Episode Summary
Xia Chu and Chu Shaohua plan to leave for France, but their families are determined to stop them. Shaohua divides her pharmacy business, enraging her brother and his wife. Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Chen, confronts her and begs her to stay. When Shaohua refuses, her brother-in-law, Chen Ershun, devises a plan to assault her, convincing his mother to help by drugging her soup. The episode ends as Mrs. Chen delivers the drugged soup to an unsuspecting Shaohua.
Spoiler Alert
The Plan to Escape to France
A Past Love Rekindled
So, the big news is that Chu Shaohua and her childhood sweetheart, Xia Chu, are officially back on. If you remember, everyone thought Xia Chu died in the revolution years ago. That’s why Shaohua ended up marrying Chen Dashun.But Xia Chu is very much alive, and he's returned after six years.
He finds out Shaohua is now a widow with a daughter, Xuanxuan. His plan is simple. He wants to take both of them to France and start over. At first, Shaohua says no. But Xia Chu is persistent. He saves her life and treats her daughter like his own. That sincerity wins her over. She agrees to go.
Settling Old Business
They don't just run off. They have things to handle first. Xia Chu gives Shaohua back the token of their love from all those years ago. He then leaves to arrange their travel papers. Shaohua has to deal with her pharmacy. They agree to meet in three days to leave for good. You just know it's not going to be that easy.
The Family Fights Back
The Pharmacy Fallout
The gossip mill starts churning immediately. A woman named Song Er’yi runs straight to Shaohua’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Chen, with the news. Mrs. Chen doesn't believe it. Shaohua had promised she would never remarry. But then she hears her granddaughter, Xuanxuan, singing an English song Xia Chu taught her. That’s all the proof she needs. She is furious.
Meanwhile, Shaohua gets her business in order. She decides to give 40% of the pharmacy shares to Mrs. Chen and 40% to her own mother. The final 20% goes to the manager, the accountant, and the other employees. She puts the manager and accountant in total control. She makes it clear that neither the Chen family nor her own family can interfere with the business.
This does not go over well with her brother, Chu Shaozhong. He is livid. He thinks Shaohua is handing the family business to outsiders because she doesn't trust him. Shaohua is direct. She tells him he's not cut out for business and would run the pharmacy into the ground. His wife, Zhou Yan, gets even angrier and goes to the pharmacy to confront Shaohua. It turns into a nasty fight. Shaohua tells her brother she'll give him the shares if he divorces Zhou Yan. That ends the conversation.
The Mother-in-Law's Wrath
Next up is Mrs. Chen. She drags Shaohua to the family's ancestral hall for a formal scolding. Shaohua doesn't back down. She confirms everything. She's marrying Xia Chu and taking Xuanxuan to France. Mrs. Chen accuses her of betraying her late husband's memory. Shaohua says she will never forget Chen Dashun, but she can't live in the past forever.
Mrs. Chen begs her to stay. She's terrified that the second son, Chen Ershun, will destroy the family if Shaohua leaves.Shaohua explains she has already provided for her with the pharmacy shares. Mrs. Chen then threatens to kill herself. Shaohua has had enough. She tells her to stop the drama, picks up Xuanxuan, and walks out.
A Vile Scheme Takes Shape
A Brother-in-Law's Desperation
The useless brother-in-law, Chen Ershun, sees this whole confrontation. He comes up with a truly disgusting plan to make Shaohua stay. He decides he will assault her. He believes this will leave her with no choice but to remain with the Chen family. He actually asks his mother to help him.
At the same time, Shaohua's sister-in-law, Zhou Yan, is also plotting her own revenge.
The Drugged Soup
Chen Ershun keeps pressuring his mother. Mrs. Chen knows it's a terrible, immoral act. But her son is relentless, and she gives in. He hands her a packet of drugs. He tells her to put it in the chicken soup she's making for Shaohua.
A servant, Song Ping, overhears them whispering but doesn't get all the details. She just knows they're up to something.
The episode ends with Mrs. Chen bringing the drugged soup to Shaohua's room. She apologizes for their earlier fight and urges her to drink the soup.
