This Thriving Land Episode 25 Recap
> This Thriving Land Recap
Ning Xiuxiu and Lulu engaged in a spirited drinking contest. Ning Xiuxiu quickly downed a second and then a third bowl of wine. She expressed her profound respect for Lulu, appreciating her directness in pursuing Feng Dajiao rather than resorting to covert manipulation, comparing their rivalry to an honorable duel. Lulu, intrigued, challenged Ning Xiuxiu, asking if three bowls were enough to outdrink her.
Ning Xiuxiu clarified that these initial toasts were a gesture of respect and admiration, after which Lulu could set the terms. Ning Xiuxiu lauded Lulu for her bold spirit, her ability to love and hate without fear, and her decisiveness. She praised Lulu as well-traveled, a singer, helpful, and beautiful, stating that if she were a man, she would fancy her. Lulu, though flattered, wondered why Feng Dajiao hadn't fancied her if she was so good.
Ning Xiuxiu explained that fate had intervened; if Lulu had met Feng Dajiao first, perhaps things would be different. However, Ning Xiuxiu met him first, and he saved her life twice from bandits. She recounted how Feng Dajiao rescued her the first time when she was captured, acting as her unexpected savior when her own family and intended groom did not appear.
She then described how, after she married him in anger, he protected her dignity by placing a curtain between them, patiently waiting and silently showing his deep affection. The second time, when she felt utterly doomed and considered ending her life, Feng Dajiao appeared like a "heavenly soldier," disarming the bandit leader and saving the entire village.
Ning Xiuxiu declared that Feng Dajiao had become the shining light of her life, a man she could not live without, and vowed that they would be an inseparable family for all their days. She concluded by telling Lulu that a heart could only hold one person. Lulu confessed that Ning Xiuxiu had always been a mystery to her and that all her carefully laid plans to win Feng Dajiao had failed.
She recounted how Ning Xiuxiu's politeness initially made her doubt if her intentions were seen through, pushing her to further attempts, like becoming the goddaughter to Feng Dajiao's parents. She admitted her own internal struggles and even considered giving up. She acknowledged that even after she unwittingly brought fake herb seedlings, Ning Xiuxiu did not expose her, knowing all along that Lulu's true aim was Feng Dajiao. Lulu conceded that she was no match for Ning Xiuxiu.
Ning Xiuxiu, recognizing Lulu's emotional state, urged her to stop drinking for the sake of her child with Feng Dajiao. Lulu, deeply moved, expressed that if circumstances were different, she would want to swear an oath of sisterhood with Ning Xiuxiu. Since she couldn't have Feng Dajiao, that bond couldn't be. She admitted to secretly envying Ning Xiuxiu's good fortune but now understood that it was earned through struggle. Accepting her defeat wholeheartedly, Lulu declared she had lost.
Ning Xiuxiu then offered a drink of true friendship, suggesting they swap glasses. Lulu found Ning Xiuxiu's "wine" was just water. Ning Xiuxiu admitted the wine was fake, but her words were sincere: she could lose anything but Feng Dajiao. Lulu understood, marveling at Ning Xiuxiu's captivating nature. Ning Xiuxiu assured Lulu that just as fate brought her Feng Dajiao, it would surely send Lulu her own destined partner, who was already on the way.
Lulu playfully remarked that when he arrived, she would beat him and ask, "What took you so long?" The next morning, Lulu prepared to leave for Qingdao to find her brother, Xiaohu. Guo Guiyao came to see her off, offering her dried food for the journey. Lulu promised to abandon her gambling ways for a small business, to live a stable life with her brother, and help him settle down.
When asked about her own future, Lulu referred to Ning Xiuxiu's prophecy of a good man for her, expressing her intent to see if it would come true. After Guo Guiyao departed, Ning Xiuxiu questioned Feng Dajiao for not seeing Lulu off. Feng Dajiao explained that he had never given Lulu any false hope, so there was no reason to do so now that she was leaving.
Ning Xiuxiu commented that Lulu was not a bad person, to which Feng Dajiao agreed, emphasizing that his very reason for not encouraging her was "because" she was a good person. Ning Xiuxiu jokingly asked if that made her a bad person, to which Feng Dajiao lovingly called her his "shining hero."
He then pledged to take even better care of her, ensuring no one else could steal her heart, and reiterated that his heart only had room for her, vowing to always keep her happy and free from sorrow, promising a brighter future for them. Meanwhile, Glutton Fei's wife began to recover, able to sit up and eat thanks to the medicine provided by Ning Xuexiang.
Glutton Fei urged Yin Zi to go back to Ning Xuexiang for more medicine and some dried sweet potatoes. Yin Zi firmly refused, reminding him of their mounting debt and questioning how they would ever repay it. Glutton Fei dismissed her concerns, noting Ning Xuexiang's recent willingness to lend and even offer sweet potatoes, despite previous rejections. Yin Zi, however, was wary, fearing they would be unable to repay Ning Xuexiang.
Enraged, Glutton Fei accused her of wanting her mother and siblings to starve or die. Overhearing their argument, Yin Zi's mother, feeling like a burden, expressed her desire to die. Yin Zi quickly comforted her, promising to find a way to get the medicine. Feng Er spoke with Feng Dajiao, discussing the thinning of the salvia miltiorrhiza seedlings the next day and his joy at becoming a grandfather.
He noted the increasing expenses and how planting herbs was more profitable than grain, suggesting Ning Xiuxiu plant more next year and even convert their main field. Feng Dajiao reminded his father of his earlier opposition, to which Feng Er replied that one should never be too certain. Ning Xiuxiu expressed optimism that good days were coming, with the seedlings ready, Feng Dajiao's father happy, and Lulu gone.
Feng Dajiao gently countered that their current life, spent with loved ones, was already a good life. The next morning, the family discovered all the salvia miltiorrhiza seedlings had been dug up. Feng Er, overcome with shock and anger, immediately blamed Ning Xiuxiu, accusing her of bringing this disaster upon them. Ning Xiuxiu insisted she was as upset as anyone else and denied responsibility.
Feng Er further lashed out, attributing the destruction to retribution for planting herbs instead of grain, and then collapsed. Ning Xiuxiu confronted her father, Ning Xuexiang, who admitted to digging up the seedlings. Ning Xuexiang tried to usher her inside, but Ning Xiuxiu, who was pregnant, demanded an explanation on the spot. He recounted an ancient family rule from their great-great-grandfather, who had made a fortune from 300 mu of salvia miltiorrhiza.
However, on his deathbed, he had forbidden all future Ning family members from planting anything but grain, especially herbs like salvia miltiorrhiza, because the plant was "cursed" and brought "bloodshed." Ning Xiuxiu refused to believe him, asking why hundreds of mu would be burned if nothing truly happened. Ning Xuexiang explained that his actions were to prevent Ning Xiuxiu from making the same mistake.
Still confused, Ning Xiuxiu sought out her second uncle, Ning Xuewu, who confirmed that her father had spoken the truth. Ning Xuewu revealed that the great-great-grandfather's salvia miltiorrhiza was destroyed by a peculiar white fungus that targeted the roots, invisible on the leaves until it was too late. This forced them to burn the entire crop. Having invested everything, the great-great-grandfather incurred immense debt for seeds, seedlings, and labor, dying from the shock.
A fortune teller at the time had declared it divine punishment for defying heaven. Ning Xiuxiu declared that she did not believe in such curses and was determined to plant the salvia miltiorrhiza anyway, ready to bear any consequences on her own land, questioning Ning Xuexiang's right to interfere. Ning Xuewu advised her that she first needed to address her father's deeply rooted fear, as he would simply destroy the seedlings again.
He explained that their land was their lifeline, and her great-great-grandfather's bankruptcy from the previous disaster had instilled a fear in successive generations, including her father, who cherished the land more than life itself. Ning Xuexiang, her father, was simply afraid she would repeat the family's tragic past. Ning Xiuxiu, though hearing the explanation, still expressed her determination to plant the salvia miltiorrhiza, suggesting they replant the wilting seedlings to soothe her father. Feng Dajiao, however, urged caution.
He pointed out Ning Xuexiang's initial reluctance and then his drastic action, suggesting they appease both fathers by planting grain this year and discussing the salvia miltiorrhiza again next year. Reluctantly, Ning Xiuxiu agreed to postpone planting the medicinal herb. Meanwhile, Tietou went to Yin Zi's house but was refused entry. Frustrated and drunk, he vowed to marry someone better after the harvest, then changed his mind, yelling a drunken promise to marry Yin Zi after the harvest.
Later that night, Silly Tiao appeared at Tietou's shed, asking him to braid her hair. Initially annoyed, Tietou eventually complied. The next morning, Ning Xiuxiu and Feng Dajiao traveled to the county pharmacy. Feng Dajiao's mother had expressed concern about Ning Xiuxiu traveling while pregnant, but Ning Xiuxiu insisted on compensating Chang Chun for the destroyed seeds.
At the pharmacy, they encountered Zhao Changming, who informed them that Chang Chun had purchased the establishment with money from his new father-in-law and his own savings. Ning Xiuxiu apologized for the ruined seedlings, explaining that her father-in-law had dug them up, and offered to pay for them. Chang Chun refused any payment, saying it was common for first-time growers to encounter issues and that he considered it an "experiment."
He offered to send them more seeds or even seedlings whenever they wanted to try again. Ning Xiuxiu then asked Chang Chun about the specific disease that had plagued her great-great-grandfather's salvia miltiorrhiza crop. Chang Chun clarified that it was a white fungus, not an insect, that attacked the roots and was initially undetectable on the leaves. He invited them to a back room to discuss proper cultivation techniques, including ventilation and drainage.
Simultaneously, a chaotic scene unfolded at Tietou's place. Silly Tiao's parents arrived with relatives, accusing Tietou of getting their daughter pregnant and abandoning her. Tietou vehemently denied the accusation. Silly Tiao, when questioned, only repeated "Tietou, braid my hair." Her mother used this as "proof," claiming a mentally impaired person wouldn't lie. Tietou's aunt tried to intervene, highlighting Silly Tiao's mental state, but her parents were resolute, declaring Silly Tiao to be Tietou's wife and leaving her at his home.
Silly Tiao's father threatened to kill both Silly Tiao and her unborn child, and then himself and his wife, if Tietou did not accept responsibility, claiming they would haunt him. Silly Tiao continued to repeat "Tietou, braid my hair" and asked for buns. Tietou, trying to manage the situation, promised her buns and tried to calm her down. Later, Yin Zi's mother's condition worsened, causing great distress.
Glutton Fei returned from another attempt to borrow money from Ning Xuexiang, who had refused, citing their twelve silver dollar debt. Yin Zi's mother, distraught, again said she wished to die. Yin Zi, determined, vowed to find a solution and decided to seek help from Tietou, dismissing the widespread rumors about him and Silly Tiao. When Ning Xiuxiu and Feng Dajiao returned and heard the rumors, they immediately went to Tietou. Tietou clearly stated he had not slept with Silly Tiao and that his only interaction with her was braiding her hair.
