Romance on the Farm Episode 2 Recap
> Romance on the Farm Recap
Shen Nuo arrived, causing Lian Man'er to chide him for being late, as they had agreed on a specific time. He then dramatically presented a baby, claiming it was "their child." Lian Man'er tearfully played along, lamenting that she wouldn't see the child grow up. Shen Nuo addressed Mr. Lian, humbly admitting that he and Man'er had made a mistake but hoped the Lian family elders, known for their sensibility, would understand and grant them their blessings.
However, the matchmaker, having been promised an unmarried maiden, was dismayed to find a baby. Uncle Shouren vehemently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that Lian Man'er was pure and blaming Shen Nuo's "nonsense." Grandma Zhou also berated Lian Man'er, stressing the importance of a girl's reputation and accusing her of ruining the family's name, which would jeopardize Xiu'er's marriage prospects. Lian Hua'er questioned Man'er's pregnancy, noting Man'er hadn't shown any signs of expecting during their ancestral rites.
Lian Man'er retaliated, asking if Hua'er was so knowledgeable because she had also given birth. Enraged, Grandma Zhou began hitting Lian Man'er, but Shen Nuo quickly shielded her, offering to take the blows himself. Lian Man'er then claimed, as part of their ruse, that her family already knew about her and Shen Nuo, and were rushing to marry her off to the Sun family to protect their reputation.
The matchmaker, disgusted by the situation, demanded the return of the Sun family's 500 taels, calling her efforts a waste. Lian Man'er directly confronted Uncle Shouren, questioning if the large sum of 500 taels meant she was being sold for a widow burning, noting that 20 taels was already a very high betrothal gift in the village. Mr. Lian, overhearing this, pressed Uncle Shouren for an explanation.
Uncle Shouren admitted receiving the 500 taels from the Sun family, a renowned elite family from Qingfeng County, but insisted he had no selfish motives and acted solely for the Lian family's benefit, aiming to establish connections with the powerful Sun family, who were closely associated with the prefectural governor of Yun. Mr. Lian, however, ordered the 500 taels returned and the matchmaker dismissed, declaring that Lian Man'er would no longer marry the Sun family.
After the matchmaker departed, Shen Nuo confessed to Mr. Lian that the child was indeed borrowed from a woman to help resolve the forced marriage. He explained that his own family had been wiped out by a flood, leaving him penniless, and asked Grandma Zhou to pay the woman 50 coins as a token of gratitude.
Grandma Zhou was furious, accusing Shen Nuo of lying and ruining Lian Man'er's marriage, but Mr. Lian, wanting to avoid further scandal, insisted she pay. Reluctantly, Grandma Zhou paid the woman and sent her and her child away. Shen Nuo then earnestly told Mr. Lian that although the child was a deception, his affection for Lian Man'er was genuine.
He reiterated his tragic circumstances as the sole survivor of a flood that destroyed his family, and pleaded with Mr. Lian to allow him to stay with Lian Man'er at the Lian household. Seven chimed in, urging his grandfather to let Shen Nuo stay, lest he loiter outside the door and cause gossip among the villagers.
Mr. Lian, after a moment's consideration, dismissed Seven and told Shen Nuo he needed time to think, before curtly ordering him to "scram" and close the door. Later, Mr. Lian privately confronted Uncle Shouren about the 500 taels, directly asking if he had sold Lian Man'er for a widow burning, emphasizing the exorbitant sum.
Uncle Shouren vehemently denied it, reiterating that the Sun family had offered the money after reading Man'er's horoscope and that he simply couldn't refuse such a generous offer, insisting it was all for the Lian family's good to secure powerful connections. Mr. Lian, however, cut him short, stating that since Lian Man'er had "had an affair," any plans for her marriage were now off the table. Lian Man'er introduced Shen Nuo to her younger brother, Seven.
Soon after, Shen Nuo collapsed, having fainted again. Seven suggested finding Brother Youheng (Wang Youheng). Lian Man'er rushed Shen Nuo to Wang Youheng's clinic. Wang Youheng, who secretly studied medicine against his father's wishes, examined Shen Nuo. Shen Nuo claimed he had been poisoned by bandits while fighting them. Wang Youheng performed acupuncture to extract the poison, remarking that it had been a while since he worked on a "real person."
After the treatment, Wang Youheng privately advised Lian Man'er to be cautious of Shen Nuo. He noted that Shen Nuo's hand calluses were from wielding weapons, not farming tools, and the poison remnants were identified as "qianji poison," typically used by constables, not common bandit sedatives. Wang Youheng speculated that Shen Nuo might be a bandit or someone of suspicious origin. Lian Man'er defended Shen Nuo, suggesting he might be a wealthy young master who merely practiced martial arts.
She admitted she couldn't immediately turn him away after he had helped her, but she was confident that Grandma Zhou would eventually drive him out. Lian Man'er's mother, Aunt Zhang, informed Shen Nuo that Mr. Lian had not only agreed to let him stay but was even considering having him marry into the family.
To avoid this marriage, Shen Nuo proposed to Aunt Zhang that he pretend to be her distant nephew, explaining that the earlier public display was a desperate measure. Aunt Zhang agreed to the deception and promised to inform her family, though she expressed concern about Grandma Zhou's reaction once she learned Shen Nuo was merely a distant nephew, not Man'er's lover.
Lian Man'er, having previously believed her grandmother would eventually expel Shen Nuo from the household, especially after he had caused her to spend money and had angered her, was astonished upon returning home to find Shen Nuo successfully charming Grandma Zhou, who was happily making desserts for him. He showered her with compliments, praising her cooking as superior to palace food and commending her for single-handedly managing the sprawling Lian household despite its many challenges.
Grandma Zhou, flattered, confided in him about her four decades of hardship as a daughter-in-law. Lian Man'er observed that while Shen Nuo's "tricks" worked on her grandmother, her grandfather would surely not be fooled. Yet, Shen Nuo soon managed to win over Mr. Lian as well, skillfully praising his rags-to-riches story. Later, Lian Man'er encountered Lian Hua'er, who taunted her, suggesting Man'er had provided a lead to the Sun family.
Lian Man'er retorted that Hua'er was a "pure white lotus" and accused her of being a pawn, leading to a physical altercation between them, with their mothers also getting involved. Enraged by the fight, Lian Hua'er then revealed to her parents that they had been deceived: Shen Nuo was not Lian Man'er's lover but Aunt Zhang's distant nephew, brought in to thwart Man'er's engagement.
Lian Hua'er's mother, Aunt Gu, also disclosed to Hua'er that Grandma Zhou had extracted a valuable dowry hairpin from Aunt Zhang in exchange for letting Shen Nuo stay. Housekeeper Sun learned that Lian Man'er's previous public display was a ruse to avoid marriage and that she was, in fact, still a virgin.
He sought out Aunt Gu, Uncle Shouren's wife, stating that since Lian Man'er couldn't be married off, Lian Hua'er, as Uncle Shouren's biological daughter, should take her place for the widow burning. Aunt Gu quickly clarified that Lian Man'er had never had an affair and had merely orchestrated a theatrical performance with a borrowed child. She even offered to have a midwife verify Lian Man'er's virginity.
Aunt Gu warned Housekeeper Sun that Lian Man'er was still unwilling to marry and was prone to trouble. Housekeeper Sun then instructed Aunt Gu to keep the Lian family stable, assuring her he had a plan to secure Lian Man'er. Meanwhile, Lian Man'er arranged for Shen Nuo to move into the family woodshed, charging him 100 coins per day in rent.
When Shen Nuo claimed to be penniless, Lian Man'er started a running tally of his debt, and later, when he tried to avoid doing chores, she criticized him for only being good at charming old ladies and not helping.
With her brother Seven, Lian Man'er visited the market, hoping to find a path to wealth, perhaps in the food business, but was disappointed to find that the "getting rich" strategies from her novels, like selling pig offals, weren't as simple or cheap in reality. They then went to Wang Youheng's clinic. Lian Man'er consulted him about wild herbs that could be sold to the clinic.
Wang Youheng informed her that the clinic regularly purchased firethorn from the mountains, though at a modest price of five coins per half-kilogram. Seeing an opportunity, Lian Man'er decided to go collect firethorn, and Wang Youheng insisted on accompanying her due to recent rumors of bandits in the mountains. As Lian Man'er and Wang Youheng collected firethorn, they were ambushed by Sun family members. The captors identified Lian Man'er and intended to seize her.
Lian Man'er feigned surrender while subtly instructing Wang Youheng not to resist. However, Wang Youheng cleverly used a patch of thorny vines to inflict intense itchiness and rashes on their pursuers, causing them to retreat temporarily. He later produced an antidote, explaining that he had picked it when they passed by the plants earlier. Lian Man'er realized that the Sun family was determined to have her, and would not give up easily.
Meanwhile, in town, Shen Nuo was covertly investigating and discovered that his colleague, Thirteen, was being held captive. He decided to withdraw temporarily to devise a plan to rescue Thirteen without exposing himself. Later that night, the Sun family successfully abducted Lian Man'er. She awoke to find herself at a widow-burning site, dressed in a wedding gown and tied to a pillar.
Sun Changsheng, Sun Li's father, appeared, coldly stating his intention for Lian Man'er to be a sacrificial offering for his deceased son. Lian Man'er tried desperately to reason with him, arguing that such superstitions were harmful and would only bring him more sin without benefiting his son. Sun Changsheng, however, was unmoved, merely stating that he would commit to vegetarianism and prayers for his son after she was gone.
Lian Man'er tried to clarify her point, but Sun Changsheng's attendants urged him to proceed as time was running out. In a final desperate plea, Lian Man'er requested to take some silver with her to the afterlife, ostensibly to care for his son there. Sun Changsheng surprisingly granted her wish. As the Sun family began to light the pyre, Lian Man'er cried out for help, and Shen Nuo arrived at the scene.
