Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yang drives Jiang Chi and Cheng Dongxue to Splendid Garden. His deliberately aggressive driving makes Jiang Chi badly carsick, and Jiang Chi vomits upon arriving.
• Jiang Chi’s mother, Tong Yuan, welcomes Cheng Dongxue but not Zhang Yang. Cheng and Zhang Yang leave without staying.
• Tong Yuan calls Yang Su to complain. When Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue return, Yang Su angrily blames Zhang Yang for what happened.
• Cheng Dongxue defends her husband, pointing out that Jiang Chi provoked him. Zhang Yang refuses to argue and goes back to his room.
• The chapter reveals that Yang Su’s resentment is partly fueled by financial frustration: she wants to renovate or move to a villa, but the Cheng family cannot afford it.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yang shows that he can drive skillfully, but uses that ability to unsettle Jiang Chi. He is unbothered by the slight from Jiang Chi’s mother and remains restrained with Yang Su, despite her insults.
• Jiang Chi is reduced to a helpless, humiliated state by the ride. His threat to get even sounds hollow, and he can barely speak when he gets home.
• Cheng Dongxue worries about the dangerous driving and later stands up for Zhang Yang, even as her mother attacks him.
• Yang Su openly compares Zhang Yang unfavorably with Jiang Chi, praising Jiang Chi’s education, business success, and wealth. Her criticism reflects both long-standing contempt and her own unmet material ambitions.
• Tong Yuan is concerned for her son and directs her anger toward Zhang Yang through a complaint to Yang Su.

Significant themes

• Status and comparison: Yang Su measures Zhang Yang against Jiang Chi’s money and achievements, while Zhang Yang rejects the comparison.
• Resentment and family tension: Financial disappointment and years of dissatisfaction shape Yang Su’s treatment of her son-in-law.
• Provocation and retaliation: Zhang Yang’s rough treatment of Jiang Chi follows earlier antagonism, escalating conflict between them.
• Respect and restraint: Zhang Yang keeps himself from retaliating against Yang Su physically or escalating the argument, though his anger is clear.

Plot points and events

• Yang Su continues berating Zhang Yang, demanding a villa and threatening divorce despite having already backed away from filing for one.
• Cheng Dongxue defends Zhang Yang, pointing out that he has changed and bought his own luxury car. Yang Su briefly acknowledges his wealth but insists it is not enough.
• Zhang Yang confronts Yang Su and correctly guesses that Jiang Chi has promised her something. Yang Su confirms that she favors Jiang because he offers what she wants.
• Cheng Hai initially stays quiet, then firmly tells Yang Su to stop and sides with Zhang Yang. Yang Su accuses the household of turning against her.
• Zhang Yang withdraws to his room after trading barbs with Yang Su. Lin Xiaofei intervenes, arguing that Zhang Yang’s continued patience shows how much he loves Cheng Dongxue.
• Cheng Dongxue reflects on Zhang Yang’s suggestion that they buy a home and move out, recognizing that living separately might ease family tensions.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang stops silently enduring Yang Su’s abuse and directly challenges her motives, though he remains committed to Cheng Dongxue.
• Cheng Dongxue continues to support Zhang Yang and begins seriously considering building a separate life with him.
• Cheng Hai breaks from his usual deference to Yang Su and openly backs Zhang Yang.
• Yang Su reveals that her approval depends less on Zhang Yang’s character than on what a son-in-law can provide; her demands and favoritism deepen the family conflict.
• Lin Xiaofei acts as an impartial voice, helping Cheng Dongxue see the significance of Zhang Yang’s loyalty.

Significant themes

• Love and endurance: Zhang Yang’s willingness to stay despite repeated humiliation demonstrates his attachment to Cheng Dongxue.
• Money and status: Yang Su judges potential sons-in-law by their wealth and generosity, valuing material benefits over personal change.
• Family boundaries: The idea of moving out raises the possibility that independence could reduce conflict.
• Standing up to mistreatment: Zhang Yang and Cheng Hai both shift from tolerating Yang Su’s behavior to confronting it.

Character interactions

• Yang Su attacks Zhang Yang and compares him unfavorably with Jiang Chi; Zhang Yang exposes her opportunism and refuses to satisfy her demands.
• Cheng Dongxue supports Zhang Yang but struggles to calm her mother.
• Cheng Hai’s intervention sparks Yang Su’s anger, while Lin Xiaofei’s defense of Zhang Yang makes Cheng Dongxue reconsider his devotion.
• The episode ends with Cheng Dongxue weighing whether she and Zhang Yang should move out together.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yang receives a text from Azure Brown Sea agent Cheng Jiali asking whether he has bought a house. He suspects Meng Xue prompted her, but Cheng Jiali says she called on her own to follow up with a prospective customer.
• Zhang Yang tells Cheng Jiali that he has already bought a villa at Wolong Villa. She congratulates him, though privately doubts the claim because of how extravagant the development is.
• Wanting to share his good news about buying both a house and a car, Zhang Yang calls his wife, Cheng Dongxue, and invites her to return with him to Long’ao to surprise his mother, Liu Mei. He reassures Cheng Dongxue that she can leave work easily, given her position and the boss’s reluctance to oppose him.
• Meanwhile, Meng Xue asks Cheng Jiali whether Zhang Yang has returned to look at houses. She learns that he claims to own a Wolong Villa property and is stunned by the possibility.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang is increasingly confident in his wealth and no longer feels the need to conceal it. He remains unconcerned with earning Yang Su’s approval and is eager to reward his mother for years of sacrifice.
• Cheng Dongxue supports the trip to Long’ao, though she is initially frustrated that Zhang Yang did not give her advance notice.
• Cheng Jiali acts independently and professionally, following up because sales are central to her livelihood rather than because Meng Xue ordered her to.
• Meng Xue remains fascinated by Zhang Yang’s unexplained wealth. Her investigation has revealed his money but not its source or his recent purchases, leaving him an enigma.

Significant themes

• Transformation and mystery: Zhang Yang’s sudden wealth contrasts with his former poverty, puzzling those around him.
• Family gratitude and care: His decision to tell Liu Mei in person reflects his desire to repay and reassure the mother who raised him alone.
• Status and independence: Zhang Yang no longer seeks approval from the Cheng family or fears others learning about his success.
• Professional ambition: Cheng Jiali’s follow-up highlights the practical pressures of sales work.

Character interactions

• Zhang Yang teases Cheng Jiali by answering her house inquiry, then directly tells her he has bought at Wolong Villa; she accepts his refusal to pursue another sale.
• He calls Cheng Dongxue to arrange the trip, balancing his wish to surprise Liu Mei with his wife’s work schedule.
• Cheng Jiali reports Zhang Yang’s claim to Meng Xue, whose surprise renews the chapter’s focus on his unexplained rise.

Key plot points and events

• Meng Xue hears that Zhang Yang has withdrawn from a property deal. Though the loss is minor for the Meng family, she wonders where his money came from and speculates that a wealthy patron may be supporting him.
• Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue return to Long’ao in a luxury car, bringing groceries for his mother, Liu Mei. They find her working in the fields and join her.
• Zhang Yang urges Liu Mei to stop farming and promises to support her. She doubts he has enough money, but Cheng Dongxue encourages her to trust him.
• Back at the courtyard, Liu Mei discovers the expensive car. Cheng Dongxue reveals that Zhang Yang bought it for his mother, and Zhang Yang adds that he has also purchased a villa in Gong City.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang shows growing confidence and generosity: he helps with farmwork and insists he can provide for his mother, backed by his new wealth.
• Liu Mei remains hardworking and self-sacrificing, reluctant to rely on her son even though she is pleased by his success.
• Cheng Dongxue openly supports Zhang Yang and takes pride in him, while continuing to care for Liu Mei.
• Meng Xue becomes curious about Zhang Yang’s sudden wealth and begins viewing him as attractive, though her interest is driven largely by money and mystery.

Significant themes

• Family duty and care: Zhang Yang wants to ease the burden on the mother who raised him, while Liu Mei tries not to burden him.
• Trust and support: Cheng Dongxue stands by Zhang Yang and helps persuade Liu Mei to believe in him.
• Wealth and perception: Zhang Yang’s money changes how others see him, especially Meng Xue, even as its source remains unclear.
• Class and independence: Liu Mei’s rural life contrasts with Zhang Yang’s new luxury, raising the question of whether she can leave the work and home she knows.

Character interactions

• Meng Xue questions Cheng Jiali about Zhang Yang’s decision, then privately speculates about his finances.
• Zhang Yang reunites warmly with Mibai, whose barking turns to enthusiastic recognition.
• Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue work together to reassure Liu Mei; he promises support, and she responds with affection but skepticism.
• Cheng Dongxue proudly announces the car purchase, and Zhang Yang surprises Liu Mei by revealing the villa as well.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Yang tells Liu Mei that his sudden wealth came from doing business with the Lin Family. The explanation is a reassuring lie, meant to keep her from suspecting crime.
• He says he is searching for a suitable, feng-shui-friendly office for his company. Cheng Dongxue is startled by yet another skill in Zhang Yang’s growing list of abilities.
• Zhang Yang gives Liu Mei a luxury car and asks her to try it. She accepts the keys, revealing that she can drive—something he and Cheng Dongxue did not know.
• While Cheng Dongxue explains the controls, Zhang Yang reflects on how little he knows about his mother’s past. His attempts to investigate her and discover his father’s identity have yielded nothing.
• Liu Mei takes the car for a slow test drive. She says she learned long ago and still has a valid license; she once owned luxury cars before losing everything.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang remains protective of his mother, but his gift also serves as a quiet test of what she can do and what she may be hiding. His suspicions about her past and his own birth persist.
• Liu Mei proves capable and composed: she understands the car quickly, reads English labels, and can drive despite years away from the wheel. Her comment about once owning luxury cars hints at a far more prosperous former life.
• Cheng Dongxue is increasingly bewildered by Zhang Yang’s many talents, but she also helps Liu Mei and gradually relaxes as the test drive goes smoothly.
• Mibai reacts anxiously when Liu Mei drives away, tugging at Zhang Yang as if trying to keep her there.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and identity: Liu Mei’s unexplained history and Zhang Yang’s unknown father remain central mysteries.
• Protection through deception: Zhang Yang lies about the source of his wealth to spare his mother worry.
• Hidden ability and lost fortunes: Liu Mei’s driving, English, and memories of luxury suggest that her present life conceals a very different past.
• Family and care: The car, Liu Mei’s concern for Cheng Dongxue’s safety, and Mibai’s attachment all emphasize affection and protectiveness.

Character interactions

• Zhang Yang reassures Liu Mei about his money and company plans, while Cheng Dongxue challenges him about his ever-expanding abilities.
• Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue share a warm, slightly comic exchange over the test drive: Cheng insists she is fine, then nervously buckles her seat belt.
• Zhang Yang watches his mother’s driving with surprise, privately connecting this small revelation to the larger mystery of her past.

Plot points and events

• Liu Mei successfully drives Zhang Yang’s new car and returns it safely. Zhang offers it to her, but she declines, saying she rarely goes out and that the car is too expensive.
• Zhang reveals that he has bought a fully furnished villa in Wolong Villa. Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue are both surprised; Cheng is especially annoyed that he made the purchase without telling her.
• The family heads to Gong City to see the house, stopping for lunch at Elegant Residence, where Zhang is a VIP.
• Staff welcome Liu Mei despite her modest rural clothes. In a private room, she takes the lavish meal in stride but worries that Zhang is spending too much.
• Zhang tells Liu Mei that Elegant Residence’s owner is his business partner. The owner, Lin Dongqiang, arrives and is visibly taken aback by Liu Mei’s appearance, then greets her with exaggerated respect.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang is increasingly confident in his success and eager to improve his family’s life, while keeping some of his business dealings—and his house purchase—from Cheng.
• Liu Mei remains frugal and modest despite hints that she may once have belonged to a wealthy family. Her past and savings remain mysterious.
• Cheng Dongxue is happy to learn of the new home but feels excluded by Zhang’s decision to buy it without consulting her.
• Lin Dongqiang shows deference to Zhang and, upon meeting Liu Mei, appears unexpectedly impressed by her presence.

Themes

• Family care and changing fortunes: Zhang’s gifts and new home reflect his desire to provide for his mother and wife.
• Modesty versus wealth: Liu Mei prefers an ordinary life, even when surrounded by luxury.
• Hidden pasts and concealed information: Liu Mei’s background remains unclear, while Zhang keeps major developments from Cheng.
• Status and appearances: The restaurant’s treatment of Liu Mei contrasts with her humble clothing, and Lin’s reaction hints that she may be more than she seems.

Character interactions

• Zhang gently insists that Liu Mei need not work the fields, while she reminds him that her main wish is for his marriage and family life to be happy.
• Cheng holds back her frustration in front of Liu Mei, intending to confront Zhang later.
• Su Xiner explains the restaurant’s hospitality to Liu Mei, and Zhang’s misleading explanation keeps his relationship with its owner vague.
• Lin Dongqiang’s deferential greeting to Liu Mei closes the chapter on a note of intrigue.

Key plot points and events

• At Elegant Residence, restaurant owner Lin Dongqiang treats Zhang Yang with exceptional deference. Zhang Yang cuts short Lin’s flattery and asks to be left alone to eat with his mother, Liu Mei, and wife, Cheng Dongxue.
• Liu Mei wonders who Zhang Yang is and why Lin respects him so much, assuming it may be because Zhang Yang outranks him in business.
• After lunch, Zhang Yang takes Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue to his newly purchased home, Wolong Villa No. 82. Liu Mei and Cheng are impressed by the villa’s setting, size, and luxurious furnishings.
• Zhang Yang asks his mother to move in with them. Liu Mei initially hesitates, believing the house belongs to the young couple and worrying she would have no purpose there. Cheng supports Zhang Yang and explains that Liu’s help would make their busy lives easier.
• Liu Mei agrees to leave the arrangements to Zhang Yang. He gives her the car keys and says he will soon arrange for the family to move into the villa.

Character development

• Zhang Yang is confident and increasingly assertive. He wants to provide his mother with comfort, establish a new home with Cheng, and make a decisive break from the Cheng Family’s household.
• Liu Mei remains modest despite recognizing the villa’s quality and showing traces of a more distinguished past. Her reluctance to move reflects her independence and concern about imposing on the couple, but she accepts their offer.
• Cheng Dongxue is supportive and considerate. She helps persuade Liu Mei by emphasizing the practical value of having her nearby, showing growing partnership with Zhang Yang.
• Lin Dongqiang tries to ingratiate himself with Zhang but quickly recognizes that Zhang does not want attention.

Significant themes

• Family care and reciprocity: Zhang Yang wants to repay his mother’s lifelong labor by giving her a comfortable home, while Liu Mei wants to remain useful to the younger generation.
• Changing family relationships: Moving into Wolong Villa represents Zhang Yang’s intention to build a household with Cheng and distance himself from the Cheng Family.
• Wealth and status: The villa and Lin’s deference reveal Zhang Yang’s elevated standing, while Liu Mei’s restrained bearing hints at a past beyond her current rural life.
• A fresh start and ambition: Zhang Yang frames the move as the beginning of a better life and privately connects his long-term ambitions to winning Meng Xue’s affection.

Character interactions

• Zhang brusquely ends Lin’s flattering remarks, preferring an ordinary meal with his family.
• Liu Mei questions Zhang about Lin’s respect, but Zhang does not dwell on the matter.
• Zhang and Cheng jointly encourage Liu Mei to move in; Cheng’s practical argument helps ease her concerns.
• Liu Mei accepts Zhang’s decision, and he reinforces his care for her by giving her the car and promising that their new life is only beginning.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yang insists that his new car is a gift for his mother, Liu Mei. He persuades her to drive it home, reassuring her that he and Cheng Dongxue can get a ride from their bodyguard, Jiao Long, who soon arrives.
• Zhang Yang reflects that life is finally beginning to change for him and his mother. He has long tried to protect Liu Mei from the Cheng Family’s mistreatment.
• Meanwhile, Yang Su invites Jiang Chi, a wealthy young man recently returned from overseas, to the Cheng home. Cheng Dongxue is away, but her best friend Lin Xiaofei is there.
• Jiang Chi is immediately attracted to Lin Xiaofei, but his purpose is to pursue Cheng Dongxue. Yang Su openly supports his plan to marry her, despite Dongxue already being married to Zhang Yang.
• Lin Xiaofei objects and withdraws to her room, where she overhears Jiang Chi ask whether Dongxue is happy in her marriage. Yang Su dismisses Dongxue’s wishes, and Jiang Chi offers Yang Su a villa. Yang Su agrees to arrange the match.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yang shows resolve and growing confidence while remaining devoted to his mother. His decision to send Liu Mei home also reflects his desire to shield her from the Cheng Family.
• Liu Mei is surprised by her son’s new circumstances but accepts his gift and leaves with his loving support.
• Yang Su remains controlling and hostile toward Zhang Yang. She treats Dongxue’s marriage as something she can override and readily accepts Jiang Chi’s offer.
• Jiang Chi presents himself as successful and confident, but his willingness to pursue a married woman—and to bargain with her mother—comes across as presumptuous.
• Lin Xiaofei is protective of Dongxue, skeptical of Jiang Chi, and increasingly alarmed by Yang Su’s scheme. She recognizes that Dongxue remains committed to Zhang Yang.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and care: Zhang Yang and Liu Mei’s mutual devotion contrasts with Yang Su’s disregard for her daughter’s feelings.
• Personal agency versus control: Yang Su treats Dongxue’s future as hers to decide, while Lin Xiaofei insists that Dongxue’s wishes matter.
• Changing fortunes and status: Zhang Yang’s new wealth and resources signal a shift in his circumstances, while Jiang Chi’s money is used as leverage in a proposed marriage arrangement.
• Marriage as a transaction: Yang Su and Jiang Chi discuss Dongxue’s future almost like a business deal, reducing her to the object of their negotiation.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Chi leaves the Yang family villa before he can run into Cheng Dongxue. Zhang Yang arrives shortly afterward, already alerted that Yang Su is trying to arrange another match for his wife.
• Yang Su asks Cheng Dongxue to sign the same agreement she had rejected before. Cheng refuses and decides that she and Zhang Yang should pack up and move out of the Cheng home.
• Yang Su threatens to disown Cheng Dongxue if she leaves. Cheng finally confronts her mother, arguing that Zhang Yang has proved himself and asking why Yang Su keeps mistreating them.
• Yang Su says Zhang Yang has contributed nothing to the family, then boasts that Jiang Chi can provide a villa and car. Cheng realizes her mother is treating her like something to be traded and insists on leaving.
• Jiao Long hears the argument and enters to offer help, but Zhang Yang sends him outside, keeping the dispute a family matter.
• Zhang Yang reveals that he, too, is wealthy: he claims to be worth tens of millions and to own a villa at Wolong Villa. He moves Yang Su aside and goes with Cheng to pack.

Character development

• Cheng Dongxue stops trying to preserve peace at any cost. Hurt by her mother’s pressure and insults, she firmly chooses Zhang Yang and decides to leave.
• Zhang Yang remains quiet while Cheng makes her decision, showing trust in her. He then responds to Yang Su’s materialistic accusations by revealing his wealth and demonstrating unexpected physical strength.
• Yang Su continues to prioritize wealth and status, pressing her daughter toward Jiang Chi and using guilt and threats when Cheng resists.
• Jiao Long remains loyal and protective, but respects Zhang Yang’s instruction to wait outside.

Significant themes

• Marriage versus money: Yang Su judges husbands by the gifts and wealth they can provide, while Cheng rejects being treated as a transaction.
• Loyalty and partnership: Cheng and Zhang Yang grow closer as they face pressure together.
• Family boundaries: Cheng’s decision to leave marks a break from her mother’s control and a move toward building a home of her own.

Character interactions

• Yang Su pressures Cheng to sign the agreement and later threatens to sever their mother-daughter relationship.
• Cheng challenges Yang Su directly, defending Zhang Yang and demanding an end to the manipulation.
• Zhang Yang comforts Cheng, backs her decision, and confronts Yang Su’s claims about his worth.
• Jiao Long offers assistance but steps back when Zhang Yang tells him the matter is private.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Su learns that Cheng Dongxue and Zhang Yang are packing to leave the Cheng home. Hoping to stop matters from worsening, she calls Cheng Hai, who rushes home.
• Cheng Dongxue tells her father that she and Zhang Yang have bought a villa at Wolong Villa and are leaving because they can no longer tolerate staying with the family.
• When Cheng Hai asks what happened, Cheng Dongxue explains that Yang Su treated her as something to trade for Jiang Chi’s promised villa. Cheng Hai agrees Yang Su has gone too far and rebukes her.
• Yang Su responds by angrily telling everyone to leave. Cheng Dongxue and Zhang Yang depart with only their personal belongings, leaving her car and other possessions behind.
• Rather than move straight into their new villa before an auspicious day, Zhang Yang takes Cheng Dongxue to Long’ao temporarily.
• Liu Mei welcomes them and comforts Cheng Dongxue after learning why they left. She hopes a few days apart will calm things down, but Cheng Dongxue appears to mean this departure seriously.

Character developments and interactions

• Cheng Dongxue finally refuses to endure her mother’s treatment. Hurt and angry, she leaves decisively, though she finds comfort in Zhang Yang’s embrace.
• Zhang Yang supports his wife without arguing further with the Cheng family. He leaves them some dignity by not explaining the dispute to Liu Mei himself.
• Yang Su remains focused on the tangible benefit of Jiang Chi’s villa and reacts to criticism with anger rather than reconsidering her actions.
• Cheng Hai tries to mediate, but recognizes that Yang Su is at fault and that the couple are serious about leaving.
• Liu Mei responds with warmth and restraint, consoling Cheng Dongxue instead of attacking her family.
• Jiao Long quietly helps load and transport their luggage, staying out of the family conflict. Lin Xiaofei, though silent, privately supports the couple.

Significant themes

• Dignity versus material gain: Yang Su’s willingness to treat her daughter as a bargaining chip makes Cheng Dongxue feel dehumanized.
• Family loyalty and boundaries: Cheng Dongxue’s departure marks a break from a home where she no longer feels respected.
• Contrasting parental care: Yang Su’s transactional attitude stands against Liu Mei’s kindness and acceptance.
• A refuge in partnership: Zhang Yang’s steady support and embrace offer Cheng Dongxue comfort amid the family rupture.

Key plot points and events

• Cheng Hai warns Yang Su that Zhang Yang has changed and is no longer easy to manipulate. He fears Yang Su’s behavior has damaged his chance of relying on Zhang Yang. He also tells her to stop trying to force Cheng Dongxue and Zhang Yang to divorce.
• In the Cheng Family home, Lin Xiaofei reflects that she might leave too: she supports the couple, but Cheng Dongxue is the main reason she has stayed.
• In Long’ao, Zhang Yang, Cheng Dongxue, and Liu Mei prepare for their coming move to Gong City. Zhang Yang chooses a moving date—one in the morning, three days later—by claiming to calculate it on his fingers.
• Zhang Yang insists that Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue rest while he cooks. His care for them reflects how much he values the sacrifices they have made and the hardship they have endured.
• Liu Mei quietly visits the village’s respected date-setter, Old Great-Uncle, to ask him to choose a moving day. She takes pride in Zhang Yang’s progress, mentioning his new house, car, and return with his wife.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang shows greater confidence and independence. He takes charge of the move, looks after his mother and wife, and demonstrates considerable skill in the kitchen.
• Cheng Hai recognizes Zhang Yang’s changed status and understands that Cheng Dongxue and Zhang Yang are firmly committed to each other.
• Yang Su remains stubborn and defensive, insisting she will expose Zhang Yang despite Cheng Hai’s warning.
• Liu Mei is happy and proud of her son, though she remains cautious enough to seek a second opinion on his chosen moving date.
• Lin Xiaofei questions her place in the Cheng household and considers leaving if Cheng Dongxue is no longer there.

Significant themes

• Growth and self-reliance: Zhang Yang’s transformation changes how others treat and assess him.
• Family care and gratitude: He responds to Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue’s past sacrifices by taking care of them.
• Belonging and loyalty: Lin Xiaofei’s attachment to the household depends largely on her bond with Cheng Dongxue.
• Pride and changing fortunes: Liu Mei’s visit to Old Great-Uncle reflects how far she and her son have come after years of hardship and disdain.

Character interactions

• Cheng Hai confronts Yang Su and tries to prevent further damage to the family’s relationship with Zhang Yang.
• Zhang Yang gently stops Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue from working, then prepares dinner for them.
• Liu Mei and Zhang Yang share a warm, peaceful family evening, though she later seeks Old Great-Uncle’s advice without telling him Zhang Yang has already chosen a date.
• Old Great-Uncle welcomes Liu Mei and praises Zhang Yang’s achievements.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Mei consults Old Great-Uncle about an auspicious time for Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue’s move. He selects a time three days later, around the Zi–Chou hour.
• Liu Mei offers him a customary red envelope in gratitude for supporting her and Zhang Yang when they first settled in Long’ao. Old Great-Uncle refuses the payment and treats it as his own gift of good wishes.
• Liu Mei prepares for the move according to traditional customs, while Zhang Yang stays in Long’ao, helps with chores, and reads an old medical text.
• Zhang Yang explains to Cheng Dongxue that the battered book covers qi, meditation, acupuncture, and medicine, but is difficult to understand because it is written in classical Chinese and many parts are missing.
• Lin Xiaofei visits, bringing food and a message from Cheng Hai: he hopes Zhang Yang will not remain angry and offers help if needed. Zhang Yang gives little response.
• Lin Xiaofei learns that Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue bought a villa at Wolong Villa and is astonished by its enormous cost.

Character developments

• Liu Mei remains grateful to Old Great-Uncle and relies on his judgment, while continuing to observe local customs.
• Old Great-Uncle shows his generosity and affection by refusing Liu Mei’s money and wishing the couple prosperity.
• Zhang Yang is more open with Cheng Dongxue, sharing information about his unusual medical book. His past hardship has also made him recognize that she, too, endured years of ridicule.
• Cheng Dongxue remains close to Zhang Yang and curious about him, though she does not understand the medical text well enough to question him further.
• Lin Xiaofei continues to act as a candid, supportive friend and intermediary between the couple and Cheng Hai.

Significant themes

• Gratitude and community: Liu Mei remembers the help that allowed her and Zhang Yang to belong in Long’ao.
• Tradition and goodwill: The move is planned around an auspicious hour, and the red-envelope exchange becomes a gesture of mutual respect rather than payment.
• Loyalty through hardship: Zhang Yang reflects on Cheng Dongxue’s support despite the mockery they both faced.
• A new beginning: The move and the purchase of a villa mark a striking change in the couple’s circumstances.

Character interactions

• Liu Mei and Old Great-Uncle exchange thanks and good wishes, with Liu Mei inviting him to attend the move.
• Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue share a quiet conversation about his medical book, signaling greater trust.
• Lin Xiaofei warmly joins the household, brings Cheng Dongxue provisions, relays Cheng Hai’s message, and playfully teases Zhang Yang about the villa.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yang lets Lin Xiaofei have a room at his new Wolong Villa, though she jokes that she might have been turned away. She enjoys the villa’s quiet, cool atmosphere and its dog.
• Cheng Dongxue asks where to hold Zhang Yang’s Promotion Banquet. Wanting to reclaim his dignity after past humiliation, she treats the choice as important. Zhang Yang recalls that their wedding banquet was at Wangda Hotel and decides to hold the event there.
• With the banquet only three days away, Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue arrange a digital invitation, compile and merge guest lists, and plan for twenty tables, with room to add more. Lin Xiaofei helps, while Cheng Dongxue notices that Zhang Yang has invited numerous celebrities and wealthy people.
• Zhang Yang’s first call to Wangda Hotel manager Gong Xinquan fails: Gong hangs up after taking offense at Zhang Yang’s abrupt, demanding tone. Zhang Yang then calls back and reveals that he knows Gong’s secret: Gong drove drunk and had his secretary take the blame after hitting a delivery rider. Under pressure, Gong agrees to reserve Hall No. 1 and select dishes for the guests.
• After the invitations go out, Zhang Yang receives congratulations and inquiries. Lin Dongqiang wonders why Elegant Residence was not chosen; Zhang Yang explains that Wangda Hotel is better suited to a lively celebration.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yang is decisive and resourceful. He acts quickly to organize the banquet and uses leverage rather than backing down when Gong refuses to cooperate. He also shows that he is carefully managing which influential contacts to approach.
• Cheng Dongxue is supportive and practical. She wants the banquet to restore Zhang Yang’s dignity, raises logistical concerns, and takes charge of invitations.
• Lin Xiaofei remains blunt, playful, and closely involved in the couple’s life. She secures a room at the villa and helps with banquet preparations.
• Gong Xinquan shifts from dismissive defiance to uneasy compliance after Zhang Yang exposes his misconduct.
• Zhang Yang’s wife and friends work together on the arrangements, while his invitation list hints at a wider network of powerful connections.

Significant themes

• Restoring dignity: The banquet is meant to publicly mark Zhang Yang’s promotion and put past humiliation behind him.
• Influence and leverage: Zhang Yang’s knowledge of Gong’s wrongdoing turns a failed booking into a successful one.
• Loyalty and cooperation: Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei support Zhang Yang in both personal and practical matters.
• Strategic restraint: Zhang Yang invites current contacts but postpones approaching other potential patrons.

Key events

• Zhang Yang and his mother, Liu Mei, leave Long’ao for their new home in Gong City. At Old Great-Uncle’s insistence, the move becomes a village-wide celebration, complete with symbolic incense, firecrackers, music, and a slow procession of cars.
• The villagers are astonished by Zhang Yang’s villa and learn it cost roughly fifty or sixty million yuan. His success earns him and Liu Mei public respect, and some villagers begin hinting that he should help younger people from Long’ao.
• At Wolong Villa, Zhang Yang is welcomed by a large gathering of influential friends and business associates, including Wu Daorong, Zhang Daoru, members of the Yang and Lin families, and others. The Cheng Family also attends, appearing uneasy and embarrassed.
• More than a hundred guests crowd into the villa. Lin Dongqiang arranges for everyone to move to Elegant Residence, where Su Xiner and the staff welcome and seat them.
• The celebration continues through the night and into the next day, with Zhang Yang’s family and associates helping host. After breakfast, the guests head to Wangda Hotel for the banquet—but just before it begins, Zhang Yang realizes there are not enough seats.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yang feels proud that he has finally made his mother happy, but the unexpectedly huge turnout leaves him struggling to host everyone. He receives his guests warmly and relies on Lin Dongqiang to find more space.
• Liu Mei is delighted by the respect her son’s success brings. She eagerly agrees when villagers suggest Zhang Yang might help young people from the village.
• Old Great-Uncle takes charge of the traditional send-off and views Zhang Yang’s success as a point of pride for Long’ao.
• Lin Dongqiang works quickly to solve the overcrowding by arranging a move to Elegant Residence, eager to please Zhang Yang.
• Yang Gang, Cheng Dongxue, Cheng Hai, and Su Xiner help manage the large crowd and keep the event running.
• Zhang Yang’s prominent acquaintances demonstrate their support by waiting up to welcome him; the Cheng Family’s discomfort suggests unresolved tension with him.

Significant themes

• Wealth and status: Zhang Yang’s money transforms how the villagers view him and his mother.
• Community pride and obligation: The village celebrates his achievement, while praise quickly turns into expectations that he help others.
• Hospitality and social connections: Zhang Yang’s success is reflected in the many influential guests who attend and the effort others make to support the celebration.
• The cost of success: A grand gathering brings recognition, but also practical burdens—culminating in the shortage of seats at the banquet.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yang’s newly opened banquet hall is already full, so he asks the head waitress to add more tables. When she hesitates, he invokes his familiarity with manager Gong Xinquan, and the tables are arranged.
• Gong Xinquan, after investigating Zhang Yang and discovering his unusual abilities and knowledge, decides it is wiser to befriend him than make an enemy. He arrives with a red-envelope gift and congratulates Zhang Yang on his promotion.
• The celebration is interrupted when Xu Mingxian arrives uninvited and insults Zhang Yang as a “worthless Cheng Family son-in-law.” Zhang Yang stops his bodyguard Jiao Long and Chang Wu from immediately attacking, then warns Xu that he is welcome to celebrate but will face consequences if he has come to cause trouble.
• Xu boasts that he has brought bodyguards of his own. The Cheng family and Zhang Yang’s friends try to defuse the confrontation, but Xu refuses to back down.
• Yang Su acknowledges her role in bringing Xu into the family’s affairs and urges him to leave. Cheng Dongxue says plainly that she would rather die than marry him. Zhang Yang’s friends also tell Xu he is unwelcome.
• The chapter ends with Lin Dongqiang stepping forward to defend Zhang Yang and threatening Xu if he does not leave.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang remains confident and direct, demonstrating influence at the venue and control over the tense confrontation. He does not let others rush Xu, but makes his own warning unmistakable.
• Gong Xinquan shifts from cautious observer to potential ally, choosing friendship with Zhang Yang as the safer course.
• Yang Su begins to recognize that Zhang Yang is no longer the powerless son-in-law she once assumed him to be. She tries to prevent the conflict and partly repair the consequences of her earlier actions.
• Cheng Dongxue openly rejects Xu and feels guilty about her mother’s role in the situation.
• Xu Mingxian remains arrogant and provocative, relying on his status and newly acquired bodyguards rather than showing restraint.
• Zhang Yang’s friends, especially Lin Dongqiang, show loyalty by standing up for him.

Significant themes

• Power and changing status: Zhang Yang’s growing reputation changes how influential people treat him.
• Loyalty and solidarity: Friends and family members rally around him when Xu threatens the celebration.
• Pride versus restraint: Zhang Yang keeps the situation from immediately becoming violent, while Xu’s arrogance pushes it toward a clash.
• Consequences of past choices: Yang Su recognizes that her earlier attempt to arrange Cheng Dongxue’s marriage to Xu has helped create the present crisis.

Character interactions

• Zhang Yang uses his connection to Gong Xinquan to get the venue’s staff to accommodate him; Gong then approaches Zhang with respect and a gift.
• Zhang and Xu trade sharply contrasting attitudes: Zhang offers a conditional welcome and warning, while Xu insults him and flaunts his bodyguards.
• Yang Su, Cheng Hai, and Cheng Dongxue each try to manage Xu’s arrival in different ways—through apology, authority, and outright rejection.
• Zhang’s bodyguards and friends prepare to defend him, but he initially restrains his side; Lin Dongqiang ultimately delivers the clearest final warning.

Plot points and events

• Xu Mingxian interrupts Zhang Yang’s gathering, refuses to leave, and threatens trouble. Lin Cheng offers a final warning and brings out his bodyguards, but Zhang Yang insists he can handle the situation himself.
• Zhang Daoru lets the younger people respond and calls on his granddaughter, Zhang Xin’ai, who recognizes Xu Mingxian as the man she previously beat up.
• Xu Mingxian’s two bodyguards attack Xin’ai. She struggles to fight them while avoiding the furniture and guests; one kicks her in the stomach.
• Zhang Yang steps in, puts Xin’ai behind him, and challenges the bodyguards with his hands clasped behind his back. With a single kick, he knocks one unconscious and sends him through the entrance, knocking down the door. The other bodyguard flees.
• Jiao Long blocks Xu Mingxian’s escape. Zhang Yang warns him to tell his father to bring everything he has; if that fails, Xu must leave Gong City for good. He orders Xu and his companions removed.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yang demonstrates overwhelming strength and composure, taking control of the confrontation with a single move. His intervention also reveals a protective, reassuring side toward Xin’ai.
• Zhang Xin’ai begins confidently but is shaken when the bodyguards prove stronger than she expected. She feels embarrassed, while Zhang Daoru tells her to observe Zhang Yang and learn.
• Xu Mingxian shifts from swaggering confidence to fear when Zhang Yang easily defeats his men. He retreats to the idea of relying on his family’s influence.
• Zhang Daoru remains calm, guides his grandchildren, and prioritizes protecting the guests and keeping the gathering intact.
• Jiao Long follows Zhang Yang’s lead and prevents Xu from fleeing. Gong Xinquan and the guests watch in shock, with Gong Xinquan relieved he chose not to oppose Zhang Yang.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Zhang Yang’s decisive display transforms the room’s understanding of who holds control.
• Restraint and responsibility: Even during the fight, Xin’ai is told to protect guests and furnishings, and Zhang Yang ends the conflict swiftly.
• Consequences and escalation: Zhang Yang gives Xu one final chance, but makes clear that using his family’s power will bring a decisive response.

Key events

• At the villa banquet, Xu Mingxian’s bodyguard challenges Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang defeats him with a single move, then has Xu remove him.
• Zhang Yang’s relatives are stunned by his strength. He reassures his worried mother, Liu Mei, and accepts Cheng Hai’s advice to avoid acting recklessly.
• Zhang Yang offers the formerly hostile relatives a fresh start, insisting that they are still family. Yang Gang helps smooth over the awkwardness, and the meal continues peacefully.
• Gong Xinquan heavily discounts the banquet bill, hoping to curry favor with Zhang Yang. After the guests leave, Zhang Daoru says he will stay in town for a few days.
• Liu Mei and Cheng Dongxue plan a family dinner at Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue’s new villa. Cheng Hai and the others visit; tension gradually fades as everyone helps tidy up and shares a lively evening.
• Lin Xiaofei stays overnight. In bed, Cheng Dongxue says their new life feels like a dream and asks Zhang Yang to tell her the truth. He replies by asking whether she would believe he had lived for a thousand years.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yang displays formidable power but stresses that he has avoided killing since returning from captivity. Rather than hold a grudge, he gives his relatives a chance to reconcile and shows growing warmth toward Cheng Hai.
• Cheng Dongxue supports Zhang Yang before her mother and helps welcome the family into their new home. Her final question shows she is ready to confront the mystery of his past.
• Liu Mei is alarmed by Zhang Yang’s strength but becomes involved in the family’s new life, planning dinner at the villa.
• Cheng Hai and the relatives shift from fear and embarrassment toward cautious acceptance. Yang Gang acts as peacemaker, while several family members help with the villa cleanup.
• Gong Xinquan treats Zhang Yang deferentially, revealing that fear and respect now shape how outsiders deal with him.

Significant themes

• Reconciliation and second chances: Zhang Yang chooses family unity over resentment.
• Power and restraint: His strength changes how others see him, but he emphasizes caution and self-control.
• A transformed life: The villa, car, and family gathering mark how dramatically Zhang Yang’s fortunes have changed.
• Truth and mystery: Cheng Dongxue’s question—and Zhang Yang’s thousand-year claim—ends the chapter on a revelation that challenges their understanding of him.

Key plot points and events

• After teasing Cheng Dongxue, Zhang Yang jokes that he is “devilishly clever.”
• Xu Mingxian returns home and tells his parents his company is threatened by Zhang Yang, claiming Zhang stole his girlfriend and plans to take over the business.
• Xu Keming initially treats the alleged business rivalry as ordinary competition and suggests his son return to the family company.
• Xu Mingxian’s mother defends him and promises to help. When she learns the rival is Zhang Yang, the Cheng family’s live-in son-in-law, both parents react—though in opposite ways.
• Xu Keming is outraged to discover that Xu Mingxian pursued Zhang Yang’s wife, Cheng Dongxue, and moves to beat his son. Xu Mingxian hides behind his mother, who continues to shield him and promises retaliation.

Character developments

• Xu Mingxian presents himself as a victim, exaggerating and distorting events to win his parents’ sympathy. His spoiled, entitled nature is reinforced.
• Xu Keming emerges as blunt and more clear-eyed: he criticizes his son’s business ability and condemns his attempt to pursue a married woman, though he ultimately says he will handle the situation.
• Xu’s mother remains fiercely indulgent, prioritizing her son’s feelings and promising to punish Zhang Yang.

Significant themes

• Entitlement and favoritism: Xu Mingxian expects his parents to solve problems and defend him, especially his mother.
• Hypocrisy and distorted truth: He frames himself as wronged while concealing that he pursued a married woman and inventing or assuming parts of Zhang Yang’s threat.
• Family conflict: Xu Keming’s attempts to discipline his son are repeatedly undermined by his wife’s protection.
• Reputation and status: The family’s dismissal of Zhang Yang as a “useless” live-in son-in-law contrasts with Xu Mingxian’s fear of his power.

Character interactions

• Xu Mingxian manipulates his parents’ differing instincts: he seeks business advice from his father but emotional protection from his mother.
• Xu Keming challenges his son’s claims and condemns his conduct; Xu’s mother counters by defending him and promising revenge.
• Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue’s brief opening exchange establishes their playful intimacy, contrasting with Xu Mingxian’s possessive view of her.

Plot points

• Xu Mingxian persuades his father, Xu Keming, to deal with Zhang Yang by spinning a false story about him. He adds one truthful warning: Zhang Yang is a formidable fighter who has beaten many opponents, including Master Long. Xu Keming agrees to investigate, but underestimates the danger and takes no immediate action.
• Zhang Yang wakes late at the family villa after drinking the night before. His mother, Liu Mei, tells him that the unfamiliar visitors he saw were representatives of her old friends in Kyoto.
• Lin Xiaofei offers Zhang Yang her car, and the two go out together. Ling Junsheng calls to invite Zhang Yang to a Gambling on Stones event in Gong City on Sunday; Zhang Yang accepts.
• Lin Xiaofei wants to buy stones for her father, and Zhang Yang offers to treat one as a betrothal gift. She playfully rejects the suggestion, then takes him shopping for gifts to bring home. He ends up carrying her purchases, including clothes she buys him.
• On Pedestrian Street, five men deliberately provoke Zhang Yang by bumping into him and cursing. Lin Xiaofei confronts them, and the scene ends as the confrontation begins.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Mingxian is shown as manipulative: he fabricates accusations to turn his father against Zhang Yang, while exploiting his mother’s support.
• Xu Keming agrees to protect his son but remains overconfident and careless, despite hearing that Zhang Yang is dangerous.
• Zhang Yang is settling into family life and turning his attention to earning money. He sees the stone-buying trip as a chance to please Lin Xiaofei and potentially gain her family’s approval.
• Lin Xiaofei is comfortable enough with Zhang Yang to spend the day with him, buy him clothes, and tease him, though the “betrothal gift” remark makes her push back playfully. She also steps in to defend him when the men provoke him.
• Liu Mei continues to care for Zhang Yang and appears unaware of Lin Xiaofei’s real reasons for accompanying him.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and misplaced trust: Xu Mingxian’s lies influence his father, while Xu Keming’s assumptions leave him unprepared.
• Romantic teasing and family approval: Zhang Yang hopes to turn his closeness with Lin Xiaofei into a formal relationship, linking romance to her father’s acceptance.
• Everyday calm giving way to conflict: A relaxed family morning and shopping outing shift abruptly toward violence.

Key plot points and events

• Xu’s men confront Zhang Yang and Lin Xiaofei on the street. One tries to strike Lin Xiaofei, but Zhang Yang stops him and then defeats the group while still carrying their shopping bags.
• The bystanders cheer and applaud Zhang Yang. He escorts Lin Xiaofei away, and she asks who sent the attackers; he dismisses the question.
• Xu’s Mother learns the hired men failed. She remains confident that the Xu family can deal with Zhang Yang by other means, while Xu Keming is unsettled by Zhang Yang’s fighting ability.
• After shopping with Lin Xiaofei all day, Zhang Yang returns home. Cheng Dongxue asks what he has been doing, and Lin Xiaofei explains that she borrowed him to shop and carry bags.
• Cheng Dongxue asks about his plans to start a company. Zhang Yang says Xu Mingxian’s office may become available once Zhang exposes the company’s hidden wrongdoing.

Character developments

• Zhang Yang shows formidable strength and composure, protecting Lin Xiaofei without putting down the shopping bags. He also hints at using his work as an information broker to bring down Xu Mingxian’s company.
• Lin Xiaofei is frightened during the attack but trusts Zhang Yang to protect her; afterward, she openly tells Cheng Dongxue about their day.
• Cheng Dongxue remains practical and law-abiding, while recognizing that she has not done much to support or care for Zhang Yang.
• Xu’s Mother underestimates Zhang Yang and insists the Xu family has other ways to handle him. Xu Keming is more cautious and puzzled by Zhang Yang’s abilities.

Significant themes

• Protection and loyalty: Zhang Yang shields Lin Xiaofei from danger.
• Power and intimidation: The attackers’ numbers prove no match for Zhang Yang, but the Xu family plans to use influence or other means instead.
• Trust and restraint: Cheng Dongxue chooses not to dwell on Zhang Yang’s time with Lin Xiaofei, though she does not claim complete trust.
• Justice through exposure: Zhang Yang suggests that revealing the truth about Xu Mingxian’s company will bring it down.

Character interactions

• Zhang Yang confronts and defeats the attackers after one threatens Lin Xiaofei; the crowd responds with applause.
• Lin Xiaofei and Zhang Yang leave together, then she recounts their shopping trip to Cheng Dongxue.
• Cheng Dongxue questions Zhang Yang about his plans, warning against reckless or illegal action; he says the company will fail once its secrets are exposed.
• Xu’s Mother and Xu Keming discuss the failed attack, with her dismissing Zhang Yang’s strength and Keming remaining concerned.