Romance on the Farm Episode 13 Recap
> Romance on the Farm Recap
Lian Man'er, busy with her plans to make and sell distilled grape wine, often forgot that Shen Nuo had already left. Her father, Lian Shouxin, was making the tools needed for the distillation process. Man'er, with her younger brother Seven, hurried to press the grapes for fermentation. Wang Youheng offered to help more, suggesting he could assist with picking, pressing, and fermenting.
Man'er thanked him, but initially insisted he should focus on his medical studies, believing such tasks didn't suit him. However, Youheng asserted he could do everything Shen Nuo could, leading Man'er to agree to take him somewhere the next day. Meanwhile, Shen Nuo and his companion, Thirteen, followed the clues they had gathered, believing a bandit fortress was nearby. Shen Nuo knew Yu Xiangjin, the leader, had taken the registration book because she thought it would be profitable.
He believed a direct confrontation wouldn't work with her personality and decided to explore the possibility of making a deal. They soon located Black Tiger Fortress, but their presence was quickly detected by the guards. Bandits Three and Four confronted them, revealing that their leader, Yu Xiangjin, had anticipated Shen Nuo's arrival after taking his item. Shen Nuo and Thirteen were then led into the fortress.
Once inside, Shen Nuo observed that the inhabitants of Black Tiger Fortress were not the ruthless bandits he expected, but mostly ordinary people, including many old folks, women, and children, who were homeless and oppressed. Yu Xiangjin explained that many had lost their land or status and found refuge there. She stated they only robbed profiteering merchants and corrupt officials, never ordinary civilians, to feed everyone in the fortress. Soon after, news arrived of an approaching merchant convoy.
As Yu Xiangjin discussed a robbery plan with her brothers, Shen Nuo realized she was subtly testing him. He publicly critiqued her proposed method, deeming it too dangerous due to the state road's guards and the merchant's background running an armed escort agency. Shen Nuo then offered a strategy to obtain the goods without a single loss on their side, but only on the condition that he would retrieve his registration book once the mission was successful.
The second-in-command, Two, expressed distrust, pointing out Shen Nuo's past actions, such as planting Thirteen in their troupe and taking only the book from the Song family's house without taking any money. Despite these reservations, Yu Xiangjin decided to seize the opportunity to test Shen Nuo's true capabilities. Lian Man'er took Wang Youheng to a hot spring cave, where she hoped to grow leafy vegetables even in winter, relying on the cave's stable temperature and humidity.
Later, her younger brother, Seven, excitedly told Man'er that Mr. Laojin, Youheng's father, was spreading rumors in the village about Man'er and Youheng getting married, even claiming a wedding date was set. Youheng immediately apologized, believing his father's words were due to their frequent companionship, and offered to clarify the misunderstanding to protect Man'er's reputation.
However, Man'er dismissed the rumors, stating that in a small place like Shisanli Camp, the truth would eventually become known, and she didn't mind since there was no truth to the claims. She then questioned Youheng about why Mr. Laojin opposed his pursuit of medicine. Youheng explained that his father believed being a physician was less profitable than working in a private bank. Despite this, Youheng continued to read medical books in secret and occasionally treated villagers.
He confessed his dream of one day opening his own clinic and expressed admiration for renowned physicians like Gao Yang, He Zhixiang, and Imperial Physician Hu, though he acknowledged the difficulty of meeting them without a recommendation. Man'er encouraged him to pursue his goal and suggested he use the undisturbed cave for his studies, noting he might even find many medicinal herbs there. Youheng happily agreed, recognizing he could also help Man'er tend to her vegetables.
They sealed their agreement with a pinky swear. That evening, during dinner, Lian Man'er's mother raised concerns about Shen Nuo's abrupt departure, noting he left without a word, causing even her grandparents to inquire about him. She considered him "half a Lian family member" after his long stay. Man'er apologized for causing them worry.
Lian Shouxin, seeing his daughter's sadness over Shen Nuo's absence, comforted her by saying that in life, people would inevitably face things they couldn't understand or overcome. However, he emphasized that life must continue, just as crops grow and meals are eaten, and their wine business must go on. He urged her to always look forward. Man'er, surprised by her father's profound advice, found her smile again.
Later, Lian Shouxin tried to avoid knowing the final secret step of Man'er's wine-making process, fearing his loose tongue would lead him to reveal it to his mother if pressed. Man'er successfully distilled her first batch of wine. Her parents tasted it, and while her father noted the first fermentation might have been too short, affecting the taste, her mother found it quite delicious.
Man'er expressed confidence that she had now mastered the fermentation time, anticipating more successful batches of distilled wine. She decided to name her new creation "Brandy," despite Mr. Zhang's initial reservations about its unfamiliarity in the region. Man'er then cleverly planned her sales strategy. Recognizing that the prefectural exam was approaching, she renamed the wine "Champion Red Brandy" to capitalize on the auspicious timing. She devised a slogan, "Drink Champion Red Brandy and become the champion!"
and proposed promotional offers, such as giving a free champion cake with each purchase and offering scholarships in silver (five, two, or one tael for first, second, and third prize, respectively) to poor candidates who bought the wine and passed the exam. She also planned to offer free success porridge and side dishes. Her strategy worked, and candidates, eager for good luck, quickly bought all the wine, pushing Man'er closer to her goal of earning a thousand taels of gold.
Meanwhile, Shen Nuo successfully orchestrated the robbery for Yu Xiangjin without a single fight. His plan, described as luring the caravan into a trap, creating a distraction, and then cornering them like "fish in a barrel," earned him praise from the bandits, including Two. After the success, Shen Nuo broached the subject of retrieving his registration book. Two, however, refused, stating that this "small gift" was insufficient to fulfill Yu Xiangjin's promise.
When Two pressed him on the book's purpose, Shen Nuo vaguely replied that he merely wanted to use it "to soak the rich," avoiding a direct answer. Yu Xiangjin then invited Shen Nuo and Thirteen to stay longer to enjoy drinks and allow her lieutenants to learn from him. With the book still out of his reach, Shen Nuo and Thirteen accepted the invitation, opting to remain in the fortress and observe the situation.
That night, as Man'er joyfully held her first earnings, a gold coin, she gazed at the moon, her thoughts drifting to Shen Nuo. Separated by distance, Shen Nuo, too, found himself looking at the moon in the fortress, reflecting on Man'er as the other bandits sang and drank. He remained uncertain about the whereabouts of his registration book, resolving to "play it by ear" and wait for a new opportunity.
