Flourished Peony Episode 30 Recap, Plot

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According to tradition, Jiang Zhangyang and Mudan went through the ceremonial rites, including the "que shan" (closing the fan) ceremony, the "wo guan" (washing hands) ceremony, the "tong lao" (joining the prison) ceremony, and the "he jiin jiu" (drinking the wedding wine). Afterward, it was time to enter the bridal chamber. In the room, Mudan helped Jiang Zhangyang remove his clothes, and Jiang Zhangyang carefully took off her headpiece and combed her hair.

They behaved respectfully and followed all the necessary rituals. Mudan’s hair had finally grown out, and she was reluctant to cut it. Jiang Zhangyang didn’t mind. He placed a lock of his hair in the fragrant pouch, waiting for Mudan to lose a few strands while combing her hair. That would be the symbolic act of "jie fa" (joining hair). Mrs. Feng sent over a jade comb in haste.

It wasn’t a valuable item, but Mudan accepted it calmly, unaware that it had once belonged to Jiang Zhangyang’s birth mother. She had intended to give it to her son’s future wife while she was still alive. Xu Jijiu and Sun Daniang, both of advanced age, couldn’t bear to watch the young couple’s intimate gestures, so they left. Zhu Fu, Xiao Chun, and Chuan Yu, three young ones, stayed behind, peeking through the door.

After the hair-joining ceremony was complete and the bridal candle was lit, Jiang Zhangyang sent them all away. Mudan saw that the bed was filled with money and smiled broadly. Since their marriage was a fake one, there was no actual bridal chamber. Mudan grew hungry, so Jiang Zhangyang moved some food to the bed for them to eat. Jiang Zhangyang truly pampered Mudan, not wanting her to feel any constraints just because she married him.

He promised to treat her as he always had, no matter the circumstances. Mudan was touched. Her first marriage had been real, but the wedding had been absurd. She had been forced to suppress herself and act as Liu’s second wife. Now, in this fake marriage, she could truly be herself. Unlike the happy Jiang Zhangyang and Mudan, Liu Chang, on his wedding day, drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

He mocked himself, thinking that he was no different from He Weifang, who had married into the Liu family. Officials trample on merchants, and royal family members trample on officials. If one cannot rise to the top and become a person of power, one will always be at the mercy of others. Seeing the thousand-petal lotus in the yard getting drenched in rain, Liu Chang, disregarding his injured leg, rushed into the rain, lost his umbrella, and protected the lotus.

Li Youzhen, who was behind, saw everything clearly. In her anger, she tore off the thousand-petal lotus from her head and ordered that no more peonies or lotuses should be planted in the entire household. The next day, when Jiang Zhangyang got up, the servants congratulated him, and he rewarded each of them with gifts. However, his happiness didn’t last long. He soon discovered that Mudan had moved to Fang Garden.

He ordered Chuan Yu to pass on a message to her. Seeing that Mudan truly didn’t realize his feelings, Jiang Zhangyang smiled bitterly. Fang Garden was vast, with many houses, and the farmers were busy working. Mudan recalled her childhood days spent in Fang Garden and thought that if people who appreciated flowers could be invited to the garden to admire the blossoms, her mother’s spirit would surely be comforted.

In the garden, an elderly woman named Tang Daniang had threatened to hang herself and refused to leave. Mudan gave her three days to prove her worth; if she failed, Mudan wouldn’t keep her. Chuan Yu remarked that now Jiang Zhangyang had no chance to help find people anymore. Mudan hadn’t returned to the small courtyard in Jiang Fu for two days. Jiang Zhangyang, feeling lonely, roasted meat by himself.

At that moment, King Ning arrived and forcibly gifted him a beautiful woman named Lian Zhou as a concubine. Jiang Zhangyang couldn’t refuse, so he reluctantly accepted. In three days, Tang Daniang not only brought skilled, practical artisans but also found three talented women. They were A Tao, a guqin (zither) player; A Man, a skilled embroiderer; and Jin Niang, an expert in steaming and cooking.

Each of them had their own tragic backstory, but Mudan recognized their excellence in their respective crafts. She immediately decided to redeem their contracts and bring them to work alongside her in the re-establishment of Fang Garden.

Episode 29 Recap

Episode 31 Recap

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