Er Gou, life in the countryside is so carefree!

The Zhao family villa in the county town.

"Bang!"

A valuable antique vase was smashed to pieces.

Zhao Tianba sat on the armchair with a gloomy face, looking at Zhao Tai kneeling on the ground, trembling with anger:

"Useless! All useless! What about that Black Snake? A whole night has passed, and there's still no news? Five million gone down the drain?"

Just then, the butler rushed in:

"Master! Young Master! Black Snake is back!"

"Oh?" Zhao Tianba's eyes lit up, and he jumped up. "Quick, let her in! Is that bastard Chen Ergou dead?"

At the door, Black Snake clutched his chest and staggered in, a trace of deliberately faked blood still lingering at the corner of his mouth.

"Master Zhao... the mission has failed."

Black Snake's voice was weak, but his eyes remained cold; his acting reached its peak at this moment.

"That Chen Ergou... isn't as simple as the information suggests. He seems to have a powerful protector secretly protecting him. I risked my life to barely escape."

"What?! Even you failed?" Zhao Tianba's expression changed drastically, and he slumped into a chair, a look of fear flashing in his eyes.

"However... in order to save his life, he was also hit by my unique poisonous palm. Even if he doesn't die, he'll be badly injured," Black Snake said, half-jokingly, with a hint of mockery hidden deep in his eyes.

Hearing Black Snake's words, Zhao Tai felt relieved and laughed loudly, "Dad, did you hear that? Although we didn't kill him this time, we seriously injured him! Black Snake, you should focus on recovering. We'll settle this score later!"

Black Snake glanced at Zhao Tai, who was deceiving himself, and sneered inwardly, thinking to himself:

These father and son of the Zhao family are still dreaming even when they're about to die.

……

Xiushui Village, wasteland on the back mountain.

As the sun began to set, its scorching heat subsided somewhat, but the leeward slope of the back mountain remained stiflingly hot, like a giant steamer, with cicadas chirping incessantly in the trees.

This is a piece of wasteland that Chen Ergou recently leased. It is in a remote location, surrounded by dense forests, and you can't even see a ghost here normally.

"Huff... huff..."

Wang Cuihua was wielding a hoe, struggling to dig out the weeds in the field.

Today she wore a floral-patterned polyester shirt with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing her two fair and slender arms. Below, she wore loose black trousers, the cuffs tucked into her socks for ease of work.

Although she did farm work, her physique, honed from frequent labor, appeared remarkably strong and well-proportioned. Sweat streamed down her temples, dampening the messy hair on her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed from the sun, radiating a healthy and spirited energy.

"Ergou, the grass roots in this field are so deep. This hoe hit me and my hands are going numb."

Wang Cuihua straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and said breathlessly.

Chen Ergou was not far away, shirtless, showing off his strong muscles, piling up the hay he had dug up.

He glanced back at Wang Cuihua, who was drenched in sweat, and felt a surge of pity for her as he looked at her soaked back. Of course, his thieving eyes didn't forget to linger on his sister-in-law a couple more times.

"Sister Cuihua, take a rest if you're tired. I'll take care of the rest."

Chen Ergou dropped what he was doing, walked over to her, looked at her flushed face, and grinned mischievously:

"Look at you, you're sweating so much, you're practically a drowned rat. Anyone who didn't know better would think I, Chen Ergou, am abusing child laborers."

"Get lost! Who's the child laborer? I'm older than you!"

Wang Cuihua gave him a reproachful look, but didn't flinch. Instead, she stretched out her muddy hand and waved it in front of Chen Ergou:

"Ugh, it's all mud, sticky and uncomfortable. I'm covered in sweat, so greasy. I should have known better than to wear these polyester clothes; they're not breathable and they make my skin itch terribly."

She tugged at her collar, trying to let some air in, and the allure she exuded in that instant caught Chen Ergou's eye.

"Feeling sick of it? That's perfect."

Chen Ergou pointed to the small stream hidden in the reeds not far away, his eyes gleaming with cunning:

"That river is fresh water flowing down from the mountain, it's crystal clear. There's no one around right now, shall we... go wash up? And you can cool off in the heat."

Wang Cuihua followed his hand and looked at the river. The water was splashing and sounded refreshing.

"This...this isn't a good idea, is it? In broad daylight, what if someone sees us..."

She was somewhat tempted, after all, the weather was just too hot, and her body felt like it was covered in a layer of paste.

"What are you afraid of? Not even a rabbit comes to this back hill. Besides, the reeds by the river are taller than a person. If we both squeeze in, who will see us? If you're not going, I'll go by myself!"

Without saying a word, Chen Ergou grabbed her sleeve and started walking towards the river.

"Come on, sis, stop dawdling and go for a soak. It'll be more effective than any air conditioner!"

We arrived at the riverbank.

Just as Chen Ergou had said, the river here was crystal clear, with pebbles at the bottom, and the banks were covered with lush reeds and wildflowers, forming a natural, private space.

"You...you stay away from me, don't peek!"

Looking at the cool river water, Wang Cuihua finally couldn't resist the temptation and, blushing, pushed Chen Ergou away.

"Hehe, with our relationship, why would I need to peek? I'll look openly and honestly!"

Although Chen Ergou was verbally aggressive, he was still quite gentlemanly in action. He obediently turned his back, quickly took off his shirt and shoes and socks, and jumped into the water with a "plop".

"Hiss—that feels so good! It's fucking cool!"

The cool river water washed over his body, taking away the heat. Chen Ergou let out a long sigh of relief and splashed around in the water like a big black fish.

A moment later, a soft splashing sound came from behind.

Chen Ergou turned around and saw that Wang Cuihua had also gone into the water. She hadn't taken off all her clothes; she was still wearing her undergarments. She was tucked into the water, only revealing her snow-white shoulders and her blushing face. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks, making her look exceptionally beautiful and charming.

"What are you staring at like an idiot for..."

Wang Cuihua felt a little flustered by his direct gaze, so she scooped up a handful of water and splashed it at him:

"Turn around! Take a good shower!"

"Sis, I noticed you were rubbing your shoulders the whole time. Are you tired?"

Chen Ergou wiped the water off his face, grinned, and swam over, but this time he didn't dare to be too presumptuous, only stopping a short distance behind her:

"I have a family-inherited massage technique that specializes in treating backaches and pains. How about... I give you a massage?"

Wang Cuihua did indeed feel unbearable soreness in her shoulders; she had dug too hard earlier. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Then... behave yourself, you can only massage my shoulders."

"Alright! Just you wait and see!"

Chen Ergou stepped forward and placed his two warm hands on Wang Cuihua's rounded shoulders.

Although he usually acted carefree, Chen Ergou was actually quite skilled at massage, applying just the right amount of pressure, which made Wang Cuihua groan.

Hearing that sound, Chen Ergou felt a surge of excitement, but he knew the importance of taking things slowly and patiently suppressed his restlessness, focusing intently on being a "technician".

"Sis, is it comfortable?"

"Mmm...that feels much better. Your skills are really good..."

Wang Cuihua closed her eyes, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation. The river water was slightly cool, but the man's chest behind her was warm, giving her an indescribable sense of security.

Suddenly, Chen Ergou grinned wickedly and deliberately slipped his hand, splashing water all over Wang Cuihua's face.

"Hey! Chen Ergou, you wicked coward!"

Wang Cuihua was startled and turned around to fight back, scooping up water and splashing it on Chen Ergou.

"Haha, you can't hit it!"

"Don't run! Stop right there!"

The two frolicked in the river, their laughter carrying far and wide, startling two wild ducks that were drinking water on the bank.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the river, creating shimmering waves that reflected the figures of the two playfully wrestling. The scene was less about lust and more about warmth and rustic charm.

……

Much later.

The two climbed ashore, soaking wet, their bodies completely cooled by the summer heat.

Wang Cuihua sat on the grass, wringing her wet hair. The blush on her face was more vibrant than the sunset on the horizon; it was from laughing during their earlier playful fight.

"I'm exhausted, it's more tiring than doing manual labor."

As she straightened her clothes, she gave Chen Ergou a coquettish glare, but her eyes and brows were full of smiles.

Chen Ergou put on his pants, stretched lazily with a refreshed air, and looked at the hillside that belonged to him, feeling a surge of pride:

"Sis, once the big villa is built, I'll build you a huge swimming pool at home. Then it'll just be the two of us, and you can swim however you want!"

"Dream on! Who wants to swim with you!"

Wang Cuihua stood up, gently pinched him, and then naturally took his arm:

"Let's go home, I'm starving. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook for you."

"Then it has to be my sister-in-law's dumplings! I want the ones with sauerkraut and pork filling!"

"Okay, plenty!"

The two figures, pulled together by the setting sun, gradually disappeared into the distance.