Debit Queen Episode 3 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Upon meeting Ling Se, Xu Mother inquired how long she had known her son, Xu Zilu. Ling Se replied, "Not long." Xu Mother pressed why she would agree to marry him so soon, to which Ling Se stated it was because she liked him. Xu Mother skeptically asked what she liked about Zilu. Ling Se admitted she hadn't liked him at first, describing him negatively as having a "long face," being "mean," and "full of evil ideas" and "stubborn."
However, she confessed she was captivated by his "mysterious confidence," as he seemed to think very highly of himself despite his flaws. Zilu interrupted, urging his mother to respect his choice. Xu Mother questioned his method of marriage, without traditional rites or a banquet, calling it a "disgrace to our family." She then directly asked Ling Se if Zilu held something over her, forcing her to marry him, based on her observation that Ling Se was keeping a distance.
Ling Se quickly denied this, claiming Zilu was very nice to her. To dispel Xu Mother's doubts, Ling Se proactively linked arms with Zilu and called her "Mother." Delighted by this display of affection, Xu Mother decided they must have a grand wedding banquet, inviting many guests to recoup money she had given as wedding gifts over the years and to silence gossip. Zilu objected, finding the grand celebration unnecessary, but Xu Mother was determined, declaring the matter settled.
Ling Se then suggested she knew someone who specialized in organizing banquets efficiently and affordably. Xu Mother, pleased with her initiative, entrusted the entire wedding preparation to Ling Se. Ling Se was relieved to have successfully appeased Xu Mother. Zilu, however, was angry, accusing her of intentionally instigating the banquet despite their agreement that she wouldn't interfere in Xu family matters.
Ling Se insisted she was merely going along with Xu Mother's obvious desire for a grand wedding and reminded him they were skipping all the traditional rites anyway. Zilu believed she was solely interested in the potential wedding gift money. Ling Se denied being motivated by greed, stating she was just respecting his mother's wishes and found Xu Mother's affection for him enviable.
Zilu dropped the subject but sternly warned her that from now on, she must obtain his consent for any decisions. Ling Se agreed and then brought up an important matter: her maid, Ping'er, was still at the Ling Mansion, and she feared Ping'er would be mistreated without her there. She asked Zilu to send someone to bring Ping'er to the Xu Mansion as a favor.
Zilu instructed his steward, Fuding, to go to the Ling Mansion immediately to retrieve Ping'er, emphasizing that the maid must be brought back, warning of his temper if the task wasn't completed. Ling Se also tentatively asked if the wedding gift money, since they were the main figures, would be split equally. Zilu told her they would discuss the money only after the banquet was successfully organized. Ling Se then met with Liu Yeniang to discuss the banquet.
Xu family staff initially planned lavish decorations and tableware, but Ling Se, as the Young Madam, insisted on using the most ordinary and cheap items possible, citing the tight timeline and the impracticality of expensive items that guests might break. Liu Yeniang was surprised by the low budget from the wealthy Xu family. Ling Se explained they could still make money and reminded Liu Yeniang that she hadn't forgotten her in her own past ventures.
Liu Yeniang agreed but playfully requested that Ling Se bring Zilu to her shop often so she could openly admire him. Meanwhile, at the academy, Ping'er was with Wang Zhujue when Ling Shuo arrived, surprised to see Ping'er there. Ling Shuo explained that he had warned his sister, Ling Se, to flee when he heard their mother planned to sell her, but he didn't know where she had gone afterwards.
Wang Zhujue mentioned meeting Ping'er the previous night while looking for "midnight wine." Other students overheard and accused Wang Zhujue of breaking curfew, believing "midnight wine" was literally wine drunk at midnight. Ping'er corrected them, explaining the historical context of "midnight wine" as a term referencing talented but frustrated scholars and the poet Jun Jinzhi, and that it was a specific type of wine. Wang Zhujue was impressed by her knowledge.
A servant then arrived, informing Ling Shuo that his father wanted him to return home for his sister's wedding banquet. Confused about Ling Se marrying, they rushed to the Ling Mansion to find out more. At the Ling Mansion, they found a servant from the Xu family demanding Ping'er be handed over, stating Young Master Xu's order to bring her back. The Ling family master claimed Ping'er had been kicked out.
Ling Shuo arrived during this confrontation and learned Ling Se was marrying Xu Zilu. He immediately assumed Zilu was kidnapping her due to a past conflict. Ping'er, Ling Shuo, and Wang Zhujue decided to go to the Xu Mansion to rescue Ling Se, forcing their way in and causing damage. Amidst the chaos they created inside the Xu Mansion, they found Ling Se. Ling Shuo and Wang Zhujue attempted to "rescue" her, assuming she was being held captive.
Ling Se stopped them, revealing that she was there willingly and had chosen to marry Zilu. She explained she had even been the one to ask Zilu to bring Ping'er to the mansion. Ling Se scolded Ling Shuo for jumping to conclusions, asking how valuable he thought she was to be kidnapped. Ping'er was hurt and angry that Ling Se had forgotten her when she fled the Ling Mansion. Ling Se apologized, saying she had left in a hurry.
To make up, she gave Ping'er some roast chicken she had saved from the banquet. Ping'er forgave her after eating and gave Ling Se a waterproof purse she had handmade as a belated birthday gift, telling her to keep all her money in it. Ling Se confided in Ping'er about her agreement with Zilu: a fake marriage for a year in exchange for her shop back and 500 taels, claiming it was a good deal.
She showed Ping'er the paper she believed was their agreement. Since Ling Se couldn't read, Ping'er read the paper and revealed it wasn't an agreement at all, but a famous classical poem about loss and futility, implying Ling Se's hopes were in vain. Realizing Zilu had tricked her, Ling Se became enraged and went to confront him immediately. Xu Zilu was waiting, having anticipated Ling Se's arrival since she mentioned Ping'er could read earlier that day.
Ling Se confronted him angrily about the fake agreement. Zilu calmly explained that while there wasn't a written contract, he would still keep his word regarding their arrangement. Ling Se, however, didn't trust him after discovering the deception and demanded he sign a new agreement and give her the wedding gift money. Zilu agreed to settle the accounts for the day. He listed the income from wedding gifts at 811 taels, which excited Ling Se.
He then listed the numerous expenses: the expensive banquet tables (ordered from top restaurants at 5 taels each, even with a discount), the costs for drinks, decorations, and invitations (totaling 30 taels), and the significant cost of compensating for the damage caused by Ling Shuo and Ping'er's group during their forceful entry, including repairs and medical expenses for injured staff.
After totaling the expenses at 900 taels and subtracting them from the income, Zilu stated that Ling Se actually owed him 89 taels, which he then rounded down to 45 taels. He told her they would discuss the agreement further only after she paid him the money she owed. Ling Se threatened to expose their fake marriage to everyone.
Zilu remained unfazed, reminding her that they had just publicly held a grand wedding, where she herself had told everyone she married him willingly. He pointed out that no one would believe her now. Ling Se, defeated and furious by his cunning, stormed away.
