Land of Wealth

CHAI and CHIK have shown great improvement after rounds after rounds of practice. YIN and FEI plan to trick them. On the day of the race, WAH discovers that the horse suffers from diarrhea. She rushes home to take the horse that YIP gave her as a replacement. CHAI and CHIK win the race. With the excuse of reporting duty in Po County, MAN stops by in Pingyao and visits YAU. MAN actually comes with WONG KA-PING to collect evidence of YAU’s corruption. Unfortunately, YAU sees through them. YAU shifts the blame onto yamen secretary HAU and wants to kill…MAN has a date with TSUN. He cannot make it in the last minute as he is investigating a salt smuggler. TSUN is worried sick. The salt smugglers run away, but MAN has found that they have given HAU a money order of 50 thousand taels. MAN searches YAU’s place but to no avail. Later, MAN finds that YAU has hidden the order in a painting that he gave YIP……

Rumor has it that Ting Fung Shing is involved in salt smuggling and is closed for investigation. Depositors all rush to withdraw their taels. TIN, without the consent of YIP first, asks for the help of other draft banks. TIN is turned down as owners of the other banks all believe in TAI’s alarmist’s talk. TIN feels even worse when YIP gives him a dressing-down. YIP plans to transfer silver dollars from other branches to meet the urgent need. However, the dollars cannot be delivered on time because of a landslide. At TAI’s instigation, the bigger depositors withdraw all their money from Ting Fung Shing, putting it into an ever worse situation. Fortunately, MAN gives CHAI and CHIK a hand and they finally manage to turn the tide. KUNG, who has been bribed by TAI, makes a deliberate attempt to discredit Ting Fung Shing. When YIP finds this out, he fires KUNG. MAN has finished the task Empress Dowager TSE HEI entrusted him……

TSUN is captured. It is lucky that the smugglers do not humiliate her. MAN and TSUN’s relationship has leapt an even big step forward since the incident. WAH and CHIK have retuned to their hometown Guihua. Other people from their clan press them for payment of debt. It turns out that their uncle, SHUT KAM, has swallowed up the money they earned from selling horses. To help KAM out, YIP buys his wine shop and pays off his debt. AU WING-NIN admits to YIP that he has embezzled money from the bank so as to help his sword brother. YIP lets him off. Seeing that the bank’s business in Guihua is growing fast, YIP asks WAH and CHIK to work at the branch there. WAH has been down since she has seen a man who looks very much like her lover PO YAN BA TO. CHAI hears from CHIK about WAH’s story. MAN solicits funds from the draft banks for relief. TAI demands a bestowment of signboard from the government in return……

NIN appreciates CHAI’s performance very much. MR. HO, a customer of the bank, has passed away. NIN sends CHIK to collect HO’s debt. On the way, CHIK bumps into a westerner named ZIDANE and he is beaten up by his men. When they are fighting, TO appears. TO goes to see WAH. WAH files into a rage. CHAI calms her down and she is finally willing to talk to TO. She realizes then that why TO had left without saying goodbye. The lovers are reconciled with each other. Under the arrangement of TO, NIN and CHAI have a talk with ZIDANE. Their talk ends in discord nevertheless. For the long-term benefit of Ting Fung Shing, CHAI decides to hand over HO’s house to ZIDANE. NGAI visits Pingyao suddenly. On the surface, he has come to bestow the signboard to Ting Fung Shing on behalf of Empress Dowager TSE HEI. The fact is, he has come to ask for more funds for relief. His demand turned down, he turns to impose high taxes……

Stewards of other draft banks are all pleased to know that the government has agreed to abolish the heavy taxes. TAI feels aggrieved. WAH complains to CHAI that TO has become ZIDANE’s puppet. TO wants to go working in Europe. He asks WAH to go with him but WAH turns him down. A swine fever has broken out in Pingyao. MAN orders that all the pigs in the county be killed and provokes the anger of the public. NGAI reports this to the imperial court. Empress Dowager TSE HEI takes the opportunity to get rid of MAN. MAN is so depressed that he passes out. TSUN, who happens to have come to see him, saves him. With TSUN’s encouragement, MAN pulls himself together. TO’s request to stay in the country has been approved by ZIDANE. He, however, has to go to the remote Fulun instead. YIP follows MAN to the capital to pay a visit to YUE. YUE agrees with MAN and TSUN’s marriage at first……

YUE goes to the Russian Embassy to talk about Russian businessmen’s tax avoidance with TOPOV. Their conversation is originally disagreeable. Yet they become congenial when they switch to talking about oil paintings. ANNA, the daughter of TOPOV, pulls apart MAN’s clothes by accident. ANNA pays him a visit to apologize. ANNA is very talented; YUE likes her very much. TIN has received a letter from the Guihua branch for help. As he is busy with his plot to get rid of CHAI, he does not make a decision as to what to do. NIN decides to accept CHAI’s suggestion and leave Guihua. NIN fears that the dollars will be robbed by bandits. CHAI thinks of a good place to hide the dollars. WAH and TO are on the way to Fulun, they hear that Guihua City has been robbed. Worrying about the safety of her brother, she turns back. CHAI fights with the bandits. His is stabbed in the chest when he is trying to save WAH. WAH takes care of the wounded CHAI……

The bandits follow CHAI and take away some of the account books of Ting Fung Shing. Seeing that WAH has been going out a lot with CHAI recently, TO questions CHAI if he is fond of WAH. CHAI admits honestly. CHAI and the others are trapped in a cul-de-sac by the bandits. TO draws the bandits away so that the others can leave. CHAI returns to Pingyao safe and sound. TIN suspends CHAI from work, with the reason that he has left Guihua on his own accord. YIP has also returned. He praises NIN and CHAI for their resolute decision. He also promotes CHAI Third Steward and CHIK Agent. On the other hand, YIP blames TIN for not making a decision on time and neglecting human lives, causing a loss to Ting Fung Shing. TIN is very displeased. He quits and demands CHING to leave with the KIU family with him. NGO, who is already tired from too much traveling, falls ill. NGO is critically ill and no medicine can make her any better……

NGO knows very well that her days are numbered. She encourages YIP to take a second wife who can carry on the family name for him. Before she dies, she tells WAH to take care of YIP for her. CHING is shocked. WAH is very sad over NGO’s death. Other maids criticize WAH for being hypocritical. YIP is sorry for her. MAN receives the news of NGO’s passing away in Beijing. He would like to take leave to attend her funeral but KIT does not approve it. Meanwhile, Topov is vexing over as to how to persuade ANNA to be his translator. He asks MAN to take ANNA to ride the hot-air balloon. MAN is down. ANNA cheers him up. WAH prepares some dumplings for YIP. After talking to WAH, YIP has finally got over the death of NGO. KIT and MAN have got back to Pingyao. CHAI flies into anger as soon as he sees KIT…

TAI flatters KIT in order to win the exchange right of provisions and funds for the troops in the capital from Ting Fung Shing. An idea occurs to CHAI when he hears this from HUNG. CHAI deliberately gets close to KIT. He tells KIT that he would like to become a government official. KIT does not really trust him nevertheless. SUET spreads the rumor that WAH and YIP are having an affair. SHEUNG even calls WAH seductive woman. WAH tells YIP her true feelings about the rumor. Later, YIP asks Butler FUNG to tell the maids to stop the nonsense. Butler FUNG believes that it is WAH who complains to YIP. CHAI follows KIT to the Gratitude Temple. He feels very sorrowful when he sees the memorial tablets of his family. KIT, who witnesses this, doubts about his true identity. To stop the rumor from going round, WAH asks CHAI to marry her. As CHAI knows that KIT is suspicious about his identity, he turns her down so as not to fail……

WAH is upset about the rumor. YIP consoles her. Once again, KWAN HUNG suggests that YIP marry WAH. CHAI is determined to revenge for his family. He writes down his antecedents and entrusts Reverend Void to pass it to WAH when he is dead. KIT is killed mysteriously. MAN is bewildered. YIP takes very good care of WAH. On seeing this, SHEUNG deliberately speaks ill of WAH in front of CHING. YIP unveils SHEUNG’s evil deeds in the presence of the whole family. The KIU and the CHO families break up. Although MAN finds the death of KIT suspicious, HUNG wants to close the file rashly. MAN feels even more helpless when TAI asks FEI to take the blame, which means that the truth of KIT’s death will remain a myth forever. CHAI finds out that KIT actually did not know about his true identity, so he returns to Pingyao. WAH forces CHAI to tell her the true story once again, he refuses to give it no matter what……

YIP announces his marrying WAH. All are shocked. YIP asks CHAI to give WAH a hand in the preparation of their wedding. CHAI is terribly upset by WAH’s cold words. ANNA is a very smart girl. Empress Dowager is very fond of her. Both YUE and LAI can see that ANNA likes MAN. YUE therefore asks LAI to persuade MAN to return to the capital when he goes to Shanxi for business. LAI persuades MAN to go back to the capital, saying that YUE and he will do all they can in reinstate him in his former position. To his disappointment, MAN is not moved. Seeing that MAN has been down, CHING suggests him resigning from political post and go to business. He, again, is not moved at all. MAN comes to the KIU family to tell YIP that the CHEUNG family opposes the marriage between MAN and CHING. MAN is startled by the news. CHING is miserable and goes to WAH to air her grieve……

Upon his return to Pingyao, Reverend Void returns CHAI’s letter to him. CHAI is destroying the letter when WAH appears. She is sorry for what she has done when she learns the truth. The Hundred Days’ Reform fails. The Qing court orders the arrest of the advocates of the reform. YUEN SUN, one of the advocates, flees to Pingyao. He is hurt on the way. He is saved by YIP, who puts him up at his place for recuperation. WAH has been feeling sick recently. Her family members suspect that she is pregnant. However, the doctor confirms that it is only a misunderstanding. YIP finds it odd that WAH feels relived upon hearing the news. He suspects that she might have a special relationship with CHAI. WAH is meeting with CHAI secretly again. YIP follows her, and comes to know the real identity of CHAI from their conversation. YIP takes the two to a remote small house, where he exposes their special relationship…

On the surface, CHAI and WAH are driven away by YIP, but they are actually leaving Shanxi under the arrangement of KWAN HUNG as told by YIP. LAI arrests SUN in YIP’s residence in the west town. CHAI and WAH return to Pingyao to help YIP upon hearing the news. Ting Fung Shing suffers from a run as soon as the news of YIP’s arrest comes out. While WAH is doing all she can to comfort her family members, CHAI is busy requesting other branches to transfer silver dollars to the main branch. TIN is displeased for CHAI’s acting on his own accord. WAH tells him off. CHING realizes only now that WAH’s kindness to YIP is heartfelt. Relations among the family members have become harmonious. LAI forces MAN to leave CHING and return to Beijing or else he will kill YIP. MAN has no choice but does as told. YIP is released. He has been tormented during his arrest. His health has turned bad ever since……

TIN leaves the KIUs in anger, leaving also behind CHING. When YIP comes round, he asks TSUN to give the decision of marrying CHAI a second thought. TSUN, nevertheless, has made up her mind. She goes down on her knees to plead with CHAI to marry into her family, putting him into a dilemma. WAH gives him some words of consolation. CHAI admits to YIP that he fears that he will get the KIU into trouble if his true identity comes to light. YIP consoles him, saying that CHAI can indeed make use of the capital of Ting Fung Shing to redress the injustice done to his family. CHAI appreciates YIP for his help and agrees to take the boss seal. CHAI and TSUN have got married. YIP, knowing that he will be passing away any minute, bids farewell to everyone in the family and dies with a smile. MAN, who has returned to the capital, is still very down. Fortunately, he has ANNA to his company. MAN goes to the imperial court to attend to Empress Dowager……

WAH has gone missing. Everybody in the KIU family is very worried when she is still nowhere to be seen after an extensive search. YIN leans by chance that his mother has killed FEI’s mother and WAH. Although he promises to keep the secret for SHEUNG, he is conscience-stricken. He decides to moves into a Buddhist temple for the rest of his life. The business of Ting Fung Shing has dropped considerably. As if it was not bad enough, TAI, using his position as President of Draft Banks Association, strikes Ting Fung Shing another heavy blow. TIN has been looking for a job but fails. He is severely beaten up by TAI’s men. He finally comes to realize his wrongs. He returns to Ting Fung Shing and works with CHAI to help Ting Fung Shing pass through the crisis. WAI visits Shanxi again, this time to collect capital for Shandong Coal Mine so as to prevent the business from being owned by the Germans alone……

With the help of FA LING-LUNG, the famous singsong girl who looks very much like WAH, CHAI gets to know NGAI. CHAI thanks LUNG for her help and she tells him frankly that she has special feelings for him. MAN meets up with CHAI and his wife. Meanwhile, ANNA shows up. TSUN hints MAN to accept ANNA’s love. WAI entrusts MAN to investigate the flow of fake silver dollars in the market. MAN is informed that NGAI is involved in the matter. When he is about to turn NGAI in, CHAI comes to NGAI’s rescue. NGAI appreciates CHAI for helping him out. He promises to find CHAI a government position and to give him a hand in dealing with TAI. On the other hand, however, he plans to make CHAI a scapegoat for his guilt. TSUN hears that CHAI has found WAH. She pays WAH (LUNG) a visit. She faints when LUNG tells her that she likes CHAI. TSUN knows later that she is actually pregnant. TSUN cannot keep it to herself anymore and asks CHAI for an explanation……

CHAI tells TSUN he is a criminal wanted by the Qing court. He also tells her his determination to clear the charges against his family and to further develop Ting Fung Shing. The couple is on good terms again. CHAI takes LUNG home. CHIK is very excited to see his sister is still alive. With the help of them, LUNG finally recovers her memory but she does not tell them about it. WAI learns from MAN that the man behind the circulation of fake silver dollars is someone influential. He feels very down as he suspects that the execution of CHAI’s family might be a mistake. NGAI is holding a birthday banquet. LUNG shows up uninvited. She tries very hard to please NGAI. CHAI seizes the opportunity to sneak into NGAI’s study to gather evidence of his guilt. LUNG joins him minutes later. In the meantime, NGAI appears. In order to get CHAI out of the situation, LUNG volunteers to take opium with NGAI……

LUNG’s effort to steal the key to the vault fails. NGAI makes her take in a large quantity of opium. With MAN’s help, CHAI persuades WAI to let him gather evidence of NGAI’s evil deeds. MAN and the other hear that NGAI is bringing with him some soldiers to CHAI’s place. They leave before NGAI and his men arrive. KWAN HUNG covers them up and they arrive at the Russian Embassy safely. ANNA wants to help them, but Topov, who is an accomplice of NGAI, leads CHAI and MAN to enter a secret passage. CHAI and MAN are caught by NGAI… NGAI is brought into justice. WAI requests Empress Dowager to clear the name of CHAI’s family. Now that justice has been done to his family, CHAI can finally resume his real name PAK-TSUN. YUE poisons LAI, his own son, to extricate himself from the investigation. The KIU family helps WAH quit opium. WAH has recovered. CHI takes her to see TAI and NGO……

Empress Dowager temporarily puts up in the KIU. It is Mid-Autumn Festival. The KIUs and Empress Dowager go to watch a play together. YUE takes the opportunity to put poison in Empress Dowager’s bowl of sweet dumplings. TSUN eats the sweet dumplings by accident. YUE accuses CHAI of teaming up with the advocates of the Hundred Days’ Reform in poisoning Empress Dowager. CHAI and his family are imprisoned. CHAI ponders over the whole thing comes to conclusion that YUE is the one who framed them up. He persuades WING-WAI to let him look into the case… MAN does not believe that his good friend would harm TSE HEI. After much careful thought, he remembers that his father’s behavior has been odd recently. Meanwhile, he sees WAI leaving with CHAI. MAN decides to uphold justice and righteousness even he will have to sacrifice his father. He shares with what he has come to with CHAI and WAI……