Episode Summary
Gu Pingyuan recruits a gambling tea master to create a new premium tea blend called "Lan Xue," defying the corrupt local guild. Mr. Bai passes away after a symbolic intervention by the tea master, teaching Gu to let go of the past. A national tea competition is announced, but the powerful Tea Merchant Guild blocks Gu from selling his new product, forcing a confrontation between the village and the establishment.
Spoiler Alert
The Tea Master in the Pit
Things are finally looking up for the tea harvest in Shanjian Village. But raw leaves don't sell themselves. Mr. Bai tells Gu Pingyuan to find a roasting expert named Mr. Liao. This search doesn't start with dignity. Gu finds the expert hiding in a latrine pit. Liao is a gambler. He assumes Gu is a debt collector coming to break his legs.
The reality is sadder. Liao pawned his roasting tools to pay gambling debts. His daughter doesn't trust him with money anymore. She gives the pawn ticket to Gu instead. Gu redeems the tools and even leaves some extra silver for the family. It’s a class act.
Birth of the Orchid Snow
The villain of the week is Hou Er. He works for the Tea Merchant Guild. He shows up to collect tea but refuses to pay back wages to the farmers. Gu Pingwen gets in his face about it. Hou Er just insults him.
This pushes the village to go independent. Mr. Liao arrives with his tools. The whole village pitches in. Men chop wood. Women pick leaves. Liao teaches Gu Pingyuan the secret sauce of roasting. He uses a specific technique to infuse the leaves with pine and orchid scents.
Gu’s mother tastes the result and loves it. Liao names the new blend "Lan Xue" (Orchid Snow). Gu decides to bet the farm on this. He wants to process the entire harvest as Lan Xue and bypass the corrupt guild. Liao is terrified of offending Hou Er. Gu doesn't care. He is ready for a fight.
A Very Zen Death
Romance is brewing between Gu Pingwen and Liao’s daughter. Mr. Liao sees it and approves. He teases Pingwen just for fun. But the mood shifts when Liao visits the dying Mr. Bai.
Bai is hanging on by a thread. He can’t let go of his worries about Bai Yimei. Liao decides to perform a mercy killing, but not in the usual way. He uses shock therapy. He splashes a basin of cold water on the dying man. Then he smashes a teacup on the floor. He tells Bai to let go of the past. The shock works. Mr. Bai dies on the spot.
Gu Pingyuan handles the funeral. He is confused by the smashed cup. Liao explains it was symbolic. You have to break the old vessel to stop clinging to the past. This hits home for Gu. He finally decides to let go of his own romantic feelings for Bai Yimei.
Tea Politics and Petty Grudges
Hou Er is furious that Gu Pingyuan ignored his summons. He is used to farmers bowing to him. Gu made him wait, and that bruised his ego.
Meanwhile, the political stakes just went up. A new Emperor is on the throne. To please the Empress Dowager, the court wants the best southern tea sent to the capital. A massive competition called the "Ten Thousand Tea Conference" is announced.
Hou Er runs to his relative, Old Master Hu, who heads the Anhui Tea Guild. He badmouths Gu immediately. Gu tries to sell his Lan Xue tea to shops. They love the taste but are too scared of the guild to buy it.
Gu goes straight to the top. He visits Old Master Hu to apologize and offer a sample. Hu is stubborn. He tells Gu to change the name back to the generic "Silver Tip." Gu argues that Lan Xue is fundamentally different. Hu refuses to listen.
The episode ends with the village in panic mode. The local chief hears the guild blacklisted them. He demands the Gu brothers go back and beg for forgiveness.
