Episode 6 recap: Hua Zhi sold peach talismans on the street to make money.
Hua Zhi took her last piece of jewelry and asked Bao Xia to get a table, red paper, and writing supplies. It was New Year's Day, and she wanted to write peach talismans and sell them on the street. This quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers. The common people watched the spectacle and mocked her, but Hua Zhi paid no attention to them. Just as she was being ridiculed, Shen Qi arrived. He put a string of silver coins on the table and asked Hua Zhi for an ink treasure. After she finished writing, Shen Qi praised her and took the talisman before leaving. Seeing that Hua Zhi's calligraphy was good, the onlookers started to take out money to buy the talismans.
Two people bought the peach talismans but tore them up immediately and said some derogatory remarks about Hua Zhi. Shen Qi, upon hearing this, got angry and punched one of them. Hua Zhi knew that these people were just teasing her, but she didn't mind as long as she earned money. Shen Qi expressed his desire to be friends and confidants with Hua Zhi since they first met at the coppersmith's shop. Hua Zhi smiled and agreed, and Shen Qi left satisfied.
All of this was witnessed by Gu Yan Xi from the opposite building. Before leaving, he instructed Chen Qing to buy a peach talisman. At the door, Hua Zhi stopped Gu Yan Xi and asked him about the location of the city's medicine shop. The Hua family was bearing the blame, and others either didn't dare to speak or lied to her, so she had to ask the Qixiu Division. The direction to the medicine shop was the same as the direction Gu Yan Xi was going back. After Gu Yan Xi got on the carriage, he took off his mask and asked Hua Zhi, who was walking outside, if she exposed herself and gave up because her marriage proposal with the Shen family fell through. Hua Zhi retorted that Gu Yan Xi always wore a mask and pretended to be virtuous and polite.
Gu Yan Xi wasn't offended and asked if she hated him. Hua Zhi said that both in public and private, they were just following orders, so it didn't matter if she hated him or not. Hua Zhi went to buy a bunch of food, supplies, and medicinal herbs. Finally, they had a satisfying meal on New Year's Eve. Looking at the food in front of them, everyone worried about the situation of the old master and the other elders.
For the current Hua family, having a reunion dinner had become a luxury. After the meal, Hua Zhi took out a pack of fried plum seeds for Wu Yu Niang, which was something she had been longing for. Fu Dong fried the red fruits in rock sugar and served them to Hua Zhi and Wu Yu Niang. Everyone marveled at Fu Dong's craftsmanship.
At that moment, Xia Jin E pulled Hua Ling in. She wanted Hua Ling to join Hua Zhi in selling peach talismans, but Hua Ling was too shy to sell goods on the street and fiercely protected her precious paintings, refusing to sell them under any circumstances. Seeing this, Hua Zhi quickly intervened and said that nowadays there are countless ways to make money, it just depends on whether one is willing or not.
Xia Jin E, who used to play with the abacus, knew that doing business was considered lowly and not a long-term plan.
Shen Qi told Hua Zhi and Xia Jin E that the Dali Court had reached a verdict. Afterward, the male members of the Hua family would be escorted in batches to be exiled to the northern region. Before their exile, they would have a chance to meet briefly at Shili Pavilion. Lin Wan asked Xia Jin E to arrange for the making of forty-three cotton jackets to be worn by the male members of the Hua family during the meeting. In order to buy food and wine and prevent the men from going hungry on the road, Xia Jin E sold three maidservants. Although Fu Dong belonged to Hua Zhi, Xia Jin E held the contract, including the contracts for the remaining maidservants. When necessary, she would not hesitate to take action.
Gu Yan Xi told Shao Yao that the physicians would no longer come in the future. At that moment, cries and commotion were heard outside the door. Gu Yan Xi followed the sound and saw the servants carrying a body covered in white cloth. The leader of the group claimed that they were acting on behalf of the Xiao family to rectify the Wang Mansion and punish the servants who had shown disrespect to the late queen consort.
Standing in the courtyard, Gu Yan Xi recalled the happy scenes of his childhood with his mother. Suddenly, a figure ran past him. Gu Yan Xi chased after the person and found blood-stained paper money on the ground. In order to investigate further, Gu Yan Xi arranged for the Qixiu Division's personnel to secretly infiltrate the Ling Wang Mansion.
Xia Jin E offered the only orange to Wu Yu Niang, but she declined. So Xia Jin E gave it to the Second Madam instead. The First Madam and the Second Madam still had some silver coins on them, so they took it upon themselves to sew the coins into their clothes and bring them to the male members of the Hua family. Under Gu Yan Xi's interrogation, the servant who had burned paper and sprinkled dog's blood in his mother's courtyard finally spoke up. He revealed that on the day of the Lantern Festival, he heard loud noises like firecrackers, and afterwards, the queen consort's courtyard caught fire. He also heard the queen consort crying for help.
It turned out that when Hua Zhi came with Hua Yi Zheng to pay respects to the late queen consort, she had seen Gu Yan Xi at the memorial hall and had a conversation with him. During their chat, Hua Zhi mentioned that she had once gotten lost in the queen consort's courtyard in the past but was later led out by an old nanny sent by the queen consort. However, Gu Yan Xi's mother had always lived alone and never had a nanny. Combined with the words of the servant today, Gu Yan Xi felt that there was more to the story.
However, at that time, Hua Zhi was dressed as a young servant, and Gu Yan Xi didn't ask for her name. When Shen's father learned that Shen Qi was going to bid farewell to the male members of the Hua family, he became furious and personally beat Shen Qi with a cane until he vomited blood.
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