Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

After eating for a while, Lin Chen picked up the wine bottle again and filled everyone's glasses. He raised his own glass and said with a smile:

"Come on, let's have another one! We can't drive around in this snow, so let's get together and warm up. Wishing everyone a prosperous year ahead, whether you're in business or raising livestock, may everything go smoothly and your lives become increasingly successful!"

Hearing this, everyone laughed even harder, raising their glasses and clinking them together. Their laughter filled the room, drowning out the sound of the wind and snow outside.

Once the women had drunk their wine, the men were no longer needed. Chen Guiying talked loudly about taking care of the children, her face beaming with excitement. Xiangxiu slurped up some rice noodles while asking Xie Dajiao about the customs of postpartum care. Chen Yannan busied herself refilling everyone's water bowls, her face beaming with smiles.

Wang Xiaomeng kept putting food on Li Qiuge's plate, and Li Qiuge said it smelled so good that she was already stuffed.

As Zhao Yutian placed a piece of potato on Liu Ying's plate, he leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Are you alright, honey? Still feeling nauseous?"

Liu Ying shook her head, poked at the potatoes in her bowl with her chopsticks, and whispered:

"I'm fine, you eat your food, don't worry about me."

"OK."

Despite saying that, Zhao Yutian put another piece of fish on her plate.

The snow had stopped, but the temperature had dropped even lower. Inside, the men's faces were flushed from drinking. They were smoking, chatting, and clinking glasses, each one louder than the last. The women were eating and chatting about everyday things, their laughter coming in bursts.

Someone spilled some wine, laughed and cursed a couple of times, then quickly grabbed a rag to wipe it up. Someone else told a joke, making everyone laugh so hard they slapped the table.

The meal lasted from afternoon until almost dark. Bottle after bottle of alcohol was consumed, and a pile of bones lay on the table. It seemed like they had endless topics to discuss, all reflecting the most genuine and heartfelt feelings between friends from Northeast China.

……

After dark, everyone went home. The temperature was even lower, and the frost on the windows was very thick.

Zhao Yutian walked in carrying a towel and a basin, the water in the basin steaming.

"Yingzi, come and soak your feet. The water's been diluted; it's not too hot."

Liu Ying was stunned for a moment, then quickly said:

"I can wash it myself, you go do your thing."

"Come on, you're kidding me."

Zhao Yutian squatted down and reached out to pull at her socks:

"What if you stretch it any further? Quickly move your foot over here. You're a grown man, and you still can't give me peace of mind."

"Then you go ahead and wash, I'll wash later." Liu Ying pulled her foot back.

"Why would I wash anything? I poured the water especially for you."

Zhao Yutian didn't stop, putting her feet into the basin of water:

"Don't you know who you are now? If something happens to the child, how am I supposed to explain it to my parents? Behave yourself and don't make any sudden moves."

He squatted down, splashing hot water in his hands, and gently rubbed the tops of her feet. His movements were slow and delicate, as if afraid of using too much force. Liu Ying looked down at the top of his head, and her nose felt a little sore again.

She's been feeling uneasy these past few days staying at Old Zhao's house.

Yutian would prepare water for her to wash her feet every day, bring her breakfast to the bedside, and even squeeze toothpaste for her.

Zhao Si is usually stingy, even calculating when buying a piece of candy. This time, she specially asked someone to bring her a watermelon from Kaiyuan. Watermelons are so expensive in the dead of winter. She was given the sweetest tip of the watermelon first. Yutian's mother also made her a variety of dishes, just in case she didn't eat well.

The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. The things she had done to control the Zhao family back then now felt like tiny needles, pricking her heart again and again.

But she swallowed the words back. She had already gone this far, and the lie about being pregnant had been told; she was too ashamed to say anything more.

"What's wrong? Is the water cold?"

Zhao Yutian glanced up at her and, seeing that her eyes were red, quickly stopped.

"Feeling unwell? Why don't you skip the shower and lie down on the kang (heated brick bed) for a while?"

"no."

Liu Ying quickly wiped her eyes:

"The water is nice and warm."

Zhao Yutian didn't think much of it, lowered his head and continued rubbing, muttering to himself:

"When the weather gets better tomorrow, I'll go to the market and buy you some fruit. The doctor said that eating more fruit is good for the baby."

Liu Ying hummed in response, her voice muffled, staring at the swaying hot water in the basin, her heart churning with mixed feelings.

The next morning, Zhao Si and his family went to work at the flower nursery with their tools, leaving Liu Ying alone at home.

She put on her clothes and went back to her parents' home. She waded through the snow, her trouser legs getting wet.

Pushing open the door, Liu Neng was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), while Liu Ying's mother was tending the fire in the outer room. She was somewhat surprised to see Liu Ying.

"Yingzi, why are you back?"

"Mother, where is my father?"

"Your dad is lying in the room."

Liu Ying went inside and sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). The snow on her cotton shoes melted and dripped onto the ground, forming a small puddle. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Dad, give me that ten thousand yuan."

"Why are you taking it back? What's wrong? Did the Zhao family upset you? Did Zhao Yutian say something to you?"

"No!"

Liu Ying shook her head, and tears streamed down her face.

"The Zhao family has been so good to me. In the dead of winter, my father-in-law specially asked someone to buy me a watermelon from out of town. Those things are so expensive! He's usually so stingy, but they were willing to do that for me. They cut the watermelon and let me eat the tip first, while the two of them ate the edges."

"Yutian washes my feet every day, brings me meals, and even washes my socks. Dad, if we keep this money, I can't face those three people. I'm already under enough pressure, and now I really don't know what to do."

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, wiped away her tears, and sobbed a couple of times before saying:

"You have to give me the money today, I'm returning it to the person; it was their money to begin with!"

"What's wrong with you, child...?"

Liu Neng opened his mouth, wanting to argue further, but Liu Ying's mother came over from the outer room, pointed a fire poker at Liu Neng, and said impatiently:

"Liu Neng, hurry up and hand over the money! Our daughter is right! We can't take this money! They've been so kind to our daughter; how can we sleep at night with this money in our pockets? Hurry up, stop dawdling!"

Liu Neng sighed, took out a newspaper package from the side, put it squarely on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Actually, I was prepared a long time ago."

Liu Neng looked at Liu Ying:

"Your father isn't senile; I've already prepared everything. Take this money back."

Liu Yingniang snorted coldly:

"Don't act like you're so generous; this is someone else's money!"

Liu Neng ignored Liu Yingniang and said in a low voice:

"But Yingzi, take this money back. Don't say I gave it to you voluntarily. Just say I absolutely refused, that you went home and made a scene, and that you forced it back, understand? Otherwise, they'll start wondering why we suddenly returned the money and become suspicious."

Liu Ying nodded, clutching the money tightly in her hand:

"I understand, Father. I'll do as you say."

Liu Neng lay down again and sighed:

"That's true... Zhao Si really did act up this time."

Around noon, Zhao Si and his family returned from the flower garden. As soon as they lifted the curtain, a blast of cold air followed them in.

Looking up, I saw Liu Ying sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), with a square newspaper package in the middle of the kang table.

"Yingzi, what are you doing in this room? Are you feeling unwell?"

Zhao Si kept a certain distance from Liu Ying, and there was still frost on his eyebrows, afraid that Liu Ying would catch a cold.

Liu Ying opened the newspaper package, took out the money, pushed it forward, looked at them, and said in a slightly hoarse voice:

"Dad, Mom, Yutian, I was being unreasonable before, throwing a tantrum and insisting on this 10,000 yuan. I've thought it through these past two days. We're family. I went back to my parents' house today to ask my dad for it. He initially disagreed, but I argued with him for a long time until he had no choice but to give it back."

"Father, count it, it's exactly ten thousand. Hurry up and send the money you owe Seventh Uncle over there, don't keep owing him money."

Zhao Si stood there, stunned, his mouth twitching several times, unable to react for a long time.

He looked down at the bag of money, then looked up at Liu Ying, his eyes widened, and he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Yutian and Yutian next to them were also dumbfounded. What was going on? They had never experienced anything like this before.

"This...this..."

Zhao Si rubbed his hands together, and after a long pause, he managed to utter a sentence. He then abruptly turned to Yu Tian's mother and said:

"Hurry up! Kill a chicken and stew it! Also, fry some eggs, and use plenty of oil!"

"Okay! I'll go right now!"

Yutian's mother beamed, her wrinkles smoothing out, and she hurried to the outer room to prepare, muttering to herself:

"I always knew Yingzi was so sensible, she's such a good child."

Zhao Yutian chuckled and leaned over to pat Liu Ying on the back:

"Look at you, you even made a special trip. The road is so slippery, what if you fall?"

Liu Ying lowered her head and breathed a long sigh of relief. Although she was still keeping her pregnancy a secret, at least she wouldn't be so worried about money anymore.

(Brothers, I'm taking a day off tomorrow. I've been updating for 100 consecutive days, and I've written over 800,000 words. I'm tired, so I'm taking a break.)