[Mainland Chinese Drama 2018] The Story of Ming Lan 庶女明兰传 / 知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦

[Suzzy San]

1 hour ago, dito said:

 

How cool would it be if his downfall is all a part of his plan. Getting punished and sent off to fight as a foot soldier may be just the thing to get his family from out of the middle of the power struggle. 

Wow.. It will be so cool like wow GTY is unpredictable really.. I will be so happy and proud if his downfall is his plan.. It's like the advance and retreat strategy... His plan would then be that of pouncing back to pounce 10 time forward.. But I'm afraid it might not be because he asked ML to separate amicably then but this might also be a plan. Like i said GTY is unpredictable and he is not someone who will ask ML to divorce if there is no accurate reason 

[kingpin]

There's something about ming lan and ting ye when they are together. There's this fire that's ready to ignite. I like that Ting Ye is a very experienced man who's well-versed with the outside world & he adapts to all sorts of situation, just like ming lan. They both complement each other.

Spoiler

 

 

[minglan1]

@hello210 Agree with you.Hoping his interactions with ML that we see in the trailer might be the one that gets him to think little harder at what he is doing.

@ForgottenSoulx Quite possible.They may end on a happy family note.

@frenchfan I think he is putting a plan in place so that he doesn't become a casualty in the power struggle.He did mention he has put the enunch who saved ML in a high position.He is betting on Prince Huan to back him up since he is sticking his neck out.I hope the emperor and his son do that and not sacrifice him if things become uncomfortable.

@dito If the downfall is part of his plan than it will become the story of GTY.Since it is the story of Minglan I am thinking his best laid plans will inadvertently land him in crisis and ML will come to the rescue.He has been rescuing her from childhood..Time for her to return the favor and be no less than his equal.

 

[kingpin]

 

I think ting ye is a well written character. He's not perfect but that's what makes him likable & interesting because there's more room for him to develop. I love his relationship with the people around him. I like that he's also responsible, sensible.

 

the only good man in this drama

[m0us3y]

@dito I concur with you on the overkill. They can't even get a breather! Everyone seems to be plotting against them. 

 

But in one of the preview, GTY's stepmom also mention something along the line (if my understanding is right) that they (GTY-ML) is a formidable pairing. 

One does direct attacks, another sniping. 

One goes offensive, the other defensive. 

I actually thought it was spot on. 

The way they would discuss and talk about strategies, with GTY always just trying to bulldoze his way, while ML always trying to resolve things without making GTY and her look bad. 

 

Also, whilst the downfall of GTY is inevitable, I think it will give ML a chance/ force her hands to truly show what she's capable of. 

To date, whilst she has been doing a lot, when things get rough, GTY is always very protective and come to the rescue. 

Hence I don't think we have seen her full potential of what she really is capable of if she steps up. 

 

ML has said that she will put her life to repay him. And I believe she meant it both figuratively, and literally. 

She staked her reputation, appearance, and her potential marriage to avenge her dead mom. 

Hell will break lose if anyone tries to harm granny or GTY. 

I have lil doubt that she will rise to the challenge. 

She has shown how much thought she put into her action, and how meticulous she is in her thought process.

 

 

[ForgottenSoulx]

3 hours ago, paras said:

Do you think ML is upset because she realizes that Molan is using the same tactic as her Mom to get rid of the babies of her husband's concubines ? This is the first time she seems to talk loudly and have a back bone inside the Sheng family, especially against her father.

 

Yeah im so shocked she used disrespectful tone.. lay down the law girl.

 

3 hours ago, Golden Flower said:

I actually rewatched the trailer and fixed my translation after you posted. It seems to me Molan was trying to kneel but her husband prevented her or she sat back down after SH pulled her up from kneeling. I'm not sure she is trying to kneel to beg ML something or ML brought up about CL causing ML's mom death. Molan's husband didn't look that upset though he obviously look uncomfortable. So, I'm not sure whether ML directly accuse Molan causing foils for her husband's concubine. Then, may be ML get angry due to Molan's usual tactics of crying/ kneeling and ML started throwing bowls? (just a guess...conversation is too brief and pretty sure cut in between, very difficult to make out).

 

I would love it to play out like you wrote , did anything like this happen in the novel? I cant have Molan having a "good" life causing other babies death's she needs to have a horrible miserable life. 

2 hours ago, frenchfan said:

If he does fall into the trap of ED bidding then I have even less respect for him.  It is one thing holding justice but another to purposely stir trouble for GTY.  These vicious people cannot stand to see our fav couple live in peace.  Stepmom won the award for being truly evil. Her son is actually quite decent.  He truly cared for his 2nd brother.  

 

Can i just say i want head's to roll already there is not enough death for my liking.. Kill the step mum , MN and Molan for all i care. 2nd Brother is the only good person in that family other than GTY it seem's even with his mums brainwashing. 

[ForgottenSoulx]

2 hours ago, deslynn88 said:

 

Stepmom's son actually sounds like a reasonable and normal person, who probably has no idea how evil and devious his mother his.  CB always claimed that he really does love his brother and always asked about GTY while he was in "exile."  But then again CB is kinda naive so I wasn't sure.

 

QH ah, oh boy oh boy.  Where to start?  It's one thing to pine after another man's wife in his heart but to sink so low as to stir up trouble for him?  Doesn't he realize that she will suffer too if GTY gets in trouble?  Or does he want to punish her as well for not choosing him?  I really can't tell anymore.

 

We dont know fully what's happening but we keep saying this to give QH the benefit of the doubt. 

 

I want to hope hes simple and being used by ED but then he went to report GTY's actions so looks like hes after GTY for sure.. 

 

Im pretty sure the fire happens while GTY is away on punishment as well and if QH had a direct link to all this then he nearly caused ML's and her baby's death.. Ill hate him even more then he can be on my death list also. 

[Suzzy San]

46 minutes ago, MarJo_Lei said:

 

 

the only good man in this drama

 

1 hour ago, MarJo_Lei said:

There's something about ming lan and ting ye when they are together. There's this fire that's ready to ignite. I like that Ting Ye is a very experienced man who's well-versed with the outside world & he adapts to all sorts of situation, just like ming lan. They both complement each other.

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Omg these gifs are so precious.. And I think the dialouge for the rainy scene is clear enough, he will wait till she knows how to treat her husband on a rainy day, that method, well we might not know but it has to do with her being so lovely.. Truly the only great man in the show. Just live your life while enjoying the most out of it.. It doesn't mean you should be stupid but you should still allow some things to happen 

 

1 hour ago, minglan1 said:

@hello210 Agree with you.Hoping his interactions with ML that we see in the trailer might be the one that gets him to think little harder at what he is doing.

@ForgottenSoulx Quite possible.They may end on a happy family note.

@frenchfan I think he is putting a plan in place so that he doesn't become a casualty in the power struggle.He did mention he has put the enunch who saved ML in a high position.He is betting on Prince Huan to back him up since he is sticking his neck out.I hope the emperor and his son do that and not sacrifice him if things become uncomfortable.

@dito If the downfall is part of his plan than it will become the story of GTY.Since it is the story of Minglan I am thinking his best laid plans will inadvertently land him in crisis and ML will come to the rescue.He has been rescuing her from childhood..Time for her to return the favor and be no less than his equal.

 

That's also true, it will be story of GTY not ML.. So even though he has plans now he might still fail therefore leading to ML openly supporting her husband.. Truly the powerful and formidable couple 

[ForgottenSoulx]

2 hours ago, dito said:

I feel they are doing a bit of an overkill with all the schemes against the main couple. They are literally getting attacked from all sides.

ED is plotting to bring down GTY....maybe by using QH,

QH, himself may be holding petty grudges....making trouble for GTY

Gu family and Stepmom

Manniang.....I think it might be the stepmom using her to spread the rumors....thats her specialty...

not to forget QH's nasty wife who's obsession with hurting ML is going to destroy her own marriage.   

 

I love the husband wife scenes that show them slowly falling in love....but all we'll be getting soon is plots, schemes and downfall of GTY....hopefully soon. So he can rise again fast.

 

One question....if GTY looses his rank, title and properties....where will ML live after he's sent off to join the army as a foot soldier. 

Lets hope its not in the Gu manor.....just thinking about it gives me chills.

At this part of the drama...most of the story tracks happening are not from the book so I'm feeling a bit on the edge not knowing what's going to happen next. 

 

I feel you..GIVE THEM A BREAK ALREADY also we have grandma poisoning happening as well.. all this suffering i just want them to be happy already. I dont think he would lose everything he was given and he still has money even if everything the emperor gave was taken away. Also i think we saw ML still in the main house when fire happens so she will be allowed to stay there. 

 

 

2 hours ago, Golden Flower said:

More previews:

 

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short summary for epi 50-51 summary (DVD cut):

  Hide contents

 @gleek49

I guess you were right about MN going around the town.

MN wondered around city with no baggage, ragged and broke having no money for food. (GTY and ML should have given her some money if they were to follow her. I'm not sure step-mom asked people to snatch things from MN as when she left GTY's house, she didn't look this ragged! )

MN going around saying GTY snatched her daughter, forced her to leave and didn't let her be with her children. He is now trying to get the son from her. Step-mom brought MN with the help of Bai relative (the uncle who tried to snatch his maternal grandfather's properties at the funeral) and she is enjoying her handy work. Her maid said that GTY is going to have a hard time from now on. 

(Very similar conversation bt GTY and QH). GTY told QH if he were him he would have made proposal to the girl as soon as he knew he liked her. He said QH should have asked for ML's hand in marriage since he was studying at Sheng's house before County princess came along. He should have taken his help when he offered. His final saying was "Runlo, you should know that nobody will stay at the original place to wait for you".

 

 

GOD CAN Zhu Yilong STOP being such a damn good actor his acting makes me want to like QH even though i want to hate him god sake............

 

2 hours ago, darkphoenix123 said:

@bold is exactly right! But QH looked confused/hurt at what GTY was saying so I am not sure if he is doing this on purpose...guess we’ll find out when the episode airs

 

I got no idea how to feel about QH im so confused.

 

1 hour ago, dito said:

 

How cool would it be if his downfall is all a part of his plan. Getting punished and sent off to fight as a foot soldier may be just the thing to get his family from out of the middle of the power struggle. 

 

That is what i was thinking it would mean ED side gets more aggressive thinking GTY is not there and then wham Bam hes there again.

 

1 hour ago, minglan1 said:

 

@dito If the downfall is part of his plan than it will become the story of GTY.Since it is the story of Minglan I am thinking his best laid plans will inadvertently land him in crisis and ML will come to the rescue.He has been rescuing her from childhood..Time for her to return the favor and be no less than his equal.

 

 

I totally agree i think ML should save GTY this time with her own plan.

 

26 minutes ago, m0us3y said:

 

 

Also, whilst the downfall of GTY is inevitable, I think it will give ML a chance/ force her hands to truly show what she's capable of. 

To date, whilst she has been doing a lot, when things get rough, GTY is always very protective and come to the rescue. 

Hence I don't think we have seen her full potential of what she really is capable of if she steps up. 

 

ML has said that she will put her life to repay him. And I believe she meant it both figuratively, and literally. 

She staked her reputation, appearance, and her potential marriage to avenge her dead mom. 

Hell will break lose if anyone tries to harm granny or GTY. 

I have lil doubt that she will rise to the challenge. 

She has shown how much thought she put into her action, and how meticulous she is in her thought process.

 

 

 

Totally right most of the time its ML on the defence and never attacking but i think that is going to change big time , at least i hope that will change. 

[_heywatch]

Without any prior knowledge of the novel other than the sypnosis of this drama(since I'm avoiding spoilers), I've reached/finished episode 25. Wow, there's so much good things to unpack about this drama. 

 

First & foremost, I love Ting Ye & Ming Lan,

not only as an pair (platonically/

romatically) but as individuals. I like how the story unfolds & allows both main characters to have their own unique voice & have relationship w/ other people. It gives room for the main characters to develop as individuals. Even with minimum interactions, ML & TY already have a grasp/understanding of each other, & can relate to eachother on a personal level.

 

Ting Ye is a very well-written character. He's imperfect but that's one of his finer qualities because it makes him more relatable & likable. This gives him room to develop. I like that he's very experienced/well-adapted to the outside world. He's also understanding, considerate, & responsible, who handles business & take cares of his family well. Another plus side, he kicks major @$$. His interactions with people around him is great. He's a realist, much like Ming Lan. 

 

Ming Lan is like a sponge & a quiet storm. Much like TY, she adapts well in any environment. I like that she is resilient even under all the scrutiny & challenges she faces. ML is intuitive,cunning, & also caring. It's great that she also thinks about her own well being & isnt written in situation that's degrading or belittling to her character growth. She's starting to break out of her little shell & the way it unfolds is great. Her relationship with her grandmother is endearing. 

 

ML & TY is great as a duo.

There's depth/dynamic to their interactions, which is based on mutual respect & understanding. I was pretty happy to finally see them engage in conversations. It's so fun to watch, from their light bickering & quiter/intimate moments. Seeing them interact makes me grin ear to ear, especially when TY teases her about marriage. Ming Lan always seem to be at ease when she's with TY & vice versa, since TY very much enjoys her company. They both look so nice being in each other's presence.

[Suzzy San]

2 minutes ago, greenwatch08 said:

Without any prior knowledge of the novel other than the sypnosis of this drama(since I'm avoiding spoilers), I've reached/finished episode 25. Wow, there's so much good things to unpack about this drama. 

 

First & foremost, I love Ting Ye & Ming Lan, not only as an pair(platonically/

romatically) but as individuals. I like how the story unfolds & allows both main characters to have their own unique voice & have relationship w/ other people. It gives room for the main characters to develop as individuals. Even with minimum interactions, ML & TY already have a grasp/understanding of each other, & can relate to eachother on a personal level.

 

Ting Ye is a very well-written character. He's imperfect but that's one of his finer qualities because it makes him more relatable & likable. This gives him room to develop. I like that he's very experienced/well-adapted to the outside world. He's also understanding,

considerate, & responsible, who handles business & take cares of his family well. Another plus side, he kicks major @$$. His interactions with people around him is great. He's a realist, much like Ming Lan. 

 

Ming Lan is like a sponge & a quiet storm. Much like TY, she adapts well in any environment. I like that she is resilient even under all the scrutiny & challenges she faces. ML is intuitive,cunning, & also caring. It's great that she also thinks about her own well being & isnt written in situation that's degrading or belittling to her character growth. She's starting to break out of her little shell & the way it unfolds is great. Her relationship with her grandmother is endearing. 

 

ML & TY is great as a duo. There's depth/dynamic to their interactions, 

which is based on mutual respect & understanding. I was pretty happy to finally seem them engage in conversations. It's so fun to watch, from their small bickering & quiter/intimate moments. Ming Lan always seem to be at ease when she's with TY & vice versa, since TY very much enjoys her company. They both look so nice being in each other's presence. 

Such a well grasp of the characters.. So well written.. Insightful and definitely you know the characters well. I agree 

[ForgottenSoulx]

5 minutes ago, greenwatch08 said:

 

 

If your avoiding spoilers i suggest you not to visit here ;p

 

Spoilers are posted here every page.

 

Love what you wrote though so well written , i wish i could write as well as some people here im jealous. 

[_heywatch]

39 minutes ago, ForgottenSoulx said:

 

If your avoiding spoilers i suggest you not to visit here ;p

 

Spoilers are posted here every page.

 

Love what you wrote though so well written , i wish i could write as well as some people here im jealous. 

I recently started this drama a week or 2 ago. I noticed this place is filled with heavy spoilers, since I'm a tad behind. I'll keep a blindfold on . I need to dump my thoughts somewhere. 

 

Thank you.

There's so much to say about this drama since it's has an extended cast/list of characters & events happening. I love how it showcases the living/upbringing of ancient china, specifically from a female-centric point of view. So far, I'm really enjoying it, since the plot seems to pick up after episode 25.

43 minutes ago, Suzzy San said:

Such a well grasp of the characters.. So well written.. Insightful and definitely you know the characters well. I agree 

Thanks. I really adore the two main leads. Their first interaction was so good. I'm excited to see how the story unfolds for the both of them. 

[dramaninja]

Poor GTY man life for him has been so hard more then you imagine . 

[guinearoyal]

13 minutes ago, greenwatch08 said:

Without any prior knowledge of the novel other than the sypnosis of this drama(since I'm avoiding spoilers), I've reached/finished episode 25. Wow, there's so much good things to unpack about this drama. 

 

First & foremost, I love Ting Ye & Ming Lan,

not only as an pair (platonically/

romatically) but as individuals. I like how the story unfolds & allows both main characters to have their own unique voice & have relationship w/ other people. It gives room for the main characters to develop as individuals. Even with minimum interactions, ML & TY already have a grasp/understanding of each other, & can relate to eachother on a personal level.

 

Ting Ye is a very well-written character. He's imperfect but that's one of his finer qualities because it makes him more relatable & likable. This gives him room to develop. I like that he's very experienced/well-adapted to the outside world. He's also understanding,onsiderate, & responsible, who handles business & take cares of his family well. Another plus side, he kicks major @$$. His interactions with people around him is great. He's a realist, much like Ming Lan. 

 

Ming Lan is like a sponge & a quiet storm. Much like TY, she adapts well in any environment. I like that she is resilient even under all the scrutiny & challenges she faces. ML is intuitive,cunning, & also caring. It's great that she also thinks about her own well being & isnt written in situation that's degrading or belittling to her character growth. She's starting to break out of her little shell & the way it unfolds is great. Her relationship with her grandmother is endearing. 

 

ML & TY is great as a duo.

There's depth/dynamic to their interactions, which is based on mutual respect & understanding. I was pretty happy to finally seem them engage in conversations. It's so fun to watch, from their small bickering & quiter/intimate moments. Ming Lan always seem to be at ease when she's with TY & vice versa, since TY very much enjoys her company. They both look so nice being in each other's presence. 

 

I agree with your points here. ML and TY are great characters, both together and separate, they are portrayed very realistically, compared to some dramas I have watched where the characters were a bit two dimensional. 

But personally what I love about their relationship is how TY had always liked and respected ML since they were young. And unlike everyone else, he knew what kind of person she was behind her facade. This was really shown when they were in the Sheng school and he had encouraged her to speak out and debate with her. Everyone was like "oh the shy miss. oh sweet ML does not know very much." and TY was like "Lol, you people have literally no idea. Come on girl, talk!" He liked cracking her shell and when she would dish it back out at him. She would give as good as she got when it came to him and he respected her for that. 

But I think it wasn't till he pulled her out of the river and they started talking about his daughters future, that he truly started to fall for ML. It is clear that with TY, from having such a crappy family life growing up, the key to his heart is family. He mentioned to his Nanny in the beginning that the birth of his children made him feel like he had a place and could for once be loved, when he was always hated and scorned before. Though he had liked MN in the beginning, he did not love her, he did however, love his children. So when ML started advising him to take better care of his daughter, it resonated with him that she cared for and thought well of someone he loved. And where others in her position would look down on a child like his due to birth and circumstance, she never did that once. And it occurred to him that with ML he could have the kind of life and family he has always wanted. So from that moment on, I can see that he viewed her as not just as ML, but as his future spouse. Cause if you watch carefully, his behavior and language towards her changes during their conversation on the beach. And afterwards he behaves much closer with her and starts following her around and taking her safety seriously. 

Anyways, I got caught up and have started blabbing away.

[Suzzy San]

5 minutes ago, guinearoyal said:

 

I agree with your points here. ML and TY are great characters, both together and separate, they are portrayed very realistically, compared to some dramas I have watched where the characters were a bit two dimensional. 

But personally what I love about their relationship is how TY had always liked and respected ML since they were young. And unlike everyone else, he knew what kind of person she was behind her facade. This was really shown when they were in the Sheng school and he had encouraged her to speak out and debate with her. Everyone was like "oh the shy miss. oh sweet ML does not know very much." and TY was like "Lol, you people have literally no idea. Come on girl, talk!" He liked cracking her shell and when she would dish it back out at him. She would give as good as she got when it came to him and he respected her for that. 

But I think it wasn't till he pulled her out of the river and they started talking about his daughters future, that he truly started to fall for ML. It is clear that with TY, from having such a crappy family life growing up, the key to his heart is family. He mentioned to his Nanny in the beginning that the birth of his children made him feel like he had a place and could for once be loved, when he was always hated and scorned before. Though he had liked MN in the beginning, he did not love her, he did however, love his children. So when ML started advising him to take better care of his daughter, it resonated with him that she cared for and thought well of someone he loved. And where others in her position would look down on a child like his due to birth and circumstance, she never did that once. And it occurred to him that with ML he could have the kind of life and family he has always wanted. So from that moment on, I can see that he viewed her as not just as ML, but as his future spouse. Cause if you watch carefully, his behavior and language towards her changes during their conversation on the beach. And afterwards he behaves much closer with her and starts following her around and taking her safety seriously. 

Anyways, I got caught up and have started blabbing away.

So cute.. It's always a nice feeling when you know someone have you in his heart for so long, eventually fell in love with you and started to protect you and finally does all he can to marry you with respect.. Their love is so great and relatable 

[_heywatch]

15 minutes ago, guinearoyal said:

 

I agree with your points here. ML and TY are great characters, both together and separate, they are portrayed very realistically, compared to some dramas I have watched where the characters were a bit two dimensional. 

But personally what I love about their relationship is how TY had always liked and respected ML since they were young. And unlike everyone else, he knew what kind of person she was behind her facade. This was really shown when they were in the Sheng school and he had encouraged her to speak out and debate with her. Everyone was like "oh the shy miss. oh sweet ML does not know very much." and TY was like "Lol, you people have literally no idea. Come on girl, talk!" He liked cracking her shell and when she would dish it back out at him. She would give as good as she got when it came to him and he respected her for that. 

But I think it wasn't till he pulled her out of the river and they started talking about his daughters future, that he truly started to fall for ML. It is clear that with TY, from having such a crappy family life growing up, the key to his heart is family. He mentioned to his Nanny in the beginning that the birth of his children made him feel like he had a place and could for once be loved, when he was always hated and scorned before. Though he had liked MN in the beginning, he did not love her, he did however, love his children. So when ML started advising him to take better care of his daughter, it resonated with him that she cared for and thought well of someone he loved. And where others in her position would look down on a child like his due to birth and circumstance, she never did that once. And it occurred to him that with ML he could have the kind of life and family he has always wanted. So from that moment on, I can see that he viewed her as not just as ML, but as his future spouse. Cause if you watch carefully, his behavior and language towards her changes during their conversation on the beach. And afterwards he behaves much closer with her and starts following her around and taking her safety seriously. 

Anyways, I got caught up and have started blabbing away.

I love that school scene so much.

 

When everyone seem to underestimate ML's ability, TY outright said ML is very capable. Even QH couldn't grasp or connect the dots because he idealize her too much as a romantic partner rather than understanding her as an individual being first. ML & TY both complement each other well. 

[linhlinh111]

I'm really confused about the stepmom's son right now. I read the book before watching drama and in the book he is a villain so since the beginning I always assume he's a bad guy and kinda hate him. Now I'm not sure since he hasn't shown any sign of evil (yet) and the drama seems to derail from the book quite a lot. Did they decide to change his character or what? If they did then I really don't know what to feel. I can say I'm quite prejudiced against him.

[lilkat75]

A lot of people to be up with all the previews 

I'm going to be talking about episode 46 and 47ish...I think it's fair enough that QH is being diligent with his work but like many others have said, he seems to be a pawn of the ED. Did anyone else notice when GTY coughed purposely when one of the ministers was about to mention QH was married to the previous princess and her father who was the supposed next emperor? I thought it was nice of GTY as he holds the face of QH I think? Correct me if I'm wrong about this, that was the vibe I was getting at... It was really nice when in a much earlier episode, QH prayed for the happiness for the ML and a sense he let go... Thus, I will be pretty disappointed if QH held grudges which affect his line of work as I think his characterisation will go backwards because again he is not thinking how it will affect ML who he obviously still cares about. However, I don't blame him for keeping the dolls as a keepsake. It's not like he was opening them and admiring them. Although he does not love his current wife, he is respectful enough to her and many marriages were arranged/not for love so I don't understand his wife's logic of investigating his past love when she will be the one hurt and QH is not even bringing up ML.  

[_heywatch]

45 minutes ago, guinearoyal said:

Cause if you watch carefully, his behavior and language towards her changes during their conversation on the beach. And afterwards he behaves much closer with her and starts following her around and taking her safety seriously. 

Most definitely.

 

I love the scene when he saves her from the bandits & took her under the tent to sit by his side. TY thought of her wellbeing & upholding her status, while giving her a shooting weapon to protect herself & tailing behind her for precaution from a distance, so she can return safely to grandma. What an awesome fellow! He's a keeper.