Er Gou, life in the countryside is so carefree!

Liu Dahu was a local tyrant in Liujia Village, a neighboring village.

This guy was burly and had a fierce look on his face. He had worked on construction sites in other places in his younger years and made some money. He returned to the village and contracted a lot of land to grow vegetables. Relying on large agricultural machinery and his willingness to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, he did quite well and was a well-known "grower" in several nearby villages.

Previously, Liu Dahu was the most successful.

But ever since Chen Ergou rose to prominence, growing vegetables that were both delicious and expensive, stealing a large portion of Liu Dahu's business, Liu Dahu has been seething with resentment.

This time, I instigated Blind Chen to cause trouble, just to annoy Chen Ergou and disgust him.

I didn't expect Chen Ergou to see through it so quickly.

Feeling he was losing face, Liu Dahu decided to take a hard line.

A few days later, he personally drove the brand-new tractor, leading seven or eight strong laborers from his clan, and arrived at Xiushui Village in a menacing manner, blocking the entrance to Chen Ergou's greenhouse.

"Chen Ergou! Get out here right now!" Liu Dahu jumped off the tractor, hands on his hips, and roared.

Chen Ergou was instructing the workers on thinning seedlings in the shed when he heard the noise. He slowly walked out, followed by Zhang Qiaofen, Wang Cuihua, and others. Lin Yuqing also rushed over upon hearing the news and stood aside, watching coldly.

"Hey, who do we have here with such a loud voice? Oh, it's Boss Liu. What brings you to this poor place?" Chen Ergou said lazily, picking at his ear.

Liu Dahu was even more furious when he saw Chen Ergou's nonchalant attitude.

"Chen Ergou, stop playing dumb with me! You stole my business and bullied the people in our village. How are we going to settle this score?"

Chen Ergou laughed: "Boss Liu, that's not right. In the market, everyone has to rely on their own abilities. If your vegetables aren't selling, that's your own problem, how can you blame me? As for Blind Chen, he admitted to being instructed by you, I didn't force him."

Liu Dahu, his face flushed red with embarrassment, retorted angrily, "Fine! You want to fight based on skill, huh? Then let's have a real fight!"

"Compare? Compare what?" Chen Ergou became interested.

"Let's have a farming competition!" Liu Dahu pointed to a large expanse of wasteland next to them. "We'll each rent ten acres, the same seeds, the same starting point, one month! Let's see who grows the best vegetables and has the highest yield! The loser will be kicked out of the farming business! Are you in?

Upon hearing this, the villagers were all worried for Chen Ergou.

Liu Dahu has large agricultural machinery, experience, and is willing to invest heavily. This competition is unfair!

Zhang Qiaofen nervously grabbed Chen Ergou's arm.

Chen Ergou, however, didn't care at all. He stroked his chin, his eyes darting around, and said, "It's no fun just getting out of this line of work. How about we add some stakes?"

"What kind of prize?" Liu Dahu asked, his eyes wide.

Chen Ergou chuckled, revealing two rows of white teeth: "The loser not only has to withdraw, but also has to be the winner's laborer for three years! Running errands for you, serving you tea and water, obeying your every command! How about it? Boss Liu, dare to play?"

That's a really harsh condition!

Being a farmhand for three years is practically trampling your dignity underfoot!

Liu Dahu was caught off guard. If he backed down in front of so many people, he would never be able to hold his head high again!

He gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve: "Fine! Chen Ergou, you asked for this! It's settled then! Sign and put your fingerprint on it! Anyone who goes back on their word is a coward!"

"Okay!" Chen Ergou readily agreed.

The two signed a written agreement on the spot and pressed their fingerprints on it.

The game officially begins!

Relying on his wealth and power, Liu Dahu immediately hired a large tractor to plow the ten acres of land, then spread a thick layer of fertilizer, and sprayed herbicide and insecticide, as if he wanted to squeeze all the fertilizer out of the land at once.

He glanced at Chen Ergou, who was still using oxen to plow the fields and manually weeding, and sneered, "Country bumpkin! What era are we living in? Still doing this stuff? Just wait to become my farmhand!"

Chen Ergou ignored his mockery and continued at his own pace.

On the surface, he was doing normal farming, but secretly, every night he would go to the fields to use the "soil-nurturing technique" from the "Dragon King's Secret".

This "soil-nurturing technique" does not directly induce crop growth, but rather regulates the land itself, stimulates soil activity, and makes it fertile and vibrant, forming a virtuous cycle of a micro-ecosystem.

Looking at the rapidly growing but overly glossy green seedlings in Liu Dahu's field, Li Mei said worriedly to Chen Ergou, "He used too much chemical fertilizer and growth hormones. They grow fast in the early stages, but problems easily arise later, and they damage the soil a lot. Can we... compete with that?"

Chen Ergou smiled mysteriously: "Advisor Li, don't be in a hurry. Let him be smug for ten days. After ten days, we'll see."

Sure enough, in the first ten days, the vegetables in Liu Dahu's field seemed to have been given a stimulant, growing rapidly and turning into a lush, green expanse that looked very appealing.

The vegetables in Chen Ergou's field were growing steadily, but they looked to be of average quality.

Liu Dahu strolled around his land every day with his hands behind his back, smug and proud, already plotting how to boss around Chen Ergou, his "long-term worker".

However, after ten days, the situation began to reverse!

The vegetables in Liu Dahu's field were damaged by excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The soil began to compact, the root system was underdeveloped, and pesticide residues caused the leaves to gradually turn yellow and the growth to slow down significantly. There were even signs of pests and diseases.

Meanwhile, the vegetables in Chen Ergou's field seemed to have a strong late-blooming effect, growing more and more vigorously, with thick, glossy leaves and sturdy stems, radiating a healthy glow in the sunlight! Most importantly, the soil was loose, fertile, and full of life!

The difference is immediately apparent!

Liu Dahu was dumbfounded and as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He frantically increased the amount of fertilizer and pesticides used, but this only exacerbated the soil degradation.

Seeing that he was about to lose the game, Liu Dahu became increasingly reckless.

One night, he sent two of his trusted men to sneak into Chen Ergou's field, intending to destroy the seedlings with herbicide!

The two had barely set foot on the ground and hadn't even had a chance to make a move when Lin Yuqing and her men, who were lying in ambush, caught them red-handed!

It turned out that Chen Ergou had anticipated Liu Dahu's underhanded tactics and had asked Lin Yuqing to keep watch for him beforehand.

The perpetrator was caught red-handed!

Chen Ergou stood by his thriving vegetable garden, looking at Liu Dahu's messy field across the way, a victorious smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Fight him? Hmph! With the Dragon King's Manual in hand, farming? He's the ancestor!