This Thriving Land Episode 21 Recap
> This Thriving Land Recap
Bandits, under the command of Hu San, retreated from Ox Temple Village. Afterwards, Feng Dajiao found Ning Xiuxiu and she joyfully revealed that she was pregnant, making him a father. Feng Dajiao, overwhelmed with happiness, asked her to pinch him to confirm it was real. He then mused about their future son, saying he would teach him how to farm. Ning Xiuxiu, reflecting on the day's terror, asked if he was afraid when he rescued her.
Feng Dajiao admitted he was, but his only thought was to save her, feeling as if fate intended him to be her rescuer. Ning Xiuxiu, tired of the constant danger, asked him to tell Heaven that this should be the last time. Ning Kejin then invited Feng Dajiao to a celebratory gathering that night, acknowledging him as a hero for fighting off the bandits. Feng Dajiao insisted Ning Xiuxiu was the real hero.
While Feng Dajiao attended the celebration with Ning Kejin, Ning Xiuxiu secretly released Feng Si’s wife and their two sons, Niwei and Meiwei, providing them with enough dry food to last a few days. Niwei, the elder son, swore vengeance against the Ning family for his father's death. Ning Xiuxiu urged him to prioritize his mother and younger brother's safety and to abandon thoughts of revenge. The three of them fled the village that very night.
After Feng Si's family fled, Feng Dajiao returned home, bringing a large red bathtub he had purchased for Ning Xiuxiu, which she loved. She was eager to hear about his experiences over the past ten-plus days. Feng Dajiao recounted his perilous journey smuggling salt at sea with Humpback Guo. The near-death experience made him realize the dangers of the outside world, reinforcing his desire to stay home and farm.
He gave Ning Xiuxiu the money he earned, and she set aside a portion for their unborn child. Feng Er had initially intended to plead with Ning Kejin to release Feng Si's wife and children, but his wife vehemently stopped him, fearing he would be implicated. Feng Dajiao then revealed that Ning Xiuxiu had already released them.
The next morning, Ning Kejin discovered Feng Si's family had escaped and dispatched Fei Wu to recapture them, vowing to kill them to set an example. Feng Si’s elder son, Niwei, managed to escape. Ning Kebi secretly informed Ning Xiuxiu that Feng Si's wife and younger son, Meiwei, had been recaptured. Ning Xiuxiu worried, and Feng Dajiao, reassuring her he would handle it, rushed to the militia hall with Feng Er.
There, Feng Dajiao and Feng Er pleaded with Ning Kejin to spare the innocent child, Meiwei. Ning Kejin, swayed by their and other villagers' appeals, agreed to release Meiwei into Feng Er's care. Separately, Big Nose Du had Hu San tied up and sent a message to him, warning him that Ox Temple Village was too strong, with both internal support and external aid, and was not to be targeted again. Hu San, feeling humiliated, acknowledged the message.
Meanwhile, Ning Xiuxiu used her new red bathtub to bathe Meiwei, showing him kindness and care. The villagers, now seeing Ning Kejin's benevolent side, advocated for Feng Si's wife's release, acknowledging her husband's wrongdoing but believing she and her son had suffered enough. Despite his initial reluctance, Ning Kejin, now acting as the village chief, granted a general amnesty.
Feng Si's wife tearfully knelt and expressed profound gratitude to the villagers for their compassion and allowing her to raise her son in the village. Away from the village center, Yin Zi toiled tirelessly, digging for wild vegetables, exhausted by the meager harvest. Tietou, watching her, expressed his desire to marry her after the autumn harvest.
Their tender moments were interrupted by Silly Tiao, a mentally challenged woman, whom Yin Zi gently braided hair for, despite Tietou's attempts to scare her away. Back home, Yin Zi found her younger siblings eating dirt out of hunger, a heartbreaking sight that spurred her to go out and dig for more food. The village faced a looming drought as the Beginning of Summer approached without rain.
Feng Dajiao discussed with his father, Feng Er, his plans to clear new land, knowing that with Ning Xiuxiu's pregnancy, there would be another mouth to feed. Feng Er worried about the harsh conditions but supported his son’s determination to find fertile ground. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Feng Er suggested they lead the villagers in a prayer for rain the next day.
The villagers gathered at the Ox Temple, reverently praying to Grandpa Ox and the four Dragon Kings for wind and rain to save their crops. During this time, Humpback Guo arrived in the village to sell his goods. He explained to Ning Susu that he had been away taking his wife, who suffered from a terminal consumptive disease, to the county for treatment. Ning Susu, despite her previous impatience, sympathized with him.
She then excitedly showed Fei Zuoshi the "novel items" she purchased: a parasol, lace gloves, a hand-held mirror, and a hand-held telescope. Fei Zuoshi, however, was more concerned about household finances and the lack of news from Fei Wendian. She decided it was time to teach Ning Susu how to manage the household, giving her ledgers for the shops and rent collection.
Ning Susu expressed her doubt about her connection with Fei Wendian, but Fei Zuoshi, grateful for Ning Susu not abandoning her during the bandit attack, reassured her to stay in the home and let future events unfold naturally. Later, as Ning Xiuxiu brought food to Feng Dajiao while he worked on a small patch of new land on Turtle Hill, she expressed her concern for his hard work.
Feng Dajiao, however, proudly showed her how he was painstakingly clearing small portions of land filled with rocks, believing that even small amounts of soil could yield crops. Ning Xiuxiu recounted Yin Zi's younger brother's accidental poisoning after eating Datura plants (mountain nightshade) due to hunger, noting its high toxicity but also its medicinal properties. Inspired by this, Ning Xiuxiu pondered the idea of growing salvia miltiorrhiza, a medicinal herb that could be sold for money. Feng Dajiao agreed, seeing the potential in cultivating herbs on the newly cleared land.
