Marvelous Women Episode 31 Recap
> Marvelous Women Recap
Ren Fu created a disturbance at the entrance of Jinxi Fang, claiming Shen Cuixi had corrupted Xiao Lan and intended to take her away, accusing Jinxi Fang of being immoral and encouraging women not to marry. Ren Xuetang appeared to defend Shen Cuixi, making it clear that anyone opposing Shen Cuixi was opposing him.
He asserted that Xiao Lan had been given to Shen Cuixi to repay a debt, and he offered to provide a formal indenture for Xiao Lan to Shen Cuixi. Ren Xuetang wanted to help Shen Cuixi by sending invitations in the name of the Ren family head, inviting distinguished women from Suzhou's prominent families to become Shen Cuixi's students.
Shen Cuixi thanked Ren Xuetang but reminded him that they were divorced, and it would be meaningless if he continued to handle every matter for Jinxi Fang, asking him not to come to Jinxi Fang again. Ren Xuetang, barred from entering Jinxi Fang, returned to the Ren household and told Zeng Baoqin about it. Zeng Baoqin laughed, understanding that Shen Cuixi's actions were well-intentioned, as she didn't want to burden the Ren family.
Ren Xuetang worried about potential problems for Jinxi Fang, but Zeng Baoqin believed Shen Cuixi could find true happiness outside the Ren family and should be supported. Shu Fang heard rumors that Shen Cuixi and Ren Xuetang had fallen out, and that the Ren family and Ren Xuetang would no longer support Shen Cuixi. Shen Cuixi clarified that she was intentionally creating distance and asked Shu Fang and Ren Rufeng not to visit Jinxi Fang often.
Shu Fang and Ren Rufeng assumed Shen Cuixi would eventually return to the Ren family, perhaps after a similar seven-year separation as Ren Xuetang. Shen Cuixi didn't elaborate, simply asking them not to interfere with Jinxi Fang's affairs. Ru Yi accompanied Zeng Baoqin to burn incense. Zeng Baoqin asked Ru Yi if she had seen Shu Yan, who had previously begged Zeng Baoqin to arrange for Ru Yi to marry him.
Ru Yi admitted she used to like Shu Yan, but her feelings weren't as strong now. Ru Yi went to the stream to catch fish, succeeding in catching one, but was disturbed by a scholar named Weng Jin, who scared the fish away. Weng Jin, seeing her without shoes, entered the water to help Ru Yi catch fish, but he fell. Ru Yi noticed a wound on Weng Jin's forehead and instinctively helped him.
Weng Jin developed affection for Ru Yi, introduced himself as unmarried, and expressed his desire to marry her, but Ru Yi didn't accept. Weng Jin later spoke about Ru Yi with other scholars, and they ridiculed him for being secluded with books and unaware of Ru Yi's background, stating she was the illegitimate child of a "lehu" (musician family) and that marrying such a woman would be shameful.
Weng Jin, angered, rebuked them for being hypocritical gentlemen who gossiped about women, damaging their reputation, and refused to associate with them any longer. Fu's mother was preparing to leave Xiao Lan and return home. Xiao Lan urged her mother, who had considerable skills in kesi (silk tapestry), not to return and suffer abuse, but her mother insisted on staying with her husband, as she was accustomed to it.
She cautioned Xiao Lan to listen to Shen Cuixi regarding marriage and only marry with Shen Cuixi's approval. Upon returning home, Fu's mother was beaten by Ren Fu. Xiao Lan secretly followed her mother home and witnessed the beating, feeling immense pain.
On her way back to Jinxi Fang, Xiao Lan passed Qingyue Fang, and Zeng Baoqin, seeing Xiao Lan's expression, guessed she knew about Fu's mother being beaten, an event known throughout the Ren household, though Fu's mother believed she could conceal it. Zeng Baoqin offered a plan to prevent Ren Fu from beating Fu's mother and whispered it to Xiao Lan. Ren Fu hired some thugs to harass and insult Xiao Lan at Jinxi Fang.
Hearing of the trouble at Jinxi Fang, Ren Xuetang became worried about Shen Cuixi and rushed to help. Zeng Baoqin advised Ren Xuetang to let Shen Cuixi handle the situation herself, or others would say Jinxi Fang was still backed by the Ren family, undermining Shen Cuixi's independence. Ren Xuetang remained unconvinced and insisted on going to Jinxi Fang, where he was surprised to see the magistrate ordering the thugs to be beaten.
Shen Cuixi had personally appealed to the magistrate to take action for the sake of Suzhou's ten thousand weaving households. The magistrate personally inscribed a signboard for Jinxi Fang, ensuring its future security. Xiao Lan returned home, asked her mother to sharpen a kitchen knife, and deliberately told a story to frighten her father, intending to deter him from further abuse. As a result, Ren Fu became frightened. Cao Wenbin and his wife, having been exiled and later pardoned, returned and were searching for their daughter, Yao Niang, who was sold into a brothel.
