Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Lin Chen knew he couldn't hide it, and he didn't intend to try to cover it up.

He tried to keep his tone steady and spoke very frankly:

"To be honest, Xiao Meng is one of my people, but not many people know this. I hope you can keep this a secret and not tell anyone."

Li Qiuge suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open. She hadn't expected Lin Chen to admit it so easily, and pressed for an answer:

"Then... what about Sister Xiaomei? Does she know?"

"Of course I know, how could I keep it from my wife?"

Lin Chen nodded, his tone frank and open:

"We've been together for a long time, so I don't hide anything from her."

Li Qiuge opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

She felt that all the principles and worldview she had ever held in her life had been shattered, and her mind was a complete mess.

In the past, she would have thought it was outrageous, but now, looking at Lin Chen's eyes, his calm demeanor, and the hot chest and hard arms that had been pressed against her back, she didn't feel disgusted at all. Instead, she had a vague feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

A man who is so capable and protective of those around him... it seems like he should naturally be liked by many people.

She herself was startled by the thought.

Seeing that she remained silent, Lin Chen apologized again solemnly:

"It was my fault today. I drank too much and acted recklessly. Don't take it to heart. Fortunately, nothing that shouldn't have happened occurred. You should get some rest. I'm going home now."

After saying that, she gently closed the door and quickly returned to the master bedroom. She didn't even dare to go to Wang Xiaomeng's place, feeling somewhat guilty for doing something wrong.

Xie Xiaomei, still half asleep in the master bedroom, turned over groggily upon hearing the noise.

"Why are you back so soon? Didn't you go look for Xiaomeng?"

"I didn't go."

Lin Chen lifted the covers and lay down, casually pulling her into his arms, his tone as if nothing had happened:

"It's so late, don't disturb her sleep, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Xie Xiaomei didn't think much of it, snuggled closer to him, and fell asleep again in no time.

Lin Chen lay there with his eyes open for a long time, finding it amusing. What kind of situation was this? He was so drunk that he could even mistake people. Fortunately, Li Qiuge didn't seem like a gossipy person, so he shouldn't cause any trouble.

Li Qiuge tossed and turned in her hotel room, unable to fall asleep.

She lay in bed, her mind a jumble of thoughts. One moment she was thinking about the burning heat of his embrace, the next about Lin Chen's bare chest, and then about the nonchalant way he said Xiao Meng was also hers.

She never imagined she could live like this, but when she thought of the kind and friendly way her sisters in the villa treated her, she didn't feel disgusted at all. Instead, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a strange curiosity and a little... a faint hope.

Does that mean she also has a chance?

The more she thought about it, the less she could sleep. So she simply turned over and buried her face in the pillow, just like Lin Chen had done to her earlier. She finally drifted off to sleep in the middle of the night, her cheeks still slightly flushed...

The next morning, Lin Chen woke up but hesitated to go downstairs.

The thought of mistaking someone for someone else last night made her feel embarrassed, and she was afraid that if she ran into Li Qiuge, they would both feel uncomfortable.

He simply leaned against the headboard and smoked, planning to wait until everyone had finished eating and left before going downstairs.

A short while later, the door was gently pushed open, and Wang Xiaomeng's voice came in:

"Brother Chen, are you awake? Come downstairs for dinner, I have something to discuss with everyone."

"What's up? Just tell me here."

"Everyone downstairs is here; it would be great if we could all discuss it together."

Wang Xiaomeng smiled and walked to the bedside, pulling his arm:

"Get up and wash up quickly, everyone's waiting for you. It's important, it's about the factory."

Lin Chen had no choice; he couldn't keep hiding forever. So he reluctantly got up to wash up and spent a long time before finally following Wang Xiaomeng downstairs.

Just what I feared most came to pass.

As soon as he went downstairs, he felt a gaze fixed on him.

Li Qiuge sat at the dining table, staring at him intently, her eyes still carrying the strange feeling from last night.

Lin Chen pretended not to see her, pulled out a chair, sat down, picked up the milk and gulped down a big mouthful, without looking in her direction the whole time.

After sitting down, Wang Xiaomeng looked at everyone and said:

"I have something to tell you all. Qiu Ge and I have discussed it. Now that we've officially partnered with Qingmei, we can't keep calling it a small factory anymore. I want to change the bean product factory into a bean product company and operate it in a more formalized way."

"I'm thinking of converting that newly built two-story building behind the factory into an office building. What do you all think? I'd like to hear your opinions."

This was a serious matter, and everyone at the table looked at Lin Chen, waiting for him to make a decision first.

Lin Chen put down his cup and nodded:

"Of course I agree. It should have been formalized a long time ago. We can't keep operating like a small workshop. Don't worry about the renovations. Leave the professional work to the professionals. If you need money, just tell me. I have some."

"Brother Chen, you underestimate me too much."

Wang Xiaomeng smiled and waved her hand:

"I've saved up quite a bit, enough for the renovation. I just need you guys to come over and keep an eye on things when the renovation is in progress, because I can't manage it all by myself."

"No problem."

Xie Xiaomei immediately chimed in:

"Anyway, I have nothing to do at home, so I'll go over every day to keep an eye on things for you."

"You can't do it."

Wang Xiaomeng quickly stopped her:

"You're pregnant, things will be chaotic then, what if you bump or hurt yourself? Just stay home and rest, you don't need to go anywhere."

"I'm not that dramatic."

Xie Xiaomei smiled and patted her belly:

"It's only been a few months, I'm not at the point where I can't move yet, I'll just take it slow."

The two of them chatted back and forth, seemingly thinking of each other's best interests, without a hint of jealousy or rivalry; they were very amicable.

Li Qiuge sat to the side, glancing at Wang Xiaomeng, then at Xie Xiaomei, and then stealing a glance at Lin Chen in the main seat. A thought suddenly popped into her mind, startling even herself—

If I could stay here forever, stay in this lively home, it seems... not so bad.

……

Over the next few days, Lin Chen became very busy. The two-story office building was soon renovated, and the construction progressed quickly. After all, it didn't need to be as complicated as the renovation of Lin Chen's villa; everything could be kept simple.

Today, the conference room at the resort was packed to capacity, with people standing in the aisles. They were all ordinary people who had come over, each holding two boxes of Black Ant trial packs.

This stuff is given out as soon as you enter the door. It's said that soaking it in alcohol or grinding it into powder are good for your health. People think it's a waste not to take it, and many people even secretly slipped two boxes into their pockets, thinking of taking them home for their elderly parents to try.

The banner in the center of the stage read: "Black Ant Biotechnology Aquaculture Cooperation Promotion Meeting".

A pile of rice cookers, each as tall as a person, was stacked next to the table. In front of the rice cookers was a sign that read: Sign a contract on the spot and get a brand-name rice cooker for free!

Liu Da Naotou, dressed in a suit and beaming with joy, stood by the stage, microphone in hand, and gestured for her hand to bend down.

"Quiet down! Everyone, young and old, aunties and grandmas, stop chatting! Almost everyone's here. We won't wait for those who haven't arrived yet, let's get started!"

Once the commotion from the audience subsided, he cleared his throat and began his formal introduction:

"First of all, on behalf of Ivory Mountain Hot Spring Resort, I welcome everyone! This ant-raising project is a benefit I arranged for everyone. The company is a reputable large enterprise with substantial financial strength. Now, let's invite Manager Zhao from Black Ant Biotechnology to explain in detail how to make money!"

The applause from the audience was enthusiastic. Manager Zhao walked onto the stage carrying a briefcase, looking every bit the salesman. He had a loud voice, a confident tone, and could rattle off a series of sales pitches as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Dear fellow villagers! Hello everyone!"

He first bowed, then shook the box of ant seeds in his hand:

"Our company, Black Ant Biotechnology, is a legitimate chain enterprise throughout the province, engaged in the integrated production and processing of medicinal black ants. Now we're following the 'company + farmer' model, aiming to help everyone get rich together!"

"The model is super simple, it's called contract farming. You sign a contract with the company, pay a deposit for ant stock, and agree to adopt a certain number of boxes of ants. The company takes care of everything: ant stock, feed, technology, and door-to-door collection. You don't have to worry about a thing, you just sit at home and wait to collect your money!"

Immediately, someone below shouted at the top of their lungs:

"If I invest 10,000 yuan, how much can I actually earn?"

"That's a good question, sir!"

Manager Zhao clapped his hands, raising his voice eight octaves higher:

"I've explained it all to you, so you can rest assured. Pay a deposit of 10,000 yuan, adopt ten boxes of ants, and when the one-year contract expires, the company will return 13,000 yuan to you, including principal and interest! You'll have 3,000 yuan left! That's 3% annual interest, better than putting money in the bank!"

"The more you invest, the more you earn! Invest 100,000 and you'll net 30,000 in a year! You don't have to do anything, you can make money just by lying down!"