Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, the sun gradually began to set in the west. The weather was nice today, not too hot. The evening breeze swept across Xiangyashan, making the poplar trees throughout the village rustle and feel exceptionally cool.

The Bigfoot grocery store was even cooler, the room insulated from the heat, with only the old-fashioned freezer in the corner humming incessantly.

A row of shelves was just filled to the brim, a worn-out ledger lay open on the counter, and next to it was half a bag of freshly cracked sunflower seed shells. Xie Dajiao sat on a stool, slowly checking the day's accounts.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door, and Liu Yishui walked in with a smile, looking honest and simple.

"Auntie, busy with the accounts?" Liu Yishui greeted her with a smile.

Hearing the sound, Xie Dajiao stopped what she was doing, glanced up at him, and casually closed the ledger.

"Oh, Yishui's here! What brings you to buy things at this hour? Isn't the farm busy?"

"You have to make time to come, even if you're busy."

Liu Yishui's laughter was genuine:

"Auntie, please get me two cases of bagged instant noodles. Nothing else, bagged noodles are inconvenient. Please get cup noodles, some sausages, bread, and two cases of pure milk."

Xie Dajiao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, looked him up and down, and teased:

"Oh my, you bought so much? You're a grown man, working on the farm every day, how can you possibly eat all of this? It'll go bad if you leave it for too long, those instant noodles only have a shelf life of six months."

Liu Yishui looked around to see if there was anything else he wanted to buy, and then honestly asked:

"It's not for me, it's for Xiaomei. She just came from the city, and I'm worried she won't be used to the food here. I'm keeping some snacks and milk on hand so she can have something to eat when she's hungry, and she can also have something to eat when she's not busy."

Upon hearing this, Xie Dajiao's face instantly lit up with a satisfied smile. She immediately stood up from the stool, patted the counter, and spoke with a tone that was both gratified and somewhat serious:

"That's more like it! You've got guts, kid!"

"Let me tell you this in advance! Xiaomei is my own niece. She grew up in the city and was spoiled rotten. She's never experienced hardship. You absolutely mustn't try to fool her, wrong her, or treat her badly or bully her!"

"If I hear or see you making her angry, even in the slightest way, I'll be the first to stop you and go to your farm to give you a piece of my mind!"

Xie Dajiao's protective nature was revealed as she stood up for her niece.

Liu Yishui quickly waved his hand, looking earnest and sincere:

"Auntie, don't worry! How could I possibly bully her!"

"To be honest, Xiaomei is not only your niece, but also a technical expert we hired for our farm. She's knowledgeable and capable, and she's helped me improve our breeding rabbits and manage the farm. She's been a huge help to me; she's our farm's precious darling! I treat her with the utmost respect and deference, how could I possibly let her suffer any injustice?"

"I promise, during her stay in Ivory Mountain, I will take excellent care of her, ensuring she has everything she needs, and she will not suffer the slightest hardship!"

"That makes more sense."

Xie Dajiao felt relieved to hear this, and her smile widened. She turned around and quickly started packing the goods for him, stuffing sausages and bread into plastic bags while casually instructing him:

"You're a reliable guy, I trust you. Go back and tell Xiaomei that if she needs anything while living in the village, she doesn't need to be polite and can just come to the store to get it."

"Snacks, drinks, daily necessities—take whatever you want from my store, use whatever you want, and don't pay a penny. Don't let your child feel restricted outside."

"Okay, Auntie, I'll definitely tell her exactly what I said when I get back," Liu Yishui quickly agreed.

In no time, a large pile of things was packed into a heavy bag. Liu Yishui paid, thanked them, and turned to walk towards the entrance of the grocery store.

The sunlight outside was just right, not as dim as the setting sun, and not too hot. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and from time to time, the barking of farm dogs could be heard in the distance. Villagers carrying hoes and leading old oxen slowly walked home from their work in the fields.

As soon as Liu Yishui stepped out of the store, he looked up and glanced ahead, and his feet instantly froze on the spot.

On the distant village road, Wang Xiaomeng slowly rode his familiar old tricycle, the back of which was empty except for a few clean empty plates.

Liu Yishui was completely stunned, his eyes fixed on the newcomer, his mind blank, devoid of any thoughts, only Wang Xiaomeng in front of him remained.

Just as he was lost in thought, a lazy and casual figure slowly walked over.

Lin Chen, with his hands in his pockets, had come to the store to buy cigarettes, but when he saw Liu Yishui's dazed and silly appearance, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

He tiptoed behind Liu Yishui, raised his foot, and gently kicked him in the buttocks. The force was just enough to bring him back to his senses.

"Ouch!"

Liu Yishui shuddered, jolting awake from his daze. He instinctively turned to yell at Lin Chen, but upon seeing it was Lin Chen, his anger vanished instantly, replaced by a helpless smile.

"What are you doing, Lin Chen! You startled me and almost made me drop what I was holding!"

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He gestured slightly with his chin toward the direction Wang Xiaomeng was coming from, and teased:

"I was about to ask you something! Standing at the door like a wooden stake, you're practically head over heels for her. What, staring at Wang Xiaomeng for so long, you've got your eye on her?"

Touched by those words, Liu Yishui avoided eye contact, not daring to look in the direction of the tricycle.

"Don't talk nonsense! Don't joke around! I didn't mean anything by it. I just happened to see her coming and was about to say hello."

"Give me a break, don't try to fool me."

Lin Chen chuckled, seeing right through his thoughts:

"We grew up together. Although I haven't been in the village for years, you can still tell what a person will be like at three years old. You were always like this when we were kids, do you think I don't understand your little thoughts? The way you were looking at me just now, you were practically glued to me, and you even greeted me. I think you were mesmerized!"

"If you like her, just go for it! What's the point of standing here secretly and daydreaming? Wang Xiaomeng is single now, this is the perfect opportunity. You'll only get one chance like this, and then someone else will snatch her away, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself!"

Liu Yishui, having his secret exposed, felt a little embarrassed, chuckled awkwardly twice, and looked quite flustered.

"Stop it, stop it. I still have a ton of work to do at my factory. I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he tried to slip away, but Lin Chen reached out and grabbed his shoulder, holding him tightly and preventing him from leaving.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Don't go yet, I need to talk to you about something."

Liu Yishui stopped and asked in confusion:

"What's wrong? Just tell me. As long as it's within my power, there's absolutely no problem."

"The renovation of my old house is almost finished, but I still need to buy the home appliances."

Lin Chen casually said:

"Yutian's leg hasn't healed yet. I'm busy supervising the workers every day and can't spare a moment to myself. Next time you go to the county town, could you please bring back a few home appliances for me? Just the best ones, I'm not short of money."

"Hey! I didn't think it was a big deal!"

Liu Yishui immediately agreed, patting his chest to guarantee:

"That's no big deal. Just give me a list later, no matter what kind of appliance it is, I'll bring it back for you next time I go to town, and I promise I'll pick out the best for you!"

"That's reliable."

(Even if we don't send the girl, Wang Xiaomeng can't escape; we can develop the relationship gradually.)