Episode 6 recap: Ji Ming Zhao took over the miscellaneous goods store and dealt with ruffians.
The ruffians tried to throw feces again during the night. Yan Si Fang set up a trap that captured the ruffians along with the feces. He then handed them over to the local yamen (government office). However, the ruffians turned the tables and falsely accused Yan Si Fang, Meng San Xi, and Ye Wu Zhi of kidnapping them while they were collecting protection money. Li Bu Kuai was aware of the ruffians' misdeeds but couldn't catch them in the act due to a shortage of manpower. He decided to mediate and reconcile both parties. The ruffians demanded a compensation of twenty taels of silver.
Dai Meng Hui suddenly intervened and cut the ropes that bound the ruffians, thereby nullifying the accusation of kidnapping. The ruffians were left with no choice but to agree to a settlement. Frustrated by their failed plan, the ruffians intentionally blocked the entrance of an unnamed miscellaneous goods store, preventing customers from entering. Meng San Xi and Yan Si Fang knew that if Ye Wu Zhi saw this, it would lead to conflict. They decided to confront the ruffians and resolve the situation. Unaware of each other's capabilities, Meng San Xi and Yan Si Fang mistakenly thought the other was a formidable opponent. However, they soon discovered that they were no match for the ruffians and were severely beaten. They intended to report the incident to the authorities, but the ruffians were even more ruthless, attacking each other to prevent anyone from reporting the incident.
Upon returning and witnessing the sorry state of Meng San Xi and Yan Si Fang, Ye Wu Zhi went to the ruffians' hideout at night to seek justice for her friends. However, by the time Ye Wu Zhi arrived, the ruffians had already been beaten up by the two factions who wanted to protect Meng San Xi and shut down the miscellaneous goods store. Despite her low martial arts skills, Ye Wu Zhi managed to give the ruffians a beating. The ruffians used this opportunity to report to the authorities, leading to Ye Wu Zhi's swift arrest. She was given the option to pay a fine or serve three years in prison. Meng San Xi and Yan Si Fang were determined to rescue Ye Wu Zhi. With no money of their own, they had to sell all the goods in the store at a fifty percent discount to Ying Bai Chi in order to raise the necessary funds. They successfully redeemed Ye Wu Zhi. Upon returning to the store, Ye Wu Zhi felt guilty seeing the empty shelves and worried about their future livelihood.
Meng San Xi came up with an idea to join the ruffian organization, as it would provide quick money without hard work or any capital investment. Yan Si Fang was tempted, but considering their lack of martial strength, they decided to involve Ye Wu Zhi. However, Ye Wu Zhi, true to her master's teachings, refused to engage in wrongdoing. She decided to sell her sword, repaying Yan Si Fang and Meng San Xi with ten taels of silver each. Then, she left the store, warning them not to engage in shameful activities.
Meng San Xi discovered that Ye Wu Zhi's sword was missing, and immediately understood how the money was repaid. He was deeply moved by this realization. Yan Si Fang initially planned to scheme with Meng San Xi to obtain free food, but witnessing Ye Wu Zhi's sincerity and honesty, both of them felt ashamed and abandoned that idea. Just as they were about to go out for a meal, they realized that the door was locked. Their favorable impression of Ye Wu Zhi quickly vanished, and they found themselves experiencing hunger and the urge to use the restroom. They lay down on the bed, and when Meng San Xi finally remembered that Yan Si Fang had a set of cliff-jumping equipment, it was already too late as Yan Si Fang had almost no strength left. Eventually, Ye Wu Zhi returned, bringing them food and money. Yan Si Fang and Meng San Xi realized that the only places open at night were the gambling house and the brothel, and considering Ye Wu Zhi's appearance, they immediately had negative thoughts. They quickly followed her and discovered that she was gambling and completely engrossed in it. They rushed forward to stop her but were threatened by the owner of the gambling house. Meng San Xi immediately fell to the ground, pretending to be injured and threatening to report the incident to the authorities. This allowed them to take Ye Wu Zhi away.
Ji Ming Zhao aspired to become a successful businessperson. She wanted to turn the most run-down shop in Mu Yun City into the strongest one. She specifically approached Meng San Xi, Ye Wu Zhi, and Yan Si Fang to take over the shop. Meng San Xi asked for a high price of over one hundred taels, but Ji Ming Zhao, being shrewd, negotiated with the honest Ye Wu Zhi and settled on fifty taels. Ji Ming Zhao needed partners, so she decided to keep the three of them and gave each of them fifty taels. Previously, Ye Wu Zhi had experienced trouble because of Meng San Xi and Yan Si Fang's intervention, which led to the decline of the grocery store. The three of them wanted to resolve this grudge. Ji Ming Zhao immediately united ten surrounding shops, demanding each of them to contribute ten taels of silver. She would cover any additional expenses. They succeeded in intimidating the troublemakers, who not only stopped demanding protection fees but also became employees of the grocery store. They all worked together to expand the business and achieve good performance, making the grocery store bustling with activity. Today was the store's first day of operation, but Ye Wu Zhi did not show up. Meng San Xi and Yan Si Fang initially believed that Ye Wu Zhi was out buying gifts for them. It was only after Ji Ming Zhao reminded them that they remembered the open gambling house at night and hurriedly went there to find Ye Wu Zhi.
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