Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"Shanghai? And by plane?"

Xie Guangkun's eyes widened instantly, his smile vanished, and he said with a smirk:

"What's so great about Shanghai? It's crowded, has too many cars, and is a mess. It's not as comfortable as our village. Seventh Brother, you can't even swim, what are you going to do in Shanghai?"

"Besides, that plane is so dangerous, floating in the sky. I wouldn't go even if you invited me for free."

Despite his tough words, his eyes kept glancing into the car, and he even secretly stole a few extra glances at Wang Laoqi's new clothes.

Wang Laoqi knew what kind of person he was, so he wasn't angry and just smiled and said:

"I don't want to go either, but I have no choice. Xiaomeng has a partnership with a company in Shanghai, and as her father, I can't rest easy if I don't go."

Wang Xiaomeng smiled and replied:

"Uncle Guangkun, you should visit sometime if you have the chance."

"Let's talk about it later."

Xie Guangkun waved his hand, and even after the car had driven far away, he still stood there staring at the rear of the car, muttering to himself:

"Taking a plane... what's so special about that..."

Xie Guangkun returned home dejectedly, sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and sighed repeatedly.

Seeing him like this, Yongqiang's mother said in bewilderment:

"What's wrong? Why are you upset about a walk? Did the dog chase you?"

"Sigh, don't even mention it..."

"Our Xie family just isn't lucky enough to have a good daughter-in-law. I just ran into Wang Laoqi; he went to Shanghai with Wang Xiaomeng, and they even took a plane!"

"Tell me, if Yongqiang had gotten together with Xiaomeng back then, wouldn't I be able to benefit from it now, taking a plane trip to Shanghai? But look at me, now she has a child, no factory, no skills, I don't get any of that benefit!"

"You're kidding me!"

Yongqiang's mother said to him in an annoyed tone:

"Who was it that insisted on not marrying Xiaomeng in the first place? They thought she was a country girl and not good enough for Yongqiang? Now they regret it. Besides, I think Guiying is pretty good too. Don't talk nonsense in front of the children. Instead of wasting your time, you should think about how to make more money so you can fly on a plane yourself! Stop complaining about this and that all the time."

Xie Guangkun snorted and looked down to see a brightly colored flyer lying on the kang table.

He picked it up, glanced at it, and his eyes lit up immediately. He then slammed his hand on the table.

"Who gave me this flyer? When was it put here?"

"Two salesmen in suits came in just now. They talked for ages but I couldn't understand a word they said, so I just left them on the table."

"You! You almost ruined something important!"

Xie Guangkun was so excited that he stood up and pointed at the flyer, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"This is a chance to make money for our family! Liaobei Black Ant Biotechnology, raise ants and make money! Pay a deposit of 10,000 yuan, raise them for a year and get back 13,000 yuan including principal and interest, a 30% return!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and quickly dialed the number on the flyer:

"Hello! Is this the black ant farming company? I'm from Ivory Mountain. I'd like to ask, how do you raise these ants? Do you really offer a refund?... Oh, you just need to put boxes at home, it won't interfere with your work? Okay, okay! I got it! I'll definitely go to the presentation!"

After hanging up the phone, Xie Guangkun rubbed his hands together, his face flushed. The slight annoyance he felt from being envious of Wang Laoqi had vanished completely.

"Flying is nothing! Once I make money raising ants, I can go to Shanghai, even Beijing!"

At noon, after dropping someone off at the village, Lin Chen squatted down in front of the Big Foot Supermarket and ate an ice pop; it was still too hot that day.

Looking up, I saw Xie Guangkun walking over with his hands behind his back, taking small steps, his face tilted higher than usual, fanning himself with the flyer in his hand.

"Uncle Guangkun, did you find some money? You're grinning from ear to ear." Lin Chen joked, biting into an ice pop.

Xie Guangkun sat down to the side, deliberately slapping the flyer loudly, as if afraid the people next to him wouldn't hear it:

"What do you mean by finding money on the street? This is a path to wealth! You know Liaobei Black Ant Biotechnology? Big companies in the city, even celebrities have endorsed the same ant products! They're now recruiting farmers. You pay a 10,000 yuan deposit, set up a few boxes at home to raise ants, and at the end of the term, you get 13,000 yuan back, including principal and interest—30% interest! Much better than putting money in the bank!"

Lin Chen immediately became alert; he was definitely dealing with a scammer.

Why?

Since the central bank's one-year benchmark lending rate is only around 7%, if a legitimate institution can consistently achieve a 30% annual return, it can easily make a fortune by borrowing from banks and reinvesting the profits; it wouldn't need to seek funding from you at all.

As Xie Guangkun said, there are only two possibilities for where the funds went: either it's a Ponzi scheme using new money to pay off old debts, or it's simply illegal fundraising with the perpetrators running away with the money.

But he couldn't say it directly, because if he did, it would be blocking someone's path to wealth, and Xie Guangkun would be the first to get angry with him.

So he smiled but didn't reply.

Just then, Liu Neng came running over, shouting from afar:

"Guang... Guangkun! You heard the news too? Let me tell you, I just called my aunt's brother in Shenyang, and the surrounding villages are going crazy with investment! Those who invested last year are getting their money back this year, all... all in cash!"

"Do you even need to tell me?"

Xie Guangkun curled his lip, a smug look on his face:

"I've found out everything. The company is legitimate, headquartered in Shenyang. Their products are sold in major pharmacies. They collect ants to make capsules that can nourish the kidneys, fight fatigue, and boost immunity. They can treat all sorts of ailments, and they have no worries about sales. I'm thinking of buying some myself."

Liu Neng squatted down, opened his notebook, and said:

"I...this is what I was thinking: I'll try it out first. Ten thousand dollars is a bit much, but it'll be enough to make back the money I spent on the celebration."

"If it's really reliable, I'll order another one next year. The key is that they don't discriminate against people; we can raise them at home without interfering with farming or my work."

As Liu Neng spoke, he nudged Lin Chen's arm and said with a helpful expression:

"Lin Chen, you're young and quick-witted, and you have money to burn. Why don't you get a few more? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The company's people will be leaving in a couple of days, and there won't be anywhere to sign up!"

Lin Chen smiled, shook his head, and said:

"I won't do it. I don't have time to raise this thing. You guys can study it. But I'm warning you, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Be careful."

The two of them weren't listening at all and were having a heated conversation when people kept coming over to ask how it went.

Lin Chen threw the popsicle into the bucket, said goodbye to Big Foot, patted his bottom, and got up to walk home.

He didn't intend to advise anyone. When faced with the temptation of real money, it's pointless to try to persuade someone; you'll only end up being accused of blocking their path to wealth.

He stood in the shade by the wall, watching the familiar villagers, their faces glowing with hope, their eyes brimming with anticipation, as if they were eyeing a pie that had fallen from the sky, eagerly reaching out to catch it.

The wind rustled the flyers, which were printed with large, black ants and a line of striking red text:

"Raising black ant kings leads to wealth and a comfortable life."

No one noticed that when Lin Chen turned around, he sighed softly. Some things, no one would believe even if he said them. The previous time he reminded them, everyone knew it was gambling and that it was wrong, but this time, they said it was an investment. What could he do?

He didn't linger any longer and drove home alone. The noise behind him grew fainter and fainter, like a lively dream, just waiting for the day he would wake up.

Not long after Lin Chen left, Yu Tian's mother pulled Zhao Si toward them.

Zhao Si's lips twitched, his brows furrowed, and he looked uneasy.

"I always felt it was risky."

Zhao Si stopped and squatted down against the wall to smoke, his posture resembling that of someone defecating.

"Where can you find such high interest rates? That's even more outrageous than loan sharking. It must be a scam."

"You don't know anything!"

Yutian's mother said something to him:

"The resort has already partnered with them, and General Manager Liu has given his approval! The sales staff said they'll be holding a promotional event at the resort next week, with high-ranking officials coming to speak and giving gifts. With a business as big as theirs, would they really lie to you?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Guangkun and Liu Neng perked up even more; this was far too safe.

The villa is owned by Wang Dana, and it's a well-known brand in Ivory Mountain. Even Liu Danao acknowledges it, so how could it be fake?

"No wonder, such a big thing was initiated by the resort."

"Then I'm relieved! Would Wang Dana really cheat ordinary people like us?"

Liu Neng quickly stuffed the notebook into his pocket:

"Then what are we waiting for? I'll go to the resort to register tomorrow to secure a spot. If I'm late, I might not get one!"

……

At that moment, in the villa's office, Secretary Li walked in from outside carrying a stack of brochures. She was dressed in a professional suit, completely covered up, and walked with a brisk pace.

Liu Da Nao was in a good mood, combing his hair. Wang Dana had left, and Lin Chen wasn't coming over. He was the boss, and his word was law.

"Mr. Liu, the venue for the presentation is all set up and the gifts are ready. Everyone who attends will receive two boxes of Ant Trial Packs, and if you sign a contract, you'll receive a rice cooker as a gift."