Gone with the Rain Episode 21 Recap
> Gone with the Rain Recap
Wan Mother, distraught, confronted Wan Jiagui, threatening to drink poison she held if he refused to marry Bai Fengyao that very day. Wan Jiagui tried to intervene, questioning why she was forcing him, hesitant to agree due to his feelings for Mo Xi. His mother remained resolute. Turning to Fengyao, Wan Mother tearfully explained the inherent dangers of Wan Jiagui's military assignments.
She worried that the Wan family lineage could end if he died without an heir, stressing the importance of having their own descendants and even permitting Fengyao to remarry in the future. Wan Jiagui tried to object, feeling it was unfair to Fengyao, but his mother quickly silenced him. Fengyao, however, stopped Mrs. Wan from kneeling, reaffirming her commitment by stating that she was arranged to marry General Wan and felt a duty to see it through.
She recalled deciding to remain a widow when he was presumed dead and declared she could not abandon him now with war impending. Wan Jiagui, recognizing the scent of apricot kernels from a past medicine, exposed his mother's "poison" as fake. His mother feigned dizziness in response, but then genuinely collapsed. A physician was immediately summoned, who delivered the devastating news: Mrs. Wan had an untreatable brain disease, detected by blood in her facial orifices.
He advised them to grant her every wish and prepare for her impending death. Both Mo Xi and Fengyao were deeply saddened by Mrs. Wan's sudden illness. Mo Xi then asked Fengyao if she was truly going to marry Wan Jiagui, especially since she had already agreed to the ceremony. Fengyao confirmed her intention, stating she would have refused otherwise. When Mo Xi then directly asked if Fengyao liked Wan Jiagui, Fengyao admitted that she did.
Upset, Mo Xi quickly retired to her room, secretly grieving. While Wan Jiagui tried to comfort his mother, suggesting her fainting was due to exhaustion, she, having experience running an apothecary, immediately discerned the true nature of her medicine. She pressed him for the truth about her illness and how much time she had left. Later, she made a heartfelt plea, asking him to marry Fengyao the following day as her final wish.
When Wan Jiagui suggested Mo Xi could stay in the household, perhaps as a sister-in-law, his mother, while admitting to liking Mo Xi's charm, revealed that Mrs. Bai had informed her of Mo Xi's birth mother being a courtesan. She instructed Wan Jiagui to arrange a marriage for Mo Xi with a man of humble background from a distant place to avoid scandal.
Wan Jiagui proposed Mo Xi as his wife, but his mother adamantly refused, threatening to kill herself before their ancestors' memorial tablets rather than accept a daughter-in-law of such lineage. Faced with his mother's extreme reaction, Wan Jiagui reluctantly agreed to marry Fengyao. Mo Xi observed the melancholic atmosphere in the Wan Mansion and discerned that Wan Jiagui's parents were intent on marrying him to Fengyao solely to secure an heir, entirely disregarding his true feelings.
She reflected on the irony of such a calculated arrangement and realized that ultimately her background was not worthy of entering the Wan family, and Wan Jiagui had failed to clarify the situation. Later, Wan Jiagui sought out Mo Xi but found himself unable to tell her about his impending marriage, recalling their shared memories.
The next morning, Fengyao found a distraught Mo Xi and asked her to accompany her to see Mr. and Mrs. Wan, as a servant had informed her of the summons and she felt anxious. Mo Xi, sensing an unusual atmosphere, rushed outside and discovered the mansion abuzz with wedding preparations. Fengyao then led Mo Xi to the main hall, where Mrs. Wan, in celebratory attire, announced that the wedding between Fengyao and Wan Jiagui would take place that very day.
She excitedly explained that Wan Jiagui had already agreed, and Mr. Wan confirmed. When Mrs. Wan urged Wan Jiagui to confirm it himself, he reluctantly stated, "Yes, Mother." Hearing his confirmation, Mo Xi was devastated and quietly left. Mo Xi found Wan Jiagui in his room and confronted him, asking if he was marrying Fengyao merely due to his mother's illness.
She reminded him of their past and questioned why he didn't clearly express his true feelings to his parents, leaving them ignorant of his heart. Asserting she was not a fool, she demanded to know what truly held him back, asking if she was "not good enough" and criticizing him for not fighting for their love or revealing the truth.
Wan Jiagui then admitted that his mother discovered Mo Xi's birth mother was a courtesan during a discussion with Mrs. Bai. Hearing this, Mo Xi exclaimed, "I knew it. Sure enough!" before turning away, deeply hurt. The wedding ceremony proceeded, with Wan Jiagui and Fengyao bowing before his parents and receiving blessings for a harmonious and fruitful marriage. Mo Xi watched the proceedings, heartbroken.
Later, in their bridal chamber, Wan Jiagui apologized to Fengyao for the hasty ceremony and lack of guests, citing the troubled times. He acknowledged her sensible nature, which is why his parents admired her, and expressed regret that his military duties would inevitably lead to her suffering grievances and neglect at home. He then stated that this marriage was a forced decision due to his mother's critical condition.
He informed Fengyao that he must move to the military encampment immediately to avoid being accused of dereliction of duty. Fengyao expressed understanding and offered to pack his belongings, but he declined, saying it had already been taken care of, and promptly departed. As Wan Jiagui prepared to leave in his armor, Mo Xi intercepted him, accusing him of constantly prioritizing duty and noting that her patience only culminated in his marriage to Fengyao.
She bitterly declared he was not truly leaving for duty but to avoid Fengyao, whom she believed he didn't love. Wan Jiagui conceded he might not love Fengyao yet, but emphasized that he was now her husband, bound by marital status and responsibility. He suggested they forget each other, but Mo Xi defiantly refused, stating he cannot dictate her feelings. She then proposed becoming his second wife, acknowledging his parents' disapproval of her background and their preference for Fengyao.
Wan Jiagui immediately rejected the idea, reminding her of her late mother's earnest wish for her to never be a concubine or a second wife, fearing she would be unjustly treated. Mo Xi, recalling her mother's words, firmly declared she would never be a second wife, even for him. She then apologized, admitting she "lost her mind." Wan Jiagui, in turn, humbly stated that as a soldier whose life is constantly at risk, he doesn't deserve her affection.
He offered that if he returned alive, he would formally adopt her as his godsister and find her a suitable gentleman. Mo Xi, with newfound resolve, told him pointedly that she chose to love him, and now she chooses to leave him, asserting that she doesn't need him to find her a husband. She then turned and walked away, tears streaming down her face.
After Wan Jiagui's departure, a messenger from the provincial governor arrived, summoning him to discuss urgent military matters. Wan Jiagui, recognizing the governor's pacifist nature, understood the gravity of the summons. Later, a confidential letter from Yaozhou's emissary was intercepted, revealing that three provincial governors had been invited to attack Chen Wende, with their responses expected soon after gifts were offered.
