In Small Town, Big Matters, Gao Xuemei and Jie Chunlai are headed for divorce. Actor Chen Minghao brings the “totally unreliable” character to life with impressive realism.

As the period drama Small Town, Big Affairs reaches Episodes 29 and 30, the relationship between Li Qiuping and Du Tao officially comes to an end.

In Episode 30, Du Tao calls the Yuehai Town government to withdraw his land purchase. When Li Qiuping hears the news, she shows no visible reaction—until later, when she quietly repairs the handprint he once left in the cement foundation. The silent gesture marks a clean emotional break, understated yet powerful.

Meanwhile, the preview for Episode 34 reveals another impending breakup: Deputy Mayor Jie Chunlai and his wife Gao Xuemei are heading toward divorce. If there is one consistently unreliable character in the series, it is Jie Chunlai, portrayed with sharp nuance by Chen Minghao.

From scaring off investors with ill-timed remarks, to assuming authority before earning it, to abusing power while acting mayor, Jie Chunlai repeatedly exposes his lack of judgment. His worst mistake comes with the so-called “information pot” scam—hiring a fake expert at great cost and mobilizing public resources for a fraud he fails to recognize.

This incident, combined with his authoritarian behavior at home and refusal to respect his wife as an equal decision-maker, ultimately shatters the marriage. While Gao Xuemei bears some responsibility for unilateral financial decisions, the deeper issue lies in a long-standing imbalance of power.

Chen Minghao’s performance brings humor, frustration, and tragedy together, making Jie Chunlai both infuriating and strangely human. Whether the couple will reconcile remains to be seen, and all speculation is based solely on aired episodes and previews.