Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Lin Chen got up, grabbed a bottle of chilled beer, opened it, and handed it to him:

"Your father-in-law is just acting impulsively, feeling inferior. He'll calm down once this feeling passes."

"Don't confront Liu Ying directly. Don't you know her personality? The more you argue with her, the more stubborn she'll become. Let them calm down for a couple of days, and once they've both calmed down, have a good talk, and everything will be over."

Zhao Yutian nodded, feeling much better:

"I understand the reasoning, but I was just angry and upset at the time. Your home is so much better, so lively and harmonious, it's really comfortable to stay here."

As Zhao Yutian ate some side dishes and drank ice-cold beer, his frustration and irritability gradually dissipated, and his tense brows relaxed.

The next morning, Zhao Si and his wife got up early and went to work in the fields. Zhao Yutian went to the flower nursery to dig up seedlings, leaving Liu Ying alone at home.

Liu Neng strolled into the yard with his hands behind his back, peeking around curiously.

He peered into the house several times through the door frame to make sure that Liu Ying was the only person in the yard and outside the house, and that there were no outsiders, before he felt relieved enough to lift the curtain and come in.

"Dad? What brings you here?"

Liu Neng looked anxious and stammered as he asked:

"Yingzi, Father... Father is asking you, did you do what I asked you to do yesterday? Did you have sex with Yutian?"

Liu Ying was sitting on a stool, head down, picking vegetables. Her hands didn't stop, and she slightly raised her chin, a hint of smugness on her face.

"I played along with him! I ignored him all night. When he spoke to me, I just grunted in response and didn't chat with him at all. How about that? Wasn't I tough enough this time?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Neng's face immediately fell, his expression filled with helplessness.

He took two steps forward and said with a look of exasperation:

"What kind of argument is this? Is this what you call being difficult?"

"Haven't you seen how your mom usually throws tantrums at me? She cries and screams, sometimes even scratches me, making a huge scene. And you just keep quiet, like you're being tickled. Yutian definitely doesn't take it to heart! Go ahead and tickle him! You have to argue with him!"

Liu Ying shook her head and put the selected vegetables into the bowl:

"Father, I can't bring myself to be ruthless, and I can't bring myself to argue with him. Besides, it was you who insisted on organizing this celebration; it's not a proper event. Why should I fight with Yutian for no reason?"

This directly hit Liu Neng's nerves.

He plopped down on the doorstep, feeling increasingly frustrated and agitated as he thought about it, until his voice was trembling with tears.

"What do you mean it's not a serious matter? Huh?"

"That old bastard Xie Guangkun, he's never been capable, he can't do anything right, but he always manages to outdo me. Yesterday he was able to go on stage and talk for ages. And me? What do I lack compared to him? I can't even get a chance to go on stage! My life is nowhere near as good as Xie Guangkun's!"

"Look at you! You've been married into the Zhao family for so long, and you can't get a word in edgewise on anything, big or small. Nobody takes your words seriously. I've been counting on you to make me proud all my life, and all I wanted was to throw a big celebration for myself, and you... and you're making sarcastic remarks!"

As he spoke, Liu Neng's eyes reddened. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He raised his hand and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, truly feeling wronged and crying.

When Liu Ying saw her father crying, she panicked immediately, stood up from the stool, and said helplessly:

"Dad! Why are you crying? It's such a small thing, is it really that big of a deal? Please stop crying..."

Liu Neng sniffed, fighting back a sob, slowly stood up, waved his hand with his back to Liu Ying, his tone revealing a sense of dejection:

"Alright, alright, you can do whatever you want with it."

After saying that, he hunched over and slowly walked out, his back looking particularly lonely.

Seeing her father's aggrieved expression, Liu Ying felt a lump in her throat. She gritted her teeth and shouted loudly at Liu Neng's retreating figure:

"Father, don't worry! I'll make sure Zhao Yutian organizes this celebration for you! If he doesn't, I'm not living with him anymore!"

Liu Neng paused in his steps, but didn't turn around. He simply raised his hand to wipe his face, subtly curled the corners of his mouth, and slowly continued walking out.

He didn't say anything, but he was overjoyed inside.

He knows his daughter too well; she has the softest heart. If she's wronged or provoked even slightly, she'll immediately give in, and it never fails.

……

The ground outside Changgui's house was steaming hot, filled with the aroma of food.

On the table was a large plate of stewed potatoes and green beans, along with vegetables with dipping sauce.

When Xiangxiu came back for dinner, she pushed open the door and saw Changgui hunched over the table, writing and drawing.

Xiangxiu took off her white coat and put it away, then leaned over to take a look and casually said:

"Dad, what are you writing here? The food is ready, why aren't you eating? It won't taste good if it gets cold."

Chang Gui didn't even look up, his mind completely absorbed in the paper:

"You eat first. Your Aunt Wang Yun went to help out at Da Jiao's place after she finished eating. I'll eat later. I'm busy writing up the investment promotion plan. Mayor Qi specifically told me to write down my ideas so I can talk to Wang Dana about cooperation later. That way, I'll have a better idea of ​​what to do. If this deal goes through, your dad will be completely secure."

After hearing this, Xiangxiu's smile slowly faded, and she stood to the side stammering, her tone hesitant:

"Dad... well, maybe you shouldn't go looking for Wang Dana. I reckon... he won't pay any attention to you."

Chang Gui paused in his pen, looked up at Xiang Xiu with a puzzled expression:

"Why? We've known each other for ages, for so many years. Do you think he wouldn't give me this much face?"

Xiangxiu pursed her lips, hesitated for a long time, and then told the whole truth, without missing anything about what happened with Wang Musheng before.

"...After I rejected Wang Musheng, he was very disappointed. He kept calling me, but I wouldn't answer. I guess he must have been holding a grudge and was angry."

Upon hearing this, Chang Gui slapped his thigh hard, pointed at Xiang Xiu, and sighed repeatedly, both angry and helpless.

"You silly child! Why didn't you tell me sooner! You're only just opening your mouth now!"

"What's Wang Musheng's family background? They own a big company, they're rich and powerful! And you, of all people, chose Li Daguo, I think you're really out of your mind!"

Xiangxiu was displeased upon hearing this and retorted with a pout:

"How old is Wang Musheng? He's thirty-six, and he still has a lisp, speaking in a garbled way. He's not good-looking either, looking like a pig's head. How can he be as skinny as Li Daguo? Besides, Li Daguo has bought an apartment in the county town now, and the renovation is almost finished. He's not bad off at all."

"Girl, are you blind? That Li Daguo is as skinny as a skeleton, nowhere near as well-off as Wang Musheng. Besides, what about his conditions? You think he's not bad? Not at all!"

Chang Gui leaned back in his chair, his face full of worry, sighing repeatedly.

"How can those be the same thing? Li Daguo bought the building with borrowed money, while Wang Musheng comes from a well-established, legitimate large enterprise!"

"It's all over, it's completely over."

Chang Gui tossed his pen onto the table, completely losing his appetite, and sat there looking gloomy.

"It's too late to say anything now. You've already registered. How can a father be happy when his son has been wronged in front of us? Will he still invest here? He's dreaming! This investment attraction project is definitely doomed!"

Chang Gui's good mood from the afternoon was completely ruined. He sat at the table, staring at the food, but had no appetite at all.

……

A day later, in the Songshan Town government office, Qi Santai made a phone call to summon Chang Gui as soon as he arrived at work.

As soon as Chang Gui pushed open the office door, he saw Qi Santai with a stern face. Before he could even stand up straight, Qi Santai began to question him:

"Changgui, I'm asking you, what's with the investment attraction? There's been absolutely no progress these past few days! The whole village and the whole town are waiting to see the results, why haven't you taken any action?"

Chang Gui shook his head dejectedly:

"Mayor Qi, this matter is probably hopeless. There's no need to confess anymore. Even if I go to Wang Dana, he won't agree."

Upon hearing this, Qi Santai immediately stood up from his chair, his face full of confusion:

"Why? Aren't you and Wang Dana old acquaintances and friends? You used to get along really well, why is it suddenly not working out?"

Chang Gui sighed heavily and recounted in detail how Xiangxiu and Wang Musheng had dated and eventually broke up, adding at the end:

"If someone's child has been wronged by us and is upset, their father will definitely hold a grudge. If we go and ask for investment at this time, wouldn't we just be asking for trouble?"

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Qi Santai simply waved his hand, looking completely unconvinced.

"You're just worrying unnecessarily, that's nonsense!"

"Who is Wang Dana? He's a serious, successful business tycoon! His vision and ambition are undeniable. Would he let such a trivial matter of personal feelings cloud his judgment? Absolutely not!"

"Changgui, Changgui, you're a village cadre and a veteran Party member, how can you back down at the first sign of trouble? Don't you have any sense of responsibility?"

"Do you know how many towns and villages around here are eyeing Wang Dana? So many people want to get on his investment bandwagon but can't! Our village finally has this opportunity, and you're just going to give it up like that? If this delays the village's economy and causes the village's development to decline in the future, you'll be a sinner to the whole village, no, a sinner to the whole town!"