Intriguing start, but not an instant connection yet

The beginning of the episode sets up the serious plot that will come to play later in the drama. Ji Yingying's father is wrongly accused of sending bad brocade tribute to the emperor and pays for it with his life. Ji Yingying and her brother witness his death, which is heartbreaking. There is a time skip to eight years later, where Ji Yingying is a bold girl with a witty mouth. She is trying to pay off her family's debts alongside her brother. Despite the circumstances, the show is quite funny as she has a band of friends who are also from dyeing houses and they support each other's rights (and wrongs). One of the male leads (Zheng Yecheng) shows up during this episode, but it's very brief, maybe only twice. The tonal shift of the episode--from dark and suspenseful to a bright comedy--is a bit jarring, honestly. And the grown-up version of her brother seems a bit of a boring guy. The biggest thing that catches my attention is Tan Songyun's acting and Zheng Yecheng's acting. They're fun together on screen, and Tan Songyun's character as Ji Yingying is really funny.

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