Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

The smile on Xie Guangkun's face vanished instantly on the other end of the phone, replaced by a long, drawn-out expression. He muttered a complaint into the landline receiver:

"What kind of person is this! Can't even give me this much face? So petty! We just had a few words exchanged before, and you're still holding a grudge! You're destined to amount to nothing!"

Yongqiang's mother heard everything clearly from the side, rolled her eyes at him, and said helplessly:

"What did I say before? You still didn't believe me. There's no way they'd come to your house for dinner."

Lin Chen had just hung up Xie Guangkun's call when his phone rang again. It was Xie Yongqiang. Good heavens, the father had just finished calling the son.

"Hey, Chen-ge, I need to talk to you about something. I'm thinking of taking Guiying home tomorrow to formally meet my parents and finalize our relationship. You're such a good idea, how do you think I can persuade my dad to agree?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately perked up.

"Oh, that's great! What a coincidence, your dad just called me and invited me over for dinner tomorrow. How about this, I'll go over tomorrow, and we'll see how things go. I'll try to persuade him for you."

Xie Yongqiang sighed repeatedly on the other end of the phone, his heart filled with anxiety:

"Alright, Brother Chen, it's all up to you. Tomorrow, please try to persuade him. I'm really worried. With my dad's temper, who knows what kind of trouble he might cause."

"Don't worry, I'm here. Your dad will be fine."

After hanging up Xie Yongqiang's call, Lin Chen's eyes lit up, and he immediately took the initiative to call Xie Guangkun back, his tone tinged with apology.

"Uncle Guangkun, I just thought about it, and nothing is more important than you. How about tomorrow? I'll come over tomorrow at noon, and we'll have a good drink together."

Upon hearing this, Xie Guangkun's mood instantly brightened, his voice suddenly became louder, and he couldn't stop grinning:

"Great! That's perfect! It's a deal then! I'll be waiting for you at home tomorrow at noon!"

After hanging up the phone, Xie Guangkun excitedly slapped his thigh and turned to show off to Yongqiang's mother, his face full of pride:

"See? I told you, he was definitely coming! How could he not give me face? Prepare a few more fancy dishes tomorrow, and invite Xie Lan and Pi Changshan back to keep us company. I'm telling you, this 'civilized household' award is practically ours!"

Yongqiang's mother didn't say anything, she just took the basin and went out, she just couldn't stand Xie Guangkun's attitude.

The next day at noon, Xie Guangkun's house was spotless, even the courtyard was cleaned up. Two tables on the kang (a heated brick bed) were put together and six dishes were laid out, each steaming hot and fragrant, making the house look very sumptuous.

As soon as Lin Chen entered the gate, Xie Guangkun immediately jogged up to him with a smile, affectionately grabbed his arm, and kept urging him to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Oh, Xiao Chen, we've been waiting for you! Come sit on the kang (heated brick bed) and warm up!"

This enthusiasm is even greater than that shown to one's own son.

Xie Lan and Pi Changshan quickly stood up to greet them, and the group sat down one by one, poured themselves a glass of baijiu, and the atmosphere in the room became lively.

"Xiao Chen, hurry up, the kang is warm, sit next to your sister." Pi Changshan acted as if he were seeing his own father.

"Alright, alright, brother-in-law, don't be shy, please sit down too."

Lin Chen looked at the dishes on the table and said to Xie Guangkun, pretending to be embarrassed:

"Uncle Guangkun, you're too kind. These dishes are way too hearty!"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. There are still dishes waiting, let's drink and wait!"

"Okay, okay, drink more today! Drink slowly..."

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Xie Guangkun's cheeks flushed red, and he started talking non-stop, holding his wine glass and boasting about his family's traditions.

"Xiao Chen, look at our family. I'm not bragging, but you won't find another family in the whole village as harmonious as ours! Yongqiang is reliable and capable, Xielan is filial and sensible, and Changshan is also a good worker. Your aunt and I have lived together our whole lives and never had a single argument!"

Yongqiang's mother, sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), couldn't bear to listen any longer. She picked up some food, took the bowl, and went downstairs.

"You guys eat your food, it's too crowded. I'll go eat in the outer room."

Xie Guangkun glared at her:

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"That's right, that's right, harmonious, very harmonious!" Yongqiang's mother said sarcastically as she took the bowl and left.

Xie Guangkun ignored her and, patting his chest, said confidently:

"Throughout my life, I've always been a reasonable person. I'm always willing to lend a hand to any neighbor in need. I'm upright and honest in everything I do! So I'm quite confident about being recognized as a model household this time..."

Pi Changshan, who was standing next to him, quickly echoed his words, praising him as he spoke:

"Yes, yes, my father is known in the village for being reasonable and considerate of the bigger picture."

Lin Chen nodded repeatedly, looking very approving, his hands never stopping as he shoveled the chopsticks into his mouth.

Pi Changshan was completely baffled and asked in a low voice:

"Xiao Chen, how long have you been hungry? Eat slowly."

"Brother-in-law, eat slowly, you won't be able to eat anymore. You can put some in your bowl too."

Pi Changshan didn't understand what Lin Chen meant, and took a sip of wine.

Just as Xie Guangkun was boasting and feeling smug, the outer door creaked open, and Xie Yongqiang's voice came in.

"Father, Mother, I'm back! Look who's here!"

Immediately afterwards, Chen Guiying followed Xie Yongqiang into the house, carrying two boxes of gifts in her hands, and greeted him with a smile:

"Uncle, Aunt, we've come to see you."

In an instant, Xie Guangkun's smile froze, and he almost lost his composure completely.

He paused for several seconds, then remembered that he still had important business to discuss with Lin Chen today. He forced a stiff smile and secretly gave Xie Yongqiang a wink, trying to gloss over the matter.

"Yongqiang, we have a family emergency today. Your brother Chen is here, so put everything else aside for now. Sit down and eat first. We can talk about it another day."

He wanted to suppress the matter for the time being, so as not to embarrass himself in front of Lin Chen and delay his important task of being recognized as a model household.

But Xie Yongqiang was straightforward and didn't understand his expression at all. He took a step forward and spoke with a very firm tone.

"Dad, let's not postpone it. Let's talk about it today. Guiying and I have been together for quite a while now. You know how she treats me. She's been helping me manage the orchard. She's contributed both money and effort. We're planning to get married after the New Year. I came here today to tell you and hope you'll agree."

The room fell silent the moment those words were spoken.

Xie Lan stopped eating abruptly, and Pi Changshan didn't dare to breathe. The atmosphere in the room was extremely thick, as if the oxygen had been almost completely sucked out.

Lin Chen quickly piled a lot of food into his bowl, especially the cold dishes, which were really well-mixed.

"Snapped!"

Xie Guangkun slammed his wine glass heavily on the kang table, the crisp sound breaking the silence.

His blood pressure spiked instantly, and his anger surged to the top of his head, as if his hair had been burned away. He pointed at Chen Guiying, unable to keep up the act any longer, and burst into a tirade of profanities.

"Get out of here! You're not welcome in our house! A widow, instead of staying home, you're out here trying to seduce my son! Have you no shame?!"

"I knew you were up to no good going to the orchard every day! You really were after my Yongqiang! Your own husband's dead, and you're out here seducing young men, how disreputable!"

"In the past, your behavior would have earned you a death sentence! Let me tell you, Chen Guiying, you have no chance of ever entering the Xie family! Give up now! I'd rather Yongqiang remain a bachelor for life than marry a disreputable woman like you!"

He hurled increasingly vile insults, using foul language and hurling all sorts of offensive remarks, calling her a jinx and a kept man, his spittle flying all over the table, making him look exceptionally fierce.

Chen Guiying initially had a smile on her face, intending to communicate properly, but as she listened, her expression turned completely cold.

She was notoriously stubborn and would never tolerate Xie Guangkun.

She immediately stepped forward, put her hands on her hips, and raised her voice even louder than Xie Guangkun's:

"Xie Guangkun, you better clean your mouth! So what if she's a widow? Who's been flirting with someone? Yongqiang and I are dating openly and honestly!"