Original subtitles

Timing and Subtitle brought to you by ❤️ Love Blossoms In Adversity 🌸 Team p

♫ Who gazes at the stars in the sky? ♫

♫ Heading towards the shore in a broken boat ♫

♫ This time, I'll hold onto fate and never give in ♫

♫ Family bonds are hard to maintain ♫

♫ Who will take me to the fearless dream? ♫

♫ As the wind and rain come and fade ♫

♫ A lone sail sways ♫

♫ A flower blooms alone amidst the thorns ♫

♫ Its petals are pierced by thorns ♫

♫ Yet it turned into a pair of wings flying against the wind ♫

♫ Everything grows through the heart ♫

♫ Even if dreams are lost ♫

♫ Smoothing out the surging waves ♫

♫ Breaking through the tumultuous sounds of the heart ♫

♫ Having the courage to resist ♫

♫ Embracing the chant of destiny ♫

♫ Only love brings light ♫

♫ Only love embraces the thorns ♫

♫ Everything grows through the heart ♫

♫ Having the courage to resist ♫

♫ Embracing the chant of destiny ♫

[Blossoms in Adversity] ♫ Only love brings light ♫

[Adapted from the novel of the same name on cmread.com]

[Episode 9]

Madam Xia.

I heard you coughed a lot at night.

Ms. Su is a little deaf.

I will sleep here for a few days, so I can take care of you.

Madam Hua, do you know what the yard is like now?

Zhi made such a mess that there's almost no room for us to stay.

Ms. Qin slipped on a fruit a few days ago and she almost fell.

Ms. Qin is always in a flurry.

I'm not here to criticize Zhi.

We've been so busy for days.

But Zhi keeps spending our money and there's nothing in return yet.

If she keeps going like this, I'm afraid our money might simply go to waste.

I know what she's up to.

I used to be a merchant too.

I know best how hard it's to be a merchant.

She's selling fresh food.

But in the Imperial Capital, the members of the royal family and the common folk

have seen and tasted all kinds of food.

People can't be impressed by the mediocre food she made.

Let's see. We don't have a signboard or a proper shop.

Besides, this is a word-of-mouth market.

So how can we pull this off? Don't you agree?

Madam Hua. Madam Hua.

She fell asleep.

Any adjustment?

Young Lady, the recipe will definitely work.

But how are we supposed to bring these all the way to downtown?

They will become sticky after a while.

I traveled with my Grandfather back then and we passed by the Jiuyi Region once.

The people there had short hair and got tattoos. They sat around to eat and drink and they didn't have chopsticks.

They all used bamboo sticks to skewer the food and roasted it over the fire.

It was very handy.

We have nothing but bamboo in this manor.

This can work.

It looks nice this way. Like a coral beaded bracelet.

Fudong, get a name for it.

I... I am naming it?

Since it's the food you made, of course you should name it.

Madam Wu said it resembles a coral beaded bracelet, but I've never seen one.

When I was a kid, I loved to play with marbles.

They were red and round, just like this.

How about we name it honey marble?

Great. Let's make a few dozen first tomorrow

and see if people in downtown like them.

We're going to sell them?

Young Lady, hawking on the streets is quite embarrassing.

You can deduct my monthly allowance.

Yingchun and Fudong, you go.

Young Lady, I will do everything you ask. I never say no.

But about hawking on the streets, I really...

Now I know.

Lanterns?

I can make them.

But if we are selling,

we can't compare with Feng's Lantern Shop and Liao's Lantern Shop.

It doesn't matter. We're not selling them.

Alright then.

Mr. Zhong, make the lanterns based on these drawings.

These are lanterns.

But there's no upcoming festivals.

What do you use the lanterns for?

Young Lady, will people really buy honey marbles?

Of course they will.

I'm already thinking about the price of each one.

It was not easy for Fudong to make a whole pot of these.

Madam Xia.

Zhi, usually, I shouldn't upset you when you are talking happily together.

It's just I still have to say something that you might not want to hear.

These hawthorn fruits taste quite good.

But we're in the middle of nowhere.

Even if these fruits are good, who will you sell them to?

I wonder if you have a proper shop that can greet customers,

or you have some connections to sell them to?

Madam Xia is always so thoughtful.

Please enlighten me. Do you have a plan?

I don't know what to do.

But I do know you can't set up a stall on the street like the last time

when you were selling couplets.

That's exactly what I have in my mind.

She is arrogant now.

She talked in a different tone since she took charge of the family.

I don't have any shops or connections.

That's why in the past few days, I went to the city first thing in the morning.

I observed very carefully

to check out the number of customers and how people would like to spend their money.

So what is your conclusion?

Tomorrow is our first day of opening.

We must be there right at the gate of the academy when the school is over.

We're a sinful family after all, so we'd better act in a low-profile way.

So, we can use this flower as our sign.

Pair up in two.

Who will be with me?

Zhi, you're joking, right?

We are a decent and educated family.

Let alone Ling and the other ladies,

even a maid doesn't want to lose her dignity.

Hawking on the streets?

What would people think of you? How are you supposed to marry a noble man?

That's also exactly what I have in my mind.

Yingchun, Baoxia.

We will be wearing the lanterns on our heads to conceal our faces.

That could draw less attention.

It's just two people in animal headwears selling the haws.

Who would know who we are?

Keep your distance.

I did.

Do you think this will work out?

Go, hurry up.

I don't know.

Time to go home.

The kids are coming. Go.

- No, you should go. - Come on. I am not going.

- What... - You...

Look, what are they? A cat.

This is a goldfish.

I want to touch it too.

Stop.

Let me touch it.

Honey marbles. It's delicious. Try it.

- I want one too. - Do you want to try it?

- It's so delicious. - Give me one.

It's not for free. You need to pay later.

My steward will come to pay you.

Listen to me.

Okay.

My treat.

- I want some too. - I want some as well.

Fudong and Baoxia brought home a total of 117 wen after six hours.

Let's take a ballpark number. You can have 10 percent of the income as your wages.

Thank you, Young Lady.

Here.

Take it. You work hard, so you earn your share.

No one can deny that.

If you hadn't been pulling my sleeve, I would have been...

I didn't pull you. Who knew?

We have a lot of work to do.

Mr. Zhong has already made many lanterns for us.

Right. His hands are all cut up.

I'm sending him his share too.

Let's go have a look.

Go.

Look at me.

Honey marbles. Sour and sweet honey marbles.

- Sour and sweet honey marbles. - Would you like to try some?

- Look at the bustling street. - Honey marbles. Sour and sweet honey marbles.

- What's all this noise about? - Honey marbles.

- What is that on your head? - That's rare.

They look like fruit vendors.

Let's go find out. Look at this headwear.

Sour...

Let's go.

Honey marbles.

Sour and sweet honey marbles.

My money.

Catch that thief.

Stop right there.

A thief.

- So stupid. - Exactly.

He... stole my money.

Whose money is this?

I...

Well, you don't want your money back?

He looks fine.

Please give it to me. Thank you.

I...He got in my way.

I... I wasn't helping you. Don't... Don't get me wrong.

I wasn't helping you. Don't... Don't get me wrong.

Soaking the haws makes my hands turn white. Look at them.

- Come on, dry your hands with this. - Okay.

Yingzhen, where have you been?

I can't help much.

So I went to Mr. Zhong and helped him cut some lantern paper,

and applied some paste to them.

We're short on lanterns.

There are haws all over the ground outside.

And now you're moving them inside the house?

Yingzhen, Huilan, why are you also joining them?

What else can we do?

Anyway, I have to earn some money to buy stationery for Boli.

Look at you.

Money is all you care about now.

Where is Ms. Qin? Where did she go?

She went into the kitchen in the morning.

Right, Yingzhen?

Young Lady, when will it be the end of this kind of rough life?

Are we to sell haws for a lifetime?

Hang in there.

We need to keep doing this for at least three months before taking a further step.

We need the whole Imperial Capital to know about us and our honey marbles.

Three months?

Young Lady, hearing the beautiful sound of the money,

I think three months is nothing. I could do it for another three years.

Let's go.

Who is that annoying guy?

From the Security Bureau. I know who he is.

Come on.

I hate this thing.

Aren't you ashamed?

Young Lady, I've thought it through. There's nothing shameful about earning money.

From now on, I'm not wearing this thing.

Let's go.

Don't you know about that?

Those girls from the Hua Family have a lot of tricks up their sleeves.

I even went to their stall and checked on them.

Sir, I'm worried the Hua Family ladies would make trouble by using food-selling as their disguise.

We can't let our guard down.

I saw them. There's nothing on their sign

but a flower painted on it.

My point is Miss Hua is indeed a smart lady.

Why didn't she just write her surname? [Hua: flower in Chinese]

For one thing, the Hua Family has been incriminated,

so she doesn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.

For another, their customers are mostly children

and a little pretty flower can impress them.

Sir, do you agree with what I'm saying?

That's it?

You talked for so long and yet you didn't buy some to try?

Do you want to eat the haws too?

My sister wants that.

It was sold out quickly.

Your sister likes it too?

Well, have you finished running 30 laps yet?

No.

Then go ahead.

Sir...I have still a lot of work.

I'll... I'll get it done.

This table is not good. Replace it with a smaller one tomorrow.

Yes.

Come sit with me, Yanxi.

Uncle, I remember you were busy with state affairs before.

Back then, during meals, there was just a low table placed beside.

Even if you were dining, you would also test me on my studies.

In those days, you grew up so quickly and became so tall.

But you still sat by such a small table as my accompany.

Changqing, bring back that tea table back in here.

Yanxi and I will still dine like that in the future.

Yes.

I'm old. I can't eat too much meat for my health.

You should eat more.

Venison?

I remember it was your favorite.

I remember it was you who taught me how to hunt deer.

Start a fire in the hunting land, then we could cut the meat and drink the blood.

Now I'm too old to ride a horse.

Well, Yanxi.

Ever since you took over the Security Bureau, you have done a great job.

It was just that there were not enough killings.

I know that you are a kind and decent kid.

However, don't show mercy to anyone who gets in your way.

By doing so, you will have less trouble in the future.

I see.

An old man just loves to preach.

I've said enough. Let's enjoy the dinner.

How is the investigation going about your mother?

Not a clue.

Eat up.

- Two wen. - Come on!

Here, take this. Thank you.

- I will have one, please. - Two wen.

Here you go, thank you.

Two wen.

- Here, take it. - Thank you.

Thank you.

- I'll have one too. - Here.

Thanks a lot.

Young Lady, the man from the Security Bureau.

I don't care who he is. If he wants my marbles, he will still have to pay.

Don't cut in line!

That person is an inspector of the Security Bureau and you've had a dispute with him before.

No wonder he looks so familiar.

Just take it.

You only gave me a stick.

Judging by the way he looked at you, he probably recognized you.

Thank goodness he didn't make things difficult for you.

It is you I should thank.

What brings you here?

I heard a new kind of fruit is for sale on Willow Street

and there's even a flower painted on the signs.

No risk, no gain.

But it's not good for business in the long term if you keep a low profile like this.

It all depends on what His Majesty is thinking.

I wish I could ask him in person.

Enough talk.

Try it. This might just be the one you picked the other day.

You're not a fan of sourness, right?

I've never had it before.

Then wait three more days. You can come back after we make the haws sweeter.

Father, I want to eat this.

Miss, how much for the haws?

One wen each.

I'll take one.

Just one?

Have it, kid.

Father, we can share.

I don't like it. You go on.

Mister, please wait.

One wen for two. This one is for you.

Thank you, Miss. Thank you, Miss.

It's our turn now.

- Eat slowly. - Thank you.

Thanks a lot.

I wonder what it is like between the fathers and sons among the common folks?

Probably they are just like us now.

The young kid listens to his preachy old man when they're eating.

I really am getting old.

How would you know the situation amongst the common folks?

Being in the royal family,

we are meant to be different from those ordinary people.

You come to have a meal with me from time to time. That's enough for me.

Won't you lose money doing business with such a generosity?

No, the marbles don't worth much.

Then in a couple of days, please keep one for me when you make new honey marbles.

Wrap it up in the paper painted with flowers.

Alright. Are you buying for your family?

I want my uncle to taste it.

Look. Madam is making the fruits works of art even though she is just pitting them.

Let's get to work.

Let me see it. Please.

Go inside the house first.

Come.

Aren't they adorable?

- Absolutely. - So adorable.

Three. Four, five.

Where did all the poultry come from?

You bought them?

- That was quick. - I know I'm amazing.

We have to wait until they grow up.

Does that mean we will have eggs to eat?

Zhi says that we keep buying eggs of the poultry, and it costs a lot of money.

So we can raise them ourselves and consider it as a pastime.

How many chickens and ducks are there?

Don't lean forward.

You shouldn't bend over. Mind your belly.

Baozhu.

Here's yours.

- Let me see. Come on, let me see. - Yinzhu.

Fudong.

How much did you get?

Not as much as before the family hit a downfall, but it's way better than I got last month.

Why are you running? Show me.

Stop nosing around.

I am telling you. One of us is paid the most.

Who is it?

It's an open secret.

Fudong, of course. Isn't that so?

She took a whole guan.

If it were not for her, we wouldn't have had our pay in the first place.

She gets more than the rest of us because she deserves it.

Baozhu, let me see how much you've got.

I don't care about the others. I only want to know your share.

How much did you get? Show me.

That ungrateful girl! What's wrong with her?

She only gave me half a guan.

Isn't she?

Go.

Madam, she is stealing.

I can catch her on the site.

Keep it down. I will deal with her when the right time comes.

How lovely!

Let's hurry up. We can head home early after we finish it.

We can have a good meal, then.

Young Lady, look at this.

Young Lady, take a look. This one is pretty.

Hua Zhi.

What are you doing here?

I'm heading somewhere. What are you picking?

The pastries we made sold well the other day.

Fudong wants to improve the recipe better.

She asked me to pick these green leaves and dye the dough.

Their fragrance will burst in your mouth.

So it's my off day for being a hawker today.

I'll have a taste of your new pastry then.

The other day, you said you wanted to bring some pastries for your uncle.

Fudong made a type of honey cake. It's fragrant and soft.

My Grandmother and Ms. Su love it.

Come to Willow Lane tomorrow. Take some to him.

Thank you then.

- Do you need a hand? - No.

You need to provide for your family. I can be on my own.

- See you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow.

What are these?

There is a Willow Street in the city specializing in sweet pastries.

These are their newly made honey cakes.

You have been long in the palace, and rarely taste the food of the common people,

- so I brought you some. - Yanxi.

You don't earn much in the Security Bureau.

Uncle, this costs only five wen per portion.

Five wen.

I have never had the pastry that is only worth five wen.

Great. Very sweet.

Go on, share with me. Go on.

Your Majesty. May I have one?

Yanxi bought this for me. You don't get to eat. Go away.

Your Majesty, Lord Xian is here.

Greetings, Father.

Your Highness.

I heard you had a bad appetite recently.

These fruits from Ruihe House are unrivaled in the Imperial Capital.

I told their head chef to make some appetizing fruits for you specifically.

They are still hot. Please try.

Take it back. I don't want to eat.

Your Highness. These cakes are made by the Hua Family, right?

You're quite discerning.

I heard a few days ago that those sinful ladies showed no repentance

and now they've even become peddlers.

How can they bring these things into the Imperial Capital?

What's the big deal?

These are just pastries made by some ladies. Don't make a fuss about that.

I think Yanxi is right.

They've given up their dignity and started to sell things on the street.

That means they degraded themselves to commoners.

Yangong, you are just narrow-minded. That's why you care.

I will reflect on myself, Father.

Your Highness, the pastry...

- Throw it away. - Okay.

Wait a moment.

What a waste to throw it away.

I just came back here and have not tasted the pastry from Ruihe House.

You do have a good appetite.

Thank you, brother.

Floral cloth.

Take a look at the floral cloth.

Let's take a look.

- Calligraphy and painting.

Come and see.

Up for sale.

Why didn't you make a sound?

You were reading.

I'm killing time here.

[The Mathematical Treatise in Nine Sections]

Were you solving math problems to kill time?

This book is very interesting.

Here you are.

The pastry from Ruihe House.

It's very expensive. Did you buy it?

It was a gift from someone.

Study the recipe when you go back.

You can learn from the best.

Fudong has always wanted to try the pastry of the Ruihe House, but we can't afford it.

This portion costs half a guan if I remember it right.

This one here might cost even more.

Look at the sky. I'm afraid it's going to rain.

We can only take the pastries back home and have the family share them.

Baoxia, cover the pastries.

It's raining so heavily.

Don't push.

♫ When all the lights were taken from the world ♫

♫ You are my only shimmering star ♫

♫ You save me with everything ♫

♫ Protecting me by my side ♫

♫ Refusing to give up ♫

♫ Never give up ♫

♫ Just to seize ♫

♫ The light of hope ♫

Stop the cart.

- Smash the stall of the Hua Family. - Yes.

Smash the stall.

Your... - What?

She is the owner.

You want to buy pastries?

I don't mind if you take them all, except for the cart.

Young Lady, don't... don't go.

Mister, it is one guan for this whole cart of pastries.

Would you like to pay now or put it on the tab?

Perhaps you haven't brought enough money.

That's a lot of money. I cannot make change for this.

Keep the change.

That's very generous of you.

What are you up to?

Please come again if you like them.

Wrap them up.

Here you go.

What are you looking at? Get going.

Go.

Do you know who that person is? You almost scared me to death.

I don't know.

Never mind. You'd better not know.

[Yunlai Restaurant]

Won't you have a taste?

Too sweet.

It is very sweet.

Quite tasty.

I really didn't expect this. You even came up with such a self-degrading trick,

fraternizing with that criminal lady.

Self-degrading?

What else? If that's not what you wish for,

do you wish for her pretty face?

Not even close.

No wonder Father adores you.

You don't care about the rules and how people think of you.

You are nothing like a careerist coveting power.

I'm afraid Father also thinks this way.

If you say so.

Gu Yanxi.

You have no idea how much I envy you.

I knew.

Back then when uncle taught me how to read,

you often held your ink and brush and stared inside, longing to join in.

So I knew.

However, I am indeed different from you.

Because I am not the heir to the throne.

No matter how I behave, it makes no difference.

Look at this scar.

Something like this would never happen to you.

Do you still remember Qi Ruhai?

How could I forget?

He was a good stooge. And he died because of you.

That's right.

Do you know who is behind this illicit minting?

And who told Qi Ruhai to frame me?

It wasn't me.

Many officials in the Court thought it was you.

So, it's impossible to clear my name now.

Alright then, that was me.

I know it wasn't you.

Because there's only one person that can make Qi Ruhai die without any complaint.

That man makes you live in fear.

And he forced me to scar my face to prove my innocence

and leave the Northern Land forever.

I see.

So that's how it is.

Gu Yanxi, it turns out that you're as miserable as I am.

Don't think that way.

We both lost something, but also we gained something in return.

Let's drink wine?

I never drink.

Gu Yangong, you're so depressed living a life like this.

It takes one to know one.

It seems although we were born in the royal family,

perhaps the common folks are happier than us.

We are rich in wealth, but poor in soul.

Life is nothing but a temporary stay.

We are destined to wander.

You see, even the beggars on the streets and thieves in prison have their loved ones.

But you and I have got nobody.

What we said today stays in the room. I owe you a favor for that.

We didn't say a word today.

Heading back to the palace?

I'm heading to Lord Ling's Mansion.

Since you don't like pastries, I'll take some off your hands.

You're back, My Lord.

What are you having here?

My Lord, this is the pastry Xi bought for me.

He's been so busy.

He's just such a filial kid.

You see?

My Lord, would you like to try some?

Alright.

- How is that? - What?

Xi went out again?

I heard His Majesty called him back.

Why is he so busy even when he doesn't have a job?

Qi Ruhai was dead. Yanxi is always absent.

I know what he did.

This old man.

He's put my son in a place that is shady and notorious.

Madam, I've been watching that girl these past few days.

Every three days she takes the stolen honey and hands it over to an outsider.

When's the next time?

Tomorrow night, I think.

She is too young to manage a big family.

She is just too naive.

Tomorrow night, I will have her hand over that household ledger.

Wait and see.

She will be embarrassed in front of the whole family.

Chanlu.

Miss, I...

You are just an ungrateful lowlife.

How dare you betray all of us?

Everyone, come out.

What's wrong, Jin'e?

Yingzhen, you have no idea, right?

This girl is about to sell all the honey to the outsiders.

Madam, help.

Aunt Xia, what is going on?

She stole the honey of the cooked haws.

She met with someone in the middle of the night and delivered it outside the manor.

Why did you come out?

Be careful with your baby. Go back inside.

- They... - It's fine, go back.

She is one of Madam Zhu's maids.

So I am in no position to deal with her.

Since you take charge of the family now, tell me what we should do with her.

Chanlu, speak up.

I did wrong. You can punish me in any ways.

If this is true, why bother with punishment?

Just kick her out.

Since this isn't a false accusation, you should at least tell us why.

Lady Zhi, my...

My mother needs to take medicine all year round.

I can pay for the medicine with my monthly allowance in the past.

But ever since we came here...

Lady Zhi, I made a mistake.

You are too young and Yingzhen is always nice to the maids.

I can see why Chanlu had the guts to steal.

Right.

Jin'e, Zhi is too busy.

She has to arrange our food and everything day after day.

Let alone she has to keep an eye on her business in the daytime.

After she comes back, she needs to do the accounts until midnight.

It's normal when someone steals under her watch.

Exactly. You have too many things to do,

so you've got no time for the household affairs.

Chanlu is one of Madam Zhu's maids.

Well, even if Zhi knows about this,

you just can't punish her right away because she's one of your mother's maids.

From what I see,

you two seem to have planned this early.

Stay out of this.

Madam Qi, I'm not picking sides here.

But if Madam Xia were still in charge of the household ledger

none of this would ever happen.

Zhi, do you agree?

Madam Hua said she heard you fighting outside so late.

You can go to her room and make things clear.

Zhi, ask away.

Fudong, you've known for a while that Chanlu was stealing honey.

I already entrust you with the kitchen. Why didn't you say anything?

She's one of your maids.

How dare she get in the way of your mother's maid?

Our family now have to work hard to provide food on the table.

You're the peddler on the street, and Fudong is a pastry chef in the kitchen.

You've got so many people to provide for.

I understand it's difficult to make everybody happy.

Yes.

I've heard that those maids of Zhi are better paid than the others.

I've got plenty of time anyway.

I would like to share the burden, so we can worry less.

Madam, what do you say?

Before, for this kind of inside job,

I would have disabled your hands and kicked you out.

Madam, please don't.

I won't do it again. I promise.

Timing and Subtitle brought to you by ❤️ Love Blossoms In Adversity 🌸 Team

song title

♫ Not a patch of land is wasted ♫

♫ No tea plant is left withered ♫

♫ The sky drops rain, birds eat worms, and chickens leave manure ♫

♫ Using effort and sweat to water and nourish ♫

♫ The tea leaves may be rustic ♫

♫ But the taste is of spring ♫

♫ Ah, in the early spring, we pick the tea leaves ♫

♫ Ah, let's enjoy the abundant spring together ♫

♫ Not a patch of land is wasted ♫

♫ No tea plant is left withered ♫

♫ The sky drops rain, birds eat worms, and chickens leave manure ♫

♫ Using effort and sweat to water and nourish ♫

♫ The tea leaves may be rustic ♫

♫ But the taste is of spring ♫

♫ Ah, in the early spring, we pick the tea leaves ♫

♫ Ah, let's enjoy the abundant spring together ♫

♫ Ah, in the early spring, we pick the tea leaves ♫

♫ Ah, let's enjoy the abundant spring together ♫