Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

The excitement on Wang Xiaomeng's face gradually faded, and her brows furrowed slightly, but the stubbornness in her bones was not hidden at all, and her tone was both hesitant and determined:

"My family's savings from the tofu shop over the years amounted to only twenty or thirty thousand yuan. Even if I took it all out, there would still be a significant shortfall."

"I've figured it out on the way here. I won't be greedy or rush things. I won't expand the factory yet. I'll just make do with the old tofu shop at home. The space is more than enough. I'll buy the core equipment first and start production to test the waters. I'll add other equipment gradually."

"If the products I make taste good and have stable sales, I will gradually recoup my investment next year. Once I make money, I will rebuild the factory. I will take it one step at a time, be steady and not take risks. Only then will I feel at ease."

Lin Chen glanced down at the drawings and detailed quotes on the table, then raised his eyelids and said in a flat tone:

"This is no big deal. I'll make up for the shortfall. You don't need to worry about anything. Just focus on controlling the production quality."

The moment those words left his mouth, Wang Xiaomeng shook her head vigorously, sitting up straight in her haste, and immediately refused:

"That won't do, Brother Chen. I can't take a single penny of your money."

She pursed her lips, hesitated for two seconds, and her eyes were stubborn yet sincere:

"Don't you know what kind of people are in our village? Those old women are always gossiping behind people's backs. I took ten or twenty thousand yuan from you to open a bean product factory for no reason, and they'll definitely make up stories behind my back."

"Brother Chen, I'm with you because I genuinely like you as a person. I've never been after your money or your help. I've come this far by carrying tofu on a shoulder pole, and I just want to build up my tofu shop with my own two hands. I can sit or stand with peace of mind when I've built the shop myself."

The little girl's eyes were bright, filled with a strong, defiant spirit that refused to give up.

Lin Chen stared at her stubborn expression, finding it both admirable and endearing. A slow smile crept onto his lips, and he didn't force her.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. I won't invest this money, but remember, if you run into cash flow problems or equipment issues arise, feel free to contact me anytime. I'll be there to help you sort things out."

Wang Xiaomeng's brows instantly relaxed, revealing a shy yet clean smile, and she nodded emphatically:

"Oh, I'd love to do that! Thank you, Brother Chen!"

Xie Xiaomei, who was sitting to the side, watched the two chat quietly the whole time. She reached out and affectionately patted Wang Xiaomeng's hand, smiling and sighing:

"You're too strong-willed, but I like that about you. We women earn our own money with our own hands, and we're tough in everything we do."

Lin Chen waved his hand and said with a smile:

"I've also found two strong women. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Xiao Meng, are you staying here again tonight?"

Wang Xiaomeng immediately stood up and said:

"Brother Chen, no, I have to go home tonight. You...you...I need to rest for a few days, please?"

"What kind of fighting power do you have? Fine, then I'll just cuddle you and sleep, okay?"

Wang Xiaomeng shook her head:

"Sister Xiaomei guessed you would say that on her way back, saying that you couldn't guarantee it, so I won't stay here anymore."

Lin Chen glared at Xie Xiaomei, who immediately stuck out her tongue and hurriedly brought out the winter clothes she had bought for Lin Chen at the mall, asking him to try them on and exchange them if they didn't fit.

Lin Chen was teasing them on purpose, saying that they had already finished cycling today and didn't need to anymore.

……

Two days later, at 10 a.m., the entrance to Xiangyashan Village was bustling with activity.

A local construction team had gathered early in front of Bigfoot Grocery Store, with all the bricklayers and laborers in place.

The cement mixer hummed and roared as people busily mixed sand, cement, and bricks.

The workers were working diligently according to Lin Chen's plan; any later and the job would be much harder to complete.

There's not much entertainment in the village anyway, so these old women, who are idle at home after cooking and doing chores, come over in twos and threes to join in the fun when they hear the machines running at the village entrance.

Before long, a crowd gathered around the grocery store, some with their hands on their hips, others squatting by the wall to watch the spectacle, chatting and gossiping amongst themselves.

Lin Chen stood at the edge of the construction site, a cigarette between his fingers, quietly discussing construction details with the foreman and finalizing the construction schedule.

Xie Dajiao sat far away to the side, watching the construction with a smile. In her hand was a plate of wrinkled hawthorns, which were all brought by other old women. They were very enthusiastic when they heard that Xie Dajiao wanted to eat sour food. One gave her hawthorns, another gave her crabapples. Lin Chen was worried that she might ruin her teeth by eating too many.

Liu Yingniang and Li Xiulian squeezed to the front row, looked at the newly built red brick wall, peeked into the yard, smacked their lips with envy, and shouted in a loud voice:

"Oh my god, Big Foot, what incredible luck you've accumulated! To have such a sensible nephew-in-law like Lin Chen, who said he'd expand your shop and immediately started construction, spending money without batting an eye!"

"Finally, our village has a proper supermarket! We don't need to take a bus to town to shop anymore; we can get everything we need right here in our village. It's so convenient!"

Zhao Si's wife nodded in agreement.

"That's right! I told you long ago that your convenience store is too crowded, the aisles are too narrow, and most importantly, you're pregnant now. It'll be difficult for you to even turn around in there with your belly sticking out. Lin Chen is such a thoughtful kid; you'll be living the good life from now on!"

Several older women around nodded in agreement, chiming in with their own praise.

Xie Dajiao was delighted by the praise, her lips curving into a wide smile. She cheerfully handed out sunflower seeds to everyone, waving her hand modestly.

"Oh, please don't praise me like that. It's not about good fortune or anything. The two of them just get along well. This kid is sensible and cares about how it will be inconvenient for me to work in the future. This isn't exactly a big supermarket, just a spacious store with a full range of goods. It will be more convenient for everyone to buy their daily necessities in the future. Just come and support us whenever you have time!"

Wang Yun slowly squeezed through the crowd, secretly nudged Xie Dajiao's arm with his elbow, and teased him in a low voice with a wink:

"Wow, sis, now you're the supermarket owner! To be honest, Lin Chen is such a good person, he really treats you like family."

Xie Dajiao whispered in Wang Yun's ear:

"How have you been these past few days? I haven't heard from you at all."

Wang Yun said with a smile:

"What else can we do? We've got him. He's just a little weak, but it's okay, I can give him some nourishment."

"Emma, ​​you should take stock of all this trouble! I was wondering why Wang Changgui looked so grumpy these past few days. He hasn't even ridden his bicycle anymore, he's been taking the bus every day. All that money he's made is because of you!"

Wang Yun quickly glanced to the side and lowered his voice, saying:

"Sis, why are you yelling? I've just been thirsty for too long, it'll get better soon."

Just as Xie Dajiao was about to say that this wouldn't work, Lin Chen walked over.

He turned to Xie Dajiao and explained the construction plan:

"Auntie, I've finalized the construction schedule with the foreman. The entire project will be completed within half a month."

"I ordered the shelves and freezers from the county a long time ago. After the house is finished, I'll leave them for two days and then deliver them directly to our door. We won't need to go to the county town anymore."

As Xie Dajiao watched the small shop gradually change, she felt a sense of openness and warmth in her heart, and her whole body felt comfortable. She felt that life was getting better and better.

The neighbors around her looked on with envy and kept praising her for her good fortune. Only Xie Dajiao knew perfectly well that all this good fortune was given to her by Lin Chen.

It was past nine o'clock at night, and the sky was already completely dark.

In Lin Chen's house, the kang (a heated brick bed) was warm and cozy, the room was softly lit, and the space was quiet and well-ventilated.

After cleaning herself up, Xie Dajiao changed into a loose and soft light-colored cotton pajama set, which Xie Xiaomei had just bought for her. It was especially comfortable to wear.

She slowly dried her wet hair with a towel. Her pregnancy wasn't very obvious yet, but since becoming pregnant, she had unconsciously become very light and careful when she walked.

After drying her hair, she slowly sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), naturally leaning against Lin Chen. She gently placed her hand on his arm, her eyes soft, filled with the gentleness and dependence unique to mature women, and she subconsciously snuggled into his arms.

Lin Chen raised his hand and gently wrapped it around her slender waist, his fingers carefully tracing her flat, soft abdomen, his tone teasing:

"Behave yourself and stop messing around. I heard from others that the first three months are the most critical, when the fetus is unstable, and you can't have any strenuous activity at all."

Xie Dajiao lowered her head and buried it in his chest, muttering softly:

"Oh, I'm not that delicate... I feel perfectly healthy, and my whole body feels great."

"Whether you're spoiled or not, you have to follow the rules."

Lin Chen pinched her cheek:

"The first three months are the most prone to accidents. If you accidentally strain yourself, get tired, or experience emotional fluctuations, and make a mistake, it will be too late to cry."

"We won't be short of two months. Once we get through the first three months and things are completely stable, everything will be easier. Right now, our priority is to get you healthy."

These few thoughtful words of advice warmed Xie Dajiao's heart.

She nestled peacefully in Lin Chen's arms, her fingers idly drawing small circles on his chest, her voice very gentle:

"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say. I'll rest and recuperate properly from now on, alright...?"

The two of them snuggled together on the warm kang (heated brick bed), chatting idly and leisurely, while Xie Xiaomei in the other room had already fallen asleep.

There was no passionate, ambiguous intimacy, just quiet and peaceful leaning against each other, with someone to rely on and someone to care for you. This kind of down-to-earth stability is more effective than any sweet words.

Xie Dajiao closed her eyes tightly, pressed her ear against Lin Chen's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and unconsciously smiled with satisfaction.