Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Wang Yun slowly moved to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), gently sat down next to Chang Gui, and just as she raised her hand to put it on his arm, she wanted to say a few sweet words.

"Knock knock knock—"

A knocking sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, which was particularly abrupt in the quiet night.

Wang Yun shuddered in fright, jerking her arm back as if she'd been electrocuted. Her heart skipped a beat. Who would come to visit so late at night?

Xie Yongqiang's voice came from outside the door immediately:

"Uncle Changgui, it's me, Yongqiang. I have something important to tell you. I won't disturb your rest. I'll just say a few words at the door and then leave."

Upon hearing that it was Xie Yongqiang, Chang Gui's eyes lit up like light bulbs, and he felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if he had seen a relative.

He immediately opened his throat and shouted enthusiastically:

"Come in, come in! What are you doing standing outside in the dark? Come inside and sit down!"

He was secretly overjoyed. This couldn't have come at the perfect time; it was like a savior from heaven, helping him dodge this attack!

Xie Yongqiang pushed open the door and entered the room. Without any formalities, he went straight to the point:

"Uncle, I came here overnight to discuss something with you. I'd like to formally lease that barren mountain behind the village."

Upon hearing this, Chang Gui immediately frowned and began to earnestly persuade him:

"Yongqiang, it's not that I have a problem with you because of Xiangxiu, nor am I trying to discourage you or stop you from doing anything. That barren mountain is completely unusable. Your father must have told you that, right?"

"I understand you're feeling restless after just quitting your job at the school. Why don't you settle down for a while, think things through carefully, and don't just throw money away on a whim?"

"Uncle, I didn't act on impulse."

Xie Yongqiang quickly said:

"I've figured out everything. I'll take the risks myself. Even if I lose money in the end, I won't blame anyone or cause trouble for the village. You just need to help me with the contracting procedures."

Changgui patiently tried to persuade him several times, but seeing that he was unmoved and his mind was made up, he knew that the boy was determined.

He sighed heavily and waved his hand helplessly, saying:

"Alright, if you insist on doing it, I won't stop you. Young people have drive, I'll get the paperwork done for you tomorrow."

With the business settled, Xie Yongqiang immediately stood up:

"Uncle, I'll head back now so as not to disturb your rest."

"Wait! Why are you in such a hurry to leave!"

Changgui quickly reached out and pressed him down, refusing to let him leave the house no matter what. He was overly enthusiastic, even more so than when Xie Yongqiang got engaged to Xiangxiu.

"Since we're already here, and I happen to have some beer, let's have a couple of drinks and chat before we leave!"

Wang Yun, sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), instantly had a long face, looking very unhappy, with the corners of his mouth drooping. He couldn't show his anger in front of the younger generation, so he could only hold back his anger and remain silent.

The two then sat down and drank beer together. Xie Yongqiang was preoccupied with the important matter of starting a business in the barren mountains, and he drank in a sullen mood, taking slow sips.

Changgui, on the other hand, took the initiative to urge Yongqiang to drink throughout the entire process, one glass after another, as if he wanted to get Yongqiang drunk and keep him until the middle of the night, and he absolutely did not want him to leave.

Before they had even finished the two bottles of beer, a steady snoring sound suddenly came from the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

When Wang Changgui looked, he saw Wang Yun lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), without even a mattress laid out, already asleep and snoring loudly.

A huge weight lifted from his shoulders, and Changgui breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling completely at ease.

He immediately lowered his voice and waved to the bewildered Xie Yongqiang, urging him on:

"Alright, alright, Yongqiang, that's enough drinking. It's getting late, you should go home and rest!"

Xie Yongqiang, still clutching a half-empty bottle of beer, looked completely bewildered and asked:

"Huh? Uncle, why did you suddenly stop drinking? You were just telling me to drink more."

"Let's drink another day. I'm calling you in advance; I still need to handle some paperwork for you tomorrow. Business comes first!"

Without saying a word, Chang Gui pushed him by the back and sent him to the door, quickly pushing him out the door.

After quickly locking the gate, Chang Gui glanced back at Wang Yun, who was fast asleep, and breathed a sigh of relief.

……

Before dawn the next day, Wang Xiaomeng's tofu shop started work early.

Early morning is the busiest time, but the tofu-making machine suddenly stopped working.

Wang Laoqi fiddled with the machine, disassembling parts, checking circuits, and testing switches. He worked on it for a long time, sweating profusely, but he had no idea what was wrong with it; the machine just wouldn't budge.

Wang Xiaomeng's phone kept ringing, urging her to place the order; wasting even a day would be a significant loss.

Wang Laoqi paced anxiously in the yard, rubbing his hands and stamping his feet, his face full of restlessness. In the end, he could only squat on the ground and smoke.

Wang Xiaomeng was anxious and helpless, so she took out her phone and called Lin Chen.

When the call connected, Lin Chen was still half asleep, his voice languid from just waking up, and he yawned.

"Hey, Xiao Meng? So early, what's up?"

"Brother Chen, something's happened!"

Wang Xiaomeng's voice was very anxious, with a hint of panic:

"My machine suddenly broke down, and my dad and I have been trying to fix it for ages but we can't. Could you ask your friend who knows about this kind of thing? Could you please come over and take a look now? If it's not fixed soon, today's order will be completely delayed!"

"Don't panic, I'm coming right away." Lin Chen hung up the phone decisively.

He turned and gently patted Xie Xiaomei, who was still fast asleep beside him, and whispered his instructions:

"You can sleep a little longer, no need to get up in time. Xiao Meng's machine is broken, I'll go over and take a look."

"Hmm, it's chilly this morning, you should wear a jacket..." Xie Xiaomei said groggily.

Lin Chen quickly put on his coat and drove straight to Wang Xiaomeng's tofu shop.

Upon arriving at the tofu shop, Lin Chen got out of the car and went straight to the machine. He carefully circled the equipment twice, disassembled the outer casing, and examined the internal parts, wiring, and operating structure. Well... he couldn't see anything.

"Brother Chen..."

Lin Chen gestured to Wang Xiaomeng not to rush, took out his phone, and made a call.

The phone was answered after two rings, and a mature and gentle female voice came through the receiver, with a hint of laughter and familiarity:

"Hey, Xiaochen? Why did you suddenly decide to call me? Missing me?"

"Sister, stop messing around with me, I need to talk to you urgently."

Lin Chen smiled helplessly and got straight to the point:

"The machine at my friend's tofu shop broke down. Yes, it's the same one as last time. Let me tell you the details and how it's running. Can you help me figure out what's wrong? ...Never mind, Xiaomeng, come on, you talk to her."

Wang Xiaomeng clearly explained the machine's malfunction, stuck state, and abnormal noises. The woman on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds before quickly providing a precise repair solution.

Following the other party's instructions, Wang Xiaomeng made simple adjustments and replaced small parts. The machine immediately started humming and ran smoothly, returning to normal operation.

Lin Chen thanked his friend on the other end of the phone and then hung up.

"It's fixed! Thank you so much, Brother Chen!"

Wang Xiaomeng's anxiety finally subsided:

"If it weren't for you, this batch of orders would definitely have been delayed. The loss is a minor issue; the key problem is that our reputation would be ruined."

"It's no big deal, don't be so polite with me. If the machine breaks down again, just call me. My friend here is a professional, he knows more than me, he can fix anything."

He chatted with Wang Laoqi for a couple more minutes, then, seeing that Wang was about to get busy, he turned and drove away.

Wang Laoqi stood at the door, watching the car drive away, nodding and muttering to himself:

"Lin Chen is a good person with a kind heart; he's truly a rare find."

Wang Xiaomeng nodded in agreement from the side.

By the time Lin Chen drove home, Xie Dajiao and Xie Xiaomei were already up and ready.

On the kang table were millet porridge, steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and boiled eggs—a simple, home-cooked breakfast.

Seeing him enter, Xie Xiaomei handed him a pair of chopsticks and asked with a smile:

"That was quick! The machine's fixed?"

"Yes, they were all minor issues, and they've been fixed."

Lin Chen sat down, picked up a steamed bun, and took a bite when his phone on the table suddenly rang.

Without thinking much, he pressed the speakerphone button, and the gentle, mature female voice from before rang out again:

"Xiao Chen, I forgot to tell you something important earlier. The dividends from the project you invested in have been settled for this year."

While drinking his porridge, Lin Chen casually asked:

"Oh? How much?"

Nineteen thousand.

The woman's tone was tinged with amusement:

"The return you received in the second year has exceeded expectations. I've already had the finance department transfer it directly to your ICBC card. If it hasn't arrived by tomorrow, call me."

Lin Chen nodded slightly and said with a smile:

"Okay, that was quite efficient, much better than I expected."

"Of course, it's all thanks to you for helping me back then."

The woman sighed softly, with a hint of melancholy:

"We didn't make any money last year, but this year is just the beginning. The market has been fully opened up, and we estimate that the dividends next year will be 35,000. I'll contact you in advance then."

Upon hearing this, the two women in the room were instantly stunned.

The steamed bun Xie Dajiao was holding fell directly onto the table, her mouth slightly agape, her face filled with disbelief.

A dividend of 35,000 yuan a year? You don't have to do any work, you can just sit at home and earn money? That's too profitable!

Xie Xiaomei, who was standing to the side, was also completely stunned. Liu Yishui had said that he would give her an annual salary, but compared to Lin Chen, she was almost exhausted every day.

A storm raged within them simultaneously, but Lin Chen remained completely oblivious to their shock, continuing his conversation on the phone as usual:

"Sis, don't push yourself too hard. Take care of your health. How have you been lately? Have you settled down in your personal life?"

"I'm not looking anymore."

The woman chuckled softly, her tone conveying a sense of relief:

"You know me best. Your daughter has grown up. I was just promoted to vice president of the company this year. Now I'm focused on building my career. In the end, what's more reliable for a man than his career?"

The two chatted casually for a few more minutes, exchanging pleasantries before hanging up.

As soon as the call ended, Xie Xiaomei couldn't resist and moved closer to Lin Chen, her face full of curiosity:

"Brother Chen, who exactly is this woman? You two sound so familiar with each other, your relationship is definitely not ordinary."