Resumo do episódio 19 de A Splendid Match
> Resumos de A Splendid Match
Following Gu Jinzhao’s return to the ancestral home, Gu Old Lady schemed with the Second Lady to avoid repaying a long-standing debt. The Old Lady acknowledged the existence of a twenty-thousand-tael promissory note from twenty years ago but hoped it had been lost. Meanwhile, the Second Lady was distressed because the family’s financial state meant they could no longer afford the promised twenty thousand taels for Gu Lian’s dowry, a situation that would surely lead to public embarrassment.
Their planning was interrupted by the simultaneous arrival of the Yao family and Ji Yao. While the Old Lady’s son, the Second Master, handled the Yao family’s dowry inquiries, Ji Yao confronted the Old Lady directly. He produced the original promissory note found among the late Aunt Han’s belongings. Despite the Old Lady’s attempts to play dumb and even accuse him of forgery, Ji Yao remained firm, threatening to take the matter to Shuntian Prefecture.
Fearing a scandal, the Gu family finally relented and paid the debt. The financial blow forced the Second Master to slash Gu Lian’s dowry from twenty thousand taels to a mere two thousand. When Mrs. Yao saw the meager amount, she expressed her blatant disdain, noting she had never seen such a small dowry from a prominent family. Gu Lian was devastated and furious, blaming Jinzhao for the loss of her silver.
However, the Second Lady advised her to be patient, suggesting that she instead take valuable items from the Fourth House’s storage and make Jinzhao pay for her personal shopping and meals. Following this plan, Gu Lian went to Linxia Restaurant, which Jinzhao manages. While trying to snoop on a private banquet held by high-ranking officials on the second floor, Gu Lian was horrified to see her future father-in-law, Yao Ping, intimately entertaining a singing girl.
Terrified, she fled the restaurant immediately. As the proprietor, Jinzhao was called to toast the guests, including the Senior Grand Secretary, Wang Xuanfan. Despite Chen Yanyun’s attempts to shield her, the persistent officials forced Jinzhao to drink three penalty cups of wine for her perceived delay in greeting them. After the banquet, Chen Yanyun checked on Jinzhao, explaining that his mentor simply enjoyed the restaurant’s quiet atmosphere.
During their talk, Wang Xuanfan formally suggested that Chen Yanyun remarry and proposed Xue Qinglan, the niece of Lady Yuzhu. Soon after, invitations were sent for a spring outing at Xiuyan Mountain. Gu Lian received a post from Yao Wenxiu, while Jinzhao was invited by Sixth Lady Chen. Jinzhao decided to bring Gu Lan along to the event. At the spring outing, Jinzhao reunited with Yu Wanxue, who revealed her engagement to the Third Wrangler, Chen Xuanqing.
As the young ladies socialized, a horse suddenly broke loose and approached Jinzhao. Though the animal was spirited and difficult to handle, Jinzhao managed to calm and steady it, demonstrating impressive equestrian skills. This caught the attention of Xue Qinglan, a straightforward woman who preferred martial arts and riding over traditional feminine pursuits. Xue Qinglan challenged Jinzhao to a horseback willow-shooting competition.
Though Jinzhao was initially reluctant to compete for prizes like a fine blade or a rare horse, she proposed a different arrangement: the prizes should be converted into silver and donated to Charity Hall in the winner’s name. Impressed by her character, Xue Qinglan agreed. As they prepared, Sixth Lady Chen remarked to Jinzhao that a match was being sought between her brother, Chen Yanyun, and Xue Qinglan, noting that despite their different temperaments, the two seemed surprisingly well-suited.
