Just as the He family got hold of an old turtle, the management had already searched their home and found the basin with the turtle. Mrs. Tang wanted her son to publicly denounce the He family, but Tang Weimin, though timid, didn’t reveal the true situation. Thanks to Mrs. Liu’s mediation and testimony, the matter was settled by taking the turtle away and giving a stern warning.
That night, Old Man Tang wrote a denunciation letter to get He Changshang into serious trouble, leading to He Changshang’s failure to join the party that year. The next day at the canteen, Old Man Tang, with his two brothers, mocked He Changshang, leading to a physical altercation.
The root of the Tang family’s hostility towards the He family stemmed from past grievances. Tang’s father was killed by a Japanese plane, and the Tang family blamed the He family for this misfortune, even though it wasn’t their fault. Tang’s family went from wealth to poverty, and they needed an outlet for their anger, thus targeting the He family.
A year later, the third He daughter, He Jiayi, grew up, and Liu Meixin was pregnant again. Unfortunately, the fourth child was also a girl, causing He Changshang to feel stifled, and Liu Meixin wasn’t happy either. He Wen became the pillar of the family, comforting her daughter-in-law and taking charge of naming the fourth girl, whom she named “He Jiahan” after picking a nice character from a newspaper despite being illiterate.
On the way to work, He Changshang was once again mocked by the Tang brothers, leading to another confrontation, which was diffused by colleagues. Back home, He Changshang blamed the lack of a son on the bad feng shui of their yard, leading him to cut down trees and make windows in the walls. He Jiali, seeing her father’s fixation, incited Tang Weimin to cut down their own family’s shade trees.
While doing homework with Zhang Qiufang, He Jiali questioned why her parents placed so much importance on having a son, emphasizing that in the new society, men and women were equal. The conversation led to He Jiali experiencing her first period that night, with He Wen gently explaining the facts of life.
By 1968, He Jiali had grown into a young woman and went with her grandmother to the cooperative to get measured for clothes. He Jiayi wanted new clothes too, but He Wen managed to pacify her with a red ribbon. After Old Man Tang became a director, he continued to harass He Changshang, accusing him of embezzlement over discrepancies in warehouse inventory.
He Jiali rushed to help her father, with Tang Weimin giving her a ride. When a conflict arose, Tang Weimin lied about his mother being sick to distract Old Man Tang. Once home, Old Man Tang realized he was tricked and beat Tang Weimin, determined to keep his feud with the He family going.
Over dinner, the He family learned Tang Weimin had accompanied He Jiali to the warehouse, leading to various thoughts among them. He Wen tried to resolve the conflict by delivering two bottles of milk to Mrs. Tang as a peace offering, but Mrs. Tang handed them over to Old Man Tang, who used it as an excuse to mock He Changshang for trying to bribe his way out of scrutiny.
He Wen had a private talk with He Jiali, advising her not to associate with Tang Weimin due to the deep-seated grudge between their families. He Jiali took this advice to heart and avoided Tang Weimin, which confused and hurt him when he tried to follow her and got injured. Feeling guilty, He Jiali brought him some red medicine, which made Tang Weimin overjoyed.
