Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"Later I realized that doing manual labor all the time wasn't a long-term solution. My child was getting older and I needed to save money to support his education and marriage. In order to be able to work while taking care of my child, I gritted my teeth and learned carpentry. I'm not bragging, but I've mastered the craft. People from all around come to me to make furniture and do carpentry."

"With the money I saved from carpentry, I opened a small timber processing plant. Just then, the Northeast was undergoing a major infrastructure construction boom. Everyone was building houses and making furniture, and the timber business was booming. That's when I finally gained a foothold."

"Later, when the coal market was liberalized, I seized the opportunity to contract a coal mine. Coal prices skyrocketed, and my net worth increased several times over. I gradually expanded my business and eventually established the Wang Group."

While Wang Dana was reminiscing about the past and appreciating the present, filled with emotion, Wang Musheng couldn't hear a single word he was saying.

He hated it most when his dad brought up old grievances, complained endlessly, and kept nagging until his head ached.

He was sprawled out on the sofa, put on a DVD, and stared intently at the TV.

Wang Musheng was naturally easily moved and had an exceptionally strong sense of empathy. As he watched, his gaze became fixed on the scene, and after a while, his eyes reddened. He kept sniffling and muttering softly.

Wang Dana glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and immediately noticed his expression. He frowned, his tone a mixture of annoyance and amusement:

"What are you doing? It's Chinese New Year, who are you trying to fool with your crying and wailing? Can't you be a little more dignified!"

Wang Musheng, his tongue thick and unable to straighten, covered his eyes with both hands and said:

"Touching!"

"What the heck?"

"This drama is so touching! It made me feel uneasy watching it!"

"You're such a clown!"

Wang Dana was both amused and exasperated.

"Men in their thirties, watching a movie and shedding tears—how shameful!"

Lin Chen laughed and tossed a tissue to Wang Musheng. Wang Musheng caught it, blew his nose twice, and muttered defiantly:

"It's inherently touching! You just don't understand!"

After saying that, he simply turned his back to his father and continued to stare at the TV, completely engrossed, refusing to pay any attention to him.

At this moment, the door opened, and Xie Xiaomei walked in carrying a full plate of melon seeds, candies, and dried fruit.

Xie Xiaomei placed the fruit plate on the kang table and said with a smile:

"Grandpa, brother, have some snacks to tide you over. Dinner won't be served until one or two o'clock."

Wang Dana was increasingly satisfied with her. She was good-looking, had a good temperament, was polite, observant, and efficient. She didn't have any of the spoiled airs of a city girl. He nodded to himself, thinking that this girl was indeed a good match for Lin Chen.

Wang Dana responded with a smile, his tone exceptionally friendly:

"Hey kid, don't keep working during the New Year. Sit down, rest, and chat for a while. Don't tire yourself out."

After chatting for a while, Wang Dana took out a thick red envelope from his coat pocket, which felt heavy in his hand.

He waved to Xie Xiaomei:

"Xiaomei, come here for a moment."

Xie Xiaomei was stunned for a moment, a little caught off guard, and obediently took two steps forward.

Wang Dana smiled and handed over the red envelope, his tone sincere:

"This is the first time I've formally met you, so I don't have anything valuable. This is just a small token of my appreciation from an elder. With the New Year approaching, I hope you can use it to buy some new clothes or jewelry, for good luck in the new year."

Xie Xiaomei quickly took half a step back, hurriedly waving her hand to decline, knowing roughly how much it would cost just by looking at the thickness:

"Sir, this won't do. You've come all this way for the New Year, it's only right that we treat you well. We can't possibly accept your red envelope again."

"Why are you being so formal, child? I'm Xiaochen's elder. How could I not give you a red envelope on our first meeting? I'm very satisfied with you, otherwise I wouldn't be giving you this red envelope. You two should get along well, and if things go well, get married soon. Then I'll have to give you another one!"

Lin Chen stood by, smiling and trying to smooth things over:

"Take it. This is a gift from an elder, a very special auspicious gift, meant to bring good luck during the New Year."

Xie Dajiao, who was busy in the outer room, also poked her head out and chimed in with a smile:

"Yes, you should accept the red envelopes from your elders without hesitation. Refusing them too much will only create distance. It's their good intention."

"Hey, Big-Foot Girl is right, refusing again would make things awkward!"

Xie Xiaomei blushed, accepted the red envelope with both hands, and whispered "Thank you, sir." She then turned and hurried back to the outer room to help with the cooking. She secretly peeked through a corner and, just as she had expected, it was indeed very generous.

This is a genuine endorsement from elders to younger generations, and of the couple's marriage; it's more meaningful than a thousand kind words.

Around 1 p.m., the outer room was shrouded in mist, like the Queen Mother of the West's peach orchard, and filled with the enticing aroma of food.

Xie Dajiao and Xie Xiaomei have almost finished preparing. The stew is simmering outside, and they'll be able to serve dinner soon after making a couple of stir-fries.

Watching the commotion, Wang Dana was itching to roll up his sleeves and come in to lend a hand, but Lin Chen jokingly pushed him back as soon as he stepped inside, telling him to just wait patiently for his meal.

Today's New Year's banquet features ten main dishes, paired with seafood that Wang Dana specially brought back, a feast of delicacies from land and sea, with both meat and vegetables.

Two large iron pots with firewood were cooking simultaneously in the courtyard, producing billowing smoke.

A pot of stewed local free-range chicken with hazel mushrooms. The chicken is stewed until it's so tender it falls off the bone, and the hazel mushrooms soak up all the broth. Just the smell alone is enough to whet your appetite.

In another pot, sauerkraut, pork belly, and blood sausage were stewed. The fatty meat was stewed until translucent, bubbling and steaming, with a sour and fragrant aroma that cut through the greasiness, becoming more and more flavorful the longer it stewed.

The braised pork knuckle, thoroughly cooked beforehand, is then braised again in a sauce, resulting in a glossy, oily red color. The skin and meat are tender and bouncy, falling off the bone with the gentle touch of chopsticks. It is fatty yet not greasy, and lean yet not dry.

Freshly boiled pork is shredded into meat with minced garlic and bones; the aroma of garlic blends with the fragrance of meat, resulting in a refreshing and not greasy flavor...

The prawns and crabs are plump and steamed to retain their original flavor. The moment the pot is lifted, a fresh and fragrant aroma fills the air, with different flavors layered upon layered into the nose.

Wang Musheng, who was originally watching TV inside, was completely captivated by the aroma. He couldn't sit still anymore and wandered to the door of the outer room, peeking out from the door frame, looking like he was really hungry.

At 2 p.m. sharp, three kang tables were pushed together in the room, and the table was piled high with dishes, all of which had to be stacked up. The whole room was filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Just as Lin Chen picked up the bottle to open it, Wang Musheng immediately stopped him, cleared his throat, and said with a serious expression:

"Wait a minute! Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, a time for family reunion. I'll just improvise a poem to liven things up!"

Wang Dana glanced at him sideways, his face full of disgust, and said:

"Give me a break! Do you think I don't know what you're capable of? Stop slurring your words and embarrass yourself. Sit down and eat!"

"Hey Dad! Stop looking down on people!"

Wang Musheng, unconvinced, stood on the kang (a heated brick bed), straightened his clothes, cleared his throat, and, despite his slurred speech, earnestly recited his original work, feeling exceptionally good about himself:

"Joyful atmosphere on New Year's Eve"

The kang (heated brick bed) was laden with large amounts of fish and meat!

May everyone make a fortune this year!

Their lives are thriving, better than anyone else's!

After he finished reading, he raised his hand and clapped his hands, tilting his head slightly, looking smug.

The room erupted in laughter. Xie Xiaomei covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with mirth. Lin Chen opened a bottle of wine with a smile. Wang Dana, both amused and exasperated, pointed at him and jokingly scolded:

"Look at you, so uncultured! You can't even count the words correctly. Just shut up and eat!"

"Just tell me if it rhymes or not."

After the laughter subsided, Wang Dana picked up his glass and said:

"It's a wonderful coincidence that we can all gather here today for a New Year's Eve reunion. I won't bother with formalities; I wish us all the best in the new year, and may the young people achieve success in both their careers and love lives! Come on, let's all raise a glass!"

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together, the sound crisp and pleasant.

"Oh no, we forgot to set off the firecrackers!"

Lin Chen quickly put on his shoes and got out of bed. Not long after, the sound of firecrackers crackling outside could be heard.

After starting to eat, Wang Musheng completely let loose, eating with great relish and complete absorption, truly wolfing down his food.

He was completely unpretentious and approachable. His chopsticks flew across the table as he picked up a large piece of braised pork knuckle, its soft, tender skin encasing firm, lean meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The braised pork knuckle was cooked to perfection; it wasn't greasy at all, and the more you chewed, the more fragrant it became, leaving your mouth oozing with oil.

His cheeks were bulging as he chewed incessantly, his face beaming with satisfaction. He didn't even bother to wipe the oil from his mouth, and mumbled indistinctly:

"It smells so good! It's so flavorful! It's so satisfying to eat!"

He then picked up a large mouthful of pickled cabbage, and one bite instantly cut through the greasiness, making him increasingly addicted to the food.

After finishing the meat dishes, he immediately peeled open the crab. The freshness made him squint his eyes and nod and cheer repeatedly.

Getting really into the food, he simply took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and buried himself in the food. He soaked the rice in the broth from the chicken and mushroom stew, shoveled down two big mouthfuls, and ate with gusto, sweating profusely.

Wang Dana, seeing his son wolfing down his food, felt a little embarrassed and tapped him with his chopsticks:

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you! You're eating like you haven't had a proper meal in ages, you have no manners at all! People are laughing at you! Xiao Chen and I just had a couple of sips of wine, and you'll be off the table soon."

Wang Musheng's lisp made him sound particularly simple and honest.

"You only eat more when it tastes good; if it tastes good, you have to restrain yourself—that's just foolish!"

One sentence made everyone in the room burst into laughter.

It was quite warm inside, and Xie Dajiao was wearing a thin sweater, which made her pregnant belly quite noticeable, though it wasn't that big yet.

Wang Dana took a bite of the rice noodles, wiped his mouth, and Lin Chen clinked glasses with him and took a sip of wine before asking:

"When is your sister giving birth?"

Xie Dajiao said with a smile:

"It will be in June or July."

"That's right when it's hot, making postpartum confinement even more miserable."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, we just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

After Xie Dajiao finished speaking, she glared at Lin Chen, but Lin Chen pretended not to notice.