Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"Besides, my aunt is pregnant, and it's boring for her to be alone at night. You can keep her company and chat with her to keep her entertained. Most importantly, we have to go to the county to pick out new machines tomorrow. If you stay here, we can go together tomorrow, saving you the trouble of running around and taking a long detour."

Wang Xiaomeng had already agreed in her heart. She was reluctant to part with Lin Chen in the first place, and after Xie Xiaomei's encouragement, she hesitated for a moment, then blushed and nodded gently.

"Okay then, I'll call my dad."

The two walked arm in arm to the entrance of Lin Chen's courtyard, and Wang Xiaomeng picked up her phone and dialed her home number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered. As soon as the receiver connected, the background music from an animated film came through, making a lot of noise.

Wang Laoqi sat cross-legged on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), draped in a thin jacket, his eyes glued to the cartoon, chuckling occasionally, and casually striking up a conversation:

"Hey? Xiao Meng? Why aren't you home yet, it's so late?"

"Dad, I'm not going back tonight. I'm staying at my godmother's house to chat with her for a while. It's getting a bit late." Wang Xiaomeng said timidly in a low voice, clutching her phone. Lying still felt a little unnatural to her.

Wang Laoqi agreed so readily, without asking a single question:

"Alright, alright, I'll stay there."

"Keep an eye on Big Foot over there. She has a special condition. Make sure she's covered up well at night so she doesn't catch a cold. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up now. My cartoon is at a crucial moment, so don't interrupt my TV viewing."

The phone rang immediately after he finished speaking, without any hesitation.

Wang Xiaomeng held up the busy signal that kept ringing, feeling both helpless and amused.

Xie Xiaomei couldn't help but giggle, and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the yard.

"See! Uncle Qi doesn't have any objections! Hurry up and come inside!"

The courtyard was quiet, with only the porch lamp on, and the poplar leaves around it rustling in the autumn wind.

The three of them tiptoed into the courtyard. The main lights in the house were off, and it was pitch black. The door to Xie Dajiao's room was tightly closed, and there was no sound from inside.

Xie Xiaomei glanced inside, then lowered her voice and spoke in a whisper, afraid of disturbing the people inside:

"My aunt is asleep. Pregnant women love to sleep; she gets sleepy as soon as her head hits the pillow. Let's go to that room and chat without waking her up."

Wang Xiaomeng nodded, went inside, turned on the light, and stood on the ground feeling very uncomfortable. Just thinking about what was going to happen made her feel uneasy.

My instinct was to think that I should go to that room tonight and sleep with Xie Dajiao for the night.

As a result, Xie Xiaomei brought out neatly folded, clean bedding, winked mischievously, and whispered:

"Xiao Meng, you'll stay in this room tonight. Brother Chen specially heated the kang (heated brick bed) this afternoon; it's very warm."

"I'll go to that room to sleep with my aunt, and I'll help her out when she needs to use the restroom."

Just from that one sentence, Wang Xiaomeng was so shy that the tips of her ears turned bright red.

My heart was pounding, I was both excited and secretly delighted. I opened my mouth twice, wanting to refuse, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Lin Chen returned from the restroom, a smile on his face, and spoke softly:

"Don't stand there, you've had a long day, just rest. The kang (heated brick bed) is all heated."

"You guys should get some rest, Xiao Meng. Just call me if you need anything during the night."

Xie Xiaomei gave the two a mischievous look, then quietly slipped into the room with her blanket, closing the door behind her without leaving a crack.

Now only Lin Chen and Wang Xiaomeng were left in the room.

The room was eerily quiet, the atmosphere both awkward and ambiguous.

Lin Chen took half a step forward and gently touched her arm, his tone natural:

"Go and rest on the kang (heated brick bed) for a while."

Wang Xiaomeng lowered her head, gave a soft "hmm," and felt lightheaded, her body tense.

The room was softly lit and not glaring, and the kang (a heated brick bed) was covered with a bright red floral quilt, a standard feature in the countryside.

Wang Xiaomeng sat nervously on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), clutching the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding wildly.

Lin Chen took off his coat and hung it on the hanger, then picked up a water glass and handed it over:

"Drink some warm water to calm down; the wind on the mountain is strong, and it's made my face feel cold."

Wang Xiaomeng reached out to take the cup, but her fingers accidentally touched his hand. A tingling sensation shot through her, and she quickly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and nervously sipped the water.

Seeing that she was shy and reserved, Lin Chen didn't push her closer. Instead, he sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, and chatted with her about everyday things, mostly about the village.

For example, we talked about the county's purchase of machinery tomorrow, and how to gradually establish a bean product factory. We also talked about how we wanted to renovate Xie Dajiao's small shop into a mini-supermarket. We picked light topics to help her relax.

After chatting for a while, Wang Xiaomeng was no longer so nervous. The light reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle and look exceptionally beautiful.

Looking at her, Lin Chen stepped forward and took her small hand that was resting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Wang Xiaomeng's body trembled slightly, and she instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but after a moment's hesitation, she didn't dodge.

She gently moved closer to him, her long eyelashes trembling, and she lowered her head even further.

Lin Chen held her hand and said sincerely:

"Xiao Meng, from now on this is your home. You are my woman. Don't be shy or reserved here. With me here, you don't need to worry about anything."

Wang Xiaomeng raised her head, her wet eyes looking at Lin Chen, and nodded vigorously, her voice soft:

"Um!"

Lin Chen reached out and turned off the light, not bothering with formalities. The lights in the room immediately went out, leaving only the moonlight streaming in from the window, which Lin Chen then blocked by drawing the curtains.

At first, Wang Xiaomeng was still tense and reserved, but after a while she completely let down her guard and gently leaned into Lin Chen's arms.

Lin Chen carefully pulled her into his arms, his movements gentle and tender. He gently rested his chin on the top of her head. This was his woman; he couldn't treat her like someone else's bicycle, standing up and pedaling.

The autumn wind howled outside the window, and the night was chilly, but the warm kang bed inside the house warmed my heart, and I was surrounded by like-minded people, making me feel comfortable and at peace.

Wang Xiaomeng closed her eyes, pressed her ear against his chest, and listened to his steady heartbeat. She had never felt this way before in her entire life.

Starting tonight, their relationship has taken a step further; they have decided to be a couple who will spend their lives together from now on.

It's late at night now, and the temperature in Ivory Mountain is very low. The cold, white moonlight spreads across the courtyard, and the withered grass by the woodpile seems to crumble at the slightest touch. The wind whistles dry leaves across the wall, making a soft rustling sound, like the sound of people taking off their clothes after a busy day.

A faint sound came from the underground burrow. A mouse poked its head out, its body trembling slightly, whether from the cold or nervousness. It sniffed around before tiptoeing out, grabbing a large ear of corn that had fallen to the ground. Its small teeth ground together softly as it examined the corn, unsure where to start eating.

The house cat that had been curled up on the wall for half the night stirred.

Its fur was fluffy and soft in the night wind. It silently leaped down, its paws like paw pads landing on the ground without making a sound.

It didn't pounce immediately, but instead moved forward quietly, its tail taut and pointed, step by step getting closer to the mouse. The moonlight stretched its shadow long, just enough to cover the small gray shadow.

Just as the mouse was engrossed in its munching, it gently leaned forward, its soft front paws pressing down, trapping the entire mouse on the ground.

The cat's paws were held in place very steadily, with no sharp nails showing. All I could feel was a small, frantic mass thrashing about in my palm, the faint squeaking sounds muffled beneath its paws and then vanishing in the night breeze.

It curiously raised its paw tip, leaving a narrow gap for the mouse.

The little creature immediately darted out through the crack, its four thin paws moving swiftly. But after only a couple of steps, the cat's claws gently hooked the tip of its tail, and with a slight pull, it was thrown upside down, its four paws kicking wildly in the air in a panic.

The mouse, feeling dizzy and disoriented, got up and scurried back into its hole.

It didn't stop it, but slowly raised its paw and followed behind. Only when the mouse's head had already crawled into the hole did it reach out and press down on the half of its tail that was sticking out, and slowly pulled it back.

Pull an inch, release an inch, pull an inch, release an inch again, and so on, over and over again!

After playing a few times, the mouse learned its lesson and curled up into a ball on the ground.

The cat bent down and gently nudged the mouse's round belly with its cool, wet pink nose, again and again, until the little thing couldn't help but twitch. Then the cat would stop for a moment, and continue nudging when the mouse stopped moving.

Sometimes it would raise its front paws and hover them above the mouse's head for a long time, watching it tremble all over before gently patting it with its paw pads. It would scare the mouse nine times and pat it once, as if it were teasing a clueless little thing.

Forced into a corner, the mouse had no choice but to get up and run again. The mouse followed behind, occasionally brushing its ears with the tip of its tail, watching the mouse panic and spin around in circles.

The cat used its paws to turn it over, its belly up in the moonlight. When it kicked its legs and rolled back over, the cat turned it over again, making it roll back and forth like a small gray ball of fur.

After playing for an unknown amount of time, the mouse finally collapsed to the ground, its paws twitching slightly, unable to utter a sound, only its chest rising and falling gently.

The tabby cat then stopped playing, lowered its head, and gently bit the scruff of its neck with its sharp teeth, controlling the force just right so as not to break the fur at all.

It carried its prey, tiptoed onto the earthen wall, glanced back at the empty base of the wall, flicked its tail, and disappeared into the woods.

In the corner of the courtyard, only a few grains of broken husks remained, along with a faint plum blossom mark, which faded slowly into the frost with a gust of wind.

The night was peaceful and long.

Just like the scorching hot earthen bed in Northeast China, their future will only get warmer and brighter.

"Creak..."

Xie Xiaomei was just drifting off to sleep when she heard the door open. She turned her head to look at the doorway and recognized Wang Xiaomeng by the shadow.

Xie Xiaomei, wearing pajamas, tiptoed out, tidied Xiaomeng's hair, and asked in a low voice:

"What's wrong, Xiao Meng?"

Wang Xiaomeng whispered:

"Sister Xiaomei, why don't you sleep in this room..."

There's no need to spell it out; all the sisters have been through this. Xie Xiaomei nodded.

"Okay, I'll go back and get the blankets and then I'll be right there. You go back and rest first, I'll take care of everything."

Wang Xiaomeng was overjoyed and a smile spread across her face.