The Lady in Butcher's House Episode 27 Recap
> The Lady in Butcher's House Recap
Upon Hu Jiao's departure with La Mei to procure materials unavailable in Yunlai Town, she instructed Xu Qingjia to seek Lin Cui's assistance should any issues arise, expressing her concern for both the shop and her husband's well-being. Xu Qingjia, brimming with confidence, assured her that he could manage. As the interim manager of House of Relaxation, Xu Qingjia was initially enthusiastic, but his constant and often misguided instructions quickly irritated the male therapists.
Yong Shou had to discreetly placate the staff, who complained about Xu Qingjia's lack of understanding and how his directions had caused a customer to develop blisters. Unaware of the growing discontent, Xu Qingjia proudly declared to Yong Shou that managing a small shop was far simpler than governing a town. Across the street, a new establishment named "Great Wealth" grandly opened.
Xu Qingjia and his staff watched as Zhen Fugui, the owner, announced that Great Wealth was a "House of Relaxation" offering similar services. He boasted about using top-tier supplies and medical masters from clinics, providing two floors (one for men, one for women) to accommodate more customers without long waits, and offering prices 20 percent cheaper than House of Relaxation. The first 30 customers were even treated for free, drawing a massive crowd.
Xu Qingjia confronted Zhen Fugui, accusing him of being unkind and dishonest for blatantly copying his wife's unique business model. Zhen Fugui scoffed at the idea of kindness in business, asserting that his improved services, environment, and lower prices were beneficial. He then pointedly questioned how a "dignified second place scholar and five-grade prefectural magistrate" like Xu Qingjia could have fallen to his current state if justice truly resided in people's hearts.
Xu Qingjia attempted to defend his past as an official, but Zhen Fugui abruptly walked away, leaving him speechless. In the days that followed, House of Relaxation's business plummeted. Customers like Uncle Liu and Miss Sun, who had appointments, instead flocked to Great Wealth.
Despite this, Xu Qingjia remained stubbornly optimistic, believing that the townspeople were merely drawn by the novelty and would eventually return due to his good relationship with them, despite Yong Shou's reminder about the blisters Xu Qingjia had caused Uncle Liu. He vowed to wait for customers, standing at the door from morning until night. However, old regulars, including Uncle Liu, avoided him when leaving Great Wealth, with Uncle Liu explicitly stating he wouldn't wait for Xu Qingjia anymore.
Xu Qingjia, still clinging to hope, insisted that "tomorrow" would bring customers. His optimism was shattered when Hu Jiao returned to find the shop deserted and bearing a "Temporarily Closed" sign. That evening, Hu Houfu explained that Zhen Fugui hailed from the capital, and his true motives for opening a business in Yunlai Town were perplexing, especially since House of Relaxation's hard-won success yielded modest profits compared to Great Wealth's aggressive spending.
Hu Jiao, frustrated, lashed out at Xu Qingjia for his management failures. Later, in their room, Hu Jiao questioned why he hadn't sought Lin Cui's help as she had instructed. Xu Qingjia, his pride wounded, confessed that he didn't want her to perceive him as useless, recounting his past failures: causing her hardship, losing his official post, inadvertently harming her father, and falling into Han Wenfang's trap. He felt incompetent, a "useless piece of garbage," and questioned his own masculinity.
Hu Jiao gently consoled him, revealing that her initial youthful disdain for scholars had transformed into profound admiration after witnessing his selfless dedication to the common people in Shangyong and Xiangzhou. She called him her "hero," affirming she had not married the wrong person and cherished the feeling of supporting her "second place scholar." Xu Qingjia affectionately corrected her misrecitation of a poem, and they embraced, their bond reaffirmed.
The next morning, determined to understand Great Wealth's success, Hu Jiao, Xu Qingjia, Yong Shou, La Mei, and Hu Houfu donned various disguises, including monks and scholars, to infiltrate the rival establishment. However, Jia Yi, Zhen Fugui's aide, had anticipated such a move and prepared portraits of the Hu family and their staff. As they entered Great Wealth, Jia Yi exposed their identities one by one, much to the amusement of the onlookers.
The embarrassed family was publicly recognized and hastily ushered out of the shop. Undeterred by this setback, Hu Jiao sought Lin Cui's assistance, promising that she wouldn't face the same humiliation. Lin Cui, disguised as an unappealing, "ugly lady," visited Great Wealth. She sampled their elaborate desserts, finding them overly sweet and greasy, and pondered their unsuitability for skin health. She appreciated the authentic Dragon Well tea.
When a therapist began applying a "Green Tea Brightening Moisturizing Skin Care" mask, claiming it contained green tea powder, pearl powder, egg white, and flour, Lin Cui discreetly examined the paste. She then exposed that the supposed "pearl powder" was merely common flour, which made the paste ineffective and left residue, unlike House of Relaxation's superior formulation that left skin soft and bright without residue. Other customers, hearing this, voiced their agreement and dissatisfaction with Great Wealth's treatments and desserts.
As Lin Cui prepared to leave, Zhen Fugui stopped her, accusing her of being sent by House of Relaxation to maliciously undermine his business. Lin Cui candidly admitted her purpose but countered that Great Wealth had copied House of Relaxation's treatments superficially, demonstrating a lack of true skill and sincerity. She argued that while imitation was common in business, it was the quality of execution and the "sincerity" behind the product that truly mattered, not just capital.
Following Lin Cui's exposé, Great Wealth's reputation plummeted, and customers quickly returned to House of Relaxation, praising the quality of its treatments and the deliciousness of its desserts. House of Relaxation's business thrived once more, while Great Wealth's trade significantly declined. Zhen Fugui, observing this, found the turn of events "interesting."
Jia Yi suggested resorting to official power to crush Hu Jiao's business, noting that Xu Qingjia's fall from grace made Hu Jiao a mere civilian who could be easily handled by the county governor. Zhen Fugui, however, flatly refused, citing his father's teachings against using influence for personal gain and his desire to avoid trouble from his "Brother-in-law" (Ning Wang) and "that old guy" (Jia Xiang).
He also expressed frustration at the "Eldest Young Miss's" dissatisfaction with his progress, lamenting the wasted time, effort, and money, wishing he could be enjoying a more leisurely life with a beautiful woman. Zhen Fugui acknowledged that their current strategy of using "stolen skills" from House of Relaxation was superficial and conceded that they needed to find a different approach.
