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Don't know how many episodes that you have seen. But, understand that alone, of all of the characters in this drama, Menglin undergoes the most change. There is a reason why Luo Shu chooses to love him in this life or not at all. And there is a reason why Han Muzhi became just an admired friend. At best, a friend , a dear, respected, ... friend.. Unfortunately Menglin's character is saddled with being the comedic element that is used to cause friction with Luo Shu from the beginning. I suppose that Han Muzhi was made to seem like the perfect match for Luo Shu as the road not taken, but the screenwriter and director failed to understand that they merely made the ML seem completely lacking by comparison. I think that if elements of the last episode had been incorporated in the first episode to understand her and his journey, then it would have been a better story. Spoilers below.

I think more that he has to prove true sincerity towards her. Constant visits to meet her at the door and perhaps either a separated marriage like Luo Shu and Menglin or a petition to the Emperor to either rehabilitate her or allow the marriage. .

The very last scene brings to mind New Years Eve in Hawaii. Although Japanese Americans, we picked up the Chinese tradition of popping firecrackers on Dec. 31st. By the mid 70s the neighbors in our block started to pop the long string of firecrackers at midnight. 25.000 or 50,000 strings of firecrackers on a pole. And each household would pop their strings one after another, The Korean family, the Family whose father was from Tennessee with his Korean wife. It was a great time.

1. You could consider that there are two romances with the FL. The FL has a crush with that is returned by the 2ML from the first episode and they openly acknowledge it in ep. 16 but it broken in the next episode. The 2ML can not cut ties with his fiance and her powerful father and cannot protect the FL from being bullied. The 2ML then has an unrequited love until ep. 35.
The ML is interested in the FL as a courtesan from the second episode but does not realize that she is posing as a male constable. Their relationship is rocky as compared to the 2ML he is like a baby brother and there is a clash because of differing social status that she is very sensitive to. Because of the breakup with the 2ML in ep. 17, the ML becomes the default ship. and the ship progresses in increments. There is a cute bump in ep.23. and another bump in ep.27. And another in ep.29. and then they are together in that episode.
2. Not quite break up, but the two sometimes follow separate paths but then work together.
There is a third ml who obsesses over the FL that becomes evident from ep. 23.
3. There is no time skip during this period.
4. Once she decides on the ML, she doesn't waver. But both will try to sacrifice their relationship for each other. FL in Ep.31. ML in ep. 32.
5. The 2ML must untangle his relationship with the 2FL and her father.
6. Because the 2ML is mature, intelligent and cultured, the ML is viewed as annoying by quite a few here.
7. The FL has a HE, the ML waits at home for her, but both love each other. The 2ML and 2FL have a more ambiguous ending.

She is untangling on why her parents were killed. It involves all of the main characters. The ML is there for the FL that the 2 ML can't and won't.

Baidi lists two directors. Main seems to be Gu Qiming 顾其铭. Also Guo Feng 郭锋 is listed as a director. Both are listed as actors but not under the Chinese character names. Baidu lists 1 main scriptwriter and 10 other scriptwriters. Xu Ziyuan ( script director ) , Gu Qiming , Qin Qiang , Wu Xujiang , Hua Shuyu [53 ], Chen Siyi , Kang Jiajia , Liu Jing , Wu Shuang , Xiao Yi , Zhang Hanbing , Chen Mengjing

Muzhi lacked the most important thing that an ex-courtesan needed. He needed to be decisive about letting others, important others know that he was her man and had her back. And they could not shame her without immediate consequences. At the end, Luo Shu got what she wanted.

Ji Hong appears in final scene as the children's dialog coach. But after that we don't see another shot of his face.

Often you can find more info by googling the Chinese title and go to the baidu baiken page. Sometimes there are episode recaps.
当家小娘子
The son is played by Zhu Binyu 朱彬予. The older daughter is played by Mo Xixuan 莫梓萱. The youngest daughter is played by Ye Quanxi 叶泉希.

I suspect that the writer agreed with you. She stuck him at home waiting for her to make a periodic return. He is basically out of her life. Yet, Menglin fulfills the conditions that she listed on what kind of man she liked while they were trapped in the mine. She is talking about Muzhi but she could be talking about Menglin.
1. Warm and gentle. When he takes Luo Shu to stay at his home, after the New Year's party and both are drunk, he wakes up and sees her sleeping form. He leans over and it looks like he is going to maybe kiss her. She sees him getting close in the reflection and closes her eyes. He pauses and then removes something fallen on her eye and then moves away. No stealing a kiss that she should never have known if she were asleep. 2. Honest and upright. At the end with Wang, he offers the ginseng without a second thought and slips him the money for the charcoal even though Wang had earlier refused it. 3. Fiercely hates evil. He forged his Father's seal to get the military grain. A capital offense. 4. Has the common people in his heart. Hiding in Lian Shus abandoned house, he comments that he has stuck with him. He says that in the next life, Liam Shu will be the Master and he the servant. Luo Shu is listening. 5. Being genuine and carefree. At the Qi Mansion and how the girls treat him and then at the New Year's Party 6. Never indecisive for the sake of worldly gains. He strode up to defend her in front of Liu Wan and her toadies. He went back to help Yanjin whe Qin Yi came. He risked his life and his love. 7. Whenever I'm sick he comes to see me. He (also) brought ginger soup after she fell in the river. 8. Whenever I'm in danger he always shows up in time. He rescued her from Qin Yi at Mengke Hall.

Her Father had died soon after being exiled. So being the daughter of a criminal should be balanced by being instrumental helping to bring him to justice. Should be... Han Muzhi should have petitioned the Emperor to rehabilitate her as soon as possible. That was a cheap set that they filmed that scene. I wonder what the intent was in having the two ladies having that kind of ending. Both rather austere or even spartan homes. But the joy that Luo Shu felt when she saw him as she came riding in to that town was evident in how she sped up on the horse.

From the last part of the ep. 36 recap on baidu.
The imperial envoy asked Han Muzhi to produce evidence, but Han Muzhi could not produce it. Liu Wan suddenly came to the county government office. He had evidence of Liu Yiqing's crime. Liu Wan persuaded Liu Yiqing to turn over a new leaf and was willing to confess with him. Liu Yiqing's psychological defenses collapsed completely. He never expected that his own daughter would report him. The emperor learned the truth about a series of cases in Shanxi. He ordered severe punishment for Liu Yiqing and Lord Zhao. Although Qin Yi died in the sea of ​​fire, his property was still confiscated. Governor Qi was dismissed and exiled. The court spared Liu Yiqing's death penalty because of Liu Wan's meritorious service in reporting Liu Yiqing. He was also dismissed and exiled. Lord Zhao was demoted to a commoner. Qi Menglin forged documents and embezzled military rations without authorization, and was punished with exile for two thousand miles. Han Muzhi searched everywhere and finally found Liu Wan two years later. Han Muzhi was going to Beijing to report on his work. Liu Wan congratulated him. Han Muzhi took out the sachet Liu Wan gave him and vowed to wait for Liu Wan. Liu Wan didn't want to drag Han Muzhi down, but Han Muzhi was willing to wait for her until the end of time. Today is New Year's Eve. Cai Butou, Cai Baozi, Xu Muzuo and Chen Meiqing are waiting for Han Muzhi to come back for the New Year's Eve dinner. Han Muzhi is late. They think of Luo Shu and Qi Menglin and wish them happiness and well-being. Luo Shu accompanied Qi Menglin in exile two thousand miles away. Qi Menglin served in the guard. Luo Shu took Lian Shu to do business. She worked hard and the business was booming. She also formed a caravan. Luo Shu collected a lot of precious medicinal materials to replenish Qi Menglin's body. Qi Menglin's body soon recovered. Luo Shu was still managing the guard. Qi Menglin didn't have to go to reclaim wasteland and farm. He couldn't help Luo Shu, so he took care of the housework at home. Qi Menglin prepared a lot of New Year's goods, but Luo Shu's caravan had not returned yet. Heavy snow began to fall from the sky. Qi Menglin was anxious. Luo Shu came back in the heavy snow. She and Qi Menglin had a reunion dinner together, and laughter echoed in their small courtyard.

The shift started in ep. 17 when Menglin stood up for her in front of Liu Wan and her toadies and Muzhi wouldn't/couldn't. And Menglin's growth began quite early on from when he started his self improvement, some useful and some not. He started reading the detective stories and then experience taught him that he should follow Chief Luo. The problem with the storyline is that for much of the drama, Muzhi was too good so it was hard to ship Menglin. He isn't dumb and his upbringing made him seem impulsive, but who would dare to tell him no, save his Father and two older brothers. He was never going to be better than Luo Shu, but she would not/could not truely reach her full potential as Han Muzhi's concubine or even wife. Apparently she became a successful businesswoman, though where and what is not clearly stated. It seems to be in medicinal herbs. Apparently Lian Shu helps her in the business and that is why she is his master now.

Yes about the ending. I like both. But I'm re-watching scenes from this drama.

My take is that Mr Liu admitted his crimes when his daughter confronted him in court. I guess that since the Qi head was banished rather than executed, his family became poor, (not demoted to commoners) and had to scrabble to survive. Relatives might have taken them in. During the BBQ party, Qin Yi had to realize that he never had the respect he craved. (Mr Zhao refused to help him) That the obsession of his life could not be forced to love him and that he had lost to Menglin who tried to save her and that Luo Shu would attack him with her hair pin (the one he gave her?) to save Menglin. The pacing was off so we did not have a chance to understand nor savor the implications while his world came crashing down. Wish thing were written better. Liu Wan might be experiencing karma for publicly humiliating Luo Shu/Jin Nan and Muzhi for not defending Luo Shu when she needed it most.

What happened to the other Qi family members, his Grandmother and Fengzhou's wife? With the confiscation of the Qi property did all of his servants including the delightful girls become slaves in other households? Qi Menglin's action with the military grain should have garnered more favor than just avoiding execution and banishment. I guess this is the writer's way of allowing Luo Shu to have her dream of traveling the would, but on her own. Would like to see their household in five years. No one had any children.

Liu Wan did no wrong and did plead with her Father for Han Muzhi. She was instrumental in getting her Father give up his defense in court. Now Han Zhi is returning to the Capital and because of her Father she can't? And not as a wife to Han Zhi? Why her reluctance to get back to Han Muzhi unless it was to make up for him choosing Luo Sho over her for most of the drama.

Ep. 33. Finally a man deserving to be married to Liu Wan. Liu Wan need not be intelligent as Luo Shu, but she underestimates the strength that a woman can instill in a man's heart and in his backbone. Han Muzhi is lucky to have her love.

I think that Qin Yi's story is more interesting than Liu and Zhao, but he is lower on the food chain so he appears to have ended sooner. Qin Yi swathed in bandages would be a fitting foil to take down those two. But I guess his story ends with ep. 35.

Ep 35. Qin Yi seems to have become a crispy critter. But you never know.