Volume 1, Chapter 28: The Evolved Gourd

The peach orchard had finally been cleared. Not a single peach was left behind, which had his grandfather, Guo An, complaining for days. Guo Dong, however, couldn't care less. He spent his days glued to his phone, hiding away on the hillside he had leased.

As for the fishpond he had rented? Ever since he handed it over to Li Tianhu to manage, he hadn't spared it a single thought. Sitting in front of his small wooden hut, he could see Li Tianhu working busily just by turning his head. While the guy usually seemed like a slacker, he was incredibly diligent when it came to doing things he actually enjoyed. Cleaning the pond, buying fry, and bustling about with a group of people—he never seemed to rest.

As for Guo Dong himself, in the eyes of others, he couldn't have been more leisurely. It was as if he had suddenly come into money and turned lazy. He guarded his small patch of land, phone in hand, snapping photos of the surrounding scenery. Naturally, most of the pictures were of Meng Xiaohan. Since he got his new phone, the resolution was crystal clear, making everything he shot look beautiful. As a result, his phone was filled with photos of her. Every day, he would take it out to look, a silly grin spreading across his face.

Ten days passed. If you thought he spent his days doing nothing but playing, you’d be wrong—the vegetables in his field were growing exceptionally well. As it stood, the bok choy was already ready to be harvested and eaten. The lush, vibrant green was enough to whet anyone’s appetite.

"Guodong, come home and eat!"

Hearing his grandfather’s voice from the foot of the hill, Guo Dong quickly put away his phone, grabbed his sprayer, and began filling it with water.

"Got it! I’ll be back as soon as I finish watering; don't wait for me!"

As he spoke, he reached out, and a drop of spiritual liquid dripped from the gourd-shaped mark on his palm, sliding down his fingertip into the sprayer.

At this moment, no one was more excited than Heizi. The dog had a keen sense of smell; every time Guo Dong watered the vegetable patch, it would arrive right on time. But today, it was destined to be disappointed.

Just after Guo Dong dripped the spiritual liquid, his palm began to itch. Then, the itch spread throughout his entire body. At first, he didn't pay it much mind, but just as he strapped on the sprayer and prepared to mist the plants, he felt a tingling itch all over. It was so irritating that he longed to dig his fingernails into his skin for relief.

"Surely there aren't any caterpillars, are there?"

Terrified, Guo Dong threw the sprayer aside and ripped off his shirt to check. Living in the mountains, who hadn't been tortured by caterpillars before? It was an unbearable sensation. However, he found no caterpillars on his clothes, yet the itching continued to intensify across his entire body. Heizi, waiting nearby for the spiritual water, grew impatient when nothing happened and began yelping around him.

Unable to take it anymore, Guo Dong grabbed the bucket of diluted spiritual water and poured it over his head. At that moment, he didn't care about the value of the liquid; he just wanted to resolve the issue. Unexpectedly, the water didn't help; instead, once it touched his skin, the itching turned into a burning pain. The agony was so intense that he felt like cursing aloud. He didn't notice that the gourd mark on his palm was squirming!

About ten minutes later, when his grandfather called out again, the pain and itching finally vanished. They were replaced by a rhythmic pounding in his head, as if something were striking his skull, leaving him dizzy and lightheaded.

*Boom!*

A muffled sound echoed in his mind, followed by a string of unrecognizable language flooding his brain. When the torture finally subsided, he was soaked—it was impossible to tell if it was water or sweat. Yet, he felt an extraordinary sense of excitement. Looking at the transformed mark on his palm, he formed a hand seal.

Above his head, a dark cloud appeared. It started to rain! The rain fell only on the small area above him. As it hit the ground, it vanished, as if nothing had happened. He tilted his head back, mouth open, letting the strange rain fall into it.

"It has evolved!"

A radiant smile lit up Guo Dong's face; he couldn't find the words to express his feelings. The previously anxious Heizi ran over excitedly once the rain began to fall.

"Guodong, what are you doing? If you don't come back soon, the food will be cold!"

Hearing the voice from below the hill, Guo Dong replied, "Coming, I'll be right there!"

He began to work, forming one hand seal after another. A gentle rain continued to fall over his head, nourishing the plot of land before him. By the time he felt dizzy and weak, he hadn't even watered half the field. He felt a bit discouraged; compared to the daily yield of spiritual liquid, the effect seemed about the same. With a head full of questions, he stumbled back toward home.

"What are you doing? Did you fall into a ditch?"

At home, the old man hadn't started eating yet. A few small dishes were laid out on the table, along with an opened bottle of wine. Guo An had been in a good mood lately. His grandson was making big money, and their lives had improved significantly.

"I was messing around with Heizi and got splashed!" Guo Dong told a little lie.

However, Heizi, who followed him back, ended up taking the blame. It had clearly poured the water on himself, yet he blamed the poor dog. It was a complete frame-up! Of course, the dog could only whine in dissatisfaction.

"Alright, hurry up and change your clothes, then let's eat!"

Guo An didn't think much of it. "How have things been with Xiaohan lately?"

Guo Dong, who was in the middle of changing, paused. "What do you mean, 'how'?"

"You rascal, you're up on the hill with her every day. Don't tell me there's been no progress!"

Cold sweat dripped down Guo Dong's back. "Don't talk nonsense; she's just helping out in the fields!"

"You can find such a great excuse for helping!" Guo An took a sip of wine and said huffily, "It's all over the village now. If you like her, go chase her! Do you have to wait until the bet is over to make a move? Don't let it be that you win the bet but lose the girl!"

Guo Dong: "..."

Sure enough, once people are free from pressure, their minds start to wander. His grandfather never used to pry into these things!

"I can tell that Xiaohan thinks quite highly of you. You're not that poor boy you used to be anymore, so go ahead and pursue her."

Guo Dong shook his head helplessly and walked out after changing. "It hasn't even begun, and you're just joining in on the gossip. By the way, I need to go to the county town tomorrow."

He tried to change the subject, but...

"With Xiaohan?" Guo An chuckled. "Go if you want, you don't need to tell me. By the way, don't be stingy. Now that you have money, be generous. Take her to fun places, have a nice meal, and communicate more!"

There was no escaping this topic. Guo Dong shook his head with a bitter smile; he had no way to deal with his grandfather.

"What are you thinking? I'm going there to deliver vegetables!"

Guo An froze, his wine cup pausing in mid-air. "The vegetables are ready? So soon?"

"Yeah, some of them are. I'm going to pick out the best ones and head to the county town tomorrow to see if I can get a good price."

Guo Dong had a good plan. With his connection to Liu Lan and the relatively small amount he was growing, it shouldn't interfere with her partnerships with others, right?