Recaps

Jin Shanyao settled into Wen Jingshu’s old home and protected Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci from the Meng family while learning how to care for them as a human. After earning money and finding a place for Meng Anci at school, she began building a more secure life for the children.

• Jin Shanyao took charge of Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci, fought off Meng Hongde and Diao Siniang, and began caring for the hungry children.
• Jin Shanyao gathered food with the children and their animals, but Meng Hongde and Meng Hongyi tried to reclaim them and their inheritance.
• Jin Shanyao exposed Meng Hongde’s plan to sell Meng Anzhi at the county yamen, and the magistrate transferred Meng Hongzhong’s property to Meng Anci.
• After Meng Hongde’s family mistreated the children and tried to sell Meng Anzhi, Jin Shanyao returned and injured Meng Hongde before taking the children home.
• Jin Shanyao trained the children, learned more about their wishes, and promised to preserve their parents’ house and belongings.
• Jin Shanyao rescued Choudan, then took medicinal herbs to Willow and Poplar County and sold most of them to Shopkeeper Qin for 1,700 taels.
• Jin Shanyao helped Zhao Mingjing find his kidnapped son, then tried to enroll Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci in school, but Master Han rejected them.
• Jin Shanyao enrolled Meng Anci at Green Mountain Academy and began teaching Meng Anzhi herself, while Zhao Zhiyuan rebuked Shiyan for mocking Meng Anci on his first day.

Jin Shanyao solved a series of crimes and supernatural troubles while raising Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci, whose confidence and prospects grew. She bought a shop in Meng Anzhi’s name and recruited servants, as Lu Chi began to recover and the Meng Household schemed to control Meng Anci’s future.

• Jin Shanyao helped Magistrate Yang solve the murder and child-abduction cases, locating the victims’ remains and exposing Concubine Liu and Wang Wu.
• Jin Shanyao and Meng Anzhi offered fortune-telling and free medical care, while Meng Anci faced mockery at school and learned to stand up for himself.
• Jin Shanyao confronted Lady Li’s ghost after Young Master Wang’s abuse came to light, then gave Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci horses, bows, and time to hunt together.
• Meng Anci came first in his examination, and Jin Shanyao defended him when Madam Shi accused him of cheating and hurting Shiyan.
• Jin Shanyao bought a county-town shop and registered its deed in Meng Anzhi’s name, explaining that she wanted her to have property of her own.
• Jin Shanyao bought Lu Chi, Qing Zhaodi, and Qing Pandi, renamed the cousins Qing He and Qing Yang, and began turning the shop into Anzhi Hall.
• Jin Shanyao treated Lu Chi’s poisoned wounds, and he recalled that he was the heir of the Marquis of Zhenyuan who had been abducted and sold.
• Diao Siniang urged Meng Hongde and Meng Hongyi to win Meng Anci over so the family could benefit from his education, and Meng Hongde approached him with gifts and false concern.

Jin Shanyao helped Meng Anci sever ties with his uncles, supported his studies, and took him with Meng Anzhi to Qingzhou, where she recovered the missing tribute and confronted danger tied to Lu Chi. The arc ended with Jin Shanyao bringing the runaway Lu Chi back and Meng Anci placing second in the county examination as he prepared for the prefectural exam.

• Meng Anci exposed Meng Hongde and Meng Hongyi’s plan to steal the shop deed, and Jin Shanyao later arranged for the branches of the Meng family to sever ties officially.
• Jin Shanyao moved the household into the renovated shop, supported Meng Anci’s schooling and archery, and watched him risk himself to save Shiyan during a runaway-horse race.
• Lu Chi contacted Zhao Cheng, wrote to the Eastern Palace, and later told Jin Shanyao that his father had faked his death and that he had been poisoned and sold under the name Gouya.
• Jin Shanyao took Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci to Qingzhou with Su Wenqian, traced the missing tribute to a hidden mountain god temple, and recovered it with help from Dahuang and Xiaoli.
• Jin Shanyao brought the children into Jade Terrace House after Meng Anzhi recognized Lu Chi in a portrait, fought off the madam’s men, and learned that Lu Mingzhe’s men were searching for Lu Chi and meant to kill him.
• After returning home, Jin Shanyao argued with Lu Chi over her actions and the children’s safety, while Lu Chi encouraged Meng Anci to study so he could use authority to uphold justice.
• Lu Chi tried to leave Anzhi Hall, but Jin Shanyao tracked him down and brought him back after he revealed that Lady Wei might kill him and anyone who sheltered him.
• Jin Shanyao took Meng Anci to see the county examination results, where he placed second behind Zhao Zhiyuan, and encouraged him to prepare for the prefectural examination.

Jin Shanyao builds up Lush Mountain while helping Meng Anci prepare for his examination and uncovering a plot involving stolen Divine Souls. After defeating Xuanxin, she turns to teaching her household and neighbors practical farming skills, then learns Shi Chang'an has been missing for three months.

• Jin Shanyao advised Lu Chi on his family dispute, then defended Anzhi Hall when assassins attacked and helped him secure justice at the yamen.
• Jin Shanyao bought a barren mountain, named it Lush Mountain, and transformed its plants while gathering medicinal herbs from White Head Mountain.
• Meng Anci sat the prefectural examination, and Jin Shanyao sold herbs before restoring Su Wenqian’s stolen Divine Soul and exposing Zhang Banxian’s scheme.
• Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci drew workers to Lush Mountain with planted copper coins, and Jin Shanyao paid the workers and warned the children not to exploit them.
• Jin Shanyao opened an underground river beneath Lush Mountain, but Meng Anci failed his examination and was later captured by Xuanxin in an iron box.
• Jin Shanyao defeated and killed Xuanxin, who confessed to helping Vice Magistrate Wang steal scholars’ Divine Souls, and she later learned Su Wenqian had arrested Wang.
• Jin Shanyao learned about Qing He and Qing Yang’s family hardships, then arranged for Qing Yang’s father to teach the household how to make compost for Lush Mountain.
• Madam Shi told Jin Shanyao that Shi Chang'an had disappeared while searching for a missing jade Buddha belonging to the Shi Household Escort Agency.