Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

"Acquire land? What are you planning to do now? You're never free."

"I plan to continue building houses, to make a small estate, but there's no rush. We need to make arrangements in advance to avoid being caught off guard later."

"You really have no time to cause trouble."

Xie Xiaomei smiled and rolled her eyes at him, picked up the blueprints Lin Chen had drawn up himself, and ran her hand through her wet hair:

"But... if it were actually built, it would seem like a good idea. I'm actually looking forward to it."

"Well, you see, life just keeps moving forward, and we'll have more and more children in the future. We'll need them sooner or later." Lin Chen reached out and gently rubbed her cheek.

……

The following afternoon, Shenyang Taoxian Airport—

Lin Chen leaned against the car, sunglasses perched on his high nose bridge, his white shirt accentuating his tall and straight figure, sleeves rolled up, constantly checking the time.

Not long after, Wang Xiaomeng and Wang Laoqi came out, followed by a girl who immediately caught everyone's eye.

Li Qiuge wore a beige silk shirt, tucked into high-waisted smoky gray suit trousers, which accentuated her slender waist and long, straight legs. She wore Dior printed peep-toe shoes, revealing her smooth ankles.

She carried a discreet genuine leather tote bag on her shoulder and wore a simple women's watch on her wrist—all well-known brands—yet she didn't appear ostentatious at all.

She has very fair skin, bright big eyes, thin lips with a light pink color, and a refreshing and lively smile.

Her long hair was styled smoothly and had a beautiful color. She exuded the sophistication and competence of a big-city girl, yet she was not at all aloof. Her eyes were clear, and she smiled at everyone she saw.

Wang Xiaomeng also saw Lin Chen, waved, and quickly walked over, smiling as she introduced them:

"Brother Chen, this is the quality director of Qingmei Company that I told you about, Li Qiuge. Qiuge, this is Lin Chen."

"Hello, Brother Chen. I often hear Xiao Meng mention you."

Li Qiuge smiled and reached out her hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Chen. Her heart skipped a beat. Wang Xiaomeng had said that a handsome guy was coming to pick her up, but he was even more handsome than she had imagined, and he was her favorite type.

Lin Chen shook hands with her, then remembered Wang Xiaomeng's casual remark that Lin Chen had a wife. The light in her eyes dimmed, but she quickly masked it, still smiling, though there was a hint of inexplicable disappointment.

Lin Chen also looked her up and down, his brows furrowing slightly. He felt that her features were inexplicably familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

He took the luggage and put it in the trunk, casually asking:

Have we met before? You seem vaguely familiar.

"Brother Chen, your way of flirting is so outdated."

Wang Xiaomeng chuckled and patted his arm:

"I'm from the countryside and I'm tired of hearing this. Can't you come up with something new?"

"It wasn't a flirtation."

Lin Chen smiled and shook his head, then opened the passenger door for Wang Laoqi to sit down:

"I really feel like I've seen this somewhere before, maybe I bumped into it somewhere."

Li Qiuge sat in the back seat, leaning against the car window and laughing, her eyes glued to Lin Chen's profile. She said with a smile:

"I don't think I've seen it before. Brother Chen, you must be mistaken. If I had seen it, I would definitely remember it."

Li Qiuge spoke with great energy, her tone carrying a familiar warmth that she herself was unaware of.

As the car drove onto the road back to the village, there were rows of cornfields on both sides. The wind blew and the green waves rolled, and the air was full of the smell of crops.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Wang Laoqi enthusiastically told Lin Chen about his experiences in Shanghai, from skyscrapers to fully automated production lines, and even recounted everything about the airplane.

Li Qiuge leaned against the back window, her eyes wide open, finding everything fascinating.

One moment she was pointing at the flock of sheep by the roadside asking all sorts of questions, and the next she was looking at the vast rice paddies and marveling at how fresh the air was, much more comfortable than in Shanghai. Her tone was full of curiosity, and she didn't seem to dislike the countryside at all. Her vibrant energy made Lin Chen smile.

"Xiao Meng, is that Ivory Mountain in your village? It looks really beautiful."

Li Qiuge shook Wang Xiaomeng's arm:

"When you're done with your work, will you take me up the mountain? Are there any wild vegetables? I've never seen what wild vegetables look like here before."

"What's the problem?"

Wang Xiaomeng smiled and clapped her hand:

"Once we're settled, I'll take you all over the mountains. We have wild apricots, wild grapes, and all sorts of things that taste better than what you buy in the city."

Lin Chen glanced at Li Qiuge in the rearview mirror and thought that this girl was quite open-minded and didn't have the superiority complex of city people, which was quite rare.

The car drove directly to Wang Laoqi's house, where Xiao Meng's mother was already waiting at the gate, greeting him with a smile.

"You're finally back! Come in, come in!"

"Mother, this is Qiu Ge, sent by Qingmei Company to guide us."

Wang Xiaomeng pulled Li Qiuge aside and said to her:

"Qiuge, this is my mother."

"Hello, Auntie!" Li Qiuge bowed politely.

Little Meng's mother paused for a moment, then scratched her head:

"What mother? Why is this child even using literary terms?"

Wang Xiaomeng said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry:

"Just call her 'Auntie,' she won't understand your 'Auntie.'"

"Hello, Auntie!" Li Qiuge immediately changed her address, smiling sweetly, which made Xiao Meng's mother beam with joy.

The group entered the house, and Wang Xiaomeng pushed open the door to the west room:

"Qiuge, this is the room I used to live in. It's all cleaned up. You'll be living here from now on."

The kang (heated brick bed) inside the room was covered with a clean floral quilt, which smelled wonderful after being dried in the sun.

Li Qiuge leaned over and touched it, her eyes lighting up:

She immediately realized what was happening and looked up at Wang Xiaomeng, asking:

"Wait a minute, Xiao Meng, you've given me your room, so where are you going to stay? I'll just make do with whatever's available, no need to make room for me."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I can stay anywhere, I'll stay with my godmother at Brother Chen's place."

"That won't do!"

Li Qiuge quickly waved her hand, looking apologetic:

"Don't move out just because I'm here. We can share a bed. I'm not picky. Otherwise, I'll feel really embarrassed."

"It really wasn't because of you."

Wang Xiaomeng pulled her to sit down:

"I usually live there, and all my things are there, so you can stay there without worry."

Lin Chen leaned against the door frame, glanced at the time, and interrupted the two:

"Stop nagging, let's go. Xiaomei and the others have prepared the food and are just waiting for you to come back to eat. They said it's a welcome-back dinner. Uncle Qi, why don't you come along and have a drink with us?"

"I won't go."

Wang Laoqi waved his hands repeatedly:

"You young people have common ground, so you go and eat. Just make sure you entertain the guests. I'll just stay home and have a meal with your aunt."

Despite repeated polite refusals, Wang Laoqi still refused to go.

Wang Xiaomeng knew that he had just returned and wanted to spend more time with his mother, so she didn't force him. The old married couple still had a good relationship, so she pulled Li Qiuge and Lin Chen outside.

As the car pulled up to the villa's entrance, the large iron gate slowly slid open to both sides.

In the courtyard, Xie Xiaomei, heavily pregnant, stood holding onto the railing, Xie Dajiao held Jing An in her arms, and Chen Yannan wore an apron. The three of them came out to greet them, each looking beautiful in their own way.

Li Qiuge was stunned when she got off the bus. She turned to Wang Xiaomeng and whispered:

"Xiao Meng, when you said 'just staying here,' you mean this place?"

She had thought it was just an ordinary farmhouse, but it turned out to be such a large detached villa, with flowers and plants in the yard, as exquisite as a suburban villa in Shanghai.

"Yes, let's go in."

Wang Xiaomeng smiled and pulled her inside, introducing each item to her one by one:

"This is Sister Xiaomei, Brother Chen's girlfriend, she's pregnant. This is Aunt Dajiao, my godmother. This is Yannan, we all live together."

"Hello, Sister Xiaomei! Hello, Aunt Big Foot! Hello, Sister Yannan!"

Li Qiuge was incredibly sweet-talking, greeting everyone one by one, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with her smile:

"You are all so good-looking. Before I came, I was worried that I wouldn't get along with you all, but now I'm relieved."

"That girl has a really sweet tongue."

Xie Dajiao, holding the child, said with a smile:

"Come inside quickly, the food will be ready soon."

Xie Xiaomei nodded with a smile:

"Come in and have a seat. I've prepared several dishes especially for you to welcome you. Qiu Ge is also welcome."

Upon entering the living room, Li Qiuge sat on the sofa and looked around.

The room has a minimalist style, with solid wood furniture and warm lighting. Calligraphy and paintings hang on the walls, and green plants are placed in the corners. It looks high-end and comfortable, not at all tacky.

She couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:

"This place is beautifully decorated. Who designed it? It has more taste than many luxury apartments."

Lin Chen took a bottle of chilled orange juice from the refrigerator, handed it to her, sat down on the single sofa opposite her, and casually said:

"I just designed it randomly, it's not high-end at all. I just decorated it according to my own style, and as long as I'm comfortable living there, that's all that matters."

Li Qiuge took the drink, looked up at Lin Chen, and her smile deepened.