K-Drama 
Jia Lan begins a new life with Lan Xiang’s parents in Jin Ling, hiding her true identity. Her cleverness helps her adoptive father avoid a major debt and earn a promotion. Meanwhile, Lin Jin Qi returns to Jin Ling after years of military service.
(Source: kisskh)
- Aired: September 11, 2026
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Against the Current Episode 2 Reactions
Jia Lan is still adjusting to her new identity and spends most of her time in the house learning basic home skills as a servant. Her circumstances are very poor, but the family truly loves her as a daughter and are willing to sacrifice and do all they can to help buy her freedom. She is struck hard when wedding cakes are passed out to the servant quarters and the fireworks and festivities are JinQi getting married to one highly favored by the emperor. She breaks down as she sees the fireworks and knows this was what she should have been celebrating. Her adopted mother holds her close, lets her cry it all out, and promises a better day coming. 6 years after the purging of Shen family an unknown benefactor properly buried all the remains. The little family honored the occasion with a remembrance memorial and were grateful their family members now had a peaceful place to rest. Jia Lan now understands she is in the Lin’s servant quarters. Fate keeps them in sight but just out of reach. She teaches her father how to read and cheerfully helps out her mother with all the tasks handed to them They are a loving tight knit little family which I’m sure are being blessed from above by the loved ones cruelly taken. The dad buys a painting to make them some money and was ridiculed by the shop owner and told to go away because it was a fake. Jia Lan tells him to wait til old Lin is in the store and hang it up. Turns out there was a real painting under a fake facade. So he gets ten taels of silver and promoted to third shopkeeper. Jia Lan is getting old enough now they want to buy her freedom, but she encourages them to buy their freedom as a family and they make plans to have a small shop and to do well. There is a scene of JinQi in battle where he kills the opposing rebel leader and the fighting can stop. What is interesting is that when he returns home his father is not happy to see him. I am liking his character as he strides in. He seems to have much more honor than his family. What I am curious about is why we haven’t seen any of the female Lin family members yet. From the preview another sad irony. Jia Lan is going to be introduced to her prior betrothed as a servant. 🫣
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this episode was nicely done, very sad and raw. I had to admit that I cried alot watching the tragedy and the consequences, what good choices did the the women of the Shen's family had? From the noble women perspectives I think there was none and and I would not fault them to choose death.
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This first episode draws you in and explains the back story in great detail. I am not a crier but this episode turn on the water works.
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I can understand the ML. He didn't have any choice, even though he wanted to inform them that he could not go against his family, being so young. Now, his family only lived because his first wife's family protected them and tied them to their family to use him as a pawn. Love the FL who is trying to hold back and lay low; we can see tI can understand the ML. He didn't have any choicehat she understands every plot that is happening in front of her, but she doesn't want to intervene in it.
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I love the Xu couple. They love and cherish Jialan unconditionally as if she were their own daughter, and she gives an unconditional daughter's love in return. A family born out of tragedy, but so loving, supportive, and wholesome. 🥹And Jialan is very clever. She noticed what the painting was and how to get the maximum benefit from it — 10 silver taels plus a steady job as a third shopkeeper for Xu Wanquan. 🤗I want to know who was the person ensuring the Shen family was buried and their spirits at peace, and also, why Lin Jinqi's father calls Jinqi a wretched son who ruins everyone's mood. Is he a rebellious son for some reason? Maybe because of what they did to the Shen family? 🤔😳P.S. I really dislike the Lv children and I think they might eventually cause some bigger trouble than just messing with Jialan's work routine.
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