Er Gou, life in the countryside is so carefree!

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window of the makeshift house. Chen Ergou got out of bed feeling refreshed and stretched. After meditating and regulating his breathing the night before after dealing with the thugs, the Dragon King's True Qi within him had not only not been depleted, but had become even more abundant and pure.

He remembered that Li Mei had been frightened last night and probably hadn't slept well, so he tiptoed out of the makeshift house. After the danger was over last night, he let Li Mei rest in the makeshift house while he made do with the night at the guard post outside the greenhouse.

As soon as he stepped out of the makeshift shed, a rich, intoxicating fragrance wafted towards him. Chen Ergou was stunned for a moment; this aroma was several times stronger than the vegetables in the greenhouse! He quickly walked into the greenhouse, and the scene before him completely astonished him.

The cucumber patch, which had been watered just yesterday, had undergone a dramatic transformation. The cucumber vines, as if by magic, were much thicker than yesterday, their leaves a glossy green, covered in glistening dewdrops. The cucumbers growing on the vines were no longer the ordinary emerald green, but possessed a translucent, emerald-like quality, with shimmering light faintly visible within them.

"Holy crap? It's evolved?" Chen Ergou casually picked one, wiped it on his clothes, and took a bite.

"Hiss—!" A burst of cool, sweet juice exploded in his mouth! The refreshing and mellow taste was more than ten times better than the Dragon King Vegetable he had tasted before. Moreover, as the fruit entered his stomach, Chen Ergou actually felt a faint trace of spiritual energy dissipating within his body, slowly nourishing his internal organs.

"Vegetables imbued with spiritual energy?!" Chen Ergou was overjoyed. He instantly understood that when he was meditating and regulating his breathing near the greenhouse last night, the Dragon King's True Qi within his body inadvertently leaked out. Coincidentally, the greenhouse was already equipped with a spirit-gathering array, and the interaction of the two had inadvertently caused these cucumbers to evolve once again!

These aren't ordinary vegetables! They're clearly rare treasures imbued with spiritual energy! Chen Ergou's eyes lit up as he looked at the trellis full of jade cucumbers: "We've struck it rich! This time we've really struck it rich!" Vegetables of this quality, let alone five times the price, even fifty times the price, would be snapped up by wealthy people who value health and quality!

Just then, the door to the makeshift house opened. Li Mei rubbed her sleepy eyes and came out, her face still showing signs of fatigue from staying up all night and being frightened. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she was attracted by the fragrance wafting from the greenhouse, and when she saw the scene inside, her big eyes widened instantly.

"Er...Er Gou...what...what's going on?!" As an agricultural expert, her worldview was once again turned upside down at this moment. How could ordinary cucumbers grow into such jade-like shapes overnight?

Chen Ergou turned around, holding up the jade cucumber with a bite taken out of it, and said to Li Mei with a smile, "Commissioner Li, it seems our greenhouse spirit-gathering array has worked wonders; this batch of cucumbers has evolved!"

Li Mei walked quickly to the cucumber trellis, carefully picked up a crystal-clear jade cucumber, her expression even more interesting than when she saw a rare variety. "This is unscientific... absolutely unscientific!" She pushed up her newly put-on black-rimmed glasses, muttering to herself, her fingers gently stroking the surface of the cucumber, feeling its delicate and warm texture.

Chen Ergou squatted on the edge of the field, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. Looking at Li Mei's earnest and adorable expression, he joked, "Science can't explain miracles either. Think about it, the soil in this greenhouse has been improved, and it's also blessed by a spirit-gathering array. It's not surprising that such a precious plant grows here."

"That's true..." Li Mei still found it unbelievable. She held the cucumber and examined it carefully. "This cucumber is too perfect in appearance. If it were tested, the nutritional content would definitely exceed expectations. Er Gou, this can't be sold by weight; it has to be priced per piece. It'll definitely be a hot commodity in the high-end market!"

Just as the two were engrossed in discussing the pricing of the jade cucumbers, a sweet, slightly teasing voice drifted in from the greenhouse entrance: "Hey, so early in the morning, our Commissioner Li is already discussing business with Er Gou?"

Chen Ergou's heart skipped a beat; the voice was all too familiar. The plastic curtain of the greenhouse was lifted, and Wang Cuihua swayed in. Today she wasn't wearing a cheongsam, but a tight-fitting red floral polyester shirt and black trousers, looking both capable and energetic. She was also carrying a bamboo basket containing several hot boiled eggs.

As soon as Wang Cuihua entered, her gaze swept over Chen Ergou before landing on Li Mei. She smiled and said, "I was passing by and saw the greenhouse lights were on, so I came to check. I heard some thugs came to cause trouble last night. Are you alright?"

"Thank you for your concern, Sister Cuihua. It's all alright now, everything's been taken care of." Chen Ergou stood up and went to greet her.

Wang Cuihua handed over the basket in her hand: "It's good that you're alright. I thought you must not have had breakfast after working so hard all morning, so I specially boiled some eggs and brought them over to help you replenish your nutrition." She then looked at Li Mei, smiled and handed her two eggs, "Commissioner Li, have one too. You look a bit pale, you must not have rested well."

Li Mei took the eggs, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said softly, "Thank you, Sister Cuihua." She had been frightened last night and hadn't slept well, so she couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed after Wang Cuihua's words.

Wang Cuihua glanced at the jade cucumber in Li Mei's hand and asked curiously, "Why does this cucumber look like this? It's so green and translucent, like jade. Is it a new variety?"

"It's a new variety, isn't it? It evolved from the cucumbers in our greenhouse. It tastes exceptionally good and even has a special charm!" Chen Ergou said with a smile, handing the cucumber in his hand to her to see.

Wang Cuihua leaned closer for a look, and her eyes lit up instantly: "Wow, this is so rare! It's so beautiful, it must be really expensive!"

Before Chen Ergou could speak, another gentle and familiar voice rang out: "Ergou, Commissioner Li, Cuihua is here too?"

Everyone turned around and saw Zhang Qiaofen walking in carrying a food box, from which a faint aroma of porridge wafted.