This Thriving Land Episode 5 Recap
> This Thriving Land Recap
Feng Dajiao awoke and immediately pressed Ning Xiuxiu for details about the previous night. He learned that Ning Xuexiang had refused to sell land to rescue Ning Xiuxiu, and instead, Ning Susu had stood in for Ning Xiuxiu at the wedding and entered the bridal chamber with Fei Wendian. Knowing Ning Xiuxiu's heart still longed for Fei Wendian, and unwilling to marry her under such confused circumstances, Feng Dajiao sought her true feelings.
Ning Xiuxiu, feeling the coldness of human nature, expressed her despair and her strong desire to leave Ox Temple Village, admitting she had no idea where to go. Despite her assertion that things with Fei Wendian were impossible and she had given up, Feng Dajiao revealed she had called Fei Wendian's name in her sleep, confirming her true feelings. He understood she was reluctant to confront Fei Wendian herself.
Determined to get a clear answer from Fei Wendian and to hold the Fei family accountable, as well as her own father for not rescuing her, Feng Dajiao announced he would go question Fei Wendian directly, urging Ning Xiuxiu to wait for his return. Feng Dajiao found Fei Wendian and immediately confronted him, demanding to know why he hadn't rescued Ning Xiuxiu and instead married her sister.
Fei Wendian asserted his innocence with Ning Susu, claiming he was too drunk to see clearly and acknowledged his mistake in delaying Ning Xiuxiu's rescue. He then advised Feng Dajiao to treat Ning Xiuxiu well since she was now married to him. Feng Dajiao, enraged, questioned Fei Wendian's manhood and his apparent disregard for Ning Xiuxiu's suffering, emphasizing that the fault lay with those who failed to save her, not Ning Xiuxiu herself.
He challenged Fei Wendian, asking if he still wanted to marry Ning Xiuxiu. Fei Wendian expressed doubt, wondering if Ning Xiuxiu would still accept him. Feng Dajiao then instructed Fei Wendian to return to his house and pick up Ning Xiuxiu before noon with a proper wedding sedan and musicians, parading her through the village three times to restore her honor and make it clear that Fei Wendian was marrying her in a grand manner. Fei Wendian agreed.
Feng Dajiao then reflected on his decision, heartbroken yet resolved to protect Ning Xiuxiu himself. Meanwhile, Feng Er, delighted, purchased a large piece of meat, commenting on its worth being equivalent to fifteen mu of land, and instructed his wife to cook meat porridge. Feng Dajiao returned home and informed Ning Xiuxiu that Fei Wendian had promised to come for her with a proper wedding sedan and musicians before noon.
He explained that Fei Wendian would parade her around the village three times to rectify the humiliation she had suffered. Though Ning Xiuxiu seemed doubtful, Feng Dajiao reassured her. Feng Er's wife called them for a meal, offering meat porridge. Feng Dajiao encouraged Ning Xiuxiu to eat so she'd be ready for the sedan chair, even offering to bring the food to her when she said she wasn't hungry.
Concurrently, Ning Susu eagerly approached Fei Wendian at the Fei household, hoping he had a plan to send her back home, which he confirmed. Fei Wendian then went to speak with Fei Zuoshi, reiterating Feng Dajiao's instructions to pick up Ning Xiuxiu with a proper wedding sedan and parade her through the village. Fei Zuoshi reacted with strong disapproval, reminding him that Ning Xiuxiu had voluntarily married Feng Dajiao and that her return would shame the Fei family ancestors.
Fei Wendian passionately argued that Ning Xiuxiu's fate was his, and he would not let her be defeated by it. In response, Fei Zuoshi slapped him, accusing him of being naive and failing to see Feng Er's manipulative intentions. She explained that Feng Er's family only sought Ning Xiuxiu for her dowry land, and upon learning Ning Xiuxiu refused any dowry, they now wanted to dump her back onto the Fei family, using the grand procession as a pretense.
Fei Zuoshi confronted Fei Wendian about his true feelings regarding Ning Xiuxiu's defilement by bandits, and challenged him to face their ancestors in the ancestral hall and decide if he still truly desired to marry her. Fei Wendian appeared conflicted. Ning Xiuxiu waited anxiously, feeling more uneasy than on her original wedding day, fearing that Fei Zuoshi's words were true and Fei Wendian would not come for her.
As noon passed and Fei Wendian still hadn't arrived, she concluded that Fei Zuoshi had likely prevented him. Feng Dajiao, unable to wait longer, decided to seek Fei Wendian. However, on his way, he encountered Liu, the Fei family's steward, who falsely claimed that Fei Wendian was busy preparing for Ning Susu's return to her maiden home and would not see him. Realizing Fei Wendian would not come, Feng Dajiao took matters into his own hands.
He immediately hired a proper wedding sedan and a band of musicians, parading through the village. He distributed wedding pastries to the villagers and loudly declared his intention to marry Ning Xiuxiu, proclaiming her his lawfully wedded wife and announcing that the sedan would carry her around the village three times to ensure she married into the Feng family in a grand and honorable fashion. Ning Xiuxiu, witnessing this, understood that her path with Fei Wendian was truly closed.
With determined resolve, Feng Dajiao urged Ning Xiuxiu into the sedan, vowing to make up for her suffering. He then hoisted her onto the proper wedding sedan and led a lively procession, complete with drums and gongs, parading her through the village three times to publicize their marriage and unequivocally restore her honor. Ning Xiuxiu was deeply moved by his sincere efforts.
Fei Wendian watched the grand spectacle, feeling a mix of regret and shame, recognizing that Feng Dajiao was truly clearing Ning Xiuxiu's name in a way he couldn't. Fei Zuoshi, however, remained cynical, attributing Feng Dajiao's actions to the failure of Feng Er's dowry scheme.
That evening, Fei Wendian informed Fei Zuoshi of his decision to send Ning Susu back to her family and leave Ox Temple Village to return to school, declaring that arranged marriages were outdated and he wouldn't accept this "exchange" for Ning Xiuxiu. Meanwhile, Feng Er, who had been furious about the lavish wedding expenses, inspected his hidden money and found it untouched, mystified by where Feng Dajiao had obtained the funds.
Feng Dajiao's mother, observing her son's genuine affection for Ning Xiuxiu, assured Feng Er that his money was safe and attributed Feng Dajiao's funds to money saved from odd jobs. Back in their new room, Feng Dajiao told Ning Xiuxiu that he had hired the sedan without consulting her. Ning Xiuxiu, filled with gratitude, expressed her sincere thanks for his efforts to clear her name and acknowledged that he did it for her benefit, not for any reward.
Feng Dajiao, in turn, told her to rest and prepared to find somewhere else to sleep for the night. However, Ning Xiuxiu stopped him, explaining that if he left, their parents and the neighbors would gossip. She insisted that for her to live peacefully in his home, they needed to appear as a genuine couple. Understanding her reasoning, Feng Dajiao agreed and hung a curtain on the bed, allowing them to sleep on separate sides of the same room.
Later that night, Ning Xiuxiu quietly thanked him again for both the grand wedding that restored her honor and for respecting her privacy by setting up the curtain. The next morning, Ning Xiuxiu attempted to prepare breakfast, but, unfamiliar with such chores from her pampered upbringing, she accidentally caused smoke and nearly set the kitchen on fire. Feng Dajiao's mother rushed to check on her, then kindly offered to teach her how to cook.
However, Feng Er interrupted, pressing Ning Xiuxiu to go back to Ning Xuexiang and retrieve the deed for fifteen mu of land. Ning Xiuxiu firmly declared that she no longer had a father and wanted nothing from the Ning family, viewing the land as a source of misfortune. Feng Er was enraged by her refusal and insisted on the land.
Feng Dajiao, however, intervened, telling his father to stop mentioning the land and stating that whether or not to pursue the land depended entirely on Ning Xiuxiu's wishes, reiterating his support for her decision. He told his father that if the land was brought up again, he should deal with Feng Dajiao directly. Later that morning, Tietou urgently sought Feng Dajiao to treat his ailing cow.
Meanwhile, Feng Dajiao's mother kindly measured Ning Xiuxiu's foot, intending to make her a pair of warm cotton shoes, which deeply touched Ning Xiuxiu. Concurrently, Fei Zuoshi prepared lavish gifts and had Fei Wendian escort Ning Susu back to her maiden home. Ning Xuexiang was thrilled upon receiving the generous betrothal gift list from the Fei family. Ning Susu excitedly reported to her mother that Fei Wendian had personally returned her.
Fei Wendian explained to Ning's parents that since his "marriage" to Susu was not an arranged one and they had no romantic connection, Fei Zuoshi insisted he return Ning Susu to maintain her innocence.
Ning Xuexiang then revealed that Fei Zuoshi had also sent a message, stating that while the Fei family would return the dowry list and all betrothal gifts except for the 50 mu of land, as Ning Susu's reputation would be damaged by returning home, her next marriage would require a much larger dowry, and the current gifts could be considered hers.
Ning Susu's sister-in-law, Lianye, was outraged by this, arguing that the Fei family was trying to abandon Susu and that her reputation would be ruined, while Ning Susu herself cried, feeling used and betrayed by her father. Kejin, hearing the commotion, rushed in and chastised Lianye and Fei Wendian, demanding to know if Fei Wendian intended to keep Ning Susu after failing to marry Ning Xiuxiu.
