Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, and the drum band immediately followed suit, the drums beating so loudly they were deafening.

The group then walked to the plaque next to them, which was completely covered with red silk.

Wang Xiaomeng and Yang Xiaoyan each grabbed one end, and with a gentle pull, the red silk slipped down, revealing the large, gold-embossed characters underneath: Shanghai Qingmei Green Food Co., Ltd., Kaiyuan Branch, gleaming in the sunlight.

"good!"

Someone in the audience shouted, followed by a chorus of cheers.

The cannons next to them boomed, and confetti flew everywhere, covering everyone in a shower.

Wang Xiaomeng stood under the plaque, looking at everything before her with a shining gaze; this was the beginning of her career.

After the event, the guests and villagers dispersed in twos and threes, and Wang Laoqi invited everyone to go eat.

Lin Chen tugged at his coat collar and waved to Yang Xiaoyan and the others:

"Don't freeze here. Come on, let's go to my place and sit for a while. It's almost noon, let's get a couple of dishes and chat while we eat."

A group of people chatted and laughed as they followed Lin Chen. Yang Xiaoyan walked half a step away from Lin Chen. She raised her hand to smooth her hair and glanced at Lin Chen's profile out of the corner of her eye.

He still has that high nose bridge, and he's still so handsome. He's become more composed and less impetuous than he used to be.

After so many years, seeing him in front of me feels almost unreal, like a scene from a dream.

They arrived in just a few minutes. Yang Xiaoyan looked at the villa in front of her without any surprise, as if she believed that this was the right place for Lin Chen to live.

Xie Dajiao came out to greet them, lifting the curtain, her loud voice booming:

"Come in, come in! I just heard from Xiaochen that you were coming, so I came back early and started cooking the dishes."

Everyone entered the living room and sat down. Tea was served, steaming.

"Sister, there were too many people earlier, so I didn't have a chance to introduce you. This is my wife, Xie Xiaomei."

Xie Xiaomei, heavily pregnant, stood up and greeted Yang Xiaoyan with a smile. Yang Xiaoyan quickly helped her up and said with a smile:

"Don't get up, don't get up, don't stretch yourself like that, Xiaomei is so pretty."

Xie Xiaomei quickly said:

"No way, no way, you can't compare to me. Your skin is amazing."

The girls started chatting and laughing, but Yang Xiaoyan looked at Xie Xiaomei's big belly. She spoke with a smile, but her heart sank slightly, feeling uneasy.

Thinking about it again, it's normal. At Lin Chen's age, it's only natural for him to settle down and start a family.

She blinked and suppressed her discomfort, maintaining her polite smile.

"I'll send you some cosmetics from Shanghai when I get back; they work really well for me."

"That's great, thank you in advance, sister."

Wang Xiaomeng, holding her teacup, looked back and forth between the two of them, asking with a curious expression:

"How did you two meet? You were calling each other 'sister' and 'brother' on stage just now, it completely confused me. I've never heard you mention having an older sister before, Brother Chen."

Lin Chen leaned back on the sofa and said with a smile:

"We've known each other for a long time, back in the south. I was in Shenzhen then, and after withdrawing some money, I passed by the train station square. From afar, I saw her standing in the sun, her face flushed red, tears welling up in her eyes..."

"you do not say."

Yang Xiaoyan laughed too, picking up the conversation, recalling what happened back then, finding it both funny and heartwarming:

"Back then, I went to Shanghai to discuss a project. As soon as I got off the train, my wallet, ID card, and phone were all stolen. I was completely emptied. I asked more than ten people, but no one paid any attention to me. They all thought I was trying to scam them. I was really desperate and no one answered my cries."

"I figured everyone has their difficulties when they're away from home, so I figured I should help if I could..."

Lin Chen picked up an orange and peeled it:

"I took her to the police station to report the case and paid the money for her. She insisted on writing me an IOU, but I refused. It's no big deal."

The two chatted back and forth, from their first meeting to their subsequent investment dividends.

"What a coincidence..."

"Indeed, what a coincidence."

Wang Xiaomeng felt as if she were listening to a story:

"After going around in circles, we found ourselves surrounded by our own people."

Lin Chen ate an orange and said:

"Xiao Meng, when your machine broke down before, I called Sister Xiao Yan. What did I say back then? She's amazing."

Wang Xiaomeng suddenly realized, and felt a pang of emotion:

"Oh, I see. Time flies, and I'm now working with Kiyomi too. We had just switched to an electric grinder back then."

After chatting for a long time, Xie Dajiao clapped her hands and came over, laughing, and said:

"Alright, alright, stop nagging, the food's ready! Xiao Chen, come help me out, bring the dishes and bowls!"

"Hey, you're here!" Lin Chen got up and followed them to the kitchen, and the girls followed as well.

With most of the people gone from the living room, Li Qiuge's eyes darted around, and she tugged at Yang Xiaoyan's sleeve:

"Mom, come out with me for a moment, I have something to ask you."

The two walked into the courtyard. Li Qiuge looked around to make sure no one was watching, then leaned forward and asked:

"Mom, don't lie to me. The time you sat in the living room crying in the middle of the night, wasn't it because you missed him?"

Yang Xiaoyan's heart skipped a beat. She quickly reached out and covered the woman's mouth, then glanced at the doorway. Luckily, it was closed tightly.

She patted Li Qiuge's arm, her voice a little urgent:

"What are you saying, kid! Keep your voice down, or people will laugh at you. He's married with kids, and besides, I'm so much older than him. Why are you saying all this nonsense?"

He spoke with a strong voice, but he was actually very sad inside. He had kept his feelings hidden for so many years, and his daughter had suddenly exposed them, which made him a little flustered.

"I was just asking."

Li Qiuge pursed her lips, but in her heart she was certain, it must be true.

Watching Lin Chen carrying dishes inside the house, she became even more curious about what kind of person he was that her mother had remembered for so many years.

Before long, the table was filled with food, and everyone sat around, clinking glasses of wine. Those who didn't drink alcohol had beverages, and the meal was lively and cheerful.

"Mom, which day did you book your ticket back for? We need to keep you updated on the follow-up arrangements here."

Yang Xiaoyan picked up a piece of mushroom, chewed it, and then lightly tapped the rim of her bowl with the tip of her chopsticks.

I was supposed to leave this afternoon, but when I saw Lin Chen, I didn't want to go anymore.

It would be nice to have an extra bowl, or even just sit down together for a meal and a chat.

"Leaving tomorrow morning."

"What's the rush, sis?"

Lin Chen picked up a piece of meat for her; it was quite a large piece, a real bargain.

"Why don't you stay with me for a few days? I can show you around the area."

She saw the meat in the bowl, looked up, and smiled.

"I'd like to stay a few more days, but I have a lot of things to take care of in Shanghai."

She then looked at Li Qiuge:

"You'll have to take good care of Qiu Ge while she's here. She's inexperienced, so if she does anything wrong, just say so."

"Of course, I have to take good care of my niece," Lin Chen said with a smile, patting his chest.

Li Qiuge bit the end of her chopsticks, looking at Lin Chen with a half-smile:

"Brother Chen, are you trying to intimidate me with your seniority?"

"No respect for elders."

Yang Xiaoyan glared at her:

"Don't call me Brother Chen, you have to call me Uncle from now on, do you hear me? You have no manners."

"Okay, okay."

Li Qiuge verbally agreed, but then lifted her foot under the table and lightly kicked Lin Chen's shin.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Chen reacted quickly, reaching down to grab her ankle.

The ankles were slender, the skin smooth, and they had a soft, cotton-sock-like feel to them.

Lin Chen exerted a little effort, glanced at her, and smiled mischievously.

Lin Chen then let go, acting as if nothing had happened.

Li Qiuge quickly pulled her foot back and placed it properly, then lowered her head to pick at the rice in her bowl, not daring to even look up.

The others at the table were still chatting animatedly about the opening, and no one noticed the little incident under the table. No one also noticed Yang Xiaoyan's occasional glances at Lin Chen. Her hidden thoughts, along with the steam from the food, quietly dissipated into the air.

After the meal, Lin Chen wiped his mouth, stood up, and gestured with his chin towards Yang Xiaoyan:

"Come on, sis, let me show you upstairs. You haven't rested since you got here, have you? You must be exhausted. Lie down and straighten your back. My place may not have much else, but it has lots of rooms and plenty of space."

Yang Xiaoyan stood up:

"Okay, that's perfect, I was thinking of lying down for a while..."