Old Mrs Zhang and Zhenniang prepare to head home, as Dong’en’s marriage has been taken care of. At the farewell banquet, Dongsheng carries out Guangda’s plan—to poison Zheniang. Zhenniang falls ill while on board the ship and her condition deteriorates rapidly. When Guangda and Xiuxiang appear on the ship, Huiniang deduces that they had poisoned Zhenniang. Before breathing her last, Zhenniang tells Dong’en to take care of Huiniang and not to inform Old Mrs Zhang of her death. Xiuxiang deliberately breaks the news to Old Mrs Zhang, who suffers a stroke. As a result, the reins of the Zhang Family falls into Guangda and Xiuxiang. Guangda then tricks Dong'en by telling him he would share the profits among the workers if he showed the map of the tin ore granary to him, and then goes against his word. Meanwhile, Xiuxiang fires two of the amahs. Enraged, Huiniang protests and is about to be beaten by Xiuxiang, but Mingzhu blocks her, and gets injured. She warns Xiuxiang not to hurt her niece.