Episode 21 recap: Niu Chun Miao came from her hometown to seek refuge with Wei Ruo Lai.
Biaozi kidnapped Song Mei Juan and forced Lin Qiao Song to seek Kang Shao Jie's help on his behalf. Shen Jin Zhen and Wei Ruo Lai came to Qibao Street, and their neighbors all thought they were dating. Shen Jin Zhen talked to Wei Ruo Lai about revolutionary principles, urging him to join the Communist Party, but Wei Ruo Lai remained unmoved. He also advised Shen Jin Zhen to be cautious and not cause trouble for Shen Tu Nan.
Lin Qiao Song had always wanted to make a name for himself and achieve success, but things didn't go as planned. In the end, he was scapegoated and investigated by Kang Shao Jie, which left him disheartened. He decided to leave Shanghai, this place of sorrow, and bought two tickets for tomorrow morning to Singapore, hoping to take Song Mei Juan with him.
Lin Qiao Song and Song Mei Juan packed their belongings and Kang Shao Jie had already been waiting for them. He asked Lin Qiao Song to stay and help him sell opium, promising him an apartment and generous compensation. Lin Qiao Song knew that Kang Shao Jie was ruthless and would turn against him, so he firmly refused.
At Kang Shao Jie's command, Wen Biao held Song Mei Juan at gunpoint, forcing Lin Qiao Song to stay. Lin Qiao Song remained resolute in his refusal, so Kang Shao Jie accused Song Mei Juan of being a communist and threatened to execute her. Kang Shao Jie also claimed that the opium business was controlled by high-ranking officials in the Nanjing government. Lin Qiao Song didn't want to serve a corrupt and greedy Nanjing government, but Kang Shao Jie used both threats and enticements to force him to agree.
Although Shen Jin Zhen swore an oath, Shen Tu Nan still suspected her of being a communist but couldn't openly say so. Shen Tu Nan noticed that Wei Ruo Lai and Shen Jin Zhen got along well, so he asked Wei Ruo Lai to remind Shen Jin Zhen to think twice and not bring trouble upon herself.
As soon as Wei Ruo Lai finished work, he went to the munitions factory to meet Shen Jin Zhen and invited her to have a meal together. Shen Jin Zhen was tired of restaurant food and wanted to have dinner at Wei Ruo Lai's house. Wei Ruo Lai brought Shen Jin Zhen to Qibao Street, and the neighbors all thought they were in love, so they came to watch the show.
Wei Ruo Lai tried to cook a few dishes for Shen Jin Zhen, but his culinary skills were lacking, and the food was hard to eat. Shen Jin Zhen guessed that Wei Ruo Lai was persuaded by Shen Tu Nan and asked him about his views on the Communist Party. Wei Ruo Lai had only a vague understanding and relied on hearsay. Shen Jin Zhen used Wei Ruo Lai's brother, Wei Ruo Chuan, as an example to briefly explain the fundamental differences between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang. However, Wei Ruo Lai wasn't interested and only wanted to follow Shen Tu Nan in his financial unification efforts. Shen Jin Zhen advised him not to work for the corrupt Nanjing government anymore, but Wei Ruo Lai remained stubborn and warned Shen Jin Zhen not to cause trouble for Shen Tu Nan, leaving Shen Jin Zhen speechless with anger.
Niu Chun Miao arrived in Shanghai by train and immediately saw a thief stealing a wallet from a mother and child. She discreetly retrieved the wallet and returned it to the mother and child. The thief rushed towards Niu Chun Miao, intending to hit her, but she showed no fear and called for the railway police, scaring the thief away.
Niu Chun Miao and Wei Ruo Lai had been promised to each other since childhood. Niu Chun Miao traveled all the way from her hometown in Jiangxi to Shanghai to seek refuge with Wei Ruo Lai. She was deeply attracted to the bustling and lively atmosphere of Shanghai upon her arrival. After some difficulties, she finally found the Central Bank, where Wei Ruo Lai happened to be working. Niu Chun Miao cheered with joy and clung tightly to him, and Wei Ruo Lai hurriedly brought her to his office.
Niu Chun Miao lied, claiming that her father sent her to Shanghai to marry Wei Ruo Lai. However, Wei Ruo Lai had already written a letter to his family, rejecting the marriage proposal. Niu Chun Miao was determined and angrily accused Wei Ruo Lai of being unfaithful. Despite Wei Ruo Lai's explanations, she refused to believe him. Wei Ruo Lai didn't know what to do and decided to find a house with Niu Chun Miao.
Xu Nuo wanted Shen Jin Zhen to persuade Wei Ruo Lai to cooperate, but Wei Ruo Lai remained stubborn. Shen Jin Zhen was helpless, and she started to give up. Xu Nuo advised her and suggested finding a solution. Wei Ruo Lai brought Niu Chun Miao back to Qibao Street, where the neighbors were discussing them. Wei Ruo Lai realized that Niu Chun Miao had run away from home and urged her to return as soon as possible. However, Niu Chun Miao insisted on staying in Shanghai to make a fortune and refused to be a burden to Wei Ruo Lai.
While rummaging through the trash, Niu Chun Miao found tissues stained with lipstick and guessed that Wei Ruo Lai had a wealthy girlfriend. Wei Ruo Lai didn't want to explain too much and moved to the collective dormitory of the rickshaw pullers. A Wen was curious and tried to find out the truth, but Wei Ruo Lai made up excuses to cover his past.
Wei Ruo Lai sent breakfast to Niu Chun Miao early in the morning, along with cosmetics. Niu Chun Miao devoured the food eagerly. When she went out, she met A Wen and treated him like a brother, wanting to make a fortune together. A Wen couldn't refuse Niu Chun Miao and reluctantly accompanied her.
Niu Chun Miao set up a stall at the alley entrance and attracted many neighbors with a game of guessing silver coins. She also sold ginger slices she brought from her hometown. When A Wen saw the opportunity, he claimed that Niu Chun Miao was his cousin and called all the neighbors to try the ginger slices, even tasting them himself.
Zhou Yi arrived and failed to guess correctly twice. In frustration, she turned to leave, but A Wen persuaded her to buy some ginger slices. Seeing this, the neighbors also rushed to make purchases. Niu Chun Miao quickly sold out the bag of ginger slices and shared the money with A Wen, inviting him for a drink. A Wen was delighted and agreed to follow Niu Chun Miao from then on.
Comments(Episode 21)