Episode Summary
Chu Shaohua brilliantly outmaneuvers her powerful competitors by exposing their corruption, winning a lucrative military contract for Chen Pharmacy. She leverages this victory to demand a 50% stake in a new branch store. The family's celebration is cut short when her husband and father-in-law travel to Shanxi and become trapped by a sudden plague outbreak.
Spoiler Alert
The High-Stakes Bidding War
A Lousy Offer
The episode kicks off with Shouyuan Pharmacy trying to strong-arm the Chen family. Gao Qianyi shows up on behalf of his boss, Xia Yuan. He offers to sell the Jade Beauty Powder for them. The catch is a truly terrible one. Shouyuan wants a sixty percent cut of the profits.
Mr. Chen immediately tells them to get lost. But Shaohua sees the bigger picture. She tells her father-in-law they should take the deal. She points out that the Chen Pharmacy logo is on all the packaging. They can use Shouyuan's massive network to make their family brand famous across the country. Mr. Chen, however, is still stuck in his ways and refuses.
Shaohua's Real Target
Shaohua isn't too worried about the powder, though. She has her eyes on a much bigger prize. A huge military supply contract from Shanxi. She starts buying up every newspaper she can find. She's tracking the civil war and trying to figure out the political landscape. Her husband, Chen Dashun, points out that their rivals at Shouyuan and Tianji Pharmacy are also after the contract. He offers to get her newspapers from Shanghai, and she's all for it.
Playing the Game from the Sidelines
A Smart Pitch
Shaohua decides to skip the line. She completely bypasses the officials in charge, Special Envoy Xu and Director Lan. Instead, she goes directly to a lower-level officer, Adjutant Shang. He's annoyed at first. But Shaohua came prepared. She shows him a price list she created. It's broken down by specific types of battlefield injuries.
She also proves she did her homework on him. She knows all about his heroic actions in battle and the specifics of his old war wounds. This gets his attention. Shaohua explains she's also included herbal medicines for things like dampness and internal heat, thinking ahead to the soldiers' needs. She tells him she just wants to do her part. Adjutant Shang is used to dealing with greedy merchants. He's genuinely impressed by her.
Making a Deal with a Devil
Shaohua asks Adjutant Shang for his help, but he says his hands are tied. He's too junior. The envoy prefers Shouyuan, and the director wants Tianji. He can't help her. Shaohua doesn't push. She just gives him some cough medicine she made for him, a kind gesture that clearly touches him.
So, she moves on to her next plan. She goes to see Zhao Laoda, a powerful gang leader in the Bada Hutong district. She offers him 500 silver dollars for his help landing the military contract. He's still bitter about an earlier issue with a guy named Xiao Wu. Shaohua admits she faked an illness to help her friend Kang Erniu escape. Then she creates a new lie. She claims Xiao Wu stole something worth 2,500 from her boss and tells Zhao Laoda he can have half if he gets it back.
The Takedown
The Perfect Scandal
Zhao Laoda agrees to the deal. He has some serious dirt on Shouyuan Pharmacy. Their manager, Xu Hongnian, bribed Special Envoy Xu. The bribe was a courtesan named Xiaoyihuan and a brand-new mansion. Zhao Laoda gives Shaohua the address to the house.
Shaohua immediately writes an anonymous letter to a Shanghai newspaper and exposes the whole thing. When the story breaks, the envoy assumes Tianji Pharmacy was behind the leak. He and Xu Hongnian plot their revenge. They get their boss, Xia Yuan, to leak another story accusing Tianji of selling low-quality medicine.
The Underdog Wins
Warlord Yan gets wind of the dueling scandals. He is not pleased. He disqualifies both Shouyuan and Tianji from the bidding. He then puts the entire military supply contract in the hands of the one person who seemed trustworthy. Adjutant Shang.
Of course, Adjutant Shang goes straight to Chen Pharmacy. He gives the massive contract to Chu Shaohua. The single order will bring in 5,000 silver dollars in profit. Mr. Chen is stunned and finally full of praise for his daughter-in-law. Even Mrs. Chen starts treating her with respect. The family celebrates, and Shaohua vows to make their pharmacy the biggest in Beijing.
New Money, New Problems
Demanding Her Share
With new money comes new ambition. A Japanese merchant tries to partner with a bitter Xia Yuan, who refuses him. Meanwhile, Shaohua and Dashun want to use the profits to open a branch location. Mr. Chen is nervous about the risk, but Shaohua promises him it will succeed.
As they plan the new store, Shaohua makes her move. She demands a fifty percent stake in the new branch. Mrs. Chen is outraged. But Shaohua stands her ground. She says she has earned it and deserves the respect. When Chen Dashun sides with his wife, Mr. Chen finally agrees. He gives them the 50% stake, but only if the branch brings in 4,000 silver dollars in profit each year. Shaohua immediately asks for a written contract.
A Bad Feeling
Shaohua is busy planning the expansion when she gets a letter from her friend Kang Erniu, who is doing well in Shanghai. This inspires Shaohua to dream bigger. She wants to open branches all over the country.
Then, things take a dark turn. Mr. Chen and Chen Dashun have to travel to Shanxi to collect the final payment for the military contract. As they leave, their daughter Xuanxuan cries and cries, which is very unlike her. A month goes by, and they don't return. Mrs. Chen is beside herself with worry. As Shaohua plans to investigate, Xuanxuan begins crying hysterically again. The next morning, Shaohua learns the awful truth. There has been a plague outbreak in Shanxi. Her husband and father-in-law are trapped.
