The Bond Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
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As Qiao Zuwang's health declined, Meiqin grew concerned and suggested calling Qiao Simei and the others. However, Qu Aying sternly told her not to act on her own, fearing it would disrupt her plans. Qu Aying and Wenbin, with thoughts of the house in mind, had already inquired about marriage procedures. That same day, Qu Aying pressed Qiao Zuwang for a formal status. On the verge of death, Qiao Zuwang agreed, even expressing a desire to drink.
Qu Aying retrieved a bottle, and as Qiao Zuwang grew disoriented, he called out "Xiao Ying," declaring her a hero of the Qiao family. He rambled about their first child being a boy, naming him Yicheng, and then repeatedly murmured the names of Qiao Yicheng, Qiao Erqiang, Qiao Sanli, Qiao Simei, and Qiao Qiqi. That night, Qu Aying heard a noise outside but disregarded it and went to sleep.
The next morning, she opened her door to a shock: Qiao Zuwang had fallen to the floor and passed away at some point during the night. Qu Aying frantically called Wenbin to gather the children before she finally broke down in tears. Looking at a youthful photo of Qiao Zuwang, the siblings realized that Qiao Yicheng bore the strongest resemblance to him.
Qiao Sanli mused that Qiao Zuwang's fall from the bed seemed like a deliberate act to seek release from his suffering, seeing death as a way to free himself and his children. Qiao Yicheng ate buns alone, recalling how Qiao Zuwang had promised to treat him to them when he got into university, a promise that remained unfulfilled for years. He also remembered a watch Qiao Zuwang had given him, which he secretly cherished and still wore.
After a period of grief, Qiao Yicheng confronted Qu Aying. He offered her a sum of money as a token of gratitude for looking after Qiao Zuwang and informed her that Qiao Simei would be moving back into the old house. Qu Aying, however, acted as if she owned the place, insisting that part of the house belonged to her and refusing to leave.
Qiao Yicheng calmly produced the property deed, explaining that he and his siblings had collectively renounced their inheritance rights, assigning the house entirely to Qiao Simei and her daughter, Qi Qiaoqiao. Qu Aying rejected this, claiming a "de facto marriage" and vehemently denying ever receiving money from Qiao Zuwang. Qiao Yicheng then read from a list Qiao Zuwang had secretly given to Qiao Qiqi before his death, detailing every payment made to Qu Aying, totaling 50,000 yuan.
Enraged, Qu Aying argued, but Qiao Yicheng warned her that if she refused to leave, the government and Public Security Bureau would intervene legally. He revealed, based on information from his cousin in government, that the area was slated for demolition within a year. In that scenario, she and her family would be forcibly evicted without receiving any compensation or new housing. Witnessing this, Wenbin became furious and lunged at Qiao Yicheng, but Meiqin held him back.
Before Qiao Yicheng could even leave the Qiao family's old house, he collapsed. He woke up in the hospital, with Qiao Sanli weeping beside him. Song Qingyuan quickly brought Xiang Nanfang back. Qi Weimin, despite his evident concern, berated Qiao Yicheng for being foolish, arrogant, and for trying to shoulder his illness alone, calling him both insecure and conceited. Meanwhile, realizing their efforts to claim the house were futile, Qu Aying and her family decided to move out.
Qu Aying, still yearning for city life, began searching for a job as a caregiver. Qiao Simei gave Meiqin some clothes, urging her to live a good life back home and for Wenbin to treat Meiqin and their child well. Qiao Yicheng's condition worsened rapidly. Doctors stated that a kidney transplant was the only option. Qi Weimin urgently called everyone to the hospital for matching, and Qiao Qiqi also arrived.
Xiang Nanfang gently comforted the pain-ridden Qiao Yicheng, promising a trip once he recovered. Qiao Yicheng, sensing his mortality, told her he was content simply to have met her in his lifetime. The matching results revealed that only Qiao Qiqi was a match, but Qiao Yicheng vehemently refused, stating he would accept a kidney from any other sibling but not from Qiao Qiqi, uttering, "I won't accept, I won't take."
Wei Shufang, with her hair now white, arrived with Qiao Qiqi and tearfully pleaded with Qiao Yicheng not to give up. Qi Weimin took Wei Shufang for a walk, leaving Qiao Qiqi to speak with Qiao Yicheng. Qiao Qiqi, not understanding the four-word refusal, insisted that Qiao Yicheng was his brother and he didn't want him to die.
He then compared Qiao Yicheng to Qi Weimin, saying Qi Weimin was smart and didn't have so many "twists and turns" in his mind, living a more relaxed life. Hearing this, tears streamed down Qiao Yicheng's stubbornly turned face. Qiao Qiqi decided to donate his kidney to Qiao Yicheng, and Qi Weimin did not try to stop him.
Qiao Qiqi expressed his gratitude to Qi Weimin, who had carried him since childhood, and vowed to "cultivate himself well" in this life to be Qi Weimin's biological brother in the next. Outside the operating room, the entire Qiao family waited anxiously. Inside, Qiao Yicheng closed his eyes, his mind drifting back to childhood memories of him and his siblings washing clothes under an old tree, fantasizing about their lives as adults.
In 2005, with society rapidly developing, the old house was slated for demolition. Qiao Erqiang, Qiao Sanli, Qiao Simei, and Qiao Qiqi gathered at the old house, reminiscing about Qiao Yicheng and their childhood. Soon, Qiao Yicheng and Xiang Nanfang also arrived. The area was apparently to be redeveloped into a shopping mall, and the siblings, who had grown up there, expressed sadness about losing their gathering place.
However, Qiao Yicheng asserted that their family bond was unbreakable, likening the demolition to a "cicada casting off its shell," with the house as merely an outer shell. He declared that where the family was, there was home, and they would continue to gather frequently. Having recently returned from Tibet, Qiao Simei had become an avid photographer. She brought out her camera to capture the Qiao family's last reunion at the old house.
Amidst cheerful calls of "cheese," the scene was warm and touching. Each family member had weathered life's storms, and looking back, the Qiao children had grown up. Their future days, they knew, would remain filled with mutual companionship.
