Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

He kept glancing around, afraid of bumping into someone he knew, and muttering to himself:

"I hope I don't run into anyone. If any official sees this, they'll definitely say that I, Xie Guangkun, am doing crooked things and using connections to give gifts. Losing face is a small matter, but I can't let it interfere with my son's job."

As I was shuffling forward, I came towards me from the town government, Xiao Li, who had a serious expression on his face and walked with a brisk pace.

Xie Guangkun froze in fright, reacting swiftly. He immediately hid the two fluttering hens behind his back, his face instantly plastered with a fawning smile as he bowed and scraped as he greeted them.

"Hey comrade! Busy, huh? Work must be tough!"

Xiao Li had already noticed the chicken's wriggling rear end and scattered feathers behind him, and knew exactly what was going on, but he was too lazy to expose him. He glanced at him indifferently, said nothing, and walked straight past without expression.

Once everyone was completely out of sight, Xie Guangkun finally breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself:

"Oh my god, that scared me to death!"

He quickly slipped to Qi Santai's office door, but didn't dare to knock directly. Instead, he pressed his ear tightly against the wooden door and listened for a long time.

Only when there was no sound of anyone else speaking inside did Xie Guangkun feel relieved, and he gently knocked on the door three times.

"Come in."

Qi Santai's calm voice came from the office, neither too loud nor too soft, carrying the composure of an official.

Xie Guangkun cautiously pushed open the door, peeking half his head in first. His shifty eyes scanned the room, and when he saw Qi Santai sitting behind his desk reading a newspaper, his face immediately lit up with a smile. He then slipped inside, his voice instantly becoming warm and friendly:

"Mayor, are you busy?"

The office was still the same as before, with a few cigarette butts that had just been extinguished scattered on the floor, all left behind by Wang Changgui.

Qi Santai raised his head, his gaze immediately falling on the two old hens flapping in his hands, and his brows furrowed slightly:

"Guangkun? What are you doing in town? And carrying two chickens? What's with all this fuss?"

"It's nothing, nothing! Just a small thing, it's worthless!"

Xie Guangkun quickly waved his hand, walked to the corner of the wall, and casually put the two chickens on the ground. The old hen fluttered around as soon as it landed.

"These are all free-range chickens I raised at home, without any feed added. They lay eggs frequently and the meat is of good quality. I brought them especially for you to help you recover! You work so hard every day, you should eat more to nourish yourself!"

Qi Santai shook his head helplessly, his tone carrying a familiar reproach:

"Don't try that on me. We're all family, so why bring anything?"

He pointed to the sofa opposite him:

"Alright, stop standing, sit down, take a break, and have some water?"

Xie Guangkun rubbed his hands together, his face plastered with a fawning smile:

"I'm not thirsty, Mayor. You go ahead with your work. I just had nothing else to do, so I came here specifically to see you. It's been a long time since we last met, and I've been missing you quite a bit."

"You're kidding me."

Qi Santai put down the newspaper in her hand, picked up her enamel mug, took a sip of strong tea, and stared at him with a half-smile, her eyes very clear:

"I don't know about others, but do I not know you, Xie Guangkun? If you didn't need something from me, why would you come all this way to my town government with a chicken? Just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush."

Caught off guard, Xie Guangkun chuckled dryly twice, his fawning expression growing even more pronounced.

"Mayor, you have the sharpest eye and understand me best! Then I won't hide anything from you."

"I came here today mainly because of Yongqiang's job situation. It's been almost a month since he graduated, and there's still no news about his job. I'm so worried about him every day that I can't eat or sleep properly. I'm constantly thinking about it."

Qi Santai slowly put down his teacup and said in a leisurely tone:

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten to tell you. Yesterday, I went to the county education commission and happened to run into Director Xu there. I specifically mentioned Yongqiang's situation to him."

Xie Guangkun immediately straightened up, his eyes wide open, and he didn't dare to breathe.

"Director Xu has made the decision. Yongqiang should wait for my news in the next few days. He should report to the county education commission to start work. At first, he can do odd jobs in the office and get familiar with the work. If there are any vacancies later, we will gradually adjust his schedule."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Guangkun jumped up from his stool, trembling with excitement, his voice shaking.

"Really?! Mayor?! That's wonderful! Thank you so much! I knew with your help, it would definitely get done!"

"Sit down quickly, it's no big deal, why are you so agitated?"

Qi Santai waved his hand, signaling him to calm down:

"Don't go around spreading rumors. This isn't just my achievement. It's mainly because Yongqiang is hardworking and a proper college student. He has the foundation, otherwise, no matter how much I help, it won't make a difference."

Xie Guangkun obediently sat down, his smile never stopping, his mouth almost reaching his ears, and he kept rubbing his hands together and muttering.

"Great! My son finally has a stable job! From now on, he'll be a proper government official! Our Xie family has been farmers for generations, and finally, someone in our family has become an official!"

He smugly muttered to himself for a while, but the joy on his face gradually faded. He frowned slightly, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction, and he muttered to himself.

"But the mayor... why is he working at the Education Commission? I originally thought he could be directly assigned to the county government, or at the very least, the town government, where you could mentor him. The Education Commission sounds like it doesn't have much real power; what kind of future can he have there?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Santai immediately glared at him, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand.

"You're so short-sighted! What's wrong with the Education Commission? Isn't it a legitimate public institution? Countless college graduates would fight tooth and nail to get in!"

"Don't be ungrateful! If it weren't for me mediating and pulling strings for you, your Yongqiang would still be at home, unable to find any job! Stop being so picky."

"Yes, yes, yes! Mayor, you're absolutely right!"

Xie Guangkun immediately changed his tune, nodding and smiling obsequiously:

"I was just saying it offhand. Working for the Education Commission is definitely better than staying at home. I'll work diligently first, and then gradually work my way up. Sooner or later I'll get promoted!"

With the job secured, Xie Guangkun felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He quickly leaned forward, looking mysterious, and whispered as he inquired.

"Mayor, I have another question for you privately. Do you think our Yongqiang and Changgui's daughter Xiangxiu are a good match? There's been a lot of gossip in the village lately, and I'm starting to have my doubts too."

Qi Santai was taken aback for a moment, then smiled faintly:

"Xiangxiu is such a good girl. She's good-looking, cheerful and generous, and has a sweet tongue. Her father is the village head. The two families are well-matched. I think they're a perfect match. There's nothing wrong with her."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Xie Guangkun curled his lips and looked smug and superior.

"Oh, Mayor, that's all ancient history! Now I feel that Xiangxiu's conditions are a bit too good for our Yongqiang."

"Think about it, Yongqiang will soon be a public official in the county, eating the government's food and receiving a government salary, and he will have the opportunity to advance further in the future."

But what about Xiangxiu? She's just an ordinary rural girl, without a proper job or high education. She and Yongqiang have absolutely nothing in common. How will they live together in the future?

As soon as these snobbish words were uttered, Qi Santai's face instantly darkened, his smile vanished, and he put down his teacup, his expression becoming extremely serious.