Qiao Wanqing was sure that the effectiveness was due to Kou Kou’s urine, not the garden itself.

She had tested it several times, and it was undeniable that Kou Kou’s urine made a difference.

But why had the garden suddenly become effective while Kou Kou’s urine lost its potency?

Could it be that Kou Kou’s urine had changed the soil composition?

Qiao Wanqing pondered this question for several days, almost pulling her hair out in frustration.

Finally, she reached a conclusion that left her unsure whether to laugh or cry: Kou Kou’s urine had indeed lost its effectiveness.

However, the soil in the areas that had been watered with it had undergone a change.

Even without Kou Kou’s urine, the plants were still growing well.

It wasn’t as effective as before, but with the addition of farm fertilizer, it worked perfectly!

This was good news.

Otherwise, taking Koukou to C City and having to save diapers over time would have not only smelled bad but also dried out.

And since Koukou was still young and needed to wear diapers, when he grew older and stopped using them, she couldn’t exactly follow him around with a potty.

That would be too embarrassing; people would think she was crazy.

So, now there were three plots where vegetables could grow: the original garden, the plot next to the house, and a rented plot near the entrance.

The first two plots were their own, which was convenient, but the rented plot…

Gu Yanqing recently noticed that his wife had been acting mysteriously.

After his last attempt to get close to her failed, he hadn’t found another opportunity to get intimate with his child’s mother.

Especially since returning to their rural home, she had been outright ignoring him.

This was unacceptable.

“Qiao Wanqing!” After being ignored once again, Gu Yanqing was finally upset.

He called her by her full name and pulled her onto his lap.

“Stop it, I’m busy.”

Qiao Wanqing tried to break free but was held tightly.

His warm breath tickled her ear, making her shiver.

She reluctantly asked, “What is it?”

Suddenly, he was being so… clingy.

“Are you worried about Kou Kou’s urine?” Gu Yanqing whispered, kissing her face.

Qiao Wanqing stiffened and instinctively replied, “You’re overthinking it.”

Gu Yanqing adjusted her position, making her straddle his lap and face him.

Pressing his forehead against hers, he said, “You can fool others, but not me. Our vegetables taste so good; it must be because of Kou Kou’s urine, right?”

“…”

“I’ve already tested it, Wanqing.”

Qiao Wanqing knew that she could fool others with her behavior, but not Gu Yanqing, who was with her every day.

After all, she brought back so many diapers, which was too suspicious.

Kou Kou was with him every day, and he could easily test his hypothesis by letting Kou Kou pee on a patch of weeds.

“But now Kou Kou’s ability has disappeared. When did you test it?”

Their relationship improved in April, and Gu Yanqing started noticing her strange behavior around the time their restaurant opened during the Dragon Boat Festival.

She would ride in his car every day and bring back Kou Kou’s diapers…

So she suspected that Kou Kou’s urine lost its effectiveness recently.

“Actually, I was just bluffing. I didn’t test it,” Gu Yanqing shamelessly admitted.

“… Is domestic violence illegal?” Qiao Wanqing wondered.

Mr. Gu was quite pleased with his teasing.

He affectionately tapped Qiao Wanqing’s nose and said, “So easy to fool.”

“Yeah, I’m simple and easy to fool. Mr. Gu better keep a close watch, or one day I’ll be sold off and still be counting money for others.”

“Don’t worry, you can only be sold to me, and I’ll give you plenty of money to count and be happy.”

“…”

Qiao Wanqing knew she couldn’t out-argue him in nonsense, so she brought the conversation back on track.

Since Gu Yanqing already knew, she had nothing to hide and told him about the current situation.

After listening, Gu Yanqing said, “My suggestion is to buy the plot of land at the entrance. Grow vegetables there and only supply them to our vegetarian restaurant. Set up a Taobao store, build a greenhouse, and grow vegetables that can be made into dried fruit and vegetable snacks for online sales. This way, we can maximize profits.”

This was the best plan so far.

Even though the vegetables might grow out of season without a greenhouse, it would be too conspicuous and raise suspicions.

People aren’t fools and would notice something odd, so a greenhouse was necessary.

“What if the Taobao store doesn’t take off?” Qiao Wanqing was skeptical about starting a Taobao store.

If it failed, the vegetables would go unsold and rot in the field.

Gu Yanqing hinted suggestively, “With me here, what are you worried about?”

Unfortunately, Qiao Wanqing didn’t catch his signal.

She nodded thoughtfully, “I’ll contact the owner of the land at the entrance and see if they are willing to sell it to me.”

The plot was quite large, and buying it would cost a significant amount of money.

Qiao Wanqing had heard about farmland transfers in the village, usually around 150 yuan per square meter.

This plot would likely be more expensive.

The current owners were very fond of this land due to its proximity to the road, its size, and its flat terrain, making it convenient for using plowing machines and harvesters.

The landowners might not even be willing to sell.

In rural areas, the older generation relies on farming for their livelihood.

Selling their land feels like abandoning their roots and the last means of sustenance left by their ancestors.

They believe that they would bring shame upon themselves and their ancestors if they sold their land.

This indeed posed a challenge.

As for the finances, since the restaurant opened about a month ago, the combined income from the restaurant and vegetable sales, after deducting all labor costs, left Qiao Wanqing with 48,000 yuan.

Forty-eight thousand yuan…

Qiao Wanqing had never dreamed of earning that amount in a month before.

Qiao Wanqing decided to see how far she could go on her own without seeking help from Gu Yanqing, except for “borrowing” 50,000 yuan to repay Tang Yueyue first.

Even though Tang Yueyue was a rich girl, she was now independent and wouldn’t ask her family for money, so the debt couldn’t be delayed for long.

Gu Yanqing never interfered in these matters.

He let her play as she wished, knowing that when she needed help, she would ask.

Seeing Qiao Wanqing lost in thought again, Gu Yanqing felt quite frustrated.

He wanted more intimate moments with his wife, but she was always focused on making money.

He leaned down and playfully bit her lip. “Can you pay attention to your handsome husband? It’s frustrating when you’re so distracted.”

Qiao Wanqing, hearing this, reached out and patted his head. “Silly moth, mommy’s busy. Be good.”

Gu Yanqing: “…”

He pulled her closer, his hands wandering over her body.

In a low voice, he asked, “I gave you such a good idea and solved your problem. How are you going to reward me?”

“Next time I make milk for Kou Kou, I’ll make some for you too?”

Gu Yanqing: “…”

Qiao Wanqing found this amusing, but then she was swiftly brought back to the present situation.

Fortunately, it was broad daylight, and Kou Kou was playing nearby, so he didn’t dare to go too far.

…

Qiao Wanqing asked about the farmland immediately, and as expected, the owner was reluctant to sell.

They were willing to rent it out, but selling was out of the question.

Qiao Wanqing had to raise her offer, saying she could pay up to 165 yuan per square meter.

They seemed swayed by the price and said they would consider it and get back to her.

The restaurant business remained stable, so Qiao Wanqing didn’t have to be there every day.

She applied for a Taobao store, intending to list some dried fruits and vegetables, hoping for some lucky sales.

Learning and exploring as she went seemed the best approach.

However, she soon realized that listing products wasn’t that easy.

She needed to take product photos and create detailed pages, which required Photoshop skills.

She knew a bit of Photoshop but had forgotten most of it, so the priority now was to learn Photoshop.

She enrolled in an online Photoshop course, dedicated herself to learning it, and also revisited those e-commerce courses she had previously found.

Gu Yanqing’s company landed a big project, so he didn’t have much time to stay in the village.

He could only come over on weekends, and Qiao Wanqing occasionally took Kou Kou to visit him.

Now that they were in a romantic relationship, there was no pressure on either of them to do anything specific; they just tried to accommodate each other as much as possible.

As the weather grew hotter, Qiao Wanqing noticed that their chickens were suffering from the heat.

When Gu Yanqing came over, she decided to cook a refreshing dish of shredded chicken to help cool them down.

Shredded chicken is best made with young hens that haven’t laid eggs yet, as their meat is more tender.

The hens in their coop weighed over three pounds each.

Qiao Wanqing cut off a drumstick to make soup for Kou Kou, and the rest was used for the shredded chicken dish.

There were three adults, which was enough, and Kou Kou was still too young to eat such food; he didn’t have all his teeth yet and couldn’t chew well.