Hilarious Family 2 Episode 24 Recap
> Hilarious Family 2 Recap
Jing Kan apologized to Wei Junyi for giving away the Banfang Tea recipe without her permission. Wei Junyi assured him that neither he nor Ai Sixi needed to apologize, as clearing Ai Sixi's name was worth more than the recipe. However, Wei Junyi then expressed concern about what they would use for the upcoming Tea Contest. She noted that Luo Zhusi, as the chief manager of Jinyu Tea, would have to work harder, and Luo Zhusi readily accepted this responsibility.
Luo Zhusi then expressed concern that Laolongtan Tea had gained an advantage with their success. Wei Junyi asked Jing Kan if he would still compete in the upcoming Tea Contest. Jing Kan confidently affirmed he would, stating that the incident had given him a deeper understanding of tea and he now had a knack for tea-making. Wei Junyi, though pleased, gently cautioned him against overconfidence.
Luo Zhusi, however, praised Jing Kan's positive outlook and declared her relief that the Jing family now had a worthy successor, encouraging him to work hard. Wei Junyi then told Jing Kan to sit but quickly added that Luo Zhusi shouldn't flatter him, acknowledging his achievements but noting he was still far from being completely independent. A servant announced Mr. Wang's urgent arrival.
Mr. Wang reported that Laolongtan Tea planned to open branches next to every Jinyu Tea shop, an aggressive move to squeeze them out. He demanded punishment for the person who leaked the Banfang Tea recipe, angrily accusing Jing Kan of making things worse and ruining Jinyu Tea. Luo Zhusi tried to calm him, saying there was always a way out and she believed Jing Kan would make even better tea.
However, Mr. Wang continued, passionately defending Luo Zhusi's hard work and dedication over the years, claiming Jing Kan had undone it all. Enraged by Mr. Wang's disrespect and accusations, Wei Junyi ordered him removed. Despite being escorted out, Mr. Wang defiantly declared his loyalty to Jinyu Tea, stating "My heart for Jinyu Tea, heaven and earth can testify, sun and moon can bear witness!" .
Wei Junyi then asked Luo Zhusi if she was the one who summoned him, but Luo Zhusi denied it, asserting her loyalty. Jing Kan, determined, resolved to prove Mr. Wang wrong. Later, Cuiying confronted Mr. Wang, chastising him for his impulsive behavior that angered Wei Junyi. Mr. Wang admitted he was worried about Luo Zhusi, lamenting that she always had to clean up others' messes and had sacrificed her personal life by remaining unmarried. Cuiying warned him against speaking dangerously.
Mr. Wang explained that he had stayed loyal to Luo Zhusi despite a lucrative offer from Ruicao Tea because he was concerned for her, feeling she was desperate and had no one to help her. Cuiying countered, revealing that the spy she had sent to Jing Kan had actually greatly assisted Jing Kan in remaking the Banfang Tea, astonishing Mr. Wang. Cuiying then dismissed the entire conversation, warning Mr. Wang to suppress his "desire" for his own good.
Cuiying then confronted Ruan Ling, calling him a liar and demanding he leave the shop. She accused him of betraying her by helping Jing Kan remake Banfang Tea, which had caused fear within Jinyu Tea. Ruan Ling denied making the tea but acknowledged his contribution, which Cuiying interpreted as him making things easier for Jing Kan.
Cuiying reminded him of a past fraud involving fifty taels of silver from the Baita Bridge shop that he got away with thanks to her intervention and threatened to expose him as a spy to his friends if he didn't leave the Anping Bridge shop within three days. Ruan Ling, unfazed, challenged her to do so, expressing confidence in his friendships and even offering suggestions for how she should relay the information.
Infuriated, Cuiying stormed off, threatening to tell everyone immediately. Ruan Ling, seeing her truly leave, quickly chased after her, admitting he was just kidding. After giving away the Banfang Tea recipe, Jing Kan decided to develop a new tea for the upcoming Tea Contest and sought Master Tea-gold's help.
The Master, however, imparted a final lesson on the true meaning of life, emphasizing family over achievements, citing the regrets of the Sage of Tea, Lu Yu, who died alone despite his unparalleled tea mastery. Master Tea-gold announced his departure to commemorate his late wife's death anniversary, instructing An Wanqing to settle him at his old house and then return.
Ai Sixi was surprised by Master Tea-gold's sudden departure, but Jing Kan assured her he would succeed in making a new tea. Jing Kan then attempted to create new tea but the results were poor. He presented his latest tea to Ai Sixi and Guiwei, who both found it bitter and astringent. Ai Sixi suggested bringing back Master Tea-gold, skeptically remarking that the tea was so bad no one would drink it, even with sweeteners.
Jing Kan dismissed the failure as an expected first step, attributing the tea's flaws to An Wanqing's absence, as she was crucial for precisely controlling the fire during the tea-frying process. He was confident that with her return, he would create something amazing. Guiwei mockingly called Jing Kan a braggart, but Jing Kan vowed to prove them wrong. Jing Kan then actively sought out and brought An Wanqing back to help.
However, even with her assistance, the subsequent batches of tea were still not ideal. While Jing Kan continued to outwardly declare he would launch several new teas, he was internally hesitant and struggled to pinpoint the problem. One evening, Jing Kan, Ai Sixi, and Guiwei gathered. Jing Kan did not fully reveal his inner fears, maintaining a facade of composure, while Ai Sixi noticed his struggle and offered encouragement.
When tasting a new batch, Guiwei still deemed it "ordinary tea," far from "excellent, extraordinary, or astonishing." Jing Kan explained he had simplified the tea-making process, specifically the "picking" step. Ai Sixi realized this left stems in the tea, reminding him that removing stems was key to clear-tasting Songluo Tea. Jing Kan insisted he wanted to surprise people with something new.
Ai Sixi then directly questioned if he could truly make a new tea by himself, to which Jing Kan adamantly replied, "Impossible," stating he was just exploring directions and would soon produce "excellent, extraordinary, and astonishing tea." Wei Shuangxi noticed Ruan Ling's unusual quietness. Ruan Ling confessed that Cuiying was pressuring him to leave, threatening to expose his past as a spy if he didn't.
He admitted to giving information about the "Seven Bowls of Tea" painting but regretted it, especially since Luo Zhusi had destroyed it, and he would have felt guilty if Banfang Tea hadn't been remade. Wei Shuangxi suggested he simply tell his friends the truth. Ruan Ling hesitated, fearing his true identity as a swindler would destroy the precious trust he had finally found, having grown up poor and friendless.
Wei Shuangxi then proposed a plan: Ruan Ling should provoke Guiwei into taking over as manager, creating a natural reason for Ruan Ling to leave without suspicion. Ruan Ling thought it was a brilliant idea, acknowledging Wei Shuangxi's wisdom. Their conversation then shifted to their own relationship, with Wei Shuangxi playfully defining them as "intimate friends," much to Ruan Ling's frustration.
Ruan Ling then tried to implement the plan by harshly ordering Guiwei to perform multiple strenuous tasks simultaneously, hoping to make him resentful enough to challenge him for the manager position. However, Guiwei, who now genuinely admired Ruan Ling and believed him to be a better manager, accepted all the demands with respect and obedience, expressing his newfound appreciation for Ruan Ling's guidance. Ruan Ling was baffled by Guiwei's unwavering loyalty, even calling his admiration "getting the wrong model."
Ruan Ling approached Ai Sixi, fabricating a story about Ruicao Tea offering him fifteen taels of silver a month to poach him, hoping to use it as an excuse to leave. Ai Sixi, determined to keep him, initially offered twelve taels, then readily agreed to match his requested fifteen taels. However, Ruan Ling insisted he was bored with the shop and couldn't get along with the others.
She then offered him a paid vacation and, seeing he was still insistent on leaving, gave him a substantial sum of silver as a "reward" and for his travels, assuring him Jinyu Tea's doors would always be open if he wished to return. This act of generosity only intensified Ruan Ling's guilt.
As Ruan Ling left, Ai Sixi also informed him that Jing Kan had already repaid the money he owed the fruit farmers, urging him to speak to Jing Kan directly if he truly intended to leave. Ruan Ling later found Jing Kan, who confessed his own struggles with developing a new tea, admitting he had underestimated the task and felt lost.
He trusted Ruan Ling with his fears, begging him not to tell anyone else and to help him find a solution. Ruan Ling tentatively suggested that his departure might help, but Jing Kan firmly refused, stating the shop needed him. Jing Kan thanked Ruan Ling for always considering his feelings, and despite his own distress, still showed concern for Ruan Ling's potential future embarrassment.
Jing Kan then asked Ruan Ling to inform the others that he would not be returning to the shop for a few days, as he couldn't face them in his current state, but asked Ruan Ling to visit him often. Ruan Ling, deeply distressed, poured his heart out to Wei Shuangxi.
He explained he couldn't bring himself to leave Jing Kan, who desperately needed him, and felt overwhelmed by the kindness shown by Guiwei and Ai Sixi, who respected him and willingly increased his pay. He wished they had been meaner, so he could leave without guilt. Wei Shuangxi urged him to stay, and then confessed the truth: everyone had known he was a spy from the moment Ruan Ling had first confided in her.
Ruan Ling was stunned, realizing that all his attempts to manipulate Guiwei and Ai Sixi had been known to them, yet they had still shown him such immense tolerance and kindness. He was moved to tears, pledging to repay their generosity and make their shop the best in Taiping County. Later, Ruan Ling presented Ai Sixi and Guiwei with expensive pastries, insisting on serving tea himself to show his gratitude.
He then tearfully recounted that his mother had bought shoes for Guiwei and Jing Kan before she passed. Upon learning that Ruan Ling had lost a shoe, Guiwei, whose feet were the same size as Ruan Ling's, secretly gave "his own new pair" (originally meant for him from Ruan Ling's mother) to Ruan Ling, having also secretly informed Jing Kan of Ruan Ling's lost shoe. Overcome with remorse for his past actions, Ruan Ling cried, lamenting his terrible behavior.
Ai Sixi comforted him, saying that correcting mistakes was enough. Ruan Ling then admitted that he was thankful to Luo Zhusi for sending him as a spy because it led to his bond with them. However, he specifically confessed that tipping off Luo Zhusi about the painting had delayed their remaking of Banfang Tea, yet they still forgave him. He expressed awe at their capacity for forgiveness. As he moved to embrace them in friendship, they teasingly pushed him away.
Ruan Ling then discovered his belongings had been packed, indicating they still had some secrets or perhaps even planned for his departure. Ruan Ling then realized Wei Shuangxi had tricked him into believing his identity was still a secret, and he called out to her, expressing his confusion and frustration.
