Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Then Xie Guangkun arrived, signed his name, and barged inside, muttering to himself:

"I want to see what tricks Liu Neng can pull."

Old Wang and his companions didn't come, didn't bring any gifts, and didn't even sign their names, clearly indicating they didn't want to join in the fun.

On the steps in the courtyard, Lin Chen leaned against a pillar smoking. When he saw Xie Dajiao carrying the child over, he quickly put out his cigarette and waved to her.

"Here you are, I've saved you a good spot."

"Hey, here it comes!"

Xie Dajiao swayed over and sat down, grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds and cracking them open as she spoke:

"You know, Liu Neng really knows how to make a scene; even a pregnancy can be arranged."

Lin Chen smiled but didn't reply. He picked up the child and started playing with him, resting his chin on the little guy's neck, making the child laugh heartily.

A group of people were chatting when Xiangxiu came over alone. She spotted Lin Chen immediately, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and quickly walked over.

Wang Yun greeted him:

"Xiuer, come sit here."

"No, Mom, I'll sit next to Brother Chen and talk to him about something."

After Xiangxiu finished speaking, she sat down on the other side of Lin Chen:

"Brother Chen, you came by yourself too?"

"OK."

Lin Chen grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and handed them to her:

"Why did you come alone? Where is the big country?"

"The major power has dispatched vehicles and cannot come."

Xiangxiu ate sunflower seeds while looking at him with sparkling eyes:

"Why didn't Xiaomei come with you?"

"She went to Tieling with Xiaomeng and Yannan to discuss some cooperation matters and do some sightseeing."

"Oh? So you're home alone today?"

Xiangxiu immediately smiled, quietly moved closer to him, and whispered:

"Are you going to drink later? I'll pour you some. I'm free this afternoon."

Lin Chen neither refused nor responded, but turned to look at the growing number of villagers at the door.

More and more people arrived, and the fifteen tables were soon full. But that wasn't enough. The courtyard was noisy and bustling. All the villagers came over, signed their names, and went inside. Not a single person gave any money as a gift.

Zhao Yutian sat at the gift table, his name filled with names, while the money box in front of him was empty.

Once everyone was seated, Liu Neng helped Liu Ying out of the house and pinned a big red flower to her chest. Liu Ying was shy and a little embarrassed, but Liu Neng insisted on making her sit in the rocking chair.

The dishes from the kitchen were brought to the table one after another, and everyone waited for the feast to begin. All the chopsticks were pressed under the plates, and no one touched them first.

Liu Neng quickly stepped forward and waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Everyone, please wait a moment! We'll eat a little later! I have a few words to say! Then we'll begin!"

After saying that, he pulled Liu Yingniang aside and showed off with a smug look on his face.

"Look at this! You were worried no one would come? Look at my popularity in the village! More people came than I expected. Just wait and see how much money they have today!"

Liu Yingniang muttered softly:

"I really didn't expect so many people to come..."

Liu Neng turned around and started yelling at people to get to work:

"Go! Lay out my red carpet! And put that little podium at the entrance!"

The two young men who were helping worked quickly and efficiently, laying out a narrow red carpet at the entrance and setting up a small platform about half a person's height.

Liu Neng jogged into the house, solemnly loosened his red tie, picked up the megaphone, stood at the doorway, cleared his throat, and stammered out a message.

"Liu...Liu Ying's pregnancy celebration, the auspicious...auspicious time has arrived! Let's set off firecrackers!"

Firecrackers crackled and popped outside the courtyard, billowing white smoke.

After the firecrackers were finished, it was Liu Neng's turn to appear. He pulled out a handful of colorful confetti from his pocket and threw it forcefully into the air, the confetti fluttering down and landing all over his face.

He casually wiped his face and walked blissfully onto the stage on the red carpet.

He held up a megaphone and shouted:

"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow villagers, young and old! Hello everyone!"

The villagers below burst into laughter, but they were also quite respectful, applauding enthusiastically. After all, they had already treated him to a meal for free, so what was wrong with clapping?

Liu Neng patted his pockets and shouted:

"Hey? Where's my speech? Bring it to me right now!"

Liu Yingniang rolled her eyes from below, but still stepped forward and handed over the crumpled manuscript.

"First of all, on behalf of the Liu family and the Zhao family, I welcome everyone to our home for dinner! Thank you all for coming! Next, let me introduce the main members of our family. Now, please welcome my wife, Ms. Li Xiulian, to the stage!"

He waited for Liu Yingniang to come on stage, but Liu Yingniang had already walked to the table of gifts and opened the ledger, shouting without even looking up:

"I'm busy right now! I'm not coming over! You'll have to do it yourself!"

Another burst of laughter erupted from below. Liu Neng was a little embarrassed, but he wasn't discouraged and continued reading:

"Um... my wife is quite busy, so next, let me introduce today's leading lady, my daughter Liu Ying!"

Liu Ying stood up with a flushed face, waved to everyone, and quickly sat back down.

"Next, please welcome my in-law, Mr. Zhao Guoqiang, to the stage!"

Zhao Si was sitting on the side, eating sunflower seeds, watching with great interest, when someone next to him quickly nudged him:

"Zhao Si! I'm calling you! Isn't Zhao Guoqiang you?!"

"Huh? You're calling me? It's been so many years since anyone called me by my full name."

Zhao Si then realized what was happening and waved his hands repeatedly:

"Well... I won't go up, you can just keep talking."

"No way! You have to come up here!" Liu Neng shouted from the stage.

Everyone joined in the commotion, and Zhao Si, unable to refuse any longer, reluctantly walked onto the stage.

Liu Neng immediately put his arm around Zhao Si's shoulder, and the two of them squeezed onto the small platform. He didn't let Zhao Si stand too high; Zhao Si had to be a head shorter than him.

"Next, please welcome Mrs. Wang Xiumei, wife of Zhao Guoqiang, to the stage!"

Yutian's mother was also pushed onto the stage by everyone and stood next to Zhao Si. Liu Neng was sandwiched in the middle, looking up as he spoke, and the laughter below never stopped.

Liu Neng was completely unaware that he had been talking incessantly into the loudspeaker for more than ten minutes, from Liu Ying's hardships during her pregnancy to the difficulties of raising a child in the future. He got more and more excited as he talked, and the people below had long since grown tired of listening.

When he finally called for the meal to begin, everyone immediately grabbed their chopsticks and started eating voraciously, filling the courtyard with the sound of smacking lips. Plates of food were devoured in the blink of an eye.

Many people murmured to themselves as they ate.

"I must say, Liu Neng really put on a decent show."

"What do you mean by 'decent'? Look, there are only a few meat dishes."

"That's good enough, we didn't spend any money."

"Of course, why not eat it? Anyway, we don't have to give a gift."

At the main entrance, Liu Yingniang stood in front of the gift table with a frown, asking Zhao Yutian in a puzzled tone:

"Yutian, I see so many people coming in, but why isn't a single one giving a gift?"

Zhao Yutian put down his pen and sighed helplessly:

"Stop looking. It's the same today. They come in, sign their names, and then barge in. I can't stop them. There are still many who haven't registered. I can't control them at all."

"Not a single person gave a gift?"

"no."

Zhao Yutian pushed the empty box over:

"Look for yourself, it's spotless."

When Liu Yingniang opened the lid, she found that there wasn't a single penny in the box. She panicked completely and turned to run into the yard.

Liu Neng, feeling he hadn't had enough, wanted to go on stage and speak, to show off a bit. She tugged hard at Liu Neng's clothes and said urgently:

"Stop talking! Come out right now! Something's happened!"

Liu Neng was feeling quite pleased with himself when he was interrupted, and he became extremely impatient, shaking off her hand:

"What is it? Can't you see I was just about to speak? I'll tell you later!"

"I can't wait any longer! It's about the money!" Liu Yingniang held onto him tightly, refusing to let go.

Liu Neng then realized something was wrong and quickly shouted into the loudspeaker:

"Everyone, start eating and drink!"

Then he hurriedly followed Liu Yingniang out.

Upon reaching the main gate, Liu Neng grabbed the gift ledger and flipped through several pages. It was filled with names, but there wasn't a single record of gift money.

He opened the money box, and it was completely empty, without a single hair inside.

Liu Neng's face changed instantly, and his voice trembled.

"W-what happened, Yutian? Where's the money? Where's the gift money?"

"How would I know?"

Zhao Yutian looked completely innocent:

"Everyone came in, signed their names, and then rushed inside. I couldn't stop them. I shouted, 'Where's the gift money?' But no one paid any attention to me. There were also many people who didn't sign their names and just went in to eat."

"Not a single person gave a gift?" Liu Neng stared wide-eyed, his face full of disbelief.

"No." Zhao Yutian shook his head gently.

"impossible!"

Liu Neng's eyes turned red with anxiety:

"Are you hiding? Check your pockets!"

Zhao Yutian wasn't angry. He simply turned both pockets inside out, and there was nothing there.

"Dad, look, I really don't have any. I didn't bring a single penny with me."