Debit Queen Episode 4 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Ling Se went to visit Old Madam Xu, who was happily selecting fabrics with Ms. Jia, planning to make new clothes for Ling Se. Old Madam was overjoyed to have Ling Se, saying she always wanted a daughter and was glad Xu Zilu brought her home so she could finally dress someone up.
Ling Se tried to confess something about her and Xu Zilu, but Old Madam kept interrupting, expressing affection and telling Ling Se not to feel bad for others' opinions. She assured Ling Se that she now had a mother who would protect her and provide for her. Xu Zilu arrived, questioning if Ling Se was complaining about him.
Old Madam immediately assumed they had argued and demanded Xu Zilu apologize, citing a family rule that the husband is always at fault in a marital dispute. Xu Zilu protested, but Old Madam insisted. He gave a half-hearted apology. Old Madam then mentioned that Tao Meili had caused a scene at their home and instructed Xu Zilu to go apologize to the Tao Mansion immediately because the Imperial Merchants Conference was approaching and they couldn't afford any issues.
Xu Zilu replied that it depended on his wife's wishes. Old Madam implored Ling Se to help and keep an eye on him. Ling Se agreed, and they returned to discussing fabric choices. After Xu Zilu and Ling Se left Old Madam, Ling Se sarcastically commented on Xu Zilu's "cunning" tactic but declared she would not leave, telling him not to regret it. Ping'er, their maid, asked what had happened, noting that Ling Se had discovered their agreement was fake.
Ping'er suggested he just give her a real one, but Xu Zilu dismissed the idea, stating it was hard to discern people's hearts and he wouldn't give her a real agreement unless he was sure she was trustworthy. Ping'er predicted he would regret it. The next morning, Ping'er informed Ling Se that Xu Zilu had gone out. When Xu Zilu returned at noon, he asked if anything unusual had happened, clearly worried.
Ping'er teased him, saying he'd been fretting all morning about Ling Se causing trouble, and added that Ling Se had been well-behaved. Xu Zilu wondered what kind of "weird things" she could even do alone. Ling Se then appeared and revealed she had redecorated his room in green, explaining she did it for a "new start".
Xu Zilu was furious and ordered her to change it back, but Old Madam arrived, declared she liked the green decor, and forbade anyone from changing it. Ling Se then invited them for lunch, having prepared a table full of food. Old Madam was delighted, especially when Ling Se mentioned she had made Sichuan food, as Old Madam grew up in the region and called it "Yummy" ("巴适"). Xu Zilu reluctantly sat down.
Knowing Xu Zilu hated spicy food, Ling Se encouraged him to try dishes like Duck Blood in Chili Sauce and Poached Spicy Pork Slices, then pointed out that the Cabbage in Mustard Sauce was the spiciest. Soon after eating the spicy food, Xu Zilu complained of a stomach ache and rushed to the toilet while Ling Se mocked him.
Later, Xu Zilu was talking to his Uncle, who commented on how many times he'd run to the toilet and asked if he was sick. Xu Zilu said he just had a stomach ache. Uncle suggested that despite the recent trouble, it was better to reconcile with the Tao family and that Xu Zilu should visit them again. Xu Zilu doubted it, saying he likely couldn't even get through their door.
Uncle offered to accompany him, confident that Mr. Tao wouldn't refuse him. They agreed to go the next day. Ling Se brought snacks she had made to Old Madam early the next morning. Old Madam was thrilled, praising Ling Se and her baking skills, saying she was lucky to have such a daughter-in-law and asking if Ling Se could make other types of pastries. Ling Se mentioned she could.
Ling Se then tried to excuse herself to go to the market for her stall business. Xu Zilu arrived and suggested Old Madam take Ling Se to play mahjong with her friends, hinting at her skill (likely referencing the previous day's meal). Old Madam eagerly agreed, wanting to show off her new daughter-in-law and humble her friends who boasted about their own.
Ling Se protested that she needed to go to the market, but Old Madam insisted, supported by Xu Zilu. Ling Se resigned herself to playing. Ping'er stayed to watch, remarking on Old Madam's tendency to argue while playing and how Xu Zilu was cunning to keep Ling Se busy. Xu Zilu instructed Ping'er to ensure Ling Se didn't leave until the game was over.
During the mahjong game, the other ladies were loudly arguing amongst themselves about their children and spitting insults and food. Ling Se took advantage of their distraction, quietly achieving a "self-drawn victory with all tiles in one suit". She won several rounds, leaving the other ladies speechless and complaining about losing too much. They quickly ended the game and left. Ling Se and Ping'er were finally free.
Ling Se noted that Xu Zilu had deliberately trapped her there to prevent her from going to the market. Ping'er pointed out how much she had won. Ling Se sighed, saying it was too late to set up her stall anyway. She explained that the winnings would have to be spent treating the other ladies according to custom, so it was like the money was just passing through her hands.
She decided instead to use some of the money to buy a gift for Old Madam. Meanwhile, Tao Meili was home, furious and smashing items in her room. Her father, Mr. Tao, tried to comfort her, saying she could break anything she liked. She was heartbroken over the Xu family situation. Her servant suggested shopping to cheer her up, which Tao Meili readily agreed to, instructing the servant to prepare plenty of money.
At a jewelry shop, Tao Meili spotted a bracelet she wanted. She called Ling Se a "Stingy Girl" when she saw her enter the shop. Ling Se also showed interest in the same bracelet, leading to a dispute. Tao Meili accused Ling Se of constantly competing with her for everything. Ping'er warned them they might break the bracelet. Ling Se let go. Tao Meili declared she would buy it for 300 coins.
Ling Se then started bidding higher, driving the price up to 5 taels of silver. Tao Meili paid the inflated price, then proceeded to buy other items that Ling Se showed even a slight interest in, wanting to prove she was superior and prevent Ling Se from getting anything. She even bought an entire row of valuable items, including rare green agate, after the owner presented them.
Ping'er advised Tao Meili against being so impulsive, but Tao Meili ignored her, determined to surpass Ling Se. Tao Meili paid and left, feeling smug that Ling Se had bought nothing. After Tao Meili left, Ling Se spoke to the shop owner. She acknowledged that he had made a good profit thanks to her. She then asked for a discount on a specific bead string, claiming she was short a few coins.
The owner praised her eye for quality, revealing the bead string was more valuable than everything Tao Meili had bought combined. He called Ling Se his "God of Wealth" and said she could pay any price she wished for it today. Ling Se joked that the real God of Wealth was Tao Meili, who was "stupid and rich," and told the owner to mention her name if Tao Meili ever returned, promising she would buy everything.
Ling Se acquired the bead string at a heavily discounted price. Later, while admiring her purchases, Tao Meili was told by her servant that she had been tricked. The servant explained that Ling Se had deliberately raised the prices and shown interest in items she didn't intend to buy, solely to make Tao Meili overspend. Tao Meili was furious upon realizing she had been manipulated and wasted so much money.
At the Tao Mansion, Xu Zilu and his Uncle were kept waiting in the main hall for a long time before Mr. Tao finally appeared. Xu Zilu presented a gift, expensive Wuyi Mountain Dahongpao tea, which his Uncle had acquired. Mr. Tao accepted the gift and asked them to state their purpose quickly. Xu Zilu inquired about the outstanding cooperation agreement.
Mr. Tao accused him of playing dumb, stating that his daughter had become a city-wide joke because of the incident, making cooperation impossible. Uncle intervened, arguing that business should be separate from personal matters and that since their families were neighbors, it would be better to resolve the conflict amicably. He offered to raise the agreed price by 20% if the cooperation could continue and added that Xu Zilu would apologize to Tao Meili.
Mr. Tao seemed to consider the offer, saying that if his daughter could receive a satisfactory explanation, they could talk business. Just then, Tao Meili returned home and was enraged to see Xu Zilu. She demanded he leave immediately and stated that no one from the Xu family was ever welcome in the Tao Mansion again. Mr. Tao was bewildered and asked what was happening.
A servant explained that Tao Meili had clashed with "that girl" (Ling Se) again, and Xu's Young Madam had colluded with the jewelry shop owner to cheat Tao Meili out of money. Mr. Tao tried to appease his daughter about the lost money. Xu Zilu stepped forward, saying he was unaware of the details but would take responsibility for the money lost. He stated that Ling Se was his wife and he would apologize on her behalf.
Tao Meili was furious that he called Ling Se his wife and defended her, pointing out how Ling Se had publicly embarrassed her multiple times. She demanded that Ling Se come and kneel before her until she was satisfied, threatening that otherwise, Xu Zilu would never do business with her father. Uncle immediately suggested that Xu Zilu should have Ling Se come to apologize.
However, Xu Zilu disagreed, stating that "it takes two to tango," and if his wife was to apologize, Tao Meili must also apologize to his wife. Mr. Tao was outraged, demanding to know who Ling Se was that his daughter should apologize to her. Xu Zilu maintained that as businessmen, they should focus on business, not personal feelings. He argued that their relationship was purely one of cooperation, and even if they couldn't reach an agreement, they should part civilly.
He clarified that he had never behaved improperly towards Tao Meili or promised her marriage, and any conflict between her and his wife stemmed from her own wishful thinking, adding that Mr. Tao was well aware of his daughter's temper. He firmly stated that he never begged others for cooperation and that the Xu family had other potential business partners. Mr. Tao was enraged by Xu Zilu's defiance and ordered him to "Get out." Xu Zilu said goodbye and left.
Uncle followed him, criticizing his impulsive behavior and his refusal to apologize simply to feel good. He argued that a simple apology would have resolved the immediate crisis and questioned if Xu Zilu valued that woman more than the Xu family's future. Xu Zilu denied caring about Ling Se, explaining that yielding to the Taos' demand would give them undue leverage in the future. He reiterated that true business partners required mutual trust, implying Mr. Tao was not trustworthy.
Uncle accepted his reasoning but insisted that Xu Zilu must control his wife and prevent her from causing any more trouble before the upcoming Imperial Merchant Conference, advising him to be cautious in his interactions. Later, Ling Se and Ping'er were preparing for their morning sales, needing a large jar to make fermented goods. Ling Se discovered her jar was missing and was angry, suspecting someone had stolen it, possibly the butler.
Xu Zilu appeared and admitted he had taken it. Ling Se accused him of deliberately interfering with her livelihood. Xu Zilu retorted that she had had good fortune that day (referencing her winnings from the mahjong game and her interaction at the jewelry shop) and questioned if colluding with the shop owner to trick Tao Meili could be considered "aboveboard."
