Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Destined]

[Episode 7]

We really

have no choice.

We can't break the rules.

I do have some dowry assets.

I own a few shops on South Street too.

If Mr. Wan

really can’t pay the debt,

you can use my shops as a mortgage.

No, no.

Young Madam.

How can we use

your dowry as a mortgage?

You can't do that.

No.

Manager He.

The Gu family business

has such a rule, right?

If you can get a mortgage, you can get credit.

There is such a rule, Young Madam.

If there is, just follow the rule.

Well...

Young Madam.

Why are you doing this for me?

I... I can’t bear it.

Mr. Wan, you can.

This is what I should do

as a member of the Gu family.

Although the Gu family is prosperous,

our wealth is only made possible by

the recurring purchases from

old customers

and business partners like you.

It is an accumulation of everyone's support.

Business is tough these days.

Which is why we can't just think about ourselves.

Although I'm a junior,

I understand the principle of interdependence.

The thousands of merchants out there

all seem to have their own business.

But in fact, they are all connected,

sharing weal and woe.

Mr. Wan,

if you can overcome this crisis

and make great fortune in the future,

you'll come to our firm again.

But if your business is closed,

our Gu family

will lose an old customer.

If hundreds of old customers like Mr. Wan

stop doing business,

I'm afraid our Gu family's business

will come to an end too.

Young Madam,

everything you said is true.

But the Gu family

has business dealings

with hundreds of merchant in Jiangnan.

If every merchant is in trouble,

and you're so kind to all of them,

how much

dowry can you afford to give

to help so selflessly?

It’s not appropriate.

Manager He, don’t worry.

I’m not reckless.

I'm willing to mortgage

my private assets for Mr. Wan

not only because of

what I said just now.

To be honest,

I read the account book carefully today.

I found that even though

Mr. Wan's orders are not very big,

he would order from us every month.

He is a loyal customer of the Gu family.

Not only that,

for the past three years,

every order

was paid on time.

When business was good,

he even paid in advance.

It shows that he's a man of honor and integrity.

Such a person

would never ask for credit

unless he's in a desperate situation.

Such credibility

is already worth ten thousand taels of gold.

Young Madam, I...

Thank you.

But you

are newly married into the family.

I’m afraid it’ll be hard for me

to explain to the Master when she's back.

Young Madam has given the order.

Just do as she said.

Master, you're back.

Mother, you are back.

You've lost weight.

Me too.

My cheeks are caving in.

Mother.

I'm to be blamed

for the decision today.

You did the right thing.

Manager He.

Take Yuru

and Mr. Wan with you

to run through the procedures with them.

Get them to sign and stamp the papers.

Yes.

Mr. Wan, Young Madam.

This way, please.

Okay.

Good.

Good.

Yuru is a good girl.

She's knowledgeable,

decisive,

and responsible.

Yes.

She looks like me back in the day.

In the future,

she'll accomplish great things.

Indeed.

The Gu family's business

will be handed over to her sooner or later.

That's right.

Wait, then what do I...

Don't tell Yuru

what I said just now.

All gone.

Okay, the mortgage is completed.

You may pay the debt in return for the mortgage

before the 25th of next month.

I have made three copies of the contract.

Please take care of your copy.

Young Madam.

Please accept my bow.

Please rise.

If it weren't for you,

my 100-year-old shop

would have ended in one day.

My family

and my employees for years

would have suffered with me.

How will I ever repay

your kindness today?

It's my duty. You don't have to repay me.

Don't worry, Young Madam.

I won't misplace

your trust in me.

I'll go back to the inventory and raise money.

See you, Boss Liu.

Boss Liu?

Boss Liu.

Lanxiao House gambling revenue,

8,000 taels in total.

The capital debt is 63,000 taels,

with 5% interest.

Wait.

The capital debt is 63,000 taels?

The number is wrong.

Mr. Wan is in a pinch.

He should be here to borrow money soon.

We'll lend him 5,000 taels

with a 6% interest rate.

He won't refuse.

Otherwise,

his 100-year-old shop will be ruined.

I heard that

the Gu family gave Mr. Wan credit.

Where did he get the collateral for that?

It's a strange tale.

The Young Madam

who newly married into the Gu family

used her dowry assets

as collateral.

Master,

don't you think this is strange?

It's practically unheard of.

It’s Young Madam Gu again.

It’s getting interesting.

Go.

Check her background.

Yes.

Liu Yuru.

Why are you smiling

in the middle of the night?

Your shops have been mortgaged.

Why are you still so happy?

It's completely worth it.

Do you know

what Mr. Wan called me today?

What did he call you?

He called me Boss Liu.

So what?

You don't understand.

No one called me that before.

When I signed my name

on the contract today...

Liu Yuru.

I wrote it stroke by stroke.

At that time,

my heart was like...

Like...

Like what?

I can't put it into words.

It just felt different.

In the past,

"Eldest Miss Liu" and "Young Madam Gu"

were not about me.

People treated me according to

the stature of other people.

But today,

they didn't care about others' stature.

They only cared about me.

They respected me

and called me Boss Liu.

OK, Boss Liu.

If you're happy,

I'll call you Boss Liu from now on.

Are you happy, Boss Liu?

Yes.

But what's the use of you calling me that?

From now on,

I want to be the real Boss Liu.

Gu Jiusi.

I want to learn how to do business.

What's so hard about that?

If you want to study knowledge,

it's kind of boring.

But if you want to do business,

you have married the right guy.

Do you think I can do business?

Am I good enough for it?

I think you are.

And my mother said today that...

What did she say?

Nothing much.

She also thinks you can do it.

That's great.

I want to be like my mother-in-law

and earn money with my own capability.

I'll earn so much money.

I'll find my

foundation in life.

Then,

I can go wherever I want

and do whatever I want.

It'll all be up to me.

Isn't that nice?

Look how happy you are.

You look so silly.

Gu Jiusi.

In that case,

maybe your divorce idea

will really work.

When I make enough money

and have my own business firm,

we'll divorce each other.

And you'll get what you want.

By then,

you’ll be Young Master Gu,

and I’ll be Boss Liu.

We'll...

Both be happy. It's a win-win situation.

It's late. Go to sleep.

Don't sleep.

I'm not sleepy at all.

I can't wait to go to the shop.

I have to go to school tomorrow.

I'm going to bed, Boss Liu.

Boss Liu!

Boss Liu.

Boss Liu.

Boss Liu.

[Gu House]

Watch the steps.

[Gu House]

My lord.

Wait for me.

I'll ride with you today.

It's fine, you don't have to see me off.

I can do it myself.

Go back and sleep more.

It's not to see you off.

I want to borrow your carriage

to take me to the shop.

Let's go. Stop dawdling.

I have a lot to do today.

Let's go, my lord.

[Gu House]

Why are you pulling such a long face?

I'm not.

Why won't you ask more?

Ask about what?

Ask me why I'm unhappy.

Can't you see I'm not talking?

Didn't I ask you just now?

You said you're not.

I said I'm not, and you stop asking?

If you asked a few more times,

I would have answered you.

You're not sincere at all.

Is that shopfront the so-called

[Fuming Tea Shop]

golden shopfront?

Yes.

No wonder.

It's in the middle of the street.

If we walked here,

we'd be hot and thirsty from the sun.

People passing by

can't help but enter the shop.

A shop in this location is best for

selling tea, cosmetics, and all that.

Not bad.

What were you saying just now?

Nothing.

Golden shopfront.

[Shi Yu Academy]

Shi'an.

You're the top scorer for the Provincial examination this time.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

I came back this time

to visit our teacher.

Isn't this Gu Jiusi's carriage?

-Yes. -Yes.

Here.

My lord, when you get to the academy,

you have to study hard.

Don't anger the teacher.

If you feel tired,

just hang in there.

Okay.

I got it.

What's wrong?

Gu, long time no see.

Little Yuru,

may we have a chat?

You can go.

You don't need my permission.

Thank you, my lord.

Little Yuru?

Who does he think he is?

How dare he call her that?

They grew up together.

It's not surprising.

Whose side are you on? How dare you?

Go. Listen to what they're saying.

Hurry up.

Little Yuru.

How have you been?

Everything is fine.

But Yun'er told me

you were forced

to marry into the Gu family.

No matter how powerful the Gu family is,

they shouldn't force you to marry into their house.

If you are really suffering an injustice,

you must tell me.

I...

I was foolish and reckless back then.

I mistook a good match as ill fate

and made you misunderstand.

You and Gu are a good match?

Yes.

My lord and I are a perfect match.

If it really was a perfect match,

why did you have to look for him

in the brothel, armed with a big sword?

Little Yuru.

I know you have a meek nature.

If you are really suffering an injustice,

you must...

Mr. Ye.

I don't have a meek nature.

I didn't suffer any injustice.

I won't bear any humiliation either.

Sorry for making you worry.

Little Yuru.

Mr. Ye.

You should address my lady

as Young Madam Gu.

You’re right.

I made a mistake.

Mr. Ye.

I haven’t congratulated you on acing the Provincial Examination.

Congratulations to you too, Young Madam Gu,

for your wedding.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Are they done?

What did they talk about?

I couldn't hear much.

I just heard something about...

Congratulations on acing the Provincial Examination.

Acing the Provincial Examination?

What's so great about that?

Look at him.

He's the worst.

Are you done?

Go to the shop.

I'm going to school.

My lord.

Aren't you going to ask

what I talked about just now?

What is there to ask?

That's good. I'm leaving.

Study hard.

Sooner or later,

I'll make you congratulate me for acing the Provincial Examination too.

No, wait. I...

Young Master didn't order me

to eavesdrop on you.

He guessed it himself.

Yes.

I knew he would talk about that.

Yes, of course.

Liu Yuru.

Must the perfect match

for you in your heart

ace the Provincial Examination no matter what?

Not really.

But you used to admire Ye Shi'an a lot.

That was in the past.

Now that you are my husband,

it's fated to be.

Be it a perfect match or not,

I will live a good life with you.

You don't have to compare yourself to others.

Be it a perfect match or not,

I will live a good life with you.

What did she mean by that?

Did she mean...

"I'm already married. I'll make do with it."

"Even if I don't like it,"

"I won't say it."

Did she?

I think so.

She reluctantly married me.

How offputting.

Young master,

you reluctantly married her too.

You're even now.

Gu.

Gu.

We've known each other for a long time now,

and we used to be classmates.

I don't know if I should say this...

Then don't say it.

Go ahead.

Then, I'll be frank.

I won't beat around the bush.

You've been doing whatever you want since young

and don't care about trifles.

But now that you're married,

shouldn't you be self-disciplined

and treat your wife well?

What happens with me and my wife

is none of your business.

Your wife and my younger sister are best friends.

She was loved by my Grandmother as well.

I

watched her grow up.

If she suffers any injustice

because she married you,

then...

Since she married me,

I won't let her

suffer any injustice.

I'll treat her as my beloved.

She'll be the apple of my eye.

I will regard her as my life.

If she wants it,

even if it's the stars and the moon,

I'll pick them for her.

Ye Shi'an.

I may not be good at

studying or achieving fame.

But when it comes to being a husband,

you're in no place to lecture me.

Goodbye.

Young Master.

Your momentum just now

made Ye Shi'an speechless.

It sounded so real.

What do you mean by that?

You know, the bit you said about Young Madam.

It sounded

like you really meant it.

Hearing it

touched me a little.

Young Master, did you

really mean it?

Don't ask what you shouldn't ask.

By the way, Young Master.

Where shall we go play

when we skip lessons later?

I'll get ready.

Who said anything about playing?

Study hard.

The young admires the parents.

The lover admires the beauty.

This quote by Mencius means that,

when we were young,

we admired and respected our parents.

But when we grow up

and begin to experience romantic love,

we start to long for

and admire beautiful women.

Why are you laughing?

You're ignorant.

According to the Book of Poems,

"A gentleman likes a lady."

To know and admire beauty is a great elegance in itself.

Gu Jiusi.

Gu Jiusi!

Gu Jiusi!

Jiusi. Jiusi!

Jiusi!

The teacher.

Your heart is elsewhere,

you're distracted,

and you are ignorant.

Focus on the class.

You, come up here.

Recite this page.

Mencius.

The young admires the parents.

Enough.

The lover...

If you can't recite it today,

copy it 20 times.

The young admires the parents.

The lover admires the beauty.

The married admires the wife.

The official admires the Emperor.

Yet one's heart becomes anxious if the Emperor does not favor him.

Filial piety is to admire the parents forever.

To admire his parents even at age 50.

I have seen such dedication from Shun the Great.

The sun is rising from the west.

Gu Jiusi recited everything?

He got it all correct too.

Do you know

why he has improved so much?

Why?

Because

his wife knows how to wield a big sword.

Jiusi

must have suffered a lot.

You, carry on.

Shun went to the fields.

Shun went to the fields.

I have heard about that.

He cried to the heaven about his parents.

I did not know about that.

Gong Minggao replied,

it is not something you can understand.

Gong Minggao explained that the filial son's heart

must not be indifferent.

I plough the fields with all my efforts

because that is my duty as a son.

Even if my parents do not love me,

it is nothing I should be concerned with.

Good.

Great.

Great!

-Good. -Good job!

-Good. -Good!

Me?

Yes.

But in business,

I've only learned the basics

by observing my mother-in-law at work.

I still have a lot to learn.

Mr. Zhou from Youzhou

has a big order.

It concerns thousands of items.

This is a big deal,

not an ordinary purchase.

It's fine if it's just this order.

But if we can use this opportunity

to access the Youzhou market,

we'll receive even more orders in the future.

If I lose

such a big deal

or fail to do a good job,

you'll suffer a great loss.

I'm just a beginner.

I...

I'm afraid I can't do it.

Will you do it or not?

If you don't want to,

I won't force you.

I'll do it.

Greetings, Mrs. Gu.

Mr. Zhou, sorry to keep you waiting.

Have a seat.

Please.

I've long heard that Mrs. Gu comes from a noble family

and is exceptionally intelligent.

You helped the Gu family

accumulate great wealth and assets.

You're the top

business talent of Jiangnan.

I greatly admire you too.

Now that I see you in person,

I didn't expect

you to be so young.

Mr. Zhou, you misunderstood.

Madam Jiang is my mother-in-law.

I'm the eldest daughter-in-law of the Gu family.

Please excuse me.

Mr. Zhou, you are our distinguished guest.

I will do my best

to do this business.

Thank you.

This is my purchase list.

Please have a look.

Young General,

shall we check out other shops?

The Gu family's firm has a good reputation

and a splendid variety of goods.

It is unrivaled in Yangzhou.

It is the best choice.

It’s a heavy responsibility to purchase military supplies.

The Gu family

let such a young lady

handle this deal.

I'm still worried.

What's wrong with sending a lady?

The matron of the Gu family is also a lady.

As for being young, it doesn't matter either.

When I was talking

with the Young Madam,

I found that

she is a quick thinker

and a sensible person who expresses herself clearly.

Even if the Gu family is reliable,

they shouldn't let the Young Madam take over.

If she can't make

those old managers and employees heed her orders,

she won't be able to achieve anything.

Haven't we seen plenty

of such situations in the army?

We embarked

on this trip as businessmen.

As businessmen,

we need to weigh our options.

From tomorrow on,

we will approach more shops

as a backup choice.

Yes.

Let's go.

Young Madam.

How did it go?

The managers sent a reply.

They said they are too busy

so they can't come.

None of them can come?

When they replied,

did they mention when they can come?

They all said they are busy lately

and cannot be certain.

Young Madam, they...

They are clearly bullying us.

The shop managers

are elders of the Gu family.

They are knowledgeable and experienced.

We're so young, so they're bound to want to

put us in our place.

We have no choice but to deal with it.

Forget it.

I'll ask them one by one tomorrow.

As long as we can get things done,

everything else is negotiable.

But they were so reluctant.

I'm afraid they won't cooperate

even if you ask them in person.

What should we do then?

There's always a way.

We just have to find it.

Here, Yuru.

Eat more.

Thank you, mother.

Yes, eat more.

How is the

business matter going these days?

It's going quite smoothly.

That's good.

Our daughter-in-law

is really capable.

Yes.

We've been worrying

for half our lives.

I can finally look forward to

feeling at ease in the future.

Yuru, try this.

Here, Yuru.

Have some ribs.

Yuru, here.

Have some fish.

Why are you

studying so hard recently?

I can't believe

I never caught you slacking off once.

Can't I?

Of course you can.

But there must be a reason

for your sudden change in attitude.

Of course I have a reason.

But I won't tell you.

What are you grinning about?

You can barely sit still.

Something good happened?

Something very good happened.

I accepted a business deal recently.

It's a big deal.

He's a merchant from Youzhou.

In one order, he asked for

8,000 bull horns,

20,000 leather straps,

60,000 pieces of short leather jackets,

and countless miscellaneous items.

I suspect

it’s military supplies for the province.

Such a good deal

will be handled solely by me.

If it goes well,

guess how much net profit

I can make from this order alone?

How much?

30,000 taels!

Is 30,000 taels too little for you?

30,000 taels?

That is about

half a year's pocket money for me.

That's different.

Your money came from your parents.

I earned it myself.

Can it be compared?

You haven't earned it yet.

You think I can’t?

I had a great conversation

with Mr. Zhou today.

The deal will be settled soon.

Do you really think

running a business is this easy?

Let me tell you.

The bigger the order, the more it is prone to changes.

The customer's mind is like the weather in June.

No matter how good the negotiation is,

the customer can change his mind at any time.

As long as the deposit isn't paid,

the deal cannot be settled.

Even after the deposit is paid,

if we miscalculate something along the way

or can't deliver the goods on time,

you can kiss your profit goodbye.

In fact, you'll have to pay them instead.

Forget earning 30,000 taels.

You're good as long as you don't

make a loss instead.

Even so,

as long as I work hard,

there will always be a way.

Let alone 30,000 taels,

I'm capable of earning 100,000...

No, even a million.

I'm confident.

A million?

It's good to be confident.

Are you crying?

Why are you crying?

I have no confidence at all.

You're crying just because you're not confident?

Well...

I don't want to make a loss.

It's such a big deal.

How could I possibly pay for the loss?

Who cares if you make a loss?

We have plenty of money.

I don't want to lose money.

I want to earn money.

Okay, sure, we'll earn money.

We'll earn all their money.

But I'm afraid I can't do it.

They don't listen to me

because I'm young.

They won't cooperate with me either.

The past few days, I went to the shops to ask for prices.

But the managers wouldn't even see me.

Then why didn't you

tell mother the truth today?

One word from her,

and those old managers

won't dare to ignore you.

I can't ask her

to stand up for me immediately.

Otherwise, they will

always look down on me.

You're quite ambitious.

It's not ambition.

Then what is it?

I know even if you don't tell me.

How do you know?

You wanted to prove yourself.

You didn't want to disappoint our mother.

That's why you acted tough, right?

You hope that you can do it,

that you're good at doing business.

But you've never done it before.

So you're nervous, right?

You

want others to feel at ease.

So you pretend that you can do it.

But you've already promised it,

yet you can't achieve it,

so you don't know what to do anymore. Right?

How did you know?

Everyone

has driven themself into a corner before.

Didn't I promise you

to take the examination on a whim too?

Actually, I don't know

if I can do it.

So you're

studying so hard recently

for me?

You're afraid I'll be disappointed?

W-well... not exactly.

I have to be

a man of my word.

Actually, I used to study well.

It's just a matter of reviewing the materials.

Gu Jiusi.

Thank you.

Liu Yuru.

Shall we

make a bet?

What kind of bet?

I bet that you'll become Boss Liu

and earn a million.

As for me...

I'll rank first in the Provincial Examination.

You? Rank first?

What? You don't believe me?

I do.

Actually, not really.

♫I forgot the things in the world all of a sudden♫

If you don't believe me, let's have a bet.

♫Everyone thinks life is like a dream♫

Let's see if you'll earn your million first,

or I'll ace the exam first.

♫I looked back inadvertently♫

Fine.

♫A stranger impressed me♫

How about this?

Whoever

achieves the goal first

will be qualified to propose a divorce.

♫We've been with each other for another day♫

What do you think?

♫Another spring and autumn came♫

Since we're having a bet, we ought to wager something.

♫Who will deliver letters to me?♫

♫I'm listening to you♫

Okay.

♫I forgot the things in the world all of a sudden♫

I will earn my million soon.

♫Everyone thinks life is like a dream♫

No need to hurry.

Take your time.

Gu Jiusi.

♫How much do I miss you?♫

Don't underestimate me.

♫I've seen you here before♫

I wouldn't dare underestimate you.

Everyone in the city knows that

I am not afraid of anything

♫One night, we sat together to write poems and drink alcohol♫

except you and your big sword.

Not only can you wield a big sword,

♫Another spring and autumn came♫

you know how to cry too.

When you cried,

all the hair on my skin stood up.

♫I saw the sun, the moon, and the stars outside the window♫

When I hear the water,

I think of your crying eyes.

♫The wind blows and the moon sways. My heart is beating♫

I think I am traumatized.

Fine.

I'll earn my first million and you'll rank first in the Provincial Examination.

It's a deal.

Give me a five to seal the deal.

Sure, and the deal is sealed.

Young Madam, you're awake.

You've been troubled these days.

It's rare for you to sleep until dawn.

Where is the Young Master?

He went to school.

No one woke him up.

He got up early himself.

Before he left,

he was reading while having his breakfast.

What is this?

A silk pouch?

Business is all about

the right time, the right place, and the right people.

You're in Yangzhou,

you married into my family,

and you received my mother's approval.

You have the right time and place.

As for the right people...

I have an idea

to help you overcome the obstacles.

Manager Ma of the timber yard

has recently been promoted and lacks experience.

Maybe the other old foxes

really want to put you in your place.

But he might not.

What he wants most right now

is support.

You just need to avoid the others

and draw him in privately.

He will come to greet you.

Young Madam.

About the other day, the messenger

did not make it clear.

If I knew

it was you who summoned me,

I would have come to meet you

even if I had to forgo sleeping.