Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

All the electrical wires are hidden inside the walls, making it much more stylish than ordinary houses in the village.

The walls around the large cooking pot in the outer room were all covered with white ceramic tiles, which were clean, dirt-resistant, and easy to clean.

The overall decoration is simple yet elegant, clean and classy. Nowadays, it's rare to see such a refined house in the countryside.

The foreman then explained:

"This feature wall was specially designed for you. This is how rich people in the county decorate their homes now. It's stylish and classy. All the details are done according to the latest styles in the city, including the wardrobe and such. It will make your life easier and look presentable."

"This kang (heated brick bed) was completely torn down and rebuilt. Look how beautiful it looks with the tiles on the outside!"

Lin Chen glanced around the room and was quite satisfied.

The only minor regret is that the village doesn't have running water, so we still have to use a hand pump. Although the dry toilets outside the houses were rebuilt with red bricks, they still make your bottom freeze when you poop in winter. However, compared to other people's houses with just a few wooden lattice bars, it's still quite elaborate.

Those wooden stalls were very short and had no roof. Even someone as tall as Lin Chen could see pedestrians on the street when he squatted down to take a dump.

"That's fine, no need to change it. Is the insulation in the house okay? Rural houses are known for their poor insulation."

"There's absolutely no problem with the airtightness; everything, inside and out, has been taken into consideration."

Lin Chen nodded in agreement, took out his wallet to pay the remaining balance, and took an extra hundred yuan.

"Brothers, you've worked so hard these past few days, use this money to buy cigarettes and water for everyone."

The foreman was overjoyed and quickly thanked him:

"Thank you so much, Brother Lin! You're so generous. Whether it's you or any of your relatives or friends renovating, feel free to contact me anytime. I guarantee the lowest price and the best work!"

Before long, the workers had cleaned up all the garbage, and the yard looked brand new.

The foreman and his workers packed up their tools, politely said goodbye to Lin Chen, and then the group left.

Lin Chen was the only one left in the courtyard. He sat on the stone bench in the pavilion, basking in the sun and enjoying the breeze. Looking at his brand-new courtyard, he felt particularly open and cheerful.

At this moment, a large group of villagers gathered outside the courtyard wall. There were elderly farmers working in the fields, middle-aged women with nothing to do, and children who had come to join in the fun. They all leaned over the wall or the gate and stood on tiptoe to look inside, chattering and discussing incessantly, their eyes full of envy.

What they liked most was Lin Chen's gate. From a distance, the gate was half a head taller than all the other houses in the village, and it was as solid as a rock.

The red brick door jambs on both sides are covered with off-white glossy ceramic tiles.

The two large black cast iron doors, painted three times with a glossy black lacquer, are nailed with two rows of brass rivets, with a gilded "福" (good fortune) character in the middle. The tiger-head door knocker makes a dull sound when knocked.

An old man carrying a hoe watched intently, clicking his tongue in amazement:

"My God, is this really the old Lin family's dilapidated courtyard? It's completely transformed, so grand, it's like they've moved into a brand new house!"

The middle-aged woman next to me pointed at the lamp, looking on with curiosity:

"Look at that lamp. I heard it lights up just by being exposed to the sun. Has anyone in our village ever seen one like that? It's really high-tech."

The young man was extremely envious:

"They even have a little pavilion in their yard, that's so nice! In the summer, you can sit there to cool off, play cards, and chat. Life is so good."

"Lin Chen is a really capable kid. He's making a lot of money outside. It must have cost a lot to renovate this yard. Our village has finally produced a talented person."

"Not only are they rich, but they also have great taste. They dress in a sophisticated and high-class way. From now on, everyone in the village will have to follow their example when building and decorating houses!"

……

As dusk approached in the afternoon, the Big Foot Grocery Store was not crowded. Occasionally, villagers would come in to buy a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of soy sauce, and the store was quite quiet.

Xie Dajiao's husband, Li Fu, suddenly pushed the door open and came in.

He wandered around for more than half a year, without earning a penny. He came back empty-handed, dressed like a respectable person, and even carrying a bag.

Xie Dajiao was sitting at the counter checking accounts when she looked up and saw him. Her expression instantly turned sour, and she didn't even want to talk to him.

"You finally decided to come back? I thought you were having a great time out there and had completely forgotten about this family!"

Li Fu completely ignored her words, casually tossed his bag onto the counter, plopped down on the small kang (heated brick bed) outside, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Don't give me that nonsense! I'm exhausted after running around all day, hurry up and get me some food, I need a drink to refresh myself!"

Xie Dajiao glared at him, her anger flaring up.

"You still have the nerve to drink? You've been gone for half a year, where's the money you earned? Not a single penny came back, and you still have the nerve to eat and drink!"

Although she was furious, they weren't divorced yet, so she couldn't just kick him out. Xie Dajiao wasn't going to tolerate his bad behavior. Eat vegetables? Eat shit.

Seeing that she didn't move, Li Fu grabbed some sausages and chicken feet from the convenience store, opened a bottle of liquor, and sat down at the small table to drink.

Xie Dajiao was so angry that she gritted her teeth and didn't give Li Fu a friendly look at all.

Li Fu didn't care whether she wanted to or not. He grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it, saying nonchalantly as he drank:

"Making money isn't that easy! The situation outside is bad; I'm already lucky to have come back safely! Stop pressuring me about money all the time!"

And so, Li Fu drank alone, from dusk till night.

After drinking white beer, he became dizzy, his face turned red, his neck swelled, and he could barely speak. He was completely drunk.

Xie Dajiao sat beside him, watching him with a mix of anger and frustration. She simply took the account book and went inside.

This man is rarely home, doesn't care about the household, doesn't earn money, and just drinks when he comes back. Anyone would feel resentful in his situation.

Just then, the landline on the table suddenly rang.

Just as Xie Dajiao reached out to take it, the drunken Li Fu snatched the microphone away and asked, slurring his words:

"Who is it calling so late at night!"

Wang Changgui was on the other end of the phone. Upon hearing Li Fu's voice, he panicked and stammered that he had dialed the wrong number before hanging up.

There was only a busy tone on the receiver. Li Fu was stunned for two seconds. The alcohol was getting to him, and after a moment's thought, he immediately recognized Wang Changgui's voice!

He slammed the receiver down on the table, turned to stare at Xie Dajiao, and his voice instantly rose:

"Was that Wang Changgui who just called?!"

Xie Dajiao didn't even raise his head, calmly checking the accounts:

"I don't know. Didn't you answer the phone? Why are you asking me? Maybe someone dialed the wrong number."

"Wrong number? You're kidding me!"

Li Fu slammed his hand on the table, reeking of alcohol, and said with his large pregnant belly:

"I heard it clearly, it was him! Why would he call you in the middle of the night for no reason? Are you two doing something behind my back?"

Xie Dajiao, unable to bear his unfounded suspicions any longer, closed the account book and glared at him:

"Li Fu, can't you be reasonable? Wang Changgui is the village head. It's normal for him to call at night if there's something going on in the village. Can you stop making trouble for me!"

"Normal my foot!"

Li Fu, with his neck stiff, argued:

"While I was away for the past six months, the whole village has been gossiping! Wang Changgui comes to your grocery store every day, more often than he goes home! Can you honestly say that you two are completely innocent?"

These words nearly made Xie Dajiao lose her temper. Why did you have to say I was with Wang Changgui?

Xie Dajiao's voice trembled with anger:

"Li Fu, put your hand on your heart and tell me, in the past six months, have you cared for the family even a single penny? I've been running the whole household and shop by myself! I've been working from dawn till dusk to earn money to support the family, and when you come home, you don't even care about me, and you just start slandering me! Are you even human?"

"You must explain yourself clearly today! Otherwise, I'll make a scene throughout the whole village tomorrow and let everyone see what kind of person you, Li Fu, are! Abandoning your family and business, lazy and good-for-nothing, and now you come back and falsely accuse your own wife!"