Episode 16 recap: An Accident Leads to Mother's Death
In Episode 16, Xian confronts Hui directly about the loan note, but Hui remains silent. Anxious and desperate, Xian checks her mother’s hiding place for money, only to find it empty. Furious, she vents her anger at her mother, calling Lao Wang a greedy and lecherous man who would disappear after getting the money. Hui, however, insists that Lao Wang is a good person and that she gave him the money as an investment.
Xian is left speechless by her mother's defense. Soon after, while Hui is out with the baby, Lao Wang unexpectedly returns. Xian seizes the opportunity to test Lao Wang’s intentions by inviting him into the room. Just then, Hui returns with the child and catches them in an awkward moment, leading her to angrily chase Lao Wang away. Xian calmly tidies up her clothes and coolly advises Hui to see Lao Wang's true nature.
Devastated, Hui falls into bed and refuses to eat. Xian prepares meals to comfort her, explaining that she has no ties to Lao Wang and is only trying to uncover the truth. In despair, Hui accuses Xian of being cruel and then faints. When she wakes up to learn that Lao Wang has not returned, she feels heartbroken, believing that her own daughter is "punishing" her.
Hui returns all of Xian's money and clarifies that the money sent by Meng Yu Nong was untouched; the funds given to Lao Wang were entirely her own savings as compensation for his hard work. She believes this money is enough to secure Xian and the baby’s future. With that, Hui wearily closes her eyes.
Xian encounters Lao Wang at a barbershop and, filled with rage, slaps him before storming out. In that moment, she resolves to raise her child alone.
As time passes and the new China is established, Xian's daughter, Zhi, grows into a progressive young woman. She eagerly responds to calls for contribution, even donating family cookware for steel production. Xian feels uneasy about this but is helpless against Zhi's stubbornness.
Zhi works hard at a factory but struggles to secure a permanent position due to her father's ambiguous identity. This leads her to erupt in anger at Xian, convinced that her mother is hiding something. Xian deflects with excuses about her father's early death, but Zhi refuses to believe her, thinking her mother is hindering her future. She even enlists the neighborhood chief to reform Xian’s thinking, but with little success.
Zou Jie’s marriage becomes the family's focal point, with relatives hoping he will bring home a beloved partner. However, Zou Jie hesitates to agree. He longs to publicly acknowledge his relationship with Zhi, but she rejects him, claiming Xian’s views are outdated. Xian sneaks home frequently, but is once again caught by the neighborhood chief, who demands she read a newspaper at a meeting as an example. Seizing the opportunity, Xian raises the issue of her shop being requisitioned, but is met with unsatisfactory answers and is instead asked to submit a self-critique.
Outside, Zou's mother witnesses the whole scene and later inquires about Zhi’s situation with Aunt Wang. When Zhi returns home, she continues to pressure Xian to accept reform and write a self-critique. Unable to bear it any longer, Xian throws Zhi out. Zou Jie learns about his mother interfering in Zhi’s affairs and is furious, insisting that privacy should be respected.
These series of events heighten the tension within the family, as each member struggles to find their place and identity amidst the currents of change in society.
Comments(Episode 16)