Episode 19 recap: Zhang Biao jumped into the water to save Baby Yao, while Luo Xiang Qian led a group of people to make homemade explosives.
Ye Lan also mobilized Li Tianzhu, Wang Xianming, and others. Luo Xiang Qian led the applause and demanded that everyone learn how to chip stones and make gunpowder holes, including the students. Li Tianzhu and Wang Xianming each led their own group of partners in a competition. Ye Lan announced the progress of the project, with Wang Xianming slightly ahead, and Li Tianzhu complained about how long they would have to work with their bare hands. Luo Xiang Qian encouraged him to innovate and even used an example of his own layered soil filling and tamping to inspire Li Tianzhu. Sha Kai scoffed at it, and Ye Lan criticized him a few times, but Sha Kai refused to listen and walked away.
Li Tianzhu came up with a method of using a single-person soldering iron to speed up the work progress. His method was successful and quickly spread on the construction site. Wang Lanzhi and Ku Mei went to deliver food and suddenly discovered that their son, Yao, was missing. Wang Lanzhi anxiously searched everywhere and found out that Yao accidentally fell into the river while playing. Zhang Biao saw this and rushed into the water to save the child without hesitation.
After hearing the news, Ku Mei reminded Wang Lanzhi that Zhang Biao had been watching over her, and she should be grateful to him; otherwise, they would have lost their lives. Wang Lanzhi wanted to thank Zhang Biao, so she asked Ku Mei to help her deliver shoe pads as a gesture of gratitude. Ku Mei conveyed Wang Lanzhi's gratitude to Zhang Biao, but he refused to accept it. Ku Mei told Zhang Biao about Wang Lanzhi's suffering and explained that she was forced to reveal his hiding place in the past because the landlord hanged Lanzhi's father and nearly killed him. She hoped that Zhang Biao would cherish Wang Lanzhi.
After Li Tianzhu invented the single-person soldering iron method, Wang Xianming and others invented the rooster-shaped soldering head, which further improved the work progress. Luo Xiang Qian was particularly pleased with the technological innovation competition on the construction site. Zhang Biao came to find Wang Lanzhi and brought candied fruit and pastries for Baby Yao. Wang Lanzhi thanked him for saving their lives and remembered what Zhang Biao had said before. Both of them pretended not to know each other because she didn't want to hinder Zhang Biao's progress while taking care of her child.
Luo Xiang Qian and Zhang Biao went to find Chen Yuanlong, the stationmaster of the supply station, to ask for support in obtaining explosives. However, Chen Yuanlong stated that the explosives had to be prioritized for the resistance against the US in the Korean War, and it wasn't just their team that was lacking explosives. The two of them returned to the headquarters empty-handed and got into an argument because Zhang Biao was impatient.
When Luo Xiang Qian learned that someone in a neighboring village knew how to make homemade explosives, his eyes lit up. However, he was aware of the high risk involved in making such explosives and knew that he had to proceed with caution. He decided to discuss it with the technicians. Li Muyang secretly met with Chen Yuanlong, who turned out to be an undercover agent for the Kuomintang. Li Muyang informed Chen Yuanlong that his recent infiltration had been successful, gaining the trust of the Communist Party. He had come this time to restart the sabotage operation against the Chengdu-Chongqing Railway.
Accompanying Li Muyang was a female agent named Sui Li. She informed Chen Yuanlong that they were planning to remain undercover for a long period, so their sabotage activities must not be exposed. Li Muyang asked Chen Yuanlong if he had a potential recruit, and Chen Yuanlong mentioned Sha Kai. Luo Xiang Qian held a meeting with the technical staff to discuss the homemade explosives. While everyone agreed that it was an unconventional approach, they were willing to give it a try. Only Sha Kai strongly opposed the idea, considering it unreliable. Ye Lan debated with him about it, and in the end, Luo Xiang Qian called for a vote, with the majority in favor of producing homemade explosives.
Luo Xiang Qian and his team went to find Mu Ba, who knew how to make explosives. However, they found Mu Ba lying in bed, and when his wife learned that they had come to ask Mu Ba to make explosives, she immediately tried to drive them away without listening to their explanation. Despite Luo Xiang Qian's repeated assurances that they wanted to help Mu Ba seek medical treatment, they were still forced out by Mu Ba's wife.
Luo Xiang Qian sought information from the neighbors and learned that Mu Ba had injured his lower body while making explosives. His wife, feeling lonely, had found another man and did not provide any treatment for Mu Ba. In order to get medical treatment for Mu Ba, Luo Xiang Qian and the soldiers devised a plan to deceive his wife and carried Mu Ba back to their base. After being examined by Dr. Yu, he said that they had arrived just in time; otherwise, he would have developed sepsis. However, there was a shortage of medicines at the construction site, and there weren't enough workers to handle the workload. Nevertheless, Luo Xiang Qian insisted on prioritizing Mu Ba's treatment.
Otherwise, Mu Ba would have been left to die at home, as his wife would surely neglect him. Mu Ba's leg was only slightly injured, so he guided everyone in the production of explosives. Under his guidance, the explosives were quickly prepared. On the day of the explosion test, Mu Ba also came to the site with crutches. The fuse was lit, and the explosion resounded through the air. The homemade explosives were a success, and everyone cheered with joy, except for Sha Kai, who poured cold water on their excitement, cautioning them not to celebrate too early.
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