signs the agreement, though he still struggles to write his own name. When Fang Muyang ruins a shirt while learning to do laundry, Fei Ni sews him a new one using her father’s old clothes, skillfully patching it to fit his larger frame. Fang Muyang is delighted with the unique garment and even manages to bargain with Fei Ni over the price, settling on one yuan and fifty cents.

To show his appreciation, he uses his new art supplies to draw a masterful portrait of her. When Fei Ni praises the work, he jokingly tries to charge her fifty cents for it, echoing her own business-like logic. Despite the banter, Fei Ni is genuinely touched by the gift. In the countryside, Fei Ni’s brother, Fei Ting, is busy teaching other workers the proper technique for planting rice seedlings.

He is called away to the commune office for a phone call from his girlfriend, who is upset that he has not yet filed his return-to-city report. Although his medical discharge for an old fracture was approved, Fei Ting seems hesitant to leave his work in the fields, leading to a heated argument over their future.

Back at Jiangcheng University, Fei Ni's friend Qu Hua points out a student named Ye Feng, noting that his mother holds a high position at the textile factory. Their walk is interrupted when a stray basketball nearly hits Qu Hua; one of the players asks his teammate, Xiao Zu, to take over on the court so he can personally escort Qu Hua to the infirmary.

Fei Ni took Fang Muyang for a walk at the Jiangcheng No. 1 Textile Factory, where they crossed paths with Ling Yi and Ye Feng. Ling Yi, having discovered that Ye Feng’s mother was the director of the factory office, was calculatedly pursuing the simple-minded basketball captain. During the encounter, Fei Ni introduced Fang Muyang as the hero who had saved lives during the storm.

Ye Feng was impressed by Fang’s athletic build and height, even suggesting he join the factory’s basketball team. Ling Yi, who had previously claimed to be Fang Muyang’s girlfriend in the hospital to test his memory, was now desperate to distance herself to secure her relationship with Ye Feng. She firmly denied ever being his partner. While Fei Ni wasn’t concerned about their past relationship, she found Ling Yi’s duplicity and sudden change of heart bizarre.

Fei Ni later brought Fang Muyang to Kangnan Road, his childhood neighborhood, hoping the familiar environment would help his recovery. Fragments of his past did return; he recalled his grandmother and her kindness. His heroic instincts also remained sharp when he reflexively saved a young boy named Hao Hao from falling out of a tree. Fei Ni was deeply impressed that despite his amnesia, his noble character remained intact.

Driven by a desire to secure a university recommendation, Fei Ni proposed a bold plan. She asked Fang Muyang to pretend he had fully recovered during a meeting with Director Xu Hongqi. Motivated by the promise of real ice cream, Fang agreed. Fei Ni prepared a detailed script for him, including fabricated details about his past and a moving explanation of his "instinctive" heroism.

When they met with Director Xu and Chief Wang from the Publicity Division, Fang Muyang initially followed the script but soon began to improvise. Instead of focusing on his own deeds, he spoke touchingly about Fei Ni. He called her the true hero, detailing how she had tirelessly cared for a stranger—teaching him everything from brushing his teeth to facing life again—without asking for anything in return. He credited her for his ability to stand there healthy.

Deeply moved, Director Xu praised Fei Ni for rehabilitating a hero and promised to recommend her for the university slot. After the meeting, Fei Ni rewarded Fang Muyang with ice cream. They later visited a shop where Fang found a piano. As he played, he regained a vivid memory of his grandmother donating a piano to a school and seeing a young Fei Ni practicing diligently.

Meanwhile, Director Xu informed her assistant, Feng Lin, that she intended to recommend Fei Ni for university instead of Feng’s boyfriend, Wang Defa. Xu explained that Fei Ni’s contribution was more significant and that Wang needed another year of observation. She also warned Feng to be mindful of workplace conduct regarding her relationship. Resentful, Feng decided to prove that Fang Muyang’s recovery was a lie.

She staged an encounter where she pretended to be injured, and when Fang failed to recognize her as someone from the factory office, her suspicions were confirmed. She further investigated at the hospital, where Dr. Liang and the nurses indicated Fang was not truly ready for discharge. At the same time, Fei Ni’s friend Lin Mei was struggling. Her mother favored her sister-in-law, Aihong, leaving Lin Mei to do all the household chores after her shift at the supply cooperative.

Lin Mei called Fei Ni’s brother, Fei Ting, who was still working in the Great Northern Wilderness, pleading with him to return so they could be together. However, Fei Ting suggested they break up, pointing out that even if he returned, their family home only had two rooms, and there was no place for them to live without displacing Fei Ni. Armed with a medical report and her own observations, Feng reported Fei Ni’s deception to Director Xu. Consequently, Xu summoned Fei Ni to her office, sternly demanding to know the truth about Fang Muyang’s actual condition.

Xu Hongqi sternly interrogated Fei Ni, demanding the truth about Fang Muyang’s condition. Terrified, Fei Ni admitted that while Fang had begun to recall some fragments, he had not fully recovered. When Feng Lin accused them of conspiring to deceive the organization, Fei Ni protected Fang, claiming she was the one who had orchestrated the plan. Deeply disappointed, Xu Hongqi revoked Fei Ni’s college recommendation and ordered her to write a formal self-reflection.

Later, while Fei Ni was mourning her lost academic dreams by the sea, Feng Lin approached her and admitted she had long been resentful of Fei Ni’s perceived intellectual superiority. Feng Lin revealed her true motive: exposing the secret was a way to secure a college spot for her own boyfriend.

She also informed Fei Ni that Xu Hongqi intended to implement a policy of strict equality, ensuring that Fei Ni would never again be recommended for university by the Jiangcheng No. 1 Textile Factory, regardless of her future achievements. Devastated, Fei Ni sought comfort from her teacher, who encouraged her by saying that while one path was blocked, no one could seal off her true path in life.

Fei Ni returned to work and was surprised to find her close friend, Lin Mei, on a date with a colleague named Chen Yunguo. Lin Mei explained that she had reached her breaking point with Fei Ni’s brother, Fei Ting, who was still in the countryside and had refused to file for his return.

However, Lin Mei eventually confessed the heartbreaking truth: Fei Ting was avoiding his return because he knew that if he came back, Fei Ni would have nowhere to live. This revelation deeply moved Fei Ni, as she recalled the many sacrifices her brother had made for her—from giving her his new pencil case as a child to volunteering for the Great Northern Wilderness so she could take their mother’s job at the factory.

Determined to save her brother’s happiness, Fei Ni asked Lin Mei for three months to resolve the housing situation, promising that Fei Ting would return to marry her. To find a new home, Fei Ni told her parents she was ready for a blind date, provided the man was under thirty, decent-looking, and either owned a house or was eligible for a housing allocation.

To her surprise, the first candidate was Ye Feng, Xu Hongqi’s handsome son and the star forward of the factory’s basketball team. Ye Feng had been infatuated with Fei Ni since seeing her as a cheerleader and had even previously inquired about her with matchmakers. On their first date, Ye Feng fell asleep during a Romanian movie due to his exhausting training schedule.

Despite the awkward start, he walked Fei Ni home and met her mother, who warmly invited him to dinner. Inside, they found Fang Muyang, who had obtained Fei Ni’s address from a nurse because she hadn't visited him in days. The dinner was incredibly tense as Ye Feng recognized Fang as a rival. Meanwhile, neighbors gossiped that Fei Ni was shamelessly trying to "climb the social ladder" by dating the director’s son.

After dinner, Fei Ni walked Fang Muyang out, noticing his disheveled clothes and missing buttons. She then spoke with Ye Feng and honestly shared her plan: once her brother returned, she intended to give him her stable factory job. Ye Feng was initially anxious, fearing his mother would never accept a daughter-in-law without an "iron rice bowl" job.

When he discussed the match with Xu Hongqi, she was initially opposed but eventually agreed on one condition: Fei Ni must formally abandon her dream of attending college. Confident that his own charm outweighed any academic ambition, Ye Feng accepted the condition on Fei Ni’s behalf, certain he could convince her to choose him over university.

The following day, Ye Feng visited Fei Ni to invite her to the cinema, bringing word of his mother’s latest stance on their relationship. Just as they were about to leave, Fang Muyang arrived and insisted on coming along. Unable to get rid of him, Ye Feng was forced to take both of them to the movie. During the screening, Fang Muyang intentionally sat between the two.

When he noticed Fei Ni becoming drowsy, he gently rested her head on his shoulder, feeling a deep sense of contentment. After the film, Fang Muyang continued to interfere until a frustrated Ye Feng personally escorted his rival back to the hospital. Once alone with Fei Ni, Ye Feng spoke plainly. He told her that if she valued their relationship, she needed to distance herself from Fang Muyang to avoid gossip.

More importantly, he relayed Xu Hongqi’s condition: if Fei Ni wanted to marry into their family, she had to give up her dreams of attending university. Fei Ni spent a long time sitting outside her home reflecting on her future. For the sake of her brother, Fei Ting, she was willing to endure any hardship. Deciding it was time to say goodbye to Fang Muyang, she visited the hospital the next morning.

She found he had been moved to a crowded general ward with poor conditions, but despite the environment, Fang Muyang was cheerfully sketching a portrait for an elderly patient. Fei Ni took Fang Muyang out for a final day together, treating him to a movie, a steak dinner, and the ice cream he had long craved. At a department store, they both insisted on buying clothes for each other.

While Fang Muyang picked out a dress for her, Fei Ni used her remaining money to buy him a maroon sweater. Upon returning him to the hospital, Fei Ni’s tone became formal. She advised him to apply for housing through the factory’s Educated Youth Office and told him she would no longer be coming to see him, as her task of caring for him was finished.

When a desperate Fang Muyang tried to stall her by claiming he couldn't tie his laces, Fei Ni tearfully asked why he kept pestering her. she admitted she had only cared for him to secure a university recommendation, but since that dream was dead, they no longer owed each other anything. As she rode away, Fang Muyang tried to chase her but tripped because his laces were indeed untied.

That night, Fang Muyang looked through his sketchbook and suddenly realized the girl from his recurring dreams was Fei Ni—the first person he had seen upon waking up. Having fully recovered his memory, he rushed to her neighborhood in the middle of the night and climbed a tree to wave at her second-story window. When they spoke, Fang Muyang learned about the pressure she was under to marry.

He pleaded with her to give him just two or three months to sort out his life. At dawn, he visited an old family friend, Fu Boquan, at an editorial office. Fu Boquan offered him a spot in a two-month editor training course with a substantial subsidy. Fang Muyang gratefully accepted but asked his "Uncle Fu" to keep his recovered memory a secret for now.

Meanwhile, Ling Yi, having discovered Ye Feng was not yet engaged, began frequently visiting the cotton factory to watch him play basketball. Xu Hongqi noticed the beautiful girl in the stands and was highly impressed by her admiration for Ye Feng. Upon learning Ling Yi was a university student with a guaranteed job placement, Xu Hongqi decided she was the ideal match for her son. At the same time, Fang Muyang applied for a dormitory at the Educated Youth Office. Recognizing him as a local hero, the officials there called Xu Hongqi at the factory, hoping she could use her influence to help facilitate his housing request.

Standing outside the Educated Youth Office, Fang Muyang overheard a phone conversation in which Xu Hongqi, the director at the textile factory, promised to allocate him a housing unit. Thrilled by the news, he immediately went to find Fei Ni. He offered to let her use the apartment so her brother would have a place to stay upon his return, hoping to ease her family’s burdens.

While Fei Ni was deeply moved by his generosity, she remained practical, knowing the home ultimately belonged to him. Consequently, she decided to proceed with her planned visit to meet Ye Feng’s mother, Xu Hongqi. Fei Ni took the visit seriously, dressing up and buying fruit, while her parents insisted she also bring high-quality tea and canned goods to ensure the Ye family wouldn't look down on them. However, Xu Hongqi had already planned to humiliate her.

When Fei Ni arrived, she found Ling Yi, a college student Xu Hongqi favored, already seated as an honored guest. Xu Hongqi dismissively treated Fei Ni like a servant, ordering her into the kitchen to clean and cook a fish. She pointedly mentioned that Ling Yi preferred braised fish, forcing Fei Ni to cook for her rival. Although she recognized the intentional slight, Fei Ni maintained her composure.

Ye Feng tried to reassure her, suggesting his mother’s behavior meant she already viewed Fei Ni as family, but the tension remained high. The atmosphere at the dinner table was even more hostile. Xu Hongqi spent the meal praising Ling Yi’s status as a college student while making veiled insults toward Fei Ni for her failed attempts to enroll. Ye Feng attempted to highlight Fei Ni’s musical talent, mentioning her ability to play the piano.

Since the house only had an accordion, he asked her to perform, but Fei Ni admitted she didn't know how to play that specific instrument. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Yi played a song on the accordion, winning further favor from Xu Hongqi. While the others were distracted by the music, Fei Ni quietly ate the entire fish herself. Once she finished, she stood up, announced she was full, and left—taking her original gifts back with her.

Ye Feng caught up with her downstairs, demanding she return and apologize. Fei Ni bluntly told him that his mother clearly preferred Ling Yi as a daughter-in-law. Despite Ye Feng’s insistence that his opinion was the only one that mattered, Fei Ni refused to listen and cycled away. She headed to the hospital to give the gifts to Fang Muyang instead and told him about the disastrous lunch.

During their conversation, Fang Muyang shared a moment of honesty about his past, explaining that his name was a combination of his parents' surnames and stating that he would never disown them despite their political troubles. Meanwhile, an assistant named Feng Lin, who was bitter about losing her own housing chance to Fang Muyang, decided to sabotage him. She lied to Xu Hongqi, claiming Fang Muyang had "conduct issues" and was constantly pursuing Fei Ni at the factory.

She even claimed to have seen Fei Ni tying his shoelaces, suggesting an improper level of intimacy. Fearing that Fang Muyang's reputation would tarnish her own, Xu Hongqi changed her mind. She informed Fang Muyang that the factory had decided to prioritize married couples for the current housing allocation, effectively revoking his unit unless he could produce a marriage certificate by the next day.

Fang Muyang went to the factory to discuss this setback with Fei Ni, only to find Ye Feng harassing her. Ye Feng was pressuring her to apologize to his mother, claiming he had already defied his family for her and even arranged a job for her brother. He grew impatient with her desire for an education, arrogantly stating that women only went to college to find a good husband.

Realizing Ye Feng had no respect for her ambitions, Fei Ni remained defiant. When Fang Muyang intervened, Ye Feng threatened that she would lose his help and his mother's permission to attend college. Ignoring the threats, Fei Ni climbed onto the back of Fang Muyang’s bicycle and rode away. As they rode, Fang Muyang explained that he lost the house because he was single.

To solve both of their problems, Fei Ni proposed a radical solution: they should obtain a marriage certificate through a "fake marriage." She explained that if they were legally married, Xu Hongqi would have no excuse to deny him the housing. Fang Muyang immediately agreed to the plan.

They decided to split the unit so they would both have a place to live, keeping the arrangement strictly business while promising to support each other's dreams, including Fei Ni's goal of attending college. Knowing her parents would never approve of such a sudden move, they planned to get their letters of introduction and register the marriage in secret the following morning.

Fei Ni submitted her marriage application to Xu Hongqi, requesting a letter of introduction to marry Fang Muyang. Surprised but relieved that this would end her son Ye Feng's pursuit of Fei Ni, Xu Hongqi quickly granted the request. During their meeting, Fei Ni explained that her experiences with Ye Feng had made her realize she should not try to "climb above her station" and that Fang Muyang was a more appropriate partner.

Playing the role of a supportive superior, Xu Hongqi spoke of the new society's lack of class distinctions while urging Fei Ni to remain a good comrade to her son, though her true motive was to clear the path for Ye Feng to marry the more socially "suitable" Ling Yi. When Fei Ni went to find Fang Muyang at the hospital, she learned he had left early.

Returning home, she found him already there, having arrived with high-quality gifts, including expensive tea. Fang Muyang had preemptively informed Fei Ni's parents of their intention to marry, a move that left them stunned as they had always expected her to marry Ye Feng. Her parents were immediately hostile; her mother, Wu Baoying, pointed out his lack of a job and a home, while her father was concerned about the potential long-term effects of Fang Muyang’s previous head injury.

Fei Ni, however, insisted on her choice, claiming she loved him. Once alone, Fei Ni and Fang Muyang argued about his impulsiveness. While Fang Muyang felt it was important to be upfront, Fei Ni worried that telling her parents the marriage was a tactical move to secure housing and vacate a room for her brother, Fei Ting, would only distress them further.

Fang Muyang remained confident he could win them over, citing his popularity at the hospital and his plans to earn money through comic strips and training courses. Meanwhile, Ye Feng was devastated and begged his mother for help. Xu Hongqi remained firm, criticizing him for lacking Fei Ni’s clarity. She accused him of only being upset because his pride was wounded after Fei Ni chose someone else.

She ordered him to date Ling Yi instead, threatening that he would be kicked out of the house if he refused to comply. Fang Mujing also faced her own struggles. Due to her family background, she was excluded from a prestigious research project. During this low point, Qu Hua, a neurosurgeon from a prominent revolutionary family, approached her. Despite only having met a few times, he proposed marriage.

He admitted pragmatically that she wasn't his "best" option socially, but he chose her anyway. Fang Mujing, a self-proclaimed pragmatist, initially pushed back, noting she could find more successful partners. However, after three hours of solitary consideration, she accepted, knowing his background would provide the political "clearance" she needed to join the research project. Fang Muyang continued his efforts to charm Fei Ni’s father, Mr. Fei.

He joined a chess game between Mr. Fei and a neighbor, Old Liu, acting as Mr. Fei’s "apprentice." He showcased his skills by winning a week's worth of watermelons from the neighbor. To further impress his future father-in-law, Fang Muyang presented a handmade chess set carved from red sandalwood, which he had crafted from an old chair he bought from a classmate. He emphasized that his manual skills would ensure he could always provide for Fei Ni.

Beyond gifts, Fang Muyang engaged Mr. Fei in a deep conversation. He argued that Ye Feng merely saw Fei Ni as a common worker trying to climb the social ladder, whereas he truly respected her character and supported her dream of attending university. This resonated with Mr. Fei, who wanted his daughter to be with someone who cherished her. Fang Muyang’s sincerity and intelligence eventually convinced Mr. Fei to support the union.

Fei Ni shared her plans with her close friend, Lin Mei. Like everyone else, Lin Mei was worried about Fang Muyang’s mental state. Fei Ni defended him, stating he was physically healthy and of good character, and admitted that the marriage was the most practical choice for her future. Although she promised to keep the secret of the "fake" marriage, Lin Mei was so concerned that she eventually made a call to Fei Ni’s brother, Fei Ting, at Qianjin Farm.

To solidify his standing in the neighborhood, Fang Muyang created an illustrated martial arts manual for Mr. Fei’s ancestral Tai Chi style. He drew the "72 Forms of Fei-style Tai Chi" and added detailed explanations. This caused a stir among the neighbors, who suddenly viewed Mr. Fei as a grandmaster and began calling him "Teacher Fei." As Mr. Fei began teaching classes in the courtyard, rumors of his impressive new son-in-law spread rapidly.

When Wu Baoying returned from visiting relatives, she was greeted with congratulations and talk of wedding candy. Upon entering the house and finding the neighborhood gossiping about the "hero" becoming her son-in-law, she demanded to know who was behind the scheme. Fang Muyang and Fei Ni both stepped forward to take responsibility.

Fei Ni's mother, Wu Baoying, is heartbroken after learning from Lin Mei that her daughter is rushing into marriage just to free up living space for her brother, Fei Ting. She confronts Fei Ni in front of Fang Muyang, criticizing his family background and questioning his mental stability. However, Fei Ni remains firm, explaining that she chose Fang Muyang because she desires a relationship of equals and refuses to live in the shadow of Director Xu Hongqi’s family.

Seeing her daughter’s conviction, Wu Baoying finally relents. On the day they are meant to register their marriage, Fei Ni’s parents wait at the subdistrict office for an hour before leaving in a rage, assuming Fang Muyang has had a mental relapse. Lin Mei eventually reveals the truth: Fei Ting has returned home and, fearing his sister is making a mistake, kidnapped Fang Muyang. Fei Ni rushes to the woods to find her brother threatening Fang Muyang with a knife.

She manages to convince Fei Ting that she is being practical and not merely sacrificing herself. After Fei Ting warns Fang Muyang to treat his sister well, the couple finally heads to the studio. In 1975, they take their first stiff, formal photo and officially obtain their marriage certificate. For their wedding night, Fang Muyang arranges a room at a guesthouse so Fei Ni's parents do not have to vacate their own bed.

A nervous Fei Ni immediately presents a "Marriage Agreement," stipulating that they will be husband and wife in name only and that he must never prevent her from attending university. Fang Muyang signs it readily. He then surprises her by revealing that his memory has actually returned; he only kept it a secret because he feared she would stop caring for him once he was well.

He even provides her with a tool for self-defense to prove he respects her boundaries. As they settle in—Fei Ni on the bed and Fang Muyang on the floor—they spend the night dreaming about how they will furnish their future home with desks, a sewing machine, and a double bed that can be split into two. The following day, the couple presents their marriage certificate to Xu Hongqi at the factory to claim their housing.

However, Xu reneges on her promise, claiming the current units are full and they must wait for the next development. When Fei Ni points out that a single employee named Feng Lin was given a room, Xu argues that university graduates are a priority. Fearing Fei Ni might lose her job in a heated argument, Fang Muyang pulls her out of the office. Fei Ni is left in despair, feeling that every path to a better life is being blocked.

Fang Muyang comforts her, promising to reclaim what is theirs. That evening, they attend a dinner for her parents' 30th wedding anniversary. Late that night, Fang Muyang leads Fei Ni back to the factory office, carrying their red wedding quilt. He convinces her to stage a "guerrilla" protest by sleeping in Xu Hongqi's office. To make the scene more undeniable, they strip down to their undershirts before falling asleep. The next morning, a horrified Xu Hongqi arrives at work to find the newlyweds occupying her office floor.

The next morning, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni were discovered sleeping in the factory office by a crowd of onlookers. Xu Hongqi was furious at their stunt, but Fang Muyang remained firm, shamelessly claiming that since the factory had failed to provide them with housing, they had no choice but to stay in the office. He declared that they would remain there until a unit was assigned.

Xu Hongqi, refusing to be swayed, ordered her assistant, Feng Lin, to throw their bedding out and called security to have them removed. However, the situation took a sharp turn when Fang Muyang recognized Feng Lin. He realized she was the woman whose home he had entered during a past storm to rescue her partner.

More importantly, he remembered that she had been living with a man without being married—a scandal that would ruin her reputation as a college-educated factory cadre. Using subtle hints about that "dark and stormy night," Fang Muyang pressured her. To keep him quiet, Feng Lin suddenly "volunteered" to give up her own housing unit to the couple, claiming she wanted to uphold the spirit of "hardship first, enjoyment later."

Xu Hongqi, relieved to have the matter settled, praised Feng Lin’s "high level of awareness." Feng Lin did not leave graciously; she vandalized the walls of the unit with oil paint before handing over the keys. When Fang Muyang and Fei Ni caught her in the act, Fang delivered a final warning: as long as she never troubled Fei Ni again, he would ensure his "memories" of her past stayed forgotten. Terrified, Feng Lin backed down.

Rather than being discouraged by the ruined walls, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni bought pigments and painted a vibrant mural of golden rapeseed fields under a bright sun. Fei Ni added a small poem to the wall, and for the first time, the two felt the genuine happiness of having a place to call home. Meanwhile, Fang Mujing and Qu Hua celebrated their wedding.

Marrying into Qu Hua’s high-ranking cadre family immediately protected Mujing from the discrimination she had faced due to her family background, allowing her to return to her research project. While Qu Hua’s parents were welcoming, his grandmother, suffering from a brain tumor that clouded her memory, called Mujing "Yan Yan" while giving her a wedding gift. Mujing soon learned that Yan Yan was Qu Hua’s former love and that she bore a striking resemblance to her.

Their wedding night was cold and filled with mutual resentment. After Mujing confronted him about being a substitute, Qu Hua countered by pointing out her own opportunism, noting how quickly she had used the Qu family name to secure her research position. They reached a bitter understanding: since they both married for practical gains, they should not expect love.

Despite the tension, when Mujing brought Qu Hua food and a change of clothes at the hospital the next day, he was momentarily moved by her appearance in a bright yellow dress—a color she had previously been too afraid to wear for fear of being labeled "bourgeois." As they settled into their new unit, Fei Ni insisted on buying secondhand furniture to save money for her dream of attending university.

Because the room was too small for two separate beds, she insisted on a bunk bed to maintain their agreement of having "no marital reality." Fang Muyang teased her but eventually agreed. They also purchased a large trunk to serve as a dining table and a desk that doubled as a nightstand. At the factory, Fei Ni faced social pressure from her colleague, Liu-jie, to provide wedding candy, which Fei Ni considered a waste of money.

She also found herself in a line for "contraceptive supplies" being distributed to married workers. Though embarrassed, she was warned by an older worker that "science is more reliable than luck" when it came to family planning. Later, Fang Muyang found the supplies in her bag, leading to an awkward and playful exchange between the two. Fang Muyang also visited his mentor, Uncle Fu, at the newspaper office to announce his marriage.

There, he met Ling Yi, who apologized for not visiting him during his recovery. Fang Muyang told her there was no need for an apology; he was actually grateful she hadn't come, because if she had, Fei Ni might not have looked after him, and they wouldn't be married. He made it clear that they were only childhood friends and that she should focus on her own life. Finally, as the couple finished decorating, their neighbor, Chief Wang, stopped by. While the mural was admired, the sight of a bunk bed in a newlyweds' room left the neighbors whispering that there was something very strange about the couple’s relationship.

As Fang Muyang and Fei Ni settle into their new home, a curious neighbor drops by and is puzzled to see a bunk bed instead of a traditional marriage bed. Fang Muyang quickly improvises, explaining that they sleep on the bottom bunk and use the top for storage because a proper bed was too expensive.

After the neighbor leaves, Fang playfully suggests they actually try squeezing into the bottom bunk together, but Fei Ni dismisses his antics and tells him to get back to cleaning. Meanwhile, a cold distance grows between Fang Mujing and Qu Hua. Mujing stops bringing meals to Qu Hua at the hospital herself, delegating the task to a staff member so she can focus on proving a difficult math theorem.

When Qu Hua confronts her at home, Mujing explains that she has fulfilled her initial duties as a new wife and now needs to prioritize her research. The tension escalates as Qu Hua accuses her of not loving him, to which she retorts by asking if he loves her. She makes it clear that while love takes time, she will not lie about her feelings or flatter him. Fei Ni’s brother, Fei Ting, finally returns to Jiangcheng from the countryside.

Fang Muyang meets him at the station, but Fei Ting is anxious to head straight to Lin Mei’s house to propose. Fearing their parents would only end up in a fight with the Lins, Fei Ni insists on accompanying her brother. Carrying gifts Fei Ting prepared, the siblings set out to face Lin Mei’s snobbish parents.

Lin Mei’s mother is dismissive of Fei Ting because he lacks a stable job, boasting about a bus driver named Chen Yunguo who is also pursuing her daughter. Fei Ni defends her brother, calling out the mother’s shortsightedness and revealing that the bus driver was actually a flirt who had once pursued her as well. Despite their pleas, Lin Mei’s parents set a hard line: they will only consider the marriage once Fei Ting secures a stable job.

At the same time, Fei Ni’s father, Fei Mingde, is spurred by a neighbor's gossip to investigate Fang Muyang’s past. The neighbor points out that they know nothing of Fang’s seven years in the countryside, questioning if he might have a previous family. Worried, Mingde convinces his wife, Wu Baoying, to give him a liquor coupon, claiming he will use alcohol to get Fang Muyang to talk.

During their drinking session, Fang Muyang answers Mingde’s questions about the youth post with impressive clarity. However, as the night goes on, it is Mingde who loses control. Drunk and emotional, he laments his own past, confessing regrets about not marrying old flames like Xu Guihua or Luo Yufen. He also expresses deep guilt for not being a better father, feeling ashamed that he couldn't afford a proper wedding ceremony or "Three Rounds and one Sound" for Fei Ni.

Fang Muyang stays by his father-in-law's side for hours as he sleeps off the alcohol. He assures the semi-conscious Mingde that he has no children and that Fei Ni is his only love. Before leaving, Fang tucks a note into Mingde’s pocket, playfully revealing that he now knows Mingde’s "little secrets"—including the money and liquor coupons hidden behind a photo frame.

He suggests they are now "in the same boat" and asks Mingde to speak well of him to Wu Baoying. In another city, Fang Mujing prepares to travel to Jiangcheng for her brother’s wedding. Qu Hua coincidentally has to attend a neurosurgery symposium in the same city, so they end up on the same train. During the journey, Qu Hua shows a protective side when a rude passenger spits sunflower seeds near Mujing and refuses to move his feet.

Qu Hua confronts the man, identifying himself as Mujing’s husband and threatening to "suture" the man's mouth if he doesn't behave. Later, Qu Hua offers Mujing his sleeper berth so she can rest. Back in Jiangcheng, Fang Muyang is determined to give Fei Ni the lively wedding celebration her father wished for. To fund this, he secretly takes some of Fei Ni’s savings, promising himself he will pay her back.

He then approaches Fei Ting, asking him to use his legendary skills with the "big iron pot" from his days as a cook in the countryside to help cater the wedding, hoping to make the event a truly memorable one for the family.

Fang Mujing traveled to Jiangcheng to attend her brother’s wedding. Although her husband, Qu Hua, had initially seemed reluctant to go, he secretly boarded the same train and booked a soft sleeper for her, providing attentive care throughout the journey. Upon arrival, Qu Hua suggested they share a room at the guesthouse to save money and "national resources." Mujing, however, insisted on having her own room for convenience.

The two playfully set deadlines for how long they would leave their doors open for one another, but Qu Hua eventually checked out of his own room and convinced Mujing to let him stay with her, claiming he didn’t want to be wasteful. On the morning of the wedding, Fang Muyang enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, Fei Ting, in the textile factory kitchen.

He encouraged a reluctant Fei Ni to wear a dress to work instead of her usual uniform, wanting her to look her best. At lunchtime, Fang Muyang surprised her with a formal ceremony in the factory cafeteria in front of all her coworkers. Ms. Xu (Xu Hongqi) hosted the event, praising Fang Muyang as a hero and Fei Ni as an exemplary worker.

The couple's family members, including Fei Ni’s parents and Fang Mujing and Qu Hua, joined them on stage. During his speech, Qu Hua introduced himself as a doctor from a military family, noting that his grandfather was a Red Army veteran and his father a Korean War hero. Fang Muyang expressed his deep joy in the marriage, stating he wanted to create a beautiful memory for Fei Ni.

The celebration featured a banquet where every table was served a large braised fish. While the workers enjoyed the meal and joked about the couple’s closeness—even gossiping about a bunk bed they had seen in their room—Fei Ni was privately distressed by the cost. After the wedding, she discovered that Fang Muyang had spent sixty yuan for the fish using the secret savings she had intended for her university tuition. Heartbroken, she confronted him.

Fang Muyang sincerely explained that he only wanted a wedding that would make her family proud and promised to repay her using his training subsidies and future wages. He also confessed that he had been feigning the lingering effects of his head injury just so she would continue to take care of him. Meanwhile, Lin Mei faced pressure from her parents, who arranged a blind date with Wang Tengda, a young man from a well-off family in the transport fleet.

To sabotage the arrangement, Lin Mei intentionally revealed during dinner that she already had a boyfriend. She criticized how those with connections always secured the best positions while her capable boyfriend remained unemployed. After driving the suitor away, she had a heated argument with her mother, who insisted that Fei Ting’s lack of a stable job was the only hurdle.

Distressed, Lin Mei later told Fei Ting that they could not marry unless he secured proper employment, as she was tired of fighting an uphill battle. At the guesthouse, the romantic atmosphere of the wedding prompted Fang Mujing to reflect on a past relationship that had ended painfully due to her family background. When Qu Hua visited her, they finally addressed their feelings.

Qu Hua assured her that he found her special from the moment they met and that his feelings weren't just because she resembled an ex-girlfriend. The couple shared a passionate reconciliation. To recover the spent money, Fei Ni began working late into the night folding paper boxes and crocheting mesh bags. Fang Muyang offered a formal apology for his impulsive behavior, admitting he used to be self-centered but now prioritized their home.

He joined her in the work, even learning how to pedal a tricycle to deliver finished boxes to Ms. Ma at the printing factory to save on transportation costs. Fei Ni’s anger softened as they found a new rhythm in their shared efforts. Before departing for Jiangnan, Fang Mujing gave the couple a sum of money as a wedding gift. Fang Muyang immediately handed the cash to Fei Ni to save.

Determined to help her brother, Fei Ni spoke with Section Chief Wang about a vacancy in the Publicity Division. Wang hinted that she was looking for a television coupon for her husband. Seizing the opportunity, Fei Ni promised to try and obtain one in exchange for considering Fei Ting for the post. She later reached out to her colleague Gao Hua, inquiring if her brother at the Commerce Bureau could help.

Simultaneously, Fei Ting visited the Educated Youth Office and was sent to a milk station, where he began the humble work of cleaning bottles under the supervision of Ms. Sun, hoping to build a stable future.

Fei Ting continued his relentless efforts to find work, spending his days at the factory office in a persistent attempt to persuade the leadership. His stubbornness eventually paid off when the officials, unable to handle his constant presence, assigned him to a temporary position at the Jiangcheng milk station. His new job was far from glamorous, consisting mainly of washing endless rows of milk bottles.

He found himself surrounded by a group of women who spent their shifts gossiping incessantly, but despite the headache-inducing environment, Fei Ting remained determined to stick with the job now that he finally had one. Meanwhile, Feng Lin's suspicions about Fei Ni and Fang Muyang were reignited when she heard rumors about them using bunk beds.

Suspecting their marriage was a sham to secure a housing assignment, she decided to visit them under the pretense of a neighborly congratulation, bringing fruit along. Fei Ni immediately sensed the trap and signaled Fang Muyang by handing him a bag and blinking. Understanding the silent warning, Fang Muyang took a shortcut home and climbed through a window.

He worked frantically to move the bedding from the top bunk to the bottom, making it appear as if the couple shared the lower bed. When Feng Lin arrived, she was skeptical of the arrangement and the suspiciously clean top bunk. She secretly searched their drawer and found that the family planning supplies issued by the factory were completely untouched.

Convinced she had found proof of a fake marriage, she reported her findings to the factory's leadership and planned a night-time inspection with Xu Hongqi. That night, Xu Hongqi and several other women barged into the room, only to find Fang Muyang and Fei Ni lying together in the lower bunk. Fang Muyang, appearing groggy and minimally dressed, questioned their late-night intrusion.

While the sight of them in bed seemed to prove they were a real couple, Feng Lin pointed out that they had never used the factory-issued condoms. Fang Muyang dismissively retorted that he found the factory's supplies to be too small and had purchased his own instead. Xu Hongqi, embarrassed by the situation, apologized for the intrusion and scolded Feng Lin and the others for their baseless rumors.

To ensure no one would doubt them again, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni decided on a bold strategy to "make noise" at night, ensuring their neighbors could hear them. The plan worked, and by the next day, rumors of their active private life had spread throughout the factory. Fei Ni found herself the subject of hushed laughter and knowing looks from the female workers.

Some veteran employees even surreptitiously handed her extra condoms, worried the young couple might run out, leaving Fei Ni deeply embarrassed by the unintended fame. With the marriage suspicions finally put to rest, Fei Ni turned her attention back to the problem of the television coupon needed to secure a permanent job for her brother. Fang Muyang visited a local market where he encountered people assembling televisions from various parts.

To buy time and satisfy Section Chief Wang Xiaoman, Fang Muyang decided to use his artistic skills to forge a television coupon. When he presented it to Wang Xiaoman, she was initially overjoyed, but the deception didn't last long. Her husband quickly realized the ticket was a fake and confronted Fang Muyang. Fang Muyang calmly explained that the coupon was a placeholder for a completed television he would have ready for them in ten days.

Given how rare such coupons were, Wang Xiaoman decided to trust him for a little while longer. Fei Ting accompanied Lin Mei to her home to meet her parents, but the reception was cold. Her parents were initially dismissive, barely willing to offer him a meal. Their attitude briefly improved when they heard he had found work, but it quickly turned back to mockery when they learned he was just a bottle washer at a milk station.

They mentioned that another suitor with a job in the transport team had been introduced to Lin Mei, suggesting he had a better future. Fei Ting stood his ground, declaring his confidence that Lin Mei loved only him and promising that he would work hard to give her a happy life. Lin Mei was moved by his resolve and followed him out, proud of his spirit despite her family's disdain.

At Jiangnan University, Fang Mujing approached Professor Wu to request a transfer from Luo Min’s group into his own project team. Professor Wu acknowledged her talent but was concerned about her personal life, as his team was set to merge with a project at Jiangcheng University, which would require the core members to relocate. He worried that her husband, Qu Hua, who was a doctor in Jiangnan, would not be able to move.

Fang Mujing insisted that her personal life shouldn't be a factor and expressed her willingness to go wherever the project required. Later, at home, she felt conflicted about her own ambition and apologized to Qu Hua for being selfish, even as he spent his evening helping her translate a difficult math paper filled with technical terms. In another development, Ling Yi, a talented intern, gained recognition after her article was published in the local newspaper.

During a visit to Xu Hongqi's home, Ling Yi offered to write a feature story about the factory, which Xu Hongqi welcomed. Xu Hongqi encouraged her son, Ye Feng, to learn from Ling Yi's studious nature, and Ling Yi agreed to help him by borrowing books from the university library. Meanwhile, Fei Ni continued to look for ways to raise the money needed for the television coupon.

She reached out to a colleague, Ms. Liu, for a loan, but Ms. Liu explained her own financial hardships. She suggested that Fei Ni might have better luck asking Ye Feng, noting that he had fewer burdens and would likely help her given their past relationship. Fei Ni, however, remained hesitant and decided to look for other options.

Fang Muyang brought home a 206 manual turntable, surprising Fei Ni with the elegant sounds of Mozart. In an era of scarcity, the music and a homemade paper lantern created a rare romantic atmosphere. However, concerned about the potential trouble of owning such a luxury, Fei Ni urged him to return it. Suspicious of its origins, she followed him that night to the home of Engineer Gao, a skilled technician from the No. 2 Electromechanical Factory.

There, she discovered they were clandestinely assembling a television set from a pile of parts and blueprints. Fei Ni decided to support their efforts, and the group worked tirelessly to complete the difficult project. Meanwhile, Fang Mujing prepared to move to Jiangcheng University for a research project. When she finally told her husband, Qu Hua, he was heavily intoxicated and pleaded with her not to leave, but he called her "Yan Yan."

Realizing she was merely a substitute for Qu Hua’s late ex-girlfriend—whom she strikingly resembled—Mujing was heartbroken. She left a photograph of the woman and a parting note for Qu Hua before boarding the train to Jiangcheng. Despite Qu Hua’s frantic search for her at the station, Mujing remained hidden in the carriage, weeping as the train departed. Back at the workshop, the homemade television was a success.

Fei Ni and Fang Muyang delivered the device to Chief Wang, whose home was immediately crowded with neighbors eager to see the marvel. Satisfied with the results, Chief Wang fulfilled her promise and helped secure Fei Ting a position as a regular cadre in the Publicity Department, finally ending his days of menial labor at the milk station. With a stable job, Fei Ting visited Lin Mei’s family to discuss marriage.

However, he overheard her nephew, Lin Jianshe, revealing that the family wanted Lin Mei to marry someone with better connections to help her brother’s career. To further test him, Lin Mei’s parents demanded a complete set of furniture known as "thirty-six legs" as a condition for the wedding. Determined to marry Lin Mei without her suffering further slights, Fei Ting promised to provide the furniture within a single month.

He used his life savings to source lumber from his former contacts at the farm, while Fei Ni and their father pooled their remaining money to ensure he could complete the task. In another development, Ling Yi brought books to Ye Feng, injuring herself in the process. Touched by her sincerity and realizing he had overlooked her while previously pining for Fei Ni, Ye Feng finally asked Ling Yi to be his girlfriend.

At home, Fang Muyang continued to show his devotion to Fei Ni by setting up a private "bathhouse" area with a curtain. Though Fei Ni initially insisted they maintain a polite distance to avoid further emotional complications, she was clearly moved by his constant efforts to improve their life together.

To help Fei Ting meet the wedding requirement of "thirty-six legs" of furniture, Fei Ni's entire family pooled their savings. Her father even brought out his secret stash of money, which he had saved for the children over the years by exchanging liquor coupons. Since the high cost of quality wood left no money for a carpenter or a wedding banquet, Fang Muyang volunteered his own carpentry skills.

He promised to repay the family double if his work was unsatisfactory and suggested that the saved labor costs serve as his and Fei Ni’s wedding gift to the couple. Over the next month, Fang Muyang and Fei Ting worked tirelessly after their shifts. Fang designed the furniture himself, utilizing skills he had mastered through trial and error while living at a forest farm during his time as an educated youth.

Seeing his talent and dedication, Fei Ni’s mother finally began to appreciate her son-in-law. During their breaks, Fei Ting praised Fang’s resilience, comparing him to a weed that could thrive in any environment. In return, Fang asked for the leftover wood as a gift, which Fei Ting gladly granted. When the furniture was finished, its professional quality delighted Lin Mei’s parents.

After a heartfelt speech from Fei Ting promising to cherish Lin Mei more than anyone else, the couple celebrated a joyous wedding. When Fei Ni and Fang Muyang returned home that night, she found that the bunk bed in their room had been replaced by a spacious double bed Fang Muyang had built.

Noticing her shyness, he playfully invited her to test its comfort and revealed a partition board he had placed in the middle to act as a "border" to reduce awkwardness. As they settled in, they spent the evening talking and laughing. Fang Muyang even performed a monologue from Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" and an impromptu shadow play, showcasing the cultural knowledge he had gained by sneaking into the City Theater during his younger days.

Meanwhile, a project merger brought several researchers to the city, including Fang Muyang's sister, Fang Mujing, and her colleagues Ding Yang and Mr. Liu. Despite being in the same city as her brother, Fang Mujing remained focused on her research, explaining to her colleagues that people simply have different priorities in life. Fei Ting’s transition to the Publicity Department proved challenging, as his writing skills were not yet up to the task.

When assigned to write a radio interview script about a workshop’s production success, Fei Ni drafted a sophisticated article for him, using the founding of New China as a grand backdrop. However, Feng Lin from the factory office criticized it for being too high-brow and out of touch. Lin Mei then helped Fei Ting rewrite it using simple, gritty language about hard labor and sweat.

When this version reached Director Xu Hongqi, she found it lacking in depth and suggested a broader historical perspective—the exact approach Fei Ni had taken. Fei Ting quickly presented the original draft, which Xu Hongqi highly praised and ordered to be broadcast immediately. To celebrate the broadcast’s success, Fang Muyang invited Fei Ni to the rooftop for a "Great Northern Wilderness" hotpot.

He shared stories of the hardships he faced in the countryside, such as eating coarse grains and fishing in frozen lakes, and confessed that he had liked her since they were in elementary school. He explained how those experiences taught him to find joy in small things, like a bowl of "two rice." During their conversation, Fei Ni shared her own secret ambition: she wanted to study in the Chinese Literature Department and eventually become a writer. Fang Muyang warmly encouraged her, expressing his unwavering belief in her talent.

Married life for Fei Ni and Fang Muyang is filled with quiet affection. They often surprise one another with treats from work; Fei Ni brings meatballs from her factory canteen, while Fang Muyang shares steak with her. To support her intellectual growth, Fang Muyang borrows a key to the bookstore so they can read together at night. When Fei Ni shares her reading reflections with her teacher, she is praised for her sophisticated prose and broad perspective.

Fang Muyang encourages her further with a compass analogy: having a goal is essential, but she must also watch the road, allowing for pauses and detours to enjoy the journey. Beyond her academic dreams, he urges her to pursue fashion design, noting her talent in making clothes for the family. He even takes her to foreign films to sketch stylish outfits, promising to turn her inspirations into professional designs. However, Fei Ni faces harshness at the textile factory.

When a colleague, Ms. Liu, praises her clothing sketches, a supervisor named Feng Lin intervenes. Feng Lin berates Fei Ni for neglecting her socialist duties, calling her a "rusted screw" and tearing her drawings. Despite this, Ms. Liu tasks Fei Ni with the workshop’s entry for a citywide blackboard newspaper contest. Although Feng Lin is the supervisor and insists on a generic article titled "Praise of Heroes," Fei Ni finds it disconnected from the workers' lives.

Late at night, Fang Muyang helps Fei Ni sneak into the factory to create a more authentic display. He sketches her weaving movements to create vivid illustrations, and they replace the generic text with a piece celebrating the workshop’s actual success in producing twill cotton. The next morning, Director Xu is impressed by the worker-focused display.

When Feng Lin attempts to accuse Fei Ni of individualism, Fei Ni cleverly credits the workshop's success to the director’s leadership, forcing Feng Lin to back down. Meanwhile, Fang Muyang’s sister, Fang Mujing, starts her role at the university's math department, where she encounters her ex-boyfriend, Liu Wei. Liu Wei, who once left her to protect his career prospects due to her family background, is resentful of her presence on the project team.

Her husband, Dr. Qu Hua, arrives to pick her up and overhears Liu Wei questioning if she married for connections. Qu Hua firmly defends his wife, though their marriage remains strained. He is hurt that he was the last to know about her transfer, while Mujing feels she is merely a substitute for a woman named Yan from Qu Hua's past.

Later, Fang Muyang visits his sister and meets Qu Hua, who gives him money to take Mujing out for a meal, admitting that a "wrong start" in marriage can still find a "happy ending" through effort. Back at the couple's home, Fei Ni’s parents find a hidden "Marriage Agreement" while tidying the bed. This discovery sparks a family confrontation. Fei Ni’s brother, Fei Ting, fears his sister will face the stigma of divorce.

To protect Fei Ni, Fang Muyang makes a heartfelt confession, revealing he has loved her since childhood and even drew her likeness while recovering from memory loss in the hospital. He declares he will never divorce her and will follow her lead in all things. This sincerity calms the parents, and once they are alone, a moved Fei Ni asks if he meant it; Fang Muyang answers with a tender kiss.

As things settle, Fang Muyang’s artistic talent is noticed by Yuan Jiashang, a prominent figure in the art world, who hires him to draw drafts for comic commissions. Ever the devoted husband, Fang Muyang’s only request is an extra portion of food to bring home to Fei Ni. At the same time, Fei Ting struggles with his new office job in the propaganda department.

He eventually finds peace in the factory canteen, where his wife, Lin Mei, discovers him happily preparing vegetables, realizing he is far more content with a kitchen knife than a pen.

Fang Muyang and Fei Ni continue to enjoy their domestic life, often surprising each other with treats after work. One evening, Fang Muyang brings home boiled meatball soup, while Fei Ni brings a fried pork cutlet. She explains that the meal was a treat from Mr. Yuan, a renowned lianhuanhua artist who visited her office to offer her a paid commission after being impressed by her work.

Fang Muyang is thrilled by her success, while Fei Ni is equally touched by his thoughtfulness. To support Fei Ni’s literary passion, Fang Muyang arranges a secret late-night visit to the Xinhua Bookstore Warehouse. He secured the key from Ms. Liu, the warehouse manager and wife of President Fu. In the dimly lit warehouse, they read restricted "grey cover" and "yellow cover" books, including "The Catcher in the Rye" and "Waiting for Godot."

Encouraged by Teacher Chen’s praise that her writing has matured into that of a professional writer, Fei Ni credits her growth to Fang Muyang’s constant support. Fei Ni’s talents also shine at the textile factory, where she sweeps the blackboard newspaper competition, winning the first, second, and third prizes. Her work even draws praise from inspecting leaders for its vibrant and disciplined style. To celebrate, she prepares a meal of two crabs for Fang Muyang.

During dinner, she confesses that she had nearly given up on her dreams because no one else believed in her. Fang Muyang then surprises her with a deeply personal gift: a collection of her clothing design sketches that he had painstakingly retrieved and taped back together, promising that even if they cannot make the clothes yet, he will continue to draw them for her.

The couple’s secret is exposed when Fei Ni's parents visit and discover their "Marriage Agreement" hidden under the bed. The document reveals the marriage was a sham for housing. A heated confrontation follows; her parents feel betrayed, and her brother, Fei Ting, worries about the social stigma of Fei Ni becoming a divorcee. To save their relationship, Fang Muyang makes a heartfelt confession.

He shows them sketches of Fei Ni he made while recovering from memory loss, explaining that even when he couldn't remember his own name, she was the only image in his mind. Moved, Fei Ni admits to her family that she has truly fallen for him. Though skeptical, her parents decide to observe the couple for a year before allowing any talk of divorce. Meanwhile, Fang Mujing struggles with her long-distance marriage to Qu Hua.

After a frustrating phone call where a nurse informed her Qu Hua was in surgery, she impulsively prepares a divorce agreement. However, her heart softens when Qu Hua sends a large package containing beef and candy, along with a protective note telling her not to share the sweets with male colleagues. Realizing he cares, Mujing knits him a sweater, which Qu Hua treasures and wears constantly. Fei Ting’s dissatisfaction with his idle office job leads to tension with Lin Mei.

Preferring manual labor, he frequently slips away to help in the factory canteen. Lin Mei eventually catches him and is furious, fearing he will lose his professional status. Tensions escalate when Fei Ting begins returning home late smelling of vanishing cream. Suspecting an affair, Lin Mei follows him to a private residence, only to discover that Fei Ting is moonlighting as a chef for wedding banquets to earn extra money for her clothes.

Moved by his dedication, Lin Mei reconciles with him. As the New Year approaches, Fang Muyang visits his sister at the university, finding her much more optimistic. Back at home, the physical distance between Fang Muyang and Fei Ni finally vanishes. One night, Fang Muyang claims his blanket is wet and unusable. Fei Ni invites him to share her quilt, and under the warmth of a single blanket, the two finally become a true husband and wife.

Lin Mei was devastated to learn that Fei Ting was still neglecting his responsibilities at the Publicity Division to help out in the cafeteria. She confronted him in tears, explaining that Fei Ni had worked incredibly hard to secure that office position for him. For Lin Mei, his job was about more than just a paycheck; it provided the social standing she needed to feel respected by her own family, especially her sister-in-law.

Seeing her distress, Fei Ting apologized and promised to stay at his desk. To help him integrate, Lin Mei gave him candies to share with his colleagues, reminding him to remove his apron and act like a proper office worker. Meanwhile, following her brother’s advice to improve communication, Fang Mujing attempted to call Qu Hua at the hospital.

When a nurse informed her he was in surgery, Mujing’s frustration led her to write a divorce letter, suggesting they end their marriage since it had originally been for mutual benefit. Qu Hua didn't respond with words, but with a large package containing braised beef and White Rabbit milk candies.

His attached note ignored the divorce and instead expressed concern for her health, telling her to share the candy with colleagues—specifically excluding a man named Liu Wei—while keeping the beef for herself. Touched by the gesture, Mujing decided to knit Qu Hua a sweater. Since she didn't know his exact measurements, she estimated them by comparing him to other professors at the university.

When Qu Hua received the "peace of mind" sweater, he was so thrilled that he wore it constantly, even claiming he had a cold just to keep it on in mild weather. At the press, Fang Muyang began working on illustrations for Mr. Yuan. While there, he ran into Liao, who was interning as a reporter, but he politely noted that their work likely wouldn't overlap. Simultaneously, Ye Feng remained bitter over Fei Ni choosing Fang Muyang.

His girlfriend, Ling Yi, reassured him of his superiority in education and career, suggesting that Fei Ni simply had poor taste. Ye Feng apologized for using Ling Yi to spite his ex and promised to focus on their relationship, eventually agreeing to his mother's plan for them to marry after the New Year. Fei Ni’s parents remained skeptical of her marriage and frequently visited to observe the couple.

To maintain the appearance of a devoted pair, Fei Ni and Fang Muyang put on a show of deep affection, even pretending to kiss to convince her mother. However, a new tension arose when Lin Mei became suspicious of Fei Ting again. He was coming home late smelling of vanishing cream and lard. Suspecting an affair, she followed him to a private residence and heard a young girl warmly greeting him.

Lin Mei rushed to find Fei Ni, and together they confronted him, only to discover a large banquet in progress. It turned out Fei Ting was moonlighting as a chef. He explained that the cafeteria's head chef had introduced him to the gig so he could earn extra money—about 3. 5 yuan per banquet—to buy Lin Mei a red sweater.

While Fei Ni warned him not to let it interfere with his main job, Lin Mei was deeply moved by his efforts. During the Lunar New Year, Qu Hua traveled to Jiangcheng University to surprise Fang Mujing, finding her cooking simple noodles in her dorm. He stayed for four days to be with her.

Later, while visiting Fei Ni and Fang Muyang, Qu Hua displayed his impressive knife skills in the kitchen, joking that they were as precise as his work with a scalpel. He mused that marriages are like either candy or Chinese herbs—some are instantly sweet, while others are bitter but improve one's well-being over time. The Fei family gathered for a festive dinner where the atmosphere was warm.

Fei Ni's father, emboldened by alcohol, challenged Fang Muyang to a toast and demanded a guarantee that he would treat Fei Ni well for the rest of his life. Fang Muyang promised that while he might not provide a life of luxury, he would always respect, love, and support her. That night, Fang Muyang decided it was time to end their arrangement of sleeping in separate beds.

He purposefully spilled water on his own blanket, claiming it was too wet to use. With no other choice, Fei Ni allowed him to share her bed, and in the quiet of the night, they finally transitioned from a marriage of convenience to a true husband and wife.

Ye Feng and Ling Yi recently celebrated their wedding, an event made particularly grand because Ye Feng’s mother, Xu Hongqi, serves as the head of the factory office. Meanwhile, Fei Ni and Fang Muyang remain in their blissful honeymoon phase. Fei Ni frequently visits the newspaper office to bring Fang Muyang lunch, once even surprising him with a fragrant dish of bok choy prepared with pork lard.

Fang Muyang has been busy working on comic strips for Mr. Yuan and Editor Liao, but he always finds time to encourage his wife. He mentions a writing contest for the literary section of Jiangcheng Daily with the theme "The Scenery of Jiangcheng," suggesting that if Fei Ni wins, it could significantly improve her chances of securing a nomination for the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University.

At the Jiangcheng No. 1 Textile Factory, the Publicity Division is tasked with a major model worker campaign. Fei Ting is overwhelmed when Chief Wang assigns him a massive stack of records to compile into a promotional booklet. Feeling inadequate, Fei Ting asks Fei Ni to ghostwrite the reports for him. Fei Ni refuses, urging her brother to take his career seriously by studying the writing style of other model worker stories in the daily newspaper.

Despite his efforts, Fei Ting finds himself unable to produce a single word. He eventually vents his frustrations to Fang Muyang, admitting that while he felt capable in the Great Northern Wilderness, he now feels lost in the city. Fang Muyang offers a supportive perspective, comparing people to screws of different sizes; a short screw might fail to fix a sofa but is perfect for a stool.

He encourages Fei Ting to find a role that fits his unique strengths, like his culinary skills, rather than forcing himself into a mold that doesn't fit. Meanwhile, Chief Wang criticizes Fei Ting’s work for lacking genuine emotion and suggests he seek help from his talented sister. Fang Muyang faces his own professional hurdles when Mr. Yuan criticizes his latest comic draft for being too crowded and lacking a clear protagonist.

Although Fang Muyang values his artistic style, he decides to compromise for the sake of his family's income, acknowledging that having a wife and household has changed his priorities for the better. During a quiet moment with Fei Ni, he notices her struggle with the contest article. When she worries her unique perspective might be seen as off-topic, he compares her work to the Impressionist painters who were once mocked but eventually became revolutionary.

He tells her that true art must carry the creator's unique imprint. Inspired, Fei Ni pours her heart into the piece, enduring many sleepless nights to perfect it. When the contest results are announced, Fang Muyang rushes home with a copy of Jiangcheng Daily, ecstatic to show Fei Ni that her article won first prize. However, their celebration turns to confusion and anger when they realize the byline on her work is "Ling Yi."

Fei Ni is certain the content is hers, and Fang Muyang, having read her drafts, confirms the plagiarism. They confront Ling Yi at the Xu residence, but she boldly demands proof, accusing them of slander. In a private conversation with Fang Muyang, Ling Yi admits her guilt but remains defiant, claiming the article is her essential bargaining chip to stay at the newspaper after her internship.

She mentions how Fang Muyang once gave her his university spot after her attempted suicide, but Fang Muyang makes it clear he will never use his past help as leverage. Determined to find justice, Fang Muyang realizes the newspaper's trash isn't cleared daily. Late at night, he and Fei Ni dig through the bins outside the office and recover the shredded remains of her original manuscript, which still bears her handwriting and a dated postmark.

They present this evidence to President Fu. Faced with the postmark and her own accidental slip of the tongue regarding where she actually disposed of the original, Ling Yi breaks down in tears. She pleads that she was desperate to prove herself and not embarrass President Fu, who was a close friend of her late mother. Fei Ni, choosing kindness over vengeance, only asks for her byline back. President Fu agrees and publishes a correction notice the following day.

On their way home, Fei Ni tells Fang Muyang that she understands Ling Yi’s insecurity. Since Ling Yi has no parents, she feels the need to secure a prestigious job to maintain her dignity within the Xu family. Back at the factory, Fei Ni’s success is broadcast over the loudspeaker, and Chief Wang hails her as a rising star. However, a new conflict emerges.

To earn extra money, Fei Ting has been taking "sick leave" to work private catering jobs with Master Li. During one such job, he is spotted by Feng Lin, who has long held a grudge against the Fei family. Seeing Fei Ting looking perfectly healthy while supposedly ill, Feng Lin realizes she has found the perfect leverage to cause trouble for him.

Fei Ting and Chef Li continued their secret side hustle of catering private events. After a successful wedding banquet where the guests specifically praised Fei Ting’s stir-fried pork, the host paid them generously. To show his appreciation, Chef Li gave Fei Ting an extra share of the earnings. Despite the financial gain, they had to carefully neutralize the smell of cooking smoke on their clothes before returning to the factory to avoid raising suspicion.

Meanwhile, Fang Muyang celebrated the publication of his comic strip. Although it was published under his mentor’s name, Fang Muyang was indifferent to the lack of credit, focusing instead on the joy of the work and the royalties he could now contribute to the household. When he shared the news with Fei Ni, she was initially frustrated by the unfair signature, but her heart melted when he presented her with a handmade carousel lantern.

He had salvaged her discarded drawings from a newspaper office trash can to decorate it, telling her that she remained the most beautiful scenery in his eyes. The couple later went to the cinema to watch a film about a young cavalry soldier. During the outing, Fei Ni noticed Fang Muyang’s hidden emotional burdens and promised to always be a supportive listener, offering her own shoulder as a reliable place for him to lean.

However, trouble was brewing at the factory. Feng Lin had discovered Fei Ting’s unauthorized moonlighting and reported him to the factory director, Xu Hongqi. During a tense interrogation, a terrified Chef Li pleaded for his job, citing his responsibility as his family's sole provider. Seeing the elder man's desperation, Fei Ting took full responsibility, claiming he had instigated the side jobs.

He admitted to Chief Wang that he was never suited for publicity work, comparing himself to a screw placed in the wrong hole. Consequently, while Chef Li received a demerit and a ban on future commendations, Fei Ting was officially dismissed. Fei Ting spent the day by the river, dreading how to tell his wife, Lin Mei. He eventually confided in Fei Ni, explaining that he felt more alive and capable holding a ladle than a pen.

Fei Ni supported his perspective but advised him to keep the dismissal a secret from Lin Mei for the time being to save her face. To help his brother-in-law maintain the appearance of a steady income, Fang Muyang shared his own pocket money with Fei Ting, calling them "comrades in the same trench." He warned Fei Ting to be extremely cautious, as selling roasted sweet potatoes on the street was considered illegal profiteering.

At the Fei family home, the parents prepared a feast to celebrate Fang Muyang’s success. Unaware of the job loss, they praised Fei Ting for his "stable" position in the Publicity Division. Overwhelmed by guilt, Fei Ting avoided the dinner table, choosing instead to oil a bicycle outside. Meanwhile, Feng Lin tried to capitalize on the vacancy by suggesting a student named Wang Defa for Fei Ting's old job.

Xu Hongqi saw through her attempt at cronyism and sternly ordered her to mind her own business. In another part of the city, Fang Mujing achieved a major research breakthrough, receiving a commendation from the Ministry. At a celebration dinner, she drank more than usual and was later confronted by her ex-boyfriend, Liu Wei. He arrogantly assumed she had only married Qu Hua for his military background and suggested she was unhappy.

Fang Mujing firmly rebuffed him, declaring her deep love for her husband and warning Liu Wei that any further interference would be reported as an attempt to undermine her marriage. Qu Hua, who had arrived to pick her up, overheard her defense of their relationship. As he cared for his wife, he revealed that he had applied for a transfer to the Jiangcheng People’s Hospital to be permanently by her side.

The secret of Fei Ting’s unemployment finally collapsed when he was caught by the police while selling roasted sweet potatoes. Lin Mei was summoned to the scene and was mortified to find her husband being detained for profiteering. When Fei Ting finally confessed he had been fired months ago, Lin Mei was devastated by the deception. Although the officer released him with a warning, his cart and equipment were confiscated.

Back at her workplace, a furious Lin Mei gave him an ultimatum: either beg for his factory job back, or they would separate. Seeking advice, Fei Ting visited Fang Muyang and Fei Ni, still obsessing over the technical nuances of roasting sweet potatoes. Fang Muyang advised him that he couldn't hide forever; he needed to convince Lin Mei to accept his true self—not as a polished official, but as a man who found dignity in honest, manual labor. Fang Muyang even offered to teach him a "childish but effective" trick to win her back, as the two men bonded over the complexities of marriage and identity.

Following the advice of Fang Muyang, Fei Ting visits Lin Mei at the supply and marketing cooperative to resolve their conflict. To get her attention, he makes a scene by purchasing large quantities of fruit candy, fabric, rice, and pork. When they step outside to talk, Lin Mei insists that he must get his job back at the Publicity Division.

However, Fei Ting explains that he never felt like he belonged there, as he lacks a passion for writing and reading. He tells her that he is much more at home in the kitchen, working with his hands and dealing with the heat and smoke of cooking. Comparing himself to Fang Muyang, he argues that one can live a good life without a prestigious title.

Lin Mei eventually accepts the real Fei Ting, though she demands to take control of their finances and requires him to earn at least thirty yuan a month. That evening, disaster strikes when Fang Muyang trips over a basin while going out to empty footbath water for Fei Ni, resulting in a head injury. In her rush to take him to the hospital for observation, Fei Ni forgets to lock their front door.

Feng Lin, passing by on factory business, notices the open door and enters the home. She discovers a copy of the banned foreign novel "Pride and Prejudice" and immediately reports it to Xu Hongqi. Fei Ni is soon detained by the factory security section. Hearing the news while still at the hospital, Fang Muyang rushes to the factory to save his wife.

He attempts to take all the blame, claiming the books belong to him and that he hid them from Fei Ni, even signing a confession. However, Fei Ni also signs a confession, believing that her background as part of a "model worker" family will protect her from being arrested, whereas she fears Fang Muyang would face much harsher treatment. While the couple is detained, Fang Mujing and Qu Hua arrive for a visit and find the house in total disarray.

After learning what happened, they enlist the help of Ling Yi and visit Xu Hongqi's home. Qu Hua attempts to protect the couple by claiming that he and Fang Mujing were the ones who left the books there without Fei Ni's knowledge. Ye Feng also speaks up on their behalf, pointing out that Feng Lin acted out of a personal grudge and overstepped her authority by using the security section without proper approval.

Ling Yi adds that universities have become more tolerant of such literature. Worried that a public scandal involving a "bad element" would disqualify the factory from being named a city-level advanced production unit, Xu Hongqi decides not to fire Fei Ni. Instead, she issues a factory-wide criticism and revokes the couple's housing unit. Losing their first home, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni move back into her parents' house.

To avoid overcrowding the small space, Fang Muyang stays at his sister’s apartment, sleeping in the living room. Not long after, a magnitude 7. 5 earthquake strikes Beishan City, and the powerful aftershocks reach Jiangcheng, causing many buildings to collapse. During the disaster, Fei Ni manages to rescue a young girl. Fang Muyang uses the survival skills he gained in the Great Northern Wilderness to lead the neighbors in building temporary shelters out of scrap wood and oilcloth.

He even constructs a small, private tent for Fei Ni so she won't have to sleep in the crowded public shelter. Tucked away in their own small space, the couple finds a sense of security and intimacy despite the surrounding devastation. As the earthquake relief efforts intensify, the factory shifts its focus to sewing rescue tents, with Xu Hongqi declaring the production line to be the new front line.

The magazine office responds to the government's call by sending a team to the epicenter to provide on-site coverage. Given Fang Muyang’s talent for illustration and his proven ability to survive in harsh environments, his supervisor selects him for the assignment. The situation is urgent, leaving Fang Muyang with only an hour to prepare for departure. Unable to find Fei Ni before he has to leave, he calls her workplace. A colleague answers the phone, and Fang Muyang asks her to tell his wife that he has been sent to the disaster area to support the relief efforts.

Fang Muyang informed his parents that the newspaper was sending him to the epicenter for a reporting assignment. Though his parents were concerned about the danger, he explained that first-hand information could only be gathered on-site. He attempted to call Fei Ni at the factory, but since she was busy in the workshop, he left a hurried message with her colleague, Ms. Liu, stating that he had to leave immediately for the disaster area.

Upon receiving the message, Fei Ni frantically requested leave and rushed to catch the departing reporting team, which consisted of members from the newspaper, magazine, and publishing house. The bus had already started its journey, and she chased it for a long distance. Hearing her shouts, Fang Muyang urged the driver to stop and hopped off. The two shared a tearful, hurried embrace. Fang Muyang comforted her, promising to return safely before boarding the bus again.

Meanwhile, Qu Hua finished a grueling night of eight surgeries only to receive orders to support the epicenter. Concerned by reports of colleagues dying in aftershocks, he visited Fang Mujing with a signed divorce agreement. He explained that if something happened to him, he didn't want her to feel burdened. Fang Mujing was deeply moved but firmly rejected the idea, tearing up the agreement in front of him.

She told him that if the person she loved were injured, he would only need her more, and she urged him to stay safe so he could save more lives. On the journey to the disaster area, Fang Muyang opened a package Fei Ni had prepared with the help of her friends Lin Mei and Nurse Xiao Zhou. It was filled with biscuits, canned beef, fruit, and essential medicines.

A note from Fei Ni reminded him that many people were waiting for his return and that he shouldn't leave her to repay all those favors alone. The gesture filled him with a profound sense of having a home to return to. The disaster area was a scene of devastation. While the reporters were assigned to a safe temporary post, Fang Muyang felt that drawing pictures was secondary to saving lives.

He approached the commanders, volunteering his skills in carpentry to build emergency shelters and stretchers, even offering to help move stones to rescue victims. Similarly, Qu Hua requested that his operating table be moved as close to the victims as possible. During the rescue efforts, Fang Muyang and Qu Hua crossed paths. Amidst the ruins, they worked tirelessly by day and found brief moments at night to gaze at the full moon, sharing their quiet longing for their wives.

Back in the city, the lack of communication left Fei Ni and Fang Mujing in constant anxiety. Fang Mujing compared her brother to a "copper pea"—stubborn and resilient—to comfort Fei Ni. However, a radio broadcast soon reported a 6. 2-magnitude aftershock, mentioning that several members of the "Great Northern Wilderness Educated Youth Rescue Team" had been seriously injured.

Terrified, Fei Ni sought information from Fang Muyang’s Uncle Fu, who confirmed that Muyang had joined the rescue team with the army but had no further news. Unable to wait any longer, Fei Ni pleaded with Xu Hongqi to send her to the front lines. Despite the danger of ongoing aftershocks, Xu Hongqi eventually relented, moved by her determination.

Fei Ni’s parents packed a bag of food, and her father mentioned a bottle of fine liquor he was saving to share with his son-in-law upon his return. After a bumpy journey, Fei Ni arrived at the medical station. She searched through the tents, asking everyone if they knew Fang Muyang. Finally, she spotted him—covered in grime and about to head back to the rubble.

He had been injured while saving an older man who had been trapped for four days. Fang Muyang shared a heartbreaking story about a little girl who called herself a "little radish" while he sang to her during the rescue, though they ultimately couldn't save her.

When Fang Muyang tried to arrange for Fei Ni to return on a supply truck, she refused, insisting that as a woman she could "hold up half the sky" and would stay by his side to help. The rescue work continued for thirty-five days. Qu Hua returned home first, sharing an emotional embrace with Fang Mujing and telling her he had helped save 112 people. Soon after, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni also returned safely. Seeing the whole family reunited, Fei Ni’s parents were moved to tears and immediately began preparing a feast to celebrate their safe return.

Xu Hongqi observed a profound change in Fei Ni, realizing that the hardships in the earthquake zone had matured the girl she once considered solely focused on social climbing through education. She recognized that Fei Ni’s newfound selflessness was fueled by her deep devotion to Fang Muyang. Around the same time, Ye Feng approached his mother regarding a vacancy in the Publicity Division of the textile factory.

He championed his wife, Ling Yi, highlighting her impending university graduation and her talent for writing. While Xu Hongqi was initially wary of appearing to practice nepotism, she eventually consulted Chief Wang of the Publicity Division. To her relief, Chief Wang eagerly welcomed the idea, stating that the department was actively seeking a university graduate with Ling Yi’s skills.

At home, Fei Ni and Fang Muyang shared a tender moment, reflecting on the unconventional places they had slept since being together—from bunk beds and earthquake shelters to the makeshift "table bed" they were currently using. Despite the physical hardships, Fei Ni told Fang Muyang that those moments felt beautiful because they were together. Meanwhile, Fei Ting’s struggle to find stable work led him to secretly roast sweet potatoes to earn money.

However, he was discovered by Lin Mei’s brother, who took the first opportunity to expose him during a family dinner. Lin Mei’s parents, disappointed that their son-in-law had lost his prestigious factory job to become a street vendor, subjected him to harsh ridicule. They even mockingly suggested that Lin Mei only married him for a free supply of potatoes. Unable to endure her family’s condescension, Lin Mei defended Fei Ting’s hard work and walked out with him.

Feeling guilty for the humiliation his wife faced, Fei Ting vowed to find a formal job as soon as possible to ensure she would never suffer. Fang Muyang dedicated himself to a comic strip series based on his real-life experiences in the disaster zone. His uncle, Fu Boquan, arranged a meeting with Mr. Yuan, a prominent figure in the publishing world, hoping to help Fang Muyang’s career.

The collaboration quickly soured when Mr. Yuan insisted on altering the story for "artistic truth," arguing that a textile worker walking fifty kilometers to a disaster zone was unrealistic and should be changed to a nurse. Fang Muyang firmly refused to erase the truth of his characters, particularly the one based on his wife, Fei Ni.

Despite warnings that he might never be published without Mr. Yuan's name attached, Fang Muyang chose to walk away to preserve the authenticity of his work. Unsure of the professional prospects for his comic, Fang Muyang showed the finished work to Fei Ni first. Her emotional reaction and her recognition of people like their brother-in-law, Qu Hua, gave him the confidence to proceed.

Fu Boquan eventually helped arrange for the comic, "Heroes in Earthquake Relief," to be serialized in the "Jiangcheng Daily". The series was an immediate success, touching the hearts of readers across the city. The political atmosphere at the factory shifted with the arrival of a new Vice Director, Chen Jiansheng, who refocused the factory on production efficiency. During a staff announcement, Xu Hongqi was reassigned from her administrative post back to the production line in Workshop One.

Seizing the opportunity to climb the ladder, Xu Hongqi’s former assistant, Feng Lin, publicly denounced her, accusing her of using her influence to secure a position for Ling Yi. The betrayal and the public shaming left Xu Hongqi devastated and bedridden with a fever. Determined to restore her mother-in-law's honor, Ling Yi and Ye Feng visited Vice Director Chen.

Ling Yi presented her college credentials and a portfolio of her writing to prove she was hired based on merit rather than "the back door." Chen was impressed by her talent and realized that Feng Lin’s accusations were fueled by personal ambition. He vindicated Xu Hongqi, recalling her past as a model worker who could manage a dozen looms with ease.

To restore order, he reassigned the opportunistic Feng Lin to the sizing workshop and encouraged Ye Feng to help his mother regain her pride. As Fang Muyang’s comic continued to receive moving letters from readers like Tian Xueying, he received a long-awaited letter from Yunnan. His parents were finally set to return, prompting him to prepare for a journey to bring them home and reunite the family at last.

Xu Hongqi officially begins her new life as a regular worker in Workshop One at the textile factory. Stepping down from her leadership position, she remains humble. When the workshop head asks Li Weihong to help her get settled, Xu Hongqi politely declines, noting that her twenty years of experience as a weaver mean she is already intimately familiar with the machinery.

She asks her colleagues to stop calling her "Director Xu" and instead refer to her simply as "Sister Xu." At home, Fang Muyang shows his sister, Fang Mujing, a letter from their parents, who are finally returning from Yunnan. He urges her to join him in picking them up, but she is resistant, having long ago cut ties with them to protect herself.

She uses a mathematical analogy to explain her stance, suggesting that if the foundational step of a problem is wrong, every subsequent result is also incorrect. Fang Muyang insists that family is not a math problem and tells her he has already bought her ticket. Later, Qu Hua finds Mujing in distress. He reminds her that her very name is a combination of her parents' surnames, meaning she can never truly separate her identity from them.

He promises to stand by her regardless of her decision, ensuring she knows she has a family that can never be "cut off." Meanwhile, at the factory, Ye Feng hears rumors that the basketball team is being disbanded. He confronts Vice Director Chen, calling the decision a lack of ambition. The Vice Director retorts that his own ambition is focused on production and technical improvements, not sports.

He tells Ye Feng to find a department willing to take him or find a new career elsewhere. Ye Feng discovers that his teammates have already snatched up the desirable spots in the Transport and Logistics departments. When he asks his friend Wang Yaozu to trade a spot in Transport, he is rejected. Left with only the cafeteria or gate security as options, Ye Feng turns to his mother.

Now a manual laborer herself, Xu Hongqi reminds him that all labor is honorable and encourages him to accept the cafeteria position. In another part of the factory, the head chef, Mr. Li, visits Fei Ting. Explaining that the cafeteria is short-staffed, he offers Fei Ting a job as a kitchen assistant. Despite the lower pay compared to his former role in the Publicity Division, Fei Ting is thrilled to return to the work he truly loves.

His parents finally learn that he had been unemployed since before the earthquake, having kept his dismissal a secret. While his mother is initially upset, his father is supportive, remarking that everyone has their own ambitions and praising Fei Ting's natural talent for cooking. Fang Muyang waits at the station for the trip to Yunnan, but Mujing does not show up. Traveling alone, he has an emotional reunion with his parents, Fang Qingyuan and Mu Shanhe.

He returns a watch his grandmother had left him and shows them a portrait he drew of Fei Ni, proudly introducing her as their daughter-in-law. He also shares that Mujing has married a neurosurgeon, though he covers for her absence by claiming she is too busy with work to meet them. On the first day of work in the cafeteria, the contrast between Fei Ting and Ye Feng is stark.

Fei Ting is enthusiastic and proud of his cooking, while Ye Feng is sullen and listless. When Fei Ni comes to get lunch, she notices Ye Feng’s poor attitude and offers him encouragement. She tells him that while he used to provide "spiritual nourishment" on the basketball court, he is now providing "physical nourishment" to the working class. This shifts Ye Feng’s mood, and he rewards her with a lunch box overflowing with meat.

Feng Lin, seeing her own meager portion, complains about the unfairness. Ye Feng does not back down, telling her she is welcome to come inside and serve the food herself if she is unhappy. Feng Lin continues to be provocative, mocking Fei Ni during the meal. She suggests that now that Fang Muyang’s intellectual parents have returned, he will surely find Fei Ni beneath him and leave her.

Fang Muyang arrives at the cafeteria just in time to overhear this, having come straight from the train station. He shuts down Feng Lin’s insults by declaring that he is actually the one who "married up" by joining a respectable working-class family like Fei Ni's. The organization eventually returns two rooms of the family's old housing unit on Kangnan Road to Fang Muyang’s parents.

Fang Muyang asks Fei Ni if she would be willing to move in with them, and she happily agrees. Fei Ni’s parents prepare diligently for the first meeting with their in-laws, even setting aside their savings and industrial coupons to help the returning couple. At the reunion dinner, Fang Muyang’s parents express deep regret for their long absence and for failing as parents, but they are comforted to see that Fang Muyang has found such a warm and supportive family.

Fang Mujing is unable to attend; Qu Hua’s grandmother has fallen into a coma, and she goes with him to help care for her. Despite her absence, the dinner is a success, and the two families celebrate the young couple's decision to move into the old family home together.

Fang Muyang and Fei Ni move into his parents' spacious home, finally securing a private space. While settling in, Fei Ni notices the character "Fei" carved into the bedstead. Fang Muyang confesses he carved it when he was sixteen, admitting he has loved her since then. Touched, Fei Ni carves Fang Muyang’s name next to hers. Their moment is briefly interrupted by Fang’s father asking for hot water, but the couple remains overjoyed by their new beginning.

At the factory, the time for university recommendations arrives. Having applied for several consecutive years, Fei Ni is summoned by Vice Director Chen. When asked why she is so persistent, Fei Ni speaks honestly: while she respects her work as a weaver, her true passion lies in literature and she dreams of becoming a writer. Impressed by her sincerity, the leadership recommends her to the Chinese Department at Ningzhou University.

Though the journey is two days by train and her income will drop during her studies, Fei Ni is ecstatic. She tells Fang Muyang the news, noting that the family will have to rely on his income for a while. Fang Muyang has news of his own. Uncle Fu from the publishing house informs him that while his comic serial is ending, the organization wants to publish it as a book.

However, they insist that the prestigious Mr. Yuan lead the project. Fang is told that if he cooperates and hands over his drafts, he will be granted permanent status and a housing allocation. Despite his artistic reservations, Fang meets with Mr. Yuan and "apologizes" for his previous stubbornness.

He listens as Mr. Yuan suggests cliché, "typical" revisions—replacing a textile worker with a nurse who works through an infection and adding tragic heroes with young children—and accepts them to ensure his family's stability. Meanwhile, Qu Hua’s grandmother is hospitalized and requires a dangerous craniotomy. Although Qu Hua is an expert, he has been unable to pick up a scalpel for a year and a half following a failed surgery on his former girlfriend, Yan.

His father, fearing another psychological blow, forbids him from operating. However, Fang Mujing encourages her husband to take responsibility, telling him she would trust no one else if she were on the table. Empowered by her faith, Qu Hua performs the surgery, which is a complete success. When Grandma wakes up, she is lucid and warmly acknowledges Mujing, no longer fixated on the past. Later, Qu Hua takes Mujing to the mountainside where he first met Yan.

He confesses that while he initially saw Mujing as a substitute for his first love, he now realizes she is far too brilliant to be anyone’s shadow. He declares his true love for her and formally says goodbye to his past. Political tides have shifted, allowing Fang Muyang’s mother, Mu Shanhe, to return to her career as a professor. She is assigned to the same office at Jiangcheng University as her daughter, Fang Mujing.

Their reunion is cold; Mujing avoids eye contact and refers to her mother only as "Teacher." Mujing later confides in Qu Hua that her mother values loyalty above all else. During the family's difficult years, while her father and brother refused to compromise, Mujing was the only one who signed a statement to "break ties" to protect herself. She believes her mother, who chose exile to stay with her husband, will never forgive this perceived betrayal.

In another household, Ling Yi attempts to advance Ye Feng’s career by reaching out to her senior, Chen Donghua, the secretary to the Textile Industry Bureau. She arranges a dinner to pitch Ye Feng for an accounting position. During the meal, Ye Feng becomes defensive and embarrassed by Ling Yi’s humble attitude toward Chen. He insists his current job in the canteen is fine and eventually storms out.

Undeterred, Ling Yi brings him accounting textbooks and an abacus, urging him to learn the trade within a month. Ye Feng struggles with the formulas, barely making it past the number three, and eventually snaps, declaring he would rather stay a worker than endure the pressure of her ambitions. At home, the two fathers continue to bond.

Fei Ni’s father, Fei Ting, teaches his "Fei-style Tai Chi" to Fang’s father, while Fei Ni helps her father-in-law organize his artistic insights for potential publication. When Fei Ni shows the elder Fang her husband’s comic drafts to prove their value, the old man is surprised. He admits the drawings are grounded in real life and possess a quality he hadn't expected from his son, finally acknowledging Fang Muyang's talent.

Having recently moved into a spacious room where Fang Muyang had once carved Fei Ni’s name as a teenager, the couple focuses on building their future. At the newspaper office, Fang Muyang faces a creative clash with his supervisor, Mr. Yuan. The senior editor dismisses his latest draft as overly romantic and impressionistic, demanding a more realistic style. Fei Ni, visiting the office, defends her husband’s work to the leadership.

She argues that because the story records real disasters and ordinary heroes, its authenticity is its greatest strength. She believes that if an artist is forced to draw something they don't believe in, the readers will feel the lack of emotion. Despite her support, Fang Muyang decides to settle the dispute by challenging Mr. Yuan to an anonymous competition. He bets his job on the outcome, proposing that the staff vote on whose style they prefer without knowing the artist.

Fang Muyang loses by a single vote and, true to his word, resigns immediately. The loss of income creates immediate pressure at home. While Fei Ni has been accepted into university, Fang Muyang’s parents are still waiting for their official reinstatements. His mother, Mu Sanhe, considers selling a precious jade bracelet passed down from her grandmother to cover the family's expenses. Fei Ni insists on keeping the heirloom and promises they will find another way.

Determined to support his wife’s education and the household, Fang Muyang visits the Educated Youth Office. He quickly accepts a job as a waiter at Deda Western Restaurant, a place where he spent many happy moments as a child. He tells Fei Ni that the restaurant environment is perfect for observing people, which will eventually help his artistic creation.

One evening, he brings home a lunch box of melted ice cream from a malfunctioning freezer, sharing a quiet, sweet moment of resilience with her. At the supply cooperative, Lin Mei is about to close up when a hurried customer leaves behind a bag. When Fei Ting arrives to pick her up, they discover the bag is filled with a large amount of cash.

Worried that the money might be stolen if left at the shop or handed over to the wrong person, they decide to keep it safe until the owner returns. That evening, they visit Lin Mei’s family for her mother’s birthday. The celebration is marred by her brother, Lin Song, who is demanding four hundred yuan from his parents to bribe his way into a transport team.

Lin Song even blames his parents for not marrying Lin Mei off to a well-connected man who could have helped his career. While Lin Mei is helping in the kitchen, Lin Song discovers the bag of money she had hidden. A physical struggle breaks out as he tries to steal the cash, claiming it as a "loan" for his job. Fei Ting intervenes to protect Lin Mei and the money, eventually taking her away from the toxic household.

Meanwhile, Ling Yi grows increasingly frustrated with Ye Feng’s lack of ambition. After a meeting with her senior, who suggests that Ye Feng is nearly impossible to help, she tries one last time to motivate her husband. She compares herself to a trumpet vine, explaining that she needs a sturdy post to lean on to feel secure. She begs him to study accounting and offers to have his broken abacus repaired.

However, Ye Feng remains defiant, stating plainly that he has no interest in the subject and cannot learn it. Qu Hua, seeing how much Mu Jing misses her family despite their history, takes the initiative to visit his parents-in-law at Kangnan Road. While his father-in-law, Fang Qingyuan, is genuinely happy to meet him, Mu Sanhe remains deeply hurt by her daughter’s past decision to officially sever ties during the political turmoil.

She coldly tells Qu Hua that her daughter is a stranger to them now. When Qu Hua returns home, he doesn't hide the truth from Mu Jing. He tells her that while her father misses her, her mother needs more time. He encourages her to be brave and take the first step toward reconciliation, suggesting that some wounds can only be stitched up by the person who experienced the pain.

As the month ends, Fang Muyang proudly shares the news of his first paycheck with Fei Ni. The two spend the evening fantasizing about what they would buy for their families if they had unlimited funds. They imagine getting a Leifeng Hat and warm gloves for Fang Muyang, reading glasses for his mother, and a large supply of liquor for his father. For Fei Ni’s father, they dream of a massive, six-meter-long writing desk equipped with the finest brushes and inkstones, along with a large bookshelf for her mother.

Fei Ting and Lin Mei had been living in a state of constant anxiety for three days, keeping the large sum of money they found hidden under their bed. Lin Mei was so nervous she couldn't sleep, terrified that the money might disappear or that they were doing something wrong.

While she briefly wondered if they could keep the cash if no one claimed it, Fei Ting remained firm in his integrity, insisting that using someone else’s money would never sit right with him. They agreed to wait three more days, and if the owner didn't appear, they would hand it over to the police. Meanwhile, Fang Mujing took Qu Hua's advice to heart and began an persistent attempt to reconcile with her mother, Mu Shanhe.

At the teaching office the next morning, Mujing deliberately called her "Mom" in front of their colleagues and insisted she eat two boiled eggs for protein. Mu Shanhe was cold, demanding to be called "Ms. Mu" and reminding Mujing that she had long since signed a letter of cutting ties. Undeterred, Mujing argued that while the letter was for show, she had never truly severed their bond in her heart.

She spent the rest of the day shamelessly calling her "Mom" at every opportunity, even borrowing an eraser just to strike up a conversation. Before leaving work, she asked Qu Hua to let Fang Muyang know they should all gather for a reunion dinner soon. At the restaurant where he now worked, Fang Muyang received a surprise visit from his former supervisor, Mr. Yuan.

The older man admitted that the drawing that won the recent competition had actually incorporated Muyang's unique style, meaning Muyang hadn't truly lost the bet. Yuan offered him a chance to return to the publishing house to collaborate on a series of novels about the life of educated youth, promising not to change a single stroke of his work this time. However, Muyang declined.

He had found a new kind of freedom at the restaurant, where he could design menus and draw whatever he pleased without editorial interference. When Muyang told Fei Ni about the publishing house's search for authors for the educated youth series, she felt a spark of ambition. Though she had only published a few pieces before, Muyang encouraged her to try. That evening, the family gathered to offer "material" for her book.

Her father suggested including a resilient landscape painter who played chess, while her brother argued for a male protagonist who sacrificed himself for his sister. Even Lin Mei chimed in, asking Fei Ni to name a heroic female character "Baoying" after her. To help Fei Ni focus on her writing, Muyang even borrowed a coffee pot from the restaurant, leaving his work ID and a deposit as collateral. The bitter coffee kept her wide awake and productive throughout the night.

While Fei Ni pursued her dreams, Ling Yi’s life began to unravel. Desperate to leave her position in the publicity division, she met with her senior, Chen Donghua, asking for a transfer to his department. Chen was predatory, touching her hand and implying that her "performance" would determine his help. Ye Feng, who had been watching from the shadows, eventually lost his temper and jumped out to punch Chen.

Instead of thanking him, Ling Yi protected Chen and demanded a divorce from Ye Feng, citing his lack of ambition. Despite his heartbreak, Ye Feng refused his mother Xu Hongqi's suggestion to report Ling Yi for misconduct, fearing she wouldn't be able to graduate. The two finalized their divorce at the subdistrict office shortly after. Ling Yi’s hope for a new life with Chen Donghua was short-lived.

While they were sitting together on campus, Chen’s wife suddenly appeared and attacked Ling Yi, calling her a "shameless woman." Chen immediately betrayed Ling Yi, claiming he had no relationship with her and that she had been the one seducing him for a job transfer. Ling Yi realized too late that she had been played. Soon after, the university expelled her for moral misconduct.

Back at the Fei household, the owner of the lost bag finally arrived with a commendation banner. He explained that he had been rushing for a train and thought he had left the bag on the carriage. This act of honesty brought unexpected rewards; Vice Director Chen of the Jiangcheng No. 1 Textile Factory officially announced that Fei Ting would be given a fast-track to permanent employment as a cook.

The family’s status also began to improve as the authorities started restoring their parents' reputations and returning their confiscated belongings, including an old piano. The day of the reunion dinner arrived, and Muyang personally cooked a fish to welcome the guests. However, the atmosphere turned tense when Mujing presented Mu Shanhe with a knitted scarf, identical to the one she had sent years ago along with the letter of cutting ties.

Mu Shanhe remained unforgiving, comparing a mistake made in adulthood to an ink stain that could never be fully erased. Mujing tearfully defended her past choices as the "optimal solution" of rationality, a trait her mother had always taught her to value in mathematics. After Mujing left the table in tears, Muyang sat down with his mother.

He revealed a truth she never knew: all the money he had sent to support the parents while they were in Yunnan had actually come from Mujing. She had known Muyang would pass the money on to them, choosing to help her family in secret even while maintaining a cold exterior. Realizing her daughter had never truly abandoned them, Mu Shanhe was finally moved to tears.

Qu Hua understood the pain Fang Mujing had endured and refused to judge the choices she made to survive. Reflecting on her childhood, Mujing recalled how her mother, Mu Shanhe, had always preached that a career was the most important thing in life. However, seeing her mother’s current resentment, Mujing realized that family had actually been the priority in Mu Shanhe’s heart all along.

Qu Hua comforted her, noting that while their own marriage did not begin with love, they had grown to love each other deeply. He urged her to give her mother, and herself, more time to heal. At the research institute, Mu Shanhe received news that her paper was being published in the latest issue of China Science. Despite the professional success, the atmosphere remained heavy.

Professor Wu noticed that Mujing had made a basic calculation error, something she had never done in all her years of work. Mujing apologized and insisted on correcting the entire group’s follow-up data by herself to avoid burdening the others. Mu Shanhe watched from the side, worried as her daughter pushed herself to the limit, relying on tea to stay awake. One morning, Fei Ni tried to hide a mark on her neck with a large scarf.

Fang Muyang teased her, pointing out that wearing a scarf in the summer heat would only draw more attention. He suggested she use a medicated patch instead. Fei Ni went to work with the patch, but she caught the suspicious eye of Feng Lin. At the factory office, Vice Director Chen was already dealing with a domestic violence case involving another worker, Xie Xiaoxia. Feng Lin seized the opportunity, claiming she suspected Fang Muyang was also being violent.

She convinced the Vice Director to let her conduct a home visit to "protect" Fei Ni. Feng Lin arrived at their home, pretending to offer support and urging Fei Ni not to swallow her pride. Fei Ni calmly removed the patch to show there was no bruise, only a mark. Fang Muyang joked that it was from a "1. 9-meter mosquito," though he jokingly corrected himself that he was actually only 1. 88 meters tall.

During the visit, Feng Lin accidentally spilled bitter coffee onto a hand-crocheted sofa cover. Fang Muyang informed her that the cover was a precious set made by his mother’s students and demanded forty yuan for the damage. When Feng Lin admitted she didn't have the money, he told her she must write a sincere, beautifully written apology letter that included the word "clarity."

Meanwhile, Lin Mei’s brother had been fired from the transport team after breaking his leg in an accident while secretly working private jobs. In the hospital, he remained aggressive, shouting that his family was obligated to provide for him. Lin Mei grew furious when her brother claimed he only took the extra work to pay her back, reminding him that the money he was "returning" was actually money he had stolen from their parents.

She eventually left in anger, refusing to help him. Fei Ting, however, tried to bridge the gap by bringing food to the hospital that Lin Mei had secretly helped prepare. Seeing the ongoing friction between Mujing and her mother, Qu Hua visited Mu Shanhe. He spoke of the first time he met Mujing on a train, revealing that she had kept a family photo hidden in her math book even after signing the document to cut ties.

He explained that Mujing’s name, combining both her parents' surnames, was a testament to her devotion, and she had taken great risks to defend them. He argued that it was unfair for Mu Shanhe to shut out a daughter who had achieved exactly what she was raised to pursue. Mu Shanhe was moved to tears, finally realizing how much her daughter had sacrificed to help the family survive.

Mu Shanhe eventually reached out to Mujing, returning an old mirror that Mujing had won as a reward for a perfect exam score as a child. The mother and daughter finally reconciled, letting go of years of bitterness. With the family mending, Fang Muyang and Fei Ni decided to move back to their own place, suggesting that Mujing and Qu Hua move into the family home to keep the parents company.

Feng Lin’s life took a sharp turn for the worse when her boyfriend, Wang Defa, graduated from college and immediately broke up with her. He bluntly stated that a college graduate should not be dating a workshop worker. Devastated and distracted, Feng Lin caused a major production accident at the sizing workshop, burning out several machines. The factory dismissed her and reclaimed her housing unit. Fei Ni was thrilled to learn that their old house was back.

She and Fang Muyang moved their belongings, including a piano from the Fang family, into their home. As Fei Ni played the piano, the music signaled the beginning of their new life together. At the hospital, Fei Ting continued to visit his brother-in-law. He encouraged the bedridden man to consider a future as a kitchen helper once he recovered, suggesting that finding happiness in cooking for his wife and child was a worthy path.

Fei Ni and Fang Muyang sat on the rooftop once more, watching the stars under the moonlight. While playing a game of "East, West, South, North," Fang Muyang asked a serious question: if she had known that taking care of him would not necessarily guarantee her a chance to attend college, would she still have done it?

Fei Ni candidly admitted that although she was initially desperate to attend university, she eventually realized that he was more important than any degree. To her, Fang Muyang was like wild grass—unassuming yet capable of thriving wherever he was planted. Fang Muyang told her that having her by his side made him so happy and satisfied that he didn't even know what else to wish for. However, Fei Ni’s dream suffered a sudden blow.

The Vice Director called her into his office to deliver a notice that admissions for the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University had been postponed. Since the factory no longer had any recommended quotas for the year, Fei Ni’s hard-earned opportunity vanished. She returned home and let out her frustrations in a fit of tears, finding comfort in Fang Muyang’s embrace. Meanwhile, the fallout from Lin Song's accident continued.

Wang Tengda, the head of the transport team, arrived to demand compensation for the damaged truck. He callously suggested that Lin Mei should divorce Fei Ting and marry him instead to settle the debt. Lin Mei, accompanied by Fei Ting, refused to be intimidated. She confronted Wang Tengda with the truth: he had accepted expensive gifts from her brother and encouraged him to take illegal private jobs at night.

Lin Mei pointed out that if her brother went to jail, he would tell the police everything, costing Wang Tengda his job. She settled the debt by deducting the value of the bribes and paying only a small remaining balance, leaving Wang Tengda with no choice but to back off.

Chastened by the ordeal, Lin Song finally admitted that Fei Ting was a better man than him and expressed his willingness to work as a kitchen helper once his leg healed. The gloom over Fei Ni’s future lifted when Xu Hongqi arrived with a newspaper. The national policy had changed, and the college entrance examination—the Gaokao—was being restored. This meant Fei Ni could earn her way into university through her own merit. Overjoyed, she wept with relief.

As she began her intense preparations, Fang Muyang’s parents stepped in to help. His father, Fang Zhibin, gathered history and geography materials, while his mother, Mu Shanhe, took charge of tutoring Fei Ni in mathematics. Fang Muyang did his part by keeping the house quiet and brewing coffee to keep her spirits up. At the same time, Fang Mujing faced a life-changing opportunity.

Professor Wu informed her that she was the top candidate for a two-year stint to study in Germany. Though she hesitated, fearing for her marriage, Qu Hua encouraged her to go. He confessed that he didn't want her to sacrifice her career for love. At the train station, as she prepared to leave, Qu Hua gave her one final surprise: he had managed to secure his own sponsored slot through his hospital.

He told her to find an apartment big enough for two, as he would be joining her in Germany soon. Back home, Fei Ni decided to celebrate Fang Muyang’s talent by organizing a surprise solo exhibition for him on the rooftop. Moved by her gesture, Fang Muyang realized that while college had never been his primary ambition, staying with Fei Ni was his greatest desire.

Knowing that the Art Department and the Literature Department at Jiangcheng University were located next to each other, he decided to take the Gaokao alongside her. The couple entered the examination halls with the encouragement of their loved ones. Fei Ni’s old teacher, Ms. Chen, saw her off with the reminder that when one's heart is clear, there is nothing more to say. Their months of hard work finally paid off when the results arrived.

Fang Muyang was admitted to the Art Department, and Fei Ni was accepted into the Chinese Language and Literature major. The entire family gathered for a grand celebration, marking a triple joy as they also learned that Lin Mei and Fei Ting were expecting a baby. As they toasted to the future, it felt as though the long, difficult journey they had all traveled was finally leading them toward the light.