Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"The underground Mark Six lottery is a scam set up by the bookmakers. The numbers are manipulated by humans throughout the process, so you can never win. They give you small wins to keep you hooked, and once you invest a lot of money or your principal, they run away with the money, leaving you with no recourse."

"We farmers earn every penny through hard work and sweat. It's not easy. Don't give your hard-earned money to scammers. Our village will do well this year. The land is in better condition than every year. Working hard is better than gambling."

Xie Guangkun immediately chimed in to show his support:

"Yes, yes, yes! Lin Chen is absolutely right! I've always thought the same way! Actions speak louder than words!"

Liu Neng secretly rolled his eyes, his face full of disdain, and immediately raised his hand to say:

"I share the same thought as Deputy Director Lin!"

The meeting lasted until after 8 p.m., and Chang Gui arranged the follow-up work. The young people went door-to-door to spread the word, and the village entrance, village office and supermarket were covered with anti-gambling leaflets. They checked every household to prevent the resurgence of gambling.

The next morning, red anti-gambling flyers were posted on the wall outside Big Foot Supermarket.

The villagers who came and went to buy things gathered together and chatted about yesterday's meeting and the recent turmoil in the village.

Xie Dajiao sat behind the counter, doing the accounting as she spoke:

"I told you this thing was unreliable. Why would anyone buy it? It's just greed."

Wang Yun was packing up the goods when he struck up a conversation:

"That's right, they specifically target honest people like us from the countryside. Luckily, we found out in time."

Liu Neng leaned against the counter, munching on sunflower seeds, a smug look on his face.

"We should have done it a long time ago! Look at me, I wasn't cheated out of a single penny."

"Of course! I wouldn't believe it if someone else said it, but I definitely believe it when you say it. With your stinginess, you'd hesitate for ages to take out a single dollar, how could you possibly be willing to part with it?"

"Then...so, does that mean I wasn't scammed?"

"Big Foot, get me some soy sauce. Liu Neng, you weren't fooled, were you? Go home and ask your wife how much she bought."

Liu Neng blinked his small eyes, slapped his forehead, turned and ran:

"Ugh... Ugh! This spendthrift woman! I'm done talking to her!"

The people in the supermarket burst into laughter at his pained expression.

The fields and villages of Xiangyashan have fully returned to the bustling activity of spring plowing.

The wind blows across the dark, oily land, filling it with the moist scent of soil.

Those who used to gather every day to study the code numbers have all gone to work in the fields with hoes, and no one mentions watching TV to guess the codes anymore.

Lin Chen came over to check on the construction progress of the flower bed.

Zhao Yutian, covered in sweat, was leading the workers in their work with great enthusiasm.

"Brother Chen, the loan was fully credited to my account yesterday. Thanks to your help, otherwise I don't know when it would have been approved."

"My dad has completely changed now. He comes to the construction site early every day to work and no longer studies those messy things."

Lin Chen smiled and nodded slightly:

"That's good. Loans and such are minor issues. Just work hard. Money earned with your own hands is the most secure. Stop thinking about crooked ways."

"Don't worry, Brother Chen, it won't happen again. I'll remember this time!"

As the sun sets, golden rays blanket the entire flowerbed, and the fresh soil teems with life.

It is worth mentioning that this year, the Provincial Public Security Department led a six-month special operation to crack down on Mark Six gambling, conducting a province-wide coordinated investigation and crackdown.

The focus will be on cracking down on agents of overseas gambling companies, bookmakers at all levels, and organizers of gambling gangs.

During the operation, a total of 106 criminal cases related to Mark Six (a type of lottery) were filed across the province, 513 public security cases were handled, 281 gambling dens were dismantled, and over 6200 million yuan in gambling funds were seized…

……

After dark, Ivory Mountain gradually quieted down.

In Lin Chen's dining room, the soft light from the chandelier illuminated a table full of freshly prepared food.

Xie Dajiao sat at the table breastfeeding her son, while Wang Xiaomeng stood beside her setting out the bowls and chopsticks. Chen Yannan carried the last dish out of the kitchen, placed it on the table, and looked around, noticing that Xie Xiaomei was missing.

"Hey? Where's Sister Xiaomei? Why didn't she come down for dinner?" Chen Yannan asked.

Wang Xiaomeng also looked up at the stairwell, her face showing confusion:

"Yes, I just saw her standing on the balcony, but she disappeared in a short while."

Xie Dajiao reached out and wiped the milk stains from the corner of the child's mouth, put down the clothes, and casually said:

"She's probably just too lazy to move again. I've noticed she's been listless these past few days, always saying she's tired and wants to sleep. It's normal to feel sleepy in spring and autumn, but she lives with Xiao Chen every day, so it's strange that she has any energy."

Chen Yannan nodded in deep agreement, went upstairs to see what was going on, and came down shortly after.

"Xiaomei told me she wasn't feeling well and didn't want to move, so she told us to eat first and not wait for her. I'll save some food for her and see if she feels better after resting for a while."

Just as he finished speaking, Lin Chen returned from outside, threw his clothes on the sofa, ran to the bathroom to wash his hands, and loudly asked from inside:

What cuisine?

"Braised pork ribs with green beans, stir-fried persimmons with eggs, cold dishes, and freshly fried river shrimp."

"Great, great! We need something tonight, wanna drink?"

"You drink it yourself. We'll keep Xiaomei company for a while; she's not feeling well."

Lin Chen stopped wiping his hands, his brows furrowed slightly, and he walked over to say:

"Are you not feeling well? Why didn't you tell me?"

He casually tossed the towel to Wang Xiaomeng, then turned and headed towards the stairs.

"You guys eat first, I'll go upstairs and check on her."

The main light in the master bedroom on the second floor was off, with only a small bedside lamp on, and the room was quiet.

Xie Xiaomei, wrapped in a thin blanket, leaned against the headboard, her face pale and looking rather listless.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up at Lin Chen as he entered, forcing a smile, her voice somewhat languid:

"Brother Chen, you're back! Come down and eat quickly. I'm fine, just a little nauseous. I'll feel better after lying down for a while."

Lin Chen walked to the bedside and sat down, reaching out to feel her forehead. Her temperature was normal; she didn't have a fever.

Then he took her hand:

"Why would I feel nauseous? When did these symptoms start?"

Xie Xiaomei leaned gently against his shoulder, feeling languid and weak all over.

"It's only been two or three days. I feel nauseous every morning when I wake up. The smell of cooking oil in the kitchen makes my stomach feel terrible. I'm always exhausted at the farm during the day, and I can't seem to get any energy no matter how much I sleep."

"It must have been from the heavy snow and cold weather a while ago; I didn't expect it to take so long to get better."

Lin Chen thought for a moment, and his eyes lit up.

He looked down at the person beside him, a smile playing on his lips:

"You don't look tired. Judging from your symptoms, you're most likely pregnant."

Xie Xiaomei's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Huh? Really? But now that you mention it, it's true that it was delayed this month."

Lin Chen raised his hand and gently pinched her cheek:

"These symptoms are all signs of pregnancy. Have you forgotten what your aunt was like back then? I have experience with this."

Xie Xiaomei felt both nervous and excited; her heart was beating faster.

"Really? I... I still can't believe it. Are there other problems?"

Don't overthink it.

Lin Chen patted her hand to comfort her:

"I'll drive you to the hospital for a check-up first thing tomorrow morning to make sure you're okay. Let's go downstairs and eat something first, don't go hungry."

The two slowly walked downstairs, and as soon as they reached the restaurant entrance, the three people at the table all looked up at them.

Xie Dajiao was the first to speak, asking with great concern:

"Xiaomei, how are you feeling? Are you feeling really unwell? If not, I'll go get you some medicine."

"No need for medicine, it's nothing serious."

Lin Chen helped Xie Xiaomei sit down and served her a bowl of millet porridge.

"She's probably pregnant. A check-up at the hospital tomorrow will confirm it."

The restaurant instantly buzzed with excitement after those words were spoken.

Chen Yannan put down her chopsticks, leaned closer, and asked with surprise:

"Really? Sister Xiaomei, you're pregnant? That's wonderful!"

Wang Xiaomeng smiled gently and nodded repeatedly.

"I knew you'd been listless and lethargic these past few days. Turns out you're pregnant! That's wonderful news; our family is getting a new member!"