Rattan Episode 29 Recap
> Rattan Recap
Qin Fang took a young girl he found on the road to a supermarket, where she readily picked out many items, showing a voracious appetite. Noticing injuries on her face, he offered her medicine to apply. Moved by his kindness, the girl finally revealed her name was Xizhu, explaining it was "Xi for west, Zhu for bamboo." This name, however, startled Yiru, who overheard.
Qin Fang pulled Yiru aside, learning that Xizhu was her mother's newly adopted daughter, and Yiru herself had also once been named Xizhu. Strangely, Yiru adamantly denied that her mother had ever hit her, despite Xizhu's visible bruises. Qin Fang felt for Xizhu and gave her his coat, prompting the child to ask who Yiru was and if she could stay with him. Qin Fang, realizing he hadn't even told Xizhu his own name, decided not to press for answers.
Once Xizhu fell asleep, he covertly returned her to her adoptive mother's home. The next morning, Xizhu discovered a photo album titled "Xizhu's Growth Record," but the pictures inside clearly showed Yiru. She innocently mentioned to her adoptive mother that she had seen the girl in the photos, sparking a furious outburst from the woman, who demanded to know where and when Xizhu had seen her. Xizhu, in pain from her adoptive mother's grip, bit her arm to break free.
The adoptive mother, Kong Jinghua, immediately seemed to snap back to reality, tearfully apologizing and begging Xizhu for forgiveness. Xizhu, composed, asked to be sent to school. Upon arriving, she tearfully confided in her teacher, Ms. Lin, revealing fresh bruises and injuries on her body. Ms. Lin and a colleague were horrified, recognizing it as clear child abuse.
Ms. Lin immediately offered Xizhu a safe place to stay at her own home for the night, which finally calmed the crying child. Meanwhile, Qin Fang couldn't shake off Xizhu having called him by his name. He brought his Seven-Star Stone Plate to Xizhu's house, and it astonishingly reacted, guiding him in a specific direction. That night, a fierce storm raged. Kong Jinghua, desperate to find Xizhu, tracked her to Ms. Lin's home.
As Ms. Lin went to close a window, she was terrified to see Kong Jinghua and fainted. Kong Jinghua entered the house, went to Xizhu's bedside, and woke the sleeping child, but Xizhu quickly fled. Xizhu ran directly into Qin Fang, who shielded her by holding her near a window ledge, evading Kong Jinghua's pursuit. Qin Fang then used Chisan's hallucinatory power to temporarily erase Ms. Lin's memory of Kong Jinghua's visit and of Xizhu staying with her.
After ensuring Ms. Lin would be undisturbed, he left with Xizhu, taking her back to his home. Qin Fang, realizing the significance of the Seven-Star Stone Plate's guidance and Xizhu's mysterious knowledge of him, was now certain that the child was indeed Si Teng, reborn. Overwhelmed with joy and relief at finally finding her, he laughed genuinely for the first time in years. Meanwhile, in an ethereal realm, Bai Jin appeared before the young Si Teng, who showed no fear.
Bai Jin gently explained that it was Si Teng herself who had brought him there. He played with her, offering her a new beginning. Qin Fang had already contacted Yan Furui and Wang Qiankun, informing them of Si Teng's unusual, rapid transformation and asking them to research this phenomenon. Later, Xizhu awoke and sincerely thanked Qin Fang for saving her. Qin Fang, still trying to understand her, playfully tested her by suggesting she wasn't an ordinary human child.
Xizhu, quick-witted, admitted she was an "alien" and suggested he was too, but wouldn't reveal more. When Qin Fang pretended to leave her, the little Xizhu immediately chased after him, begging him to stay. Xizhu remained unwilling to fully disclose her identity, but Qin Fang decided not to pressure her further, instead proposing a partnership. He noted her remarkable similarities in behavior to Si Teng, making their communication surprisingly effortless.
They speculated about Kong Jinghua, suspecting her to be a Yi mutated from bamboo due to her constant references to bamboo and even naming her daughters after it. Qin Fang found the idea humorous, especially when Wang Qiankun suggested she might be a panda Yi. After their serious discussion, Qin Fang ordered a large amount of food for Xizhu, who ate without restraint.
When Qin Fang casually mentioned "Si Teng," Xizhu proudly boasted about Si Teng's unparalleled power, making Qin Fang smile. That night, Qin Fang and Xizhu went to Kong Jinghua's home. Xizhu noticed an unusual broom. Qin Fang retrieved cooking oil from the kitchen and strategically poured it on Kong Jinghua when she emerged, then produced a lighter. Seeing the flame, Kong Jinghua froze.
She openly admitted she was a Yi, explaining that she was old and dying and had adopted children to have a reliable junior to settle her affairs. Qin Fang, surprised that even Yis could age, learned from Kong Jinghua that their lifespan was long, taking decades or centuries to show significant changes. She recalled a unique exception: the 1910 mutation, when Si Teng rapidly rose to prominence, becoming incredibly powerful despite being a Yi.
Si Teng was then manipulated by the Xuan Sect to absorb the power of her own kind. Kong Jinghua recounted how she and her three sisters, part of the "Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum" quartet, along with other Yis, tried to defeat Si Teng. But Si Teng was too formidable, severely injuring Kong Jinghua's sisters and many others, who then retreated to the mountains, never to be seen again. Kong Jinghua alone survived, "barely clinging to life in this world."
She then explained her disappointment with Yiru, her adopted daughter, who had fallen in with "hooligans." Enraged, Kong Jinghua had beaten the hooligans and, in a fit of anger, broke Yiru's leg. Before leaving, Qin Fang quietly told Kong Jinghua that Yiru still missed her. Kong Jinghua remained silent, watching them depart with tears in her eyes. Qin Fang took Xizhu to a Western restaurant. As he watched Xizhu's innocent, childlike behavior, he felt a mix of fondness and exasperation.
He leaned down to pick up a spoon Xizhu had dropped, but when he looked up, the small girl before him had transformed into the adult Si Teng. Si Teng stood there, unexpected and breathtaking. Qin Fang’s mind reeled, and he found himself speechless. Si Teng had been his living goal, the very reason for his existence. The clatter of the dropped spoon jolted Qin Fang back to reality; it was still the young Xizhu seated opposite him.
After their meal, Qin Fang took Xizhu to a shopping mall. In his eyes, he saw not just a child, but the future, adult Si Teng. Xizhu playfully asked Qin Fang to be her model, complimenting his eyebrows, saying they were "like distant peaks."
She then evoked the classical tale of Zhang Chang, who painted his wife’s eyebrows, playfully declaring to Qin Fang, "Now, you are Si Teng, painting eyebrows for your husband," a profound statement of their unique and intimate bond. Their gazes met, and they smiled at each other, as if everything was truly as it should be.
