Episode 3 recap: Shen Nuo rescued Lian Man Er from the fire.
In the evening, Lian Man Er was taken away from her home and dressed in bridal attire, being taken by the Sun family for questioning. In reality, this was all planned by Lian Man Er and Shen Nuo. Lian Man Er believed that the Sun family wouldn't let things go easily, so she wanted to use this method to resolve the situation once and for all.
Lian Man Er asked Shen Nuo if he had any ideas, and Shen Nuo said there was one, but it required Lian Man Er to act as bait. This way, even the people in the Sun family would know that Lian Man Er was going to be sacrificed, and they wouldn't force her to marry anyone. If the officials saw Sun Laoye ordering someone to be sacrificed, they couldn't turn a blind eye to the abuse of power.
Shen Nuo rushed over, and Sun Laoye disregarded everything and ordered someone to set fire. Lian Man Er screamed and asked why the officials hadn't arrived yet. It turned out that Wang You Heng had gone to find the officials, but they didn't believe it because they thought Sun Laoye was a benevolent person and couldn't possibly do such a thing. They refused to send anyone over.
Lian Man Er's second uncle and aunt were watching from the side, feeling helpless. They rushed down and fought with them. Wang You Heng arrived with the officials, and Sun Laoye and the others were frightened. Shen Nuo took the opportunity to rescue Lian Man Er.
Lian Man Er thought that now that the officials had arrived, everything would be fine. However, Shen Nuo noticed something was wrong with these people; they weren't really officials. Sun Laoye and the others also realized something was off. One of the constables was a beggar, and they had seen him begging before. Wang You Heng and the others realized they had been discovered and quickly fled.
Lian Man Er's parents discovered that Lian Man Er was missing and searched everywhere but couldn't find her, causing great worry. Lian Man Er and the others returned, and Lian Man Er's aunt said that she had almost been burned to death. It was truly a real sacrificial act.
Lian Man Er's mother knelt down and said that Lian Man Er was her only daughter. If Lian Man Er died, she wouldn't want to live anymore. She hoped that Lian Man Er's grandfather could make a decision. Lian Man Er's grandfather said he would definitely hold the eldest accountable for them.
Lian Man Er thought that everything should be fine now, but Shen Nuo mentioned that the Sun family hadn't been captured by the officials yet, so the matter wasn't completely resolved. They might still try to eliminate the problem entirely. However, Shen Nuo didn't have a solution at the moment and could only take it step by step. Lian Man Er's mother thought that Lian Man Er had gone missing again and was extremely worried, but she felt relieved when she saw Lian Man Er holding onto her tightly.
Lian Man Er's mother admitted that she had been too lenient and accommodating, which led to the current situation. She promised to protect them well in the future. The next day, Lian Man Er's uncle and aunt hurried back and informed them that Lian Hua Er had been kidnapped by the Sun family. They hoped that they could go and rescue her. Lian Man Er's aunt pleaded with Lian Man Er, but Lian Man Er explained that she no longer considered herself a living person in their plan. She couldn't help them as a dead person.
Lian Man Er approached Shen Nuo, wanting to save Lian Hua Er, as it was still a life at stake. Shen Nuo was unwilling to help, and when Lian Man Er's aunt and uncle heard about the rescue mission, they quickly fled. Lian Man Er noticed that the ancestral hall was being cleaned for the Mid-Autumn Festival rituals, so she went inside and took away the ancestral tablet.
The villagers chased after Lian Man Er, wanting to retrieve the ancestral tablet. Shen Nuo stole the village magistrate's horse and arrived, taking Lian Man Er with him. Sun Laoye intended to have Lian Hua Er sacrificed, and all the people from Shi San Liyingzi had gathered there. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Sun Laoye couldn't deny his intentions.
The village magistrate stated that there were reasons behind this incident, so Lian Man Er wouldn't be blamed. However, they were not allowed to touch the ancestral tablet again. The next day, the matchmaker demanded that the Lian family return the five hundred taels of silver, or else she would expose their plan to sell their daughter for sacrifice, questioning how the Lian family could continue their official positions. Lian Man Er's uncle went to seek help from Lian Man Er's grandfather. They had already spent the five hundred taels because they accidentally broke Lian Hua Er's betrothal jade pendant, and buying a new one would cost five hundred taels.
Lian Man Er is truly pitiful. Her biological parents neglect her, and the people in her virtual family are shameless. In the original work, she even dies because her boyfriend cheats on her. However, thankfully, Lian Man Er now has loving parents who protect her, her younger brother Youheng who doesn't want to see her get hurt, and her friends.
And she has also encountered the male lead. So, I still believe that she will overcome those difficulties and achieve the life she desires.