Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"Have I been too lenient with you? I'm saying this one last time: grab the microphone and get off this stage! Don't embarrass yourself on this joyous occasion. Nobody wants to argue with you. Don't push me too far, or I'll really mess with you!"

"You can't even manage your own family affairs, all you do is come out and show off. You're getting more and more troublesome as you get older, what a waste of your life! Get out of here!"

Lin Chen's rant was direct and cathartic, and the entire room fell silent, with all eyes focused on Xie Guangkun.

Xie Guangkun stood frozen on the stage, microphone in hand, his face alternating between pale, red, and green, a strikingly colorful display.

He opened his mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

It wasn't that he didn't want to curse back—no one in the village would dare to curse him like that—but he was genuinely afraid of Lin Chen. The way Lin Chen looked at him was terrifying. Everyone in the village knew how he had beaten up Li Fu back then.

Wang Changgui also stood up with a dark face and shouted sternly:

"Guangkun! Get down here right now! This is outrageous! You've ruined such a joyous occasion!"

Liu Yishui quickly grabbed the microphone back and hurriedly tried to smooth things over:

"Don't take it to heart, everyone. Uncle Guangkun was just too excited and joking! Let's continue watching the show and not let this spoil the fun!"

At this moment, Xie Guangkun completely lost his composure. Being scolded like this by a junior made him wish he could disappear into a crack in the ground. He lowered his head, shrank his neck, and slunk down the steps on the side of the stage.

As he passed by Lin Chen, he was holding back his anger and moved his mouth to say something sarcastic, but when he looked up and met Lin Chen's cold eyes, he was so frightened that he swallowed his words back and didn't dare to utter a single word.

Amidst the pointing fingers and whispers of the entire village, Xie Guangkun awkwardly squeezed out of the crowd, head down, and jogged home. He had completely lost face today.

Liu Neng muttered gloatingly behind him:

"Serves you right! Serves you right for always being so cocky. Now you've really embarrassed yourself! That's so satisfying!"

Lin Chen ignored Xie Guangkun who had fled, turned around and walked to Wang Laoqi's side, gently patting his arm to comfort him:

"Seventh Uncle, don't take it to heart. It's not worth getting angry with him. Everyone in the village knows what kind of person he is. Nobody will take it seriously. Don't ruin our good day because of him. It's not worth getting sick from getting angry."

"Hey, Xiao Chen, thanks to you today. Uncle Qi is bad with words. If we had really fought with him, our good day would have been ruined. You really got it off with your scolding. That was the right thing to do. Why bother giving him face?"

Lin Chen then turned to Wang Xiaomeng, whose eyes were red and whose face was full of grievance, and gently comforted her:

"It's alright, everyone knows what's going on. Everyone knows what he's up to. Nobody will believe him. Let's celebrate this happy opening day without letting this upset ruin our mood."

Wang Xiaomeng bit her lip, looked up at Lin Chen, her eyes filled with gratitude, but also with a hint of lingering grievance:

"Thank you, Brother Chen. Please don't overthink it."

Lin Chen smiled and whispered:

"I know you too well. It's okay, cheer up."

The sounds of gongs, drums, and erhu from the stage rang out again, and the lively singing of Errenzhuan spread out, gradually restoring the atmosphere to its original state, which was still as lively as ever.

The farce that just happened came and went quickly, like a pebble dropped into water, causing a brief ripple before settling down.

But everyone in Xiangyashan knew in their hearts that the Xie family's attempt to marry Wang Xiaomeng was now completely doomed.

The Errenzhuan performance at the village square continued, with the deafening sound of gongs and drums, and the cheers of the villagers below coming one after another, creating a lively atmosphere.

But Lin Chen had no desire to join in the fun. Xie Guangkun's rambling on stage had really disgusted him. It was like a toad on your foot—it doesn't bite, it just makes you feel sick.

"Seventh Uncle, I have some things to take care of at home, so I'll head back first. I won't be eating here for lunch."

Wang Laoqi was still fuming, his face grim, and he nodded, saying:

"Go on, go on, get on with your business. It'll be crowded at noon. Come back in the evening, and we'll have a good drink together."

"Okay, then tonight's will do."

After giving a few brief instructions, Lin Chen didn't linger and turned to walk towards the entrance of Big Foot Supermarket. Xie Xiaomei had gone to the breeding farm at the beginning of the Errenzhuan performance because there was something going on there, and she and Liu Yishui couldn't both come out.

His Land Cruiser was parked by the roadside. He told Xie Dajiao what was going on, opened the car door, got in, and sped home.

Before long, a brand-new two-story villa with a very spacious yard came into view.

He raised his hand and pressed the remote control; the dark wrought iron gate slowly slid open to both sides.

As I drove the car into the garage, got out, and looked up at the magnificent villa in front of me, the frustration I felt in the square just now vanished instantly.

A two-meter-high red brick wall surrounds the entire courtyard, topped with neat black tiles, giving it a very grand appearance. It is absolutely unique in the entire Xiangyashan Village.

The two-story building in front of us has a solid area of ​​300 square meters. The off-white exterior walls are durable and pleasing to the eye, and the corners are decorated with white imitation stone lines, which are simple, neat and not flashy.

Lin Chen had thought very carefully about the layout of the house when he designed it, and he even took Xie Dajiao's situation into account.

The first floor is mainly used as a public area, where guests are entertained, cooking is done, and daily life is done. The south-facing master bedroom was specially reserved for Xie Dajiao, who is currently in her late pregnancy and her body is heavy, making it difficult for her to climb stairs. Living on the first floor will save her the trouble of going up and down.

The dark brown non-slip floor tiles in the entryway are dirt-resistant and easy to clean, making daily mopping effortless.

A half-height partition cabinet was installed between the entryway and the living room, displaying tea sets and green plants. It blocks the view of the entrance without obstructing light and ventilation.

Walking inside, you'll find the large living room, with off-white glossy tiles on the floor that are so clean you can see your reflection.

The walls were painted with off-white latex paint, and the ceiling had two layers of plaster moldings—simple, elegant, and pleasing to the eye.

On the wall directly opposite the floor-to-ceiling window hangs a 42-inch Panasonic television, which is top-of-the-line even in a county town.

The screen is large and clear, and it's equipped with a Malata DVD player and 5.1 channel speakers. The sound quality is excellent for watching DVDs and playing music. When I have free time, I can even sing love songs with Xie Xiaomei.

In the middle of the living room sits a set of dark brown genuine leather corner sofas, large and thick, so soft that you can sink right into them.

Lin Chen installed underfloor heating throughout the house. Coincidentally, this year is the beginning of the rise of underfloor heating in northern Liaoning. Urban commercial buildings have already started to install it, such as the 05-06 batch of buildings in Kaiyuan New City. The construction team asked Lin Chen if he wanted to install it, and Lin Chen immediately agreed. The main reason was that the temperature was even. Otherwise, when he slept on a kang (a heated brick bed), his nose would freeze in the middle of the night.

The large south-facing bedroom on the east side of the first floor was reserved specifically for Xie Dajiao. It was fully furnished, so I won't go into details.

The windows are large and bright, letting in sunlight all day long, making it the most comfortable place for pregnant women. The bathroom on the first floor is right next door, with a shower and sink, so you don't have to go far to get up at night. It's convenient and safe for people in their late pregnancy.

Go up the solid wood staircase, and the second floor is entirely a private residential area with a clear layout and distinct primary and secondary areas.

The largest room in the center of the second floor, facing south, is Lin Chen's master suite, with the best lighting and view in the entire house.

The specially made upholstered king-size bed can comfortably accommodate four people. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and a large bathtub. The bedroom opens onto a south-facing balcony with a rattan chair. In the morning or evening, you can sit here, have a smoke, and enjoy the mountain view outside – it's incredibly relaxing.

Xie Xiaomei and Wang Xiaomeng each chose a room on either side of the master bedroom. Lin Chen asked them if it was really necessary, but they insisted on choosing a room of their own, so Lin Chen had no choice but to agree.

There are two empty bedrooms on the west side of the second floor, fully furnished with a large bed and wardrobe, and kept clean and tidy. They are ready to be occupied at any time and will definitely be used in the future.

There's also a bathroom in the middle of the floor, with a separate wet and dry area, a shower, and a sink. As more people move in, there won't be any need to fight for the toilet. It will be convenient to wash up in the morning and take a shower at night. Lin Chen really went to great lengths to make it work.

……

The midday sun was particularly strong, causing the leaves of the orchard trees to wilt.

Xie Yongqiang squatted on the ground, his face covered in sweat, following Technician Wang as he checked the dimensions and traced the lines against the canal blueprints.

Footsteps echoed along the mountain path. Wang Bing, carrying a bottle of chilled soda, swayed as he walked this way.

He had just finished eating at Xiaomeng Factory and, having nothing else to do, decided to go up the mountain to check on how Yongqiang's orchard was doing.

"Yongqiang, busy?" Wang Bing found a clean rock to sit on, unscrewed the soda bottle, and took a swig.

Xie Yongqiang looked up and responded:

"Yes, the blueprints are almost finished. Is Xiaomeng's work done?"

Wang Bing, feeling bored, started to spill the beans about the morning's celebration:

"You're really good at keeping your cool. Today, when Xiao Meng's factory opened, the whole village went to support it, but you hid in the mountains to work and didn't even show your face."

"You didn't see it, but your dad really stole the show today. During the grand opening ceremony, he insisted on going on stage and saying that you and Xiaomeng are doubly blessed, and that the factory is a joint venture between your two families."

"Guess what happened? He was completely speechless after being roasted by Brother Chen. The whole village, young and old, gathered around to watch the spectacle. It was an unbearable sight!"

"Snap!" The pen slipped from Xie Yongqiang's hand.

"Tell me what happened right now!" Xie Yongqiang asked urgently.