The Story of Minglan Episode 3 recap! The Sheng household reveals what is typical in this era.
A man may have more than one wife. And it’s common to have internal household disputes.
The Story of Minglan Episode 3 Recap Highlights:
- Gu Tingye shows up to a funeral and puts his maternal family relatives in their place
- Minglan’s mother struggles with a difficult birth
- Gu Tingye notices Minglan’s desperation and helps her out
Let’s jump into the Story of Minglan Episode 3 recap!
Bai Family Holds a Funeral
Various people come in to pay respects to the death of the person in the white coffin. The ones dressed in white are the relatives of the deceased.
It’s not mentioned whose coffin this is but based on the last episode, it looks like Gu Tingye’s.
Minglan’s father, Shen Hong, comes in to pay his respects as well and then sits off to the side as he sighs.
Another older man next to him sighs as well.
He laments how things went wrong.
“Look at how your future in-laws managed things. It was suppose to be a joyous Wedding and they brought along a child.
A child!
Why did they bring a child to the wedding proposal!?
A perfectly good child is now gone!”
Shen Hong tilts his head as he answers the older man.
“The two of us don’t know anything.” Shen Hong wants to shift the blame to the young man who brought Gu Tingye along to the wedding.
The other man seems to feel more guilty compared to Shen Hong.
“You make it sound easy.”
“It’s the son of the legal wife in a Marquis’ household that is dead.”
Meanwhile, the gentlemen leading the funeral ceremony (also dressed in white) addresses the crowd.
He lifts a bowl that he apparently wants to shatter to the ground to finish off the ceremony.
But before he can do so, a middle aged woman interrupts him.
She questions his authority to shatter the bowl and perform the ceremony for the young deceased.
She comes forward dressed in a simple attire. Someone points out that she is a Senior Wet Nurse.
Maybe the wet nurse of Gu Tingye?
Gu Tingye stakes his claim
This woman lectures the previous man leading the funeral ceremony. Supposedly he is related to the Second or Third Master of the Gu Household.
Seems like every wealthy household has family issues T_T
We get to know his identity.
Bai is his name.
And he is apparently the eldest son of the Second Master.
Another man off to the side of mister Bai speaks up and accuses this middle-age woman as a crazy lady. He orders someone to drag her out.
The wet nurse struggles against her capturers.
She refuses to leave.
Just when her struggles are useless and her capturers are ushering her out, Gu Tingye comes to her rescue.
He tells them to stop.
Wet Nurse is surprised that Gu Tingye isn’t dead.
So is Chang Bai.
Chang Bai rushes forward to give Gu Tingye a big hug.
Aww they’re besties already.
Sheng Hong and his friend come forward as well.
The background crowd is in awe at this new discovery.
They wonder what was the real story. Why was Gu Tingye presumed dead?
Mister Bai ignores the fact that Gu Tingye is still alive and then orders his men to kick him out along with his nurse.
A fight starts.
Gu Tingye beats up the servants who are trying to kick him out.
An older man at the alter speaks up and lectures everyone in the hall. Admonishing them for acting out like this when it’s a formal event (funeral ceremony).
The fighting stops.
After shoving one of the servants earlier who wanted to beat up Gu Tingye, Gu Tingye walks to the front.
“It’s unbelievable that these Uncles from the branch family are forbidding this grandson from paying respects.”
Wait what?
I thought it was Gu Tingye’s funeral ceremony the whole time.
The true Heir to the Bai family
Gu Tingye continues saying that his maternal grandfather gave him a letter stating he was the heir.
It turns out that this mourning session was for Elder of the Bai family and Gu Tingye is related to them.
Mister Bai sneers in contempt and refuses to acknowledge Gu Tingye.
He states that this is a Bai family matter not the Gu’s.
Why should he be involved?
He also counters that the Bai family assets could only be passed off to the Bai family.
Now, it all makes sense.
Family assets are being fought over at this moment. (AN: I love how subtle it is.)
Mister Bai continues with his argument.
“Can it be that you intend to seize the Bai family fortune by force just based on the fact that your father and brother are decorated nobles?”
Then Gu Tingye pulls out a letter and asks everyone in his audience to be a witness.
He gives it to the elder that stopped the fighting earlier.
The elder reads it out loud.
“I know my time is short.
I only hope for you (Gu Tingye) to inherit the family business, so they won’t be lost by others’ hands.
Hence I wrote this last letter.
Your maternal grandfather Bai.
Awaiting your return.”
Mister Bai calls it nonsense.
He has never heard of this letter.
Mister Bai gives a little more context about the assets in question. It’s apparently the largest salt business of the family.
And he refuses to give it up to Gu Tingye over some measly letter.
He states that the letter could be written by anyone even animals.
Gu Tingye counters that you could compare this letter against everything else in the household that still has his grandfather’s written.
Ohhh burn. Is the Uncle an idiot?
Internal Family Conflicts
Uncle Bai still tries to weasel out of it, saying he has never heard of this letter.
Gu Tingye tries a different approach. Goating the Uncle to swear to his mother’s grave that everything he said was true.
A poisonous oath.
Gu Tingye swore and asks if his Uncle could do the same.
When the Uncle tries to do so, his father intervenes. Saying he is an idiot for falling into the trick.
The Uncle’s father continues, stating that Gu Tingye has always been a scoundrel and a delinquent so his words shouldn’t be trusted.
Wet Nurse comes to Gu Tingye’s aid, countering that they are the ones spouting lies.
More back and forth bantering occurs.
The consensus is to check the handwriting but no one can verify the validity of the handwriting.
This forces Gu Tingye pull out another letter. This letter was the key and his Uncle Bai lost his argument.
He left the premises to give the asset documents over to Gu Tingye.
Now Gu Tingye could finally pay his respects to the dead.
He also took over the mantle of shattering the bowl which ends the ceremony.
Allowing the coffin to be moved to the burial site.
Such a significant moment showcasing Gu Tingye’s potential at a young age.
I think he’s around 13?
Minglan’s Mother Gives Birth
Screen fades to black.
The camera focuses on the dishes of the table for some reason before zooming out to highlight Minglan and her mother at the dining table.
There’s a lot of delicious looking dishes but Minglan’s mother is just having a bowl of soup/congee?
Hmmm, very interesting.
Her mother lectures Minglan about not standing out and how she should plan for the future.
Heading over to serve her paternal grandmother would be good in the long run.
But Minglan doesn’t understand and lashes out at her mom.
She knows her father wants Molan to serve her grandmother. If she fights for it, she might get lectured by her father.
Minglan’s mother becomes furious and slams her hand on the table.
She gets up to prove her point and then winces in pain.
Uh-oh, is the baby coming?
Minglan concerned, rushes to her mom.
The scene switches to a servant rushing to convey news to Madam Lin that Minglan’s mother is giving birth.
Madam Lin walks out with her servants to handle the issue.
While Minglan’s mother is struggling to give birth, Minglan anxiously waits outside.
I have a baaaaad feeling about this part.
The Nanny helping with the delivering comes out of the room.
She says that the child is too big and can’t come out so she’s getting more hot water.
Minglan, concerned that the Nanny might get lost, asks her servant to lead the Nanny to get hot water.
Then the Nanny leaves the premises and Minglan’s servant couldn’t stop her in time.
Now Minglan’s mother doesn’t have a midwife to help her give birth.
Or water to parch her throat.
Or food to eat.
Minglan grabs food from Madam Lin’s table and rushes to the room to help her mother.
Difficult Birth
Minglan’s mother asks a servant to get her a new rag.
When the servant leaves, Minglan’s mother grabs Minglan and asks her to find a midwife. In tears, Minglan tells her mother that the midwife ran away.
“It’s too late. It’s too late.” Her mother murmurs. She knows that someone wants her life and this was the greatest opportunity.
She tells Minglan to find someone to help her with delivery. Specifically Nanny Zhao and Nanny Li.
When Minglan rushes out running with her little body. Her mother folds up a hankerchief, bites on it and tries to push out her child.
Turns out Nanny Li went home to care for a child and Nanny Zhao is drinking with someone in the kitchen.
Minglan rushes to find Nanny Zhao.
Nanny Zhao is totally drunk and Minglan struggles with helping her to her mother’s room but she’s just a child.
Meanwhile, everyone in the kitchen just watches.
So angry!
Seeing that Nanny Zhao is hopeless, Minglan wants to go outside to find a doctor and looks for a way out.
She remembers that there’s a hole in the wall for animals to pass through and she crawls outside to find help.
On the streets, she asks for help in finding a doctor but the doctor is so far away at Longevity hall.
While frantically running in the streets, Gu Tingye calls out to her from his carriage.
Seeing her anxious expression, he asks where she is going.
Based on just that answer, he tells her to get into his carriage.
The carriage is too slow and they switch to horseback.
They finally get to Longevity hall to grab the doctor but there’s no time to waste.
Time is of the essence
Minglan rushes in, stumbling, almost falling as she scrambles to get him to save her mother.
The physician is apparently taking a nap.
At least the doctor has the decency to see how urgent the situation is and asks for the assistant to grab his medicine box.
The physician gets to Minglan’s house with Gu Tingye’s help but the doors are closed and they won’t open.
Gu Tingye climbs over the wall then opens the door from the inside to let the doctor in. (AN: Someone is making it really difficult.)
Exasperated, the doctor thinks there’s something wrong with this household and doesn’t want to get any deeper.
So he attempts to leave.
But Gu Tingye catches him and drags him to the room where Minglan’s mother is.
Madam Lin blocks them saying it’s inappropriate for a common man to be in the courtyard of a married woman’s home.
She then orders servants to kick them out.
Gu Tingye fights the servants who can’t beat him and glares at Madam Lin and her servant.
He reveals his identity and orders them to let the physician in.
Madam Lin refuses.
They hear a weak moan of pain from inside the room. The doctor can tell that the woman inside is dying and it’s too late.
Minglan finally arrives with the carriage but the doctor tells her to say her goodbyes to her mother as it’s too late.
Exhausted from running around, Minglan drops next to her mother’s bedside. (AN: Get your tissues ready!)
The doctor tells Minglan’s mother that the least he could do is prick some acupuncture needles in her so she could have the strength to give her last words to Minglan.
A Mother’s Last Advice
Her mother asks Minglan how she was able to find the physician knowing it was very difficult to do so.
Hearing that Gu Tingye helped her, she asks Minglan to take a painting to him in return for his help.
She says that Minglan didn’t listen to her when she lectures her. Minglan breaks down, saying that she will listen now. (AN: There’s no medicine for regret. T_T)
Her mother grabs her close for one final lesson.
“Remember this. In all things, survival is the utmost.”
“Did you hear me?”
Minglan chokes back some tears as she nods.
“I will remember. I will always remember, Mother.”
Even in her final moments, Minglan’s mother asks her daughter to address her as Madam Wei not Mother as Minglan’s mother is a concubine.
Minglan steps back from the bed and bows to her birth mother. Addressing her as Madam Wei.
Her mother tells Minglan will be all alone in this courtyard (tearing up at the thought of her daughter fighting against the wolves of this family).
Minglan tells her mother that she will go to her grandmother’s place. So at least her mother doesn’t have to worry in her final moments.
After saying, “That’s good.” She breathes her last.
Minglan shakes her mother’s body, refusing to believe that she left her.
All alone.
She walks out of the room into the courtyard while everyone watches her.
She sobs to Gu Tingye. Telling him that she doesn’t have her mother anymore.
Gu Tingye can relate because he lost his mother as well.
A Hidden Motive
Succumbing to exhaustion, Minglan faints and the screen goes black.
Sheng Hong and his official wife come back and hear about Minglan’s mother.
Madam Lin puts on an act and blames the servants for failing to fulfill her orders, causing the death of Minglan’s other and the unborn child.
But of course, Madam Lin is Shen Hong’s favorite so she doesn’t get much of a punishment at all.
Shen Hong’s wife is furious because the servant she placed at the time couldn’t do anything against Madam Lin. And she feels that she lost again.
At the end of the episode, Madam Lin orders her trusted servant to give a reward to a mysterious person.
It turns out that this servant helped with some manipulations.
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Comments
OMG! Couple of big moments here in this episode! Loved the way, Gu Tingye refused to budge when claiming his birthright.
Stupid elders being greedy and taking advantage of the younger folks.
So sad about Minglan’s mother and the unborn child! Madam Lin is despicable! She wouldn’t even let the unborn child off!
I cried watching the emotional scene between Minglan and her mother’s final moments.
How worried her mother must be to leave her all alone. Fighting in this courtyard when you have the Official wife and Madam Lin.
Poor Minglan. But at least she had help from Gu Tingye to at least TRY to save her mom.
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