Wild Ambition Bloom Episode 34 Recap
> Wild Ambition Bloom Recap
Chu Shaohua's suspicions about Wen Zhiqiu intensified when she learned he called Xia Chu away just hours before his death five years ago. Confronting Wen Zhiqiu, she demanded the full truth. He confessed that Mu Ziru killed Xia Chu, but the real orchestrator was the KMT. Chu Shaohua then accused Wen Zhiqiu of being the person who called Xia Chu away from the Western-style tailor shop, remarking on how Xia Chu left without a proper goodbye.
She questioned his five years of silence, presenting a note found on Xia Chu, which bore Wen Zhiqiu's handwriting, and asked why he had sent Xia Chu to pick up medicine at Kangning Clinic, where Mu Ziru's men found him. Chu Shaohua’s investigation led her to believe Wen Zhiqiu and Lingdang, Mu Ziru's subordinate and Wen Zhiqiu's insider, were deeply entangled in Xia Chu's death.
Wen Zhiqiu remained evasive, but Chu Shaohua pieced together the sequence of events: Lingdang, who claimed to buy medicine for his long-dead mother, had actually informed Wen Zhiqiu about the KMT's plan to raid Kangning Clinic. Wen Zhiqiu then went to the Western-style tailor shop, sent Xia Chu to the clinic for medicine, and Xia Chu was subsequently killed by Mu Ziru. All the while, Wen Zhiqiu remained unharmed.
When confronted with this meticulously detailed account, Wen Zhiqiu admitted it was all true, accepting full responsibility for Xia Chu's death. Distraught, Chu Shaohua drew a gun on him, but ultimately could not bring herself to shoot. With tears in her eyes, she declared their relationship irrevocably over. Distraught, Chu Shaohua confided in Kang Erniu, though she kept the specifics vague, simply stating that she and Wen Zhiqiu were "done for good."
When Kang Erniu offered to confront Wen Zhiqiu, Chu Shaohua stopped her, hinting at unimaginable truths. The next morning, Chu Shaohua sent Wen Zhiqiu a resignation letter and a set of keys. Wen Zhiqiu, in turn, announced the cancellation of their wedding, instructing his staff to inform everyone, despite an employee's attempt to offer marital advice. Meanwhile, Xia Yuan took Kang Erniu shopping, but she showed no interest in the lavish items.
Instead, she expressed a desire to learn business from him, explaining that while he might like her now, she needed to prepare for a future where his affections might wane. Xia Yuan agreed to take her as his apprentice, offering his first lesson: "In business, never trust anyone but yourself. Everything else can be an illusion. Money's the only thing that's real." Cheng Hui, Chu Shaohua's younger brother, returned home, proudly presenting his pharmacy, chemistry, and patent certificates.
Chu Shaohua warmly greeted him, stating she had been waiting for him. She took him to an abandoned flour mill, revealing her ambitious plan to transform it into a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical factory that could produce Western-style Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cheng Hui estimated the project would require at least 400,000 silver dollars, not including labor. Chu Shaohua had roughly 100,000 and planned to sell her house, which might bring her total to 200,000.
She insisted on the most modern equipment, rejecting cost-cutting measures. Cheng Hui suggested selling her shares in Wen's Pharmacy, which he estimated were worth over a million silver dollars. However, Chu Shaohua adamantly refused any further contact with Wen Zhiqiu, leaving Cheng Hui perplexed given their deep, shared past. Unable to face Wen Zhiqiu herself, Chu Shaohua tasked Cheng Hui with negotiating the sale of her shares in Wen's Pharmacy.
When Cheng Hui inquired about Chu Shaohua's well-being, Wen Zhiqiu offered to repurchase her shares for a generous 600,000 silver dollars, a 50% premium that hinted at his own guilt. Wen Zhiqiu then stipulated that Cheng Hui must inform him immediately if Chu Shaohua ever faced any difficulties. Later, Kang Erniu questioned Chu Shaohua's decision to sell her house, offering her financial support, which Chu Shaohua politely declined, mentioning her restaurant was bombed and her savings were gone.
Kang Erniu then revealed her relationship with Xia Yuan was more than professional. Chu Shaohua expressed concern over Xia Yuan's marital status and his ruthless pursuit of money, fearing Kang Erniu might be led astray. Kang Erniu, however, defiantly asserted her own ability to be ruthless for money and stated she knew what she was doing. She then invited Chu Shaohua to see someone.
Kang Erniu led Chu Shaohua to witness the tragic fate of Zhou Yan, who had been swindled out of her savings, lost her job, and failed in a small business, now wandering the streets, seemingly delusional and conversing with an imaginary son. Chu Shaohua watched in silence. Soon after, Chichun Apothecary reopened, and Shaohua Pharmaceuticals officially began production. At the grand opening, Kang Erniu offered her congratulations.
An employee from Wen's Pharmacy delivered a flower basket from Wen Zhiqiu, wishing her success. Chu Shaohua, however, refused the gift, declaring that she and Wen's Pharmacy, and its owner, had "parted ways long ago," and she required neither his congratulations nor his blessings. She then elaborated on Shaohua Pharmaceuticals' philosophy of "scientific refining and improving TCM" using patented mechanical purification and extraction technology, introducing their new product, Miracle Pills, developed by chief engineer Cheng Hui.
Later, Kang Erniu shared with Chu Shaohua that the factory and Chichun Apothecary cost roughly 800,000 silver dollars. She revealed that Wen Zhiqiu had provided the bulk of the funds by buying back Chu Shaohua's shares for 600,000, and even ensured Chu Shaohua's house sold for a premium.
Kang Erniu also mentioned Wen Zhiqiu had sold all of Wen's Pharmacy's Shanghai branches, keeping only the main store, to finance the share purchase, before strangely expanding into cities like Hong Kong, Shantou, and Sanheba. Xia Yuan, learning of Wen Zhiqiu's actions, lamented that Wen Zhiqiu had "ruined himself" and his business, which was once among Shanghai's top three, all because of his emotional involvement with Chu Shaohua.
Xia Yuan then launched a new drug, Yushu Pill, and placed Kang Erniu entirely in charge of its sales and marketing. He encouraged her to adopt an "all or nothing" approach. Kang Erniu initially hesitated, worried about directly competing with Chu Shaohua's Miracle Pills and the potential impact on their friendship. Xia Yuan sharply rebuked her for letting emotions cloud her judgment, reminding her of Wen Zhiqiu's fate and stressing that in business, "the only thing that's pure. . .
is money," and that significant wealth requires sacrificing emotional ties. Reassured by Xia Yuan's backing, Kang Erniu accepted the challenge. Meanwhile, Sun Longyin returned, having deserted the army because he refused to fight fellow Chinese Communists in Jiangxi when he had joined to fight the Japanese. He visited Kang Erniu, who welcomed him in and offered him clean clothes and a meal. She then revealed her relationship with Xia Yuan, which surprised Sun Longyin.
He questioned her choices, suggesting she could make her own money instead of relying on men. When Sun Longyin called her "pathetic," Kang Erniu retorted that relying on men was her "strength" and that she didn't care. She lashed out, asking where he was when her restaurant was bombed and she was nearly dying, contrasting his supposed "service to the country" with the Japanese still dominating China and his failure to protect her.
Angered by her words, Sun Longyin stormed out. Soon, Chu Shaohua was informed by Cheng Hui that Miracle Pills faced a formidable opponent in Jujing Apothecary's new Yushu Pill. He explained that although Yushu Pill was less effective, its sales were ten times higher due to aggressive tactics: lower pricing, generous rebates, and exclusive agreements with apothecaries that prevented them from selling Miracle Pills.
Cheng Hui revealed that the strategy was orchestrated not by Xia Yuan, but by "Miss Bai," referring to Kang Erniu. Chu Shaohua confronted Kang Erniu, who admitted to being behind Yushu Pill's aggressive market strategy, downplaying it as simply "going a little overboard" for her first performance report. When Chu Shaohua expressed concern about their friendship, Kang Erniu coolly stated that "business and personal feelings should stay separate," a lesson she attributed to Xia Yuan.
