Debit Queen Episode 9 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Ling Se and Wang Zhujue left the gambling house disappointed. Wang Zhujue lamented that his father would surely punish him severely for losing his allowance. Ping'er, feeling sympathetic, offered to lend him money she won from a small lottery to help him pay his debt to Liu Yeniang, and even offered to contribute more if needed. Ling Se intervened, advising against simply bailing him out and emphasizing the need for a proper business to earn money together.
Upon returning to the Xu Mansion, Ling Se overheard Fuding complaining that Liu Yeniang was charging them to store items at the Fulai Inn. Ling Se inquired about the situation and learned it involved a batch of tea that had gotten damp. Fuding explained that the tea was unusable for making perfume, which required high-quality leaves, although it could still be drunk after drying. Ling Se then decided to ask Xu Zilu about buying the damp tea.
Ling Se approached Xu Zilu with dessert and claimed she made it. Xu Zilu tasted it and recognized it as being from the Xu Mansion, knowing she hadn't made it herself. Ling Se offered to make him some real dessert later. Sensing she had something to ask, Xu Zilu prompted her. Ling Se revealed her intention to buy the damp tea from Fulai Inn.
Xu Zilu stated he could sell it to others for fifty taels and asked how much she would offer. Ling Se pleaded with him, acting cute and offering all the money she had, suggesting a profit share after she used her "magical touch" to process the tea. Amused by her persistence, Xu Zilu eventually agreed to give her the tea for free. Ling Se was surprised, suspecting he had an ulterior motive, but he assured her he did not.
Ling Se then felt relieved. Mother Xu noticed Ling Se was not eating with them lately and asked Xu Zilu what she had been doing. Xu Zilu informed his mother that Ling Se was busy experimenting with the damp tea to create new things, hoping to sell them. Mother Xu was happy about Ling Se's industriousness and encouraged Xu Zilu to assist her. Xu Zilu said he would go when he had time.
Mother Xu told Xu Zilu to take some food and visit Ling Se, pleased that her son seemed to be showing interest. Xu Zilu took food to Ling Se's room and found her unsteady. He quickly helped her sit down and learned she was tea-drunk from trying countless recipes.
Expressing his concern, he urged her to take better care of herself and promised to help her taste test after he finished his work, suggesting she keep milk handy to counteract tea intoxication. Ling Se continued her experiments, adding pepper to the tea. As she was about to taste the mixture, Xu Zilu stopped her and tried it himself, finding it extremely spicy and causing his tongue to go numb.
Ling Se insisted she needed to taste it herself to know how to improve the recipe. While trying to stop her, Xu Zilu accidentally spilled the tea-pepper mixture into a cup of milk. Ling Se decided to try the resulting drink and found the taste quite good. Xu Zilu agreed it was decent but felt the pepper was overpowering the tea flavor. They eventually succeeded in developing a usable recipe for "Aromatic Tea."
Ling Se brought the Aromatic Tea to Fulai Inn and offered free samples to customers. Everyone who tried it found it delicious, leading to many inquiries about purchasing it. Seeing the positive reception, Ling Se decided to develop the tea business. Xu Zilu discussed her plans with her and suggested opening a shop, explaining that selling from a shop would allow her to set a higher price and increase her profits compared to a stall.
Ling Se was excited by the idea and rushed off to discuss it with Ping'er, leaving Xu Zilu feeling disappointed, as he had intended to offer her a shop of his own. Later, while having a meal with Wang Zhujue and Ping'er, Ling Se learned that Wang Zhujue owned a shop.
Knowing he was in debt to Liu Yeniang and needed money, she persuaded him to lend her the shop in exchange for a five percent profit share, presenting it as a mutually beneficial partnership. Wang Zhujue, seeing the opportunity to make money effortlessly, agreed and went to retrieve the title deed from his father. Meanwhile, Xu Zilu, contemplating how to give Ling Se a shop, was advised by Fuding to simply give her the title deed directly.
Xu Zilu resolved to do so but was dismayed to discover that Ling Se had already partnered with Wang Zhujue. He left in disappointment. Separately, Xu Zilu began to suspect issues with the Xu family in Furong City, possibly related to the damp tea incident. He devised a plan involving reviewing twelve months of their shipment orders, believing this would expose any wrongdoing. He instructed a staff member to quickly organize the records.
In another scene, Wang Zhujue attempted to placate his father, Magistrate Wang, who was concerned about his recent losses, by presenting him with a "Scalp Soothing Massager," described as a "Gadget that makes Father happy." Magistrate Wang was skeptical of the device, calling it a "murder weapon." Mr. Tao arrived to discuss organizing a charity donation for refugees with Magistrate Wang.
Magistrate Wang also mentioned a difficult case he was discreetly handling involving a runaway maid, acknowledging the challenge of finding her. Mr. Tao offered assistance with creating a portrait and posting notices. The next day, Ling Se prepared to visit Wang Zhujue's shop. Xu Zilu tried to convince her to go shopping with him instead, promising to buy her anything she wanted, but she declined, insisting she had an important matter to attend to with Wang Zhujue's shop.
Despite her refusal, Xu Zilu followed her, telling her to ignore him and focus on her own tasks. Xu Zilu received news that a man he was looking for, Manager Wan, had gone to Wanhua House. Believing Manager Wan was involved in the Furong City issue and had taken his bait, Xu Zilu instructed his staff to split up and apprehend him.
Ling Se saw Xu Zilu and his staff and questioned if he was following her, noticing one of his staff members nearby. Xu Zilu told her she would understand shortly. Manager Wan realized he had been trapped when he reviewed the accounts, which seemed correct but exposed their scheme. He attempted to flee. Xu Zilu's staff pursued him, and Manager Wan tried to talk his way out of the situation by claiming it was a misunderstanding before running off again. The chase continued.
