Er Gou, life in the countryside is so carefree!

The night was like a thick black velvet cloth, completely covering Xiushui Village.

Outside the greenhouse, crickets chirped loudly in the fields, making the greenhouse seem even quieter.

Inside the makeshift house, the dim light bulb cast a soft glow, stretching the shadows of the three people long.

Li Mei was recording monitoring data on her laptop, Chen Ergou was tidying up farm tools, and Zhou Caixia was pacing back and forth in the room, observing the growth of the crops in the greenhouse.

"We've been working late into the night, everyone should take a break."

Zhou Caixia turned and walked out. Not long after, she took a cardboard box from the trunk of the BMW X5 and, as if by magic, produced a bottle of red wine, a package of vacuum-packed braised beef, and several wine glasses.

"I always keep some food in my car, which will be perfect for everyone to have a bite to eat and relieve their fatigue."

The city-dwelling female boss is so meticulous; even in this muddy shed, she still tries to make sure everyone eats comfortably. On the simple little round table, the red wine quickly decanted, its rich aroma mingling with the fragrance of braised beef, dispelling the fatigue of the late night.

"President Zhou certainly knows how to enjoy life, even drinking red wine in this greenhouse." Li Mei put down her work, sat on a stool, and took the wine glass. Her tone was slightly teasing, without her usual stiffness.

"No matter how busy you are, you have to know how to relax." Zhou Caixia poured herself half a glass of wine, gently swirled the glass, and looked at Chen Ergou and Li Mei. "You two have worked hard these past few days, especially Commissioner Li, who has been working in the greenhouse every day, even more so than I, the investor. This wine is my way of thanking you on behalf of the company."

Chen Ergou sat between the two, picked up a piece of beef, stuffed it into his mouth, and grinned, "What are you thanking me for? It's all for our greenhouse project. Come on, let's drink! No matter where we drink, it tastes best when we're with family!"

"Cheers!" The three raised their glasses and clinked them lightly, the crisp sound echoing in the room. Zhou Caixia drank half a glass heartily, her cheeks instantly flushing red; Li Mei also took a small sip, the spicy liquor sliding down her throat, dispelling the chill of the late night, and her previously tense expression relaxed considerably.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere in the room became increasingly relaxed. Zhou Caixia talked about the latest developments in the city's agricultural product market, Li Mei occasionally added a few words about key planting techniques, and Chen Ergou interspersed his conversation with some interesting stories from the village. The three of them chatted happily.

Before they knew it, it was past midnight, and the chirping of crickets outside gradually subsided. Li Mei yawned and rubbed her sore eyes: "I have to keep an eye on the monitoring data. I probably won't be able to go back tonight. I'll just have to make do here for the night."

Zhou Caixia was also a little sleepy. She looked at the only small single bed in the room, about 1.2 meters wide, and then at the empty space on the floor. She frowned and said, "This place is too rudimentary. There's only one bed?"

"I'm usually the only one on duty here, so I'm used to making do." Chen Ergou stood up. "You two sleep on the bed, I'll just sleep on a makeshift bed on the floor outside. I'll put some dry grass on it, it won't be cold."

"That won't do!" Zhou Caixia and Li Mei spoke almost simultaneously, their voices both carrying a hint of defiance. Zhou Caixia put her hands on her hips, striking a pose reminiscent of a female boss: "I'm the investor, and I contributed to the project's success. How can I let you, the key player, be sleeping on the floor? If anyone should be sleeping on the floor, it should be me. When I started my business, I endured ten times worse hardships!"

"Mr. Zhou, you're being argumentative." Li Mei pushed up her glasses, her eyes becoming serious.

"Starting a business is tough, but that doesn't mean you can joke around with your health. The floor is damp at night, and you've been sitting in the office all year, so your back is already bad. If you catch a cold, it will affect your work. I'll sleep on the floor. I'm young and resilient. Besides, I'm a technical specialist, and project monitoring is my job. Staying up all night is what I should do!"

The two argued back and forth until their faces turned red, neither willing to give in.

Zhou Caixia thought Li Mei was too rigid: "You're such a stubborn girl. Taking care of ladies is basic courtesy. How can you make a girl sleep on the floor?"

Li Mei retorted that Zhou Caixia was being too delicate: "President Zhou, don't use gender as an excuse. Everyone is equal in the workplace; there's no need for special treatment!"

Chen Ergou watched the two arguing more and more fiercely, helplessly rubbed his forehead, and smiled as he tried to smooth things over: "Stop arguing, stop arguing, or it'll be dawn. This bed is small, but three people can squeeze in. I'll be in the middle as a buffer, and you two can be on either side. That'll make do for the night, so no one feels comfortable sleeping on the floor."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Caixia and Li Mei both paused for a moment, then their cheeks flushed slightly. It was indeed chilly at night, and sleeping on the floor was certainly uncomfortable. They exchanged a glance and tacitly agreed to the suggestion.

Zhou Caixia lay down on the bed first, moving a little further in; Li Mei also lay down on the outer side, a little embarrassed, close to the edge of the bed. Chen Ergou sighed, carefully lay down in the middle, trying to shrink himself as much as possible to avoid touching the two of them.

That poor little bed, which could barely fit a strong man normally, now had three people crammed in, and it immediately started creaking and groaning, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

"I'm so cramped! Li, could you move over a bit?" Zhou Caixia complained softly, adjusting her position. Her elbow accidentally bumped into Li Mei. "Look at you, you're taking up most of the bed. Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Mr. Zhou, please be reasonable! You're the one who squeezed in my way!" Li Mei retorted softly, shrinking to the side but accidentally bumping into Chen Ergou. Her tone became even more aggrieved. "Besides, don't put your leg on me, it's uncomfortable! Furthermore, this bed is already small. If you hadn't insisted on squeezing in, we wouldn't be in this cramped situation!"

Chen Ergou was caught in the middle, stiff and motionless, feeling extremely uncomfortable. To his left was the faint scent of perfume from Zhou Caixia, and to his right was the fresh scent of soap from Li Mei. The two scents mingled together, not unpleasant, but they made him inexplicably nervous.

"Don't move, or the bed will collapse," Chen Ergou said in a low voice. "Go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow."

The room fell silent, save for the even breathing of the three people. Perhaps exhausted from the day, Zhou Caixia and Li Mei soon drifted off to sleep. Listening to the steady breathing beside him, Chen Ergou's tense body gradually relaxed, and he too unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

That night, there was no ambiguity or entanglement, only mutual understanding and compromise between business partners. The simple makeshift house exuded a unique warmth.

……

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight shone through the window of the makeshift house and fell on the three of them.

When Chen Ergou woke up, he felt numb all over.

He carefully shifted his body, looked down, and couldn't help but smile wryly: Zhou Caixia was curled up on the left like a cat, her head resting slightly on his arm; Li Mei was on the right, her cheek pressed against the edge of the bed, fast asleep, a faint smile on her lips.

Looking at these two women, one usually capable and assertive, the other meticulous and serious, yet now completely unguarded, Chen Ergou felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He gently twitched his arm, trying not to wake them.

"Hmm..." Zhou Caixia's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. After a few seconds of confusion, she realized what was happening in front of her, and her cheeks instantly flushed. She quickly sat up and straightened her clothes somewhat embarrassedly: "Good morning."

This soft exclamation woke up Li Mei, who was standing next to her.

She rubbed her eyes, and after seeing the situation, she looked embarrassed. She quickly got out of bed and whispered, "I'll go check the monitoring data." As she spoke, she walked quickly to the computer, her ears still red.

Chen Ergou also got out of bed and stretched his stiff body, his joints making a series of cracking sounds.

The atmosphere in the makeshift house was somewhat subtle, yet it carried a tacit understanding between partners. A new day began in this slightly awkward yet warm morning.