Chapter Summaries

Su Qiao gave Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua 1,000 yuan so they could take her in, telling them she had sold gold nuggets she found by the river. Her uncle and aunt worried over the dangers she had faced, while Su Qiao privately admitted she had earned the money by operating on Liu Weiye.

• Xiao Aimin agreed to pay the Su Family 800 yuan to take Su Qiao, insisting they could not reclaim her afterward.
• Xiao Aimin refused to let Tian Guihua sell her bracelets to raise the money.
• Su Qiao led Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua away from the Su Family and handed her uncle 1,000 yuan.
• Su Qiao told them she had sold gold nuggets at the county People's Bank after the Su Family tried to marry her into the Liu Family.
• Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua worried that Su Qiao had traveled and exchanged the gold alone, and she reassured them that she had avoided being followed.
• Su Qiao privately revealed that the money had come from operating on Liu Weiye.

Su Qiao secured her uncle and aunt’s support after telling them the Su family had planned to sell her. With the village officials’ help, she completed her adoption and cut ties with the Su family.

• Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua comforted Su Qiao and welcomed her as family.
• Su Qiao warned Xiao Aimin that Old Lady Su might try to sell her again, so he sent Gao Jinghui to fetch the village officials.
• The village chief, Village Party Secretary, and village women's director prepared adoption papers, which both sides signed and fingerprinted.
• Su Qiao gave the Su family 800 yuan and became free of any relationship with them.
• Tian Guihua happily took Su Qiao home and promised to fry cured meat and help her gain weight.

Su Qiao accepted Tian Guihua and Xiao Aimin as her parents, bringing them great happiness. The next morning, dressed in new clothes, she went to the river and mentioned that Li Xiaohua’s chickens had escaped, while Gao Jinghui suggested they might have gone to the mountain.

• Su Qiao told Tian Guihua she had long thought of her as her mother and asked to call her Mom.
• Xiao Aimin felt left out until Su Qiao called him Dad, and the family headed home to celebrate with a feast.
• Tian Guihua made Su Qiao new clothes, and the next morning Su Qiao wore them by the river as villagers praised her appearance.
• Su Qiao told Gao Jinghui that Li Xiaohua’s chickens had escaped from their coop, and he speculated that they had gone up the mountain.

Su Qiao told Gao Jinghui that Li Xiaohua had stuck a sewing needle into Danie's forehead, and Gao Jinghui rushed off in anger. Su Qiao stayed behind to keep searching for gold to help her family repay its debts.

• Gao Jinghui admitted he had stolen a chicken to punish Li Xiaohua for how she treated his aunt.
• Su Qiao teased Gao Jinghui and told him she knew why Danie was always sick.
• Su Qiao explained that Li Xiaohua had put a sewing needle into Danie's forehead when Danie was not yet two years old.
• Gao Jinghui ordered Su Qiao to wait and ran off, threatening her if she left.
• Su Qiao asked 444 to keep an eye on Gao Jinghui while she continued searching for gold.

Gao Jinghui dragged Song Gui down from the mountain and told him that his daughter had a needle lodged in her brain, urging him to take her to the hospital. Back at the riverbank, Su Qiao praised Gao Jinghui and promised to help him find the person who had framed him, while he insisted he was a bad person and reflected on how his mother had been betrayed.

• Gao Jinghui went up the mountain, forcibly brought Song Gui back to the village, and told him that his wife had stabbed a needle into their daughter’s forehead.
• Song Gui initially refused to believe him, but Gao Jinghui urged him to take the girl to the hospital for a scan and then hurried back to the riverbank.
• Su Qiao called Gao Jinghui a good person, and he warned her that he liked beating people up and stealing.
• Su Qiao said she enjoyed beating people up too and offered to help him find whoever had framed him.
• Gao Jinghui denied being good and thought about how his mother had lost her family, fortune, and home to the man who betrayed her.

Su Qiao comforted Gao Jinghui about being framed and neglected, then discovered that gold remained in the river. She grabbed his hand and hurried him onward to find more, while Gao Jinghui shook her off and immediately regretted it.

• Su Qiao criticized Gao Jinghui for giving up on school and failing to seek revenge after being framed.
• Su Qiao told Gao Jinghui that nobody was indispensable and that she was happy with her loving adoptive parents.
• Gao Jinghui realized Su Qiao’s apparent indifference came from having already suffered deeply, and felt his own troubles were less severe.
• Su Qiao learned that gold dust had been found in the river and asked for a larger piece.
• Su Qiao grabbed Gao Jinghui’s hand and ran ahead, saying she would take him to make money; he shook her off, then regretted it.

Su Qiao led Gao Jinghui into the river, saying she would show him how to make money, and followed Little Four’s directions to search the riverbed. Gao Jinghui saw a large Gold Bean in her hand and was stunned.

• Su Qiao hurried Gao Jinghui toward the river and promised to help him make money.
• Su Qiao stepped into the shallow river, and Gao Jinghui followed to keep her safe.
• Gao Jinghui watched Su Qiao and became flustered before snapping back to attention.
• Little Four directed Su Qiao to feel through the river sand with her right hand.
• Su Qiao picked up a glittering Gold Bean, and Gao Jinghui stared at its size in shock.

Su Qiao found several large pieces of gold in the river with Little Four’s help and sent Gao Jinghui to fetch her father and sacks. Xiao Aimin arrived and was stunned when Su Qiao showed him a handful of gold, then hurried to collect it.

• Su Qiao picked up several large pieces of crimson gold and gave them to Gao Jinghui to hide.
• Su Qiao told Gao Jinghui to fetch Xiao Aimin and bring fine-mesh sacks while she searched for more gold.
• Gao Jinghui returned alone, told Tian Guihua that Su Qiao was catching fish, and later brought Xiao Aimin to the river.
• Su Qiao showed Xiao Aimin a handful of Gold Nuggets she had found in the river.
• Xiao Aimin and Gao Jinghui hurried to put the gold in a sack before anyone else could take a share.

Su Qiao, Xiao Aimin, and Gao Jinghui gathered sacks of gold dust and nuggets from the river and carried them home. On the way, Xiao Aimin showed off a gold nugget to Third Brother Liu, then promised Su Qiao he would protect their family from anyone who tried to steal the gold.

• Su Qiao directed Xiao Aimin and Gao Jinghui to gather the remaining gold dust and mud from the river.
• The three climbed ashore with four sacks of gold dust and nuggets packed into their back baskets.
• Third Brother Liu questioned Xiao Aimin about carrying sand, and Xiao Aimin showed him a gold nugget and bragged about the gold dust.
• Xiao Aimin told Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui they would go home to learn how to wash the gold.
• Su Qiao asked Xiao Aimin why Gao Jinghui had returned the larger nuggets to him.

Su Qiao reassured Gao Jinghui that she had brought him along to make money, and he decided to trust her claims about finding riches. Back home, she gave Tian Guihua medicine to help her conceive, and the family agreed to try for another child after Su Qiao said she wanted a little brother.

• Su Qiao told Gao Jinghui she had taken him along to make a fortune, and he asked if she had a special ability.
• Su Qiao claimed she could smell gold, and Gao Jinghui said he believed her.
• Tian Guihua praised Su Qiao after they returned home, and Su Qiao reminded her of the old master's prediction that she would bring prosperity and help her conceive.
• Su Qiao gave Tian Guihua a packet of medicine and said it would help her have a child.
• Tian Guihua and Xiao Aimin worried that another child might make Su Qiao feel unwanted, but Su Qiao said she wanted a little brother.
• Xiao Aimin agreed that the family could try for another child so Su Qiao would have siblings to rely on later.

Su Qiao told Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua she had studied ahead and asked to skip junior high, and they promised to try to get her into senior high. She also revealed that she could smell gold, leaving Xiao Aimin thrilled at the prospect of finding more.

• Xiao Aimin told Su Qiao he planned to send her to junior high and buy her a bicycle after summer vacation, but Su Qiao said she had already studied the junior high textbooks.
• Xiao Aimin agreed to try to get Su Qiao into the first year of senior high, and she thanked him.
• Xiao Aimin offered to split the gold with Gao Jinghui, who initially refused, but Su Qiao urged him to accept his share.
• Su Qiao told Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua she could smell gold nearby and had used that ability to find the thousand yuan and the gold.
• Xiao Aimin celebrated Su Qiao's supposed golden nose.

Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua made Gao Jinghui promise to keep Su Qiao’s secret, and he swore he would protect her. Xiao Aimin then took Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui to the woodshed to teach them how to wash gold, while Gao Jinghui privately tried to deny that he had praised Su Qiao.

• Xiao Aimin worried that Gao Jinghui might reveal Su Qiao’s secret, but Gao Jinghui promised to keep it and thanked Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua for trusting him.
• Gao Jinghui told Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua that Su Qiao had been kind to him, and Xiao Aimin accepted his promise.
• Xiao Aimin led Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui to the backyard woodshed to teach them how to wash gold.
• Gao Jinghui reflected that his father had excluded him from the family mine because he favored another woman and her children.
• Gao Jinghui quietly claimed he had praised Su Qiao only to reassure her parents, and Su Qiao teased him about pledging his loyalty to her.

Su Qiao teased Gao Jinghui into admitting he had praised her and pledged to listen to her, then told him to follow her to dig for gold. After news spread that she had found Gold Beans in the river, villagers rushed to pan for more, and Liu Hong urged the Su family to join them.

• Su Qiao threatened to tell Xiao Aimin that Gao Jinghui had been fooling him, so Gao Jinghui admitted his praise and pledge of loyalty.
• Su Qiao declared that Gao Jinghui would have to listen to her and follow her to dig for gold and make a fortune.
• Word spread through Banyan Tree Village that Su Qiao had found Gold Beans by the river, and villagers hurried there with tools.
• Liu Hong rushed home and told the Su family that gold had appeared in the river again and everyone was going to pan for it.

After Liu Hong reported that Su Qiao had found gold in the river, the Su Family hurried out to search for more. Meanwhile, news spread that Song Gui had beaten Li Xiaohua after taking their daughter to the hospital.

• Liu Hong told Su Guofu and the others that Su Qiao had found a handful of gold, prompting them to gather tools and sacks for the river.
• Su Baozhu asked Xiao Aizhen whether the gold Su Qiao found belonged to their family, but Xiao Aizhen did not know.
• Su Qiao watched Xiao Aimin wash the gold while hearing that most villagers, including the Su Family, were panning the river.
• Song Gui took his two-year-old daughter to the hospital, returned in a fury, and beat Li Xiaohua until neighbors restrained him and fetched the village chief.

After the Su Family found no gold, they pinned their hopes on Su Baozhu’s supposed luck, but she also came up empty and drew the family’s anger. Su Baozhu blamed Su Qiao for her humiliation and grew to hate her younger sister even more.

• The Village Committee members escorted Li Xiaohua to the Police Station after learning what had happened.
• Gao Jinghui reported that most people, including the Su Family, had found no gold in the river.
• Old Lady Su persuaded the family to bring Su Baozhu along the next day, believing her luck would help them find gold.
• After searching for hours without finding anything, Liu Hong complained that Su Baozhu had worse luck than Erya and refused to go back that afternoon.
• Su Baozhu felt humiliated by the villagers’ disdain and blamed Su Qiao for her predicament.

Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui proposed opening a mine to help the Xiao family repay its debts, and explained how they could obtain equipment, mining expertise, and a permit. The chapter left Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua learning that Su Qiao had secretly taught herself medicine and regretting how she had been treated.

• Su Qiao asked Xiao Aimin to stop hauling sandbags and find a mine, but he warned that mining required permits, costly equipment, expertise, and could leave them in debt.
• Gao Jinghui offered to help obtain mining equipment and use cyanide technology, explaining that he had secretly researched mining.
• Su Qiao said the Liu Family would help secure a Mining Permit because she had healed Liu Weiye’s leg and earned their gratitude.
• When Xiao Aimin asked how she had learned medicine, Su Qiao claimed that an old man in the cowshed had taught her.
• Su Qiao said she had later tested herbs on herself because her relatives had refused to get her medical care, and Tian Guihua regretted not knowing sooner.

Su Qiao persuaded Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua to search abandoned mine tunnels for a large gold deposit so the family could pay off its debts. As Gao Jinghui left, he realized that his hatred for his stepmother and younger brother had begun to fade.

• Xiao Aimin apologized for not caring for Su Qiao enough, and she reassured him that he had already treated her well.
• Su Qiao said she could smell gold and proposed searching ownerless, abandoned mine tunnels for a rich deposit and applying for a Mining Permit.
• Xiao Aimin, Tian Guihua, and Gao Jinghui supported Su Qiao’s plan, and Xiao Aimin said they would investigate tunnels after the early rice harvest.
• Su Qiao assured Gao Jinghui she was confident and promised that following her would help him outshine his stepmother and younger brother.
• Gao Jinghui realized he no longer felt the same hatred toward his stepmother and younger brother and thought his former desire for revenge had been foolish.

Su Qiao encouraged Gao Jinghui to focus on making money rather than proving himself to people who looked down on his mother. The next morning, she confronted Su Guoqiang and Xiao Aizhen when they tried to call her back to their home, insisting their severance agreement had ended their relationship.

• Gao Jinghui told Su Qiao he wanted to make money so others would stop looking down on his mother.
• Su Qiao reassured Gao Jinghui that he did not need to compete with the people who mocked them, and he agreed before returning home.
• Su Qiao set out to pick vegetables the next morning and met Su Guoqiang and Xiao Aizhen at a fork in the road.
• Xiao Aizhen asked Su Qiao to come home, but Su Qiao pointed out that her home was now with the Xiao Family.
• Su Qiao reminded the couple that the severance agreement and the 800 yuan had ended their ties, and she said her years of labor had repaid any debt she owed them.

Su Qiao rejected Xiao Aizhen’s attempt to take her back to the Su Family, and Tian Guihua and Gao Jinghui protected her. Tian Guihua insisted that Su Qiao belonged to her family now and drove Xiao Aizhen and Su Guoqiang away with a fierce rebuke.

• Su Qiao mocked Xiao Aizhen for seeking gold and refused to go back to the Su Family.
• Xiao Aizhen tried to grab Su Qiao, but Su Qiao called for Tian Guihua and said she had a family to protect her.
• Gao Jinghui rushed over and pulled Su Qiao behind him while Tian Guihua stood up to the Su Family couple.
• Tian Guihua told Xiao Aizhen that Su Qiao had been adopted and registered in their household, so Xiao Aizhen had no right to discipline her.
• Tian Guihua reminded Xiao Aizhen that she could discipline Su Baozhu instead and condemned her for mistreating her own daughter.

Su Qiao rejected the Su Family and returned home with Tian Guihua and Gao Jinghui, while the Su Family argued over the gold she had found. They regretted signing the separation agreement and realized they could not claim her money.

• Tian Guihua mocked the Su Family, took Su Qiao home, and invited Gao Jinghui to celebrate the gold she had found.
• Su Guofu learned that Su Qiao refused to return and complained that she had called Tian Guihua Mom.
• Xiao Aizhen cried over Su Qiao’s closeness with Tian Guihua, while Old Lady Su blamed her for failing to bring Su Qiao back.
• Liu Hong suggested taking the matter to the Village Committee, but Old Lady Su warned that the signed separation agreement would work against them.
• Liu Hong estimated that Su Qiao’s kilogram of gold could be worth 15,000 to 25,000 yuan, leaving Su Guofu and Liu Hong lamenting the money they had lost.