Rewriting Destiny Episode 18 Recap
> Rewriting Destiny Recap
Xu Ziyan rushed to the scene after hearing cries of "murder," only to find Jiang already poisoned and clutching Xia Lan's handkerchief. With his dying breath, Jiang put all the blame on Xia Lan before biting his tongue and committing suicide. Upon learning of Jiang's suicide, Xue Mu felt relieved, noting his loyalty meant no one would uncover his involvement. Meanwhile, Ye Wenzhao, realizing his true affections lay with Xia Liuqing, visited Xia Lan to end their relationship.
He thanked her for what he believed were her butter biscuits and offered generous compensation: a house in the suburbs or 30% of his estates' rent, promising his support if she ever needed it. Xia Lan, internally pleased, agreed to consider it. However, Xu Ziyan suddenly appeared and exposed Xia Lan as an impostor. He accused her of feigning to be Xia Liuqing to gain the Ye family's wealth, challenging her to recall the details of the supposed rescue.
Xia Lan faltered, unable to answer. Xu Ziyan further revealed that Xia Lan had secretly learned to make butter biscuits from Xia Liuqing and had kept Ye Wenzhao's jade pendant, which was meant for Xia Liuqing. A shocked Ye Wenzhao listened as Xu Ziyan confirmed that Jiang himself had confessed the truth before his death: it was Xia Liuqing who had saved Ye Wenzhao and made him the biscuits.
With her deception revealed, Xia Lan mumbled a threat and attempted to flee, but Xu Ziyan apprehended her, stating there was another matter to address. Xia Lan was brought before the authorities, charged with stealing Xu's Snack Store's logo, orchestrating robberies, deceiving investors, and illegally amassing wealth. She denied everything, claiming no knowledge of Jiang, but Xu Ziyan presented Jiang's confession, detailing Xia Lan's orders for the crimes.
He also produced evidence implicating Xia Lan in Jiang's poisoning, stating she was seen entering Xu Manor to silence him. Xia Lan vehemently denied poisoning Jiang and challenged the proof, but inadvertently revealed they had communicated face-to-face, not through letters, further incriminating herself. The official, recognizing her deception, ordered her arrest. However, Xue Mu intervened, downplaying the situation as a mere "economic dispute" and arguing against jailing her.
Xu Ziyan accused her of attempted murder, but Xue Mu countered that Jiang did not die from poisoning, thus negating the murder charge. The official agreed, ruling that Xia Lan only needed to provide equivalent compensation for economic disputes. Xue Mu then shockingly proposed confiscating the Xia family's estates as compensation, much to Xia Lan's dismay. Later, Xia Lan confronted Xue Mu, accusing him of killing Jiang, manipulating her, and exploiting her family.
Xue Mu feigned remorse, claiming ignorance of the full consequences, and then used a "bitter-trick" by swearing to retrieve the Xia family's estates, asserting his actions were tactical. Desperate and feeling alone, Xia Lan was swayed, and Xue Mu promised to protect her from any future danger. Ye Wenzhao, searching for Xia Liuqing, learned she was at the nursery. On his way, he was attacked by three robbers, whom he recognized as the same bandits from his childhood.
He cheekily thanked them, claiming their past actions had inadvertently set the stage for a romance, but they dismissed him and demanded money. As they prepared to search him, Xia Liuqing appeared, swiftly dispatching the bandits. Ye Wenzhao immediately embraced her, recalling how she had saved him as a child, bandaged his wound, and given him butter biscuits.
Xia Liuqing was surprised, realizing he was the "Beggar" boy she had helped, an incident that had inspired her to learn martial arts. Ye Wenzhao expressed regret for mistaking Xia Lan for her and vowed not to lose her again. Xia Liuqing confessed she had also been waiting for him. Ye Wenzhao took Xia Liuqing to celebrate with drinks.
As he attempted to get closer, a shy Xia Liuqing playfully punched him in the chest and made an excuse about the approaching dawn to return home. Back home, she shared the exciting news with Xia Yubing, admitting her past mistake of thinking Jiang was the beggar boy. Xia Yubing found the revelation dramatic, marveling at how they had both unknowingly waited for each other. Later, Xia Liuqing met Ye Wenzhao again and confessed her error regarding Jiang.
Ye Wenzhao affectionately pulled her into his arms, wishing the moment could last forever. With their store lost, Xia Yubing resolved to keep her business alive by selling butter biscuits and tea directly from a stall outside Xu Manor, believing her innocence would attract customers. Xu Ziyan offered to sell his family estates to help redeem the store, but Xia Yubing refused to let him sacrifice his family's assets. Despite their efforts, business remained slow.
One day, Xu Ziyan helped a page boy whose master was unable to get food delivered from Yanyan Building, which didn't offer takeaway services. This act sparked an idea in Xia Yubing: she would offer her own takeaway service. Xia Yubing launched an exclusive "takeaway" service from Xu Manor, allowing customers to place orders for home delivery. The service quickly became popular, but Xia Yubing found it impossible to manage all the deliveries alone, leading to delays and cold food.
She proposed hiring children from the nursery as delivery staff, arguing their familiarity with the town and agility would ensure quick deliveries. Xia Liuqing initially disagreed, finding it improper to use children, but Xia Yubing persuaded her by emphasizing the opportunity for the children to earn money and learn self-reliance. Xia Liuqing, seeing the children's eagerness, allowed them to participate. Xia Yubing then gathered the children, giving them instructions on safe and efficient delivery.
However, Xia Yubing's flourishing delivery service provoked resentment from other snack shopkeepers. They confronted her, complaining that her services were stealing their customers and that her higher wages for child delivery staff were disrupting the market. Xia Yubing countered, telling them to adapt by offering their own takeaway services and criticizing their stagnant business practices. She refused to lower the children's wages, asserting her right to pay as she wished.
The shopkeepers, threatening retaliation, soon acted on their words by deliberately obstructing the child delivery staff, causing delays, and then smashing Xia Yubing's stall, falsely accusing a child of causing an accident and demanding compensation. The dispute between Xia Yubing and the shopkeepers was taken to Xue Mu for judgment. Despite the shopkeepers' accusations of market disruption and public safety hazards, Xue Mu sided with Xia Yubing, acknowledging her innovative business model.
Xia Yubing eloquently argued that takeaway services had always existed and that her efforts simply offered convenience, while the shopkeepers were resistant to change and resorting to malicious tactics out of jealousy. Xue Mu declared that a healthy business environment needed competition, not destructive behavior, and ruled that the shopkeepers had maliciously damaged Xia Yubing's property and caused economic and operating losses. He ordered them to compensate Xia Yubing.
However, Xia Yubing surprised everyone by accepting only the compensation for her economic losses and returning the additional operating loss compensation to the shopkeepers. She then proposed a "delivery alliance," where multiple stores could share delivery staff, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing costs. She told the shopkeepers that while she was angry about their actions, she preferred to make money with them rather than destroying them, assuring them that cooperation would lead to prosperity for all.
Xia Yubing then gave the compensation money to Xia Liuqing, knowing her sister was looking to fund a school. Xia Liuqing, touched, initially thought Xia Yubing had changed her mind about using the children for deliveries, admitting her own oversight regarding the risks. Xia Yubing clarified that she would indeed hire adults, but Xia Liuqing then revealed that the children genuinely enjoyed making deliveries and would still be willing to help in their free time after school.
Xia Yubing was thrilled. Meanwhile, Xu Ziyan was treating patients when a distraught woman collapsed before speaking a word. He quickly diagnosed her with falciparum malaria, a severe, mosquito-borne disease whose symptoms could easily be mistaken for a common cold, proving fatal if untreated. He explained that soldiers in the town's southern area had recently succumbed to a similar illness, initially misdiagnosed as typhoid fever.
Xu Ziyan concluded that the humid, thickly wooded regions in the south provided an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, and these infected pests had likely now infiltrated the town. The city was immediately placed on high alert, with daily disinfection efforts initiated to eradicate the disease, and citizens were warned to keep windows closed and protect themselves from mosquito bites.
