This Thriving Land Episode 1 Recap
> This Thriving Land Recap
In the spring of 1986, an elderly Ning Xiuxiu, leaning on a cane, made her way to Turtle Hill. There, she lovingly cleaned a large ox-shaped stone, revered by the villagers as a heavenly relic. As she did so, her thoughts drifted back fifty years to the 4th day of the winter month in the 15th year of the Republic of China, December 8, 1926.
The calendar had marked it as an auspicious day, but Ning Xiuxiu remembered it vividly as the day of Major Snow, and her own wedding day to Fei Wendian, amidst a heavy snowfall. Both the Ning and Fei families were prominent landowners in Ox Temple Village, and both households buzzed with preparations for the grand wedding. Inside the Ning residence, Ning Xiuxiu’s sister-in-law, Lianye, helped her adorn herself in a vibrant red wedding gown.
Ning Xiuxiu’s mother beamed with pride at her beautiful daughter. She discreetly gave Ning Xiuxiu ten silver coins, her own personal savings, advising her that money was always good to have, and instructed her to keep it from her father to avoid an argument. Ning mother also emphasized the importance of learning household management from Fei Zuoshi, Fei Wendian’s sister-in-law, and showing her due respect, reminding Ning Xiuxiu that an elder sister-in-law was like a mother.
Ning Susu, Ning Xiuxiu’s younger sister, eagerly tried to taste the "concentric soup balls" prepared for the bride before she boarded the sedan, but her mother stopped her, saying it wasn't her wedding. Ning Xiuxiu had patiently waited three years for Fei Wendian to complete his studies and return for their marriage.
Meanwhile, at the Fei residence, Fei Zuoshi, who managed all family affairs since Fei Wendian's parents and elder brother had passed, dispatched servants to pick up Fei Wendian from the county inn. She then addressed the ancestral tablets in the family hall, vowing that once Ning Xiuxiu was welcomed into their home and bore offspring for the Fei family, she would fully entrust the family's management to Wendian.
However, the servants returned, reporting that Fei Wendian had left the inn before dawn. Fei Zuoshi speculated he might have taken a shortcut to hurry home and sent more servants to search all roads, large and small, even checking snow drifts. Back at the Ning house, Ning Xuexiang, Ning Xiuxiu’s father, meticulously inspected the wedding gifts from relatives and tenants, instructing his servant Kuangzi to log each item.
When Feng Si presented a packet of wedding pastries, he tried to persuade Ning Xuexiang to waive some of his interest payment. Ning Xuexiang, noticing the unusual lightness of the packet, opened it to find only a rock and some pastry crumbs. Enraged, he demanded Kuangzi bring Feng Si’s IOU, insisting on immediate repayment.
Feng Si, terrified and penniless, confessed he had to pawn his hoe just to afford half a box of pastry crumbs, as the shop wouldn’t sell less. Ning Xuexiang, however, remained unmoved, threatening to take his land if the debt wasn't settled. Ning Xiuxiu’s mother rushed in, urging Ning Xuexiang not to create a scene on such a joyous day. She dismissed Feng Si and instructed Kuangzi to prepare proper wedding pastries for the guests.
At Turtle Hill, Feng Dajiao, Feng Si's nephew and Feng Er's son, cleared snow from the Ox figure stone. Hearing children singing wedding songs, a pang of sadness filled him. He had harbored feelings for Ning Xiuxiu since childhood, but their love for Fei Wendian meant he had to bury his affections. Later, Ning Xuexiang ventured out with a dung basket to collect manure for his crops, even competing with a dog for a pile, drawing ridicule from villagers.
He loudly reminded tenants along the way to deliver their wedding pastries, suggesting they were being forgetful about his daughter's wedding. One tenant resignedly decided to pawn his hoe to buy them. Feng Er, Feng Dajiao's father, scoffed at the idea of sending pastries to Ning Xuexiang, asserting his independence as a landowner.
An unexpected carriage arrived at the Ning residence, carrying two women, an older woman named Ma Gu and a younger one named Miao Chi, who claimed to be from Gourd Glen and relatives of Zhang Guanli. They presented a box of wedding pastries from Huaxinzhai in the provincial city, explaining they owed Ning Xuexiang money and wanted to congratulate the family on Ning Xiuxiu’s wedding.
They gushed about Ning Xiuxiu's beauty, comparing her to a fairy, and insisted on seeing her. Ning Xiuxiu's mother, charmed, asked Mrs. Li, an old servant, to escort them. Inside Ning Xiuxiu's room, Ning Susu jokingly complained to Ning Xiuxiu about her bangs, prompting Ning Xiuxiu to playfully tease her back. As the two women entered, they revealed their true identities as bandits from Chicken Ridge.
When Ning Susu tried to cry out, Ma Gu shoved her aside, and without a word, rendered Ning Xiuxiu unconscious before carrying her away. Lianye, witnessing the abduction from outside, screamed for help. Ning Xiuxiu's mother and the servants rushed out, but Ma Gu fired a warning shot, scattering them. The two female bandits quickly loaded Ning Xiuxiu into a waiting carriage.
Ning Susu and others tried to give chase but could only watch helplessly as Ning Xiuxiu was taken away. Ning Second Uncle, the village headman, quickly arrived with his son and other villagers to pursue the bandits. However, Second Boss Hu San of Chicken Ridge intercepted them with his men. Hu San informed Ning Second Uncle that his boss, Big Nose Du, demanded a ransom of five thousand silver dollars by midnight.
He warned that if the "quick ransom" (unmarried woman needing immediate rescue) was not paid by then, he would "eat her up," implying rape. Ning Second Uncle, unable to authorize such a large sum, offered his only son in exchange for Ning Xiuxiu, but Hu San flatly refused. Returning home with his dung basket, Ning Xuexiang learned the devastating news of Ning Xiuxiu’s kidnapping.
Ning Xiuxiu’s mother was distraught, emphasizing that if their daughter spent a single night in a bandit's lair, her reputation would be irrevocably ruined, regardless of her innocence, and the Fei family would not accept her. However, Ning Xuexiang did not have five thousand silver dollars readily available. Seeing the family's predicament, Feng Er immediately rushed home to gather his money, hoping to buy Ning Xuexiang's land at a bargain price.
Fei Zuoshi, hearing the news of Ning Xiuxiu’s kidnapping while still awaiting Fei Wendian's return, promptly went to the Ning household. Remaining composed, she urged Ning Xuexiang to pay the ransom, reiterating the dire consequences if Ning Xiuxiu spent the night at Chicken Ridge. She stressed that Fei Wendian's return would be in vain if Ning Xiuxiu's reputation was tarnished. Ning Xuexiang, torn between his land and his daughter's honor, remained hesitant, struggling with the decision.
Fourth Uncle offered some money and suggested mortgaging land deeds and even bringing grain to the mountain as a sign of sincerity, but Ning Xuexiang worried about incurring more debt or being kidnapped himself. Fei Zuoshi then declared she would return home to await news, implying a subtle withdrawal of support and a clear rejection of the marriage if the situation escalated.
At the bandit lair, Ning Xiuxiu bravely tried to reason with Second Boss Hu San, asking to see Big Nose Du and promising to repay the ransom if they released her. Hu San scoffed, saying her IOU was useless, and threatened that if her father didn't pay, she would become "the bride of everyone in the stockade." He ordered his men to keep a close watch on her, explicitly forbidding anyone from taking advantage of her before he did.
Meanwhile, Ning Kejin, Ning Xiuxiu’s brother, arrived at the Ning residence. Learning of his sister's abduction, he furiously declared his intention to seek out Chairman Chu of the Qingqi Society and lead all the Security Force members to attack Chicken Ridge. Ning Second Uncle and Fei Zuoshi doubted Chairman Chu would intervene, as he and Big Nose Du maintained a cautious distance.
Feng Er then returned to the Ning residence, offering money to buy Ning Xuexiang’s fifteen mu of "lakebed mud" land, which Feng Er falsely claimed was poor quality, trying to take advantage of the situation. Ning Xuexiang, furious at Feng Er's opportunism and calling him a "greedy wolf," violently ejected him, asserting that his land was his "blood, flesh, and life."
Other villagers, including Xueshi (also known as Mole Cricket), the village record keeper, also approached Ning Xuexiang, eager to draft land deeds and buy land, believing he would finally sell. Ning Xuexiang refused to sell his land and angrily ejected them. At the Fei residence, Fei Wendian finally returned, explaining that heavy snow had forced him to turn back from his shortcut. Fei Zuoshi quickly covered up Ning Xiuxiu’s kidnapping, ensuring he knew nothing.
Fei Wendian was touched by his sister-in-law's meticulous wedding preparations and went to change into his wedding attire. Unaware of the true situation, Fei Wendian expressed his delight at the festive atmosphere. Back at his home, Feng Er complained to his wife about Ning Xuexiang's refusal to sell land, despite his daughter being kidnapped. Their son, Feng Dajiao, upon hearing about Ning Xiuxiu's kidnapping, immediately rushed to the Ning house, distraught. The Ning family was in crisis.
Lianye cried hysterically, fearing for Ning Kejin's safety as he prepared to go to the mountain alone since Chairman Chu refused to help. Ning Xiuxiu's mother, desperate, threatened to go to the bandit lair herself and die with Ning Xiuxiu if Ning Xuexiang didn't act. Faced with his wife's desperate plea and the dual threat to both his children, Ning Xuexiang reluctantly agreed to sell the land and went to retrieve his land deeds box.
In the bandit camp, as dusk approached, the bandits grew impatient. They openly wondered if Miser Ning would really abandon his daughter. Some of them, including a bandit named Da Zong, started talking about taking turns with Ning Xiuxiu if no ransom arrived, with one even asking to be allowed to go first after the Second Boss was finished.
