This Thriving Land Episode 35 Recap
> This Thriving Land Recap
Fei Zuoshi, upon learning that Ning Susu was pregnant with Humpback Guo's child, felt that Ning Susu had betrayed Fei Wendian. A heated argument ensued, during which Ning Susu suffered a sudden hemorrhage and prematurely gave birth to a daughter. Fei Zuoshi then falsely claimed she was going to live with her brother and nephew. She prepared a meal for Ning Susu and Humpback Guo, poisoning their red date soup, killing them both, and then took her own life.
Ning Xiuxiu, consumed by grief, refused to eat, drink, or speak. Feng Dajiao bought a goat, and when Feng Dajiao's mother fed the goat milk to the baby, Ning Xiuxiu was moved to tears and finally spoke, thanking Feng Dajiao and his mother for their kindness.
Feng Dajiao then suggested naming the baby "Yangya" (goat girl), which Ning Xiuxiu and Feng Dajiao's mother both found to be a fitting and pleasant name for the baby who was happily drinking the milk. As the wheat harvest season arrived, Feng Dajiao shared news from Chang Chun that the Japanese, despite their stretched battle lines, were becoming more aggressive, while the anti-Japanese forces were launching counterattacks.
He expressed hope for the Japanese to run out of luck, but also his refusal to feed their wheat to the Japanese anymore, especially after hearing the Eighth Route Army's guerrillas were starving in the mountains. He recalled the death of Silly Tiao, fueling his hatred for the Japanese and his desire to fight them.
Ning Xiuxiu, though sharing his hatred, reminded him of the children they had to feed and the dire consequences if the Japanese didn't get their grain. Feng Dajiao was willing to risk his life, but Ning Xiuxiu's concern for the children weighed on them. Initially, Feng Dajiao proposed an overnight escape for the villagers, harvesting and taking what wheat they could, and burning the rest.
Ning Xiuxiu, however, pointed out the impracticality, especially for the elderly and sick like Tietou's mother, who was too ill to speak. Recalling Feng Dajiao's suggestion of burning the wheat, Ning Xiuxiu proposed a plan: harvest the wheat heads, burn the stalks, and claim it was an act of celestial fire, a phenomenon known to happen during harvest. Feng Dajiao confirmed witnessing such an event in the past.
Ning Xuerui and Tietou agreed, suggesting they burn the largest 80-mu field and, for added credibility, Ning Xuexiang's adjacent 50-mu field, which was precious to him as the Japanese had already seized most of his land. Ning Xiuxiu acknowledged its importance, noting Ning Xuexiang's dependence on it for his family's sustenance. Ning Xiuxiu volunteered to persuade her brother Ning Xuexiang, believing he might agree given his strong hatred for the Japanese and with their brother fighting them.
Feng Dajiao finalized the plan: they would act the day after tomorrow, Mangzhong. They would harvest and hide the wheat in large, hidden sweet potato cellars with heated brick beds, some belonging to Li Junyi and Fei Shuangbao, which could also be used for roasting. Feng Jiaming and other boys would keep watch from the mountains for Japanese or puppet troops.
After the successful operation, Ning Xiuxiu would lead the village women in a "cry for the loss of wheat" to avert suspicion. They spent the night meticulously planning before heading to prepare. Braving her three vows to never re-enter the Ning household after her marriage, Ning Xiuxiu went to see Ning Xuexiang.
Ning Xuexiang was overjoyed by her return, initially speaking at length about his life-long dream of filling his granaries to secure his family's future, as the Japanese had taken most of his land. Ning Xiuxiu tried to explain the plan, but Ning Xuexiang adamantly refused, fixated on filling his granaries and fearing the Japanese would seize his remaining land. He even offered to agree to anything else she might ask. Ning Xuerui gathered the villagers in the wheat field.
Feng Dajiao led them in a "start harvesting" ritual, involving kneeling and bowing to heaven, earth, gods, and ancestors, and reciting traditional harvest verses about careful harvesting and storage for the family. He then instructed them to leave more straw and only harvest the wheat heads. Ning Xiuxiu, meanwhile, continued her attempts to persuade Ning Xuexiang.
She explained that their 80-mu wheat field was being harvested and would be burned, and that his 50-mu field, being the closest to theirs, would surely be targeted by the Japanese. If he cooperated, he could keep some grain for his family. If not, the Japanese would take everything and disrespect him. Ning Xuexiang, however, became angry, calling the plan "messed up" and lamenting the waste of food, emphasizing how his heart would break and his granaries would remain empty.
He reminded Ning Xiuxiu that she was "an outsider" now and accused her of not caring for the ancestors. Ning Xiuxiu countered that the ancestors would blame him for feeding the Japanese, not for burning the wheat to prevent that. She argued that if he burned it, he'd be a hero.
He still refused, telling her to leave, stating that he would not betray his granaries, and then Ning Xiuxiu left in a huff, telling him to "face the ancestors' wrath." Despite Ning Xuexiang's refusal, the villagers, led by Feng Dajiao, enthusiastically began harvesting the wheat, carefully following instructions to leave more straw and only collect the heads. The villagers diligently harvested the wheat heads, and Ning Xiuxiu led the effort to hide them.
They worked tirelessly until nightfall, successfully harvesting all the wheat heads from the fields. Ning Xiuxiu gathered the village women, instructing them to be ready to "cry for the loss of wheat," showing their heartbreak, reminding them of how a year's hard work was wasted. At noon, as the sun was highest, Feng Dajiao and Tietou ignited the remaining wheat stalks with torches.
Ning Xiuxiu also ensured that any fallen wheat grains were meticulously picked up to leave no trace for the Japanese. Yinzi arrived to deliver steamed buns and water for the tired villagers. Suddenly, Feng Jiaming, on watch, reported that the Japanese were approaching early, in several cars. Feng Dajiao quickly instructed Jiaming to seal the cellar entrances and sent Keyu to alert the village. Ning Xiuxiu urged the women to blacken their faces with dirt and prepare to wail.
Ning Xuexiang, observing the fire, lamented the "waste" of his land and wheat, questioning Ning Xuerui if they had burned the fields and if they were in big trouble, as the Japanese were arriving ahead of schedule. Ning Xuerui hastily told his brother to blacken his face and start crying, as there was no time to explain. As Captain Kuwata and his Japanese squad arrived, Feng Jiaming hurried to warn the others.
Ning Xiuxiu quickly instructed the women to smear dirt on their faces and sit by the fields, wailing. Captain Kuwata, furious at seeing the burned fields, demanded an explanation and called for Feng Niwei. Administrator Liu tried to smooth things over, suggesting Feng Niwei, a local, could investigate. Feng Niwei, now a puppet army captain, assured Kuwata he would find out what happened and ensure the grain was returned.
Meiwei, seeing his brother Niwei in a Japanese uniform, realized he had become a traitor and lunged at him, but Ning Xiuxiu held him back, warning him to shut up if he wanted to live. Ning Xuerui, questioned by Niwei, tried to explain it was celestial fire, that they arrived too late to stop it, and how the wind spread the flames. Niwei, unconvinced, called their story nonsense and threatened to wipe out the village if they were lying.
Ignoring the villagers' pleas that such celestial fires happened yearly, Kuwata, needing to fill his trucks for Colonel Fujita, ordered the harvest of Ning Xuexiang's remaining wheat field. Ning Xuexiang desperately protested, reminding them of the promise to leave him the field and revealing he had bribed Administrator Liu for its protection, which a villager overheard. The village chief also stepped forward to plead, reminding Kuwata that Colonel Fujita himself had promised the land to Ning Xuexiang.
Enraged, Kuwata ordered his men to arrest and bind the chief. As the chief was being taken away, he denounced the Japanese as cowards and predicted their downfall. When a subordinate translated the chief's insults towards Feng Niwei, Ning Xuexiang, seeing the chief being attacked, finally relented and agreed to harvest his wheat. In the chaos, Feng Dajiao seized the opportunity to set Ning Xuexiang's wheat field ablaze. The fire rapidly spread, consuming all fifty mu of the wheat field.
Ning Xuexiang, seeing Feng Dajiao's action, gave him a silent thumbs up and urged the villagers to help put out the fire, though the strong winds made it impossible. Captain Kuwata, undeterred by the second fire and still needing to fill his trucks, reiterated his demand for grain to Feng Niwei, holding him accountable. Niwei promised to comply, and Kuwata left with his men.
Feng Niwei then discovered that the wheat stalks were cut before the fire, raising his suspicion that it was a deliberate act. He accused Feng Dajiao of hiding the wheat, who vehemently denied it, claiming they cut it to prevent the fire from spreading to the entire village. Ning Xuerui also tried to corroborate Feng Dajiao's story, but Feng Niwei, enraged by their defiance and accusing Feng Dajiao's words of endangering the entire village, lashed out.
Meiwei, unable to bear his brother's actions, charged at Niwei, calling him a disloyal bastard, but Ning Xiuxiu intervened. Feng Niwei, consumed by anger and a twisted sense of justice for his parents' deaths, declared that everyone was to blame for their demise and vowed to get justice.
When Ning Xuerui tried to reason with him, reminding him that the villagers were not responsible for his father's death and urging him not to follow in his father's evil footsteps, Niwei flew into a rage. He repeatedly stabbed Ning Xuerui, who, in his dying moments, condemned Niwei as worse than his father for serving the Japanese. Suddenly, Ning Xuexiang stepped forward, claiming he knew where the grain was hidden.
He offered to reveal its location on two conditions: that Niwei release all the villagers and allow him to take Ning Xuerui's body home. Niwei, incredulous, questioned Ning Xuexiang's audacity to bargain.
