Wild Ambition Bloom Episode 21 Recap
> Wild Ambition Bloom Recap
Tian Tongdao's Western Bunao Pill had been selling well in Shanghai. In response, Wen Zhiqiu and Xia Yuan partnered to launch the Oriental Bunao Pill, which saw rapidly increasing sales. Tian Tongdao then used two incorrectly printed advertisements from Wen's Pharmacy as evidence to file a lawsuit. He also arranged for a Russian man, Glebov, to impersonate the American Professor Claudy, the supposed developer of the Bunao Pill, to issue a protest.
Furthermore, Tian Tongdao attempted to set a trap for Wen Zhiqiu and Chu Shaohua using Kang Erniu, but Chu Shaohua realized something was amiss. Chu Shaohua and Wen Zhiqiu met with Xia Yuan, Xu Hongnian, and others to strategize. They decided to turn the tables and bring Professor Claudy—the real person Glebov was impersonating—to their side. Professor Claudy was in Shanghai seeking his lost daughter, Natasha.
Xia Yuan instructed Mr. Yang to leverage all his connections to locate Natasha in Tsitsihar. Mr. Yang's family had operated in the northeast for over a century, with connections spanning every town in three provinces. Upon his inquiry, an apothecary doing business with them responded, confirming Natasha was in Tsitsihar. She had left Shanghai after separating from the man who had lured her there, too ashamed to face her father.
Learning this, Glebov, the Russian man who had been impersonating Professor Claudy, didn't hesitate to cooperate. Wen Zhiqiu then held a press conference where the real Professor Claudy publicly supported Wen Zhiqiu and Chu Shaohua, resulting in Tian Tongdao's crushing defeat in the lawsuit. Realizing Tian Tongdao had been manipulating her to oppose Chu Shaohua, Kang Erniu decided to end her relationship with Tian Tongxin following his brother's loss in court. Tian Tongxin vehemently refused, exclaiming, "No way!
I've been the one to walk away first. Nobody's ever walked away from me!" Kang Erniu, also known as Bai Bingxin, retorted, "Mr. Tian, there's a first time for everything. You'll get used to it." She handed him back the ring and firmly told him, "Let's part ways from now on. Don't come to me again." Despite Tian Tongxin's desperate pleas and attempts to buy her affection, she kept him locked out, her mind made up.
After winning the lawsuit, the demand for Oriental Bunao Pill soared, often selling out immediately. Xia Yuan was deeply pleased and expressed his desire for a long-term partnership with Wen's Pharmacy, commenting, "I feel we will have a long-term cooperation with Wen's Pharmacy." He invited Wen Zhiqiu and Chu Shaohua to a family dinner. However, Chu Shaohua flatly declined.
When Wen Zhiqiu pressed her for a reason, she evasively claimed, "I'm not comfortable visiting others' homes," and later, "I'm not feeling well." She struggled to explain that she once had been in love with Xia Yuan's younger brother, Xia Chu. Wen Zhiqiu attended the dinner alone at the Xia residence. Xia Yuan congratulated Wen's Pharmacy on ranking ninth among Shanghai's top ten TCM apothecaries, a position he thought they wouldn't achieve until later in the year.
He offered Wen Zhiqiu special black tea sent by his brother, Xia Chu, from Europe. Xia Yuan proudly described his brother's exceptional intelligence and academic achievements, mentioning he was now studying in France and seemed close to marrying his girlfriend. Xia Yuan’s mother, learning that Chu Shaohua was unwell, arranged for Qizhou dishes and local specialties to be delivered to her. Xia Yuan suggested they delay the delivery, fearing that familiar items from Qizhou might trigger painful memories.
From Madam Xia, Wen Zhiqiu inadvertently learned of Chu Shaohua's past tragedies in Qizhou, including "losing her husband and daughter, and suffering the family ruin." Madam Xia remarked that despite such hardships, Chu Shaohua had not collapsed under grief but instead built a thriving business with Wen Zhiqiu, embodying a "modern-day Mulan." Wen Zhiqiu was deeply moved by this revelation. Later, Wen Zhiqiu met Chu Shaohua for wontons and brought up their potential collaboration with Xia Yuan.
Chu Shaohua casually asked about Xia Chu's situation, learning that he was soon to be married. Wen Zhiqiu then broached the topic of her past in Qizhou, saying he had seen the newspaper reports but hadn't connected them to her. He suggested that speaking about her past might alleviate her burden. However, Chu Shaohua, already sensitive, became defensive, saying, "I've long since let go of it. If you hadn't brought it up, I wouldn't have remembered it."
She denied avoiding anything and insisted, "I am truly happy and lightheartedly. Thank you for caring." She angrily told him, "I don't need your help. Nor do I want anyone's pity. Whether I can let go or move on or not, that's my own business, and it has nothing to do with you." She abruptly left the table without finishing her meal.
The next day, Wu, one of their employees, announced his upcoming wedding and invited Wen Zhiqiu to be his witness and Chu Shaohua to host. Wen Zhiqiu, still concerned about Chu Shaohua's emotional state, tried to decline on her behalf, claiming she had a business trip. Chu Shaohua, however, quickly accepted, stating the trip could be rescheduled, much to Wu's delight.
She then playfully leveraged Wen Zhiqiu's concern, suggesting, "If we're talking about upholding Wen's Pharmacy's reputation, then I need a qipao, and you'll cover the cost." She then added, "I think it's time to swap out my shoes. And I should buy a new bag." Wen Zhiqiu jokingly tried to send her on a business trip to Suzhou instead of acceding to her demands.
Chu Shaohua read a newspaper report about Tian Tongxin's suicide attempt by taking sleeping pills due to heartbreak, though he was rescued in time. She rushed home and urged Kang Erniu to visit him. Kang Erniu flatly refused, saying, "I thought it was something serious! He took pills last night, and he is alright now. Attempted suicide over a breakup. How utterly contemptible!"
She revealed he had only taken three pills and woken up before his stomach could even be pumped. Kang Erniu further explained that she realized the Tian family had never truly accepted her but had merely used her, especially in their dispute against Chu Shaohua. Having accepted this, she had moved on from Tian Tongxin. Shortly after, Mu Ziru arrived to pick up Kang Erniu, revealing his identity as the Qing Gang's fourth man.
Kang Erniu explained that she had met him at a Tian family dinner and they were now seeing each other. She boldly declared, "He is a better choice than Tongxin. I stay true to myself. As long as I'm being heartless, no one can truly hurt me." Chu Shaohua, worried, warned her to be careful. Meanwhile, Tian Tongdao visited Tian Tongxin in the hospital, scolding him for attempting suicide over "wretched Bai." Tian Tongxin, however, remained fixated on Kang Erniu.
Later, Mr. Zhou visited, and Tian Tongdao learned from him that there was a prostitute in Peking, named Lu Ningxiang, at Linfang Pavilion, who bore a striking resemblance to Kang Erniu. Tian Tongdao, wanting to humiliate Kang Erniu and get revenge, bribed Mr. Zhou into revealing her whereabouts. Subsequently, a shipment of Oriental Bunao Pill bound for Hangzhou was seized by the police. Wen Zhiqiu sent Chu Shaohua to the police department for information, while he sought other reliable contacts.
At the police station, Chu Shaohua was informed that someone had reported Wen's Pharmacy for secretly smuggling opium under the guise of trading medicine. The officer stated the goods would be held for investigation, potentially for "half a year, at worst, three to five years." Chu Shaohua was enraged by the baseless accusation. She then noticed officers apprehending Jin Handing and Huang Yucheng.
She immediately reported the arresting officer for being "in cahoots with Jin Handing and Huang Yucheng," claiming he knew their hiding place. Cornered, the officer revealed that Police Chief Wang Guodong had personally ordered the seizure. Chu Shaohua directly confronted Wang Guodong. Despite his attempts to ignore her, she astutely observed his physical symptoms: "You look pale, with swelling under your eyes and ashen lips.
Have you been experiencing frequent dizziness, weakness in the lower back and knees, and cold extremities lately? Do you often have trouble falling asleep, get up frequently at night, and are struggle with sexual affairs?" She diagnosed his condition as "weakened vital fire" requiring remedies to "tonify your middle jiao and boost qi, as well as nourish essence and replenish marrow." She recommended Wen's Pharmacy's Jinkui Shenqi Pill for his symptoms and the Oriental Bunao Pill for his dizziness.
Taking the opportunity, she presented her business card and pressed him about the seized medicine, denying any opium smuggling. Wang Guodong promised a resolution in "three to five days." Wen Zhiqiu learned from Xia Yuan that Tian Tongdao was behind the seizure. He arranged for a mutual friend, Yunlong, to invite Wang Guodong to dinner, and Wang Guodong agreed, but specifically requested Chu Shaohua's presence.
At the dinner, Wang Guodong confirmed that the Oriental Bunao Pill she gave him had significantly alleviated his symptoms. Wen Zhiqiu reiterated Wen's Pharmacy's commitment to ancestral teachings and provided documents proving their innocence. He and Chu Shaohua appealed for the release of their goods, with Chu Shaohua dramatically stating that without the goods, Wen Zhiqiu would "have to beg for food on Nanjing Road" and she would "lose my job."
Wang Guodong dismissed her "pitiful and miserable" act as insufficient. Wen Zhiqiu then offered Wang Guodong gold bars. Wang Guodong's eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity to propose to Chu Shaohua, saying, "You become my eighth concubine, I'll release the goods immediately." Chu Shaohua immediately became furious, calling him an "old rascal" and "old pervert," and accusing him of "weakness in the lower back" and being an "old man."
Wen Zhiqiu tried to intervene, urging her to calm down. Despite her outburst, Wang Guodong found her "bold" and "interesting," insisting, "I insist on her." Wen Zhiqiu desperately tried to dissuade him by claiming, "Her fate is too strong. She brought misfortune to her father, and after she married, she brought death to her husband." However, Wang Guodong countered that a fortune teller had predicted he carried "killing energy in my fate" and a "stronger woman can better support me." Faced with Wang Guodong's persistence, Chu Shaohua declared, "I have a fiancé," and pointed to Wen Zhiqiu. Enraged, Wang Guodong pulled out a pistol, threatening to kill Wen Zhiqiu.
