Episode Summary
The Japanese occupation disrupts medicine supplies, leading Xia Yuan to collaborate with them, which Chu Shaohua and Wen Zhiqiu oppose. After Xia Yuan's attempt to isolate them backfires due to a clever ruse, Shanghai is bombed. Wen Zhiqiu is critically injured while protecting Chu Shaohua. She saves him with a specially formulated "Miracle Pill" and agrees to marry him. However, a chance encounter reveals that Wen Zhiqiu knew her deceased first love, Xia Chu, and may have been involved in his murder. Chu Shaohua uncovers more suspicious connections, casting doubt on Wen Zhiqiu's entire story.
Spoiler Alert
The Pharmacy War Gets Personal
Xia Yuan Makes a Deal with the Devil
The Japanese occupation of Manchuria is hitting everyone hard. For Shanghai's pharmacies, it means they can't get their usual supply of medicinal herbs. This is a huge problem. Xia Yuan, always looking for an angle, decides to solve his supply issue by working with a Japanese contact, Komura Moriichi.Unsurprisingly, Chu Shaohua and Wen Zhiqiu are completely against this.
Their opposition has consequences. During the election for the chairman of the Chinese Medicine Guild, Wen Zhiqiu casts a vote against Xia Yuan. This is the final straw. Xia Yuan is forced to resign. He is not happy about it.
His first move is to try and turn Chu Shaohua against Wen Zhiqiu. He wants them to team up and push Wen Zhiqiu out of Wen's Grand Pharmacy. Chu Shaohua refuses. She stands firmly with Wen Zhiqiu. So, Xia Yuan goes for revenge. He rallies all the major pharmacies in Shanghai. He gets them to completely cut off Wen's Grand Pharmacy. No one will sell to them. Wen Zhiqiu now has a ton of orders he can't fill. He's facing massive penalties and potential bankruptcy.
A Fake Fight for a Real Win
Chu Shaohua desperately searches for a new supplier. It's no use. Everyone is either out of stock or just plain refuses to sell to her. She quickly figures out that Xia Yuan is behind all of it. Just when things look hopeless, a man named Tian Tongdao shows up.He offers to sell them the herbs they need.
There's a catch. Of course there's a catch. Tian Tongdao wants five times the normal price. Chu Shaohua immediately sees this for what it is. He's taking advantage of their desperation. But Wen Zhiqiu isn't ready to give up. He starts to haggle.
Then, something wild happens. Chu Shaohua gets furious with Wen Zhiqiu for even considering the deal. She yells at him, grabs a cup of tea, and throws it right in his face before storming out. It was quite a scene. But it was all an act. They planned the whole thing to trick Tian Tongdao. And it worked perfectly. Thinking his two biggest rivals just had a major falling out, Tian Tongdao gets overconfident. He agrees to sell the medicine to Wen Zhiqiu at the original price.
The Bombs Start Falling
Heroes and Profiteers
The date is January 28, 1932. The Japanese start bombing Shanghai. The city is thrown into chaos. People are running for their lives. Chu Shaohua doesn't hesitate. She immediately joins the rescue teams, pulling wounded people from the streets and getting them onto ambulances.
While some people are being heroes, others are looking to profit. Pharmacies across the city start raising their prices. They're making a fortune off the disaster. Xia Yuan, against the advice of Mei Sandu, jacks up the prices on all the medicine in his shop.
A Desperate Rescue
Chu Shaohua and Wen Zhiqiu are out delivering medical supplies to the front lines. Suddenly, they're caught in an air raid. Wen Zhiqiu shields Chu Shaohua with his own body and takes the brunt of the blast. He's severely injured. She gets knocked out.
The same bombing raid hits Kang Erniu's restaurant. The building is destroyed, and she is buried in the rubble. When Xia Yuan hears that Kang Erniu's street was hit hard, he rushes over. He finds her restaurant in ruins. As he's about to leave, he hears a noise from the debris. He sees one of her high-heeled shoes and starts digging with his bare hands until he pulls her out.
The Long Road to Recovery
The Miracle Pill
Chu Shaohua wakes up in the hospital. She finds out Wen Zhiqiu has a severe head injury and is in a deep coma. For six days, she stays by his side, but he doesn't wake up. She starts to panic. She remembers a story her grandfather told her about a "Wanlingdan," or Miracle Pill, that saved a general's life.
She rushes back to the pharmacy and works through the night. The pill has over a hundred steps. She finally makes it and gives it to Wen Zhiqiu. Nothing happens. The doctor tells her to prepare for the worst. Chu Shaohua then remembers her grandfather saying the pill's formula has to be adjusted for each person. She tries again. Still nothing.
Then, she recalls Wen Zhiqiu talking about combining Chinese and Western medical techniques. She goes back and creates a new version of the pill. In a moment of absolute despair, she gives it to him and whispers that she'll marry him if he just wakes up. And he does. He opens his eyes. After ten days in a coma, Wen Zhiqiu is finally back.
A Ghost from the Past
The Truth Starts to Unravel
Wen Zhiqiu recovers, and they start planning their wedding. Everything seems perfect. Then they go to a tailor to get Wen Zhiqiu a suit. The shop owner recognizes Chu Shaohua. He remembers her. She was in his old shop five years ago with her first love, Xia Chu, trying on wedding dresses.Then the owner drops a bomb. He clearly remembers that on the very day Xia Chu was murdered, Wen Zhiqiu came to the shop and called Xia Chu away. Chu Shaohua is stunned. She starts to question everything she knows about Wen Zhiqiu.
Her suspicion grows. She gets the old police file on Xia Chu's murder. She discovers that the killer, Mu Ziru, was ordered to assassinate Xia Chu.It was not an accident. Digging through Xia Chu's old things, she finds a medicine order written by Wen Zhiqiu. Xia Chu was killed at the Kangning Clinic, right after picking up that medicine.
She also learns that a man named Xiaolin, who used to buy medicine from Wen Zhiqiu, knew him five years ago. Xiaolin claimed the medicine was for his grandmother. Chu Shaohua calls Kang Erniu to ask about him. Kang Erniu tells her that Xiaolin's grandmother has been dead for many years.
