The Merchant Gaekju Episode 35 Recap

Mae Wol strives to avoid getting blamed for So Sa’s murder. She’s willing to strangle, muzzle and ditch to keep her secret.

The Merchant Gaekju Episode 35 Recap

We start with Bong Sam (Jang Hyuk) making his way to pay respects at So Gae’s father’s new grave marker. Unbeknownst that Bong Sam is behind him, So Gae (Yu Oh Seong) tells his father he should be proud of him. He’s become Head Merchant and he’s gotten revenge against the Chun family.  Stunned Bong Sam drops the wine. He asks if So Gae betrayed his father. So Gae, bolstered by power and a “you can’t get me back” mentality, FINALLY admits it. Yes, he betrayed Bong Sam’s father. Bong Sam takes the direct approach and punches him. Yes! Bong Sam kicks him. Yes! Bong Sam pushes him away! Bong Sam yells to his father “Why did you save a person like this?” Bong Sam kicks So Gae who manages to rise and kick Bong Sam back. So Gae staggers away. Bong Sam pursues him. Folks, we’ve waited a long time for this moment. I especially liked Bong Sam questioning his father’s choice in sacrificing his life for So Gae. Bong Sam gave So Gae a well deserved smack-down!

Mae Wol (aka Gae Dong (Kim Min Jung)) learns that So Gae and Bong Sam were fighting. Startled she heads to the fight location.

Yep, they are still going at it. Mae Wol spots the brawl and hurries to the men. Bong Sam is NOT holding back. Bong Sam defeats an exhausted Bong Sam. So Gae gasps that Bong Sam’s father forgave him. Bong Sam retorts he will never forgive So Gae. In fact, he should have killed him before, when Sung Jung died. Bong Sam stares at So Gae and has a horrible thought. He demands to know if it was So Gae that killed So Sa. Mae Wol overhears the question as she finally reaches the two men. So Gae states he had no reason to kill So Sa. Mae Wol shakes her head at So Gae pleading with him not to tell. Bong Sam raises a rock ready to smash So Gae. Instead Bong Sam gets smashed by Mae Wol. Both men lay on the ground. Mae Wol escorts Bong Sam to the stables. Team Bong Sam are stunned to see Bong Sam on a stretcher. Mae Wol explains Bong Sam fought with So Gae. Mae Wol cups Bong Sam’s back with everyone watching. Mae Wol states Bong Sam was hit by So Gae’s guard (that seems like a dumb lie that Bong Sam can easily expose). Gol Dae (proving he is not stupid) points out that So Gae doesn’t have guards. Sun Dol asks Mae Wol why she was so upset the day the Head Merchant died. Mae Wol answers the question with a question – why are you curious. Bong Sam mutters he was curious her tears on that day too. Bong Sam asks what happened between Mae Wol and the Head Merchant. Mae Wol says the Head Merchant was important to her and helped her path. Wol doesn’t look satisfied with the answer but the others do.

Mae Wol prepares to return home. Sun Dol tells her it is too late to travel and presses her to stay overnight. He offers So Sa’s room. Wol takes exception to this offer.  The compromise is for Mae Wol to sleep in the baby’s room.

Mae Wol plays with the baby. Mae Wol takes the baby away from Mae Wol. She’s blunt “how can you hold the baby after killing his mother”? Mae Wol takes a firm grasp around Mae Wol’s neck and tells her she’s reckless to make such an accusation.  Mae Wol releases her death grip and tells Wol to watch her tongue in the future if she wants to live. Wol leaves the poor helpless baby with Mae Wol and exits the room. Mae Wol grasps her head.

At So Sa’s grave, Wol complains that everyone has a short memory about how she died. Sun Dol overhears and advises Wol to get over it. Wol declares she cannot. She knows the truth. She cannot look at Mae Wol and pretend all is well. Taken aback, Sun Dol asks what she means. Wol declares it was Mae Wol that killed So Sa. Sun Dol is stunned.

Mae Wol asks the baby why no one will leave her alone.

Bong Sam remembers So Sa asking Mae Wol if it was her and how could she. He rejects the thought, it cannot be Mae Wol. He remembers gagging So Rye and putting her in the trunk with So Gae. He remembers So Gae’s words at the grave. His focus turns to So Gae as the likely suspect. There aren’t many people that it could be – it must be So Gae or Mae Wol or a combination of both. Is this an example of Bong Sam’s anger blowing out the candle of his logical thought process about So Sa’s death?

Wol tells Sun Dol she may not have the evidence to convict Mae Wol but that doesn’t alleviate the fact that So Sa was murdered by Mae Wol. Sun Dol tells her not to be foolish. Wol can’t believe that Mae Wol is untouchable and allowed to be at the stables. Sun Dol states the Queen loves her nephew and Mae Wol. He worries that if the Queen learns they believe Mae Wol killed So Sa, they could all be killed. Not worth the risk, Sun Dol declares. He tells Wol to forget it and he’ll looks for evidence. They head back.

Bong Sam asks Sun Dol where he was. Bong Sam states So Gae killed So Sa, even if it was indirectly, he knows the truth about So Sa’s death. Sun Dol recommends a cautious approach due to So Gae’s power. Bong Sam is blunt – he’ll find the evidence, kill So Gae, and reveal the real So Gae.  Bong Sam vows revenge for So Sa’s murder. Sun Dol is a bit taken aback by Bong Sam’s anger then grabs his head.

The Nephew, So Gae, and other royals  discuss how to interact with foreigners. So Gae has no advice. The Nephew calls So Gae on his silence. So Gae states he’ll build a new meeting place for foreigners.

The Japanese want the rice ban lifted to they can freely trade for the rice their famine struck country needs. The Nephew rejects this idea.  They aren’t flush with rice either and the people will freak if they sell it all for profit and let their own people starve. The royals argue about it. The Nephew warns if they focus on profit, they’ll lose everything. The greedy Government official (a royal) declares he can do whatever he wants. So Gae asks to use the rice tax to sell to the Japanese. The greedy Government official likes the bold idea.

Bong Sam wants to give rice to the hungry. Gol Dae argues they barely have enough to feed themselves.  Bong Sam declares they may need to trade with the Americans. They are shocked to learn the tax rice is being sold. Bong Sam correctly assumes this is So Gae’s doing. Bong Sam states they need to retrieve the tax rice. Team Bong is nervous with that declaration.

Yep, steal the rice is the plan. Bong Sam urges his team not to make mistakes. They have to feed the starving people.

Gol Dae tries to search So Gae’s office but Sun Dol stops him. Oh no, they hear So Gae!  The rice receipt is given to So Gae. He puts it on his desk unaware Gol Dae and Sun Dol are hiding behind the screen. So Gae sees the greedy Government official off.

Gol Dae urges Sun Dol to take the rice receipt now. Sun Dol refuses if they take it too early, the storage will be shut down. On the other hand if the rice receipt is hidden they are screwed. Sun Dol decides to wait until So Gae falls asleep then take the rice receipt. Everyone is nervous waiting for night.

Sun Dol waits for So Gae to sleep. Bong Sam waits for Sun Dol to return. So Gae finally puts the rice receipt in his desk. Mae Wol enters and tells So Gae she wants to talk about So Sa. The peaks Sun Dol’s interest. Mae Wol starts the discussion but So Gae cuts her off. The eye issue plagues Sun Dol and he stumbles back a step. Mae Wol investigates and sees Sun Dol. She decides not to reveal Sun Dol and tells So Gae is was only the wind. So Gae wants to talk but Mae Wol cuts him off. So Gae tells Mae Wol that Bong Sam is not her destiny. He states with So Sa dead, Mae Wol still has no chance. Mae Wol cuts him off firmly. She gets up and tells So Gae to greet her traveling partner. They leave the room. Mae Wol leaves an item in the room and returns just as Sun Dol is retrieving the rice receipt. Mae Wol tells Sun Dol he owes her now. Sun Dol asks how much she was involved in So Sa’s death. Mae Wol quips how much time do you have. She reminds him…he owes her for her silence.

Bong Sam provides the rice receipt to the official. He hesitates but allows them to retrieve the rice. Team Bong Sam grabs the rice.

So Gae can’t find the rice receipt. He learns the rice was emptied the previous evening. So Gae believes Mae Wol is the culprit. He accuses her. So Gae says he is her brother and friend, how can she betray him? Mae Wol says she couldn’t help but choose Bong Sam. So Gae is hurt. He cries, she was his little sister. She’s tossing him away. Mae Wol touches his hand. So Gae tells her she cannot go to Bong Sam. Mae Wol tells them their shared destiny ends. Livid So Gae stands up declaring he will kill Bong Sam. Mae Wol stands and states So Gae got what he wanted…he’s the Head Merchant. So Gae states he wanted her too. Mae Wol feels terrible BUT Bong Sam beats So Gae, every time. Mae Wol admits So Sa’s shadow is weighing her down. She asks So Gae if he can lift that burden. The unmitigated gall of that request is astonishing! So Gae cries. She tells him to let her go. He leaves upset. Outside the room he declares he will NOT let her go. Mae Wol cries. Of course, she’s crying for herself. She’s used So Gae for many years. Not that she didn’t care. That is Mae Wol’s secret sauce…she cares…she’s evil…but she cares.

So Gae learns that the folks at the stables are not acting out of the norm. He calls them evil. I have to laugh at the ludicrous statement, So Gae calling someone else evil.

The royals are angry that the rice is gone…and to the people not the rich foreigners. The greedy Government official claims NOT to have been involved. The Nephew stares at him with patent disbelief. So Gae tells the greedy Government official he’ll refill the rice storage.

The nephew sees a picture of the man that took the rice (it is Bong Sam). The nephew wonders is this man his friend or enemy. He orders Bong Sam watched 24/7.

Team Bong Sam is back from pretending to purchase rice. Bong Sam suggests they Mae Wol’s help to release the rice. He asks Sun Dol to go with him. Sun Dol tries to avoid the trip, but cannot.

Mae Wol receives Sun Dol and Bong Sam who thanks her for her help. Sun Dol claims he has a headache and steps out of the room.

Mae Wol follows Sun Dol. She details all she has done for Bong Sam and Sun Dol. He’s grateful for all she’s done, but murdering So Sa is a different matter. Mae Wol dispute the difference, all the stable people lives were in her hands. She warns him not to be ungrateful. Bong Sam shows up worried about Sun Dol. Mae Wol hands over something to help his eyes. She stares at Sun Dol. He stares at Mae Wol.

Later Sun Dol thinks about Mae Wol’s words to So Gae and Mae Wol’s words to him. He head aches. He realizes he’s in a tough position and not sure what is the right decision to make.

The merchants come to Bong Sam and ask them to be their leader. Bong Sam defers saying they already have a leader. That leader is dead. He was greedy and the hungry people beat him to death. Bong Sam hesitates and comments that greed is not a winning strategy. He states being a leader is greed to him.

The Nephew learns the merchants want Bong Sam to become the next leader. He wants to see Bong Sam.

Man Chi backs Bong Sam. The merchants plead. They are the front line and in danger. The beg Bong Sam.

Bong Sam meets with the Nephew. He tosses the artist’s picture of Bong Sam. The Nephew says that Bong Sam played it perfect. He took the rice. But he didn’t do it without someone realizing he was the culprit. Sun Dol begs for mercy. Bong Sam, on the other hand, says the tax rice belonged to the people. The Nephew doesn’t care about the rice. Then what Bong Sam asks? The Nephew cares about the 20,000 merchants. He wants Bong Sam to become the leader and bring the merchants under his thumb. Is this a deal with the devil? Can Bong Sam refuse to offer? What will Bong Sam do?

My Thoughts

So Gae got played and I loved it! So Gae’s rice receipt got lifted right under his nose. Mae Wol helped Sun Dol retrieve the rice receipt. She proposed a simple concept…I keep quiet…you keep quiet. Is Sun Dol going to make it to the end of this series or will we watch him exit stage left soon? I like Sun Dol, he’s smart and offers Bong Sam solid advice. I’d hate to see him to go but in this show, everyone eventually dies. Can Sun Dol escape this fate?

* Bong Sam decided thievery for the people was the right thing to do.  Even Team Bong Sam was shocked by his choice but helped him execute it. He continues to go to Mae Wol for help. He cannot believe she would plot against him or So Sa. He believes So Gae is the mastermind. I liked the fight between Bong Sam and So Gae. Bong Sam was serious and gave So Gae a good smack down…about time!

* So Gae had something stolen from him.  So Gae had to endure the humiliation of being bested by Bong Sam. Loved it. So Gae had to endure Mae Wol picking Bong Sam over him. So Gae had to endure Mae Wol asking him to help her even after she kicked him to the curb. Ouch! Couldn’t of happened to a more deserving slime ball!

* Mae Wol ditched So Gae and blackmailed Sun Dol. I’m still floored that Mae Wol asked So Gae to help her after she rejected him. These self-centered people amaze me with their narcissistic actions. The one thing you’ve got to give Mae Wol is that she has feelings and does care. It doesn’t stop her actions, but she has feelings about them. I really liked how Sun Dol did not allow her to equate all the “help” she’s given Bong Sam with murdering So Sa. But she managed to slip away from that logic and demand his silence. Mae Wol’s obsession with Bong Sam isn’t going to end. Her choke hold on Wol demonstrated once again she’s willing to use or abuse anyone to achieve her goal.

About KJT (aka kjtamuser)

Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.

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Tagged with: episode 35, God of Commerce, God of Trade, Han Chae Ah, Jang Hyuk, Jung Sung Hee, Kim Joo Young (novel), Kim Min Jung, Master of Trade : Inn 2015, Park Eun Hye, recap, summary, The Innkeeper, The Merchant Gaekju, Yu Oh Seong
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