The Lady in Butcher's House Episode 16 Recap
> The Lady in Butcher's House Recap
After Hu Jiao secretly disposed of Xu Qingjia's straw mat, Xu Qingjia found himself without a place to sleep on the floor. Knowing full well why, he ultimately lay beside Hu Jiao, marking their first time sharing a bed since their marriage. Hu Jiao, though initially shy and tense, secretly observed Xu Qingjia's sleeping face before eventually embracing him, unaware of the smile playing on his lips.
Meanwhile, at the Jade Spring Pavilion, Landlord Liu attempted to proposition Yu Niang, boasting about newfound wealth from an ancient tomb found on his land. Before he could press further, Gao Zheng arrived, causing Landlord Liu to retreat immediately. Gao Zheng then urged Yu Niang to close her tea house, expressing his disapproval of her profiting from her beauty by entertaining guests.
Yu Niang sharply countered, arguing that her establishment offered an art of tea, carefully curated to provide customers a respite from their worries. She explained that while some patrons harbored ill intentions, she shouldn't be forced to close her business and starve. Yu Niang also stated that she needed money and saw nothing shameful in making an honest living, as long as it didn't disturb the peace of Shangyong County.
She then dismissed Gao Zheng, after which she disappeared into a secret passage concealed within a wardrobe. As the acting county governor, Xu Qingjia was overwhelmed by his duties. Hu Jiao suggested he appoint a local registrar who understood both Mandarin and the local dialect to assist with cases and mediate conflicts. Xu Qingjia adopted this excellent idea, inviting Mo Qing to join the county office.
Xu Qingjia sought to reform the local bureaucracy, encouraging officials to be frank about public affairs and understand the needs of the people. He challenged his staff, testing their knowledge of daily rice prices, which only Mo Qing knew. He explained that a language barrier had prevented previous officials from truly connecting with the populace.
He declared that those who sought to slack off had no place in Shangyong County, but those who wanted to improve people's well-being should speak their minds. Mo Qing later praised Hu Jiao, acknowledging her good judgment in choosing a husband, while a clerk quipped that Hu Jiao had trained Xu Qingjia well. That evening, Xu Qingjia returned home to find Hu Jiao waiting for him, a gesture that filled him with warmth.
The following morning, Xu Qingjia introduced two local investigators, trained in Mandarin by Mo Qing, to assist the existing clerks in bridging the language gap with the local population. He announced the reopening of the County Academy, which had been put on hold, with a new focus on recruiting local youths who did not speak Mandarin.
He emphasized that by the end of the year, all tax records and documents for the local population must clearly show how funds were spent to avoid public resentment. Mo Qing then reported on the dire situation in the western suburbs, which had previously suffered from ruthless taxation under the former official, Chi Wenjun. Later, many young laborers from the area had been forcibly taken to the Stone Sheep Village silver mine, emerging tortured and emaciated.
As a result, the market was desolate, and dozens of school-aged children were orphaned and severely malnourished. Moved by these accounts, Xu Qingjia ordered Mo Qing to post notices announcing that children from the western suburbs and surrounding areas would be taken into the school system. He also sought donations from wealthy merchants and gentry to fund the new schools.
However, his public appeal for donations, delivered to a sparse crowd, was largely unsuccessful, as people quickly dispersed, uninterested in a speech about education over entertainment. Feeling unfulfilled in her marriage due to Xu Qingjia's continued focus on work, Hu Jiao visited Yu Niang, who quickly deduced that the couple had not yet consummated their marriage. Yu Niang advised Hu Jiao to make an effort to be more romantic.
Taking this advice, Hu Jiao dressed up and attempted to recite a poem to Xu Qingjia, but she stumbled through it, reading from a hidden note. The attempt failed to engage Xu Qingjia, who remained preoccupied. Following another suggestion from Yu Niang to be more persistent, Hu Jiao then pretended to be scared of mice in her room, bringing her bedding to Xu Qingjia's study.
However, Xu Qingjia remained engrossed in his work, brushing off her fears and suggesting she handle the mice with her knife. Frustrated, Hu Jiao angrily returned to her room, complaining that Xu Qingjia's official duties were more important than his wife. The next day, Hu Jiao confided in Yu Niang about her failed attempts. Yu Niang speculated that Xu Qingjia's lack of interest likely stemmed from underlying worries.
Hu Jiao then approached Xu Qingjia with more understanding, asking if anything was troubling him. He admitted to being concerned about the school construction, revealing that despite continuous efforts, the donation box had only collected a dozen guans and he still needed at least a thousand guans to fund the project until the end of the year. Hu Jiao boldly promised to secure the necessary funds.
The following morning, Gao Zheng angrily confronted Xu Qingjia, accusing Hu Jiao of arranging a public marriage proposal for Yu Niang. News spread quickly that Hu Jiao had organized an event at Jade Spring Pavilion, inviting wealthy merchants to bid the highest price to marry Lady Yu, with all proceeds going to the county school.
Hu Jiao's true intention, however, was not actually to marry Yu Niang off, but to provoke a reaction from Gao Zheng and to raise the much-needed funds. Xu Qingjia, realizing the implications of Hu Jiao's unconventional fundraising method, remembered her earlier promise. Concerned by the potential chaos and Gao Zheng's distress, Xu Qingjia rushed to Jade Spring Pavilion with Gao Zheng. Several affluent merchants, including Landlord Liu, eagerly participated in the event.
A shabbily dressed man also appeared, acting with an air of superiority. Hu Jiao, overseeing the event, addressed the crowd, initially misstating the merchants' intentions as "benevolent and lustful" before correcting herself to "benevolent and generous." She then announced the rules: participants would place their bank notes into a box, and a matron of fairness would count the donations, with the highest bidder signing a contract to marry Lady Yu.
Gao Zheng attempted to reason with Yu Niang upstairs, but she was resolute, reminding him of his earlier judgment of her and asserting her right to use her beauty to help the children. She questioned whether her beauty should prevent her from making money. Gao Zheng admitted his views might be outdated but pleaded with her not to disregard her future. The matron of fairness confirmed the donations, announcing a total of 2,030 taels raised.
Individual donations were tallied, with Landlord Liu donating 500 taels, expecting to be the highest bidder. However, the matron then announced that "Young Master Yu" had donated 600 taels. The poor-looking man stepped forward, revealing himself as Lady Yu's personal physician, and stated he was representing Lady Yu's own significant donation. The crowd erupted in confusion and anger, feeling tricked, but Xu Qingjia clarified that the contract allowed anyone, regardless of gender, to participate, thus validating Yu Niang's contribution to herself.
