Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Lin Chen leaned against the wall, his expression calm, and said:

"Uncle, if I don't step in, the child will definitely be ostracized in the village when he grows up. People in the countryside love to harp on this. They talk behind his back and say that the child has no father and can only take his mother's surname. The child will be unable to hold his head up from childhood to adulthood, and it will affect his schooling, dating, and daily life."

"I discussed this with Xiaomei beforehand, and she agreed that the child would take my surname. I recognized him as my godson, but in reality, I raised him as my own son."

"I will take care of all his expenses and everything from his schooling and job search to his marriage and family life. I will protect this mother and son. With me around, no one in Ivory Mountain will dare to say a word against me."

Upon hearing these words, Xie Baochang's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Both he and Su Guifen worked in the public sector. They were reasonable and concerned about appearances their whole lives. Their biggest worry was that Xie Dajiao would be talked about behind their backs, and that their child would be disadvantaged and looked down upon.

He never expected that Lin Chen was so thoughtful and far-sighted, having already considered the child's future, the gossip of outsiders, and the difficulties faced by the mother and child.

Xie Baochang reached out and patted Lin Chen's arm, his tone full of emotion:

"Xiao Chen, you are such a kind and righteous child. Our whole family owes you a favor. This kindness... I really don't know what to say."

Lin Chen smiled and waved his hand:

"Uncle, that's a bit of a tangent. We're all family, so it's only natural to look after each other. Let's go back inside and not keep everyone waiting."

The two walked side by side towards the ward. The weight that had been hanging over Xie Baochang's heart finally lifted. He knew that with Lin Chen protecting them, Da Jiao and the child would have a much easier time in the future.

Around 4 p.m., all the visitors left, and the private ward suddenly became quiet.

Lin Chen sat by the hospital bed, opened the bedside table drawer, took out three red velvet jewelry boxes, and placed them one by one on the small table.

He looked up at Xie Xiaomei and Wang Xiaomeng, and said with a smile:

"I also brought you two small gifts. I bought them on the spur of the moment. Let me tell you in advance, the one for Big Foot is a solid gold bracelet, which is a bit more expensive. Don't overthink it. She suffered a lot during her pregnancy, so it's only right that we give her nice things. You two will receive the same treatment from now on."

Xie Xiaomei picked up her box and opened it. The gold necklace had a simple and elegant design, and it wouldn't be ostentatious to wear it casually.

She looked up at Lin Chen, smiling very happily:

"What could we possibly think? This is how it should be. My aunt suffered so much during childbirth. She deserves more than just a gold bracelet; we're just benefiting from it. We're content that you're thinking of us."

Wang Xiaomeng nodded in agreement, gently closed the box, and put it away.

"That's right. We didn't suffer any hardship or hardship. We're all family, so how can we fuss over such trivial matters?"

They spoke from the heart, without any pretense.

Everyone knew that Xie Dajiao was the first to give birth to a child in the family, and her contribution was undeniable. She deserved the best, and no one felt resentful.

Xie Dajiao leaned against the headboard, raising her hand to touch the wide gold bracelet she had just put on her wrist. It felt cool against her wrist and was quite heavy...

She rolled her eyes at Lin Chen, scolding him, but couldn't hide the smile on her face:

"You're so generous with your money, but the kids will have so many expenses in the future. You don't know how to save any money, you just keep buying these useless things."

"How can this be useless? From now on, you can wear this big gold bracelet when you go to arrange marriages, and I guarantee every match will be successful!"

"Get lost... I'll have a few more babies for you, and then I can get a few more bracelets."

Xie Xiaomei said with a pained expression:

"Auntie, please give Xiaomeng and me a chance, don't go too far..."

"Hahaha……"

The group chatted casually about everyday things, and eventually the topic of being discharged from the hospital came up.

Lin Chen counted the days on his fingers:

"The doctor said this morning that if the recovery from a natural birth goes well, I can be discharged in three days. I'll ask the doctor again tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, we can complete the discharge procedures the day after tomorrow morning and go back to the village at noon."

The group then discussed what they would need and planned to buy it the next day. The three of them chatted and made a list of everything they would need for postpartum care and childcare.

……

Around 7 p.m., a small square table was set up in Zhao Si's yard. After dark, there were a lot of mosquitoes buzzing around people. A mosquito coil was lit on the corner of the table, which was barely enough to keep the mosquitoes away.

Dinner was simple. Zhao Si sat at the table, slowly sipping his liquor, taking a bite of food with each sip.

Zhao Yutian sat across from me, eating in silence, shaking a scallion, dipping it in sauce, and swirling it in his mouth.

Zhao Si took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and said:

"Your Aunt Big Foot has really made it this time. At her age, she gave birth to a baby boy weighing six pounds and eight ounces. There's hope for the future now."

Yutian's mother placed a plate of sausages on the table, then sighed:

"That's right. I used to think it was too hard for her to live alone, all alone. Now that she has her son by her side, she can hold her head high from now on. Besides, Xiao Chen is such a thoughtful child. He ran around the whole time when Da Jiao was giving birth, and he cared for her more than her own family. The Xie family is really lucky to have found such a son-in-law."

Zhao Si glanced at his son, put down his wine glass, and said with a helpless tone:

"What exactly happened between you and Liu Ying? Xiao Chen came to mediate between you two before, and I think you talked things out then, so why did things turn sour again?"

Zhao Yutian shoveled rice into his bowl, his face full of annoyance:

"They had made up, but Liu Neng came to the house again and hid in the room to whisper with Liu Ying for a long time. After he left, Liu Ying immediately changed her expression, went into the room and lay down and wouldn't come out. What else could it be about? It was that little thing about the celebration."

Zhao Si's lips twitched twice, and she put down her chopsticks and glared at him:

"That's your father-in-law. Watch your words. You can't handle things yourself, and you don't know how to coax people. Hurry up and go inside and call Liu Ying out for dinner. What kind of person are you, lying there sulking like this? Are you even going to live your life?"

"I'm not going."

Zhao Yutian's stubborn temper flared up:

"She's not short of legs, we can't keep indulging her with this habit."

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Ying's hair was messy, as if she hadn't washed her face all day, but she had a smile on her face. She slowly walked to the table, sat down, picked up her chopsticks and started eating, showing no sign of being angry.

Seeing her like this, Zhao Yutian immediately started to speak sarcastically:

"Oh, so you actually know how to come out for a meal? I thought you were going to lie in bed all day, right until dawn."

Liu Ying, with food in her mouth, replied slowly:

"I'll get up when I wake up."

"Then why don't you just go to sleep? You'd save money on food." Zhao Yutian's tone was clearly hostile.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ying immediately became displeased, put down her chopsticks on the table, and her face instantly turned ugly.

"Mom, you guys eat, I suddenly have no appetite."

After saying that, she got up, intending to go back to her room and continue lying down.

Zhao Yutian was completely enraged by her, and his voice instantly rose:

"Even if you don't have an appetite, sit down! You're always throwing tantrums over this trivial matter, when will it ever end! Sit down!"

Liu Ying turned and went back into the house. Zhao Yutian rushed over to pull her back. The two of them were about to fight in front of the old man.

Zhao Si grabbed Zhao Yutian, glared at him fiercely, and scolded him in a low voice:

"You sit down right now! Even with my short temper, I can handle you! If you dare make another sound, see how I deal with you!"

Liu Ying ignored them and went straight back into the house after lifting the curtain.

Seeing that everyone had gone inside, Zhao Si leaned close to Zhao Yutian and whispered:

"Why are you so stubborn, child? This isn't Liu Ying's fault; it's all Liu Neng's fault for stirring things up behind the scenes!"

"That girl Liu Ying believes whatever others say. The more you argue with her, the more you'll please Liu Neng. In the end, you'll be the one who suffers. Don't mess around with your life."

Zhao Yutian frowned and said:

"But I can't just give in to her every whim and indulge her every whim, can I?"

Zhao Si's lips twitched, he raised his hand and patted his shoulder, then deliberately raised his voice so loud that Liu Ying inside the room could hear it clearly.

"What's wrong with going along with your wife? If you don't love your own wife, who will? Zhao Yutian, I'm telling you this today, you must treat Liu Ying well!"

"That girl married into our Zhao family, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk tending your flower garden. She's so hardworking and conscientious—where else can you find such a wonderful wife!"

"From now on, you must listen to your wife. Liu Ying can arrange things however she wants, and you must listen to her completely! Yingzi isn't that unreasonable! If you dare to bully her or give her the cold shoulder, I'll break your legs! Our Zhao family only recognizes this one daughter-in-law, and no one else can change that!"

Liu Ying, who was still holding back her anger, listened to every word of what was said while sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) inside the room.

She couldn't help but chuckle, instantly dispelling the resentment in her heart. She felt a surge of joy, thinking that her father-in-law was indeed reasonable.

Liu Ying was a simple-minded person with a quick temper. She was sulking and refusing to eat just a moment ago, but now that Zhao Si was protecting her, her anger had long since subsided. She was already planning to go out and have a good meal later, as she was indeed hungry.

In the courtyard, Zhao Si secretly winked at Zhao Yutian, a smug look on his face, and took another sip of wine.

Zhao Yutian looked at his father's actions and shook his head helplessly; it was only a temporary solution.

……