Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Xie Yongqiang felt even more suffocated, as if he had swallowed a dead fly; he felt extremely uncomfortable and his whole body felt unwell.

Alright, let's go home...

Xie Yongqiang pondered as he walked, wondering if he was having a run of bad luck, as nothing had gone smoothly since he returned to the village.

He lost his job in the county, couldn't do an internship in the town, lost Wang Xiaomeng, and Xiangxiu was also laid off. Now even the elementary school job he didn't want was gone. His future was uncertain. In the middle of the night, he thought he should let out a few shouts to vent his frustration, and then he bumped into an old man and woman playing tricks.

One trouble after another weighed on him, making it hard for him to breathe. He even wondered if there was something wrong with his ancestral graves and if he should find someone to cleanse them.

……

The next morning around nine o'clock, at the entrance of the Big Foot Grocery Store in Xiangyashan Village, which has always been the gathering place for news in the village, villagers like to gather here to chat when they have nothing to do.

Early in the morning, a new job posting with red paper and black characters was posted on the red wall of the grocery store, which could be seen from a distance.

It was a recruitment notice from Wang Xiaomeng's tofu shop. It clearly stated that they were recruiting two female workers from the village. The requirements were that they be hardworking, reliable, and willing to endure hardship. Lunch would be provided, and wages would be settled monthly. The more they worked, the more they would earn.

Not long after the job posting was put up, a large group of villagers gathered at the entrance, chatting and gossiping in twos and threes.

"Wow, Xiao Meng has really made something of himself! The tofu shop is thriving, the business is booming, and they've even started hiring people to work!"

"That's right. He's so young, yet he's much more capable than the old men. He's truly a talent in our village. I think he'll be just as good as Liu Yishui in the future."

"This is a pretty good deal. They provide meals and pay you a monthly salary. If you work hard, you're sure to make money!"

The crowd erupted in praise, all genuinely admiring Wang Xiaomeng's competence.

Xie Guangkun went out for a stroll and, seeing a large crowd here, immediately came over.

He tried his best to push and shove, but couldn't get to the front. He only heard that Wang Xiaomeng was recruiting workers.

The more he listened, the more excited he became. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, and he couldn't help but smile.

He stroked his chin, his eyes darting around, secretly thinking to himself, "This is too much of a coincidence!"

Yesterday, Yongqiang quit his job at the school in a fit of pique, and today Wang Xiaomeng immediately posted a job advertisement. What a coincidence!

In Xie Guangkun's mind, this was not an ordinary recruitment at all; it was a special job that Wang Xiaomeng had reserved for Xie Yongqiang!

It must be that this girl still cares about Yongqiang. Knowing that Yongqiang lost his job and has no livelihood, she was too embarrassed to take the initiative to talk to him, for fear of being gossiped about for spending money on him. So she specially posted a job advertisement to give Yongqiang a way out and leave him a way to make a living!

The more he thought about it, the more certain and happier he became. Xie Guangkun's face broke into a smile, and the huge weight in his heart was instantly lifted.

He stopped trying to get closer and ignored the instructions. He turned and ran home, his steps lighter than ever. As soon as he stepped through the gate, he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Yongqiang, Yongqiang! Come out quickly! Something amazing has happened to our family! Something incredibly amazing!"

Xie Yongqiang was lying in bed catching up on sleep when he heard his father's loud shouts. He replied weakly:

"What now? Could I possibly have good news to do?"

Xie Guangkun trotted into the house, approached him, and excitedly said:

"Wang Xiaomeng... Wang Xiaomeng's tofu shop is hiring! The job posting was just put up, and the whole village is watching!"

"Think about it yourself, how could it be such a coincidence? You just quit your job yesterday, and she's hiring today. Isn't it obvious that she reserved this position specifically for you?"

"That young lady is shy and reserved, too embarrassed to approach you first. She's using the job posting as an excuse to give you a way out! She definitely still has feelings for you. Hurry up and get ready, wash your face, change your clothes, and go apply for the job right away!"

Xie Yongqiang's face darkened even more after hearing these self-righteous words.

He raised his hand and flung Xie Guangkun's hand away, his tone filled with helplessness and annoyance:

"Dad, can you please stop overthinking and meddling?"

"Wang Xiaomeng and I are completely over. There's absolutely no chance. She has someone she likes now and hasn't even thought about me. Stop deluding yourself, okay?"

"What do you mean you have someone you like? You're just daydreaming!"

Xie Guangkun didn't believe this at all and immediately retorted:

"Those are just angry words spoken by young people in a fit of pique; don't take them seriously!"

"If she really wasn't interested in you, would she be hiring at this crucial moment? There are so many unemployed people in the whole village, why would she choose to hire someone when you're unemployed? This is just her little scheme; she's waiting for you to take the initiative to apologize and make up with her!"

"I know you're a college graduate with high aspirations. Working in a tofu shop seems like a waste of your talents. Just settle down and get through this period. You two will be working together every day, spending every day together. Won't your old feelings slowly come back? What a great opportunity!"

Xie Yongqiang became increasingly irritated by his words, his tone hardened completely, and his attitude became resolute, refusing to budge an inch:

"I told you, I'm not going!"

"She's a legitimate boss now, her business is thriving, and I'm unemployed, what kind of image would I have working for her?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes exceptionally firm, looked up at Xie Guangkun, and said earnestly:

"Dad, I know what I'm doing. I have my own plans and path. I plan to contract that barren mountain behind the village, do something practical, and make a name for myself."

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze, the air thick with tension.

Xie Guangkun was leisurely sipping tea from a large teacup to calm his temper when he heard these words, and his hair almost stood on end.

The next second, with a "poof," a mouthful of tea sprayed all over the ground, and the spray formed a rainbow under the sunlight.

He slammed the heavy teacup down on the table, wondering if he had misheard.

"What the hell? Contracting a barren mountain? Xie Yongqiang, are you so bored you're itching for a fight? You're just bored out of your mind!"

He pointed his finger in the direction of the barren mountain, trembling with anger, spitting as he spoke.

"What kind of good place is that barren mountain? It's a typical desolate wasteland where even rabbits don't poop and birds don't build nests. It's barren year after year, the grass doesn't even grow lushly, and nothing you plant will grow!"

"Why are you abandoning the safe and sound path and insisting on throwing money into those impoverished mountains? Have you gone mad from all your studying? Have you lost your mind and can't tell what's important?"

"That perfect job at Wang Xiaomeng's tofu shop is something so many people would kill for. They're clearly offering you a way out, but you're so arrogant and refuse. You insist on struggling in that desolate wilderness. I think you're just asking for trouble!"

In the past, Xie Yongqiang would have lowered his head and kept quiet, but today was different. He was holding back his anger and no longer wanted to live a cowardly life.

He said in an exceptionally firm tone:

"Father, those barren mountains aren't useless, it's just that no one is genuinely committed to developing and managing them properly."

"I haven't been idle lately. I've read a lot of planting books and checked soil information. The soil in that mountain is particularly suitable for growing fruit trees. It will bear fruit and generate income in three years at most. If we work steadily and surely, it will be much more promising than working a regular job."

"I don't want to spend my whole life relying on others to give me a way out or helping me out. How many chickens has Qi Santai eaten from you? What has he ever accomplished? I don't want you to beg others for my sake every time. I just want to do something real and honest, to make a name for myself through my own abilities, so I don't have to be at the mercy of others and suffer that humiliation anymore!"

"Make a name for yourself? What are you going to use to make a name for yourself?!"

Xie Guangkun slapped his thigh hard, making a loud slapping sound, his face full of disappointment and frustration:

"You're a classic example of someone who's all talk and no action! You got arrogant after a few years of university and look down on the village's livelihood!"

"Wang Xiaomeng had such a rare opportunity. She could have just worked steadily, slowly built up her relationship, and gotten married and settled down. Why did you have to mess things up like this!"

"That barren mountain can get you a wife? Can it transfer you to a job in town? Can it let you live a peaceful life? Let me tell you, Xie Yongqiang, I will never agree to this, even if it kills me! The family won't give you a single penny, and you can forget about stepping out of the house!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yongqiang's attitude was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation:

"You don't need to pay anything; I have enough money saved up to cover the contracting fee."

"I'm not discussing this with you, I'm just informing you. I've made up my mind, and no one can stop me."

"You dare!"

Xie Guangkun was completely enraged and roared furiously:

"If you dare to step out of this house today, I'll disown you as a rebellious son!"

"You smashed a perfectly good, secure job with your own hands! Instead of living a peaceful life, you're causing trouble again by renting out a desolate mountain. You've completely disgraced the Xie family!"

Startled, Yongqiang's mother rushed forward, grabbing Xie Guangkun's arm tightly and desperately trying to stop him.

"Hey, what are you doing! The child is grown up and has his own ideas. Don't hit or scold him all the time. Can't you talk things out calmly?"

While the elderly couple were arguing, Xie Yongqiang didn't even turn around to defend himself.

He wasn't allowed to go out during the day, so he went at night. He was fed up with this humiliating life. No matter how difficult or arduous the path of starting a business in the barren mountains was, it was his own choice, and he felt at peace with himself, being upright and honest.

Before we knew it, it was past eight o'clock in the evening, and the sky was completely dark. Only a dim yellow light was on in Changgui's house.

Xiangxiu is on duty at the village clinic tonight, leaving only Changgui and Wang Yun at home.

After finishing dinner, Wang Yun quickly cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks, wiping the table and mopping the floor. Her mind wasn't on the work at all; her eyes kept glancing at Chang Gui.

She had already made her plans. Tonight, it would just be the two of them, no one to bother them. She could strike while the iron was hot and finalize their marriage, making it a done deal, so she wouldn't have to worry about it every day and be tormented by the back and forth.