Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

After downing a glass of wine, Lin Chen carried Xie Dajiao into the house.

Xie Dajiao scooted back on the kang, her head resting on the red pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks, her eyes fixed on the lamp cord hanging from the ceiling.

I don't know why the rope was half a hand's breadth higher than usual.

Xie Dajiao, who was about to take off her right black high heel, now hooked her toes back on. She wanted to turn off the light. What bad intentions could she possibly have?

"Slap, slap, slap!"

For some reason, she couldn't hook the light cord no matter what she tried, but Xie Dajiao kept trying. At first, she was very fast, like a tireless metronome.

Her ankles moved nimbly, her high heels leaving a trail of afterimages in the air as she quickly hooked and flicked upwards, the tips of her heels repeatedly reaching for the strip of red cloth.

But each time it was just a tiny bit off; the heel struck the air with a short, crisp sound that made my heart race.

She wouldn't give up, and this went on for twenty minutes.

The legs stretched straighter and straighter, and although the frequency was a bit slower, each exertion of force was more powerful.

The heels were no longer used for light taps, but instead became heavy "thump, thump, thump," like hammering nails with a small hammer.

The heel occasionally brushed against the light cord, causing the light bulb to sway, and the light and shadow flickered erratically on the wall, but it just couldn't catch that crucial knot.

Sweat streamed down her temples. She bit her lower lip, her thigh muscles tense, and her whole body trembled slightly. Finally, she gathered all her strength in her legs and kicked upwards with all her might—

"Ugh!"

The force was so strong that his entire right leg locked instantly, taut like an iron rod.

The insteps were clenched tightly inwards, causing the thin heels of the high heels to tremble, and the tendons in the calves to stretch and press hard against the skin.

She gasped, gripping her thigh tightly. Her high heel, suspended in mid-air, pointed awkwardly and stiffly at the ceiling, unable to come down.

……

Zhao Yutian was in a car accident and was admitted to the town hospital. Three whole days have passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past three days, gossip has been constant in Ivory Mountain Village. Everyone knows that Zhao Yutian was helping Liu Neng's family transport corn when the truck overturned on the way, injuring his leg. He has been hospitalized to recover after surgery, but no one knows whether his leg will fully recover.

Others would gossip for a few days and then move on, but Liu Ying was the only one who was constantly tormented by the pain. She couldn't eat or sleep, and she visibly lost weight.

Ever since Yutian's accident, every time she closes her eyes at night, all she sees is Yutian leaving home that day. He was smiling and waving to her, saying he would be back after delivering the grain, and then this terrible thing happened.

She felt guilty and worried, and could sit in the yard in a daze for a whole day. She made up her mind that she had to go to the hospital to take care of Yutian no matter what.

Early that morning, just as dawn was breaking and the rooster crowed for the first time, Liu Ying quietly began packing her things before her parents got up.

Then she picked up the bamboo basket from the kitchen and carefully wrapped the eggs she had specially boiled in the middle of the night, layer by layer. The eggs were still warm. She thought that the hospital food was bland and lacked oil, and Yutian needed to replenish his body after his injury, so she brought more eggs, which would surely come in handy.

After packing, Liu Ying clutched her cloth bag tightly and moved quietly toward the gate, intending to catch the earliest bus.

But as soon as she stepped out the door, her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly by a rough and strong hand.

Liu Neng strode out from the side with a dark face, his expression frighteningly gloomy. Without saying a word, he snatched the cloth bag from his daughter's hand, raised his arm, and threw the bag hard onto the muddy ground in the yard.

With a clatter, the cloth bag came apart, and the warm eggs rolled all over the ground. Several eggs hit the stones hard, their shells cracking, making the scene look particularly messy.

Liu Neng stomped his feet incessantly, his brows furrowed, and roared in his loud voice:

"Oh dear, what a waste of all these eggs! If you had just said they were eggs, I wouldn't have smashed them! You good-for-nothing! You dare leave this house today! You're not going anywhere!"

Looking at the shattered eggs scattered on the floor, and seeing all the things she had worked so hard to clean up that morning ruined, Liu Ying felt a lump in her throat, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. Her eyes reddened as she struggled to hold her wrist, her voice trembling with sobs:

"Dad! What are you doing! Don't you know why Yutian got into the car accident? He broke his leg and is suffering in the hospital while hauling grain for our family!"

"We're engaged, I'm his betrothed. He's lying in a hospital bed, unable to move. How can I live with myself if I don't go and take care of him? If the villagers find out, they'll all gossip about us and call us ungrateful!"

"Can backstabbing fill your stomach? Can it be your money?"

Liu Neng showed no mercy. Instead, he loosened his grip on her wrist, took a step back, crossed his arms, and, with a calculating look on his face and a shrewd yet selfish gaze, lowered his voice to argue the pros and cons with his daughter:

"Yingzi, you're young and naive. You can't see through people's hearts, let alone foresee the hardships to come!"

"The doctor hasn't given a definite answer yet, and no one can guarantee that his leg will fully recover! What if the surgery leaves him with aftereffects, and he's lame and can't do heavy farm work anymore? What will you do for the rest of your life?"

"In our rural areas, we rely entirely on physical labor to farm and support our families. If he becomes lame, he won't be able to do anything—plowing the fields, harvesting grain, or any of the heavy work around the house. From then on, you'll have to shoulder everything at home, and you'll have to take care of his every need, serving him food, drink, and daily needs. Your life will be ruined. Do you understand?"

The father and daughter argued more and more fiercely, and the noise in the yard grew louder and louder. Li Xiulian heard the argument and immediately walked out. Looking at the broken eggs all over the ground and the arguing father and daughter, she sighed helplessly.

She stepped forward and grabbed Liu Neng's arm, saying:

"I don't like hearing that. You have to have a conscience. It was you who kept urging Yutian to come back and get the grain, which is why Yutian was in such a hurry to drive and this happened."

"They were genuinely injured for our family. It's one thing for us not to visit them in the hospital, but to stop our daughter from doing her part is unacceptable. If word gets out, our Liu family will be completely disgraced in the village!"

Liu Neng turned and glared at Li Xiulian, his face full of impatience:

"What do you know, you old woman! All you know is how to suffer for the sake of saving face! Can saving face fill your stomach? Can it prevent Yingzi from suffering in the future?"

"I'm Yingzi's biological father. Would I harm my own daughter? I'm stopping her now to prevent her from falling into a trap! If we wait until Yutian is disabled, it will be too late to regret it!"

"I don't regret it!"

Liu Ying, who had been crying, suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her face. The usually docile and obedient girl was now unusually resolute, showing no sign of backing down. Her voice choked with emotion as she said:

"Even if Yutian really becomes lame, I'm still willing to marry him! Our family owes him first, and I absolutely cannot abandon him when he's at his lowest point. I can't be so heartless!"

Li Xiulian hugged Liu Ying and said:

"Ah, that's my good girl! I think the people of Yutian are quite nice; they all live their own lives!"

Liu Neng was so angry his teeth almost flew out. He touched his bald head, his face full of disappointment and frustration.

"I... how did I end up with you two, so full of temper! It's not like the vegetables in the field are spoiled; you can still eat them after peeling them. It's about whether she's lame or not! Yingzi may be ignorant, but don't you, her mother, understand?"

Liu Ying shouted eagerly:

"I'm going to be reckless! I'm going to marry him!"