Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Back to the present, under the blazing afternoon sun, Lin Chen carefully put away the copper lock. Five years is five years, nothing is impossible to endure.

In the past five years, he has not had to compete, travel around, or engage in infighting.

If you stay peacefully for five years, you can receive the system's ultimate reward, achieving complete financial freedom, health, and a fulfilling life.

Having figured all this out, Lin Chen smiled with relief.

They come, the security.

Back in the house, Lin Chen felt completely at ease, and everything became clear to him.

He had figured out the system's rules: anyone who dared to step out of the village would be eliminated. These were inviolable rules, and there was no room for joking. However, a month later, he wanted to test the system's boundaries. It shouldn't just be Ivory Mountain Village; he would have to try the nearby villages and towns as well.

He tidied up the house a bit yesterday, but it still needs to be redone. Before that, he still needs to go around the village and get acquainted with the locals.

Another crucial point is that he needs to live in the village for five years, and to avoid arousing suspicion, he must prepare his explanation.

After much thought, Lin Chen found a solution, and said this:

His parents, grandparents, and nanny are all buried in Xiangyashan. He left his hometown when he was ten years old and drifted alone in Shenzhen for fifteen years, never having any roots.

I came back this time for two reasons: first, to observe five years of mourning for my elders; and second, to take good care of my health. These past few years of working hard in Shenzhen have left me mentally exhausted. Nowhere else can I find the comfort and support of my hometown.

This statement is perfectly reasonable, and no one in the village can find fault with it.

After tidying up, Lin Chen went to the trunk, opened it, and took out a genuine leather belt that he had used before. He had bought it at a department store last year, and it was definitely a rare item in this village.

Lin Chen put the box in his pocket, locked the car, and slowly walked towards the village entrance. If he wanted others to know that he was going to live here for five years, he had to go to the village's information center service station.

You're asking where? Bigfoot Grocery Store, of course!

……

At the entrance of the village, Big Foot Grocery Store stood with its doors wide open, the bamboo chairs under the awning empty, and the whole street quiet, with only Xie Big Foot minding the store.

Thirty-seven-year-old Xie Dajiao is widely recognized as the most beautiful woman in Ivory Mountain Village.

Because she spends most of her time running the small shop and doesn't have to work in the fields or get exposed to the wind and sun, her skin is fair and delicate, and her face is clean without any fine lines. She looks several years younger than her actual age, which is something that the village's wives who work in the fields every day can't compare to.

Xie Dajiao unbuttoned the top two buttons of her clothes, revealing her fair skin, and her full figure made the upper part of the clothes look tight.

She wore black capri pants that hugged her figure, making her hips and legs look straight and rounded, and her ankles were very slender. Every move she made exuded just the right amount of femininity.

She wore a pair of black leather sandals with short, thin stockings adorned with delicate floral patterns, exuding a simple and down-to-earth charm while also possessing an alluring, mature woman's allure.

She was squatting at the shop entrance, sorting through the newly arrived beer crate covers. Xie Guangkun and Liu Neng had all left.

Lin Chen slowly walked over at the end of the path.

He was tall and slender, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking clean and neat.

The city-raised, fair-skinned young man shone brightly in the sunlight, exuding a clean and refreshing aura, completely unlike the dark-skinned, rough-looking young man from the village.

Not far away, Granny Wang, who was on her way home for a midday rest, looked up and saw this scene. She dropped her hoe and exclaimed:

"Oh my, the Lin family's child is really growing more and more promising. He looks as good as a city celebrity, and he's so dashing!"

Hearing footsteps, Xie Dajiao, who was squatting on the ground, subconsciously looked up and met Lin Chen's smiling eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she lost her grip, the beer bottle in her hand crashing back into the box with a clatter, shaking several times before regaining its balance.

Lin Chen strode forward, reached out to steady the wobbly wine box, and said with a smile:

"Slow down, Big Foot Sister, what's wrong? Why are you daydreaming? The bottle might break and you could cut yourself."

Xie Dajiao quickly stood up, casually brushed the dust off her pants, her face slightly flushed, and greeted them with a smile:

"Hey Xiaochen, what brings you here? I thought you were tidying up the old house. The sun is scorching outside, come inside and cool off."

Lin Chen nodded and followed her into the store, his gaze falling calmly on the store's furnishings.

The store was cool and shady, shielding it from the outside heat, and very quiet, with hardly anyone buying anything.

Xie Dajiao turned on the electric fan she usually wouldn't turn on, then turned around and took out a bottle of chilled orange soda from the freezer, opened the cap with a bottle opener, and handed it over.

Lin Chen took the soda and took a sip. The sweet and cool taste instantly relieved the heat. He burped and felt incredibly refreshed.

He leaned against the counter, looking directly at Xie Dajiao, his tone revealing the honesty and straightforwardness characteristic of Northeasterners, and said bluntly:

"It's been so long since you came back, Big Foot Sister, you really haven't changed at all, you've only gotten younger. I saw you from afar just now and I almost didn't recognize you. You're even more beautiful than those girls in the village."

Xie Dajiao was a little embarrassed by his praise. She turned around to wipe the counter and said with a smile:

"You silly child, why are you so sweet-talking? You're thirty-seven already, your age is what it is, how can you compare to young people? You're getting old. Besides, you're so grown up, you should call me 'Auntie,' not 'Sister' all the time."

"Old what?"

Lin Chen smiled, without any affectation:

"Thirty-seven is the best age for a woman, when she is most charming. Girls in their early twenties may look young, but they are too immature, dry and lacking in temperament. Sister, your skin and figure are so fair and well-proportioned. You are so pleasing to the eye and you can't find another one like you in the entire Ivory Mountain."

Lin Chen paused, then spoke more directly:

"To be honest, your husband really doesn't know how to cherish you. He has such a beautiful and capable wife but doesn't love her. He's always out messing around, leaving you alone at home to guard the shop and the empty house, living like a widow every day. He's just wasting your life. If you had a wife who knew how to cherish her, she would love to hold her in the palm of her hand every day."

These words directly struck at Xie Dajiao's pent-up grievances of many years.

She stopped what she was doing, let out a long sigh, and her tone was full of helplessness:

"That's right, that person's heart is never at home. He's never home all year round. When he comes back, he just drinks and asks for money. When he gets angry, he picks fights. My life is no different from that of a widow. I have to carry everything on my own."

Lin Chen saw the desolation in her eyes and said:

"You don't have to endure this anymore. I'll be staying in the village for the next five years. If you feel wronged or if anyone dares to bully you, just tell me. If he dares to cause trouble or make you suffer when he comes back, I'll take care of it for you and make sure he behaves himself from now on!"

Over the years, no one had ever protected her so openly. Xie Dajiao felt a warmth in her heart, and her face flushed even more.

"Huh? You've been staying in the village for so long?"

Lin Chen recited the words he had prepared beforehand, and Xie Dajiao repeatedly praised Lin Chen for his filial piety and said that the Lin family was blessed.

Lin Chen then took the belt box out of his pocket and handed it over:

"By the way, Big Foot Sister, I came back in a hurry this time and didn't prepare anything decent. This belt is one I used before, and it's a decent size and brand name. You can take it and let your husband use it. It's just a small token of my appreciation. That way, he'll treat you better when he comes back and won't make things difficult for you."

Xie Dajiao quickly waved her hand in refusal:

"That won't do! This thing looks valuable, I can't accept it. What would it look like if I did?"

Lin Chen deliberately put on a stern face, his tone very sincere:

"It's just a belt. If you don't accept it, you're being distant with me. I've lived in the village for the past few years, and I've had to trouble you to take care of everything, big and small."

Xie Dajiao couldn't refuse him, so she had no choice but to accept it with a blush on her face.

Xie Dajiao was a connoisseur; she recognized it as a high-end item at a glance, and her heart skipped a beat.

She felt both warm and grateful. Lin Chen knew perfectly well that she and the man surnamed Li didn't get along, yet he was still so considerate of her feelings and wanted her to have a better life. It was truly rare.

The two chatted idly, and the shop became quiet, with the atmosphere gradually relaxing.

Looking at Lin Chen, who was handsome, steady, and capable, Xie Dajiao couldn't help but casually chat about everyday matters:

"Xiao Chen, you're twenty-five this year, right? You're not young anymore. Have you found someone yet? If not, your aunt will introduce you to a couple. There are plenty of reliable young women in our village. If you live in the village for five years, you'll need a woman. Don't let yourself get too lonely, young man."