After being divorced by the Marquis of Dingbei's household on the grounds that she was childless, Jiang Nianjiao reclaims all 217 sedan loads of her dowry and returns to the Jiang family to take charge of the external accounts. She investigates the shady books of her stepmother, Madam Liu, and opens Yuru Fang to sell snow-white skin soap. Using retained samples to test the soap, breaking the deadlock with crude alkali, and relying on jointly guaranteed bills, she stands firm against Tongbao Bank. Teaming up with Shen Yibei and Chu Heng, she uncovers birth-control soup, disfiguring medicine, illicit salt, and an old military provisions case, ultimately bringing Huo Wantang, Su Yingxue, and Madam Liu to justice. When her remorseful ex-husband comes begging to become her business partner, she accepts the betrothal gifts but sets no wedding date. Every account must be settled one by one, and every step forward must be won.