Marvelous Women Episode 30 Recap
> Marvelous Women Recap
Shen Cuixi hands Qingyuefang over to Zeng Baoqin. After a final hug with Xiushan, who expresses reluctance at her departure and wishes to visit often, Shen Cuixi leaves the Ren family without looking back. Both Ren Xuetang and Zeng Baoqin feel a sense of emptiness, though Ren Xuetang affirms that Shen Cuixi will forever remain their closest family member, even outside their doors. Shen Cuixi moves with Xiao Lan to a small courtyard called Jinxifang, which becomes their new home.
Here, Shen Cuixi embraces a life free from rigid rules, no longer using formal addresses with Shu Fang and Xiao Lan. She praises Xiao Lan's thoughtful nature for willingly following her despite the prospect of hardship, jokingly contrasting her with Shu Fang, who is quick with calculations and planned everything meticulously. Shu Fang, meanwhile, had wanted to stay and relax at Jinxifang but was essential to the Ren family and the general accounting office, compelling her to leave quickly.
Shen Cuixi then initiates an open class at Jinxifang, publicly recruiting apprentices by posting notices throughout Suzhou. This causes widespread discussion, as Kesi and embroidery techniques in Suzhou had historically been passed down within families, with open recruitment on this scale being unprecedented. Upon learning of this, several Ren family elders express their strong displeasure and confront Ren Xuetang.
While they also voice their dissatisfaction with his divorce from Shen Cuixi, Ren Xuetang remains unconcerned by their opinions and refuses to hold Shen Cuixi accountable. He defends her, explaining that she opened the workshop for livelihood, but the elders accuse Shen Cuixi of being rebellious, attributing it to Ren Xuetang's indulgence.
This makes Ren Xuetang recall Shen Cuixi's long-held ambition to create her own unique Kesi techniques, rather than merely repeating those of predecessors, and to teach them widely to many disciples across the land. Shortly after, Ren Xuetang visits Shen Cuixi at Jinxifang. He asks if she is satisfied with her current life, to which she replies that she has never been happier doing what she loves.
He reminds her of the Ren family elders' insistence that Jinxifang should only accept Ren family members as students, expressing concern that they might cause trouble, and specifically comes to warn her. Recalling her past aspirations to innovate Kesi techniques and teach them widely, Ren Xuetang acknowledges that her broad recruitment is a groundbreaking endeavor, but advises her that beginnings are always difficult.
He suggests she initially recruit reputable noble ladies as apprentices, rather than limiting herself solely to Ren family descendants, and reconsider other options once the venture is well-established. Shen Cuixi agrees to give his words careful consideration. On the opening day of Jinxifang and for apprentice recruitment, many people arrive to offer congratulations, including Zeng Baoqin and Ren Xuetang, who bring gifts and are welcomed inside by Shen Cuixi.
A little girl comes forward, eager to learn Kesi, but her mother adamantly refuses, publicly scolding her daughter and disparaging Shen Cuixi for her visible presence, calling it "indecent and shameless" with harsh words. Just then, Ding Rong arrives with his two daughters, Zhao Di and Yin Di, ostensibly to offer congratulations, but Shen Cuixi understands he has come specifically to support her. Ding Rong expresses his hope that his daughters can learn Kesi from Shen Cuixi.
Zhao Di and Yin Di formally pledge as disciples, and Shen Cuixi publicly accepts them as her first two students on Jinxifang's opening day. Ren Rufeng, having recently gained experience with accounting, seeks out Shen Cuixi, admitting that understanding the difficulty of Shu Fang's work has made him realize how much she had to endure, and he now feels hesitant to approach her. He sees Shu Fang, whom he hasn't encountered in a while.
In the preceding days, Shu Fang had been tirelessly busy at both Qingyuefang and Jinxifang, leaving her no time for the general accounting office. One night, she finally returns to the general accounting office to manage the accounts, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion at her desk. Ren Rufeng, filled with concern and pity for Shu Fang, thoughtfully covers her with a garment and proceeds to complete the remaining ledgers for her.
The next morning, Shu Fang wakes up anxious about the unfinished accounts, but Ren Rufeng informs her that he has already finished them. She checks the ledger, surprised and unexpectedly relieved that he genuinely completed all the work. Ren Rufeng asks for her forgiveness and proposes that they manage the accounts together from then on, leading to their full reconciliation, and her anger finally dissipates.
Separately, a mother brings her daughter, Da Ya, to Jinxifang, instructing her to kneel and formally request to become Shen Cuixi's disciple; the mother herself does not show her face. After learning about Da Ya's background, Shen Cuixi accepts the girl as an apprentice and gives her the name Shen Yuan. Xiao Lan's father, Ren Fu, pays the matchmaker Qian 500 wen to arrange a marriage for Xiao Lan to become a concubine in a wealthy family.
Ren Fu believes this will secure their future, hoping Xiao Lan will bear children, become a mistress, and enable them to live comfortably in their old age.
Fu Shen, Xiao Lan's mother, attempts to persuade her husband, reminding him that Shen Cuixi had previously saved their family from debt collectors by taking Xiao Lan in, and that the money Shen Cuixi paid was far more than sufficient even for a lifelong bond, despite Shen Cuixi's generosity in not pressing for such a deed of sale. Fu Shen suggests consulting Shen Cuixi about Xiao Lan's marriage, but is violently beaten and scolded by Ren Fu with his cane.
Xiao Lan, having been restless, kneels before Shen Cuixi, tearfully revealing her father's plan for her marriage. She explains that despite Ren Fu's poor leg and chronic illness, he is capable of hitting her mother with great force, and she desperately does not want to marry, especially not to suffer the same fate as her mother. The next day, Fu Shen comes to Jinxifang. Before she can explain, Shen Cuixi already knows she is there concerning Xiao Lan's marriage.
Recalling how she saved Fu Shen's family from debt in the past, Shen Cuixi clearly states that she alone will decide Xiao Lan's marriage, firmly asserting that even Xiao Lan's biological parents cannot override her decision. Fu Shen returns home and informs Ren Fu. Enraged, Ren Fu grabs his cane and threatens to report Shen Cuixi to the Ren family elders. Fu Shen, worried, rushes back to Jinxifang, urging Shen Cuixi to hide.
Shen Cuixi refuses, stating she has done nothing wrong. Soon after, Ren Fu has himself carried to Jinxifang, where he stages a dramatic and pitiful scene at the entrance. He kneels, pleads, cries, and shouts curses, attracting a crowd of gossiping onlookers, yet acting as if oblivious to their presence. Shen Cuixi prepares to go out. Fu Shen, apologizing for the trouble, is concerned when Xiao Lan proactively offers to confront Ren Fu and drive him away. However, Shen Cuixi comforts Fu Shen and permits Xiao Lan to go, seeing it as a valuable opportunity for Xiao Lan to gain life experience.
