*WARNING*: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. If you DO NOT want to be spoiled, please DO NOT read. You have been warned.
(image was captured by DTLCT)
The wedding finally proceeded smoothly that night. That was until the elders from both families came onto the stage to talk. At first, they were polite toward one another, even gesturing for each to go first with the speech. Li Jin Shui went first, stating how he was happy to join the two young beings in matrimony. He also went on to say that he decided to hand over his business for the newlyweds to manage (mostly from the advice of this one fortune message from the local temple). After a round of applause and some congratulations uttered at the bride and groom’s table, it was Lin Xiu Chun’s turn to talk. She started off by saying positive things, like it was in the two young beings hands now, it was their world to soar and improve the livelihoods of Penghu. Her motivational speech drew a big round of applause. That had triggered Li Jin Shui to grab the microphone and jumped in with promoting his efforts in preserving Penghu’s many beauties versus putting in casinos. Of course, Lin Xiu Chun didn’t back down, she grabbed the microphone right back and argued her case, stating how they should bring about changes and improvements, reducing poverty and hardships, and bringing Penghu to the level of worldwide acknowledgment. Offstage, it was too obvious that the people at the bride and groom’s table were in fear of where the whole debate was heading toward. The debate escalated with both sides listing all the pros and cons of their arguments. What was worse, supporters from both sides were getting quite riled up and demanded their leaders do something about it. Not wanting things to go any further, Jia Qing finally got up from his place and ended the argument by turning off the sound of both microphones through the main control panel–which earned him a thumbs up from Mei Juan. Tian Hao was also getting up from his seat to calm his auntie down. However, it was useless. Both sides were already so riled up, they didn’t want to back down. What Yi Ming and Yong Yi worried about the most finally came, because Li Jin Shui got off stage and dragged his son away, not caring for Mei Juan’s words about breaking up the engagement and ruining for both parties. Lin Xiu Chun followed suit and dragged her daughter away from the scene.
Outside, Yi Ming managed to stop his father from dragging him away. But it was mostly because the old man no longer acknowledged Yi Ming as his son. The old man gave Yi Ming the ultimatum, wanting Yi Ming to choose between the family business or Yong Yi. After Li Jin Shui left, Yi Ming saw Yong Yi being dragged by her mother out. No matter how hard Yong Yi cried and begged, her mother wouldn’t have it. Mei Juan soon joined Yi Ming and told him to go after Yong Yi. She slapped him when he was still hesitating. It wasn’t because she wanted to use force to get her way. She wanted to use that slap to get her point across, asking her brother whether the slap was more painful or the sight of seeing Yong Yi suffering. After the brief interference, Mei Juan told Yi Ming once again to go fetch Yong Yi and that she would be in the parking lot waiting for him. After a moment of reflection, he rushed to find Yong Yi. Before he could escape with Yong Yi, they were stopped by her mother. Yi Ming, though still fearing her wrath, told Lin Xiu Chun that her disagreement with his father didn’t have anything to do with them. Li Xiu Chun wasn’t intimidated, because she launched right into intimidating the opposite party. She stated that she wasn’t against him, but she didn’t see him having any capabilities if he were to strike out on his own, considering how he wasn’t able to land any job after college graduation and had to rely on his family. Yong Yi, not being able to take it anymore, told her mother that Yi Ming wasn’t like that. Yet Yi Ming interfered, saying that he understood and that he wasn’t compatible with her (i.e not being to match up to her standards). Even though Yong Yi tried to stop him from leaving, he left anyway. It was too much of a blow for him.
At the parking lot, Mei Juan and Jia Qing were still waiting for Yi Ming. Yet when Yi Ming arrived, he was devastated and confessed that he couldn’t get past Lin Xiu Chun. Mei Juan assured him that she would help him, adding that she had solved all sorts of cases in the past. However, Yi Ming ended up scolding her, saying that she wasn’t at home much so she couldn’t do anything anyway, considering how her relationship with their father was already strained. He even told her that he was her brother, not one of her cases. He was on a roll so he unleashed all his anger on to her, which some words were true since she wasn’t around much to know the intensity of the situation, but he was also taking it out on her since he wasn’t able to win the war with Lin Xiu Chun earlier. He left after stating that she didn’t care for his marriage anyway since he was just another case. Jia Qing couldn’t take it anymore, so he jumped in to defend Mei Juan, telling Yi Ming that he’d gone overboard. Yi Ming wasn’t threatened by Jia Qing so he yelled right back at Jia Qing before leaving for real this time. Mei Juan, defeated, told her husband that she was indeed a complete failure as a sister.
Back at the hotel, Lin Xiu Chun told her daughter to stop crying. She then told her daughter if a person was really determined and really loved her, he wouldn’t give up so easily. (It seemed like Lin Xiu Chun was just testing Yi Ming earlier and didn’t really mean to discourage him so much. She only wanted to see if he was really determined and was willing to fight for her daughter.) Yong Yi finally told her mother that Yi Ming wasn’t like what her mother accused him of earlier. Yong Yi said that it wasn’t that Yi Ming wasn’t able to find a job, but he hadn’t stumbled upon one that he like yet. Her mother told her that a job was a job, it wasn’t whether one liked it or not. She continued by saying that if Yi Ming really loved Yong Yi, he was willing to do anything, not just linger like that. (I have to agree with her mother here–although I hated how things turned out as well because if a person was driven, he or she would be willing to start anywhere first or try anything, not just wait for an opportunity or until the perfect job came along.) Yong Yi argued that Yi Ming had his own dreams. Her mother said that dreams couldn’t put a meal on the table, and the other harsher things about reality. When Yong Yi told her mother that she understood her mother’s perspective regarding her plans for changing Penghu, but it didn’t have anything to do with her and Yi Ming, her mother asked her if Yong Yi ever consider how unwilling her mother was in sending her off to Yi Ming. (She meant it was a mother’s heart with unwilling to part from her daughter.) Yong Yi said she understood. Lin Xiu Chun went on to say that after getting married, Yong Yi would have her own life yet had Yong Yi ever consider her mother’s life. Yong Yi finally caved and told her mother that she could go to both Li Jin Shui and his father to talk to them and make them understand her mother’s perspective. Her mother said that things couldn’t be forced anyway, but she was going to let them know that she wouldn’t be easily bullied by others. The conversation ended quite eerily because Lin Xiu Chun warned Yong Yi that if she were to leave, she couldn’t return.
While Jia Qing sought a very out of control Yi Ming to chat (or just plain drink some wine), Mei Juan came home to see her father drinking away with his own bottle. Hesitating a bit before settling down next to her old man, she poured him another glass before pouring some for herself as well. He didn’t bother clinking glasses with her but just drank it up. Not caring about that little detail, she emptied her glass as well. After some more silence between them and how additional foods were brought up to the table, Li Jin Shui asked Mei Juan where Jia Qing and Yi Ming were. She told him they were by the sea, which he thought was senseless since Penghu was surrounded by water so her answer was rendered useless. After hearing him talk about her mother’s delicacies, Mei Juan took pity on the old man and went to prepare a special dish for him. What was strange was how his vision blurred and Mei Juan had turned into the image his wife, probably was just remembering how his wife used to make the dish for him. It wasn’t until he reached for her hand that he realized what was going on, finally turning off his smile and letting go. (It was indeed sad in a way.) When Mei Juan asked him if the dish was good, he actually smiled and said that it wasn’t bad because it contained her mother’s spice. He confided with her regarding how her maternal grandparents didn’t approve of him hence not agreeing to let her mother marry him yet her mother was determined to marry him; if not, she and her brother wouldn’t exist. (It was strange seeing how they were sort of getting along now, considering how tense things were earlier.) He confessed that it was possible that he was like her maternal grandfather, not wanting to part with her hence always wanting her by his side. That got to Mei Juan since she teared up a bit. He finally admitted that he knew she’d managed to expand her horizon toward Taipei and been quite successful, not letting him down. She also confessed to him that she’d been through a lot of hardships and thought of giving up. He admitted that he kept thinking that he was giving her mother all the happiness possible yet never knew that she wasn’t. Although he vouched that he did his best. He told her that marriage was between two people and that when the other person was by your side, it was important to cherish them, not like him, only knowing to reminisce when her mother wasn’t there anymore. He said the reason why he told her all of those was because of Jia Qing. He said Jia Qing loved her and respected her hence letting her venture out in Taipei to do what she wanted yet what Jia Qing wanted the most was for her to accompany him in Penghu. Mei Juan said that she knew and that she also wanted to be by his side and build their own future. He said it was useless to say those words since she needed to use actions to prove it. She told him to not chide her anymore and asked him about Yi Ming’s situation. He said that if it was about the opening of casinos in Penghu, he would oppose to the end yet if it was regarding Yong Yi, he would welcome her into their family. She told him to leave the situation to her then, which he smiled. (It was indeed strange seeing them get along. So Yi Ming was probably wrong again, not understanding their link as much as he thought.)
Back at the seaside, Jia Qing and Yi Ming were still at it. Yi Ming was asking Jia Qing if he was really that useless. Since Yi Ming wanted Jia Qing to be honest, Jia Qing obliged. He listed all the things that Yi Ming did or didn’t do when Yi Ming returned (from college graduation). Jia Qing also said that he wondered if Yi Ming was looking down on him since Yi Ming was a grad student after all. Yet Yi Ming interfered and said that he really respected Jia Qing and said that Jia Qing should be the one taking over the boat business. Upon mentioning his father, Yi Ming riled up once again. He told Jia Qing of how his father wanted him to choose between the family business and Yong Yi. Yi Ming pointed out that those were two different matters, so how could he choose. He also told Jia Qing what Lin Xiu Chun had told him. Jia Qing told Yi Ming it was best that Yi Ming set out to prove others of his capabilities so that no one could oppose his marriage. He also told Yi Ming there were many things in life that were important and he needed to prove his independence. After all that was said and done, Yi Ming still didn’t want to go home. It wasn’t because he was still upset, but it was more like he wanted to help fix a fellow townsman’s boat before returning.
Coming home and feeling almost like a hero, Jia Qing was met with Mei Juan’s lectures. This time, it wasn’t about other people’s matters. It was regarding his habits and how he didn’t keep up with organizing his clothes and other misc items. She had to teach him once again. Yet he turned the whole thing around by complimenting her, attempting to edge out of the situation. When Mei Juan told him about her plan the next day with going to Lin Xiu Chun’s place, Jia Qing objected. He wasn’t objecting to her plan, but he didn’t want to talk about other people’s matters when they were at home. He wanted to focus on the two of them only. He got bored and walked away? (OMG, she didn’t realize it.) When she finally turned around and realized he was gone, she went to search for him. Yet he was already fast asleep in bed. He sure missed a crucial part of the conversation.
Later that night, Mei Yuan tried to sabotage Lin Xiu Chun’s place by spraying paint on the glass windows. She was caught by Tian Hao so he called Mei Juan. When Mei Juan rushed to the place, she was met with Mei Yuan’s stubbornness. Mei Yuan didn’t want to apologize and said it was Lin Xiu Chun who was bullying others so she was just helping her father and releasing some anger (i.e. sending some message to the opposing party). Mei Yuan didn’t care, because she claimed no one cared for her.