Chapter Summaries

The Su family argued over Su Qiao’s adoption and the gold, while Su Baozhu offered to give up housework and school to coax her back. Xiao Aimin returned with the exchanged money, and Tian Guihua told him that Su Qiao’s birth parents had tried to confront her.

• Liu Hong blamed Su Baozhu for the family losing the gold, while Su Old Lady insisted Su Qiao’s parents were entitled to reclaim it.
• Su Baozhu urged her parents to speak to Su Qiao and offered to take on all the housework and give up school.
• Liu Hong returned to her room, doubting that Su Qiao would come back or surrender the gold.
• Xiao Aimin came home with thirty-eight thousand exchanged and deposited in two portions at the People's Bank.
• Tian Guihua told Xiao Aimin that Su Qiao’s birth parents had blocked her at a fork in the road and nearly slapped her.

Xiao Aimin angrily defended Su Qiao against the Su family and considered ending contact with his sister after recalling how the family had repaid his help. Later, Su Qiao washed vegetables by the irrigation canal, where Gao Jingsheng joined her and carried her basket as they headed home.

• Xiao Aimin and Tian Guihua discussed the Su family's attempt to trouble Su Qiao and demand money from her.
• Xiao Aimin recalled helping the Su family, including securing jobs and schooling, only for them to blame Su Qiao when Su Guofu lost his job.
• Xiao Aimin said he would stop associating with his sister if she no longer wanted her maternal family's support.
• As the rice harvest approached, Su Qiao washed vegetables at the irrigation canal while waiting for the Su family's turn to irrigate.
• Gao Jingsheng came to help Su Qiao, then took her basket when she stood up to leave.

The Su Family's woodshed and woodpile burned while Su Baozhu was inside, leaving her badly injured. Su Qiao realized Gao Jinghui had secretly started the fire, while Su Guangzong returned home and accused the family of staging a grand welcome for him and his brother.

• Women washing mops spotted smoke rising from the western end of the village and suspected the Su Family's home was on fire.
• Su Qiao questioned Gao Jinghui, who denied setting the fire and claimed he had gone to check on the people panning for gold.
• Tian Guihua told Su Qiao that the Su Family's woodshed and woodpile had burned and Su Baozhu had been injured by smoke and a branch.
• 444 revealed that Su Baozhu had smashed things in the woodshed after failing to find gold, and that Gao Jinghui had set fire to the woodpile.
• Liu Hong lamented the loss of the firewood, while Su Guangzong arrived home and sarcastically accused the family of staging a grand welcome.

After Su Baozhu burned the woodshed and backyard, Su Guangzong blamed her for driving Su Qiao away and losing the family’s chance to claim the gold, while Old Lady Su defended her. At the county hospital, Liu Weiye refused to give up his plan to marry Su Baozhu, vowing to insist on it despite her neglect.

• Su Guangzong accused Su Baozhu of causing the fire and blamed her for Su Qiao’s departure and the lost gold.
• Old Lady Su defended Su Baozhu, but favored her grandsons and sent her back to her room.
• Su Yaozu silently took interest when he heard Su Qiao had been adopted and found gold.
• Liu Ahua suggested ending Liu Weiye’s marriage arrangement with Su Baozhu because she had not visited him.
• Liu Weiye refused to let go of Su Baozhu and said he would insist on marrying her.

Liu Weiye asked his parents to hide that his legs had healed so he could see whether Su Baozhu would visit, and admitted he still intended to marry her. Su Qiao reunited with her kind younger cousin Su Yaozu, then set out with Gao Jinghui, who distrusted the boy.

• Liu Weiye told Liu Ahua and his father to keep his healed legs secret and said he wanted to test whether Su Baozhu would come see him.
• Liu Weiye told Liu Ahua that he still wanted to marry Su Baozhu, even though he no longer believed in love.
• Su Qiao met Su Yaozu, who apologized for not knowing about her troubles and gave her a warm egg.
• Su Qiao ate the egg to reassure Su Yaozu, who promised to visit again the next day.
• Gao Jinghui handed Su Qiao a military canteen and warned her not to associate with Su Yaozu.

Su Qiao secretly tampered with Su Baozhu’s medicine packet and disinfectant at the Su family home. The next day, the Su family’s rice crop was found full of empty husks, and the village chief and Captain Yu questioned whether the family had used enough fertilizer.

• Su Qiao told Gao Jinghui that the man he had been jealous of was her uncle’s second son, and teased Gao Jinghui for making empty threats.
• That night, Su Qiao used 444 to find Su Baozhu’s medicine packet and added powder to the disinfectant and herb roots to the packet.
• The next day, Old Lady Su accused someone of sabotaging the family’s rice and demanded that the village chief send the culprit to the police station.
• Captain Yu pointed out that only the Su family’s rice had failed and argued that the shriveled grains looked like the result of poor cultivation, not sabotage.
• The village chief asked whether the Su family had fertilized its fields, and Liu Hong claimed they had used thirty jin.
• Captain Yu challenged the claim, noting that thirty jin was insufficient for the family’s one mu and six fen of land, while Old Lady Su glared at Liu Hong.

Su Baozhu grew angry as villagers said the Su family’s misfortunes began after Su Qiao left. Meanwhile, Xiao Aimin took Gao Jinghui and Su Qiao to his old mine tunnel, where Su Qiao found evidence that he had dug in the wrong direction and that gold lay inside.

• Villagers mocked Su Baozhu and said Su Qiao’s good fortune had once held back the Su family’s misfortune.
• Su Baozhu stormed off, resentful that Su Qiao had found gold and wishing she could slap her.
• After harvesting the rice, Xiao Aimin took Gao Jinghui and Su Qiao up the mountain to his old tunnel.
• Su Qiao told Xiao Aimin that gold lay in the tunnel, and explained that he had dug in the wrong direction.
• Xiao Aimin grew excited as he realized his years of digging and the debt he had taken on had not been in vain.

Su Qiao went with Liu Tiezhu to the county hospital to check on Liu Weiye and discuss applying for a Mining Permit. After examining Liu Weiye, she reassured him that his leg was healing well and said his male function could be treated after his leg recovered.

• Su Qiao, Gao Jinghui, and Xiao Aimin arrived at the county hospital, where Liu Tiezhu agreed to help them obtain a Mining Permit.
• Liu Tiezhu asked Su Qiao to check on Liu Weiye's recovery, and she agreed while Xiao Aimin and Gao Jinghui waited outside the ward.
• Liu Weiye asked to speak privately with Su Qiao, so his mother left and Su Qiao entered the ward alone.
• Su Qiao examined Liu Weiye and told him his leg should heal enough for him to walk in about two months, with a rehabilitation plan to follow.
• Su Qiao said she could treat Liu Weiye's male function with acupuncture after his leg healed, then invited him to ask whatever he wanted.

Su Qiao insisted that Liu Weiye marry Su Baozhu for at least five years, and he agreed despite his disillusionment with her. Meanwhile, Su Qiao and her companions began work on a newly permitted mining tunnel, prompting gossip and suspicion among the Su family.

• Su Qiao told Liu Weiye that he owed her the marriage to Su Baozhu from a previous life and required them to stay married for five years.
• Liu Weiye recalled that Su Baozhu had not visited him after his injury and agreed to marry her.
• With the Liu family's help, Su Qiao and her companions obtained a Mining Permit, bought equipment, and began work on the tunnel at Golden Hollow.
• Liu Hong told Xiao Aizhen and the Su family that Xiao Aimin had opened another tunnel at Golden Hollow.
• Su Baozhu suspected Xiao Aimin had kept the money from exchanging the gold instead of using it to repay the debt, and Old Lady Su agreed he had deceived her.

The Su family debated whether to invest in Xiao Aimin’s tunnel, but Old Lady Su and Liu Hong dismissed the idea despite Su Guofu’s suspicions that Su Qiao might help them find something. Outside, Xiao Aizhen questioned Su Qiao about the tunnel and was surprised to learn she would be going to school.

• Su Guofu suggested that the family take a share in Xiao Aimin’s tunnel, but Old Lady Su and Liu Hong argued that it was too risky.
• Su Guofu said Erya’s presence could make the tunnel worth pursuing, while Su Baozhu noted that finding an ore vein was difficult.
• Su Guofu dropped the idea because he had no money to invest.
• Xiao Aizhen left the house and asked Su Qiao why she had not tried to stop Xiao Aimin from digging again.
• Su Qiao told Xiao Aizhen that her father had his own plans and said her mother was making her new clothes and a schoolbag.
• Xiao Aizhen was surprised when Su Qiao said she was going to school.

Su Qiao taunted Xiao Aizhen about Su Baozhu’s planned marriage to a paralyzed man, then joined Xiao Aimin and Gao Jinghui to dig for gold. As they neared a large gold deposit, the three prepared to uncover it.

• Su Qiao told Xiao Aizhen she was happy with her new life and blamed her for driving her to the brink.
• Su Qiao warned Xiao Aizhen that Su Baozhu might have to marry a paralyzed man from the Liu family, leaving Xiao Aizhen worried.
• Su Qiao, Xiao Aimin, and Gao Jinghui went to the mountain each morning to dig for the ore vein without hiring workers or bringing heavy machinery.
• 444 detected a large gold chunk and smaller pieces ahead, along with a sharply turning vein.
• Su Qiao warned Xiao Aimin and Gao Jinghui to be careful as they approached the gold, and Gao Jinghui told her he believed only in her.

Su Qiao, Xiao Aimin, and Gao Jinghui uncovered a rare piece of scarlet-red Dog-head Gold, and Su Qiao said more remained inside. They planned to retrieve the rest and carry it home before deciding how to sell it, while hiding their excitement from others.

• Gao Jinghui and Su Qiao let go of each other's hands when Xiao Aimin called for help, then assisted him with the pneumatic drill and flashlight.
• Su Qiao found a large gold nugget, and Xiao Aimin identified it as rare scarlet-red Dog-head Gold.
• Su Qiao told Xiao Aimin that more gold lay ahead, and he steadied himself before preparing to keep digging.
• Xiao Aimin considered the risks of selling the gold to a bank or a gold merchant.
• Su Qiao urged them to retrieve the remaining gold and take it home in the dark, and Xiao Aimin told them to look worried on the way back.

Su Qiao, Gao Jinghui, and Xiao Aimin secretly brought the gold they found home, where Tian Guihua learned about it. The next day, Xiao Aimin took the two youngsters to the county town and sold the gold for a total of 624,000 yuan.

• Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui joked with each other as they pretended to look dejected on the way down the mountain.
• Xiao Aimin brought the remaining gold home safely with Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui.
• Su Qiao told Tian Guihua that they had found several pieces of dog-head gold, and Xiao Aimin secured the house before the family discussed their excitement.
• Before dawn the next day, Xiao Aimin hid the gold around his waist and took Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui to the county town.
• Xiao Aimin sold the smaller pieces to gold dealers for 420,000 yuan and sold the dog-head gold to the bank for 204,000 yuan.

After Xiao Aimin struck Dog-head Gold and paid off his debts, the Su family regretted losing Erya and argued over her supposed good fortune. Su Guofu demanded that his brother bring her back, but the family faced the obstacle of her legal adoption and the 800 yuan they had received.

• Xiao Aimin paid off 130,000 yuan in debt after exchanging the gold, and news of his Dog-head Gold spread through nearby villages.
• Su Guofu smashed things at home and blamed his family for refusing to take a share in the gold digging.
• Su Guofu accused Su Baozhu of bringing bad luck and praised Erya's supposed fortune, citing the family's misfortunes since she left.
• Su Guofu urged Su Guoqiang and his wife to bring Erya back, while Old Lady Su agreed that Erya should stay with the Su family.
• Xiao Aizhen reminded them that Erya had been legally adopted out for 800 yuan, and Su Guofu contrasted that amount with Xiao Aimin's 200,000-yuan windfall.

After the gold-mining venture earned a large profit, Su Qiao proposed investing the money in a machinery trading company instead of continuing with dangerous mining. Xiao Aimin and Gao Jinghui agreed to follow her plan, while Xiao Aimin and his wife noticed the growing closeness between Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui.

• Old Lady Su demanded that the family return the eight hundred yuan and bring the person back after learning they had received over seventy thousand yuan.
• Xiao Aimin told Gao Jinghui their mining venture had made a net profit of 580,000 yuan and offered him half.
• Gao Jinghui refused half, saying he had helped less than Xiao Aimin and Su Qiao, but Xiao Aimin insisted he deserved it.
• Su Qiao suggested pooling the money to establish a machinery trading company, explaining that a coming gold rush would create demand for mining equipment.
• Xiao Aimin considered the plan feasible, and Gao Jinghui said he would follow Su Qiao's lead.
• Xiao Aimin and his wife exchanged a glance as they realized something was developing between Su Qiao and Gao Jinghui.

Gao Jinghui confronted Father Gao and Gao Mingyuan when they came to the Gao Family, accusing them of framing him and trying to claim the mine. Su Qiao stopped Father Gao from striking him again, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Villagers treated Su Qiao like a lucky treasure, and Gao Jinghui grew tense when people tried to arrange a marriage for her.
• Father Gao and Gao Mingyuan arrived at the Gao Family, and Gao Jinghui blocked them at the courtyard gate.
• Father Gao accused Gao Jinghui of ingratitude, while Gao Jinghui challenged his story about sending him to the village and stealing money.
• Father Gao slapped Gao Jinghui, and Gao Mingyuan mocked him as Gao Jinghui denounced them both and accused Gao Mingyuan of hiring thugs to target him at school.
• Gao Jinghui warned them not to set their sights on the mine, and Su Qiao stepped between him and Father Gao as Father Gao raised his hand again.

Su Qiao drove Gao Bin and Gao Mingyuan away after they tried to pressure Gao Jinghui into returning home. Gao Jinghui found comfort in Su Qiao and her family, and the chapter ended with him resolving to value the people who cared about him.

• Su Qiao sent Xiao Hui to summon her father, the village chief, and others, while Gao Bin gave Gao Jinghui three days to return home.
• Gao Jinghui refused to go back, and Su Qiao chased Gao Bin and Gao Mingyuan away with a wooden stick.
• Gao Mingyuan leered at Su Qiao, so Gao Jinghui warned him to stop looking at her, and Su Qiao insulted him.
• After Gao Bin and Gao Mingyuan left, Gao Jinghui hugged Su Qiao, who comforted him and invited him to eat rabbit meat at her home.
• Gao Jinghui went with Su Qiao, appreciating how her parents treated him and deciding to focus on the people who cared about him.

The Su Family came to the Xiao household with eight hundred yuan and demanded to take Su Qiao back, but Uncle Xiao and Aunt Xiao refused, citing the adoption agreement and the years of neglect she had suffered. The argument continued as Tian Guihua condemned the Su Family’s favoritism.

• Su Qiao urged Gao Jinghui to honor Uncle Xiao and Aunt Xiao, and he promised he would.
• Uncle Xiao and Aunt Xiao felt sorry for Gao Jinghui after seeing the slap mark on his face and blamed Gao Bin for hurting him.
• Xiao Aizhen put eight hundred yuan on the table, and Liu Hong said the Su Family had come to take Erya back.
• Uncle Xiao and Tian Guihua refused, pointing to the written adoption agreement and the villagers who could testify.
• Su Guofu argued that Erya was his elder brother’s biological daughter, but Uncle Xiao challenged the Su Family’s treatment of her.
• Tian Guihua contrasted Erya’s hard life with Su Baozhu’s comfortable one and accused the Su Family of extreme favoritism.

Xiao Aimin defended Su Qiao against the Su Family’s demand to take her back, and Su Qiao refused to return. The Su Family left without persuading her, while Su Qiao stood by her new life with the Xiao family.

• Xiao Aimin told Xiao Aizhen and Su Guoqiang that they had forfeited their right to be Su Qiao’s parents by neglecting and forcing her into the Liu family, and said she would never forgive them.
• Xiao Aimin said his 800 yuan compensation more than covered the Su Family’s costs of raising Su Qiao, leaving them speechless as villagers mocked them.
• Su Qiao ordered the Su Family to leave and warned that she would seek help from village and town officials if they returned to cause trouble.
• Su Guofu and Liu Hong accused Su Qiao of being unfilial, while Xiao Aizhen offered her lighter work, better food, new clothes, and the chance to finish junior high if she returned.
• Su Qiao rejected the offer, saying she already had freedom, comfort, and parents who treasured her.

Su Qiao confronted the Su Family about the neglect and cruelty she had endured as a child, then affirmed that the Xiao Family was her home. Xiao Aimin disowned Xiao Aizhen, and the Xiao Family drove the Su Family members away, with Gao Jinghui chasing them off with a hatchet.

• Su Qiao recalled how the Su Family had left her sick and freezing while pampering Su Baozhu, explaining that years of mistreatment had hardened her heart.
• Tian Guihua comforted Su Qiao, who embraced her and declared she would never return to the Su Family.
• Xiao Aimin blamed Old Madam Su for mistreating and slandering Su Qiao, then told Xiao Aizhen not to visit again.
• Tian Guihua drove Old Lady Su and Liu Hong out of the courtyard with a bamboo broom.
• Gao Jinghui threatened the remaining Su Family men with a hatchet, making Su Guofu and Su Guangzong flee.