Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

With a sullen face, Yutian's mother lifted the curtain and went into the inner room. She laboriously reached into the red lacquered box at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), pulled out a handkerchief package from the bottom, and opened it layer by layer. Inside, a stack of neatly arranged bills was laid out, with a few crumpled bills scattered around, smelling of camphor.

She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), dipped her fingers in saliva, counted them once, looked up at Liu Ying standing in the middle of the room, and sighed:

"Yingzi, the whole ticket costs seven thousand six hundred. How about... we take these first?"

"Don't do that, Mother."

Liu Ying stood to the side with her arms crossed, her hand touching her belly, smiling broadly.

"What's the point of being short a thousand or so dollars? When my dad counts it, it's not enough. And then we'll think, what if we can't bear to part with it? Let's round it up to ten thousand. That sounds more generous."

"Well... there aren't that many."

Yutian's mother looked troubled:

"They've emptied their pockets."

Liu Ying glanced at Zhao Si and his son, and a smirk appeared on her lips:

"What's there to be afraid of? Just go out and visit some relatives and neighbors. Can't you even scrape together a little over a thousand yuan?"

"Liu Ying, aren't you going too far!"

Zhao Yutian immediately exploded, taking a step forward and roaring:

"I've already given you 7,600, isn't that enough? You still have to round it up?"

"What's so excessive about it!"

Zhao Si kicked Zhao Yutian, then turned to Liu Ying, looking distressed, sobbing a few times, and speaking in a softer tone:

"Yingzi, don't worry, um... I'll go borrow some from your seventh uncle's house, okay? You wait here."

After saying that, he crouched down, leaned forward, and put his arms halfway down his sides. He took small, shuffling steps and walked out like he was going to steal landmines.

Before long, Zhao Si returned, hunched over, his face red from the cold, and his snotty nose practically overflowing.

He went inside, put the money on the table, and combined it with the seven thousand six hundred he had just received, making it exactly ten thousand.

"Yingzi, count them, it's exactly ten thousand."

Zhao Si handed the money to Liu Ying, but clutched a corner of it tightly in his hand, reluctant to let go.

Liu Ying didn't stand on ceremony. She reached out, grabbed the money, pulled it up, and easily snatched it. She casually stuffed it into the large pocket inside her cotton-padded coat, patted it, and said with a smile:

"Okay, I'll take it to my dad now, so he won't do anything rash at home."

"What time is it?! It's pitch black."

Zhao Yutian frowned:

"Let's go tomorrow, one more night won't make a difference."

Liu Ying touched her belly, thought about it, and nodded:

"Alright, then we'll send it over first thing tomorrow morning. One more night won't make a difference."

After saying that, he sauntered back to his room, leaving the three of them staring blankly at the empty table. The room was so quiet that only the ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.

Lying on the kang (heated brick bed), tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning, Yutian's mother finally couldn't help but nudge Zhao Si beside her with her elbow, her voice low and tinged with grievance:

"Fourth brother, I'm really heartbroken this time. Ten thousand yuan, gone just like that. We've worked so hard for so long, from dawn till dusk, and it's all for nothing. Now, whenever I see Liu Ying, my heart feels heavy, and I can't get over it."

"What should we do then?"

Zhao Si also sighed:

"Your grandson is still in someone else's belly, what can we say? If we get angry and something bad happens, can we take responsibility?"

"I was thinking, is there any way to let Liu Ying go back to her parents' home for a few days?"

Yutian's mother muttered softly:

"I get annoyed just looking at her now; out of sight, out of mind."

Zhao Si grinned, moved closer to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and lit a pipe:

"You think I'm not willing to gamble? You know what, I actually have a way."

"What's the solution?" Yu Tian's mother immediately sat up.

"Don't ask anymore. Just cooperate with me tomorrow, and I guarantee she'll be happy to go back, and she won't be able to find fault with it."

Yutian's mother was half-believing and half-doubting, but she didn't ask any more questions. The two of them turned over, each lost in their own thoughts, and after some time, they finally drifted off to sleep.

As soon as it was light, and the rooster in the yard crowed for the first time, Liu Ying rubbed her eyes and got up. This was the earliest she had gotten up since she became pregnant. Without even washing her face, she stuffed the money into her pocket and headed out.

"Father, Mother, I'm going to deliver the money."

"Hey, Yingzi, wait a minute."

Zhao Si quickly came out of the house, wiping his hands, looking concerned.

"I was thinking, how about this, you go home and stay for a few days, spend some quality time with him. Yutian should go back too, but he has a ton of work to do at the flower nursery these days and can't get away. So you go back and stay for a few days, and come back when your dad's feeling better. What do you think?"

"Yes, Yingzi."

Yutian's mother quickly came out from the inner room and echoed:

"Your dad has a temper; he gets stuck on things. Go back and keep him company; that's better than anything else. Don't worry about the family; just take good care of your dad."

Zhao Yutian nodded in agreement.

"Yes, why don't you go back and stay for a few days? I'll come see you as soon as I'm done with the flower nursery."

Liu Ying pursed her lips, glanced at the family of three, and smiled:

"We're pretty much in agreement. Okay, I'll go back and stay for a few days until my dad's recovered, then I'll come back. I'm also feeling homesick."

"Okay, sure!"

Zhao Si and his family exchanged glances and all breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Yutian reacted the fastest, turning around and running into the house:

"I'll go find you a bag! I'll pack your change of clothes in it!"

His steps were faster than when he was working, as if he was afraid that if he was a step too late Liu Ying would change her mind.

……

Early in the morning, a thin layer of frost still covered Liu Neng's yard. Liu Ying came in carrying a bulging bag and wearing a green scarf. Her hair was still messy and sticking out, and she couldn't hide the smugness on her face. She shuffled along in the dirt as if she couldn't take a step.

Liu Yingniang was carrying a half-full bucket of dirty water out, water dripping from the rim. She looked up and saw her, then paused in surprise.

"Yingzi? Why did you come back by yourself? Didn't Yutian come with you?"

"Ah, I'm coming back to stay for two days. He has to work at home."

Liu Ying entered the room, threw her bag on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), took off her scarf, and said:

"I'll go back after my dad's recovered."

Liu Yingniang's heart skipped a beat. She quickly put the dirty water bucket against the wall, shook her hand, and followed her in, blocking her arm.

"Yingzi, your father is fine. He's just faking it. You should go back and live a good life. Don't quarrel with your in-laws over this. It's not worth it."

"What's with the fuss?"

Liu Ying laughed, reached out and patted the bundle on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), making the cloth dusty:

"Mom, I've brought all the money, ten thousand yuan, not a penny less."

Liu Neng, who had just woken up in the inner room, was still groggy and his eyes were blurry when he suddenly heard the word "money." His ears perked up immediately, and before he could even put on his shoes, he rushed out, almost bumping into Liu Yingniang at the door, causing Liu Yingniang to take two steps back.

"Yingzi! Where's the money? Let Dad see it!"

His eyes were fixed on the bulging bag, his eyes practically shining.

Liu Ying unzipped her bag, took out a neat wad of cash, placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed), and proudly boasted:

"Look, it's exactly ten thousand. Do you think the Zhao family would dare refuse if I asked? I told them my dad was having a mental breakdown and wanted to go back to my parents' home to be with you. The three of them turned pale with fright and worked through the night to raise the money. They had it all ready for me last night without any delay."

"My daughter is really capable!"

Liu Neng rubbed his hands together, picked up the money, moistened it with saliva, counted it, and then checked each bill to see if it was real or fake. His eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled.

"You really have the Zhao family wrapped around your little finger! I knew it! Yingzi is pregnant with their grandson, they wouldn't dare disobey you. From now on, when we're in their household, we'll have the final say!"

The father and daughter chatted back and forth, their words brimming with smugness at having their way with the Zhao family. Liu Ying's mother stood to the side, shook her head, sighed, and said nothing before turning and going into the outer room, muttering under her breath:

"Let them do it; they'll cause trouble sooner or later."

I had only been sitting for five minutes when I heard footsteps coming and going outside, and the faint sound of musical instruments drifting over.

Liu Ying, munching on an apple, asked indistinctly:

"Dad, what's going on outside? There's all this music and commotion."

"Oh, I was just about to go out!"

Liu Neng quickly put the money into the cabinet in the inner room and locked it.

"Today is the grand opening ceremony of Wang Xiaomeng's bean products company. It's so lively! I'm going to go and join in the fun. You stay home and behave yourself. I'll have your mom make you something nice for lunch."

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and hurriedly walked out, his steps lighter than usual. This 10,000 yuan had finally relieved his worries.