Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Pi Changshan, quick-witted and agile, immediately rushed over to calm Xie Guangkun down, then turned and forcefully pushed Xie Yongqiang, stamping his feet in frustration.

"Yongqiang, you get out of here now, or you'll really get beaten up!"

They pushed and shoved Xie Yongqiang out of the house.

Inside the room, Xie Guangkun was so angry that he slammed his fist on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and roared at the top of his lungs:

"Get out! Get the hell away from me! I think you're blind. You don't fight for Wang Xiaomeng's success, and you don't even cherish Chen Yannan, such an outstanding college student. You just waste your time messing around, and you're even having an ambiguous relationship with a widow!"

Xie Yongqiang stood outside the window, a fire burning inside him, and shouted loudly through the window:

"Dad, don't overthink it. I have nothing to do with Chen Yannan. She's a technician, and my orchard depends on her. Chen Yannan is doing quite well staying at Brother Chen's house now, so don't go looking for trouble."

After Xie Yongqiang finished speaking, he left. After Xie Guangkun finished shouting, he was panting heavily. Yongqiang's mother quickly sat down next to him and patted his back.

Xiangxiu sighed helplessly and had no choice but to switch to his other hand for acupuncture, saying as she spoke:

"Uncle Guangkun, please don't get agitated, or you'll have to get it done again, and you'll be the one suffering."

After sitting for a while, seeing that Xie Guangkun's emotions had calmed down, Xiangxiu packed up her first-aid kit and got up to leave.

She heard Xie Yongqiang's words clearly and knew that Chen Yannan was now staying at Lin Chen's house.

She knew Lin Chen too well. Chen Yannan was beautiful, had a good figure, and was a proper college student. She was a single woman from out of town, living in Lin Chen's house every day. It was a lonely man and woman living together like that.

She might believe in the innocence of anyone else, but she had inexplicable confidence in Lin Chen and simply didn't believe that the two of them could behave themselves without any problems.

Xiangxiu, dressed in a white coat, stood by the roadside, took out her phone and called Lin Chen, her tone slightly sour.

"Brother Chen, come out for a bit. I'll be waiting for you in the grove next to your house."

Lin Chen paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then replied without further ado:

"Okay, wait for me, I'll be right there."

The woods were quiet, not far from Lin Chen's house. Usually, no one came to this place. The stream beside it flowed gurglingly, making it very peaceful.

Lin Chen strolled over leisurely, wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt.

He saw Xiangxiu leaning against a tree, and walked over with a smile:

"Why aren't you home sleeping at this hour? What are you doing here? What do you want?"

Xiangxiu said with a half-smile:

"I'm asking you, has Chen Yannan been living in your house? Tell me the truth, have you taken advantage of this young girl?"

Lin Chen showed no sign of panic and readily denied it.

"What are you thinking? They're just college student volunteers sent down from the town, only staying for a couple of days. Xiaomei's home too, the whole family's here, what could possibly happen?"

Xiangxiu gave a soft snort, her face full of disbelief, and she didn't buy his explanation at all.

Just then, her shoelace came undone. She bent down to tie it, while Lin Chen stood with his hands on his hips, looking up at the sky and taking a deep breath.

"You said you found this place..." Lin Chen said helplessly, patting the flying insects beside him.

Fog rose in the woods, the night fog thick and sticky like freshly squeezed hot soy milk, enveloping the entire forest.

The pine needles and leaves, soaked with moisture, hung heavily, dripping with water droplets. The sweet and pungent smell of humus mingled with a fresh fragrance, seeping into the pores of the skin.

Even the moonlight seemed to be swollen from being soaked in water vapor, gently applying to the face, immersing the whole body in the damp heat.

After tying her shoelaces, Xiangxiu turned around and squatted down by the stream. She scooped up a handful of cool water, tilted her head back, and rinsed her mouth. I guessed she was tired from giving Xie Guangkun the injection and was a little thirsty.

She casually wiped her mouth, stood up, and took two steps forward, getting very close to Lin Chen. She raised her chin and stared at him with a hint of mockery. Lin Chen disdainfully pushed her head to the side.

"Don't try to fool me, the taste is wrong. It doesn't taste like Xie Xiaomei's at all; it's definitely Chen Yannan's!"

Lin Chen, caught red-handed, chuckled softly and gently pulled Xiangxiu closer to him.

"You're amazing! Running out in the middle of the night wearing just a thin nurse's uniform. It's so chilly at night, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

Xiangxiu knew her place and wasn't angry at all. His concern immediately dispelled her resentment, and she couldn't help but secretly smile.

She raised her hand and gently punched Lin Chen's chest, giving him a playful glare.

"You're so sweet-talking. I'm warning you, don't go too far. If Xiaomei sees through your act and things get out of hand, you'll be in big trouble!"

Lin Chen smiled and pinched her cheek:

"Okay, how are things going with you and Li Daguo? When are you getting married? I'd like to give a small gift as a wedding present."

"Sigh, I don't know. There's no definite news about the house renovation. Even if we get married, there will be a lot of things to deal with. Just thinking about it makes me anxious."

The two chatted for a while longer in the woods, exchanging a few heartfelt words. Finally, Xiangxiu picked up her first-aid kit, turned around, and walked back into the village, completely satisfied.

……

The next morning, at the Ivory Mountain Health Clinic.

Two potted plants sat on the windowsill, their petals unfurling in the sun. Morning light shone on the glass window, and a faint smell of disinfectant wafted in the air.

Xiangxiu had already changed into her white coat. Wang Tianlai had only been working there for a few days and had no experience, so Xiangxiu patiently taught him.

When the two were writing, their heads were very close together. Wang Tianlai himself lacked a bit of masculine vigor, and he was timid and hesitant the whole time next to Xiangxiu.

Xiangxiu pointed out each finger and introduced them one by one, while Wang Tianlai, standing to the side, muttered in a soft voice as he followed along.

Xiangxiu was looking down, earnestly talking to him, when suddenly the door of the clinic was pushed open, making quite a commotion.

It was Li Daguo who arrived, carrying a freshly bought soy milk and fried dough sticks. He was thinking of bringing Xiangxiu breakfast to show his affection, since his wife was too conservative and wouldn't even let him kiss her.

As soon as he stepped into the room, he saw the situation inside: Xiangxiu was standing quite close to a strange young man, their shoulders almost touching.

The smile that had been on Li Daguo's face vanished instantly, replaced by a dark expression and a surge of sour anger.

Hearing the noise, Xiangxiu turned around and saw it was him. She casually asked in a normal tone:

"Why did you come so early?"

Li Daguo ignored her completely, carrying his breakfast to the table and slamming the plastic bag heavily onto the counter.

He glanced at Wang Tianlai from head to toe, his tone full of hostility:

"Who is this person?"

Xiangxiu didn't notice anything amiss and cheerfully introduced the two of them:

Wang Tianlai was polite and courteous. He quickly stood up, straightened the collar of his white coat, and respectfully extended his hand to shake hands.

"Brother, hello, hello! Come visit often!"

Li Daguo crossed his arms and sat down in Xiangxiu's seat. He didn't even bother to lift his eyelids or reach out, just staring straight at Wang Tianlai.

The atmosphere in the room became tense and somewhat awkward. Li Daguo's attitude was quite forceful; when things didn't work out with Wang Xiaomeng, he had her unload a whole cart of grain.

Wang Tianlai's hand, which was outstretched in mid-air, froze. He didn't know whether to put it down or not, feeling extremely uncomfortable. His fingers even curled up unconsciously, and he was incredibly timid.

Li Daguo turned to look at Xiangxiu, raised his chin, and said in a hard tone, deliberately trying to compete:

"Xiangxiu, you should talk to him properly and tell him what our relationship really is."

Xiangxiu lost face, feeling embarrassed and angry, and glared at him:

"What are you doing? What's wrong with you so early in the morning? It's so strange!"

Li Daguo ignored her completely, pulled out his red marriage certificate from his pocket, and slammed it on the table with a "bang".

He pointed at the marriage certificate with his fingertip, stared at Wang Tianlai, and spoke in a domineering and earnest tone, clearly asserting his dominance:

"Young man, look carefully. Xiangxiu and I are a legally married couple. Even if we didn't have a wedding ceremony or a banquet, we are still a legitimate couple and are protected by law."

Wang Tianlai's eyes widened as he looked at Xiangxiu and then at Li Daguo.

He spoke in a high-pitched voice, his aggrieved and timid appearance even more delicate than a little girl:

"Oh my god! Brother, why are you showing me this? Is there some misunderstanding? You two are getting married, what does it have to do with me?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I want, it's okay."

Li Daguo slammed his hand on the table again, raising his voice slightly:

"Remember, you just focus on your work, don't get involved in the fun, and don't go near us unnecessarily, understand?"

These words were blunt and clearly a warning to Wang Tianlai: stay away from Xiangxiu and don't get involved.

Xiangxiu was so embarrassed that she angrily shoved Li Daguo hard.

"Li Daguo, are you out of your mind?! What are you doing causing such a ruckus so early in the morning? People are just starting work, doing their jobs properly, and you're here acting tough and bossy. Aren't you ashamed?"

Having achieved his goal, Li Daguo didn't bother arguing with her at all, looking completely indifferent.

"Alright, you guys go ahead with your work, I'm leaving."