City of Streamer Episode 20 Recap
> City of Streamer Recap
Disheartened, Concubine Sun returned to her room, reflecting on Rong Dingkun’s past vows of love when he persuaded her to marry him, promising to make her his legal wife after she bore a son. Now, he spoke harshly to her, leaving her utterly disillusioned. She lamented that a concubine was merely a plaything, and even her child was just a tool for Rong Dingkun’s schemes.
Her maid tried to pacify her, reminding her of her past charm in pleasing him, but Concubine Sun confessed she was too exhausted to flatter him or even pretend any longer. She admitted that she had changed. Meanwhile, Hashimoto Taiji burst into Shiori Hashimoto's room without knocking, interrupting her. He excitedly pointed out an advertisement in the newspaper: the Rong family was offering ten thousand silver dollars for a lost antique, the Gold Kylin.
Shiori Hashimoto wondered why the Rong family was so keen on finding it. Hashimoto Taiji then revealed that their own father also possessed a Gold Kylin, which he had overheard him discussing with their mother. He speculated it might be the very one the Rong family was seeking. Later, Rong Fanglin and Rong Fanghua were nervous as they went in for their exams. Feng Shizhen encouraged them to stay focused and relaxed.
Rong Jiashang then informed Feng Shizhen that they had to go appraise an antique. As they departed, a woman mistook Rong Jiashang for their sister's brother. Rong Jiashang playfully corrected her, stating he was there to pick up his wife, which mortified Feng Shizhen. She chided him, fearing such a flippant remark could reach the Du family and damage her reputation, but he apologized for his thoughtlessness. They arrived at Zhu Laojiu's establishment.
Zhu Laojiu, a metalsmith, presented a Gold Kylin, praising its pure gold luster and intricate details, claiming he had acquired it eight years ago. He sought twenty thousand silver dollars for it. Rong Jiashang, however, immediately dismissed it as a gilded iron bar, offering only twenty silver dollars for its eaglewood box. Impressed by Rong Jiashang's discerning eye, Zhu Laojiu confessed it was a fake and led them to another room to show what he claimed was the authentic piece.
Rong Jiashang, however, quickly identified this second piece as another replica, pointing out that the original had a specific piece of horsehair filed off by his father for identification purposes. Zhu Laojiu, realizing he couldn't fool Rong Jiashang, admitted he had crafted the replica eighteen years prior. He then recounted the Gold Kylin's true history: the genuine article was stolen from a Nanyang merchant by a thief named Luo Wushou.
Luo Wushou later gave it as a dowry to his daughter, but her husband deceitfully sold it at a high price to Hashimoto Shozo, a Japanese warlord’s confidant who had moved his family from the Three Eastern Provinces to Shanghai. Zhu Laojiu explained that Hashimoto Shozo considered the Gold Kylin a talisman because his chronically ill eldest son, Hashimoto Taiichi, had made a miraculous recovery after it came into their possession.
He believed Hashimoto Shozo would never sell it, as he was a powerful and wealthy man who lacked nothing. Rong Jiashang then offered Zhu Laojiu a thousand silver dollars to craft a high-quality replica and to remain silent. Grateful, Zhu Laojiu gave Rong Jiashang a ruby bracelet, claiming it was an authentic palace artifact consecrated by a monk. Feng Shizhen suggested that since the Gold Kylin was with Hashimoto Shozo, Rong Jiashang could subtly approach him through Shiori Hashimoto.
She advised him to try and win Mr. Hashimoto's favor, acknowledging that a favor from someone like Hashimoto Shozo would require more than just a check. Rong Jiashang worried Hashimoto Shozo might demand an exorbitant price. Feng Shizhen urged him to assess the situation and act accordingly, especially given the Rong family's urgency. Rong Jiashang then asked why the antique was so crucial to his family.
Feng Shizhen playfully suggested it was just a rich man's whim, prompting Rong Jiashang to feel that she still saw him as a playboy. He then confided that his father needed it to settle an old debt. He presented Feng Shizhen with the ruby bracelet from Zhu Laojiu, insisting she keep it despite her protests about its value. Later, Rong Jiashang drove Feng Shizhen to pick up Rong Fanglin and Rong Fanghua from their exams.
The girls were disheartened, feeling they hadn’t performed well, especially in math, and feared they wouldn't get into the girls’ school. Feng Shizhen comforted them, reminding them there were still interviews and other opportunities. Shiori Hashimoto then appeared, expressing admiration for Feng Shizhen’s teaching. She mentioned her cousin was also interested in attending the school and offered Feng Shizhen a position as her governess for the following year, assuring her of a generous salary.
Rong Jiashang jokingly accused Shiori Hashimoto of trying to poach his governess. Feng Shizhen politely declined, explaining that her task of helping the Rong daughters with their exams was now complete. She intended to resign from the Rong family and no longer work as a governess, planning to return home to care for her ailing father and contemplate her future path.
Rong Jiashang protested, citing the Rong family's tradition of not letting staff go before the Lunar New Year, but Feng Shizhen reiterated her firm decision to leave. Shiori Hashimoto then pulled Rong Jiashang aside. She acknowledged seeing the newspaper advertisement for the Gold Kylin and hinted that she knew its location.
When Rong Jiashang, annoyed by her evasiveness, turned to leave, she quickly admitted that her father, Hashimoto Shozo, possessed a Gold Kylin highly similar to the one he was looking for. She suggested that since their fathers knew each other, Rong Jiashang could visit her home, try to gain her father's favor, and perhaps then he would be willing to display the antique for appraisal. Rong Jiashang agreed and asked her to speak favorably of him to her father.
Shiori Hashimoto reassured him that even if they couldn’t be lovers, they could still be friends, and he was always welcome at her home. Soon after, Zhao Hua'an informed Rong Jiashang that the assistant managers were assembled for a meeting. Rong Jiashang instructed Zhao Hua'an to take Feng Shizhen and the girls home. At the meeting, the assistant managers, having initially underestimated Rong Jiashang as a "playboy" and "useless pretty boy," were surprised by his presence.
Rong Jiashang explained he preferred to discuss matters face-to-face. He then distributed envelopes; some contained bonus checks, while others held IOUs. He announced that he had thoroughly audited years of contracts, purchase orders, and expense reports against the company's account books. He stated that he would reward those who had profited the company and demanded repayment from those who owed money. The assistant managers vehemently denied any wrongdoing, insisting their accounts were balanced and had been approved by Rong Dingkun.
One manager even insulted Rong Jiashang’s inexperience. Unfazed, Rong Jiashang systematically exposed their corruption, detailing discrepancies in a silk procurement deal. He highlighted inflated labor costs, questioning how thirty laborers could take six weeks to load and unload a single silk shipment, and pointed out that foreign labor costs were actually lower than what was recorded.
He further revealed that they had paid last year's higher, drought-inflated price for silk purchased this year when prices should have dropped due to a good harvest, and that a manager had taken a hundred silver dollars in "travel expenses." He had verified these details with the mulberry field owner and discovered other goods were shipped on the same boat at a lower rate for silk.
Faced with this irrefutable evidence, the flustered managers attempted to leave, only to discover the doors were locked from the outside. Rong Jiashang presented an ultimatum: sign the IOUs and return the embezzled funds, or he would submit all evidence to the courts and press charges for economic crimes, which would entail far more severe consequences than mere repayment. The managers reluctantly complied, signing the IOUs. Later, Feng Shizhen approached Mrs. Rong to tender her resignation.
Mrs. Rong initially tried to persuade her to stay until after the Lunar New Year, noting it was against family tradition to dismiss staff before then. Feng Shizhen, however, expressed her gratitude for Mrs. Rong's kindness but explained that her father was unwell, and her mother needed her help. She reiterated her desire to return home to assist her family and re-evaluate her future.
Understanding, Mrs. Rong agreed to her departure and promised that the bonus would be sent to her home once the girls were admitted to school. Feng Shizhen then left a farewell note for Rong Jiashang, packed her belongings, and departed that night. She reasoned that Rong Dingkun must have realized her connection to the Wenchunli fire, and her continued presence after the girls' exams would undoubtedly arouse suspicion from both Rong Dingkun and Rong Jiashang.
As she was leaving, Concubine Sun rushed to see her off, expressing her surprise at Feng Shizhen’s sudden departure after only three months, which felt like a much longer period due to the many events that had transpired. Concubine Sun apologized for her past rudeness, attributing it to her pregnancy and thanking Feng Shizhen for her generosity. She also apologized for having wrongly blamed Feng Shizhen regarding her sister, Sun Shaoqing.
Concubine Sun then asked Feng Shizhen for a favor: if she were to contact Sun Shaoqing, to convey a message that Concubine Sun now understood and supported her. She wanted Shaoqing to know that if she ever encountered any trouble, she should return to her, as Concubine Sun wished to make amends for her past wrongs. Feng Shizhen agreed to deliver the message.
Late that night, Rong Jiashang returned home to find Feng Shizhen’s note, which read, "Jiashang, I wonder if you can grant my wish. No trace of birds in the sky, but I have flown." He immediately drove off, eventually blocking Feng Shizhen’s car at a crossroads. He confronted her, reprimanding her for leaving without a word when he had not given his approval, even if Mrs. Rong had.
