Debit Queen Episode 7 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Linchun City buzzed with gossip about Xu Zilu. At Fulai Inn, Liu Yeniang teased Ling Se, calling her a poor dear sister living like a widow. Ling Se, frustrated, pressed Liu Yeniang for the interest money she was due. As she collected the money, Nosy Parker approached, boasting about the effectiveness of his publicity. Ling Se was furious, confronting him for spreading rumors about Xu Zilu's "bedroom secrets," which now involved her.
Nosy Parker claimed rumors were uncontrollable and he couldn't be blamed. Ling Se demanded he find a way to suppress the gossip, giving him the money she just received to fund the effort.
Nosy Parker then publicly announced he would give ten coins to anyone who stopped talking about Xu Zilu's poor health, leading to a new wave of rumors suggesting Xu Zilu was trying to buy silence because he lacked ability and was "biting off more than he could chew." Xu Zilu overheard this while conducting business and was deeply embarrassed, leaving quickly. Ling Se felt remorse for having previously wronged Xu Zilu and for the trouble the rumors were causing him.
She offered to do anything she could to help. Xu Zilu reassured her, stating that the cancellation of the cooperation with the Tao family was due to his own reasons, not hers, and she shouldn't feel guilty.
Ling Se learned from Ping'er that the crucial pepper needed for Xu Zilu's Jiuchongtian Incense formula was destroyed in a fire at the port, and with the Tao family cutting off supply, he had no way to get more unless he traded his exclusive formula. She was worried about the dire situation. Coincidentally, she was meeting Pavarotti, a Western merchant she had previously helped. While eating a meal of roast lamb, Pavarotti generously added a large amount of pepper.
Ling Se, realizing the abundance, excitedly asked how much pepper he had. Pavarotti replied he had several sacks. Ling Se immediately took Pavarotti to Xu Zilu. Xu Zilu offered to buy the pepper at a high market price, ten taels per kilo. However, Pavarotti, declaring Xu Zilu his friend, refused payment and insisted on giving the pepper to him for free. With the crucial pepper problem solved, Xu Zilu thanked Ling Se for her timely assistance.
Ling Se then promised to help resolve the issue of the persistent rumors as well. Xu Zilu suggested she not bother, saying people would eventually forget. Ling Se insisted she must find a way, feeling she owed him. Xu Zilu, in a moment of dry humor, asked if she planned to stage a public performance to dispel the rumors. Ling Se, inspired by the idea, replied that Xu Zilu was indeed smart and declared she had a plan.
To implement her plan, Ling Se invited several of the city's most talkative women to the Xu mansion under the guise of a barbecue. Meanwhile, she entered Xu Zilu's study, informing him that the "audience" was in place and she was ready to begin their "performance" to dispel the rumors. Xu Zilu told her to leave, but Ling Se countered that her leaving now would only confirm the rumors of his supposed illness. Reluctantly, Xu Zilu allowed her to stay.
Ling Se's initial plan involved shaking the bed vigorously, but she discovered Xu Zilu's redwood bed was exceptionally sturdy, custom-made and built not to make noise. Her plan ruined, she decided to saw the bed legs. The strenuous task left her arms numb, and she was about to give up and leave when Xu Zilu stopped her, insisting she stay in his room for the night as leaving would solidify the rumors.
Ling Se asked where she would sleep, and Xu Zilu told her she could sleep anywhere but the bed. She settled on the table, eventually falling asleep. After finishing his work, Xu Zilu saw her asleep and gently covered her with a blanket. As he went to sit on the bed, it collapsed with a loud crash, sending him tumbling to the floor.
The noise woke Ling Se, who, seeing him on the ground, jokingly asked why he was giving her a deep bow in the middle of the night. Outside, the women gathered for the barbecue heard the noises and were convinced the rumors about Xu Zilu were false, cheering that he was strong as ever. Earlier, Ling Se's father returned home and expressed concern to his wife that Ling Se might be responsible for the rumors about Xu Zilu.
His wife criticized Ling Se for being restless even after marriage. Ling father worried that if Xu Zilu's mother became resentful of Ling Se, it could jeopardize their business dealings with the Xu family, which he called "long-term benefits." Ling mother suggested they act proactively before Xu Zilu's mother could express her displeasure, by hosting a banquet for the Xu family to apologize.
Ling father agreed it was a good strategy, acknowledging it might cost them some dignity, but prioritizing the long-term business interests. The Ling family sent an invitation to the Xu family. Upon receiving it, Ling Se advised Xu Zilu's mother not to go, suggesting they first find out the real reason for the invitation, as it wasn't a holiday.
Xu Zilu's mother felt it would be disrespectful not to attend, especially since she hadn't visited the Ling family since Ling Se's marriage. Understanding Ling Se's concern was well-intentioned, she decided she would go, but asked Xu Zilu to accompany Ling Se, and instructed him to ensure the gifts were prepared carefully so Ling Se wouldn't lose face. Xu Zilu agreed.
As they prepared to leave, Ling Se playfully suggested they lie to Xu Zilu's mother and say they went, citing his busy schedule and her fear of embarrassing him. Xu Zilu dismissed the idea, noting that Ling father was now his father-in-law and business partner, and not attending would be disrespectful. Ling Se offered him ten coins, claiming it was all she had left after paying to suppress the rumors, and joked he could accept payment.
Xu Zilu lightheartedly countered by asking for a hundred taels. Unbeknownst to most, Wang Zhujue, Ling Se's acquaintance from her classics lesson, where she famously didn't know what 'Liu Shang Qu Shui' was and declared she would host one, was planning to host his own 'Wine Cups Floating Feast' in three days, aiming to make history.
He instructed his subordinate to send invitations to scholars and guests, specifically excluding those with poor reputations like Xu Zilu, but including Xu Zilu's wife, Ling Se, and her maid Ping'er. Ling Se's brother, Ling Shuo, was involved in assisting Wang Zhujue with the arrangements. Ling Shuo then privately asked Wang Zhujue to attend the dinner at the Ling mansion to support Ling Se, as their father would likely criticize her to curry favor with Xu Zilu.
Wang Zhujue readily agreed to help. At the dinner at the Ling Mansion, Wang Zhujue arrived, stating he was representing his father the governor, who was too busy to attend but wished to acknowledge the cooperation between the two families. During the meal, Ling father began to harshly lecture Ling Se, telling her she was inconsiderate for not serving her husband and elders, and reminding her that a wife must "follow her husband's rules."
Wang Zhujue abruptly interrupted, claiming that Xu Young Madam had suffered greatly. Despite Ling Se's denials, Wang Zhujue accused Xu Zilu of being a scumbag who publicly humiliated his wife late at night, making her a citywide joke and leaving her defenseless when kidnapped – accusations seemingly based on the very rumors Ling Se was trying to dispel.
Ling father, surprisingly, agreed with Wang Zhujue's harsh words towards Ling Se, telling Xu Zilu that his daughter was ill-tempered and wild, mixing with all sorts of people, and that Xu Zilu should discipline her severely without regard for her dignity, so long as it didn't affect the relationship between the two families. Xu Zilu seemed taken aback by Ling father's unexpected agreement.
