Chapter Summaries

Ding Jihan learned that the Wu Family planned to take Su Qiao's house and worried about how to regain her forgiveness. Su Qiao prepared the house for sale, moved out its tenants, and began building surveillance cameras so she could prevent a future murder there.

• Ding Jihan read a report detailing Su Qiao's past, her sister's arrival, and the Wu Family's plan to take her house.
• Ding Jihan fumed at the Wu Family and worried about how to approach Su Qiao and win her acceptance again.
• Su Qiao listed both houses for sale, waived the tenants' bills for the month, found them new places, and reclaimed the three-bedroom house.
• Su Qiao bought components and tools and began studying how to make surveillance cameras.
• Su Qiao decided she would install the cameras and stay in the house for a while to guard against the future murderer.

Su Qiao installed cameras in her rental house so Su Ya Ni and the Wu Family could not easily harass her, while 444 proposed earning money by developing technology. The chapter left Su Qiao considering how to fulfill the original host’s wishes to earn a diploma and become a landlady without giving up her desire for an easy life.

• Su Qiao decided to hide from Su Ya Ni and the Wu Family and let Su Ya Ni experience life without her wealthy sister’s support.
• Su Qiao spent most of the day making two crude cameras and installed them in the rental house.
• 444 suggested improving phones, cameras, computers, and software as ways to make money, but Su Qiao warned it not to change history too much.
• Su Qiao said she wanted to be lazy, though the original host had wished to earn a Vocational Diploma and become a landlady.
• 444 suggested that Su Qiao take the Adult College Entrance Examination or a self-study examination while they pursued their money-making plans.

Su Qiao decided to pursue self-study exams through the proper route, starting with a college diploma before applying for an undergraduate one. She chose journalism as her major and left to explore the streets, saying she wanted to become a landlady rather than pursue a career.

• Su Qiao asked 444 to check the self-study exam rules and learned she needed a college diploma before applying for an undergraduate diploma.
• Su Qiao rejected using a fake high school diploma and planned to register in her hometown after changing her name.
• Su Qiao decided to visit her uncle and chose journalism as her major.
• Su Qiao told 444 she wanted to acquire houses and live as a landlady, then walked through the streets of the 1990s.

Su Qiao decided to become a dangerous, justice-minded reporter and told 444 to gather information while she prepared for the risks. Meanwhile, Su Ya Ni tried to establish herself as part of the Wu family, and Mother Wu took advantage of her by asking her to wash the household’s dirty bedding.

• Su Qiao told 444 she would become a reporter who was not afraid of death and warned it not to question her decision.
• 444 agreed but urged Su Qiao to train her skills and prepare poison, while Su Qiao assigned it to collect information and inside stories.
• Su Ya Ni scrubbed clothes for the Wu family and told Mother Wu that she and Wu Haishan were practically family.
• Mother Wu brought over filthy bedsheets and pillowcases for Su Ya Ni to wash, pretending her back was too weak to do the work herself.

Su Ya Ni endured Mother Wu's demands to wash clothes and clean the filthy courtyard while Mother Wu and Wu Chunlian discussed making her work as a new bride. The chapter ended with Mother Wu warning Wu Chunlian not to interfere in her brother's marriage, while Wu Chunlian focused on getting the shop to open a clothing store.

• Mother Wu told Su Ya Ni to rest briefly, then ordered her to sweep the courtyard, and Su Ya Ni saw how much work it would take.
• Mother Wu praised Su Ya Ni as a good wife for Haishan before going inside to rest.
• Wu Chunlian questioned Mother Wu's treatment of Su Ya Ni, and Mother Wu said she was teaching her to be a proper wife.
• Wu Chunlian complained that Su Ya Ni acted superior and resented her advantages, including her sister's support and university education.
• Mother Wu warned Wu Chunlian not to interfere with her brother's marriage and threatened to marry her off to Li the Cripple; Wu Chunlian denied any plans and said she wanted the shop for a clothing store.

After exhausting herself with housework, Su Ya Ni was told that women in the Wu household had to eat apart from the men. Humiliated by the supposed village custom, she refused to eat and left the family at the table.

• Wu Chunlian hurried to cook before the Wu men returned from looking for work.
• Su Ya Ni finished washing clothes and bedding and cleaning the courtyard, then helped bring the meal to the table.
• Mother Wu called Su Ya Ni over to eat beside the kitchen while Father Wu and the men ate at the table.
• Mother Wu claimed that women were not allowed to sit at the table, and Wu Haishan failed to persuade Father Wu to let Su Ya Ni join them.
• Su Ya Ni said she was not hungry and refused to eat after being humiliated.

Su Ya Ni refused to eat after Wu Haishan’s family barred her from the table, then softened when he brought her a Roujiamo and apologized. She proposed finding factory work with him the next day so she could earn money and improve her standing in the family.

• Su Ya Ni stormed back to her room, and Father Wu forbade Wu Haishan from following her while Mother Wu and Wu Chunlian criticized her.
• Wu Haishan stayed at the table, and Su Ya Ni cried herself to sleep without eating lunch or dinner.
• After dinner, Wu Haishan brought Su Ya Ni a Roujiamo and apologized, promising to try to change his parents’ views.
• Su Ya Ni turned around and told Wu Haishan she would look for work with him at a factory the next day.

Su Qiao agreed to rent her vacant city-center house to a desperate migrant worker after remembering her own hardship. She met him at the house to arrange the rental, leaving the property rented out again despite her earlier reluctance.

• Su Qiao bought a bus ticket home and packed her luggage.
• A man called to ask about renting her vacant house, pleading that his heavily pregnant wife needed somewhere safe to stay.
• Remembering her past poverty and the money stolen from her at a cheap hotel, Su Qiao agreed to rent the house to him temporarily.
• Su Qiao printed two copies of the rental contract and went to the house to meet the man.
• The man greeted Su Qiao as Boss and accepted the contract.

Su Qiao rented a room to a man and prepared to return home, while the Wu Family grew anxious about their lack of work and money. Su Ya Ni struggled to find a suitable job, and Wu Chunlian refused factory work despite the family’s worsening circumstances.

• Su Qiao let a man rent Room No. 1, waived his deposit, and gave him the keys after he signed the contract.
• Su Qiao set out early the next morning with a travel bag to take a long-distance bus home.
• After Su Qiao showed no sign of returning, Su Ya Ni panicked when a day of job hunting brought no suitable, well-paying work.
• The Wu Family ate dinner in a tense silence, while Su Ya Ni stayed in her room and ate a cold steamed bun to save money.
• Wu Chunlian complained about the mosquitoes, heat, mud, and bugs, then demanded to know when the family could move somewhere better.
• Mother Wu told Wu Chunlian to find factory work and help pay the family’s expenses, but Wu Chunlian refused because the pay was too low and the work was unpleasant.

Wu Chunlian and Mother Wu discussed getting Su Ya Ni to reconcile with her sister so the family could benefit from the storefront, while Su Ya Ni struggled with money. The chapter ended when Su Ya Ni discovered that clothes and other belongings had been stolen from her room.

• Wu Chunlian complained that Mother Wu expected her to work while Little Brother was supposedly looking for a job.
• Wu Chunlian suggested that Su Ya Ni ask her sister for the storefront so the family could earn money selling goods wholesale.
• Wu Chunlian told Mother Wu that Su Ya Ni had little money left, and Mother Wu decided Su Ya Ni should lower her head and reconcile with her sister.
• Su Ya Ni called Wu Haishan to her room and showed him that her luggage had been rummaged through and clothes, sneakers, and a silk scarf were missing.

Wu Haishan discovered that Wu Chunlian had taken Su Ya Ni’s clothes without permission, but Mother Wu dismissed the incident and urged Su Ya Ni to accept it. As Su Ya Ni described her unsuccessful job search, Mother Wu argued that she should take a low-paying factory job and thought of Su Ya Ni’s older sister.

• Wu Haishan found Su Ya Ni’s bags ransacked and went to question his family.
• Wu Chunlian admitted taking Su Ya Ni’s clothes, and Wu Haishan accused her of stealing.
• Mother Wu defended Wu Chunlian, pressured Su Ya Ni to forgive her, and ushered her to dinner.
• Su Ya Ni said the jobs she found paid less than two hundred yuan, and Mother Wu suggested factory work.
• Wu Haishan objected that Su Ya Ni was a college graduate, but Mother Wu argued that she should start at the bottom and thought of Su Ya Ni’s older sister.

Mother Wu urged Su Ya Ni to reconcile with her sister, and Su Ya Ni agreed to visit her the next day with Wu Haishan. After Wu Chunlian offered her food and Su Ya Ni refused, Su Ya Ni returned to the east room while Wu Haishan went back to eat.

• Mother Wu asked Su Ya Ni whether she had contacted her sister, and Su Ya Ni admitted she had not.
• Mother Wu told Su Ya Ni to put aside her anger and apologize to her sister first.
• Su Ya Ni agreed to visit her sister the next day, and Wu Haishan offered to go with her.
• Wu Chunlian served Su Ya Ni rice and vegetables, but Su Ya Ni declined, saying she had already eaten.
• Su Ya Ni went back to the east room, and Wu Haishan returned to the small sitting room to eat.

Su Qiao refused to pay for the overpriced meal the bus crew demanded, and Wang Laoba threatened her. Ding Jihan stood up to defend her and challenged Wang Laoba to fight.

• The bus stopped at a roadside restaurant, and the driver and conductor ordered the passengers to get off and buy meals to reboard.
• Su Qiao refused to pay for the meal and challenged Wang Laoba over the forced purchase.
• Wang Laoba threatened Su Qiao and bragged about his control of the bus route.
• Ding Jihan threw his cap at Wang Laoba, insulted him, and challenged him to fight.

Su Qiao and Ding Jihan got out of the vehicle after Wang Laoba insulted Su Qiao, and Ding Jihan threatened him before switching back to an ingratiating manner around her. When Wang Laoba called out thugs from the restaurant, Su Qiao attacked him.

• Ding Jihan threatened Wang Laoba for insulting Su Qiao and demanded that he kneel, kowtow, and call her Auntie.
• Su Qiao dismissed Ding Jihan’s claim that she was his woman and got out of the vehicle to use the restroom.
• Ding Jihan tripped Wang Laoba when he tried to grab Su Qiao, then offered to cover her as she walked away.
• Wang Laoba called out four or five thugs carrying clubs to attack Su Qiao and Ding Jihan.
• Su Qiao kicked Wang Laoba down and struck his face and chest with her shoes.

Su Qiao and Ding Jihan stopped Wang Laoba from forcing passengers to buy boxed meals before boarding the bus. After they intimidated him into letting everyone board, they prepared to continue their journey.

• Su Qiao knocked Wang Laoba to the ground, and Ding Jihan aimed an iron object at the restaurant thugs to stop them from interfering.
• Su Qiao stepped on Wang Laoba’s hand and forced him to let the families with children board without buying meals.
• Su Qiao released Wang Laoba and walked toward the public restroom.
• Ding Jihan warned Wang Laoba not to provoke his wife again and insisted that Wang address him as Boss.
• Wang Laoba agreed to bring them the restaurant’s food, including meat and eggs, instead of the boxed meals.

Su Qiao confronted Ding Jihan about following her, while he shamelessly refused to leave and claimed that his status as a foreign investor protected him from the police. She suspected that his behavior came from memories of a previous plane and wondered what he was planning.

• Ding Jihan rejected the greasy fast-food restaurant and told Wang Laoba to find a proper restaurant for them.
• Ding Jihan poured water over Su Qiao’s hands, then followed her back to the car and sat beside her.
• Su Qiao demanded to know when Ding Jihan had started following her and reminded him that she had threatened to break his legs.
• Ding Jihan said he would keep following her and joked about dressing in women’s clothes.
• Su Qiao threatened to take Ding Jihan to the police, but he claimed the government had brought him in as a foreign investor.
• Su Qiao recalled that she and 444 suspected Ding Jihan had memories from a previous plane and wondered if he was pretending to have lost them to deceive her.

Ding Jihan tried to stay close to Su Qiao and explain his weapon, while she challenged his claims that he had lost his memory. He revealed when he had first fallen in love with her, leaving Su Qiao to hear that it was at a restaurant when she spoke with a young girl.

• Ding Jihan explained that his weapon was a tranquilizer gun from a wildlife reserve, but Su Qiao told him to stay away.
• Ding Jihan offered Su Qiao snacks and milk, then stumbled over calling her Qiaoqiao and corrected himself to “little sis.”
• When Su Qiao accused him of calling her old and ugly, Ding Jihan reassured her that she was beautiful and adorable.
• Su Qiao mocked Ding Jihan’s first appearance as a disheveled man who had crashed into her bicycle, and he clarified that he had fallen in love with her at a restaurant.

Su Qiao returned to her hometown, visited relatives who had cared for Su Ya Ni, and used local connections to update her household registration and identity card. Before she could leave to register for a self-study examination, the restaurant owner offered to introduce her to an unmarried businessman.

• Su Qiao arrived in her hometown and stayed at an inn after Ding Jihan forced her to stop for a meal on the way.
• Su Qiao slipped two thousand yuan to her uncle's family in thanks for caring for Su Ya Ni, then obtained a certificate from the Village Party Secretary.
• Su Qiao visited the restaurant owner, who recognized her and helped her change the name on her household register and identity card.
• The restaurant owner learned Su Qiao had devoted years to supporting her younger sister and offered to introduce her to a thirty-two-year-old businessman.

Su Qiao was caught up in the Boss Lady’s blind-date arrangement, while Su Ya Ni and Wu Haishan searched unsuccessfully for her. Su Ya Ni later overheard her mother-in-law boasting to neighbors about Wu Haishan’s education and prospects.

• The Boss Lady arranged for Su Qiao to meet a thirty-two-year-old man at her restaurant, and Su Qiao stayed behind because she was annoyed by the person following her and wanted to provoke him.
• Su Ya Ni and Wu Haishan found that Su Qiao’s door lock had been changed, then checked another rental house and her shop, but could not find her.
• Su Ya Ni and Wu Haishan returned home, where the Wu Family argued again, and Su Ya Ni grew increasingly anxious about Su Qiao’s absence.
• Su Ya Ni went out alone to look for work, returned home hungry and penniless, and overheard Mother Wu telling neighbors that Wu Haishan was a handsome college graduate who had left a secure job to seek his fortune in the city.

Mother Wu gossiped with Aunt Li and Big Sister-in-law Liu about Su Ya Ni, portraying her as an indecent woman clinging to her son because they had not married. She also described Su Ya Ni’s older sister as a wealthy, unmarried woman who had supported her younger sister’s education.

• Mother Wu, Aunt Li, and Big Sister-in-law Liu discussed how people could make money by going into business.
• Aunt Li praised Su Ya Ni’s beauty and hard work, but Mother Wu revealed that Su Ya Ni and her son had no Marriage Certificate and had held no wedding banquet.
• Mother Wu condemned Su Ya Ni for living with her son before marriage and claimed that Su Ya Ni refused to leave him despite her older sister living in the city.
• Mother Wu said Su Ya Ni’s older sister owned two houses and a rented shop in the Wholesale Market, prompting envy from Aunt Li and Big Sister-in-law Liu.
• Mother Wu said Su Ya Ni’s thirty-year-old older sister had never had a boyfriend because she had spent years supporting Su Ya Ni through school.