Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Upon hearing this, Xie Baochang immediately became anxious and quickly got up and went into the bedroom.

Within two minutes, he came out with a bank card and pushed it directly in front of the two of them.

"Stop with the nonsense. This card is for you to buy a car. Go to Shenyang or somewhere today and pick out a car you like. What's the point of staying in this shabby little place? Let's go."

Lin Chen quickly pushed the card back:

"No, no, no, buying a car isn't urgent, but we should at least pick one out first. Hurry up and put it away. We'll leave after we finish eating. Don't just loiter around at home; it's annoying to see you like this."

Su Guifen also joined in the persuasion:

"That's right, take it. You young people like to go shopping. Go out for a couple of days, buy some clothes, and when you're done shopping, go straight back to Ivory Mountain. The mountain resort is under construction, so you should go back and keep an eye on it. Don't let it interfere with important matters. You can come back to stay permanently once things have stabilized."

The young couple tried to persuade him for a long time, but Lin Chen couldn't resist their insistence and reluctantly put the card away.

Xie Xiaomei secretly glared at Lin Chen, her expression clearly conveying:

It's all your fault for messing around; you made us get kicked out!

Lin Chen suppressed a laugh, buried his head in his food, his shoulders swaying as he almost burst out laughing.

The meal didn't last long. After finishing, the two quickly packed their things and prepared to return to Ivory Mountain. Neither of them wanted to wander around; they wanted to go home as soon as possible.

Su Guifen packed a lot of things in advance, including braised beef shank, fried meatballs, and all sorts of random things, stuffing them into the car. Xie Xiaomei's clothes were also packed into the car, filling the trunk to the brim, leaving no space at all.

Just before getting on the bus, Su Guifen peeked through the window and gave them a few words of advice:

"Go back and live a good life. Call home if anything happens."

Xie Baochang stood to the side with his hands behind his back, not saying a word, looking quite serious, but his eyes were fixed on the car.

Only after the car drove away and disappeared from sight around the corner did he slowly withdraw his gaze and turn to walk home.

I felt empty inside, reluctant to part with my daughter, but I also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, at least I wouldn't have to suffer through the rest of the night anymore.

In the car, Xie Xiaomei reached out and pinched Lin Chen's arm, feeling both embarrassed and angry:

"It's all your fault! You made such a commotion last night, my parents didn't sleep well at all, and today they just want to kick us out as soon as possible. It's so embarrassing! I'm too ashamed to go back to my parents' house now."

Lin Chen gripped the steering wheel and laughed heartily:

"What's the big deal? We're a legally married couple, it's perfectly legitimate. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to stay a few more days and spend time with them? I genuinely want to stay a couple more days."

"Come on, you're doing this on purpose."

Xie Xiaomei rolled her eyes at him, complaining, but she couldn't help but laugh.

The warm winter sun shone through the car windows, making the car feel exceptionally comfortable.

The two chatted and laughed as the car drove smoothly towards Ivory Mountain.

……

After New Year's Day, early in the morning, Xie Guangkun squatted by the kang (a heated brick bed) with a small notebook in his hand, flipping through it over and over, grinning from ear to ear. He then turned to Yongqiang's mother on the kang and started chattering:

"Old woman, I have some big news for you! The village is going to award star-level civilized households! If you win, you'll get a red plaque, and you'll also get two bags of rice and a can of soybean oil!"

Yongqiang's mother sat up, still wearing her clothes, too lazy to even lift her eyelids. She busied herself folding the quilts on the kang (heated brick bed), saying in a flat, indifferent tone:

"It's such a small thing, why are you getting so worked up? Two bags of rice are enough to eat for a year!"

"You don't know anything!"

Xie Guangkun slammed the notebook down on the kang table and said in a low voice:

"Is this about rice and noodles? This is about face and reputation! Think about it, Changgui is running back and forth between the town and the village now. Sooner or later, a new village head will be elected. If I'm named a model household, I'll be the village's benchmark. When the election for village head comes, won't I have it in the bag?"

"Don't talk nonsense. You think you can be the village chief?" Yongqiang's mother didn't give him any face at all.

"What's wrong with me? I'm just a bit older, but my brain is sharper than most people's!"

Xie Guangkun pointed out his fingers and explained the situation clearly to Yongqiang's mother:

"I've found out the details. In this selection, Lin Chen, as a leader in getting rich and a contributor to investment attraction, has special recommendation votes that carry much more weight than those of ordinary villagers. If we can get his vote, we'll be halfway there!"

Yongqiang's mother didn't think much of it at all and immediately poured cold water on it:

"Come on, give me a break! How many times have you clashed with him before? It's always been like oil and water. Do you think Lin Chen would listen to you? Besides, Liu Neng is definitely watching this too. Do you think he'll stay quiet? He'll definitely try to take it from you!"

Xie Guangkun looked defiant.

"Him? What's he! Just a little stutterer. Let me tell you, I'm going to prove them wrong this time. I can pull off any trick Liu Neng can think of! Just you wait and see, this 'civilized household' title will definitely be ours!"

The next morning, the frost outside had not yet completely melted, leaving a thin layer on the ground, and the wind made it feel chilly.

Liu Neng is a diligent man; he gets up earlier than the rooster. As soon as it's light, he carries a big broom and squats at Lin Chen's door waiting.

Hearing the sound of the gate opening in the yard, he pushed it open and went in, his face beaming with a smile that made his eyes disappear with wrinkles.

"Xiao Chen, you're...you're up? I saw a lot of leaves on the ground in front of your yard, so I swept them up for you. You go about your business, don't worry about me!"

Lin Chen yawned and said:

"Uncle Neng, what are you sweeping in front of my house for? Don't worry about it, I'll clean it up when I have time."

"No need, no need, you go about your business. This is just a small matter, you don't need to do it, I can handle it myself."

After saying this, he immediately picked up a large broom and worked hard, not only sweeping the fallen leaves on the road clean, but also pulling up the withered grass growing at the base of the wall, tidying it up even more carefully than he would his own yard.

After all that work, the yard was spotless, without a single speck of clutter.

Liu Neng wasn't in a hurry to leave. He plopped down on the steps at the entrance of the courtyard, waiting to strike up a conversation with Lin Chen. He started stammering and praising himself, desperately trying to make himself look good.

"Nephew, look, I never argue with anyone in the village. I get along very well with my neighbors. Liu Ying and I are very harmonious. Liu Ying is especially filial. I also like to help others. I always lend a hand to anyone who needs help..."

Lin Chen, holding a cup of hot tea, stood beside him, took a sip, looked at him indifferently, and directly exposed his rudeness.

"Uncle Neng, I almost forgot. Last time you fought with Fourth Uncle, you kicked him in the waist, and he was bedridden for days. Have you forgotten that? And you call that reconciliation?"

He gently shook his head:

"Uncle Neng, I know what you mean. It's not that I don't want to help you, but your reputation in the village isn't very good. Even if I give you my vote, you won't be able to get past the villagers' vote."

Liu Neng stared wide-eyed in embarrassment, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"This...this was an accident, but...wasn't it because I got flustered at the time? I'm really not like this usually!"

Liu Neng was still arguing, but his imposing manner had long since vanished. He seemed to realize that he wasn't well-liked in the village, and stood there leaning on a broom handle.

Lin Chen patted his shoulder, didn't say anything more, shook his head with a smile, and turned to go inside to get busy.

Liu Neng was left alone in the empty courtyard, lost in thought. The more he pondered, the more uncertain he felt. He felt that this time the selection of civilized households was likely to fail. But he did not give up. He had the same plan as Xie Guangkun: first, become a civilized household, and then become the village head!

Not long after Liu Neng left, Lin Chen's phone rang. It was Xie Guangkun calling, and his tone on the other end of the line was unusually enthusiastic, as if he were a completely different person.

"Xiao Chen, are you home? I've been thinking you've been working hard lately, why don't you come over for a meal tomorrow? We can have a couple of drinks together."

Lin Chen refused without even thinking:

"No, I have something to do tomorrow, let's do it another day."

He hung up the phone immediately after saying that.