Ni Chang Episode 6 Recap
> Ni Chang Recap
Cheng Tian was delighted when Ni Chang discovered an error in his account book. He asked her to help him with the ledger, admitting he was often careless and prone to miscounting, citing an instance where he recorded 191 pieces of grey fabric instead of 91. Ni Chang patiently explained that accounting is simple, requiring only a fundamental formula to be applied to any ledger, clarifying how to calculate costs including waste.
Ni Chang, who worked to pay for her tuition, was told by Aunt Mei to prioritize her homework. Cheng Tian even offered to help with her chores and then teach her if she missed class, despite Yan Wenxiu's sarcastic remarks about his own lack of attention in class. Cheng Tian suggested Yuan Xiang could teach Ni Chang. However, Ni Chang insisted on continuing her work. Later, while Ni Chang was in the dorm, Yan Wenxiu, Jinchan, and Cuiyu were gossiping.
Yan Wenxiu suggested that Master Yun favored Ni Chang, who "pretends to be pitiful" and is "good at pleasing others," over their own hard work. Upon Ni Chang's return, Jinchan and Cuiyu instructed her to make pumpkin porridge and fetch a foot warmer for Yan Wenxiu, pointedly reminding Ni Chang that she hadn't paid tuition and should work to settle her debt.
Aunt Mei found Ni Chang making the porridge late at night and scolded her for being too compliant with others while neglecting her own rest. Aunt Mei then took the porridge to the dorm and sternly reprimanded Yan Wenxiu, Jinchan, and Cuiyu, reminding them that Ni Chang was an apprentice, not their servant, and warned them not to disturb her at night.
The next morning, Yan Wenxiu confronted Ni Chang, who was consulting Yuan Xiang about embroidery, suggesting Ni Chang hadn't made any progress during her time at Yunjinzhuang. Yuan Xiang quickly defended Ni Chang, highlighting Master Yun's recent praise for her cleverness. Ni Chang, wishing to avoid further conflict, suggested they simply ignore each other.
When Cheng Tian presented his latest meticulously done account book to Master Yun, he credited Ni Chang's guidance for its accuracy, prompting Master Yun to view Ni Chang in a new light. That night, Ni Chang was again embroidering by candlelight. Yan Wenxiu complained about the dazzling light, and Cuiyu told Ni Chang to put out the candle. Ni Chang quietly took her embroidery and candle to the courtyard.
Jinchan then locked the dorm door, but a displeased Yuan Xiang waited up for Ni Chang inside. Master Yun observed Ni Chang embroidering alone in the cold but did not intervene at that moment. The following day, Yan Wenxiu approached Master Yun, pretending to be concerned about Ni Chang, claiming others found her foundation poor, her progress slow, and her late-night work disruptive to everyone's sleep. Master Yun commended Yan Wenxiu's thoughtfulness. Ni Chang then arrived, submitting her finished embroidery.
Noticing Ni Chang's cough, Master Yun realized she had caught a cold from being outside. She scolded Ni Chang for risking her health but immediately instructed her to move in with Aunt Mei to avoid the cold and allow her to study without disturbing others. Master Yun then gave Ni Chang three months to catch up, warning that failure would result in her dismissal.
After Ni Chang and Yan Wenxiu left, Aunt Mei remarked to Master Yun that she had a "dagger mouth and tofu heart," always secretly favoring Ni Chang. Master Yun denied being "stupid" as a child, but Aunt Mei clarified she was "stubborn" and possessed an "unwillingness to admit defeat." That evening, Aunt Mei brought Ni Chang ginger tea, revealing that Master Yun had specially asked her to prepare it. Ni Chang thanked both Master Yun and Aunt Mei.
Living with Aunt Mei and free from constant harassment, Ni Chang diligently practiced, making rapid progress in her studies over the next two years. Two years later, Yuan Daocheng assumed leadership of the Palace and City Bureau by imperial decree. Meanwhile, Prince Luo, Ouyang Ziyu, traveled to Huaizhou with Xiao Lu, opting for scenic small paths over the main roads to experience local customs, despite Xiao Lu's complaints about the longer, more arduous journey.
In the capital, Yuan Daocheng noted the significant decrease in tributes from Jiangnan due to widespread floods, tasking Mr. Gao with finding a solution and dismissing Prince Luo's personal visit to Huaizhou as merely seeking porcelain. In Huaizhou, Ni Chang, Cheng Tian, and Yuan Xiang were out shopping for fabric. Ni Chang paused at a bun stall, lost in thought, remembering Ouyang Ziyu.
As Cheng Tian and Yuan Xiang playfully bickered, Ouyang Ziyu and Xiao Lu, who had just arrived in the city, observed them with amusement. Later, at a teahouse, Ouyang Ziyu discussed Huaizhou's floods, asserting that the problem lay in poor water management by local officials rather than insufficient drainage. His astute observations impressed Zhao Tongshen, the Governor of Huaizhou, who, upon recognizing Ouyang Ziyu as Prince Luo, immediately invited him to his residence for a deeper discussion on water control.
Ouyang Ziyu, citing travel fatigue, accepted. Yuan Xiang relayed a new commission from Zhao Tongshen: two sets of celebratory garments from Yunjinzhuang—one for an old lady's 70th birthday and another for a newborn son's full moon. She clearly specified to Yan Wenxiu that the "Five Blessings" pattern was for the old lady and "blessing with boys" for the infant. Jinchan and Cuiyu, impressed by Ni Chang's outlining skills, asked her for help.
Seeing this, Yan Wenxiu seized the opportunity for mischief. She intentionally gave Ni Chang the reversed instructions—"Five Blessings" for the child and "blessing with boys" for the old lady—and maliciously assigned the entire new order to Ni Chang. Ni Chang expressed confusion about the suitability of "Five Blessings" for a child, but Yan Wenxiu simply reiterated that these were the master's instructions and left.
Meanwhile, Zhao Tongshen, thoroughly impressed with Ouyang Ziyu, invited him to extend his stay in Huaizhou and offered his secluded villa, conveniently located next to Yunjinzhuang, where he could reside. Zhao Tongshen, revealing that Master Yun was his wife's sworn sister and that Yunjinzhuang was renowned for its embroidery, offered to introduce Ouyang Ziyu, knowing his interest in textile craftsmanship. Ouyang Ziyu accepted the invitation.
Later, Master Yun discovered the embroidered garments were incorrect: the old lady's outfit bore "blessing with boys," and the baby's carried "Five Blessings." Furious, she threw the clothes to the floor. Yan Wenxiu quickly blamed Ni Chang for carelessness, but Ni Chang countered that Yan Wenxiu had given her the reversed instructions. Yuan Xiang insisted she had relayed the message correctly in the first place. Jinchan and Cuiyu also knew Yan Wenxiu had misspoken but did not speak up.
Enraged by their mutual finger-pointing, Master Yun held Yuan Xiang most accountable for not verifying the instructions. She punished Yuan Xiang with no dinner, no class the next day, and 20 "Five Blessings" embroideries. Ni Chang, Jinchan, and Cuiyu were each assigned five. Yan Wenxiu, however, was tasked with remaking the entire order without punishment. Jinchan and Cuiyu expressed their resentment that Yan Wenxiu escaped penalty, while Yuan Xiang broke down in tears, maintaining her innocence.
To protect her friends, Ni Chang stepped forward, accepting full responsibility, and offered to complete all the penalty embroideries herself. Cheng Tian rushed to Master Yun's office to defend Ni Chang, but Master Yun explained that she knew Ni Chang was loyal and was merely "polishing" her, like raw jade, to refine her character. Cheng Tian then remembered to deliver a letter from Zhao Tongshen to Master Yun.
The following day, Master Yun announced a new challenge: each apprentice must independently design and make a dress for Aunt Mei within three days, emphasizing originality and forbidding plagiarism or consultation. Just then, Zhao Tongshen and Ouyang Ziyu arrived. Ni Chang immediately recognized Ouyang Ziyu and subtly lowered her head, while the other apprentices were captivated by his handsome appearance. Zhao Tongshen introduced Ouyang Ziyu as a silk merchant from the capital interested in Huaizhou embroidery.
Ouyang Ziyu asked Master Yun to assign an apprentice to explain the craft. Although Yan Wenxiu eagerly volunteered, Ouyang Ziyu ignored her and pointed directly at the hiding Ni Chang. He asked for her name. Ni Chang, maintaining composure, replied, "My name is Ni Chang." He then questioned why she kept her head down. Master Yun prompted Ni Chang to look up. Ouyang Ziyu remarked that she looked very familiar, asking if they had met before.
Ni Chang, aiming to conceal her identity, quickly denied it, claiming to be a native of Huaizhou who had never visited the capital. Ouyang Ziyu accepted her explanation, concluding he must have been mistaken.
