Wild Ambition Bloom Episode 10 Recap
> Wild Ambition Bloom Recap
Yi Dajin came to meet Chu Shaohua to purchase Ziwan. He offered four jiao a jin, double the price of the previous year, but Chu Shaohua adamantly refused to sell. Yi Dajin attempted to intimidate her, calling her a "Chen widow" and threatening that no dealer in Qizhou would dare buy her Ziwan if he had a say. Chu Shaohua remained firm, revealing her intention to sell the Ziwan in Shanghai, not in the Qizhou Medicine Market.
Disgruntled, Yi Dajin dismissed her claim as a bluff, stating that even Mr. Xia couldn't establish a foothold in Shanghai. He gave her an ultimatum to sell or he would leave, then departed with his assistant. Yi Dajin immediately sought out Xia Yuan for help. Gao Qianyi informed Xia Yuan that Shouyuan Apothecary had no Ziwan, not due to a poor harvest, but because Chu Shaohua had monopolized all of it from the farmers.
Xia Yuan concluded that someone was stirring things up and suspected the Tian family from Shanghai was behind it, given their past interference with military supply orders. Days passed, and Chu Shaohua's stall remained without a single sale. Her assistant grew anxious, reminding her that the Qizhou Medicine Market was closing in three days, and payments to the farmers were due.
Chu Shaohua confidently asserted that Shouyuan Apothecary would return and bet that Yi Dajin would be back before the day ended. As Chu Shaohua predicted, Xia Yuan himself arrived at her small, secluded stall. He noted that such a humble setup seemed at odds with her large business ambitions. Chu Shaohua cut straight to the chase, telling Xia Yuan she had 170,000 jin of Qizhou Ziwan and inviting him to name his price.
Xia Yuan offered ten percent more than what the Shanghai Tian family would, on the condition that he acquired the entire lot. Chu Shaohua then proposed a price of four jiao five fen per jin, lower than the prevailing market price, but demanded full payment by the end of the day, which Xia Yuan readily accepted. Chu Shaohua then clarified that her mention of selling to Shanghai was merely a bluff; she had no connections to the Tian family.
This was one reason she was willing to sell at her price. The other reason was that she needed to pay the farmers their remaining ninety percent within three days, or she would lose her deposits and the Ziwan. Xia Yuan deduced that she would have sought him out anyway, and Chu Shaohua confirmed it, believing he would be curious about her.
Xia Yuan, impressed, calculated that Chu Shaohua had managed to make a profit of six thousand silver dollars from an initial capital of only thirty-five silver dollars, primarily by using contracts as collateral to secure loans. He expressed his anticipation of future collaborations. Chu Shaohua thanked him, confident that Xia Yuan would not go back on his word.
Xia Yuan acknowledged the pleasant business dealing and left, informing her that his offer to have her join Shouyuan Apothecary would stand for six months. Xia Yuan then formally introduced Chu Shaohua to Yi Dajin and Gao Qianyi. Gao Qianyi immediately recognized Chu Shaohua as the one who "snatched the military order from Xu Hongnian," confirming her exceptional business acumen.
Xia Yuan, now even more impressed, expressed his deep dissatisfaction with Yi Dajin's management of Chichun Apothecary, revealing discrepancies in his two-year ledgers which he had Gao Qianyi and Xu Hongnian review. He stated that he had acquired Chichun Apothecary to expand into the prepared medicine market, but Yi Dajin had proved to be disloyal and ineffective. Xia Yuan then suggested Chu Shaohua as a suitable replacement to manage the apothecary.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Chen, Chu Shaohua's mother-in-law, continued to pressure Song Ping, Chen Ershun's wife, to drink foul-tasting traditional medicine to aid fertility. Mrs. Chen threatened that if Song Ping did not conceive soon, she would arrange for Chen Ershun to take a second wife. Chu Shaohua returned home late with a large sum of money. Mrs. Chen, initially displeased by her late hours, was overjoyed upon seeing the money.
Chu Shaohua explained that she was working hard to support the family and would likely become even busier, possibly even staying out overnight. Mrs. Chen's attitude completely shifted, and she enthusiastically supported Chu Shaohua's business ventures, promising to take care of Xuan and the household. Later, Mrs. Chen subtly tried to persuade Chu Shaohua to let her manage the money, citing Chu Shaohua's youth and potential "carelessness." Chu Shaohua deflected, stating she had already spent all the earnings.
Chu Shaohua opened her new venture, "Huashun Apothecary," in a prime location with high foot traffic in Qizhou. The opening was a grand affair, attended by numerous local apothecary owners, Mrs. Chen, and Song Ping. Mrs. Chen was particularly delighted by the name, connecting "Hua" (from Shaohua) and "Shun" (from her deceased eldest son, Dashun). Song Ping, however, thought "Shunhua" would be more fitting. Xia Yuan and Gao Qianyi arrived, offering their congratulations and a gift.
Chu Shaohua proudly explained her business model, which included a lucky draw with discount coupons and complimentary seasonal teas. Gao Qianyi, after a quick calculation, estimated it would take eighteen months for the shop to break even. Chu Shaohua, unfazed, asserted her plan to recoup costs within a year. Xia Yuan, believing the small shop couldn't contain Chu Shaohua's ambition, renewed his invitation for her to join Shouyuan Apothecary.
He offered her a role at Chichun Apothecary, with the promise that within two years, she would manage the entire Qizhou medicine market and Chichun Apothecary, along with a share in the company. Chu Shaohua politely declined, explaining that she wished to see how far she, Chu Shaohua, could go on her own merits. Xia Yuan respected her decision, reminding her to leverage external support in business, while Chu Shaohua countered that self-knowledge was paramount.
Xia Yuan reiterated his support, assuring her that Shouyuan Apothecary would welcome her anytime she changed her mind within the next six months. Her assistant was surprised by her refusal, noting that many coveted a position in Shouyuan, but Chu Shaohua declared her desire to be a leader, not a subordinate like Xia Yuan. Upon learning that Xia Yuan had personally invited Chu Shaohua, Yi Dajin grew increasingly worried that he would lose Chichun Apothecary to her.
Convinced of Xia Yuan's dissatisfaction with his performance, Yi Dajin resolved to take "harsh measures" to drive Chu Shaohua out of Qizhou. Huashun Apothecary quickly prospered, with customers constantly flowing in. Chu Shaohua's staff struggled to keep up with restocking popular items like Xiangsha Pills and Liuwei Pills and managing deliveries. They urged Chu Shaohua to hire more help, and she stepped in to assist with the overwhelming tasks herself.
During the busy period, Zhou Yan and Chu Shaohua's mother visited, finding Chu Shaohua visibly tired. Zhou Yan, after praising Chu Shaohua's thriving business and how it was quickly surpassing Chichun Apothecary, suggested that Chu Shaozhong, Chu Shaohua's brother, should come work at the apothecary. She emphasized his experience and the benefits of having a trusted family member.
Chu Shaohua angrily rejected the idea, questioning their past contributions and accusing them of attempting to take over now that the business was successful. Zhou Yan and Chu Shaohua's mother, however, persisted, with her mother pleading for Chu Shaohua to help her brother, who had been "lazing around at home, eating, sleeping, doing nothing" since Chichun Apothecary was sold. Chu Shaohua reluctantly agreed to consider it.
Later, Song Ping informed Mrs. Chen that Chu Shaohua's mother and sister-in-law had visited her at the apothecary, suggesting a reconciliation. Auntie Song, Mrs. Chen's cousin, also visited, hoping to secure a job for her son at Huashun Apothecary. Taking Song Ping's revelation about the reconciliation as an opportunity, Auntie Song advised Mrs. Chen to gain control of the apothecary's finances to prevent Chu Shaohua from giving the money to her own family. Chu Shaohua arrived home late once more.
Mrs. Chen, putting on a show of maternal concern, offered her food and promised to have new clothes made for her and Xuan. Under Mrs. Chen's prompting, Xuan innocently asked Chu Shaohua to come home earlier and suggested hiring "Uncle Song" (Auntie Song's son) to help at the shop, exposing Mrs. Chen's manipulation. Suddenly, Chen Ershun returned, distressed and claiming he had been scammed out of both of their apothecaries in Peking.
Mrs. Chen was devastated and enraged, while Chu Shaohua, disgusted by his incompetence, immediately took Xuan and retreated to her room. At Shouyuan Apothecary, Xia Yuan was overjoyed when his younger brother, Xia Chu, unexpectedly returned. However, Xia Chu informed him and their mother that he had come to say goodbye, as he was leaving for France to study abroad. Xia Yuan, surprised, asked, "France? Why would you go there?"
