Romance on the Farm Episode 5 Recap
> Romance on the Farm Recap
During a lively group dance, Shen Nuo warned someone not to harm Lian Man'er, vowing to prevent any harm from coming to her. Meanwhile, villagers openly mocked Lian Xiu'er for her supposed high standards for marriage, pointing out her frequent visits to town in search of men. They even revealed that Young Master Li of Tongfu Inn had been pestered by Xiu'er, who waited outside his home only to be ignored.
The villagers harshly criticized Xiu'er for being outwardly noble but inwardly low, contrasting her with Lian Man'er, who, despite Xiu'er's perceived accusations of shamelessness, attracted many admirers and was considered beautiful and charming. Infuriated, Xiu'er stormed off, stumbling and falling. When Lian Man'er offered help, Xiu'er angrily rejected her assistance, telling her to stay away. Later that night, Grandma Zhou led the Lian family women in a traditional moon ritual, seeking blessings under the bright moon.
Afterward, fruits from the offering were distributed to the children. Away from the ritual, Man'er and Shen Nuo were working in the fields, gathering fruits. Man'er playfully chided Shen Nuo for eating so much without contributing, urging him to carry more. As they worked, Man'er nearly stumbled, and Shen Nuo quickly steadied her, leading to a moment of mutual affection. Wang Youheng arrived, but seeing the two together, he silently turned and left.
Back home, Xiu'er bitterly complained about Lian Man'er's popularity at the group dance, accusing Man'er of mocking her and vowing to teach her a lesson. Lian Hua'er, overhearing this, subtly confirmed to Xiu'er that Man'er had been secretly earning money, further fueling Xiu'er's anger. Armed with this information, Xiu'er promptly reported Man'er's hidden earnings to Grandma Zhou. Enraged, Grandma Zhou stormed into Man'er's family's living quarters and forcibly confiscated all the money Man'er had earned.
Man'er fiercely resisted, declaring that she would rather split from the family than surrender a single penny of her hard-earned money. Grandma Zhou responded with fury, accusing Man'er of being unfilial and dramatically threatening to die along with her grandpa if Man'er insisted on splitting the family. Man'er's parents intervened, trying to calm Grandma Zhou and protect their daughter, urging Man'er to show respect.
Man'er attempted to reclaim her money pouch, physically struggling with Xiu'er, while her parents tried to de-escalate the conflict. Grandma Zhou vehemently declared that Man'er made their lives unbearable, while Man'er accused Grandma of acting like a robber. Her father, however, stated that it was customary for family money to be managed by the matriarch. Later, Man'er questioned her younger brother, Seven, who revealed that Xiu'er had informed Grandma Zhou about the hidden money.
Convinced that Xiu'er, lacking such cunning, was merely a pawn, Man'er, armed with a stick, confronted Lian Hua'er. Despite Hua'er's feigned innocence and attempts to call for help, Man'er assertively stated that she would accept defeat this time but warned Hua'er against any future malicious schemes. Man'er directly accused Hua'er of being the true mastermind, pointing out that only Hua'er possessed the wit to concoct such a plan and manipulate Xiu'er into tattling to Grandma.
Man'er lamented that her honest and filial father would not protect her, given Grandma's greed and Xiu'er's naivety. She cynically praised Hua'er's manipulative skills, suggesting they would serve her well if she were to marry into the powerful Song family. Hua'er continued to deny any involvement, claiming Grandma's paranoia led her to instruct Xiu'er to spy on Man'er. Man'er, however, saw through the deception, realizing Hua'er's carefully chosen words had inadvertently confirmed her guilt.
Man'er later confided in Shen Nuo about the money being confiscated, expressing her frustration that her father seemed to see no issue with it. Shen Nuo, acknowledging his position as an outsider, advised Man'er to consider it a valuable lesson learned at a small cost, suggesting it was better to lose a little now than a lot later. Man'er, finding wisdom in his words, resolved that the only long-term solution was to split from the family.
She explained to Shen Nuo that her parents, though not foolish, were too soft-hearted and emotional, often blinded by family ties, failing to see the lack of genuine affection in some family members. Shen Nuo, while acknowledging her reasoning, cautioned her that both her grandparents and parents would likely oppose such a move. Man'er, undeterred, insisted on it, but Shen Nuo declined to interfere in their family matters, advising her to rest.
As the autumn harvest began, Shen Nuo joined the Lian family in the fields. Man'er quickly noticed his unfamiliarity with manual labor, particularly harvesting rice. She patiently taught him how to properly cut the stalks, reminding him not to slack off under the watchful eyes of the family. Lian Shouren, the eldest son and a scholar, despite initially participating, soon feigned a sprained ankle to avoid work.
Lian Fang, the patriarch, concerned for his "scholar" son, permitted him to rest and return home early. Seeing this, Lian Shouyi, the second son, also attempted to fake an injury, but Lian Fang immediately saw through his pretense, scolding him as lazy and gluttonous, and reminding him of his gambling debts. Forced to continue working, Shouyi reluctantly complied.
Shortly after, Aunt He, Lian Shouyi's wife, feigned stomach pain and also went home to avoid labor, eliciting only a frustrated comment from Lian Fang. Later, as Man'er carried bundles of harvested rice back home, she spotted Xiu'er idly enjoying sunflower seeds. Displeased by Xiu'er's laziness, Man'er deliberately provoked her with a sarcastic remark.
Although Lian Hua'er initially tried to diffuse the tension, she later approached Xiu'er, subtly instigating her against Man'er, reminding her of past grievances and suggesting that Man'er disrespected her. Hua'er advised Xiu'er that her gentle nature made her vulnerable and that she needed to take a stand. Xiu'er, however, hesitated to take drastic action, fearing her father's wrath if she were to openly escalate the conflict with Man'er, acknowledging they were still family.
When Lian Fang sent Man'er home to fetch water, Man'er stumbled upon Xiu'er and Grandma Zhou secretly eating meat pies. Man'er, observing the savory treats, commented on the family's seemingly lavish meal. Grandma Zhou retorted that the pies were only for Xiu'er and Lian Shouren, claiming Man'er was not deserving of such food. She specifically mentioned Shouren's "sprained ankle" as the reason for the special meal and warned Man'er to keep the matter a secret at the fields.
Man'er, feigning intense craving and inability to keep secrets, managed to get a meat pie from Lian Hua'er, who, fearing exposure, begrudgingly gave it to her while sternly warning her against revealing the secret, even threatening physical harm if she did. Man'er swore a dramatic oath, invoking curses upon herself if she were to betray their trust. Upon returning to the fields, Lian Fang noticed the meat pie Man'er carried.
Pressured by her grandfather to reveal its origin, Man'er dramatically recounted how Grandma, Hua'er, and Xiu'er had secretly baked and consumed a pot of meat pies, denying her any share until Hua'er, fearing exposure, gave her one. Man'er then presented the pie to Lian Fang, expressing her inability to eat it herself due to the unfairness. She questioned why the family wasn't sharing their blessings and if they had already split up.
Enraged by the blatant favoritism and secrecy, Lian Fang declared that everyone would eat meat pies for dinner that night, and personally went back to deliver the message to Grandma Zhou. That evening, as the family ate the meat pies, Lian Fang's lingering anger over the secret consumption was evident. Aunt He sarcastically thanked Man'er for the pies, but Man'er quickly corrected her, attributing the pies to Lian Fang's intervention.
Grandma Zhou, visibly annoyed by the expense, complained about the cost of the ingredients and accused Lian Fang of being a spendthrift, despite her own efforts in preparing the meal. She and Xiu'er then lashed out at Man'er, accusing her of being a "brat" who broke her promise and sowed discord, even questioning if she had "fed her heart to the dogs."
When Man'er retorted that she hadn't eaten the pie herself, Xiu'er venomously cursed her to be struck by lightning or run over by a carriage. Lian Fang, witnessing Xiu'er's harsh words towards her niece, became furious. He condemned Xiu'er's viciousness and attempted to physically punish her, but Grandma Zhou intervened, pulling Xiu'er away and telling her to go back to her room.
Later, as officials arrived in Shisanli Camp investigating mountain bandits, Shen Nuo was stopped and questioned on his way home. He identified himself as being from Shen Village in Qingshan County, having moved south to stay with his aunt after a flood at the beginning of the year. When asked for a travel permit, Shen Nuo explained that the natural disaster had left officials fleeing, making such documents unobtainable.
Lizheng, the village head, vouched for Shen Nuo's residency with the Lian family. However, the official noted Shen Nuo's resemblance to a wanted person and his lack of official documents, expressing concerns about letting a potential culprit go. To verify Shen Nuo's identity, Lizheng called upon Wang Youheng, who had been seen conversing with Shen Nuo during the group dance, asking him to confirm if Shen Nuo was indeed the Lian family's nephew.
