WeiGuangXiong remembered what XueQin once told him about the location of ZhenHua's safe in the house. He made plan to send in two teams, one to rescue XueQin and ErJie, while the other to break in ZhenHua's safe and took all his money.
The following night, when ZhenHua went to ZhenDe's house for dinner, ErHao followed. ErHao also called YiPing and ShuHuan to join them. They kept ZhenHua drinking while DuFei brought a locksmith to try open the door to free XueQin. The lock was specially made even the locksmith could not open it. XueQin was really anxious because ErJie who was really sick. She gave RuPing WeiGuangXiong's telephone number and told her to call him to come and rescue them at once.
Meanwhile, WenPei showed up at ZhenDe's house and drank with the group. She came to help to convince ZhenHua to let XueQin go. ZhenHua was moved and finally took out the keys. He told ErHao, YiPing and ShuHuan that he did not want to see XueQin there when he returned home that night. The three happily ran home.
At ZhenHua's house, WeiGuangXiong's men opened the storage room door and rescued XueQin and ErJie. XueQin said farewell to RuPing and MengPing. They were all very sad because they did not know whether they would be able to see each other again. DuFei saw the light in ZhenHua's study room and went up to check, only to find the gangsters taking money and other valuables from the safe. DuFei tried to stop them but failed. The gangsters told DuFei that they were told to take back the things that belonged to XueQin.
YiPing, ShuHuan and ErHao got home and found DuFei lying on the floor in the study room. Everything in the safe was gone. RuPing could not believe that XueQin would do something like that to the family. She was really sorry that she made the phone call for XueQin.
ZhenHua came home and saw the empty safe. He was so shock. He could not understand why WeiGuangXiong's men still came since he already gave the keys to ErHao. RuPing admitted that she was the one who called WeiGuangXiong and told him to come. ZhenHua was so angry that he hit RuPing on the face.
RuPing felt guilty for what she did to the family. She did not know what went wrong with her. ShuHuan did not want her, her mother cheated her, and now even her father slapped her. She felt that she was such a fool and nobody wanted her anyone. Again, DuFei tried to comfort her but failed to cheer her up this time. He still promised to go see her in the next morning.
Meanwhile, ErHao received a call from ShenBao Press and was told that the war had broken out.
Episode 37
The next morning, RuPing left a letter on her desk and walked out of her home. She did not take any of her belongings except her father's gun and a little toy duck from DuFei. She went out onto the street and found demonstrations everywhere. She realized that war had broken out.
MengPing found RuPing's letter. She, FangYu and YiPing searched RuPing's room only to find that RuPing had not taken anything but the gun. The whole family went out to look for RuPing but she was nowhere to be found. They were afraid that RuPing might use the gun to kill herself. MengPing blamed YiPing and ShuHuan for hurting RuPing and so did XueQin. ZhenHua sadly said that he was the one to be blamed for slapping her. It was decided that they would put notices in all the newspaper and posters on the streets to find RuPing. Everyone joined in to help. Days went by but still no news of RuPing.
YiPing told ShuHuan that if RuPing returns, she would give ShuHuan back to RuPing. ShuHuan was upset and said that he was not a "thing" that she and RuPing could pass to each other. He said if given another chance, he still would walk out from the engagement party and run to YiPing. He only loves YiPing and no one else. But ShuHuan told YiPing that if RuPing died, there would be no more future for them. RuPing's spirit would be between them all their lives. YiPing in tears, admitted that their future depended on RuPing being alive or dead.
DuFei volunteered to join the army as a reporter. YiPing, ShuHuan, ErHao and FangYu said farewell to him and told him to take good care of himself.
The Japanese attacked Shanghai. ShuHuan and ErHao wanted to bring YiPing, WenPei and ZhenDe's family to ZhenHua's house, which was located inside the French protected territory. ZhenHua went with them.
The area where YiPing lived was under attack. She quickly left with her mother to go to ZhenHua's house. They met ShuHuan on the crowded street and was moved that he and ZhenHua came for them. On their way, ZhenHua got into a fight with the Japanese soldiers and killed several of them. Unfortunately, he himself was also shot in the chest. ShuHuan quickly carried ZhenHua home.
Meanwhile ErHao went to find ZhenDe's family. On the way back, KeYun saw an orphan baby and insisted on bringing it with her. Seeing the baby, she started to remember what happened to her own baby. The missing part of her memories suddenly returned. Not until then, her illness is completely cured and she is normal again.
Episode 38
ShuHuan came home with the badly injured ZhenHua. The doctor was called but only to tell them that ZhenHua was going to die soon. He told them to treasure the little time to bid ZhenHua final farewell. ZhenHua knew he was dying. He said the only regret he had was that RuPing was not there with him. He told WenPei that he could not take care of her anymore. He said although he had nine wives, he had not been fair to them. Then he gave YiPing the keys to his cabinet and took out a box. From it, he took out a picture of a woman. Holding the picture to his heart, he left this world.
Three days later, ZhenHua was buried. YiPing, ShuHuan, WenPei, ErHao with FangYu, MengPing and ZhenDe's family were there by his grave. ZhenDe told them that the woman in the picture was called PingPing and he told them ZhenHua's story.
ZhenHua was from a very poor family. When he was young, he did many odd jobs and was ill treated by the employers. When he was a teenager, he worked for a rich family taking care of their horses. He felt in love with the employer's daughter, PingPing. Because of PingPing, ZhenHua worked very hard. He also learned to read and write in his spare time. When ZhenHua's employer found out ZhenHua and PingPing were going, they beat him up. PingPing came to the rescue. ZhenHua swore that he would come back to marry PingPing after he made a successful career. Fifteen years later, he became a high-ranking official in the army and returned, only to find PingPing had died. Five years after ZhenHua left, PingPing was forced to marry someone else. The day before her wedding, PingPing, wearing a red riding dress, killed herself. From that day on, ZhenHua began to search and collect women who resembled PingPing. To remember PingPing, ZhenHua had all his brides wore red riding dress in the wedding and all his daughters had a word "Ping" in their names.
Having heard that, everyone realized that ZhenHua was not somebody that did not know how to love but rather a person who was totally devoted to the one he loved. They regretted at how they had misunderstood him all these years. WenPei soon understood what ZhenHua meant when he said he had not been fair to his nine wives. His heart was with PingPing all these years. She asked ZhenDe which part of her resembles PingPing. ZhenDe told her that was her eyes. ZhenDe also told them that the one that resembles PingPing the most was XinPing, YiPing's sister who died several years ago.
FangYu came to tell YiPing that she had decided to become a nun. KeYun knew FangYu made this decision because of her. She told FangYu that she and ErHao were from two different worlds. It was impossible for them to be together again. Even though if they were married back then, they would not be able to find happiness. She asked FangYu to stay. YiPing also told FangYu that ErHao needed her love while ErHao said that God has a lot of people's love but he only has FangYu's. FangYu was finally moved and changed her mind.
The war became more and more intense. Many people got killed. ShuHuan could not stand it anymore and decided to join the army. He went to tell YiPing his decision. YiPing told him not to worry about her but made him promise the he would come back alive. She would stay home to wait for him and RuPing.
Disguised and dressed up as farmers, ShuHuan and ErHao left Shanghai to join the army. YiPing, FangYu and all the others were at the train station to see them off.
Episode 39
After ErHao and ShuHuan left, YiPing went back to sing in the Grand ShangHai Nightclub. FangYu, MengPing and KeYun went to work in the refugee camp.
One night, YiPing helped QinWuYe to protect some patriotic fighters from the Japanese. YiPing was impressed by what QinWuYe did. QinWuYe told YiPing that her work in the Grand Shanghai Nightclub was also helping the country in a different way.
YiPing went to see FangYu at the refugee camp. YiPing had been supporting the children in the camp with the money she made in the nightclub. FangYu read ErHao's letter to YiPing. In his letter, ErHao apologized for what he and his family did to YiPing before and thanked her for taking care of MengPing and his family in this difficult time. YiPing was happy to hear that. The refugee camp was over crowded. So YiPing, FangYu, MengPing and KeYun decided to bring some orphans home and they named their house the ZhenHua Orphanage.
A year later, in ChengDu, Sichuan Province, XueQin kept on reading the notice that ZhenHua put in the newspaper to find RuPing. She was worried about what happened to RuPing and regretted what she had done to her. XueQin had become an alcoholic. WeiGuangXiong blamed XueQin that they had to leave Shanghai because of her. When XueQin found out that WeiGuangXiong ordered his men to take everything from the Lu family's safe the night they rescued her, she had a big fight with him and left with ErJie. She and ErJie found no place to go and returned to WeiGuangXiong's place, only to find the police there. The police arrested him and XueQin. She decided to tell the police everything she knew.
QinWuYe showed YiPing the news about WeiGuangXiong being arrested for selling illegal weapons. YiPing was worry about ErJie. She did not know what had happened to him since XueQin was put in jail. YiPing asked QinWuYe to help her find ErJie and bring him back to Shanghai. QinWuYe promised to try.
Meanwhile, DuFei accidentally met RuPing's classmate at the battlefield. He told DuFei that he saw RuPing a couple days ago, at a medical base nearby. DuFei immediately went to find RuPing. They were overjoyed to see each other again.
RuPing told DuFei that the day she left home, she thought nobody cared for her anymore and she was going to kill herself. On the street she saw the Red Cross medical team leaving for the battlefield. So she left with them. She did not know that the family was searching for her. Based on the letters he got from ShuHuan, DuFei updated RuPing with the news at home. DuFei told RuPing that YiPing went back to sing in the Grand Shanghai Nightclub to support the family; YiPing and ShuHuan had decided not to get marry until they knew that she was alive and the Lu family's house had become an orphanage. Finally, he told RuPing that her father had died. RuPing felt very sad to hear that but was glad that her family still cared about her. She regretted that she did not write home before and promised to send a letter home as soon as possible.
While in the battlefield, DuFei and RuPing were attacked by the enemy. DuFei was shot when he tried to protect RuPing. RuPing finally killed the Japanese soldier with her father's gun.
DuFei needed an operation but they did not have any more painkiller. So in the mist of the operation, RuPing kissed DuFei to stop him from screaming. DuFei was too shock and touched to feel any pain anymore.
Episode 40
After the operation, RuPing showed DuFei the red duck she took with her when she left home. She told DuFei that at first, she did not know why she brought it with her. But during all these years, he was the person that was in her mind all the time and not ShuHuan. She finally realized that she had fell in love with him long time ago. DuFei was overjoyed to know that and they decided to get marry as soon as he recovered.
The wedding was held in a small village nearby. But DuFei forgot the wedding ring, and as usual, he made a fool of himself. He finally made it to the wedding in a mess.
In the meantime, QinWuYe was able to find ErJie and sent him home. Everybody was so happy to see him again.
YiPing brought home RuPing's letter and her wedding pictures with DuFei. The whole family was so happy to be able to hear from RuPing once more. It had been four years since she left home. YiPing went outside, looking up to the sky and said aloud, 'ShuHuan, RuPing is alive. She and DuFei are happily married. We can love each other without any worry now!'. She hoped that ShuHuan could hear her somehow.
At the battlefield, ShuHuan and ErHao were sitting by the campfire. ShuHuan was reading YiPing's letter over and over again. It had been eight years since he and ErHao left home. They both missed YiPing and FangYu very much. They also envied DuFei for being so lucky to be able to find RuPing at the battlefield and got married. ShuHuan regretted that back then, he did not say to YiPing enough times the three words - I love you. It had become so difficult to find the chance to say those words to her now. He wanted to tell her he loves her, a million times, when he sees her again.
The enemy attacked ShuHuan and ErHao's campsite. ShuHuan was seriously injured. Before the Red Cross people carried him away, ShuHuan told ErHao to tell YiPing that he loves her for him.
Finally the war was over. YiPing and FangYu went with the family to the train station to wait for ShuHuan and ErHao to return. Everyone was so happy to see ErHao but there was no sign of ShuHuan. YiPing asked ErHao if ShuHuan is dead or alive. ErHao replied that ShuHuan was alive the last time he saw him. YiPing fainted.
At home, ErHao told YiPing what happeded to ShuHuan. He also showed her ShuHuan's bag, which was filled with the letters YiPing sent him. YiPing was heart broken. But WenPei comforted her and told her not to give up hope. YiPing finally decided to go to the station to meet every train that came in. She told herself that some day, she would be able to see ShuHuan coming back.
YiPing went to the station every day and there was still no sign of ShuHuan. One day, when everybody had already left the station and the disappointed YiPing was about to walk away, she heard some footsteps. She turned around and saw ShuHuan slowly getting off the train in crutches. YiPing quickly ran towards ShuHuan and held him. With YiPing in his arms, ShuHuan started to say his million times "I love you". YiPing told ShuHuan that she would be his crutches to support him. ErHao, FangYu, MengPing, WenPei and ZhenDe's family also showed up at the station. They knew ShuHuan would return that day but they had kept it secret from YiPing. YiPing and ShuHuan were overjoyed to see each other again. With the other family members and friends by their side, YiPing and ShuHuan kissed passionately, knowing that nothing and nobody can come between them anymore.
