Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Wang Yun picked up a rice scoop and ladled a bowl of rice for him, placing her chopsticks on the rim of the bowl, and said in a nonchalant tone:

"Xiangxiu got off work early and went up the mountain to help."

"In the afternoon, all the young people in the village went up the barren mountain to help Xie Yongqiang plant fruit trees. Lin Chen said he would treat them to roast whole lamb. Xiangxiu called to say she wouldn't be coming back for dinner tonight."

"Oh, no wonder it's so quiet inside."

Chang Gui nodded, poured himself a glass of loose white wine, took a sip, and felt much warmer. He picked up a piece of chicken and casually remarked:

"To be honest, Lin Chen is the one who has something important to do."

"In the past, these kids in our village were all competitive and would always shirk their responsibilities when there was any work to be done in the village. But now, with just one word from Lin Chen, they're all eager to help."

He spat out a bone and took a sip of wine:

"With these young people leading the way, our Ivory Mountain will definitely be a success in the future."

The two ate with their heads down, and the atmosphere at the table was very strange.

During meals, Wang Yun's mouth never stops. She can chatter on and on about this and that, about the gossip she hears at the inn and the village gossip she hears.

But today he just kept eating without saying a word, his chopsticks never stopped, and his face remained gloomy.

Chang Gui secretly glanced at her several times and began to understand; this old woman was holding back her anger.

He put down his wine glass and asked cautiously:

"What's wrong? Who upset you? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Wang Yun didn't even look up, and said in a muffled voice:

"It's nothing, let's eat." Wang Yun's tone was curt, clearly indicating that he was being difficult.

Chang Gui felt guilty, knowing that he had offended her by deliberately avoiding her for a while, so he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He just kept quiet, drank and ate, and dared not provoke her.

We ate for twenty minutes and drank half a glass of wine.

Just as Chang Gui relaxed and picked up a piece of potato to put in his mouth, he heard a "smack" as Wang Yun slammed his chopsticks on the table, sat up straight, and stared at him with a serious expression.

"Changgui, let's stop wasting time like this and get this straight today."

"I know what you're thinking. As a village cadre, you're concerned about your image and have a thin skin. You're too embarrassed to say it, but I will."

Chang Gui's chopsticks froze in mid-air, his heart skipped a beat, and the effects of the alcohol instantly vanished by half.

He pretended to be stupid:

"Huh? What is it? Let's talk things out, why are you being so serious?"

Wang Yun pointed to the bowl of chicken and potatoes on the table and said directly:

"Simple, choose one of the two."

"If you really want to get married and settle down to live a stable life with me, then pick up a piece of potato now."

"After you finish serving the potatoes, I'll immediately get out of bed, lock the door, and draw the curtains. We'll sleep together tonight, then finalize our marriage plans and have a proper wedding banquet."

Then, her face darkened:

"If you don't want to be with me, then pick up a piece of chicken."

"If you choose chicken, I'll give up immediately. Tomorrow I'll go back to town myself and tell Qi Santai that I don't like you, I'm not going to date you anymore, I won't bother you or ruin your reputation, we'll break up cleanly, and it won't interfere with your work in town."

"Hurry up and choose, don't dawdle."

Changgui panicked on the spot, his palms were sweaty, and he hurriedly looked down into the basin.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked at it; after seeing it, I was completely dumbfounded.

The pot was spotless, not a single piece of chicken was left! The chicken heads and skin had been removed, and the bottom of the pot was full of stewed, mushy potatoes soaking in chicken broth.

Chang Gui blinked, looking back and forth between the vegetable basin and Wang Yun, his mind still not quite processing what was happening:

"No? Where's the meat? The chicken in the bowl is gone!"

Wang Yun smoothed his hair, looking completely at ease.

"I've already eaten. You know I love chicken, but I don't like potatoes. I saved them especially for you."

"Don't just stand there, choose!"

After saying that, Wang Yun got off the ground, walked to the window in a few steps, and quickly pulled the thick curtains shut, immediately sealing the room.

He turned and ran to the gate of the courtyard, reaching out to bolt and lock the gate.

Chang Gui was startled and couldn't sit still any longer. He hurriedly waved his hand to stop him.

"Hey, hey, slow down! Don't lock the door!"

"This is too hasty! Xiangxiu hasn't come home yet! What if she comes back and sees us? How embarrassing! I'll lose face! I'll call Xiangxiu and ask when she's coming back!"

Wang Yun rested her hand on the door latch, crossed her arms, and tilted her head to look at him.

Changgui rushed to the table in a panic, grabbed the landline, and tremblingly dialed Xiangxiu's number.

The phone rang for a long time before I answered. It was a chaotic mess on the other end, filled with the loud laughter and chatter of young people. The signal was bad in the mountains, so the conversation was intermittent.

Chang Gui lowered his voice and said urgently:

"Xiangxiu, where are you? When are you coming home!"

Xiangxiu was having a lively time with the whole roasted lamb, so I couldn't hear anything and had to shout at the top of my lungs:

"Dad? What? I can't hear you! The signal is bad here! We're about to have roast whole lamb! Chen-ge's roasted lamb smells amazing!"

Chang Gui watched helplessly as Wang Yun clicked the bolt off the gate, completely cutting off his escape route. His voice trembled with anxiety.

"Daughter, come back quickly! You have to be home right away!"

The signal was too weak, and Xiangxiu couldn't hear a word clearly, so she just gave a few perfunctory replies:

"Huh? I can't hear you. I'll be back later. You two should go to bed early, don't wait for me!"

With a snap, the call was abruptly disconnected, leaving only a busy tone on the receiver.

Chang Gui stood frozen in place, holding the phone, before slumping down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Wang Yun walked back into the house from the courtyard, looking at him with a half-smile:

"How's it going? Finished fighting? Xiangxiu isn't coming back, is she?"

"That's perfect, no one will bother us, let's get down to business."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and reached out to help Chang Gui pull him onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

Chang Gui pressed his back firmly against the wall, pleading softly and furtively:

"No, no, no, Yun, let's discuss this again, okay? This is too hasty, we can't do things like this."

Wang Yun narrowed her eyes, tightened her grip, and her fierceness immediately came through:

"Changgui, don't push me. I don't want to get physical with you on this joyous occasion!"

"what……"

……

"Slap! Slap!"

"Oh dear, Li Daguo, you only brought a few eggs to begin with, and you've broken two of them!"

Li Daguo scratched his head sheepishly.

"Alright, let it be broken. Hurry up and get everything ready. You guys chat for a bit, it'll be ready to eat in a minute!"

After packing their things, everyone sat down in a circle. Li Daguo started talking, patting his chest and boasting about his previous income from long-distance driving.

Not to be outdone, Zhao Yutian immediately joined in the competition:

"What's that compared to what you're doing? Next year, I'll expand my flower nursery by two acres and start delivering goods directly to the county. I'll definitely earn more than you do running a transportation business."

"Two acres? Don't be ridiculous."

The two men kept comparing and boasting to each other, which made the women around them laugh and tease them for showing off.

As they chatted, the topic unconsciously veered off course, and everyone subconsciously turned to look at Lin Chen, who was sitting in the center.

Li Daguo leaned forward, his expression becoming much more serious:

"Brother Chen, things haven't been going well in Ivory Mountain for the past few years. We've just been farming to make a living. You're quick-witted, full of ideas, and have a wide network of connections. Could you lead us all to work together and earn some easy money?"

Lin Chen's hands moved continuously, flipping and grilling the food. The hanging lamp illuminated his profile as he spoke in a relaxed tone:

"Don't expect everything from me. You have to walk your own path. At most, I can help you build bridges and pave the way, and give you some guidance. Look at Yishui, Xiaomeng, Yongqiang, and Yutian, they've all taken action, haven't they?"

"Look at Yongqiang's orchard. If it bears fruit and makes a profit next year, our whole village can follow suit and plant cold-resistant fruits. It's much better than planting corn and soybeans every year. We can earn more money. Once Yutian Nursery is established, we can hire idle villagers to work there."

"Keep working hard and down-to-earth. We rural kids aren't afraid of hardship, and our lives will definitely get better and better. Li Daguo, you should do the same. Keep working hard and you'll be fine."

With just a few simple, straightforward words, without any formalities, Li Daguo sighed, feeling anxious. He was still short half the money for the house; how could he possibly get married?

Xie Xiaomei sat next to Lin Chen on his left, occasionally handing him water and casually patting off any dirt that got on him. Her small gestures were natural and affectionate.

Wang Xiaomeng sat on the right, quietly listening to everyone's laughter and banter, her gaze occasionally drifting to Lin Chen.

The sky was completely dark, the autumn night sky was clear and clean, and the moonlight was exceptionally bright tonight.

Although the mountain breeze was cool in the evening, the atmosphere around the campfire was lively and bustling, so I didn't feel cold at all.

The whole roasted lamb in front of me was golden and glistening with oil, its skin crispy and covered in fat.

Lin Chen gently pierced the thickest part of the lamb leg with a slicing knife. The meat inside was tender, juicy, and steaming hot, cooked to perfection.

"Alright, the heat's just right, let's get started!"

As soon as Lin Chen finished speaking, Li Daguo roared and was about to pounce on him with his bare hands to tear the flesh apart, but Lin Chen raised his hand and slapped him on the forehead.

"What's the rush? Slice the meat first, don't burn your hands."

Lin Chen was skilled and had excellent knife skills. He and Liu Yishui worked together, and he first sliced ​​off the tenderest pieces of mutton and immediately handed them to Xie Xiaomei and Wang Xiaomeng's plates.

Everyone let loose, some using knives to cut the meat, others tearing the lamb chops apart with their hands without fear of getting burned.

The food was quite hot when it was freshly baked, and everyone was waving their hands and hissing as they ate, but they couldn't bear to stop.

One bite and the outer skin is crispy and crunchy, the oil mixed with the aroma of cumin, chili and garlic sauce hits you right in the head, the lamb inside is tender and juicy, not gamey or dry, and your mouth is full of meaty flavor.

Li Daguo, gnawing on a large piece of lamb chop, his mouth dripping with oil, shouted indistinctly:

"Oh my god! This smells amazing!"

Liu Yishui also took a bite and nodded repeatedly in agreement:

"It's no exaggeration to say that you can't get this roasted lamb even if you pay for a fancy restaurant in the county town!"

Meanwhile, the mutton offal soup was also ready.

Wang Xiaomeng and Xie Xiaomei served the soup together, sprinkling cilantro and pepper at the bottom of the bowl, but they were missing a bit of chili oil.