Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Liu Neng buried his head in his food, stuffing his mouth full, and mumbled his praise:

"This blood sausage is so...so tender! It smells amazing!"

Zhao Si nodded as he ate:

"The pickled cabbage is flavorful and has been stewing for the right amount of time."

Lin Chen was also eating with his mouth full of oil, but his eating ability was not very good. He could only eat a few pieces before he couldn't eat anymore, even with garlic sauce. Meanwhile, Wang Laoqi kept putting food on his plate.

"Xiao Chen, stop pretending! Eat more! These are all from our own pigs, this meat tastes the best!"

Lin Chen waved his hand and said with a wry smile:

"Seventh Uncle, why am I pretending with you? I really can't eat anymore. Let's have some drinks first, and I need to rest."

At the other women's table, Xie Xiaomei took a moment to come over and quietly tugged at Lin Chen's sleeve, whispering a word of advice:

"Drink less, please..."

Lin Chen knew what she meant, so he turned his head close to her ear, suppressing a laugh:

"It's alright, Xiao Meng is going over tonight too, you two can keep each other company."

Xie Xiaomei was stunned for a moment, then smiled secretly, gently pinched his arm, and obediently went back to sit down, feeling completely at ease.

Wang Xiaomeng sat at the women's table, occasionally stealing glances at Lin Chen, feeling secretly pleased with herself.

Everyone ate until after 2 p.m., and they were all so full that they swayed as they walked home.

After Lin Chen and Xie Xiaomei finished tidying up the yard, Wang Laoqi insisted on giving Lin Chen a large piece of pork hock, but Lin Chen refused no matter what.

After returning home, Lin Chen took a nap. Xie Xiaomei didn't go back to the farm either. The peak breeding season for meat rabbits is in spring and autumn. In winter, when the temperature is low, the estrus rate and litter rate of female rabbits will decrease significantly.

Although there are basic tasks that must be done every day, they are all physical labor that can be handled by workers in shifts. She, as a technician, doesn't need to be there every day to supervise. If there is anything, Liu Yishui will call her and drive over, which is very convenient.

Xie Xiaomei went online for a while, and then started tidying up the house.

As soon as it got dark, Xie Dajiao returned, bundled up tightly. Lin Chen and the other two were chatting about the funny things that happened during the day when the front door made a soft knock.

You don't even need to see her; you can tell it's Wang Xiaomeng just by listening to her movements.

She was wrapped in a thick coat, making her look round and plump, with her hands tucked into an aluminum basin in her arms, as if afraid the heat would escape, and she was also holding some meat.

Her face was red from the cold, and the tip of her nose felt cool. As soon as she entered the room and saw everyone there, she smiled and said:

"Try it while it's hot!"

Wang Xiaomeng placed the basin on the kang table and said softly:

"The pickled cabbage has been stewing for almost an hour, and it's so flavorful. I'm bringing it over quickly, otherwise it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Xie Xiaomei immediately reached out and opened the lid. As soon as the lid was lifted, the aroma wafted out, and it was indeed completely different from the dishes at noon.

This pot of stew was slowly simmered until the pickled cabbage was soft and tender, with oil clinging to it; it looked so appetizing.

The pork fat has been stewed into the soup, making it clear and not greasy. It melts in your mouth and the blood sausage looks freshly added. It sits trembling in the soup, its purplish-red color and glossy appearance making your mouth water.

Xie Xiaomei went outside to get a bowl, and while serving the food, she casually said:

"That's how pork stew is: the first batch is fresh, the second batch is fragrant, and the more it's cooked, the better it tastes."

"Of course!"

Xie Dajiao leaned over, picked up a spoon, scooped up a mouthful of soup, and immediately nodded in praise:

"This soup is delicious. I'm a picky eater now that I'm pregnant, and I just love this kind of well-stewed soup."

Wang Xiaomeng, holding her chopsticks, carefully picked out a piece of lean pork belly and placed it on Xie Dajiao's plate, showing great thoughtfulness.

"Auntie, eat more. This meat is stewed until it's very tender, so you don't have to chew it."

"I'll stew another pot tomorrow, and I'll go back early to bring it to the supermarket for you. I'll make sure you can have a hot meal every day."

Xie Dajiao felt warm inside from her coaxing and waved her hand with a smile:

"You're such a thoughtful child, always thinking of me."

Several people sat around the kang table, eating heartily. The room was lively and not at all quiet.

"Oh dear, I completely forgot about the meat, Brother Chen, I'll put it in the outer container for you!"

Lin Chen smiled helplessly and said:

"Oh dear, Uncle Qi still brought the meat. You put it there, I'll go get it."

"No need, no need, I'll go. It's not like I don't know where it is."

Wang Xiaomeng ran out without even putting on a coat, and came running back shortly after, hissing and laughing. She was completely frozen through in just a short while.

As Xie Xiaomei ate, she picked at the blood sausage in her bowl, looked up and asked:

"Auntie, when are we going to the market to buy New Year's goods this year? We always go to the market in Songshan, right?"

"That's right there!"

Xie Dajiao put down her spoon and started chatting about everyday things:

"The only market around here is the biggest and most complete, but it's packed with people, you can't even squeeze through. Zhonggu Market is okay, but it's a bit far."

"In previous years, without cars, we had to get up before dawn to ride a donkey cart, and it was so cold going back and forth. This year is great, we don't have to suffer like that."

Wang Xiaomeng was making plans while eating:

"I also need to go to the market. I have to buy frozen pears and frozen persimmons for the family, as they are indispensable on the New Year's table. I also need to buy some other miscellaneous things."

"We also need to prepare couplets, the character '福' (good fortune), and firecrackers; the New Year is all about having a festive atmosphere."

Xie Xiaomei nodded repeatedly as she listened:

"I need to buy quite a lot too. I'll be spending the Spring Festival in the village this year and won't be going back to the county town."

Lin Chen knew Xie Xiaomei was worried about him being alone, so he smiled and replied:

"Okay, no problem. I'll drive you there next time you go to the market."

"Let's leave early so the market is less crowded. We can get all the supermarket goods sorted first, and then slowly buy your New Year's goods. We can bring everything back in one trip, instead of carrying a bunch of stuff and freezing on the roadside like in previous years."

Xie Dajiao's eyes lit up immediately:

"That's great! Going to the market in previous years was a real ordeal. My hands would be frozen red afterward, and my arms would ache and swell from carrying all the stuff. Having a car makes things so much easier!"

"Yes, let's buy more this year and have a prosperous and lively New Year."

Before we knew it, it was quite late, and we were chatting and laughing.

The kang (heated brick bed) in the room was too hot, and coupled with her pregnancy, Xie Dajiao was clearly unable to bear it. She yawned several times in a row, and her eyelids were so heavy that she could hardly lift them.

She slowly rose, supporting herself on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her hand gently protecting her slightly protruding belly, her tone languid:

"You three keep chatting, I'm going back to my room to lie down. I don't know what's wrong with me lately, I'm sleepy every day. Don't stay up too late either."

Xie Xiaomei immediately got up and helped her:

"Let me help you up and prop up your pillow so you can sleep more comfortably. If you get thirsty or need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, just call us."

"Oh dear, I haven't reached that point yet."

The two went into that room, and Xie Xiaomei returned in less than two minutes. She closed the door behind her and whispered to them:

"My aunt was really tired; she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow."

"She has to keep an eye on the supermarket all the time, and she's already weak from being pregnant."

Lin Chen nodded:

"If the supermarket gets too busy during this period, I'll be there helping out during the day. Whoever is free can go."

"Okay, I got it." Xie Xiaomei obediently replied.

The three of them quickly cleaned up the dishes and wiped the kang table, making the room much cleaner immediately.

Xie Xiaomei pulled out a DVD, turned around and said with a smile:

"Want to see a movie? 'A World Without Thieves.' We're free tonight anyway, let's watch it together?"

"Okay, this will help kill some time." Lin Chen replied, getting up to turn off the headlights.

The room instantly darkened, leaving only the warm light from the television, softly reflecting on the wall. The wind was strong outside, but the room was quiet, warm, and comforting.

The three of them squeezed onto the warm kang (a heated brick bed), covered by the same thick quilt. The quilt was large enough that the warmth made them feel weak all over.

Xie Xiaomei leaned directly on Lin Chen's shoulder, her head pressed against him, and watched TV peacefully.

Wang Xiaomeng was shy, so at first she sat up straight and stared at the TV screen properly.

But the room was too warm, and the two people beside her made her feel so at ease. Her tense body slowly relaxed. After hesitating for a moment, she simply lay down gently and rested her head on Lin Chen's lap.

Lin Chen didn't react awkwardly at all; he was very natural. He put one hand on Xie Xiaomei's shoulder and gently put his arm around her, while the other hand hung down and slowly stroked Wang Xiaomeng's hair with a gentle touch.

No one spoke in the room, only the sound of the television dialogue and the soft breathing of the three people. There was no awkwardness or restraint, just the relaxed feeling of a family gathered together.

The light and shadow flickered, falling on the faces of the two girls.

Xie Xiaomei leaned on Lin Chen's shoulder, smelling his familiar scent. With Xiao Meng by her side, she didn't have to be jealous or overthink things. The two sisters got along very well, and this kind of life was truly comfortable.

When the movie reached the train scene, the light flickered on and off. Lin Chen lowered his head slightly, looked at Xie Xiaomei who was leaning obediently on his shoulder, and gently kissed her forehead.

Xie Xiaomei smiled, didn't dodge, but instead snuggled closer to him, tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and Lin Chen's lips touched hers.

Wang Xiaomeng was enjoying the movie when she suddenly felt her head being slowly lifted up.

She held her breath instantly, her heart pounded faster, her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she remained lying there obediently, unwilling to move.

The sound of the television seemed to fade into the distance; all that remained in the world was the temperature around me.

Although Lin Chen was tilting his head and smacking his lips, he gently rubbed Wang Xiaomeng's cheek with his fingers, the movement slow and leisurely, without the slightest impatience.

There are no grand, flashy scenes, just the most ordinary warmth of a winter night in Northeast China, down-to-earth and flowing like a gentle stream.

The weather in December is unpredictable, and the snow has finally fallen again...

(I need to speed up the plot, I'm anxious too!)