Romance on the Farm Episode 16 Recap
> Romance on the Farm Recap
Ye'er was busy grinding tofu late into the evening when Thirteen arrived, offering to help and bringing her some snacks. Ye'er, touched by his thoughtfulness, mistakenly believed he harbored special feelings for her. She secretly embroidered a sachet, intending to give it to him. The next day, she shyly approached him with the sachet. However, Thirteen, misinterpreting her gesture, thought she was in need of money and readily offered her some. Soon after, Man'er joined them.
Man'er pointed out that Thirteen was also kindly feeding pigs with honey. It was then that Ye'er realized Thirteen was genuinely kind to everyone, not just to her. Man'er then suggested that Ye'er could use the leftover honeycomb to make lipstick, even explaining the process of melting, squeezing, and adding color. She proposed they collaborate: Thirteen would help gather honey, Ye'er would make the lipstick in Man'er's courtyard, and Man'er would handle the sales.
Ye'er initially hesitated, citing her many household chores and the likely disapproval of her parents and grandmother. But with Thirteen's encouragement, who assured her of her capabilities, Ye'er eventually agreed to try once her current tasks were complete. With the help of the Black Tiger Fortress, Man'er's distilled grape wine business flourished, yielding significant profits. She promptly repaid the loan to Wang Youheng, who initially tried to decline, suggesting she keep the money for her nascent business.
Man'er insisted, however, assuring him of her continued ability to earn. She also set aside a portion of the profits for Seven's birthday and planned to use the rest to purchase a store. Wang Youheng inquired if his father, Mr. Laojin, had asked about him, and Man'er reassured him that she had arranged everything to make it seem as though he was away collecting debts.
Shen Nuo observed that the Black Tiger Fortress's large-scale production of brandy had surprisingly benefited Man'er's business more than Man'er had initially intended to help them. Chaos erupted when a man accused Lian Shouyi of selling fake, poisonous wine that had gravely sickened his brother. Shouyi vehemently denied it, claiming he had only added some water. Man'er quickly realized that Shouyi had stolen her wine and diluted it.
Wang Youheng, examining the ailing man, declared that his condition was a chronic illness and not caused by alcohol. Despite this, the man's family, enraged, accused Wang Youheng of being a quack. Tragically, the patient died, leading the family to brand Wang Youheng a murderer. Shouyi, too, was implicated for selling the adulterated wine. The following day, the grieving family demanded three hundred taels in compensation for their loss, an amount the Lian family could not afford.
In a desperate and shocking move, Lian Shouyi offered to sell Ye'er to settle the debt, describing her as skinny but promising she would fatten up once fed delicacies. He offered her for twenty taels. Ye'er was horrified and defied the attempt to sell her, grabbing an axe and refusing to be sold. Just then, Thirteen arrived, intervening by citing the severe laws against trafficking commoners and family members. With the law on his side, Thirteen successfully halted the sale.
The patient's family, seeing Shouyi's willingness to sell his own daughter, agreed to simply have him arrested for selling the fake wine. Shouyi was then taken into custody, leaving Aunt He distraught and pleading with Shouren for help. Shen Nuo later found Man'er tending to vegetables in a hot spring cave. He offered his assistance, but Man'er playfully refused, explaining that when she previously had him work alongside her, she was unaware of his distinguished identity.
Shen Nuo then confessed that after their recent separation, he realized nothing was more important to him than her. Man'er shared her distress over Shouyi's attempt to sell Ye'er and his subsequent arrest, but admitted her primary concern was Wang Youheng's emotional state after his first experience with a patient dying under his care. Shen Nuo tried to reassure her, suggesting that while Wang Youheng appeared gentle, he was internally resolute and this ordeal might ultimately strengthen him.
Man'er, however, worried that Wang Youheng's deep commitment to medicine would lead him to severe self-blame, especially after a death occurred under his watch. Meanwhile, Mr. Laojin informed his son, Wang Youheng, that the coroner's report confirmed the deceased suffered from severe chest pain and that Wang Youheng's treatment had been medically sound.
Mr. Laojin reiterated his long-held desire for his son to abandon medicine and instead join him in collecting interest, believing this incident should serve as a harsh lesson about the difficulties of being a doctor. Despite his father's words, Wang Youheng remained plagued by guilt, convinced that another doctor might have saved the patient. Aunt He, desperate to save Shouyi, tearfully begged Shouren for help. Shouren acknowledged his connections but stated that bribing officials would require money.
He also criticized Shouyi for watering down the wine. Feeling abandoned by everyone, Aunt He took matters into her own hands and attempted to steal Man'er's money. Man'er caught her in the act. Man'er's mother urged Man'er to forgive Aunt He, explaining her desperation was due to Shouren's implication that money was the key to Shouyi's release.
Although Man'er was furious about her hard-earned money being stolen, particularly the funds intended for buying a store and raw materials, she noticed that Aunt He had left the money set aside for Seven's birthday. Seeing this small act of consideration, Man'er, despite her anger, decided not to pursue the stolen funds. Later, Aunt He, accompanied by Ye'er, came to Man'er's house to apologize. Aunt He offered to bear any punishment, admitting she had stolen the money.
Man'er acknowledged Aunt He's distress but stated that punishment wouldn't recover the funds. Instead, understanding the second family's difficult situation and pitying Ye'er's unloved and overworked existence, Man'er proposed a solution. Since they had already intended to sell Ye'er, Man'er offered to "buy" her. Man'er clarified that Ye'er would continue to live in the east wing with her family, but all her work, until her marriage, would be exclusively for Man'er's family, thus clearing the debt.
She also requested Aunt He to convey this arrangement to Grandma. While Man'er's parents expressed concern that this arrangement might estrange Ye'er from her mother, Ye'er herself was heartbroken, feeling abandoned and redundant. Thirteen found a dejected Ye'er crying alone by the river. He shared a personal anecdote about his demanding martial arts training, where he learned to distract himself from hardship by counting fish in the river.
He gently advised her to cultivate a positive mindset, to not dwell on life's difficulties, and to disregard others' opinions, stressing that life is too short not to live for oneself. Man'er later explained to Shen Nuo that she pitied Ye'er for being born into a family where she felt unloved and burdened with endless chores. Man'er saw this as a crucial opportunity for Ye'er to break free from her difficult life.
Shen Nuo then shared a parable about a small foal that fell into a dry well and, despite attempts by others to bury it, managed to climb out by stepping on the added dirt. He revealed that this story mirrored his own life, having been born illegitimately into a prominent family, pushed into difficulty by his siblings, and ignored by his parents.
He explained how he had independently overcome these obstacles, earning his place in the academy and becoming a prince's study partner. Shen Nuo concluded that ultimately, no one can truly save another; each person must forge their own path. As Shen Nuo seemed poised to express deeper feelings for her, Man'er subtly diverted the conversation, mentioning her current need to secure funds for buying a store, to which Shen Nuo immediately offered his assistance.
