Gone with the Rain Episode 2 Recap
> Gone with the Rain Recap
As Chen Wende consolidated his control over Jingzhou City, he initiated a brutal crackdown, dispatching officials to the Six Ministries to compile lists of anyone connected to the now-fled Prime Minister Wu. Those with minor associations faced arrest, while entire families of serious offenders were to be executed. Bai Wentai, who had recently interacted with Prime Minister Wu, found himself implicated as an accomplice.
His desperate pleas for mercy, even mentioning his daughter Fengyao, were met with scorn by Chen Wende, who dismissed Fengyao as a "little daughter" and demanded a crippling fine of a thousand bolts of silk instead, cancelling any previous marriage arrangements. Bai Wentai's wife expressed dismay, fearing the demand would bankrupt them and lead to Bai Wentai and Pengkun's imprisonment. Both lamented the Bai family's declining fortunes and the misfortune that had befallen them.
True to Chen Wende's word, his men soon arrived at the Bai Mansion, confiscating all valuables. Bai Wentai desperately tried to save a particular family heirloom, but his pleas were ignored. Observing the scene, Mo Xi recalled a poignant memory of her gravely ill mother, on her deathbed, begging Bai Wentai and his wife (the Second Aunt in the flashback) to formally acknowledge Mo Xi.
Despite the Second Aunt's disdain for Mo Xi's humble origins, her mother offered to return a mansion and a precious family heirloom, which had been intended as Mo Xi's dowry. Now, seeing the heirloom being seized, Mo Xi bitterly reflected that Bai Wentai, who had taken her mother's possessions but always treated Mo Xi poorly, was ultimately unable to keep what was never truly his.
The family's financial ruin led to severe rationing, with Mo Xi receiving only moldy steamed cakes for her meals. When a servant brought food from Fengyao, who was offering her own meal, Mo Xi firmly but kindly refused, insisting Fengyao eat it herself and not worry, as Mo Xi would find her own solution. Determined, Mo Xi secretly ventured out to the market. Amidst the chaos, she overheard people discussing the Beishuo Army's ongoing hunt for escaped spies.
With all her meager savings, Mo Xi purchased some gamy sheep's head meat, as many other food stalls were closed due to the unrest. Returning to her courtyard, she was startled to discover an unconscious, injured man lying within the walls. Mo Xi brought the bleeding man into her room. Spotting a "Courageous Commandant of Longxiang Army" tag, she suspected he might be the spy the Beishuo Army was hunting. As she tended to his slash wounds, the man awoke.
He thanked her for saving his life, and Mo Xi introduced herself as Bai Moxi. When he inquired about her family, she stated her parents had passed away long ago and she lived alone, warning him against any improper intentions. The man then asked her to purchase wound remedies. The next day, at the apothecary, Mo Xi discovered a wanted poster, confirming her suspicion that the man was a highly sought-after criminal.
Despite her fear of harboring a fugitive, she resolved to help him. Confronted by a suspicious soldier, Mo Xi shrewdly claimed General Chen Wende was a close friend of her uncle, threatening the soldier with severe repercussions. She then confronted Physician Huang, demanding medicine. When he hesitated, Mo Xi reminded him of a past incident where he helped her cousin fake an illness to avoid marrying Chen Wende.
She used this secret to blackmail him, declaring they were "in the same boat" and if she revealed his past, both would face Chen Wende's ruthless wrath. Cornered, Physician Huang reluctantly agreed to dispense the necessary medicine. Meanwhile, Fengyao and her maid came to Mo Xi's courtyard, worried by her absence given the city's dangers.
Fengyao also confided in her maid about a missing pearl ornament, worth three taels of gold, from her shoe, instructing the maid to hide the shoes from her mother due to their family's financial distress. Unbeknownst to them, Wan Jiagui, who had hidden under Mo Xi's bed, overheard their conversation and then found a hidden box containing the missing pearl. This led him to mistakenly believe Mo Xi was a thief.
When Mo Xi returned, she triumphantly declared she had acquired the medicine without spending a penny. Wan Jiagui, however, urged her to pay the physician, remarking that doctors deserve compensation, and then lectured her about the moral and legal consequences of "theft and robbery." Insulted and enraged by the accusation, Mo Xi stormed out of the room. Soon after, Bai Pengkun arrived at Mo Xi's courtyard.
He offered to help her gain official recognition within the Bai clan by manipulating his mother with a fabricated prophecy about Mo Xi's birth date. In return, he asked Mo Xi to wait for him in the courtyard that night for a favor he would later reveal. Aware of Bai Pengkun's sinister intentions, Mo Xi remained vigilant.
Wan Jiagui, still recovering, offered Mo Xi money as compensation, but she scornfully refused, stating she despised hypocrites who offered money while looking down on her as a thief. That evening, Bai Pengkun, having received payment from Mr. Zheng, brought him to Mo Xi's courtyard, touting him as a wealthy, elegant scholar and an "ideal husband" for her, suggesting they "get to know each other."
Furious at being sold off, Mo Xi grabbed a broom and violently beat Bai Pengkun, accusing him of scheming against her, and confiscated his money bag. Wan Jiagui, who had been observing the incident, realized the escalating danger and decided he must quickly escape the city to report to General Chu. He once again apologized to Mo Xi and requested to stay for a few more days, offering further financial compensation.
Mo Xi, discerning that he had likely encountered the rebel army when attempting to leave, again rejected his money, claiming she had enough from her "stealing and robbing." She pointed out that his injuries and the city's turmoil made it too dangerous for him to leave, and no one else would dare shelter him.
She then boldly proposed that instead of money, he sign a marriage contract with her in exchange for her continued help, a suggestion Wan Jiagui deemed "absurd," insisting marriage was not child's play. Meanwhile, Bai Wentai, despite the family's dire financial straits, continued to indulge in his hobby of collecting antiques.
The Bai family faced further financial woes when they discovered they couldn't collect rent from their fields outside the city, as the farmers, emboldened by the family's weakened position after Chen Wende's heavy fine, refused to pay. Second Madam, exasperated, urged Bai Wentai to reconcile with Chen Wende. She suggested he apologize, claim his association with Prime Minister Wu was purely superficial, and offer their daughter as a concubine to secure the family's future.
