Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

In the blink of an eye, the Big Foot Grocery Store... no, it should be called Big Foot Supermarket now, has been renovated in just twelve days.

At nine o'clock in the morning, sunlight streamed through the supermarket's newly installed large glass windows, illuminating the light gray linoleum floor and making the brand-new shelves inside shine.

The current layout is completely different from the old-fashioned, dilapidated shop; it is now neat and spacious.

Upon entering, there is a 1.2-meter-wide glass counter, where Xie Dajiao stands to collect money. Behind the counter, the wall is lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, with rows of neatly stacked cigarettes, liquor, and gift boxes. On the left, two rows of shelves are filled with snacks, drinks, and kitchen condiments, while on the right, two rows of shelves display daily necessities for the entire village, such as cleaning products and other everyday items.

At the far end of the house, a special area for grains and oils was set up against the wall. Northeast rice and wheat flour were stacked neatly, and barrels of soybean oil were piled on the ground. To the right of the entrance stood a brand-new standing single-door freezer.

The side door faces the back of the counter, so you don't have to walk around the front door to restock. You can just step out and get the goods, which is very convenient.

Lin Chen, Xie Dajiao, Wang Xiaomeng, and Xie Xiaomei arrived early in the morning to set up the goods and clean up.

Cardboard boxes were piled up on the ground, and plastic bags were scattered everywhere. Several people were unpacking, sorting, and arranging the goods, and bottles and jars were clanging and clattering.

Xie Dajiao, wearing a clean floral apron, saw the pile of soybean oil on the ground and bent down to lift it up.

Lin Chen reacted swiftly, stepping forward and grabbing her arm. His brow furrowed slightly, and his tone was a mixture of concern and firmness:

"Don't move, don't move, stand up straight."

"Your body is special, why can't you remember things? Just stand on the side and set up the shelves. Let me handle these big items. What if I strain them? It's not worth the risk."

Xie Dajiao had her arm held down by him, so she awkwardly withdrew her hand, smiled with pursed lips without arguing, and obediently picked up the snacks next to her and put them on the shelf.

Wang Xiaomeng, carrying a stack of items, squatted in front of the shelves, stocking them. She would occasionally glance up at the bright, spacious supermarket, her eyes sparkling. She was genuinely happy for Xie Dajiao, and her tone was tinged with envy:

"Auntie, this is so much nicer! It's so much better than that cramped little grocery store we used to have!"

In front of outsiders, she called Xie Dajiao her godmother, but here everyone was her own family, and she still wasn't quite used to it, so she simply called her aunt.

"Before, the passageways were so narrow you had to walk sideways, but now there's so much space in this room you can walk around in circles. From now on, if anyone in our village needs anything, we won't have to go to town anymore. Your business is sure to boom."

Xie Xiaomei took a rag and carefully wiped the glass cabinet until it was spotless, even the corners and crevices were shiny from the wiping.

He tilted his head and jokingly replied, a mischievous smile playing on his lips:

"Of course! From now on, my aunt is the official supermarket owner! We'll come here every day to help out and watch the store for free. You can't just take us for free; you have to pay us a salary when you make money!"

Xie Dajiao's eyes crinkled with laughter as the two of them coaxed her. She wiped the dust off her hands on her apron, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, we absolutely have to open! Salaries and everything else are negotiable! Once we're officially open and making money, it'll all be yours. We'll stock up on whatever you want to eat."

Lin Chen squatted down in front of the freezer by the door, turning the temperature control knob to adjust the cooling setting, testing if it worked. Without looking up, he said:

"Yutian is getting married soon. After the wedding, he'll pick an even-numbered day to set off firecrackers for the grand opening, and set off two strings of 10,000-shot firecrackers to make it lively."

"Should we arrange for a few tables?"

"What arrangements? We just did a little renovation. It's so bad it'll make people laugh."

Xie Dajiao smiled and nodded:

"If you don't want to make arrangements, then you don't have to. You don't know, some people even tell Xin'er about building a pigsty. I'm even contributing 20."

This made everyone burst into laughter, and Lin Chen waved his hand:

"Haha, we could never do something like that. Also, from now on, you'll just stick to standing at the counter collecting money and reconciling accounts. Don't do any heavy lifting like moving or unloading goods or carrying large items of grain and oil, understand?"

Xie Dajiao muttered something under her breath, but her heart was burning with sweetness:

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill again. Fine, I'll listen to you."

She complained, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, and the sunlight fell on her face, which couldn't hide her smile.

By noon, most of the goods were neatly arranged, and the room was mostly tidied up.

Just as the group straightened up to catch their breath, the supermarket door was pushed open, and a gust of wind rushed in.

Zhao Yutian burst in, covered in sweat, as if he had run there.

He was holding two boxes of Hongtashan cigarettes. He glanced around as he entered, and the moment he saw Lin Chen, his eyes lit up. He rushed to the counter, his voice urgent:

"Brother Chen, I've finally found you! I went to your house to ask you to lock the door, and I knew you'd be here. Could you please do me a favor?"

Without any formalities, he slammed the two boxes of Hongtashan cigarettes onto the glass counter, rubbing them together with a fawning grin on his face.

"I'm getting married to Liu Ying, and I was thinking of having you come and be my best man, is that alright?"

Lin Chen reached out and picked up a Hongtashan cigarette from the counter, weighing it in his hand. He rested his elbow on the smooth countertop, squinted, and deliberately teased him:

"Just two boxes of Hongtashan cigarettes and you want me to be your best man? My appearance fee is a bit high, this is not enough to satisfy you."

Zhao Yutian chuckled twice, making no attempt to hide anything, and reached into his satchel behind his back to pull out a Yuxi cigarette, gently placing it on the counter:

"The best stuff is at the bottom of the list! Brother Chen, now that we've finished talking about business, I have a small favor to ask you for."

Lin Chen glanced at the Yuxi cigarettes on the counter, then at the Hongtashan cigarettes in his hand, and then at Yu Tian's solemn expression. He deliberately shrank back, pretending to be cautious.

"Is this a big deal? What did you do? You want me to take the blame for you?"

"No, no..."

Zhao Yutian was amused by Lin Chen's remark and quickly explained:

"Brother Chen, what crime are you taking the blame for? I just wanted to borrow your car to use as the lead car for the wedding procession!"

"Your car is top-notch; you won't find another one like it in the whole town. With big red flowers and colorful ribbons on the front, it's way more impressive than the lead cars that other people rent! I have to have a grand and spectacular wedding."

After listening, Lin Chen smiled, patted Zhao Yutian on the shoulder, and readily agreed:

"I thought it was no big deal, the whole Yuxi River? Okay, I'll take care of both for you. I'll be the best man, and you can drive the lead car. Xiaomei can drive."

Xie Xiaomei raised her hand behind her:

"Okay, I'll drive then!"

Zhao Yutian smiled and thanked him twice. He hurriedly told Lin Chen the auspicious time for picking up the bride and the driving route. Then, he grabbed his bag and ran off in a flash. He was exhausted, as the wedding was just around the corner.

Xie Dajiao watched his hurried departure, shook her head with a smile, and sighed:

"This child, even after getting married, is still so impulsive..."

……

The second day of the eleventh lunar month is an auspicious day for marriage.

Today the sky was clear and bright, a sunny day. Although it was cold in early winter in Northeast China, thankfully there was no wind, and the whole of Xiangyashan was filled with the festive smell of fireworks.

The Zhao family had tidied up the courtyard early on, setting up a huge blue canvas tent with square tables underneath. Several outdoor earthen stoves were temporarily built outside the courtyard to prepare a large banquet with a continuous stream of dishes.

Everyone in the village, young and old, who had nothing to do, came over, and Zhao Si's courtyard was packed with people.

It was six o'clock in the morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Zhao Yutian, dressed in a crisp navy blue suit with a tie and a red silk boutonniere pinned to his chest, paced back and forth at the gate of his own courtyard, feeling both nervous and excited, glancing at the roadside every now and then.

Lin Chen wore a dark cotton jacket with a matching red flower pinned to his chest. He stood next to him, helping to count the red envelopes, wedding cigarettes, and wedding candies, and stuffing a stack of small red envelopes into his pocket.

There wasn't much of a wedding procession. The first car was Lin Chen's, with a large red ribbon tied to the front and pink ribbons wrapped around the body. Behind it followed his family's tricycle, which had the character for "happiness" pasted on it.

When the time came, they drove towards Liu Neng's house, setting off small firecrackers all the way.

As soon as the car stopped in front of Liu Neng's house, it was immediately blocked by Liu Ying and her group of friends, who were girls from the village, who wouldn't let them in.

A group of girls stood with their hands on their hips, blocking the doorway, their voices crisp and clear:

"Take the red envelope first! No door-opening red envelope, no taking the bride away!"

Zhao Yutian stood at the door, not daring to force his way in. Lin Chen smiled and stepped forward, slipping a wad of small red envelopes from his pocket through the crack in the door, and called out:

"Ladies, please have mercy and let us in. Delaying the auspicious time is bad luck. After the wedding, I'll have the groom give you a big bag of wedding candy separately!"

The group was just there for the fun, and after about ten minutes they decided to call it a day, laughing and joking as they pushed open the gate to let everyone pass.

Liu Neng, adopting the airs of a father-in-law, sat upright on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with his hands behind his back and a stern face, deliberately drawing long lines and displaying a serious expression.

Zhao Yutian stood respectfully in front of him.

Liu Neng cleared his throat and slowly began to give instructions:

"Yu...Yutian, I've raised my Yingzi since she was a baby, and today I'm handing her over to you. I...I only have one thing to say: from now on, you're not allowed to bully her."

Zhao Yutian nodded his head vigorously, like he was pounding garlic.

"Father, you can rest assured. I will definitely treat Liu Ying well for the rest of my life. We will discuss everything at home."

Lin Chen, standing to the side, chuckled and chimed in to defuse the situation:

"Uncle Neng, they've been together for so long and their relationship is solid. Their future together will definitely be good, so don't worry about it."

Liu Neng couldn't hold back any longer. He grinned and waved his hand to let the bride off.

According to custom, bring two catties of fresh pork with double ribs, tied with red string. This is pork from the mother's womb. Also bring two bundles of scallions tied with red string, plus two bundles of vermicelli and two bundles of dried noodles.

Liu Neng's family kept half of the meat and vermicelli for their mother, and had the wedding procession take the other half back to the Zhao family.

The older generation values ​​this etiquette, as it symbolizes frequent visits between the two families, wishing the bride a smooth and prosperous life in her husband's family.