Episode 16 recap: Night Intrusion at Qing Shui An: Tracing Fate and Circumstances
Wu Lian personally visits the Xu family, and the Yanyu Xiu Lou sends a batch of new embroidery samples for Wu Lian to personally inspect. Meng Wan doesn't know what Wu Lian is up to and glares at him menacingly. Wu Lian, unwilling to back down, takes out an embroidery sample and presents it to Meng Wan. It turns out to be the lotus flower that Meng Wan had never finished embroidering.
Everyone splits up to search for the person who was murdered years ago, but they all come up empty-handed. The dead remain dead, and the runners keep running. The few remaining individuals are stubborn and refuse to admit anything. Li Chun Feng looks at the name Tian Xiao Ling on the Plum Blossom painting, his fingers tracing and hesitating, his brows furrowing tightly. Meng Wan notices something unusual and asks about the story between the two. In the next moment, Li Chun Feng rolls up the Plum Blossom painting, intending to take it away. Fortunately, Meng Wan reacts quickly and Liu Xin and Feng Da step in to stop him. Li Chun Feng, who was leaning on the table, drops the Plum Blossom painting that he had tightly clenched in his hand. Meng Wan picks it up and looks at the name on the painting, deciding to have a conversation with Li Chun Feng.
Li Chun Feng recalls the last time he saw Tian Xiao Ling, which was during the Qiqiao Festival years ago. He witnessed her returning to the Yanyu Xiu Lou, but she disappeared without a trace afterward. Even though he traced her back to Tian Xiao Ling's home, it was already empty, and all the possessions had been sold. She vanished overnight in the vast sea of people. For these seven years, Li Chun Feng never gave up searching, but he never found a trace of her until he saw her name on the Plum Blossom painting. Finally, Li Chun Feng understood why Tian Xiao Ling left without saying goodbye all those years ago.
Soon after, Huang, the shopkeeper, found the most experienced old woman in the city's dental clinic and exchanged his own silk fabric to learn about Tian Xiao Ling's family situation. The men in the Tian family were involved in teaching children to read, while the women worked at the tea house. As for their whereabouts, the old woman had no knowledge. However, the family left overnight, and all the servants in the house were dismissed. Perhaps only Xing Mama still had connections with these former servants.
Subsequently, Liu San Niang seduced Zhao Da Guan with her beauty and witnessed Xing Mama in the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, Liu San Niang got straight to the point, but the former owner of the Tian family, Xing Mama, became alert. She tried to leave in a hurry but was blocked by Feng Da at the door. From Xing Mama's mouth, they learned that the Tian family had left overnight and went to the capital.
In addition, Shen Mu and Liu Xin arrived in the capital overnight. They easily checked the records of personnel movements within the city. Shen Mu and Liu Xin directly found Tian Fu, the owner of the tea house. However, to their surprise, the father and daughter denied having a daughter. Shen Mu had to use their records as evidence, and Liu Xin lied about Shen Mu's identity. Tian Fu saw through their deceit at a glance and promptly drove Liu Xin and Shen Mu away with a chicken feather duster.
Liu Xin and Shen Mu, at a loss for what to do, were boredly feeding the horses when they suddenly heard Tian Fu's voice at the door. They invited him inside and he began to recount a long-forgotten story he had been unwilling to face years ago: Seven years ago, Tian Fu received a notification from Chen Mo Mo, asking him to bring Tian Xiao Ling back home. It was said that she had compromised her virtue and had an affair with a man from outside the brothel. Although Tian Xiao Ling managed to save her life, she returned home with a clouded mind. To prevent their reputation from being tarnished, the family promptly moved to the capital city overnight. Over the years, Tian Fu had never believed Chen Mo Mo's words. He knew better than anyone what kind of person their child was, and Tian Xiao Ling couldn't possibly be that kind of person. Tian Fu wept and begged the two adults to uncover the truth and clear Tian Xiao Ling's name.
It was only from Tian Fu's mouth that they learned that Tian Xiao Ling had never left Huai Prefecture all these years and had been staying at the Qingshui An temple in the mountains outside the city. Upon hearing the location of Tian Xiao Ling, Li Chun Feng became excited and wanted to go and find her. However, Qingshui An was a sacred place for Buddhism, and it was not appropriate for a man to intrude without permission. Meng Wan decided to go by herself to meet Tian Xiao Ling.
Meng Wan arrived at Qingshui An alone. As Meng Wan chattered away, Tian Xiao Ling tried to remain calm and ignore her, but when she heard the name Ru Lan, Tian Xiao Ling opened her eyes, only to close them again the next moment. Meng Wan continued to talk about everything she had done in the past seven years to plan her revenge against Wu Lian. It wasn't until she mentioned Li Chun Feng's name that Tian Xiao Ling couldn't calm herself anymore. Despite that, she received the excuse that there was no longer a place for Tian Xiao Ling in this world and left.
Just as Meng Wan was leaving in disappointment, the abbot of Qingshui An, Master Hui Chen, met with her. Master Hui Chen recounted the time when Tian Xiao Ling first arrived at Qingshui An. She would often wake up in the middle of the night, crying out in distress. One night, she wrote a letter under the lamp, detailing everything that had happened back then, and entrusted it to Yu Hui Chen. Meng Wan pleaded with Master Hui Chen to help persuade Tian Xiao Ling, but the abbot insisted on letting her make her own choice.
In the middle of the night, Tian Xiao Ling, who was chanting sutras, couldn't calm her heart upon hearing a familiar voice and a familiar song outside the door. Li Chun Feng stood outside with a small rabbit lantern in hand, singing an old song. It wasn't until he finished that Tian Xiao Ling lowered her head and walked out, tears streaming down her face. Li Chun Feng looked at her, holding back his tears, and realized that no one had come to collect the small rabbit lantern he had kept for seven years. He took a step forward, and Tian Xiao Ling took a step back. Both of them stood still, afraid to move forward. Tian Xiao Ling ran back to her room and continued to chant the Buddha's name.
Li Chun Feng followed Tian Xiao Ling to the door and recounted the difficult wait of the past seven years. Tian Xiao Ling, inside the room, could no longer focus on chanting and began to cry in pain. Watching Tian Xiao Ling's indifferent figure, Li Chun Feng placed the small rabbit lantern he held in his hand at the doorstep and left alone, slowly disappearing from Qingshui An.
Late at night, Wu Lian personally visited the Xu family and claimed to have brought a batch of new embroidery patterns from Yan Yu Brothel to show Meng Wan. Meng Wan didn't know what Wu Lian was up to and glared at him fiercely. Wu Lian, unwilling to back down, took out an embroidery pattern and handed it to Meng Wan. It turned out to be the lotus flower that Meng Wan had never finished embroidering. Although Meng Wan was momentarily stunned, she quickly regained her composure and sarcastically remarked that perhaps only those who uphold purity could embroider such a thing. Wu Lian directly brought up Meng Wan's past apprenticeship at Yan Yu Brothel, but he didn't expect that his master already knew about it. Seeing the affectionate couple, Wu Lian tactfully left.
Rulan's acting in this role is inadequate. She lacks the necessary grief, anger, and despair. At critical moments, she becomes mute. This drama is actually quite good, but the portrayal of Rulan's character falls short. It fails to fully immerse in the emotions, lacking sufficient arguments, helplessness, and the groundwork of despair.
Aside from shedding tears, she remains mute.
If they had cast a different actress, it would have been much better. Many emotions were not expressed to their fullest extent. There always seems to be a slight lack. In fact, it's similar to the story of the White-Haired Girl's complaint in the past.
The female lead didn't portray those extremely tragic scenes, for the most part, she was just mute, unable to shed a tear.
There was no hysterical struggle, no despair after anger, and no outlet for empathy.
To be honest, it's primarily the plot that touches the audience.
Just like Fang Siqi, Rulan, a fifteen-year-old girl, faced a similar struggle: "I was raped, but I don't want to admit it. I can only avoid being raped by loving him, so I must love him." This young girl, deeply influenced by the concept of male superiority and female inferiority, had a distorted perception of love.
How can we expect her to immediately react with the realization, "This was not consensual, it was rape"?
Even in modern times, when people fall victim to scams, some still persist in believing that the other party willingly gave their money, even in the presence of law enforcement.
How can we expect a fifteen-year-old girl to immediately discern and resist in such a traumatic situation?
I haven't finished watching the drama yet, but I've come across many comments saying that girls deserve such things to happen to them. There are also many remarks about girls being promiscuous and lacking self-respect. Personally, in today's society, I feel that many men enjoy building up their image.
It's not that I have any particular grievances against boys, but I do have some suggestions. Since we all exist in the same time and space, if you don't have the intention of getting married, please refrain from leading girls on and manipulating them, only to refuse to marry them later.
If you're not pursuing marriage, I kindly request gentlemen to be considerate. In matters of emotions, girls generally end up at a disadvantage. In the end, boys often shift the blame onto women in order to free themselves. They are truly skilled in life and excel at acting.
They can be incredibly affectionate when they are seductive, even though they have no genuine feelings. Don't mistake a momentary pleasure for genuine affection. Girls are not oblivious to the consequences that may arise after certain events, but the acting is so convincing that even they can't distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Ladies, please be cautious and take care of yourselves. There are honorable and virtuous men in this world, so don't sacrifice your entire lives for some scum.
A great drama, especially the smiles and expressions of Ru Lan, so bright and warm. I can't continue watching because I can't face Ru Lan's death, I can't face the disappearance of that brightness.
Even if the female lead succeeds, Ru Lan won't be able to see it anymore, that ray of sunshine is gone. She ignited a prairie fire with her small spark, but that ray of sunshine is too painful, and now that ray of sunshine is gone.
When Shen Mu confronted his colleagues, it was destined for him to be isolated by everyone.
Shen Mu had always been suppressed, wanting to resist but lacking the courage to do so.
The incident with Lin Ru Lan actually provided Shen Mu with an opportunity.
His character makes it difficult for him to establish himself in the officialdom.
His unwavering integrity is a hindrance because he doesn't understand that sometimes one needs to be flexible. Joining the military is actually quite suitable for Shen Mu's character.
After all, the majority in the military are generals, and there is less deceit and more ease. He can simply focus on doing his own duties.
By today's standards of criminal law, what Lan did wouldn't be considered rape. She was just a fangirl infatuated with a handsome and talented married male celebrity. Plus, she was aware of his marital status, and there was no resistance or threats involved at the time.
It was only after she discovered that he was a scumbag that she regretted her actions and decided to accuse him of rape.