Blossoms in Adversity Episode 6 Recap, Plot

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Hua Zhi pawned the last of her jewelry and asked Bao Xia to get a table, red paper, and ink. Today was the New Year's Day, and she intended to write peachwood charms on the street to sell. This quickly attracted a crowd; the commoners either watched for amusement or mocked her in various ways, but Hua Zhi paid no attention. Just as the commotion was growing, Shen Qi arrived.

He placed a string of coins on the table and asked Hua Zhi for a piece of calligraphy. After she finished writing, Shen Qi praised her and left with the work. Seeing that Hua Zhi’s writing was quite good, many in the crowd eagerly paid to buy charms. Two men, though they bought the charms, immediately tore them up and spoke words that insulted Hua Zhi’s reputation. Shen Qi, furious, punched one of them.

Hua Zhi understood that these people were merely mocking her, but she didn’t mind — earning money was what mattered. Shen Qi expressed that ever since their first encounter at the coppersmith’s shop, he had wanted to be friends and confidants with Hua Zhi. Hua Zhi laughed and said of course they could, and Shen Qi left satisfied. All of this was seen by Gu Yanxi from a building across the street.

Before leaving, he instructed Chen Qing to buy a peachwood charm. At the gate, Hua Zhi stopped Gu Yanxi to ask him where the pharmacies in the city were. As the Hua family was carrying the stigma of guilt, others either dared not speak to her or lied, so she had no choice but to ask the Qixiu Office.

The direction to the pharmacy happened to be the same as Gu Yanxi’s route, so after boarding the carriage, he removed his mask and asked Hua Zhi if she had fallen into despair and become shameless in public because the engagement with the Shen family had fallen through. Hua Zhi retorted that Gu Yanxi always wore a mask, acting demure and proper. Gu Yanxi was not angry and asked if she hated him.

Hua Zhi replied that whether in public or private matters, they were simply following orders, and there was no point in talking about hatred. Hua Zhi went out to buy a pile of food, supplies, and medicinal herbs. Finally, the family had a full meal on New Year's Eve. Looking at the food on the table, everyone grew concerned about the situation of the old masters and young masters.

For the Hua family, even a reunion dinner had become a luxury. After the meal, Hua Zhi took out a packet of preserved plums for Lin Wan, which she had been longing for. Fudong simmered red fruits in malt sugar and served them to Hua Zhi and Lin Wan, and everyone praised Fudong’s culinary skills. At that moment, Xia Jin'e brought Hua Ling in, wanting her to follow Hua Zhi to sell peachwood charms.

But Hua Ling was too shy to sell goods on the street and desperately protected her cherished paintings, refusing to sell no matter what. Seeing this, Hua Zhi quickly smoothed things over, saying there were plenty of ways to earn money; it only depended on one’s willingness. Before her marriage, Xia Jin'e was adept at abacus calculations but knew that trading was considered a disreputable profession and not a long-term path.

Shen Qi informed Hua Zhi and Xia Jin'e that the Dali Temple had concluded the trial, and soon the Hua family men would be sent in batches to exile in the northern lands. Before the exile, there would be a brief chance to meet them at the Ten-Mile Pavilion. Lin Wan asked Xia Jin'e to arrange the making of forty-three cotton-padded clothes so the Hua men could wear them.

To buy wine and meat so the men wouldn’t leave on an empty stomach, Xia Jin'e sold three maidservants. Although Fudong belonged to Hua Zhi, her deed of sale was in Xia Jin'e’s hands, along with the other remaining maids. In desperate times, Xia Jin'e would not hesitate to act ruthlessly. Gu Yanxi told Shao Yao that those physicians would not be coming anymore. At that moment, crying and shouting came from outside.

Following the noise, Gu Yanxi saw servants carrying a corpse covered with a white cloth. The leader said it was under Madam Xiao’s orders to purge the Prince’s residence and punish the maid who had shown disrespect to the late princess consort. Standing in the courtyard, Gu Yanxi recalled the happy scenes of his childhood with his mother. Suddenly, a figure darted past. Gu Yanxi chased after it and found paper money stained with blood on the ground.

To find out the truth, Gu Yanxi arranged for Qixiu Office members to secretly infiltrate the Prince’s residence. Xia Jin'e gave her only remaining orange to Lin Wan, but she refused it, so Xia Jin'e gave it to the Second Madam instead. The First Madam and Second Madam still had a little silver on them, so they decided on their own to sew it into the clothes to bring to the Hua family men.

Under Gu Yanxi’s questioning, the old servant Dong who had burned paper and sprinkled dog blood in his mother's courtyard confessed. On the Lantern Festival night, he heard a sound like firecrackers, then saw the Princess Consort’s courtyard catch fire and heard her calling for help. It turned out that years ago, when Hua Zhi had followed Hua Yizheng to pay respects at the Princess Consort’s memorial hall, she had met Gu Yanxi.

During their conversation, Hua Zhi mentioned she had once gotten lost in the royal residence and mistakenly entered the Princess Consort’s courtyard, where she was led out by an old maidservant. However, Gu Yanxi’s mother had always lived alone, with no old maidservants by her side. Coupled with Dong’s words today, Gu Yanxi suspected there was hidden truth behind the incident.

At that time, Hua Zhi was dressed like a young servant, and Gu Yanxi had not asked for her name. Upon learning that Shen Qi intended to see the Hua family men off, Shen’s father was furious and personally flogged Shen Qi until he coughed up blood.

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