The news quickly reached the ears of the sons-in-law. Chai An discovered that A Cai had once served as a servant in the Li family before leaving to marry a butcher named Wu, giving birth to a son named Youlong. However, there was not enough evidence to prove that Youlong was the legitimate son of Lady Li’s husband. Upon returning from outside, Du Yangxi revealed that the Li family relatives, including A Cai and her son, had accused Lady Li. Chai An guessed they were after the Li family’s assets.
Late at night, Haode rummaged through chests and cabinets but couldn’t find any documents to confirm “Li Youlong’s” identity, which angered Lady Li. Although the Li sisters believed in their father’s integrity, they couldn’t confirm whether Youlong was a posthumous child. Haode was willing to accompany her mother to court, and Shouhua instructed the fifth sister to call all the brothers-in-law for a strategy meeting.
The next day, Shen Huizhao decided to handle both cases together. The Li brothers put on a show, appearing reluctant to bring family disputes to court, but they kept criticizing Lady Li, accusing her of not adopting an heir, attempting to end the fourth branch of the family line.
Shen Huizhao didn’t accept their arguments, rebuking them for having no right to interfere in Lady Li’s decisions, especially since she had five daughters who should inherit all the property. However, the Li brothers mentioned that their uncle had left a will stipulating that Lady Li should support the clan monthly, which further infuriated her, leading to a confrontation in court.
In the episode, with the help of her brothers-in-law, Haode managed to expose Youlong’s true identity. A Cai admitted under undeniable evidence that she was instigated by the Li brothers to change Youlong’s surname to claim the Li family’s fortune. Shen Huizhao, being impartial, punished those who tried to defraud. His upright demeanor in court inadvertently won Haode’s heart.
Because Haode won the lawsuit for the Li family, Shouhua gifted her an exquisite hairpin, which Yue Shan eagerly wanted to wear. In the scuffle, Yue Shan accidentally dropped the hairpin, and when Lady Li walked in, she sided with her youngest daughter, leaving Haode heartbroken.
When Du Yangxi took his mother back to their hometown, he encountered Ruyue being sold as a servant by the Yu family and bought her back. Shouhua was overjoyed to be reunited with Ruyue. Meanwhile, Haode, in tears, came to complain to Shouhua about her misfortune.
Haode confided in her eldest sister about her interest in someone, hoping Du Yangxi would act as a matchmaker for her. This person was Shen Huizhao, who had vowed as a child at Xiangguo Temple not to marry, leading to his single status to this day.
Du Yangxi agreed to propose marriage to the Shen family, who surprisingly accepted. The Li family was in disbelief, as the Shen family didn’t care about the bride’s dowry due to the grandmother’s illness, setting the wedding for the second day of the second lunar month.
Upon returning from outside, Shen Huizhao was shocked to learn that his father and grandmother had arranged the marriage without his consent. On their wedding night, he coldly told Haode he had no intention of marrying and sent her back to her family, promising to apologize after three days. Haode, heartbroken, ran back home barefoot, leaving one shoe behind. Shen Huizhao chased after her, wrapping her foot with his handkerchief.
Encouraged by her sisters, Haode gained confidence. Meanwhile, Shen’s grandmother was furious upon learning her grandson sent the bride back, nearly fainting, but Haode’s timely return calmed the situation. Haode proposed to Shen Huizhao to give her a year to win his heart, but he was sure it was futile, intentionally giving her the cold shoulder to make her give up.
