Song of Youth Episode 19 Recap
> Song of Youth Recap
Lin Shaochun and Shen Shi were returning home by carriage after a banquet when they nearly collided with Liu Sanjue, Lin Shaochun's master. Lin Shaochun, delighted, immediately greeted her master. Shen Shi, stepping out of the carriage, was stunned to recognize Liu Sanjue, and both women froze, having clearly known each other in the past. Liu Sanjue, however, denied any acquaintance with Shen Shi, claiming to be of low status, which left Shen Shi visibly flustered.
Lin Shaochun sensed a deeper history between them, and Shen Shi later discreetly inquired if Liu Sanjue had children. Despite their evasiveness, Lin Shaochun harbored suspicions. As Liu Sanjue's birthday approached, Lin Shaochun began preparing gifts. Sun Yulou, finding Lin Shaochun's attire too simple, gave her an ancestral jade pendant as a love token. Lin Shaochun, lacking a return gift, had earlier given him a rattan bracelet she had made.
At the birthday celebration, Liu Sanjue's apprentices, Willow Wushuang and Tao Yao, playfully impersonated their master, but Lin Shaochun easily saw through their tricks. The four then enjoyed a happy hotpot meal, where Liu Sanjue emphasized the importance of Tao Yao maintaining her reputation. During the celebration, Tao Yao noticed the jade pendant Lin Shaochun wore, a gift from Sun Yulou.
She recognized its design as identical to one Sun Shijie had previously possessed (and in one account, mortgaged to her). Tao Yao then sent Sun Shijie's jade pendant back to him, prompting him to recall a past incident where he had dirtied Tao Yao's clothes. Filled with guilt, Sun Shijie visited Tao Yao to apologize and offer compensation. Tao Yao politely refused his money, making him feel even more indebted.
Captivated by her beauty and poignant singing during a performance, Sun Shijie found himself deeply attracted to her. He confided in Tao Yao about his unhappiness and frustrations with his "tigress-like" wife, Wu Yuehong. Tao Yao offered him kind advice but also subtly played hard to get, initially declining his requests to return, though she was confident he would persist.
Meanwhile, Wu Yuehong, seeking to please her husband, discovered that Lin Shaochun had arranged for a nourishing soup to be made for Sun Yulou. Inspired, she decided to prepare a similar soup for Sun Shijie. Upon his return, Sun Shijie drank the soup and, with Tao Yao on his mind, recited a poetic compliment. Wu Yuehong, misinterpreting his words as praise for herself, was overjoyed, believing it was the first time he had ever complimented her.
Despite Wu Yuehong's efforts, Sun Shijie remained preoccupied with Tao Yao. One evening, despite a heavy rain, Sun Shijie risked the weather to visit Tao Yao, who had thoughtfully prepared dry clothes for him. When she asked about Wu Yuehong, Sun Shijie openly expressed his dislike for his wife and boldly declared his feelings for Tao Yao.
However, Tao Yao, continuing her strategy, or perhaps showing concern for his marriage, initially refused his advances, causing Sun Shijie to angrily vow never to return. Later, Sun Xun discovered errors in Sun Shijie's official reports and severely reprimanded him. Although Sun Shijie outwardly acknowledged his father's scolding, his mind was still entirely focused on Tao Yao. He secretly crafted a zither, inscribing "kindred spirit" on it, and sent it to Tao Yao as an apology and a deeper expression of his affection.
