Rebirth For You Episode 20 Recap
> Rebirth For You Recap
He Cuihua scolded Li Dongzhi for abandoning a blind date with Mr. Shao and warned her that her stubbornness would make her a laughing stock. Dongzhi tried to escape the conversation by claiming she was summoned to the military camp. He Cuihua continued to complain to Li Changqing about their daughter, believing Dongzhi had ruined a good marriage prospect.
Just then, a servant announced the arrival of guests: a Mrs. Zhang and her daughter, Zhang Lan'er, from Hedong, who claimed Li Changqing would know them. The guests, Mrs. Zhang and Zhang Lan'er, were shown in. Zhang Lan'er immediately commented on the modest size of the Li family mansion, comparing it unfavorably to their own palatial residence with jade floors, gold pillars, and silkwood furniture.
Mrs. Zhang then explained to Li Changqing that her husband, Mr. Zhang, had passed away a few years ago. She had since grown their family fortune by buying estates and opening shops in Bingzhou and needed a temporary residence while her own house was undergoing renovations. Li Changqing, out of gratitude for Mr. Zhang who had once saved his life, warmly welcomed them and insisted they make themselves at home.
Mrs. Zhang, however, continued to boast about their wealth, stating they were "a bit richer than officials." She then revealed her true intention for visiting Bingzhou was to find a suitable husband for her daughter, declaring that Zhang Lan'er, with her beauty and wealth, was worthy of an imperial relative. He Cuihua secretly scoffed at Zhang Lan'er’s appearance and her mother’s lofty ambitions.
Later, Li Changqing and He Cuihua, finding the mother and daughter's behavior unbearable, made an excuse to leave the room. Li Changqing confessed to his wife that he only knew the elder Mr. Zhang, not this pair. As Li Qian and Jiang Baoning returned to the mansion, Zhang Lan'er, eager to see the Commandery Princess, rushed to the entrance with her mother. She was immediately captivated by Li Qian's handsome appearance and skilled horsemanship as he dismounted.
Mrs. Zhang, regretting that Li Qian was already married to a Commandery Princess, was then approached by Gao Miaorong. Gao Miaorong subtly revealed that while Li Qian was an exceptional man, Jiang Baoning had a delicate constitution and the marriage had not yet been consummated, causing Li Changqing concern about Li Qian's heirs. Zhang Lan'er, upon hearing this, saw a glimmer of hope. Her mother promptly asked Gao Miaorong's opinion of Zhang Lan'er.
Gao Miaorong, with a hidden agenda to cause trouble for Jiang Baoning, lavishly praised Zhang Lan'er's beauty and suggested that if she were to marry Li Qian, bear a son, and inherit the Li family's fortune, it would be a glorious prospect. Zhang Lan'er initially balked at the idea of being a concubine, but Gao Miaorong quickly reassured her that since Jiang Baoning's marriage was unconsummated, Zhang Lan'er would be considered a co-wife, not a concubine.
The mother and daughter were delighted by the prospect, their confidence bolstered by Gao Miaorong's manipulation. Gao Miaorong then pledged her full support if they needed anything. That night, Liuhe, Zhang Lan'er’s maid, struggled to find the kitchen to fetch bathwater. She accidentally bumped into Qingke, who kindly offered to guide her.
Qingke noticed a bruise on Liuhe's hand and inquired about it, but Liuhe quickly dismissed it as a shadow from the candlelight and hurried away, seemingly afraid of being late to serve her mistresses. Zhang Lan'er, following her mother's advice to attract Li Qian, attempted a "coincidental" encounter with him, but Li Qian walked past without acknowledging her. She then tried to pretend to fall in his path.
Li Qian, seeing through her ploy, jokingly suggested she was "absorbing the essence of earth" and instructed his guard, Wei Shu, to ensure no one disturbed her while she lay there. Gao Miaorong intervened, helping a humiliated Zhang Lan'er up. Gao Miaorong then advised Zhang Lan'er that Li Qian disliked manipulative women and preferred someone like the Commandery Princess, leading Zhang Lan'er to decide to imitate Jiang Baoning.
Back in her room, Zhang Lan'er lashed out at Liuhe, blaming her for the failed attempt and striking her. Liuhe protested, stating Zhang Lan'er had told her to keep away. Zhang Lan'er, infuriated, accused Liuhe of disloyalty and told her to "go away." Liuhe tearfully asked where she could go. Gao Miaorong, feigning kindness, offered to find Liuhe a new place to stay. She advised Liuhe not to be stubborn and to "act according to circumstances" for her own good.
Gao Miaorong then brought Liuhe to the woodshed, apologizing that as she was not the mistress of the house, she could only offer such humble accommodations. The next day, Zhang Lan'er deliberately waited at Jiang Baoning’s dining area during lunch, even ordering Qingke to serve her, much to Qingke's annoyance. Zhang Lan'er then began to openly mimic Jiang Baoning's refined eating habits, which Jiang Baoning found amusing. Zhang Lan'er continued to shadow Jiang Baoning, observing her every move.
That evening, Gao Miaorong visited Zhang Lan'er to check on her progress. Privately, Gao Miaorong reveled in Zhang Lan'er's clumsy imitations, secretly plotting to use her as a "thorn in the side" for Jiang Baoning. Later, Jiang Baoning encountered Gao Miaorong outside the Zhang mother-daughter's room and overheard Zhang Lan'er inside loudly imitating her, even mocking her as the "sickly Commandery Princess." Jiang Baoning, using the excuse that the guest room was cold, entered to offer a quilt.
She noticed Liuhe was absent, recalling Qingke's earlier mention of Liuhe's bruises. Jiang Baoning became concerned, wanting to help Liuhe. Back in her own room, Jiang Baoning expressed her worries to Li Qian about Dongzhi's extended stay at the military camp and her inability to find Liuhe. Li Qian, feeling a touch of jealousy, playfully chided her for worrying about other girls but not him. Qingke eventually located Liuhe.
Jiang Baoning, with the quilt in hand, hesitated to approach directly, fearing it would worsen Liuhe’s plight if her masters discovered she was being helped. She instructed Qingke to discreetly deliver the quilt, fabricating a story about it being an old quilt for covering firewood to keep it dry, and suggesting Liuhe could share it. Qingke delivered the quilt.
Jiang Baoning later asked Liuhe why she continued to endure the abuse from the Zhang mother-daughter, to which Liuhe replied that she considered them family, a sentiment Qingke found utterly foolish. The following morning, Li Qian, mistaking Zhang Lan'er for Jiang Baoning, walked into her, startled, and accidentally kicked her.
He quickly ordered Wei Shu to check if she was alive and, if so, to send her back to her room and instruct her mother to keep a closer eye on her. Zhang Lan'er, enraged, rejected Wei Shu’s help, calling him hypocritical. Following this, Gao Miaorong advised Zhang Lan'er not to attempt encounters with Li Qian in crowded places, suggesting a more private setting for better success.
Qingke later reported Zhang Lan'er's brazen attempt to "throw herself" at Li Qian, leading Jiang Baoning to sarcastically remark on Li Qian's good fortune. Li Qian, however, playfully feigned distress, claiming he had "nearly been flirted with" and asking Jiang Baoning to "defend him," which she playfully agreed to do. Soon after, Dong Shanhu arrived to invite Jiang Baoning to a flower feast hosted by the Dong family.
The event was being held to introduce Jiang Baoning to Miss Qi Dan, a renowned expert in cultivating flowers in Bingzhou, and also to celebrate Dong Shanhu's younger sister, Dong Zhenzhu's, birthday. Li Qian encouraged Jiang Baoning to attend and make more friends. Zhang Lan'er, overhearing the details, insisted on accompanying Jiang Baoning.
At the Dong mansion, Zhang Lan'er’s impudence immediately surfaced as she referred to Dong Zhenzhu as an "unruly girl from a merchant family," causing awkwardness among the guests. During the banquet, Zhang Lan'er disparaged the simple, homegrown dishes, calling them "rotten vegetables" and "food even beggars wouldn't eat." When Dong Zhenzhu politely explained the nutritional value of a particular horseradish dish, Zhang Lan'er retorted rudely. After tasting it, she declared it "bitter" and "what the hell is it?"
while Jiang Baoning praised its unique flavor. Zhang Lan'er, finding it unappetizing, angrily left the table. Feeling ignored when no one followed her, she stomped through the garden, wantonly destroying Qi Dan’s meticulously cultivated flowers.
