When the young educated youth arrived in Feixi, they immediately began to organize their living arrangements. A commotion arose in the boys’ dormitory due to a large rat causing chaos. He Jiali bravely captured the rat with a basin, earning respect and admiration from everyone there.
Initially, the group divided tasks among three boys and three girls, but Tang Weimin suggested pairing up boys and girls for work to lighten the load, hoping to spend more time with He Jiali. Meanwhile, He Wen was contemplating a return to her hometown but was reluctant to leave the children. Liu Meixin reassured her that the time would pass quickly.
Fast forward to January 1970, near the Spring Festival, He Jiali wrote home explaining she couldn’t return but would visit soon. Her relationship with Tang Weimin had grown closer, exchanging gloves and scarves, developing feelings for each other.
Liu Meixin was pregnant again and had moved into the health center early due to complications. She underwent a C-section because of severe bleeding, which was nerve-wracking for He Changshang. Eventually, both mother and daughter were safe, but once again, He Changshang’s hope for a son was dashed.
Upon hearing this, He Jiali hurried back home, not forgetting to express her frustrations to Tang Weimin about the longstanding feud between their families and her concerns about how to mention their budding romance to their parents. Tang Weimin remained optimistic, confident they could find a solution, and he saw her off.
Back home, He Jiali prepared a meal, but the mood soon turned somber. He Changshang was less affectionate towards the fifth daughter, partly because she was another girl and also because her birth had nearly cost Liu Meixin her life.
In a fit of spite, Liu Meixin decided to give the fifth daughter her surname, naming her Liu Xiaoling since He Changshang didn’t name her. The next morning, Liu Meixin left with Liu Xiaoling, and He Jiali, finding a letter from a relative suggesting the baby be given away to childless family members, rushed to Nanjing station to stop her.
At the last moment, Liu Meixin couldn’t bear to part with her daughter and brought her back. He Jiali was relieved to see her sister still in her mother’s arms, knowing that despite her tough exterior, Liu Meixin had a soft heart. Although it was a false alarm, He Jiali made her mother promise never to give away any future daughters and declared that her own children, regardless of gender, would carry the He surname.
Returning to Feixi, He Jiali found harmony restored between her parents. Tang Weimin greeted her at the roadside, helping with her luggage, and they shared laughs. A few months later, Liu Meixin, traveling with a propaganda team, visited Feixi to see her daughter on her birthday.
Tang Weimin caught a large gray rabbit as a birthday gift for He Jiali. As they watched a couple ride by on a bicycle, He Jiali felt envious. Tang Weimin teased that if she liked, they could have their own wedding, which made her both shy and annoyed.
Liu Meixin, arriving at the youth station to visit her daughter, found He Jiali out working in the fields and met Xiao Huang, who had injured her foot. She went to fetch water from the well when she overheard He Jiali and Tang Weimin talking sweetly in the barn, which caused her concern.
Thus, Liu Meixin lectured He Jiali on maintaining her reputation at her age, worried about any potential missteps with Tang Weimin. She had bought a hair clip for He Jiali’s birthday, which was lost by the well but secretly picked up by He Jiali. After a brief visit, Liu Meixin left, wishing her daughter a happy birthday as she departed.
