Blossoms Shanghai Episode 27 Recap
> Blossoms Shanghai Recap
On New Year's Day in 1993, Ye Shu painstakingly sought a Walmart order for A Bao, aiming to secure a fallback for him. However, Wang Mingzhu gained the upper hand and secured the order first. Ye Shu then tried every possible means to prevent Wang Mingzhu from completing the Walmart order. Unbeknownst to Ye Shu, A Bao subversively and secretly helped Wang Mingzhu find a clothing factory, Tianma Clothing Factory, which offered favorable prices.
Ye Shu was furious upon discovering this and stormed out. Wang Mingzhu learned that A Bao had helped her contact Tianma Clothing Factory. Despite the excellent prices, she deliberated and ultimately decided to reject the help, choosing to sign a contract with Director Lv out of pride and a determination to at least break even, if not profit. Fan Xinhua criticized her for being overly serious, yet he couldn't refute her optimistic spirit.
Following this, A Bao continued to assist Wang Mingzhu by finding another supplier, Qicai Clothing Factory, a detail Fan Xinhua kept hidden from her. As the New Year's bells rang, marking the arrival of 1994, with fireworks lighting up the country, Wang Mingzhu celebrated with her workers. A Bao, puzzled, couldn't understand why Wang Mingzhu had refused his assistance.
On that same New Year's Day, the nation announced the convergence of its currency exchange rates, making the foreign exchange rate differences a thing of the past. The RMB exchange rate surged, and overnight, Wang Mingzhu's Walmart order turned from a potential loss to a significant profit, earning her an estimated eighty thousand yuan and instantly making her an industry legend.
Overcome with gratitude, Wang Mingzhu conveyed her thanks to Fan Xinhua, who had been instrumental in helping her throughout this journey. They exchanged heartfelt goodbyes, agreeing to "meet again in the martial world." Upon hearing this, tears welled in Fan Xinhua's eyes; he subsequently left the business world with his gift and returned to his hometown for retirement, reflecting on the inspiring spirit Wang Mingzhu had shown since their first encounter.
A Bao, drawn by an unspoken impulse, found himself at a restaurant. Li Li happened to be there as well, and their paths unexpectedly crossed. Both desired a relaxed New Year's Eve dinner, not wanting to discuss business. A Bao was reminded of eating hotpot in a crowded Hongshunxing with Xue Zhi, his former girlfriend, where he could only see half of her face.
He lamented that Xue Zhi had not lived to see their ten-year promise, having died in Hong Kong in November 1993, the last time he saw her. He still struggled to accept her death and had rushed to Hong Kong to mourn. Emboldened by alcohol and touched by the moment, Li Li explained the reason for her sudden departure from the business world. She had personally witnessed Jin Laoban's brutal death, which deeply affected her.
She immediately went to Qiang Mujie afterward, admitting that while she had changed her name to Li Li, she could never erase the profound memories of her past as Chen Zhen, which included painful experiences in Shenzhen. Li Li explained that she could stake Zhizhenyuan as a gamble for A Bao, but Chen Zhen could not, as the money she used to purchase Zhizhenyuan had been left by Mr. A before his death.
With him gone, Li Li felt she could not return to her old self, but she had no regrets, for A Bao had not retreated like Mr. A. A Bao vowed never to disappoint Li Li. Li Li warned him never to trust kindness from strangers, but A Bao extended his warm hand, clearly stating he was not a stranger. Li Li suddenly turned, gazing at A Bao with deep affection.
She leaned in, seemingly to kiss him, but stopped herself at the last moment and hastily ran off, leaving A Bao bewildered in the wind. After Ye Shu's departure, A Bao's life continued as usual. Seeking a fresh start, he inadvertently came across a ledger sent by Ling Zi, which also included a passbook A Bao had given her, making him realize that the past had never truly left him.
Meanwhile, Old Gu, the respected old doorman of the Peace Hotel, honorably retired, passing his position to his grandson, Xiao Xiao Gu. Old Gu advised his grandson to learn business from A Bao. Xiao Xiao Gu, diligent and aspiring to be as popular as his grandfather, utilized every spare moment to study foreign languages. A Bao took a special interest in him, promising to give him a yuan for every language he mastered, a promise he consistently fulfilled.
On Huanghelu, the other restaurant owners planned a gathering at Zhizhenyuan. However, Lu Meilin vehemently refused to join, believing in the shifting tides of fortune and unwilling to rely on Zhizhenyuan, despite Jin Meilin restaurant's plummeting business following Jin Laoban's death. Lu Meilin struggled to attract customers and, in desperation, sought help from Li Li, though she remained defiant. She stated that if Li Li were to assist her, she would ensure Li Li's smooth success on Huanghelu.
Conversely, she warned that if Li Li failed to help her overcome this hardship, any takeover of Jin Meilin would mark the beginning of Zhizhenyuan's decline. Li Li declined, citing her own tight finances, though she felt a hint of pity for Lu Meilin. The owner of Ri Ri Xian restaurant began to express envy for Jin Meilin's prime location and prepared to acquire it. Mrs. Lin arrived at Jin Meilin with mortgage papers.
Lu Meilin shared her deep-seated hatred for stock speculation, which had claimed her husband's life, and despite her dire situation, defiantly asserted that her restaurant would continue to operate, even under a new owner, implying that Zhizhenyuan would then decline. Lu Meilin, her package in hand, departed without returning to Jin Meilin. She walked alone on the street, where an old lover picked her up.
As she looked back at the restaurant she had painstakingly built over many years, she was filled with a mix of complex emotions and deep reluctance. Xiao Jiangxi, unable to afford further medical care, left the hospital. She packed her luggage, intending to find a new path. Before leaving, Xiao Jiangxi went to say goodbye to Minmin and Lisa, her two friends who, like her, had come from the countryside to Shanghai to seek a better life, enduring many hardships.
Penniless, she pawned a ring given to her by Jin Laoban to borrow money from Minmin. Minmin and Lisa gave Xiao Jiangxi all the money they had. The three sisters, who had once arrived in Shanghai together, now had to part ways, leaving Xiao Jiangxi to shed tears, reflecting on their past struggles and how her own actions had led to her current predicament.
