Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Liu Da Nao quickly came over, peeked into the car, and put on a smiling face:

"Brother, how about I go up the mountain to check on the construction site? You're going out? The chairman specifically instructed that you should be in charge of all matters, big and small, at the resort. Why don't you come up with me?"

Lin Chen waved his hand and replied with a smile:

"I'm not going. I have something to do today. I'm going to get my marriage certificate. You can keep an eye on the construction site. Call me if anything happens."

"Wow! That's wonderful news! Congratulations!"

Liu Da Nao immediately cupped his hands in congratulations:

"Then hurry on your way, and drive carefully! I want to be there for your wedding when you get back!"

"No problem, that's no big deal, let's go!"

Lin Chen smiled and agreed, then stepped on the gas and left the village. Xie Xiaomei sat in the passenger seat, clutching the household registration booklet in her bag tightly, unable to suppress her smile. She was so happy that she didn't even feel the cold wind on her face.

At 10 a.m., the marriage registration office of the Civil Affairs Bureau was quiet and not crowded.

The two first made copies of their ID cards and household registration books, then filled out forms. Xie Xiaomei's hands trembled slightly as she wrote, and she looked extremely nervous.

Lin Chen turned his head and couldn't help but tease:

"What's wrong? Are you nervous? You can't even write properly?"

Xie Xiaomei raised her hand and pinched him, her face flushed:

"You're the one who's nervous."

Despite her tough words, her eyes betrayed her joy and excitement; she was finally going to marry Lin Chen.

After filling out the form, the two went to take photos. The red backdrop stood there, and Xie Xiaomei repeatedly smoothed the stray hairs at her temples, afraid that the photos wouldn't look good. She also felt a little regretful, wishing she had grown her hair long.

Lin Chen stood beside her, reached out and tucked her stray hairs behind her ear, and whispered:

"Don't purse your lips, smile! We'll be keeping this photo up for the rest of our lives."

Xie Xiaomei looked up at him and naturally smiled.

The photographer pressed the shutter just in time, and a photo captured the happiness of the two. They stood side by side, clean and well-matched, with the red background making them look especially festive.

After waiting a short while, once the photos were ready, the staff checked the documents, handed over two red booklets, and congratulated us with a smile.

Congratulations! You two are a perfect match.

Lin Chen took the marriage certificate and looked at it over and over again. The seal was clear, and the two people in the photo looked genuinely happy.

He handed one of the books to Xie Xiaomei, reached out and took her hand, his tone gentle:

"Ms. Xie, you will be Mrs. Lin from now on."

Xie Xiaomei clutched the marriage certificate, her eyes slightly moist, but her smile was exceptionally sweet:

"Yes, Mr. Lin."

As she walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, the sun was shining brightly. Xie Xiaomei carefully tucked her marriage certificate into the innermost compartment of her bag, as if it were a hidden treasure.

Lin Chen held her hand and walked slowly forward. Without saying a word, they could both feel each other's excitement.

Lin Chen went to the city and had a good time shopping, but Xie Xiaomei stopped him, otherwise he would have bought even more.

We drove to Xie Xiaomei's parents' house. The apartment building was a bit old, but very clean. There was a "福" (good fortune) character pasted on the door of the east-facing unit on the third floor, giving it the feel of an ordinary family's life.

As soon as the door opened, Su Guifen, wearing an apron, came out to greet him, patted Lin Chen lightly, and said with a smile:

"You're finally here! Why did it take you so long? The food is almost ready, come on in."

Inside, Xie Baochang sat steadily on the sofa, a newspaper still in his hand, maintaining the composure of a veteran cadre, and nodded at Lin Chen:

"You're here? Please have a seat."

He appeared calm, but a smile was hidden in his eyes. He was increasingly satisfied with his son-in-law. Even after they had registered their marriage, he still felt that his daughter was not good enough for him.

Lin Chen placed the gifts he had brought on the coffee table, which consisted of four or five boxes of various sizes.

Seeing Xie Baochang acting like a domineering father-in-law, Lin Chen started joking with them too:

"Old Xie, sister-in-law, I didn't buy much, just a little something. This watch is for you, Old Xie, it's suitable for wearing to work. This gold chain is for you, sister-in-law, and there are also cigarettes, alcohol, candy, and tea. I heard that's a custom here."

"You brat! Looking for a beating?"

Neither of them was angry; they were used to joking around like this. Su Guifen brought over a fruit platter and patted Lin Chen on the shoulder with a smile.

"You silly child, you're always so unruly! You're already married, don't you even know what your name should be?"

Lin Chen pretended to be stupid:

"Huh? What should I call you then? Before I gave you the 'change of address fee,' I called you 'sister-in-law.'"

Her words made everyone laugh, and Su Guifen said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry:

"You little rascal! Don't worry, you'll get your share of the 'change of address' fee; we'll give it to you at the wedding!"

Xie Xiaomei leaned against her mother, smiling gently, and the room was filled with lively chatter.

Xie Baochang picked up the gift Lin Chen had given him and saw that it was too valuable. His face immediately darkened, and he waved his hand, refusing to accept it.

"You silly child, why did you buy such expensive things! We don't need anything, take it back now, or I'll get angry."

Su Guifen also joined in the persuasion:

"Exactly, we're all family here, why bother with all this formalities? Keep this money for you two to live a good life, that's better than anything else."

Lin Chen smiled as he put the things away, not intending to take them back. He sat down next to Xie Baochang, wiped the fruit, and took a bite.

"What's there to be polite about? We're not strangers to you. Today is our first visit since we got our marriage certificate. It wouldn't be right for us to come empty-handed. If you don't accept our gifts, I won't dare to come again next time."

After much back and forth, Xie Baochang finally gave in and accepted, muttering to himself:

"This is a one-time exception. I won't allow you to waste money like this again."

While grumbling, he was examining the watch closely, clearly enamored with it.

Soon the food was served, all home-style dishes that suited Lin Chen's taste. It was a very generous spread, and the four of them couldn't possibly finish it all.

Xie Baochang pulled out a bottle of his treasured liquor and poured Lin Chen a full glass:

"We're happy today, let's have a drink, just the two of us."

Su Guifen and Xie Xiaomei also poured some red wine to accompany them. The family sat around the table, chatting and laughing, in a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

After drinking two glasses of wine, Xie Baochang put down his glass and got down to business.

"Lin Chen, the news that you dug a hot spring in the back mountain and that the Wang Group invested in it has spread throughout the city. I heard that Wang Dana invested 30 million in the development? The Party Secretary and Mayor know about it and say it's a key project this year."

Lin Chen nodded in agreement:

"Yes, the contract has been signed and construction has already started. My uncle is in charge of the construction and operation. I'm just providing the land and hot spring resources, and I won't get involved in the specifics."

Upon hearing this, Su Guifen asked:

"So you're just going to completely wash your hands of the project? It's such a big project, everyone else is scrambling to get involved, and you're just going to ignore everything?"

Xie Xiaomei chimed in with her own complaints:

"I've tried to persuade him to take over several times, but he refuses to do anything and just wants to collect his share of the profits. When others try to take power, he pushes them away. I'm at my wit's end."

Lin Chen took a sip from his cup and said frankly:

"It's not that I'm lazy. First, I've never worked on such a large-scale cultural tourism project before, and I'm not as knowledgeable as a professional team. If I interfere blindly, it's easy to cause trouble. After all, it's not our own business. Second, as long as we have enough money, that's fine. The more power you have, the more things you have to worry about."

"I hold shares and receive dividends without taking any risks. I have a relaxed and carefree life. I wouldn't be used to sitting in an office every day doing accounting and meetings."

Xie Baochang nodded repeatedly and raised his glass to clink with his:

"Well said. You're young but not power-hungry or reckless, and you have a stable mind. That's rare. Just for that reason, I'll marry my daughter to you. I'm at ease."

"That's right, a comfortable life is better than anything else." Su Guifen smiled and agreed. The old couple looked at each other, feeling at ease.

"Old Xie, I'd like to buy Xiaomei a bigger apartment in the city, so you two can live there too, and we'll have a place to stay when we go back to the city."

Xie Baochang directly waved his hand in refusal:

"Why buy anything? It's a waste of money! Our house has two bedrooms and a living room, which is enough for you. You'll have room when you come back. Keep the spare money for your daily life or for raising children in the future. Don't waste it."

Su Guifen also chimed in:

"We don't want a single penny of bride price. We're marrying off our daughter, not selling her. Before the wedding, we'll provide a car as part of the dowry. The dowry will be calculated separately. You just need to live a good life and don't worry about anything else."

Seeing that the two were adamant, Lin Chen stopped insisting and nodded with a smile:

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

The meal was lively and enjoyable. It was already past nine o'clock when they finished eating. It was freezing cold outside, and the evening wind was biting. The two of them had no intention of going home tonight anyway.