Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Xie Dajiao also came to her senses a bit, realizing what she had just been doing. So she quickly took a couple of deep breaths to suppress her agitation, and gave Lin Chen a reproachful, playful glare.

"Oh dear, your auntie was just teasing you! You're really easy to tease."

He bent down, took out a bottle of the coldest mineral water from the freezer, and handed it to Lin Chen:

"Take it home and drink it; you'll definitely be thirsty tonight if you drink."

Lin Chen had just taken a sip when Chang Gui came running over. He was stunned when he saw Lin Chen there.

Lin Chen drank his water, looking at Wang Changgui with amusement.

"Oh, Director, you're here to buy something so late?"

Wang Changgui never expected there would be anyone in the shop. He just wanted to come and see Xie Dajiao, whom he had been longing for, late at night. Although she wasn't a widow, she was almost like one.

He wanted something hot to eat, but he didn't dare to mention it; he had the desire but not the courage.

"Huh? Ah! Well... um, I'm out of cigarettes, Big Foot, get me a pack of Tashan cigarettes."

Lin Chen just smiled and looked at him, which made Chang Gui feel a little uneasy.

"Xiao Chen, why are you still here so late?"

Lin Chen picked up the mosquito coil from the counter and said:

"I just finished drinking at Wang Laoqi's house, and I happened to be passing by to buy a box of mosquito coils. This aunt gave me a bottle of chilled water so I could sober up before going home."

Wang Changgui, with a cigarette between his fingers, paid the money, glanced at Xie Dajiao, and knew he wouldn't be able to talk to her today.

"Okay, I'll be going now. Xiao Chen, please be careful on your way back. The countryside is not like the city."

"Understood, Director. Take care!"

After Wang Changgui left, Lin Chen, who was not one to back down from trouble, beckoned with his finger. Xie Dajiao, who was standing inside the counter, leaned her upper body against it and leaned over to listen.

"If you're interested tonight, come to my house. I've been living here for five years. I can't live without women unless I'm dating or getting married. If you come to me, I can comfort you. My house is in a secluded spot, so no one will find it. The key is that I won't disrupt your current life."

"It's okay if you don't come. I won't tell anyone about this. It's a secret between us."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and walked out of the grocery store. The evening breeze blew, and most of the heat on his body dissipated, and the impulse to take advantage of others while drunk gradually subsided.

Behind him, Xie Dajiao leaned against the window frame, her gaze fixed on his tall, straight back. She licked her lips, feeling a deep sense of longing, and watched him until he completely disappeared into the night before slowly withdrawing her gaze.

Lin Chen left the grocery store, clutching the ice-cold bottle of mineral water in his hand as he walked home.

The intimate tug-of-war we had just experienced in the store, the woman's soft touch, and her direct and bold gaze kept flashing through my mind.

Lin Chen's expression was calm, but there was a hint of understanding in his eyes. He was in no hurry to get closer, nor did he point out the restlessness in Xie Dajiao's heart. This woman, who had been guarding an empty room for many years and whose life was full of grievances, was destined to have a restless heart tonight.

We drove slowly and soon got home. It's good that the house is a bit out of the way; at least it's quiet. Even if I shout at the top of my lungs, no one will hear me.

Reaching out and pushing open the gate, the weeds in the yard swayed gently in the wind, and the next second, you could hear the buzzing of mosquitoes.

"These mosquitoes are really fierce. I'll have to clean up the yard tomorrow and pull out all the weeds."

He strode into the house, turned on the light, walked to the table, opened the mosquito coil packaging, and searched for a long time but couldn't find the tray that was supposed to be included. With no other option, he found two chipped old porcelain bowls to use as trays, placing one at the doorway to block the wind and the other next to the table.

The wisps of smoke slowly dissipated, choking him and causing him to cough twice. He quickly opened the front and back windows to ventilate the room, which made him feel much better.

The night breeze blew into the room, dispersing some of the smoke. Lin Chen lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), a cigarette between his fingers. As the cigarette flickered, he recalled Xie Dajiao's panicked eyes, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

He didn't need to guess to know that the woman must be sitting in the shop, feeling restless.

The mosquitoes inside were mostly dispersed by the mosquito coils, and the noisy buzzing in my ears completely disappeared.

Lin Chen stubbed out his cigarette, took off his clothes, and lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed). Outside the window, the croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects mingled together, and the unique tranquility of the rural night was very comforting. He closed his eyes and peacefully prepared to rest.

Meanwhile, inside the Bigfoot grocery store, it was dimly lit.

After Lin Chen left, Xie Dajiao leaned against the freezer and stood motionless for a full ten minutes.

The faint smell of alcohol and cigarettes lingered on the man's body, and the image of his strong, warm embrace and the close breath whispering in her ear kept swirling in her mind, making her feel inexplicably agitated.

She walked back to the counter, looking lost and disoriented. She plopped down on a wooden stool, supporting her burning face with her hands. Her heart was pounding wildly, filled with panic and confusion.

On one hand, there was the loneliness and longing that had been suppressed for many years; on the other hand, there was the fear that if the villagers found out, how could she face them? These two thoughts were tearing her apart in her heart.

She knew in her heart that her marriage had been in name only for so many years, and she had been living a life of widowhood, which was dull and stifling.

Having finally met a young, strong, domineering, and responsible man like Lin Chen, the feelings that had been dormant in her heart for many years finally broke through the ground. She wanted to see him from the bottom of her heart, hoping to find some comfort in each other under the cover of night.

But she was also afraid. She would say it was okay, but if she actually did it, that would be a different story.

The village is a small community, and everyone sees each other all the time. She hasn't officially divorced yet, and if she goes out alone in the middle of the night and is caught by someone, the gossip will spread throughout the whole village, and she will never be able to stand in the village again.

She paced back and forth in the store, her steps unsteady, her legs aching from walking, yet the restlessness in her heart remained unabated.

I grabbed a glass of ice water from the freezer and gulped it down; the biting cold couldn't extinguish the surging emotions in my heart.

Looking up at the clock on the wall, it was already past nine o'clock; every household in the village had long since turned off their lights and gone to sleep.

Xie Dajiao bit her lower lip hard, and the last trace of worry in her heart completely disappeared.

Just this once, take advantage of the dead of night, go along a secluded path, and no one will notice!

She quickly went into the inner room to tidy herself up, changed into a shirt she usually wouldn't wear, and let her hair down, making her look much younger and softer.

She was naturally beautiful, and although she's older now, she still retains her charm; otherwise, Lin Chen wouldn't have chosen her.

After looking at herself in the mirror for a moment, Xie Dajiao nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly remembering something, she quickly went inside, fetched a basin of water, and squatted down on the ground.

She turned off the lights and locked the door, then carefully made her way along the wall, avoiding the main road and choosing only the small paths behind the mountain.

The wind rustled through the roadside bushes, and Xie Dajiao trembled with fear. She steeled herself and continued walking briskly toward Lin Chen's house.

At the same time, the atmosphere in Wang Changgui's home was somber and oppressive.

Wang Changgui walked into the courtyard dejectedly, feeling irritable. He thought to himself, "Why didn't I have a chance to say a few more words to Xie Dajiao?"

"Dad, you're back?"

Wang Xiangxiu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) eating instant noodles, looking up at her father who had a gloomy face.

Wang Changgui responded sullenly, sat down, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it all in one gulp, but the frustration in his heart did not ease at all.

"Weren't we supposed to have dinner at Xie Guangkun's house today? Why are we eating instant noodles here?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiangxiu immediately put down her chopsticks, her face full of helplessness:

"Don't even mention it. We couldn't eat at all. Uncle Guangkun scolded Yongqiang in front of everyone, looking down on Xiaomeng's family for selling tofu and saying they weren't good enough for his college student son. Yongqiang kept his head down the whole time and didn't dare to say a word in rebuttal. He was so pathetic that it was unbearable to watch. We felt awkward staying there, so we all came back."