Episode Summary
In this episode, Mu Ziru's attempt to seize smuggled opium backfires spectacularly, leaving him indebted to the powerful Mr. Jin and eventually captured. We learn that Wen Zhiqiu secretly intercepted the majority of the opium, leading to a major moral conflict with his partner Xia Yuan. This conflict causes Chu Shaohua to reject Xia Yuan's business offer and align herself with Wen Zhiqiu. Meanwhile, Zhou Yan tries to manipulate Chu Shaohua into giving her money for her troublesome son.
Spoiler Alert
Mu Ziru's Messy Opium Heist
A Plan Goes Sideways
This was a disaster waiting to happen. Mu Ziru gets a tip about twenty loads of opium disguised as medicine, just sitting in a warehouse. He decides to play the hero, raiding the place to seize the illegal drugs. The problem is, he only finds two loads. He's way out of his depth.
He tries to be clever about it. He turns in one load to the anti-smoking bureau. He gives a cut to his boss, Mr. Jin. He keeps the rest to sell secretly to a guy named Boss Hu. But it turns out the opium belonged to the garrison headquarters. And they are missing all twenty loads, not just the two Mu Ziru found.
Digging a Deeper Hole
Mr. Jin is furious. He was trying to go legit and get a government position. Now he has to clean up Mu Ziru's mess. He orders Mu Ziru to replace all twenty loads of opium immediately. Mu Ziru is stuck. He knows he didn't take all of it. He suspects the garrison is inflating the numbers, but he has no proof.
So what does he do? He makes another terrible decision. He leaks a story to the newspapers. He accuses a military officer, Xiong Shihui, of smuggling the opium. This causes a huge public scandal. It also corners him completely. Mr. Jin gives him one final ultimatum. Deliver the twenty loads by tomorrow, or face the consequences.
The Inevitable End
Mu Ziru knows he's finished. He tries to run. His plan is to grab Kang Erniu and all her money and disappear. But Kang Erniu is done with him. She tells him they're broken up and she's staying in Shanghai to pursue her own dreams. He gets angry and just robs her, taking everything she has. It doesn't matter, though. Mr. Jin's men are already waiting outside. They catch Mu Ziru and take all the money he just stole.
The Real Opium Plot
Wen Zhiqiu's Move
So where did the other eighteen loads of opium go? We finally get the answer. It was Wen Zhiqiu. He got a tip from one of Mu Ziru's own men, a guy named Xiaolin. Wen Zhiqiu got to the warehouse before Mu Ziru's raid. He took the eighteen loads and left just two behind for Mu Ziru to find.
A Moral Disagreement
This leads to a major clash between Wen Zhiqiu and Xia Yuan. Xia Yuan is thrilled. He sees a chance to make a fortune by selling the opium up north. But Wen Zhiqiu has a conscience. He argues that they are in the business of saving people, not profiting from their misery. He wants to destroy all of it.
The two of them can't agree. Xia Yuan goes behind his back and ships the opium anyway. Wen Zhiqiu is so angry he walks out of their dinner. Chu Shaohua, who has been listening the whole time, completely sides with Wen Zhiqiu. She tells Xia Yuan that their pharmacy is meant to heal, and opium is poison. When Xia Yuan won't back down, she follows Wen Zhiqiu out. She also formally rejects Xia Yuan's previous job offer, choosing to stay with Wen Zhiqiu.
Family Troubles
Chu Shaohua's Loyalty
Before all the opium drama, Chu Shaohua and Xia Yuan visit her late fiancé Xia Chu's grave. Xia Yuan expresses his regret over his brother's death. He officially welcomes Chu Shaohua into their family and asks her to run their pharmacy business in Shanghai. She agrees to think about it.
Later, Chu Shaohua hears that Mu Ziru robbed Kang Erniu. She rushes to comfort her friend. She reminds Kang Erniu of a time when Kang Erniu shared a piece of bread with her when she had nothing. Chu Shaohua promises to stand by her, treating her like a sister.
Zhou Yan's Desperate Plan
There's also trouble brewing with Zhou Yan. She's unhappy with her low pay. Her son, Xiaobao, gets expelled from school for fighting. This pushes her to a new level of desperation.
She invites Chu Shaohua over for a dinner that is incredibly awkward. She tries to get her son to call Chu Shaohua "mother," hoping she'll adopt him. Chu Shaohua deflects this by saying she'll agree only if Xiaobao gets perfect scores in school, which he knows is impossible. Then, Zhou Yan gets even bolder. She brings up the fact that Chu Shaohua is paying for Cheng Hui to study abroad. She demands that Chu Shaohua give her the same amount of money for Xiaobao.
