Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

As the dishes were being served, Lin Chen poured wine for each person, then closed the door, picked up his glass first, and leaned forward slightly.

"I'm truly delighted to have all of you leaders gathered here today. I'd like to offer the first toast to everyone. Thank you all for joining me. I, Lin Chen, am young, and the town has helped me a lot since I returned to the village. Don't let my silence fool you; I appreciate it all. I'll drink this first!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed a full glass of baijiu. Of course, the glass wasn't big, and he wouldn't be able to finish many glasses of that. He put down the glass, wiped his mouth, and didn't change his expression.

Mayor Qi smiled, picked up his cup, took a small sip, and said:

"Xiao Chen, you're too kind. You're no stranger here. You've done a lot of good things for our hometown. We're grateful to you. And everyone in the town knows how many jobs your uncle's resort has created."

"That's definitely not true!"

Pi Changshan quickly stood up with the cup in his hand, bending even lower and pressing the rim of the cup down lower than anyone else's.

Deputy Mayor Li smiled and waved his hand:

"Principal Pi is quite eloquent today. Alright, alright, everyone sit down. What are you standing for?"

Pi Changshan sat down, his buttocks resting on the edge. Lin Chen, holding his cup, turned to Mayor Qi and Deputy Mayor Li to first express his attitude.

"With this second toast, I want to make a statement to the two town mayors. Now that I'm back in Xiangyashan, I don't intend to just coast along. I'll first get this little matter at hand sorted out. In the future, whether it's agriculture, education projects, or anything else, as long as the town needs me, I'll definitely step forward and do more practical things for our town."

Whether you can do it or not, just say so now. If you can't do it, we'll talk about it later.

Mayor Qi's eyes lit up slightly after hearing this, and he stood up to clink glasses with Lin Chen:

"Xiao Lin, that's good to hear. Our town is in need of capable and hardworking young people like you. Just go ahead and do your job with confidence. If you have any difficulties, come to town and find us anytime."

Mayor Li chimed in from the side:

"Xiao Lin is a thoughtful child; he still thinks about his hometown, which is truly rare."

With his third cup, Lin Chen turned to Director Zhang and Pi Changshan, and gently mentioned the matter of the school's farmland, suggesting that they pave the way first.

"This third toast is for Director Zhang and Principal Pi. We'll need you two to keep an eye on those three acres of school land in the east of the village. It's all for the sake of education in our town."

"Sure, sure!"

Director Zhang raised his glass and clinked it together readily. Pi Changshan hurriedly raised his glass and leaned forward, almost touching the table with it.

"Don't worry, bro! The school will absolutely cooperate fully. I may not be good at much else, but I'm definitely a pro at getting things done. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!"

In his haste, he downed a full glass, which made his throat itch. He quickly covered his mouth to stop coughing, his face turning red. He secretly took a breath before daring to sit down.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere at the table immediately warmed up.

The lazy Susan turned slowly as everyone reached for food with their chopsticks. The effects of the alcohol gradually kicked in, and they became more talkative.

Some people chatted about the latest happenings in the town, while others complained about the hassle of county meetings. Pi Changshan dared to occasionally chime in, but he always kept glancing at the expressions of the leaders, afraid of saying something wrong.

As the drinking progressed and everyone was in high spirits, Mayor Qi picked up a piece of braised pork knuckle and chewed on it, casually steering the conversation toward more serious matters:

"Xiaolin, what exactly are you thinking about that school land thing? We're all on the same side today, so just tell me the truth."

Lin Chen put down his chopsticks, speaking in a grand and dignified manner, without mentioning a single word about his personal use of the food.

"Mayor Qi, here's the thing: those three acres of land are just going to waste if they're left to lie fallow. I'm thinking of setting up an agricultural science popularization and training base there."

He paused, then continued:

"I'll cover all the costs; the school and the education commission won't have to pay a cent. I'll just sign a long-term cooperation agreement."

Director Zhang immediately chimed in to support him:

"Xiao Lin talked to me about this once, and it's definitely a good thing. The county is currently focusing on labor education, and if we report our entire base to higher authorities at the end of the year, it will be a significant achievement."

Mayor Qi immediately understood what was going on, nodded, but didn't make a decision right away. He turned to Deputy Mayor Li and asked:

"Old Li, you're in charge of this area, tell me, is the policy feasible?"

Deputy Mayor Li took a sip of his wine and began speaking in an official tone, leaving room for interpretation in his words—the typical approach of a seasoned veteran.

"According to the rules, when school land is used for educational facilities construction, the education commission only needs to issue an application and the town needs to file a record. There is no need to go through the same procedures as village homesteads. The village collective cannot get involved. It is originally an internal matter of the education system. As long as the purpose is not misused, there should be no major problems in principle."

As soon as the words "in principle" were uttered, Lin Chen knew what was going on.

He smiled, picked up the bottle, and refilled everyone's glasses. Then, he casually revealed his true thoughts.

"Mayor Li is right. I will also invest the money in batches. There is no rush to finish it all at once. Let's build a two-story training building first and see how it goes. Later, we can slowly add expert apartments, duty rooms, warehouses, and so on. We will do it one building at a time. I'm just afraid that building one building will require going through all the procedures, which is too much trouble and will also waste your time."

The message is clear: register once, build in batches, and don't make me run around doing procedures every time.

Deputy Mayor Li could easily understand.

He tapped his fingers on the table, glanced at Mayor Qi's face, and seeing that the other party did not object, he smiled and made his promise, both adhering to the rules and providing ample convenience.

"Hey, this is easy. First, you need to come up with a comprehensive planning scheme, including the total area, the number of buildings, and their uses. Write it all down clearly and submit it to the construction management office and the land office for filing at once. I'll let you know in advance."

"As long as it doesn't exceed the boundaries and the land use remains unchanged, how many phases you build it in and which building you construct first is your own construction arrangement. You don't need to apply for approval every time."

"Of course!"

Lin Chen immediately picked up the cup:

"Since Mayor Li has been so considerate, I'll definitely follow the rules and not cause any trouble for anyone. I'll do it, you can do as you please!"

Pi Changshan, who was standing next to him, was stunned. He had originally thought it was just about building two small houses, but he hadn't expected Lin Chen to be so ambitious. Was he planning to build a villa district? He was even more surprised that the town leaders had simplified all the procedures with just a word.

Seeing that the leaders had all agreed, he quickly stood up to show his loyalty as well.

"Don't worry, bro. I've got all the school's agreements and official seals all covered. Whenever you need them, I'll deliver them to your door!"

He tilted his head back and downed another glass, choking and coughing violently. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand, tears welling up in his eyes, but he dared not cough loudly.

Director Zhang couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"Principal Pi is quite enthusiastic."

"Of course, of course!"

Pi Changshan smiled obsequiously, his voice hoarse, but he still remembered to pick up the teapot and refill everyone's teacups.

After finishing our business, we'd also drunk quite a bit of alcohol.

Mayor Qi blushed, picked up his glass and clinked it with Lin Chen's, setting the tone immediately.

"Xiao Lin, it's settled then. The town supports you in getting this base up and running, but don't make things too difficult for us. Take it slow."

"If you want to expand your business in the future, transfer land in the surrounding area, or do other projects, just tell the town. The town's attitude is very clear: to serve enterprises and protect them. Do your job well and invest more in our town. That's better than anything else. Building two houses is no big deal. We even treated you to a meal."

The implication couldn't be clearer: the town will cover for you today, and if you want to develop your business in the future, the town will continue to give you the green light, provided you invest real money here.

Lin Chen understood the meaning behind his words:

"Don't worry, Lao Qi, I know what I'm doing. Don't you know me? In the future, any investment will definitely prioritize our town."

"Alright, alright! We'd love to chat with you, it's so clear-headed."

The rest of the time was spent chatting idly.

Mayor Qi talked about Wang Dana's resort, saying that sometimes it was impossible to book a room on weekends. He asked Lin Chen to pass on his regards to Wang Dana. Director Zhang talked to Pi Changshan about the year-end education inspection. Pi Changshan nodded his head like a pecking at rice, saying "yes" and "don't worry" repeatedly.

Pi Changshan didn't dare to spin the wheel on his own the whole time. He only dared to take a bite with his chopsticks when it was right in front of him, and his toasting cup was always lower than everyone else's.

He knew in his heart that he was just an accessory today, and that he was only able to sit at this table because of Lin Chen. He wanted to get acquainted with the leader so that it would be easier to get things done in the future.