“Iron Family” Episodes 7 & 8 Recap

Here are the highlights of episodes 7 & 8 of “Iron Family”.

After searching the mountains all night, Gil Rye and Man Deuk finally discovered the bag of money. They took a portion, convinced they could finally support their families financially. If caught, they reasoned, they didn’t have much time left to live anyway, so they might as well enjoy a prosperous life for the remainder of their years, even if it meant spending some time in prison. Leaving a significant amount behind, they brought enough to secure their livelihoods for the next few years.

Hae Ja, the housekeeper at Gang Ju’s home and a close friend of Da Rim’s mother, discovers that Gang Ju and Da Rim are acquainted. Concerned, she warns Gang Ju never to hurt Da Rim. In response, Gang Ju candidly admits his curiosity about her—enough to want to hang out and watch movies, but not enough for a committed relationship. Hae Ja, however, continues to caution him, urging him not to toy with Da Rim’s feelings.

Bong Hee sees her former college friend Seung Don on the news, celebrated for donating over $10 million to charity. This brings back memories of their college days, when she sold her stocks to help pay for his tuition, and he promised to repay her with interest. Years later, in desperate need of money for her daughter Da Rim, she decides to visit Seung Don to reclaim her investment.
Upon meeting, she is taken aback by his standoffish demeanor, but she stands her ground, insisting on the repayment and the potential value of her stocks, plus interest. However, the conversation takes an unexpected turn when Seung Don reveals that he already returned the money as a wedding gift when she got married. He encourages her to check her wedding gift book for confirmation. Confused and embarrassed, Bong Hee realizes she doesn’t recall this repayment and leaves, feeling humiliated.
Gang Ju stops by Da Rim’s dry cleaners and asks her out to a movie. Though she reluctantly agrees, Tae Woong, unable to trust Gang Ju, insists on tagging along. Da Rim feels caught in the middle, unsure how to navigate the situation with both of them.

Disappointed, Bong Hee returned home and drank until she was drunk. Concerned, Gil Rye and Man Deuk asked her what was troubling her. In her tipsy state, Bong Hee began to vent about her late husband, who had struggled for ten years to pass the bar exam. She expressed her feelings of being belittled and dismissed by her college friends, lamenting that if her husband had been different, she might have lived a better life.
As her emotions boiled over, she attempted to turn on the air conditioner, but it wouldn’t work. Frustrated, she hit it, and to her astonishment, the machine broke, spilling out a flood of cash. Coming to her senses, she stared in shock and began questioning Gil Rye and Man Deuk about where the money had come from.
After making a significant donation, Seung Don found himself inundated with messages from people he knew around the world, all seeking financial help. Among the numerous emails, one caught his attention: it claimed he had a son. The message, sent by a past lover, revealed that she had given birth to a boy on August 11, 1991, and had left him in an orphanage. Feeling overwhelmed, Seung Don immediately deleted the message, pushing aside the weight of that revelation.

Da Rim is finally able to get the surgery that will save her eyesight, and Bong Hee is relieved to have helped make it happen. While Da Rim is overjoyed and tears of happiness fill her eyes at the prospect of seeing again, she can’t shake her skepticism about where Bong Hee obtained such a large sum of money. Despite her doubts, the excitement of the upcoming surgery fills the moment with hope and gratitude.

Gang Ju accidentally left his shirt at Da Rim’s dry cleaners, unaware that his important lighter was tucked inside. When he returned to retrieve it, he was relieved to find it in the lost and found. Excited, he tried to test the lighter, but in a tragic turn of events, it ignited a fire that quickly consumed the entire dry cleaner’s, leaving nothing but ashes.
When Bong Hee returned to the shop, she was devastated to discover that all the money for Da Rim’s surgery had been stored in the air conditioner, which was now turned to ash. Overwhelmed with despair, she realized that their hopes for Da Rim’s future were now turned to smoke and ashes.

Bong Hee learns that Gang Ju, Da Rim’s friend and the son of Seung Don, is the one responsible for setting the dry cleaner’s on fire. When Seung Don arrives to see his son, he finds Bong Hee, Gil Rye, and Man Deuk there and immediately apologizes for the situation.
Bong Hee, still reeling from the loss, confronts Seung Don, insisting that he must compensate her for all the money she lost in the fire. The tension rises as she demands accountability, knowing that their hopes for Da Rim’s surgery now hinge on this unexpected turn of events.

With nothing left, Bong Hee is filled with desperation and decides to return to the mountains where they had left the money. Accompanied by Gil Rye and Man Deuk, they make their way back and start digging fervently, hoping to unearth enough to help Da Rim. Meanwhile, Da Rim finally undergoes the surgery she has longed for, filled with hope for a brighter future.

Da Rim is finally able to see, thanks to the unwavering support from her family. Overjoyed, they celebrate this new chapter in her life together.
Meanwhile, Bong Hee, Gil Rye, and Man Deuk carefully hide all the money under their bed, grateful for the relief it brings them after their struggles.
However, Ji Yeon, refusing to give up on her quest for the money, begins asking around for help, determined to track it down.