Perfect Match Episode 22 Recap, Plot

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Since Shen Huizhao had taken a wife, relatives from all branches of the family came to visit. Madam Shen instructed Hao De to pay respects to the aunts, but each of them harbored their own thoughts. Though they appeared concerned about Shen Huizhao’s injury, in reality, they were probing the severity of his wounds.

Sensing Madam Shen’s displeasure, Hao De deflected their questions with a few casual remarks and took the opportunity to organize a festival gathering for the Flower Festival. A rough estimate suggested that just from selling tea, they could earn twenty to thirty guan. Before Hao De could finish speaking, Shen Huizhao’s paternal aunt, Shen Mu, arrived with her daughter, Gui Niang, from outside.

She criticized Hao De for being overly focused on petty profits, stating that the opening of the private garden during the Flower Festival was meant to allow commoners to enjoy the spring scenery together, and never before had they charged a single coin for tea. Shen Mu was already dissatisfied with Hao De’s background, and since Shen Huizhao had previously embarrassed her, she redirected her anger toward Hao De, making the situation quite awkward.

Meanwhile, Madam Li personally came to visit her daughter but was deliberately detained by Shen Mu, who made her perform a tea ceremony in front of everyone. The crowd subtly mocked and ridiculed Madam Li, and Shen Mu sarcastically praised her, saying she was even better than the Shen family’s tea servants and excelled at teaching her daughter how to climb the social ladder. Upon hearing of this, Hao De stepped forward to defend her mother.

She firmly stated that since Madam Li was a guest today and Shen Mu prided herself on being a member of the Shen family, she should treat guests with courtesy and respect. Forcing a guest to serve tea for the host was improper. If word spread, people would mock Shen Mu for lacking hospitality and decorum. Shen Mu was left speechless by Hao De’s retort, while the other two aunts were enraged. Fortunately, Shen Huizhao arrived in time.

He not only exerted subtle pressure on his aunts but also personally poured tea and apologized to Madam Li, allowing her to maintain her dignity. Later, Hao De and Le Shan escorted Madam Li out. Seeing how protective her son-in-law was of her daughter, Madam Li finally felt at ease. However, considering that Shen Mu was a close relative of the Shen family, she advised her daughter to seek reconciliation when possible and avoid damaging family harmony.

After Madam Li left, Shen Mu fumed with anger. When she heard that a shop had delivered premium ham and tea, she immediately ordered it to be thrown away. However, Le Shan witnessed this scene. That night, while Hao De accompanied her husband, Shen Huizhao, in reviewing case files, her clever and lively demeanor made Shen Huizhao develop an even greater fondness for her. Meanwhile, Shen Mu stayed overnight at the Shen residence.

Taking advantage of her unawareness, Le Shan sneaked into her room at midnight and mischievously cut her long hair into a mushroom-shaped style. When Shen Mu woke up, she became the laughingstock of the entire household. Just as Shen Huizhao was informing Madam Shen that he planned to take Hao De to Kaifeng Prefecture, Shen Mu suddenly barged in and tearfully complained to Madam Shen.

Originally, Hao De intended to take the blame for her sister, but Shen Huizhao cleverly fabricated a story, claiming that his impartial judgments had offended people, which led to Shen Mu being implicated. With just a few words, he skillfully diffused the situation. On the way to Kaifeng Prefecture, Shen Huizhao did not reprimand Hao De. Instead, he told her that if she planned to pull such pranks again, she should inform him in advance.

His words were filled with indulgence, and the three of them chatted and laughed in the carriage. Remembering Hao De’s advice, Shen Huizhao remained composed while reviewing case files at Kaifeng Prefecture. Meanwhile, Hao De stayed by his side, repeatedly reheating his medicinal soup and preparing candied fruits to counter the bitterness of the medicine.

At the same time, Le Shan and Qiong Nu were gossiping about the Shen family at the Four Blessings Tea House when they suddenly saw Gui Niang heading to Pan Tower alone for a secret meeting. Inspired by the sight, Le Shan devised a plan. Shen Huizhao was deeply engrossed in his work, while Shen Mu deliberately created trouble. She planted a string of agarwood prayer beads in Hao De’s room to frame her.

Wanting to resolve the matter quietly, Le Shan took the blame herself and suffered palm lashings with a wooden rod. Hao De, furious at this injustice, decided to retaliate. She deliberately led people to expose Gui Niang’s secret rendezvous with Wu Xiulin. Shen Mu flew into a rage, severely punishing Gui Niang and vowing to take Wu Xiulin to court.

Although the Wu and Qiu families were socially compatible, Gui Niang’s grandfather had once impeached Wu Xiulin’s father, creating a long-standing feud between them. Seeing Gui Niang’s determination to defy her mother, Hao De felt guilty and wanted to help the young couple. To this end, Hao De tried every means to persuade Shen Huizhao to find a solution. However, Shen Huizhao expressed his doubts, saying that given Shen Mu’s fiery temperament, this matter would likely be difficult to resolve.

The next day, Shen Huizhao and Hao De arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture and were surprised to discover that the newly appointed judge was none other than Du Yangxi. To avoid any conflict of interest, Shen Huizhao assigned Du Yangxi to handle his aunt’s case. In court, the Qiu, Shen, and Wu families each claimed to be the plaintiff, leading to a heated dispute. Unable to reach a conclusion, Du Yangxi temporarily suspended the trial.

Later, when Hao De asked Shen Huizhao about the case’s outcome, he relayed that Du Yangxi intended to follow Song Dynasty law—sentencing Gui Niang to be flogged and forbidding her marriage to Wu Xiulin. Shen Huizhao agreed with Du Yangxi’s ruling.

Episode 21 Recap

Episode 23 Recap

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