Episode Summary
In this episode, Chu Shaohua solidifies her role at the pharmacy, using her cleverness to outmaneuver her mother-in-law and boost business. She invents a new, successful product called Jade Beauty Powder, but her marketing plan is risky. After giving birth to a daughter, which disappoints her in-laws, she discovers that her brother-in-law, Chen Ershun, is stealing money from the business and is in trouble with loan sharks.
Spoiler Alert
The Pharmacy's New Power Couple
Chu Shaohua and Chen Dashun are a real team now. They work from sunup to sundown at the pharmacy. Business is absolutely booming. It turns out Shaohua is a natural at customer service. She’s warm and always thinks about what the customers need. As they spend all this time together, their bond gets much stronger.
A Battle of Wits with Mother-in-Law
The Late-Night Scheme
Of course, someone has to be unhappy about all this success. Mrs. Chen is furious that Shaohua and Dashun are coming home so late. She asks Chen Ershun if Shaohua is just lazing around at the shop. He tells her Shaohua spends her time chatting with customers. That settles it for Mrs. Chen. She decides Shaohua needs to be at home, doing chores.
When the couple finally gets home, Mrs. Chen is waiting for them, and she is not pleased. Shaohua reads the room perfectly. She pretends she's too exhausted from the pharmacy to eat. Then she says she needs to take the next day off. Mrs. Chen immediately refuses. That's when Shaohua lays her trap. She complains that Dashun doesn't help her enough at the store. Just as she planned, Mrs. Chen gets tricked. She orders Shaohua to go back to the pharmacy tomorrow to keep things running. Shaohua can barely hide her smile.
The 24-Hour Pharmacy
Later, a local woman comes knocking. Her son, Shuanzi, is seriously ill, but all the pharmacies are closed. Chen Dashun doesn't hesitate. He goes and opens the shop just for her. This gives Shaohua a brilliant idea. She hangs a sign outside the pharmacy that reads "Open 24 Hours." She also starts offering to brew the medicine for customers free of charge. The pharmacy's business explodes.
Mr. Chen Returns
Just as things are taking off, Mr. Chen returns from a trip. He goes directly to the pharmacy. He finds the place swarming with customers. Shaohua and Dashun are so busy they've even hired two new assistants. He does not look happy about this at all.
Dashun quickly shows his father the account books. He points out that in only two weeks, they've landed several major clients. Their revenue has shot way up. Dashun insists this is all because of Shaohua's hard work. He begs his father to let her stay at the shop. Mr. Chen says no.
The Birth of an Idea
House Arrest and a Big Fight
Dashun tells Shaohua she should go home to rest during her pregnancy. Shaohua hates this idea. She doesn't want to be trapped in the house with her mother-in-law. Dashun promises she can return to the pharmacy right after the baby is born. She reluctantly agrees.
The moment she's back, Mrs. Chen forbids her from even stepping outside the courtyard. She criticizes Shaohua's every move. Shaohua can only take so much. They get into a massive argument, and Shaohua ends it by throwing a basin of water on the ground.
The "Jade Beauty Powder" Pitch
During the fight, Mrs. Chen's pearl earring falls to the floor. Shaohua picks it up, and another idea sparks. She ignores Song Ping trying to stop her and runs straight to the pharmacy. She proposes a new product to Mr. Chen. They should grind pearls into a powder, mix it with medicinal herbs, and sell it as a beauty product.
Mr. Chen worries this could ruin the pharmacy's reputation. But Dashun loves the idea. He points out that the Chen Family pharmacy has never had its own signature medicine. This could be their big break.
Mr. Chen thinks it over and finally agrees. Dashun immediately asks if Shaohua can come back to the shop to help. Right on cue, Mrs. Chen storms in. She tearfully begs Mr. Chen to punish Shaohua for her defiance, even threatening to kill herself. Mr. Chen asks Song Ping what happened, but Song Ping claims she saw nothing. Shaohua apologizes over and over to her mother-in-law. She lies and says she was in such a rush after thinking of a secret formula that she accidentally knocked the basin over. Mr. Chen then "punishes" Shaohua by ordering her to help at the pharmacy. It's exactly what she wanted.
High-Stakes Marketing
A Controversial Plan
Shaohua gets to work developing what she calls "Jade Beauty Powder." She tests the first batch on Song Ping, and the results are transformative. Shaohua suggests giving the powder away for free to build a customer base. Mrs. Chen flatly rejects that. Mr. Chen compromises, deciding to sell it for a very low price.
Then Shaohua reveals her marketing strategy. She wants to give samples to the women in the Bada Hutong, which is the city's red-light district. She knows they can create the buzz they need. Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen are disgusted by the idea. They think the women are unclean. Shaohua cleverly points out that a popular trim on Mrs. Chen's own dress started as a trend in the Bada Hutong. Even Chen Ershun has to admit the plan might work.
A Risky Bet
Shaohua makes a bold promise. She will earn back all the production costs within one month. In three months, the Jade Beauty Powder will be the pharmacy's single most profitable item. Mr. Chen agrees to back her completely. Chen Ershun asks to be put in charge of the powder's sales, and Mrs. Chen convinces her husband to agree. The roles are set. Shaohua will manage the accounts, and Ershun will handle the sales routes.
Ershun delivers fifty boxes of the powder to the Bada Hutong. Nothing happens. No new customers come to the store. Shaohua tells him to deliver another fifty boxes. Still nothing. She tells him to give away the last fifty boxes. Mr. Chen is furious and gives Shaohua a harsh lecture.
A Birth and a Betrayal
Success, at a Price
Then, it happens. Droves of women from the Bada Hutong suddenly flood the pharmacy. They want to buy the Jade Beauty Powder. They place orders for hundreds of boxes at once. In the middle of this triumph, Shaohua feels a sharp pain in her stomach. She's going into labor.
Welcome to the Family, Sort Of
Shaohua gives birth to a healthy baby girl. Dashun is ecstatic. Mrs. Chen, however, is deeply disappointed that it's not a grandson. She even takes some of the eggs meant for Shaohua's recovery and gives them to Mr. Chen instead. Mr. Chen just says he hopes the next one is a boy.
They name their daughter Xuanxuan. Mr. Chen gives the baby a gift, but Mrs. Chen snatches it away. He also gives Shaohua a red envelope with twenty silver dollars as a reward. Shaohua immediately hands the money to Dashun. The pharmacy is thriving because of her, but she's already thinking about what's next.
Ershun's True Colors
Chen Ershun sees his father give Shaohua the money, and he is filled with jealousy. He complains bitterly to his wife, Song Ping. When she tries to calm him, he just takes all his anger out on her.
Later, Shaohua reviews the account books for the Jade Beauty Powder. The numbers don't add up. She discovers that Ershun has stolen at least two hundred silver dollars. Dashun tells her she needs to talk to him. When Shaohua confronts her brother-in-law, he tries to make a move on her. She is disgusted and forcefully rejects him. The next day, Mrs. Chen sees a wound on Ershun's forehead, and he lies, saying he just bumped into something.
The episode ends as Shaohua arrives at the pharmacy. She sees loan sharks there, demanding money from Chen Ershun.
