Romance on the Farm Episode 11 Recap
> Romance on the Farm Recap
Zhou Shi demanded Lian Shouxin exchange the recipe for garlic peanuts for the fresh peanuts Lian Man'er needed. She argued that Lian Man'er's family brought their troubles upon themselves and questioned why Lian Shouxin, her son, wouldn't give her a recipe. Lian Fang intervened, appealing to Zhou Shi not to let her own granddaughter go to jail.
He tried to reassure her that Lian Shouxin's family would pay back the market price for the peanuts, but Zhou Shi dismissed his concerns, fearing the family would be left with nothing if they weren't repaid. Lian Hua'er then privately advised Zhou Shi that there were other, less confrontational ways to obtain the recipe from Lian Man'er, who was known to be cunning.
Soon after, Lian Shouxin informed Lian Man'er that Zhou Shi had agreed to sell them peanuts at market price, ten coins per catty, with payment deferred until they made money. Zhou Shi also sent Aunt He to help, fearing they would be overwhelmed. Despite Lian Man'er's initial reluctance to accept more help, Aunt He insisted on assisting. Meanwhile, Shen Nuo discussed with Thirteen their plan to infiltrate the Song Mansion.
He revealed that on the fifteenth of the month, the Shengde Troupe would perform at a banquet there, offering a prime opportunity to enter the mansion and steal the registration book. Thirteen explained that he had introduced Troupe Master Yu Xiangjin to Song Changsui, a servant of the Song family, who readily agreed to the performance, being eager to profit from wealthy patrons.
Thirteen also revealed that he had overheard Song Changsui discussing the transportation of a batch of salt after the banquet, suggesting an urgent demand from higher-ups. They both agreed that they must succeed in their mission. Lian Fang arrived to help Lian Man'er's family make garlic peanuts, worried they wouldn't earn enough to pay the 100 taels fine.
He tried to ensure the quality of the peanuts, pointing out moldy ones to Aunt He, who admitted to being clumsy and swapped tasks with him. Aunt He then directly asked Lian Man'er for the garlic peanut recipe, praising its taste.
Lian Man'er, claiming it was an exclusive recipe, intentionally revealed that she had written it down and kept it on the second layer of the third cabinet on the left-hand side of her room, advising Aunt He to keep her own valuable recipes secure. Later that night, Aunt He snuck into Lian Man'er's room and, after some fumbling, located and stole the fake recipe from the cabinet.
Lian Man'er, feigning sleep, silently confirmed that Aunt He had indeed taken the decoy, pleased that her trick had worked and Aunt He would not be empty-handed on her grandmother's mission. The next day, as Lian Man'er prepared to dry the peanuts, it suddenly began to rain. With the peanuts wet and time running out before delivery to the restaurants, Lian Man'er’s father suggested asking the restaurants for an extension.
Instead, Lian Man'er improvised a drying method by having her parents borrow fire pits and Shen Nuo cut bamboo, creating a makeshift drying rack. After an all-night effort, the peanuts were perfectly dried by morning. They delivered over 200 catties to Mr. Zhang at the restaurant on time. Mr. Zhang, sensing a prolonged period of rain due to his old leg rheumatism, warned them that it would continue to rain for several days.
Realizing they couldn't produce enough peanuts in time, Lian Man'er decided to sell the recipe. Mr. Zhang tried to negotiate the price down to 80 taels from the initially discussed 120 taels, questioning the recipe's authenticity and its long-term popularity. Lian Man'er highlighted the peanuts' popularity and the potential profit for Mr. Zhang if he bought the recipe and supplied it to other food stores.
When Mr. Zhang refused to budge on the price, Lian Man'er and Shen Nuo feigned disinterest and left. They then went to the Junyoulai Restaurant, where they dramatically booked ten tables for a wedding banquet and other celebrations, speaking loudly about their childhood sweethearts' journey and future plans. A server from Mr. Zhang’s restaurant overheard this and reported that Lian Man'er and Shen Nuo were about to sell the recipe to a competitor.
Panicked, Mr. Zhang rushed to bring them back and immediately agreed to Lian Man'er's original price, signing a contract for the recipe. Moments later, Zhou Shi and Lian Shouyi stormed into the restaurant, with Aunt He also present, loudly accusing Mr. Zhang of stealing their family’s recipe and refusing to pay. Mr. Zhang countered that the recipe Zhou Shi presented was fake, lacking a key ingredient like fennel.
Zhou Shi, oblivious to Man'er's deception, insisted it was an ancestral recipe and demanded payment simply because Mr. Zhang had seen it. Lian Man'er arrived and, while feigning support for her enraged grandmother, subtly confirmed the recipe was indeed fake. Zhou Shi, still indignant, then blurted out that she had secretly taken the recipe from Aunt He, who had in turn retrieved it from Lian Man'er's room.
When a restaurant staff member warned of involving government officials, Zhou Shi, though still threatening daily disruptions, quickly allowed Lian Shouyi to lead her and Aunt He away as a patrol approached. Afterward, Wang Youheng found Lian Man'er, informing her that he had finally borrowed enough money for her fine. Lian Man'er gratefully declined, revealing that she had sold the garlic peanut recipe to pay off the fine.
Wang Youheng expressed regret that he couldn't have helped sooner, offering to redeem the recipe for her, but Lian Man'er assured him she was fine and would pay the tax the next day. She then recounted the embarrassing scene Zhou Shi, Aunt He, and Lian Shouyi had caused at the restaurant. Shen Nuo observed their close interaction from a distance.
The next day, Lian Man'er secretly followed Shen Nuo to the Song Mansion's banquet, having bribed her way in with peanuts. Shen Nuo, concerned for her safety, urged her to leave, explaining that he was there for a crucial mission and couldn't guarantee her protection if something went wrong. After Shen Nuo urged her to leave, Shen Nuo and Thirteen, disguised, moved stealthily through the mansion.
They located the accounting room in the west wing of the backyard, a place Thirteen had scouted earlier. They searched for the registration book, which Song Changsui had reportedly taken into the room, but couldn't find it. Detecting nearby patrol guards, Thirteen discovered a hidden mechanism, revealing a secret room. Inside, they found valuable items, but soon realized they were not alone.
A group of bandits, who were in fact members of Thirteen's opera troupe, entered the secret room, reveling in their loot and arguing about how to spend it. The leader silenced them, confirming their intent to rob the Song family. Outside, Lian Man'er, noticing the approaching patrol near Shen Nuo's location, donned an opera costume. She quickly joined the Shengde Troupe on stage, starting an impromptu "Heroes' Opera."
She powerfully sang a folk song, "The great river flows eastward, the stars in the sky refers to the Big Dipper," encouraging the audience to join in. Her performance successfully captivated the Song family and the patrolling guards, diverting their attention and creating a diversion that would aid Shen Nuo. Inside the secret room, the bandits were startled by a sudden voice from outside the hidden door.
