Original subtitles

♪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 14]

How is everyone doing

with your work?

- It's all done. - It's all done.

You can go to sleep then.

Yes.

Ms. Zhang, you can stop now.

Go to sleep.

Miss.

I'm a bit clumsy,

so I didn't catch up.

Please don't send me away.

It's alright.

You do lag behind the others,

but it's some delicate work indeed.

Miss.

You should go to sleep.

I'll finish these.

Alright.

Go have some sleep

after you finish.

[Hua Mansion]

You're a grown-up.

Could you act like one?

Father.

Did you see that Yan guy?

Lady Zhi stepped up for him today.

I think she has a thing for him.

She made me look bad.

I feel shame for you.

You're not bad-looking yourself.

Use your brain.

Doesn't matter if you even play dirty.

If you have her in your pocket,

all their money

will be ours.

I would never marry a woman like this

no matter how much money she's got.

She is always busy running around

and handling all kinds of stuff.

A boring woman.

She is out of your league already, and yet you are choosy?

You're just a little guardian.

Every woman in this household

thinks little of you.

How come?

How dare they?

You...

Nobody can think little of me.

You're working late.

You must be exhausted.

I...

I'm just doing my job.

Girl.

I'm telling you,

my father is the head of guardians here.

Don't make a sound,

or we'll beat you up so bad before we kick you out.

If you don't believe me,

you can try.

Please.

Please let me go.

Don't cry.

You are so pretty.

If you are with me,

you won't have to work anymore.

I...

I can support myself.

You little wenches.

Even you look down on me.

I will punish you tonight.

Let go of me.

Let go.

Let go of me.

Let go of me.

Open the door.

Let go of me.

Let go of me.

What are you doing?

What am I doing?

Here comes another girl.

Li Jizong.

What are you doing?

Lady Zhi,

you've misunderstood.

This wench asked me to come.

Are you going to deny it?

You wench.

Think carefully before you speak.

Tell me, do you know him?

Young Lady.

You should leave.

Don't worry about me.

I don't want to get you involved.

In what?

I'm afraid they'll beat me up

and kick me out.

If whoever runs this place ever finds out...

I am in charge here.

Li Jizong.

Do you think you're above the law?

Lady Zhi,

don't say something like that.

I don't care

about the law outside this mansion.

The law within this mansion

is us.

I have told you before.

It's not that safe

nowadays.

If some thieves barge in

and let you get hurt,

that's quite normal.

Li Gui, what do you mean?

Are you trying to kill us?

You are a smart girl.

You just can't

be deceived

by her lies.

Jizong

is still a young man.

It's just that

this girl seduced him,

and his instinct came into play.

This is not a mistake.

You're so good at distorting facts,

at least better than doing your job.

Brat.

It's just a woman,

but you can't even handle it right.

You're just worthless.

Father.

I'm going to

teach them a lesson.

Somebody!

Somebody!

What are you waiting for?

Get them.

They are bullies.

I will send them to the authorities.

You want to join them?

Try us.

Li Gui is responsible

for what happened tonight.

It has nothing to do with you.

Nothing will ever change

without his presence.

I will treat you the same.

At your service, Lady Zhi.

At your service, Lady Zhi.

Tie them up.

Come on.

How dare you?

Beat them up 100 times with the stick,

and throw them into the woodshed.

Send them to the authorities tomorrow.

Yes.

Something like this happened

after you just came to work for us.

It was my fault,

and we owe you that.

We will send you home

after dawn.

Please accept the clothes and the money.

I hope I can make it up to you.

Yingchun.

Get the carriage ready.

Okay.

Young Lady.

I want to stay.

Aren't you afraid?

Please.

Please don't send me away,

Please?

I'm homeless.

Get up.

You did nothing wrong.

Why would we send you away?

But none of my former employers

would have believed in what I said.

If they found out about this,

I'd rather die.

Okay, stop crying.

No one will speak ill of you.

That's right.

What are you doing here?

Girl.

Don't be scared.

You can just think of it

as stepping into dog poo.

I saw them

outside.

They were beaten half to death

and could barely get on their feet.

I'm Fudong.

Are you hungry?

I'll go and get you

some hot soup and rice.

I'm not going anywhere.

I'm not going anywhere.

Okay.

Then stay here

and stay together with all of us.

Young Lady.

I want to have a name.

Can you name me?

How about this?

Her name is Yingchun. [*Means greeting spring]

Her name is Baoxia, [*Means embracing summer]

And she's Fudong, [*Means driving away winter]

And I will give you the name

Nianqiu. [*Means looking for autumn]

Do you like it?

Nianqiu?

[Hua Zhi's maid, Nianqiu]

I like it.

I like it.

That's great.

Now each of our names contains a season.

You can sleep with me tonight.

I'll make a bed for you tomorrow.

Go to sleep.

You're still up?

How is it going?

She's just been a bit frightened

but didn't get hurt.

The girls took her to rest.

I mean you.

I'm doing fine.

And I should say "thank you" to you.

With that gadget

you gave me...

And if it hadn't been

for that very gadget,

which made you feel safe somehow,

you might have thought twice

before you confronted them like that.

I really don't understand.

If those two guys

had gone desperate,

they could have killed

two of you.

Have you ever thought about that?

My grandfather used to ask me

why I was so bold and reckless

and always confronted the dangers.

I was much more fearless

when I was little.

And now I know more things,

but I am less reckless.

I used to be afraid

that I couldn't be a well-behaved lady

and it would disappoint my grandfather

and make my family ashamed.

And now,

I'm afraid

that I can't shoulder the responsibility of taking care of my family

and that I'll let down my grandmother and the others.

Even if we are back here in the downtown now,

I feel like I'm treading on thin ice.

Every night,

my mother can't sleep well.

She's afraid that the moment she wakes up,

she'll find herself back in poverty and hunger.

They are afraid that would happen again,

so I need to be brave for them.

I am the one who brought them back,

so I have to protect them.

Hua Zhi.

Sorry for what I just said.

Words don't count.

Starting tomorrow,

I will teach you

how to use the silent sleeve dart

and teach you some hand-to-hand combat

for self-defense, alright?

Get some rest.

Tomorrow I will summon the guardians

and make some rules for them.

You must have known this day would come,

since you hired me

as a master of martial arts.

Thank you then, Mr. Yan.

Hua Zhi.

You want to protect your family,

and I will protect you.

At least

before I leave.

Finally, we won't have to see

Li Gui again.

It's a great relief

to get rid of him.

Totally.

If we need to hire a new head of guardians,

who knows what kind of person he is?

God always has its odd plan.

Why are men all

tall and strong?

We can't compete with them.

I don't agree.

I think

Zhi herself

is even stronger than men.

If I hadn't come,

I wouldn't have known

Aunt Qi thought so highly of me.

I was just discussing with your mother

about hiring a new head of guardians.

It's a tricky task.

Well,

it is impossible to judge a man's heart from his face.

What if it was

some vicious guy like Li Gui?

What should we do then?

Don't worry, Aunt Qi.

I've already spoken to Mr. Yan.

As long as he is still hired

as our master of martial arts,

he can also oversee the courtyard.

I'll just pay him extra wages for that.

Really?

Thank goodness.

We're lucky, right?

He's such a good-looking gentleman

and also Shaoyao's brother.

It's so nice of him

to take on two jobs here.

Zhi,

you must keep him around.

Exactly.

I made him

two new long robes.

Hand them to him in person.

Do what I say.

Let Baoxia go buy another two pairs of shoes

and some great tea.

When you get the chance,

you can ask

about what he likes to eat and what he likes to use.

That's the best way to cater to his preferences.

You're still young

and you don't know how the world works.

If you offend him one day,

and he wants to quit...

Aunt Qi.

I'll go help you check

how is Boli doing in class.

Great, go.

You must keep in mind

what we just said.

Hold the pose.

Mr. Yan,

you're our master of martial arts.

Then why do we only get to study the horse stance?

Exactly.

So what do you want to learn?

I want to learn how to leap onto roofs, vault over walls,

split mountains and shatter rocks.

I also want to learn flying sword.

- I want to learn that too! - I want to learn that too!

Fine.

That's great!

Now I can learn flying sword.

But you must first master the horse stance.

Why?

No matter what you want to learn,

you must first get your stance steady.

I thought you were busy.

I need to be a nice employer

no matter how busy I am.

What if you get upset

and decide to quit?

That will depend

on how you treat me.

Just an orange?

Thank you, Lady Zhi.

I'll teach you how to use silent sleeve dart.

Greetings, Madam Hua.

She is our new maid,

Nianqiu.

Get up.

Stand up and talk.

You don't have to kneel from now on.

Come on.

Madam Hua is telling you to get up.

You're a pretty girl.

You all serve Zhi by her side.

She can't take care of herself

when it comes to trivial things.

She won't care if she eats well or sleeps well

once she gets busy.

All she thinks about

is making money.

You all should help her out

and take care of her.

Yes, Madam Hua.

You may leave.

Let's go.

I heard that it was your elder brother

who saved that new girl the other day.

And now he's also our master of martial arts.

Yeah.

My brother likes Zhi a lot.

Keep your hand straight.

Go this way.

Keep your palm upwards.

Otherwise, your hands will get poked.

A bit higher.

Relax.

Right, up.

Like this?

Shoot.

Not bad.

Let's go on.

It's fine.

Go on.

Let's take a break

and grab something to eat.

Go ahead.

I chose the biggest one for you.

Why don't you have it?

We can't share a pear. [*Sharing a pear means parting in Chinese]

You did well today.

But you need to

practice more every day.

That big horse is meek.

This meek horse you are talking about

has broken a dozen guys' legs.

But it likes you.

Mr. Yan,

you do know

how to flatter your employer.

Of course.

If you are unhappy,

I'd lose my job.

Can you teach me horse riding?

Why do you want to learn that?

When my grandfather and the others

left for the northern land,

if I had known how to ride a horse,

I could have caught up with them sooner

and spent more time with them.

And I will go to the northern land

someday anyway.

Also, I want to go

to a lot of other places.

If I can ride a horse,

I can go anywhere on my own.

I once asked my grandfather to teach me,

but he was a scholar

and he went everywhere in carriages and palanquins.

Don't hold on to this spot.

You need to hold onto the reins.

I can't.

If I do that,

it will get restless

and I might fall off.

You won't.

I am the one who is riding a horse.

That's easy for you to say.

Fine.

Even if you fall,

I can catch you.

See? You won't fall.

Yan Xi.

Why did you whistle?

I was imitating you.

You didn't do it the right way.

The horse was confused.

Teach me then.

Next time.

How was it?

Do you still want to learn?

It feels like I'm riding waves

when I'm riding the horse.

You aren't afraid of falling now?

I still am, but I'll keep learning anyway.

So do you want

to go for some more laps?

Sure.

♪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♪

♪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♪

Grandmother.

♪The light of hope♪

Yanxi.

I...

Grandmother.

Why did you come here?

This must be the master of martial arts.

He is my brother.

I asked Mr. Yan to teach me how to ride a horse.

The horse started running

once I got back on it.

This horse is very fierce.

It listens to no one

except me.

Haven't you yet

lectured the guardians?

Now I remember. Thank you for reminding me.

Madam Hua,

I'll take my leave.

Hold on.

Turn around. I want to have a look at you.

You can go.

I'll take my leave.

I'll go with you, Yanxi.

Yanxi.

You two looked so awesome

on the horse.

Let me tag along, okay?

Teach me.

Yanxi, wait.

Grandmother.

It's my bad.

What are you blaming yourself for?

It's a fine horse.

Grandmother.

It has a bad temper.

Don't get too close.

Relax.

You're just too uptight,

always like a bowstring.

You were making the horse nervous

because you wouldn't relax.

Relax a little.

Do you notice the pack horse

that delivers goods for our kitchen?

The bags carried on its back are soft.

They are steadily

placed there.

If it were

a hard and stiff stick,

it would fall to the ground

once the horse moved.

If you want to learn how to ride a horse,

you need to remember one thing.

No matter

what happens,

never let go

of the reins in your hands.

You can't lose

your determination to control the direction.

Whether it is about riding horses, dealing with people,

or handling affairs,

you need to learn to go with the flow

and find the balance.

The horse has great strength,

and you have less.

You must learn to leverage its strength,

only then you can take over control and turn the tables.

Grandmother.

How do you know all this?

To you, I'm just an old woman

who spends all day long in this house

without knowing anything,

right?

I was a young girl once.

When I was your age,

I loved to ride wild horses and drink strong liquors.

All the young lads in the imperial city

couldn't catch up with me.

It is a fine horse.

In my younger days,

those gates couldn't hold me back.

I would ride my roan horse

out to the suburbs for hunting

once my mother let her guard down.

My horse back then...

Its hooves would sweat when trampling through the snow,

and under the saddles, its curly hair would swirl.

It was truly a beautiful and fine horse.

One time,

the horse

got lost in the strong wind,

and it somehow

ran up to a shabby house,

so I went in there to stay away from the wind.

You...

Why are you flustered?

I won't hurt you.

And then what happened?

Who was that person?

He became your grandfather.

Here.

What is this?

It's a hand warmer.

Try it.

It's made from wild rabbit fur.

It will get you warm.

The fur is from the rabbit I hunted

a few days ago

and I sewed this with my hands.

How could you kill a living creature?

Give that back then.

I'll give it to someone else.

No.

Don't.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Who would have thought

that I got to spend the rest of my life with that man?

I thought

you were betrothed to my grandfather

after he passed the imperial examination.

What was the fun then?

I wouldn't marry someone

in a snobbish way like that.

My father was a marquis

and my mother was a county princess.

Yet I fell for a poor boy.

So as a result,

it caused quite an uproar in my family.

But soon,

your grandfather became Zhuangyuan.

And my family had nothing more to complain about.

But what if he hadn't passed the examination?

Would you marry him?

It didn't matter.

I had thought it through.

I'd elope with him

if that was the worst scenario.

The world was so big.

Wherever we went would be our home.

What I admired in him

was not his talents or official titles.

So you love him for his character and temperament?

Not even close.

It was because...

When I entered that dilapidated house that day,

I saw

such a handsome young man.

And my heart just...

Grandmother, you pointed at the wrong spot.

It was thumping right here.

So fiercely.

We've been through ups and downs

after our marriage.

He worked his way up

and our children were all grown up.

I was once the youngest daughter of the Lin Family

and now became Madam Hua of the Hua Family.

When I'm in front of you,

I have to be a serious

and fair person.

And I have to present myself as an unsmiling person.

The fun of hunting and drinking has long long gone.

No more fun for me.

I can have a drink with you.

No more drinking.

Shaoyao said it was not allowed.

Kid,

don't listen to that nonsense

from those irrelevant people.

They always talk about family background, clan,

career, fame, and success.

That's not looking for someone you love.

It's just pure business.

If one day, someone

can make your heart pound so hard

that you can feel your heartbeat up here,

remember,

that's your man.

Really?

Do you like that master of martial arts?

Grandmother.

I have never thought about this.

You are a smart girl.

Ask yourself

what's your true feelings for him.

Every time I meet him,

I feel very happy.

When he comes to see Shaoyao,

I always want to talk to him.

And there are things

that I only want to say to him.

I don't want any answers.

I just want to tell him.

That is it.

I think deep down,

I do like him.

But right now,

I am in charge of our family.

There are so many things for me to do.

I cannot promise him anything.

You are wrong.

Remember.

No matter what your responsibilities are

and how significant those things are,

do not waste your youth time.

If one day,

you have your answer,

no matter who that is,

just come tell me

and I will prepare your dowry for you.

You should be overjoyed

and proud

to be sent off to marriage.

I understand.

I have taken a closer look at him.

He's a tall and handsome young man,

but just slightly

not as good as your grandfather.

Of course.

Right.

Shaoyao told me

that Master Mu's classes

are difficult to understand.

I know.

I'm already looking

for some young teachers.

But I couldn't find one yet.

Okay.

Then go ahead with your business.

I'll stay a bit longer.

I'll leave.

Just now,

did you see the way

they were riding horses?

At this rate,

she won't master it forever.

She wasn't thinking about the horse at all.

You speak the truth.

Bring that young man over.

I have something to ask him.

Madam Hua.

Today, I won't ask about your career

or your family background.

I will only ask you one thing.

What do you think

of my granddaughter Hua Zhi?

Just tell me

your genuine thoughts.

She has breadth of mind

and courage.

She is better than most people in the world.

That's all?

She sees the good sides of people and is always calm.

She has profound thoughts

but also is refreshing as a breeze.

You do know something

about what she is like.

However,

you didn't get to the point.

What do you want to hear, Madam Hua?

It's not about what I want to hear.

It's about telling me what you are really thinking.

I am Zhi's grandmother.

Today, I will take a bold move

and ask you away.

Mr. Yan.

You don't have to answer me right now.

I only hope you can think it over

and be true to yourself.

Whenever you have the answer

and figure it out,

you don't have to tell me.

You know

who wants to know the answer.

Yes.

Zhi is that kind of girl

who won't show affection even though she likes something so bad.

I hope you don't keep her waiting for too long.

And certainly, don't lie to her.

Stop gloating.

You looked so scared

when you saw my grandmother.

I didn't know

you could come back in one piece.

Did she get angry?

What did she say to you?

Perhaps she is old

with bad eyesight.

She said you were handsome.

Miss Zhi,

you are young and can see things clearly.

Can't you tell how I look?

I didn't pay attention before.

But now I know

you are not bad.

Are you going

to ride that horse tomorrow?

But make sure

we don't get caught by my grandmother again.

Yan Xi.

What do you think of me?

Do a thorough investigation.

Find out what's going on

between the Empress Dowager and the Hua Family.

Zhi is that kind of girl

who won't show affection even though she likes something so bad.

I hope you don't keep her waiting for too long.

And certainly, don't lie to her.

I...

I consider you as my bosom friend.

Bosom friend?

Yes.

You are the first and only friend I've made

since I returned

to the Imperial Capital.

Same here.

I have something to do. I have to go.

♪The flower that falls upon the heart♪

♪They are purer than snow♪

♪The flowers scatter so wildly♪

♪Your face shows up when they are pieced together♪

♪We together share highs and lows♪

♪Being the haven for each other♪

♪Confronting the world♪

♪No matter how long the road is ahead♪

Hua Zhi.

Is being his bosom friend still not enough?

Young Lady.

Let me do it for you.

No need.

I can do it myself.

Young Lady.

Tell you something.

Nianqiu

are even busier

than those nectar-collecting bees.

She cleaned your room

inside out.

Nianqiu,

don't busy yourself with these trivial tasks.

You see, in this house,

Yingchun is capable of managing affairs

and Fudong is adept at cooking.

And Baoxia?

She is both greedy and lazy with no desire to improve herself.

She just keeps

following me everywhere.

So now,

I don't need anybody to serve me.

What do you want to do for yourself?

Have you thought about it?

Young Lady.

Your sleeve is worn out.

Yeah, you're the only one who noticed.

Young Lady.

I stitched up

your clothes.

How come you left

no mending marks on that?

I...

I mended it with silk thread.

I used 152 weft threads crosswise

and 97 warp threads lengthwise

to mend it up.

From one to ten thousand,

these words are easy to remember.

Starting today,

I will teach you accounting every night.

Go find Baoxia.

She knows enough

to teach you how to read.

I don't know how to.

It doesn't matter.

You mended so well

and even remembered the threads clearly.

It shows that you're focused, careful,

and patient as well.

With these three qualities,

you can yield

twice the result with half the effort.

But...

No more "but".

Let's give it a try.

If you do well,

I have an important thing for you to do.

It's so hard

to do business today.

Right.

Agree.

The shops are crowded together.

No wonder the business isn't good.

Not to mention the gloomy vibe

once we get here.

No wonder there's no foot traffic.

[Houfu Longevity Timber Shop]

Yingchun.

Starting from this first shop here,

you go door by door

to negotiate the resale price

with these three shop owners.

Young Lady.

Are you going to rent a shop here?

Alright.

I can see

they will be out of business soon.

I can ask for a low price

and make a good deal.

Shaoyao.

Don't run around,

Fudong.

You're holding too tight.

I didn't run around.

It's crowded here.

Shaoyao.

Follow us and be a good girl.

Otherwise,

we won't bring you with us

for groceries next time.

No.

I...

I'll help you carry the basket.

I won't cause trouble.

Good girl.

Let's go.

Fudong.

Why do we need to buy new materials

all of a sudden?

There are dozens of new faces

in the kitchen.

Whom to sell to?

Young Lady has her own plan.

Let's go.

Look at that carriage.

It seems to be from the Hua's.

Isn't that Hua Zhi?

Accompanied by two maids.

I've heard

that Hua Zhi is a gorgeous head-turner.

Have you seen her before?

That's because you've had no luck.

One time when she set up a stall by the street

and was writing calligraphy,

I saw her.

She is beautiful.

It doesn't matter

since she's just a pastry seller.

She is the evil witch

who broke my brother's heart

and acted like nothing happened.

How about this?

We got your back.

We'll go to her

and you can scold her.

Mr. Shen,

are you scared or what?

There's nothing to be scared of.

Today I'll just do a good deed

and get rid of that evil person.

Stop drinking.

Hurry up.

Go.

Go.

That's simple. I can do it too.

That's quite impressive.

Hua Zhi.

Don't go.

Let's be friends.

Hang out for a while.

Go.

Just go.

Who are those people?

They're so annoying,

just like those chickens and ducks we raise at home.

Wait.

They are even worse than those chickens and ducks.

They've mistaken you for

Lady Zhi

and they want to bully us.

Go faster.

They want to bully Zhi?

She stopped.

Maybe she likes you.

Go to her.

Right on.

♪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♪