Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"What are you babbling about? Go do your own thing!"

"Can you let me say a few words...?"

"I won't let you continue, I haven't finished rambling yet."

Then they heard Wang Musheng shout from the other side:

"Brother, wait for me to get back. I bought you sea cucumber wine and Jinshitan wine. Don't forget about my business!"

"Haha, I can't forget it!"

The father and son chatted back and forth, their conversation revealing genuine closeness and the attitude one would have towards family.

Liu Da Nao, who was sitting to the side, turned pale instantly. Cold sweat poured down his temples, and the bag he was holding fell to the ground before he even realized what was happening.

My mind was buzzing, and everything suddenly clicked.

Wang Dana had mentioned a few times before that his nephew had been found and that it was incredible, but he really didn't know he was from Ivory Mountain. He had never thought about it before, but now it all makes perfect sense!

This young man in front of you is no ordinary rural person; he is a family member that Wang Dana and his son value!

Liu Da Nao's legs went weak, his arrogance vanished, replaced by fear. He opened his mouth for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Chen caught a glimpse of his cowardly appearance out of the corner of his eye, but didn't intend to expose him on the spot.

But Wang Dana was observant and could sense the awkward atmosphere even over the phone. His tone immediately turned serious as he asked in a deep voice.

"Xiao Chen, is someone on your end? Is Liu Da Nao near you? Give him the phone, I want to talk to him for a bit."

Lin Chen looked up and gently raised his chin at Liu Da's head.

"My uncle is looking for you."

Liu Da Nao was so frightened that he trembled all over. He quickly bent down, picked up the phone on the table, held it to his mouth with both hands, and smiled very obsequiously.

"Chairman! Oh! It's me! I'm at Deputy Director Lin's house, talking to him about the requirements for our project!"

Wang Dana's tone instantly turned cold on the other end of the phone, tinged with obvious anger, as he said seriously:

"Demands my ass! Old Liu, what did I tell you before? Huh? All the investigations, investments, and village affairs in Ivory Mountain were to be decided by Lin Chen! Didn't I repeatedly tell you that?"

"Did you get cocky once you arrived? Are you starting to act all high and mighty again?"

Liu Da Nao was so frightened that his scalp tingled, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, turning the back of his shirt a dark color. He hurriedly nodded and bowed, trying to explain:

"No, no! Chairman, I really didn't! I wouldn't dare! I was just sincerely asking Deputy Director Lin for advice; I absolutely didn't put on airs or show off!"

There is no best.

Wang Dana softened his tone a bit, but still said firmly:

"I'm telling you this one last time, remember this! What Lin Chen says represents what I say! What Lin Chen decides is what I, Wang Dana, decide!"

"You don't have to listen to Mu Sheng, but you must listen to Lin Chen! If you dare to disobey orders, put on airs, and delay the village's investment projects, you can go straight back to Benxi and quit! Do you hear me?"

Wang Musheng, on the other end of the phone, said with dissatisfaction:

"What the hell? What do you mean by not listening to me? I'm the second-in-command of the public security bureau, how can you say I don't listen to you...?"

"This is none of your business, so shut your mouth!"

Liu Da Nao nodded vigorously, barely daring to breathe:

"I heard you! I heard you! Don't worry, Chairman! I will follow Lin Chen's instructions completely, and there will be absolutely no mistakes!"

Wang Dana gave him a few more serious instructions, telling him to cooperate well with Lin Chen and not to act on his own initiative, before hanging up the phone.

Liu Da Nao carefully handed the phone back to Lin Chen with both hands, keeping his head down and not even daring to look up at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen took the phone and casually placed it on the coffee table, looking at him with a half-smile, his tone calm yet carrying a strong sense of pressure.

"Assistant Liu, what did you just tell me? That you can just withdraw your investment like that?"

That one sentence scared Liu Da Nao so much that his soul almost flew out of his body.

He swallowed hard, quickly moved his buttocks forward, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace on his face—a complete 180-degree change in attitude.

"Oh, Brother Lin, it's a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! I was just blurting things out without thinking, just joking!"

"How could I have the right to suggest withdrawing my investment? I was truly blind to your importance; I didn't know about your relationship with the chairman. You were just spouting nonsense; please don't take it to heart, and please don't mention this to the chairman!"

In just a few minutes, his way of addressing him completely changed, and his arrogant demeanor vanished entirely, making him seem like a completely different person.

Lin Chen didn't intend to hold a grudge against him. He waved his hand magnanimously, saying that he was just a worker after all, and that he would understand in the future.

"Alright, I didn't take it to heart. Just cooperate properly when it comes to important matters. Follow the rules for the inspection. If there are any problems, we can communicate anytime. If there's nothing else, you can go back now. I have other things to do."

"Oh, oh, oh, good, good! Thank you for your understanding, Brother Lin!" Liu Da Nao thanked him repeatedly, then hurriedly walked out with his bag in his hand.

"Wait a minute!"

Liu Da Nao stiffened and turned around to look cautiously at Lin Chen, who pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

"Next time you come in, put on slippers. What's that stuff under your feet? It's making that slapping sound so annoying."

Liu Da Nao had a bitter face, thinking to himself why these two brothers always found fault with him, this piece of iron. Wang Musheng was the same; he would scold him whenever he heard it.

"Ah, I have a small flaw here. I found a metal pad to cover it up. Okay, I'll wear slippers next time."

"Go."

Liu Da Nao was in such a hurry when he went out that he almost tripped over the threshold and was in a very embarrassing situation.

Stepping into the bright sunlight, a gust of wind blew, and he realized that his whole body was ice-cold, and the back of his shirt was already soaked with cold sweat.

He wiped his face, feeling a wave of fear wash over him. He was secretly relieved that he hadn't said anything too definitive. He could keep his job, but he knew he would never have the chance to work alone again.

Back at the village office, Liu Neng and Xie Guangkun were also sitting there, both of them beaming with joy, thinking that Liu Da Nao had come to bring them good news, their faces full of anticipation.

As soon as he entered the door, he was met with a barrage of insults from Liu Da Nao.

"You two have really screwed me over! All you ever do is come up with these crooked and awful ideas!"

"Do you even know what Lin Chen's background is? Why didn't you tell me beforehand! He's related to our Chairman Wang. The Chairman just personally instructed us that everything in Ivory Mountain is decided by Lin Chen; he represents the Wang Group! And you want me to replace him? Do you want me to pack my bags and get out of here?"

"I'm telling you, you're not allowed to have any more of these crooked ideas! The deputy director position has been decided, so don't try anything funny! If you dare to cause trouble again and delay the investment project, all the responsibility will fall on your shoulders!"

Liu Neng and Xie Guangkun stared at each other, their eyes wide open, unable to come to their senses for a long time.

He thought that by latching onto Liu Da Nao's coattails, he could easily squeeze Lin Chen out and snag a deputy director position. Little did he expect that even Liu Da Nao would have to obey him.

After Liu Da Nao finished speaking, he went out, got in his car, and left. He didn't want to stay in Ivory Mountain for even a minute longer because of this mess.

……

Wang Yun was packing her things at Qi Santai's house. The season was about to change, so she came back to tidy up her long-sleeved clothes. The sofa was piled up messily with clothes for the new season. She buried her head in folding clothes, muttering to herself that Chang Gui hadn't even waited for her. As soon as he heard about the investment promotion, he rushed back to the village.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Wang Tianlai came in carrying fruit.

He looked quite presentable today, with his shirt tucked into his pants and his hair slicked back. Even his walk and speech exuded a delicate, spoiled air.

"Auntie, are you busy?"

Wang Tianlai put the fruit on the table, plopped down, and even pretended to dust off his pants.

Wang Yun looked up and glanced at him:

"Tianlai? What brings you here? Aren't you at work today?"

"I didn't go to work, and I didn't stay either."

Wang Tianlai curled his lip, tugged at his clothes a couple of times, and looked disgusted:

"Auntie, is the Xiangyashan Clinic any good? I heard it's just two small, dilapidated rooms with no equipment at all. What kind of medical care can they provide?"

He became increasingly frustrated as he spoke:

"I originally wanted to ask my uncle to get me into the county hospital, that would have been much more prestigious. But instead, they brought the whole village to me. It's such a waste of my talent."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun advised:

"Tianlai, stop being picky. What's wrong with the village clinic? It has all the commonly used medicines, stethoscopes, and blood pressure monitors. It can treat all kinds of minor ailments like headaches and fevers. It's more than enough."

"Don't be so unrealistic. Don't you know how hard it is to get a government job in the county these days? Your uncle, Qi Santai, practically begged his way into getting you this position. So many people are eyeing this job, you should be grateful!"

"And speaking of your group, many of you have no work to do at home. Take Xie Yongqiang from our village, for example. He's a proper college graduate, isn't he better than you? Now look what's happened, he's farming at home too. You should be content!"

After being lectured, Wang Tianlai hung his head, fiddling with his buttons, and muttered listlessly:

"I don't think it's a waste... Okay, I'll just make do with this for now."

He looked up at Wang Yun and asked:

"Auntie, are you going back to the village tomorrow? I want to go with you; I'm scared to go by myself."

Wang Yun was both amused and exasperated.

"You're less brave than an old woman. Fine, we'll go back together tomorrow. Pack your luggage carefully and don't forget anything."

Wang Tianlai immediately smiled, thanked him politely, and walked away with small, quick steps.