Episode 2 recap: Shen Nuo successfully stayed with the Lian family.
Shen Nuo felt that this was a perfect opportunity for him to assume a new identity and secretly search for Shi San. After Lian Man Er returned home, she pretended to be sick. The next day, when the matchmaker came, Lian Man Er said that she might die on the way and wouldn't be able to see everyone again.
The matchmaker was also frustrated, as she didn't expect someone who seemed fine to be so seriously ill. Lian Man Er's grandfather was hesitant about whether or not Lian Man Er should get married. Lian Man Er's uncle believed that under such circumstances, it was even more important for Lian Man Er to get married to the Sun family, who were wealthy. They could afford good doctors for Lian Man Er's illness, whereas if she stayed here, she might actually die from her sickness.
Lian Man Er's grandfather found the argument reasonable and agreed to let Lian Man Er get married to the Sun family. Shen Nuo brought a child with him, claiming that it was his and Lian Man Er's child. A few years ago, when they fled their village due to a disaster, they encountered Shen Nuo along the way, and the two of them fell in love. They often met secretly, and Shen Nuo accidentally impregnated Lian Man Er.
Lian Hua Er found it impossible to believe. When they returned recently, Shen Nuo didn't look pregnant at all, so how could she have given birth so quickly? The matchmaker was furious, as she didn't expect a well-behaved young lady to turn out to be someone who had already given birth. The matchmaker said that if the marriage couldn't proceed, Lian Man Er's uncle had to return the 500 taels of silver they received as a betrothal gift.
Lian Man Er's grandfather was also surprised since the usual betrothal gift was only 20 taels, so how could it cost 500 taels to marry Lian Man Er? Lian Man Er explained that the Sun family required human sacrifices for burial rituals. Lian Man Er's uncle quickly denied it, but Lian Man Er's grandfather started to believe it.
Lian Man Er's grandfather made a decision and instructed Lian Man Er's uncle to return the money. The marriage was called off. Shen Nuo returned the borrowed child to the neighbor, explaining that they had no choice but to do what they did. He had to give the neighbor fifty wen as compensation, but he had no money, so he had to ask Lian Man Er's grandmother for it.
Lian Man Er's grandmother was unwilling to give the money, but Lian Man Er's grandfather insisted that she should. Reluctantly, Lian Man Er's grandmother gave the money.
Lian Man Er went to thank Shen Nuo but unexpectedly, Shen Nuo suddenly fainted. Xiao Qi told Lian Man Er that they could seek help from Wang You Heng. Lian Man Er invited Wang You Heng over, and he examined Shen Nuo, performing acupuncture on him.
Wang You Heng asked Shen Nuo why he was poisoned, and Shen Nuo explained that he encountered bandits on the road and was injured by them. Wang You Heng called Lian Man Er aside and told her that Shen Nuo was poisoned with a commonly used Qianji toxin by law enforcement officers. Since Shen Nuo's background was unclear, Wang You Heng advised Lian Man Er not to keep Shen Nuo in the house.
Lian Man Er felt conflicted because Shen Nuo had just helped her, and she didn't think it was right to drive him away. She knew her grandmother wouldn't want Shen Nuo to stay either. However, when Lian Man Er returned home, she found Shen Nuo charming her grandmother, who even served him meat.
Lian Man Er thought her grandfather wouldn't act this way, but surprisingly, Shen Nuo also won her grandfather's favor. Lian Man Er's mother came to thank Shen Nuo, and he explained that he had no choice earlier and now it would be better to say he was a distant relative of Lian Man Er's mother.
Lian Man Er's mother gave her grandmother a hairpin as a dowry, and her grandmother agreed to let Shen Nuo stay. Lian Man Er wanted to earn money and thought about the pig's trotters, which were frequently mentioned in novels as a means of making money. However, she realized that now everyone was eating pig's trotters, so that method wouldn't work. Lian Man Er went to find Wang You Heng and asked him about the herbs they collected in this area.
Wang You Heng mentioned a type of herb, but its price was low, only five wen per kilogram. Lian Man Er believed that even mosquitoes were meat, so she wanted to go to the mountains to gather herbs. Wang You Heng offered to accompany her. When Lian Man Er's aunt learned that Shen Nuo had deceived Lian Man Er and came over to the Sun family, they sent people to capture Lian Man Er. Lian Man Er threw prepared ginger water at them, and Wang You Heng took the opportunity to pull Lian Man Er away, and they quickly fled.
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