Ni Chang Episode 8 Recap
> Ni Chang Recap
Yan Wenxiu confronted Xie Xiaoni, accusing her of deliberately colluding with Ouyang Ziyu to embarrass her. Xie Xiaoni denied this, explaining that Ouyang Ziyu's attendant, Xiao Lu, had personally invited everyone to the banquet. Yan Wenxiu refused to believe her, claiming Xie Xiaoni was vicious and intentionally wanted to see her make a fool of herself. She declared her intent to compete with Xie Xiaoni, believing she was in no way inferior and refused to lose.
That night, Xie Xiaoni played her ocarina, and Ouyang Ziyu, drawn by the music, approached her. He questioned why she was playing "that old flute again," remarking that she didn't consider her neighbors' feelings. Xie Xiaoni retorted that it was all because of him that Yan Wenxiu misunderstood her, insisting that Xie Xiaoni had conspired with him to humiliate her. Ouyang Ziyu coolly stated that Yan Wenxiu brought the shame upon herself and couldn't blame anyone else.
When Xie Xiaoni pressed him, calling him the "arsonist" for causing the trouble, Ouyang Ziyu feigned ignorance. Xie Xiaoni eventually gave up, concluding that as a man, he couldn't possibly understand a girl's mind. Ouyang Ziyu then provocatively asked why she didn't inquire who he truly wished to understand, but Xie Xiaoni brushed him off, saying it was none of her concern.
After Ouyang Ziyu left, Xie Xiaoni noticed a bun in his courtyard and playfully remarked, "Sure enough, 'Bun' still loves eating buns." Su Gongming called Su Wenyu to discuss a new business venture, explaining that it was time for Su Wenyu, now old enough, to gain experience by opening a new store with housekeeper Xiao.
Su Gongming expressed concerns that the Su family's embroidery business lacked new ideas and once again brought up Yan Wenxiu, suggesting that her skills from Yunjin Store would be invaluable if she were to join the family through marriage, making them "like a tiger with wings."
Su Wenyu respectfully acknowledged his uncle's intentions regarding Yan Wenxiu's contribution to the Su family but firmly stated that he would not discuss marriage and would instead focus on the new store's preparations with housekeeper Xiao. Later, for an embroidery test, Yun Niang announced that apprentices would work in pairs to tailor a dress for their partner within three days. She emphasized the importance of fine stitches and quality over mere fanciness, praising Xie Xiaoni as an example.
To Yan Wenxiu's dismay, Yun Niang paired her with Xie Xiaoni. Yan Wenxiu confronted Xie Xiaoni, accusing her of being proud of Yun Niang's praise. Xie Xiaoni calmly responded, "Ni Chang has no family background. Naturally, I dare not be compared with the noble Miss Yan. Don't worry, Miss Yan. . . I really hope that the noble Miss Yan can beat me once." Yan Wenxiu, determined to win, vowed to make Xie Xiaoni "lose convincingly."
As the deadline neared, Xie Xiaoni struggled for inspiration, while Yuan Xiang noted Yan Wenxiu had already finished. Observing Yan Wenxiu's posture, Xie Xiaoni suddenly found her idea. When the works were presented, Yun Niang was pleased with everyone's efforts. Xie Xiaoni and Yan Wenxiu arrived late, showcasing their stunning creations. Yun Niang particularly admired the hollow-out design on the skirt Xie Xiaoni made for Yan Wenxiu, praising its unique concept and exquisite craftsmanship, especially Xie Xiaoni's double-sided embroidery.
Yun Niang declared Xie Xiaoni the winner, commending her superior ideas and techniques. Yan Wenxiu, despite her chagrin, couldn't bear to take off the beautiful dress Xie Xiaoni had made for her. Suddenly, Yan Wenxiu collapsed, covered in red rashes. A doctor diagnosed it as dermatophytosis, possibly caused by contact with allergens. Upon regaining consciousness, Yan Wenxiu told Yun Niang that she had been allergic to sophora flower since childhood.
Xie Xiaoni immediately stated this was impossible, as she knew about Yan Wenxiu's allergy and would never use sophora flower in her dyes. Yun Niang, however, ordered Cuiyu to retrieve all of Xie Xiaoni's dye ingredients. To everyone's shock, sophora flower leaves were found among them. Accused by other students of acting intentionally, Xie Xiaoni insisted she didn't know how the sophora flower got there, stating she had carefully sifted through the materials.
Yun Niang, furious, declared that regardless of intent, as the clothes' creator, Xie Xiaoni was responsible. Xie Xiaoni, unable to prove her innocence at the moment, accepted her punishment. Yun Niang, after a moment of consideration, decided not to expel her but instead ordered her to sell clothes at the market for three days, demanding she earn ten taels of silver; otherwise, she was not to return to Yunjin Store.
Yuan Xiang and Aunt Mei expressed deep concern for Xie Xiaoni, fearing she couldn't meet the impossible target of ten taels of silver. Aunt Mei tried to reassure Xie Xiaoni that Yun Niang didn't truly want to drive her away but had to maintain discipline. Later, Yuan Xiang and Cheng Tian found sophora flower petals in Yan Wenxiu's flower basket, proving that Yan Wenxiu had deliberately framed Xie Xiaoni.
They wanted to expose Yan Wenxiu, but Xie Xiaoni stopped them, reasoning that without concrete evidence, Yan Wenxiu would deny it, only causing more trouble and anger for Yun Niang. Aunt Mei agreed, advising Xie Xiaoni to focus on the market task, assuring her that even if she failed, Yun Niang wouldn't truly expel her, and Aunt Mei would intercede on her behalf. Meanwhile, Xiao Lu informed Ouyang Ziyu about Xie Xiaoni's predicament.
Ouyang Ziyu immediately left, sensing something was amiss. Yan Wenxiu, feigning regret, told Yun Niang that she was at fault for Xie Xiaoni's departure. Yun Niang, her expression cold, reminded Yan Wenxiu to cherish sisterhood. Aunt Mei, still upset, complained to Yun Niang about Xie Xiaoni's harsh punishment, implicitly criticizing Yan Wenxiu.
Yan Wenxiu then rudely muttered about Aunt Mei being "just a servant," prompting Yun Niang to sharply reprimand her, reminding her that Aunt Mei had been with her for over a decade and was treated like family. Xie Xiaoni, struggling at the market, was repeatedly driven away by other vendors claiming her spots. She eventually rented a vegetable vendor's stall for a small fee, promising to take good care of it.
Despite her earnest efforts to hawk her clothes, people doubted they were from Yunjin Store and refused to buy, accusing her of being a liar. Yuan Xiang and Cheng Tian, worried, had skipped class to find her. They decided to help, with Yuan Xiang proposing a scheme to use other students from Yunjin Store as fake customers to generate interest.
That night, Yuan Xiang rallied the other students, reminding them of Xie Xiaoni's kindness and good nature, and they all agreed to help. They planned to pretend to haggle and praise the clothes, while Cheng Tian would collect the money. Ouyang Ziyu, watching from above, found their cleverness quite amusing. Yan Wenxiu, observing the sudden crowd at Xie Xiaoni's stall, stormed off in anger.
As Xie Xiaoni's stall finally attracted real customers and neared its ten-tael target, Ouyang Ziyu dramatically appeared, exposing the "helpers" and accusing Xie Xiaoni of dishonest business practices. The crowd erupted in anger, demanding refunds. Xie Xiaoni, maintaining her composure, openly admitted that they were all apprentices from Yunjin Store. She then challenged Ouyang Ziyu and the crowd, asking what they had truly been cheated of—was the quality poor, or the price too high?
She dared Ouyang Ziyu to try on a dress to prove its worth. Xiao Lu tried to calm the situation, saying Ouyang Ziyu was just joking, but Xie Xiaoni retorted that she couldn't accept being called a liar. She firmly declared that she might be inexperienced, but their clothes were all made "with a needle and thread" by Yunjin apprentices, and they wouldn't tolerate false accusations. The crowd, swayed by her words, began to side with her.
Ouyang Ziyu, visibly impressed, called her "eloquent" and "good material," lamenting that she was "misused," before leaving with Xiao Lu. Meanwhile, Yan Wenxiu went to Yun Niang, reporting that Xie Xiaoni was using Yunjin Store's name to defraud people at the market and recruiting other students to help her. Yun Niang remained unperturbed, stating she would deal with it when Xie Xiaoni returned.
Aunt Mei, however, directly confronted Yan Wenxiu, asking why sophora flower petals were found in her flower basket and accusing her of framing Xie Xiaoni. Yan Wenxiu vehemently denied it. Yun Niang intervened, telling Aunt Mei to leave, then advised Yan Wenxiu that the most precious aspect of learning among classmates was not to outshine others but to progress hand-in-hand. She warned that if Yan Wenxiu didn't understand this, Yun Niang's teaching would have been in vain.
Just then, Cheng Tian burst in, announcing that Xie Xiaoni had successfully earned ten taels of silver and was at the door. Yun Niang questioned how Xie Xiaoni achieved the target, to which Xie Xiaoni admitted she had unilaterally raised the prices. Yan Wenxiu seized the opportunity to accuse Xie Xiaoni of damaging Yunjin Store's long-standing reputation for fair pricing.
