Marvelous Women Episode 24 Recap
> Marvelous Women Recap
Shen Cuixi and Ren Rufeng are imprisoned, but Cao Wenbin allows the Ren family to visit. Chen Xiaohong and Shu Fang prepare food and bring it to Shen Cuixi in prison. Shen Cuixi assures them that Cao Wenbin promised she and Ren Rufeng would be released in seven days. Cao Wenbin takes the Ren family’s kerchief weaving techniques from Shen Cuixi and gives them to Li Zhao, demanding the Ren family’s wealth in return.
Li Zhao reveals where half of the wealth is hidden, but insists on verifying the authenticity of the techniques before handing over the remaining half. He explains that even the best artisans require a month to complete the verification. Cao Wenbin is angered, reminding Li Zhao that he promised Shen Cuixi their release in seven days. Cao Wenbin fears that the Ren family’s case has reached Jiangzhe, so he urges Li Zhao to resolve it quickly.
After seven days, Chen Xiaohong, Zeng Baoqin, and Shu Fang wait at the Ren mansion gate from early morning until sunset, but Shen Cuixi and Ren Rufeng do not return. Chen Xiaohong realizes something has gone wrong. She speaks with Zeng Baoqin, reminding her that wife is wife and concubine is concubine, and hoping they can coexist peacefully when Shen Cuixi returns. Chen Xiaohong reminds Zeng Baoqin that Shen Cuixi is capable.
Zeng Baoqin assures her that after so much, they won't fight like they used to, and will work together to protect the Ren family and raise Xiu Shan together. Meanwhile, Lin Dahu arrives at the Ren household, demanding money from his sister Shu Fang. Shu Fang reluctantly gives him money to get rid of him, but Shu Yan secretly follows Lin Dahu to a gambling den and captures him.
Shu Fang hires a storyteller to entertain Chen Xiaohong, but the stories only make her sadder. That night, Chen Xiaohong gives Shu Fang a mechanical box containing Lin Dahu's indenture, explaining that he will be sent to work on a farm, as she believes better days are ahead for Shu Fang and Ren Rufeng. Shu Fang is surprised that Chen Xiaohong knows how to make mechanical boxes.
Chen Xiaohong recounts her past, explaining that she learned carpentry from her first husband and later came to the Ren family to repair weaving machines before becoming Ren Xuetang's concubine and giving birth to Ren Rufeng. Chen Xiaohong warns Shu Fang never to do anything wrong, not even once, or she will never be able to hold her head high. She reflects on her own life, wanting to live more clearly before her end.
One morning, Chen Xiaohong dresses carefully and overhears gossiping about the Ren family on the street. She leaves a letter for Shu Fang and goes to the yamen, where she beats the Dengwen drum to bring attention to the injustice. She declares that she has nowhere else to turn for justice.
She swears on her life that Ren Rufeng is innocent of murder and that his relationship with Shen Cuixi is honorable, then kills herself by hitting her head on the drum, causing public outcry. Chen Xiaohong's death causes public outrage. Li Zhao is furious with Cao Wenbin for escalating the matter, warning him that the resulting public outcry could lead to Cao's family being executed. Cao Wenbin threatens to take Li Zhao down with him.
Li Zhao advises Cao Wenbin to coerce Shen Cuixi into confessing, exploiting her loyalty. Cao Wenbin threatens Shen Cuixi with harm to the Ren family. The next day, Cao Wenbin announces in court that Shen Cuixi, motivated by jealousy of Ren Xuetang's love for his concubine, plotted and murdered her husband, exonerating Ren Rufeng. He pressures Shen Cuixi to sign a confession. Ren Rufeng tries to stop her, but Shen Cuixi signs.
The night before, Cao Wenbin visited Shen Cuixi in prison, informing her that Chen Xiaohong had killed herself to bring attention to the injustice. He reveals that officials from Jiangzhe will arrive in Suzhou to investigate, and he must resolve the case before then. Cao Wenbin also reveals that Ren Rufeng is accused of colluding with river bandits, which could lead to the Ren family's assets being seized.
He offers Shen Cuixi a choice: save the Ren family or save herself. Shen Cuixi confesses, and Ren Rufeng is released. Ding Rong deliberately spreads information among the people that Chen Xiaohong was pleading for Shen Cuixi, so Shen Cuixi must be innocent and wrongly accused. The Ren family is shrouded in grief. Three uncles appear at Chen Xiaohong's funeral, feigning concern. They state that if Shen Cuixi hadn't confessed, they could have intervened, but now it's impossible.
They instruct them to take good care of Xiu Shan and raise him well. Shu Fang reveals to Zeng Baoqin that Shen Cuixi instructed her to release the kerchief weaving techniques if anything happened to her, so that all of Suzhou's weaving households could learn them.
Shen Cuixi entrusted Shu Fang with the Ren family's double-sided embroidery techniques, clarifying that the restoration of the technique is not about copying it completely, but about understanding and integrating the techniques of Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties to create good products. Li Zhao replaced eight batches of technicians, but they were unable to produce kerchiefs like Qing Yue Fang, so he knew that the booklet Shen Cuixi gave was false. Soon after, Zeng Baoqin seeks Li Zhao, offering the authentic double-sided kerchief weaving techniques in exchange for Shen Cuixi's life.
