Romance on the Farm Episode 10 Recap
> Romance on the Farm Recap
Discontent with the outcome of the family split, Grandma attempted to break through the wall to Shouxin's family's side in the middle of the night, ostensibly to steal their chickens. Lian Man'er, hearing the noise, emerged and discovered the collapsed wall. Fearing she'd have to pay for the damage, Grandma quickly fled. As Lian Man'er began trying to repair the wall, Shen Nuo appeared and suggested a better idea: planting roses along the wall.
Lian Man'er agreed, with Shen Nuo explaining that planting roses would create a more pleasant boundary, preventing further family distress even if the wall collapsed again. They worked together, planting the roses, their laughter and comfortable presence hinting at a growing mutual affection as they playfully interacted. Following this, they also went fishing together.
After successfully splitting from the family, Lian Man'er felt a newfound freedom to openly pursue her business ventures at home, now able to earn money without concern. Their garlic peanuts quickly became a sensation in town, selling out in various restaurants and stalls. Mr. Zhang, a local shopkeeper, approached Lian Man'er and Shen Nuo, expressing interest in purchasing the recipe.
He argued that if others developed a better recipe, theirs would lose its value, suggesting they sell it now to invest in land and avoid future toil. However, Shen Nuo firmly refused, explaining that if the recipe were easily replicable, Mr. Zhang wouldn't be trying to purchase it. He stated that as rural people, they were accustomed to hard work, and retaining the recipe would ensure a steady annual income, providing a long-term business mutually beneficial to both their families.
Mr. Zhang conceded, asking them to approach him first if they ever changed their minds, which they agreed to. Grandma, still seething over the family split, ceaselessly tormented her eldest daughter-in-law, Gu. Gu, desperate to return to town, tearfully confronted her husband, Uncle Shouren, about her suffering and urged him to find a way for them to leave the village quickly.
She reminded him of his past promises of a life of wealth and comfort and his pledge that she would never suffer, lamenting her current hardships. Uncle Shouren then approached Grandma, informing her that with the autumn harvest complete, he intended to return to town the next day to focus on his studies and seek a tutoring position at a school.
Grandma agreed to her son's departure but insisted that Gu remain in the village to work, dismissing Uncle Shouren's arguments that he needed Gu in town to manage their household and fulfill his hope for a grandson. Grandma accused Gu of being lazy, claiming Gu only learned bad, "unspeakable" tricks in town, having a negative influence on Hua'er and even Xiu'er. She declared Gu must learn to manage a home properly before returning.
Uncle Shouren eventually conceded, offering to pay for a maid in town, and then left. Gu, enraged by her husband's spinelessness but powerless to defy Grandma, was forced to stay behind, enduring constant chores and humiliation. Meanwhile, He, the second daughter-in-law, feigned a pregnancy to avoid chores, claiming an aversion to smoke. However, Lian Hua'er's remarks inadvertently exposed He's deception to Grandma, who, enraged, chased and scolded He.
Despite this, Gu continued to face the household tasks alone, intensifying her frustration. Lian Man'er noted that their current stock of peanuts was insufficient to meet the demand from the restaurants and that they needed to acquire more. Shen Nuo asked Lian Man'er why she didn't buy peanuts from her grandfather, Lian Fang. However, Lian Man'er expressed apprehension, fearing that if Grandma discovered their profitable garlic peanuts business, she would surely cause trouble again.
Shen Nuo pointed out that their business was already well-known among the town's restaurants, making it unlikely that Grandma and Lian Fang remained unaware. Lian Man'er reasoned that with the recent family split, Grandma was likely preoccupied and might not have paid attention to their activities. Despite her concerns, the need for more peanuts remained pressing.
Having learned from other villagers that Lian Man'er was making money selling garlic peanuts to restaurants, He returned home and deliberately exaggerated the improved living conditions of Shouxin's family to Grandma and Shouyi, detailing their specific lavish meals like chives with scrambled eggs, minced meat eggplant, clear stewed ribs, chicken, stir-fried mushrooms with meat slices, and tofu. She then revealed Lian Man'er's profitable business, further fueling Grandma's resentment. The next morning, Grandma confronted Lian Shouxin, demanding the garlic peanuts recipe.
Lian Shouxin truthfully claimed he did not know the recipe, leading Grandma to break into a furious tantrum, accusing him of deceit and regretting that she had not "choked him to death" as a baby. Hearing the commotion, Lian Man'er also began wailing loudly in the courtyard, matching Grandma's outburst, creating a chaotic scene. Lian Fang, their grandfather, returned home amidst the chaos and intervened.
Lian Hua'er then confessed to Lian Fang that she had been the one to inform Grandma about the garlic peanuts, rationalizing that since the recipe existed before the family split, it should belong to the entire Lian family, thereby benefiting everyone. Lian Fang, however, disregarded Lian Hua'er's reasoning, chastising her for not caring about her parents' hardships, and quickly sent Grandma back into the house.
He then promised Lian Man'er that no one would take their recipe, bringing a temporary halt to the dispute and calming the situation. Soon after, officials arrived to collect a new poll tax. The officials explained that due to an empty national treasury, a new imperial order required every citizen to pay an additional poll tax.
Furthermore, since Lian Shouxin's family had split from the main family, their land, previously registered under Scholar Lian's name for tax reduction, now incurred full taxes, irrespective of its quality or yield. The officials demanded ten taels of silver. Lian Shouxin's family was unable to pay, as Lian Man'er had invested all their money into buying peanuts.
Despite their pleas for an extension, the official threatened to arrest Lian Shouxin if the payment was not made, adding that he would be sent to the salt mines with hardened criminals. With no other recourse, they were forced to use their household goods, including dried fruits, chickens, and ducks, to offset the tax.
Shen Nuo explained that the imperial court generally advocated for light taxes, but local officials were acting deceptively, imposing exorbitant levies far exceeding the amounts remitted to the capital. He deduced that most of the silver likely ended up in the hands of corrupt officials.
Lian Man'er, appalled by the plight of the local common folk, yearned to return to "another world"—a world on a star where there were no harsh taxes, where disaster relief was provided, and advanced agricultural technology allowed for easy farming without arduous labor.
Shen Nuo initially dismissed her words as feverish ramblings, but Lian Man'er insisted on their truth before quickly redirecting their focus back to preparing the garlic peanuts, expressing her hope that their business would soon grow large enough to make such small sums of money seem insignificant. Lian Hua'er attended a tea gathering with her young lady friends in town. During the gathering, she observed her friends eagerly purchasing garlic peanuts.
Lian Hua'er then intentionally remarked that the popular peanuts were made by her cousin, Lian Man'er. Feigning concern, she complained that Lian Man'er's constant public appearances for the business were "unseemly" and might jeopardize her reputation and future marriage prospects. Lian Hua'er subtly asked the County Magistrate's daughter for assistance, hoping she could intervene. The County Magistrate's daughter, however, saw through Lian Hua'er's facade, realizing her true intention was to leverage her influence to undermine Lian Man'er.
Despite this, she accepted a small gift—though privately remarking it was common and her maids were tired of such items—and agreed to help, viewing it as an amusing diversion. Consequently, the County Magistrate's daughter dispatched an official to confront Lian Man'er. The official accused Lian Man'er of operating her garlic peanuts business without reporting it to the government or possessing a business permit, demanding a hundred taels in overdue taxes within three days.
Shen Nuo, observing that the official presented no formal documents, challenged the demand, citing laws that exempted small businesses below a certain threshold from reporting and stipulated a seven-day grace period for fines over fifty taels. The official, however, ignored Shen Nuo's logical arguments, reiterating his demand for the hundred taels within three days and threatening imprisonment in a salt mine alongside hardened criminals if they failed to comply.
Distressed by the impossible demand for one hundred taels, Lian Man'er sought to borrow money from Mr. Laojin, but learned he was away on business collecting debts and would not return for ten to fifteen days. Wang Youheng, upon hearing of her predicament, immediately offered some of his personal savings, though it was not the full amount, and promised to help her gather the rest.
Wang Youheng also sensed something peculiar about the tax demand, as small businesses like Lian Man'er's were rarely targeted by officials. With the borrowed money, Shen Nuo approached the official, subtly bribing him to alleviate the situation. He successfully obtained a business permit and a ten-day extension to pay the remaining fine, giving them crucial time to sell more garlic peanuts to raise funds.
Shen Nuo also discreetly inquired about the reason for the sudden penalty and learned that the government's scrutiny was instigated because Lian Man'er had "offended someone." Lian Man'er quickly deduced that Lian Hua'er was behind the trouble, as she was the only family member with connections to the local government after her Uncle Shouren left.
Desperate for peanuts to make more product, Lian Shouxin attempted to borrow some from Grandma's household, reasoning that Lian Fang had recently harvested a good crop and that as family, they should help one another in times of need. However, Grandma vehemently rejected his plea, reminding him that they were no longer family since the split and harshly turning him away, accusing him of only seeking help when it benefited him.
