Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Lin Chen walked over confidently and greeted him with a smile:

"Oh, Uncle Qi, you actually came here in person. There were too many people earlier, so I didn't see you here."

"How could I not come to such a joyous occasion?"

Qi Santai pulled him down to sit, patted his arm, and spoke loudly, deliberately making sure everyone could hear:

"Xiao Lin, you're a real hero to our town! A while ago, you deposited funds into the credit union, which revitalized several planting and breeding projects. Many villagers have benefited from this, and their loans have all been approved smoothly. You've truly done a great service for our town!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers who were unaware of the details began to discuss it loudly, and the surrounding area erupted in chaos.

"My God, so all the projects in town were helped by Lin Chen!"

"So talented at such a young age!"

"Having Lin Chen is truly a blessing for Ivory Mountain!"

……

With praise raining down on him, Xie Guangkun fell completely silent.

He had just been bragging about Yongqiang's secure job, but then he realized that Yongqiang's job depended entirely on connections and favors; he had no salary and no job security. Lin Chen, on the other hand, didn't need to ask for favors, and his superiors had to thank him.

Compared to the two, his boasting suddenly seemed insignificant and laughable.

Qi Santai turned to look at Xie Guangkun and said with a smile:

"Guangkun, it's a great honor for your family to have Xiaolin here today. The future development of the village will depend on the leadership of promising young men like him."

Xie Guangkun quickly put on a smile and nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, the mayor is right! Xiao Chen is a sensible and promising child, much better than us. We all benefit from his success!"

Lin Chen smiled faintly:

"Uncle Guangkun, you flatter me too much. These are all small things that I can do. If we really want to get things done, we will need the support of the town and the village."

Wang Changgui liked to hear this and immediately leaned closer:

"Xiao Chen, if there's anything in the village from now on, just let me know. If it's within my power, I'll do it without hesitation!"

Liu Neng's eyes darted around rapidly, filled with regret. If he had known Lin Chen was so influential now, he should have spent more time with him.

Lin Chen noticed Liu Neng and said with a smile:

"Uncle Neng, you're dressed quite formally."

Liu Neng quickly touched his tie and said with a smile:

"Can we be a little less formal? Guang... Guangkun specifically told me to give him some face."

"You'd look even better with your hair slicked back," Lin Chen said with a smile.

Liu Neng touched his bald head:

"I'm...doing...slicked-back hair, it's a bit late..."

"Hahaha……"

Lin Chen stopped teasing Liu Neng and greeted Mayor Qi.

"Uncle Qi, you all sit at the main table. I'm going downstairs to meet up with those young people. Let's have some fun together."

Qi Santai understood and greeted Xie Guangkun, saying:

"Guangkun, see if there are any empty tables. Let these young people sit together; they'll have common topics to talk about."

Xie Guangkun immediately stood up and looked around:

"Okay, no problem, I'll just dump out one table's worth!"

Lin Chen invited Zhao Yutian and the others to the new table. The young people poured wine and drinks, which made them feel much more comfortable than sitting with the old people.

Soon the auspicious hour arrived, and firecrackers crackled and popped. One after another, hearty dishes were served from the kitchen: braised chicken with mushrooms, stir-fried pork slices, four-happiness meatballs, and fish with sauce—a table full of delicious dishes.

According to custom, the newlyweds began to toast each table.

Xie Yongqiang and Wang Xiangxiu first toasted Qi Santai's table, then went to Lin Chen's table. Xie Yongqiang respectfully said:

"Brother Chen, thank you for coming to support us today and for bringing a gift. I'd like to propose a toast to you."

After toasting that table, the atmosphere completely changed. After they left, Zhao Yutian, Liu Yishui, and Li Daguo raised their glasses one by one. Lin Chen accepted every toast, drinking all the drinks without changing his expression. He was witty and made everyone happy. Their table was the most lively in the entire courtyard.

Xie Yongqiang stood silently at the back of the crowd, holding an empty wine glass. Looking at the scene before him, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Today is his engagement party; he's the star of the show.

Throughout the entire banquet, no one praised him or offered him a toast. All eyes and adulation were on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen is young, rich, capable, and well-connected. He is valued by the town mayor and respected by the whole village, living a respectable and glamorous life.

Looking at myself, I graduated from university and am unemployed at home. The so-called government internship has no salary, no formal position, and no job security. I rely entirely on my family to ask for favors to save face.

The more he compared himself to others, the more inferior he felt; the more he thought about it, the more pathetic he felt. A sense of pent-up frustration was stuck in his chest, making him unable to lift his head.

He couldn't stand it any longer, so when no one was looking, he lowered his head and quietly slipped back into the house.

The house was quiet and peaceful, a completely different world from the hustle and bustle outside.

The sounds of praise and laughter from outside the window drifted in clearly, with eight out of ten sentences praising Lin Chen for his talent and success.

Xie Yongqiang sat on the bed, feeling increasingly distressed as he listened. A mix of grievances, inferiority, and resentment overwhelmed him, and he couldn't hold back any longer. His nose stung, his eyes immediately reddened, his shoulders trembled slightly, and he secretly wiped away his tears.

He has always been the pride of his family and a role model for the whole village since he was a child. When has he ever experienced such a disparity? When has he ever been made to feel worthless by others?

Outside, drums and gongs resounded, and the atmosphere was joyous, but he was the only one hiding in the house, feeling utterly frustrated.

Not long after, Wang Xiangxiu realized that the person was missing. She exchanged a few polite words with her relatives, lifted the curtain, and went into the house.

As soon as I entered, I saw Xie Yongqiang sitting there listlessly, and I was instantly both annoyed and amused:

"What are you doing here? There are so many guests outside, and you're hiding inside crying? How old are you? Can't you be a little more mature? It'll be a laughing stock if people see you!"

Xie Yongqiang quickly wiped away his tears, lowered his head and remained silent, exuding a sullen aura.

Looking at his pathetic state, Wang Xiangxiu sighed helplessly:

"I can guess. It's just that Brother Lin Chen was in the limelight today. Why are you so hung up on it? Once you have a stable job and a government job, you'll be just as good as him sooner or later!"

These words directly hit Xie Yongqiang's most sensitive spot.

He looked up, his eyes filled with a hint of grievance, and said defiantly:

"Do you also think I'm not as good as him? Do you think I'm incompetent and unambitious, and regret getting engaged to me?"

Wang Xiangxiu was so angry at him that she burst out laughing, and her eyes reddened.

"Xie Yongqiang, be reasonable. If I regretted it, would I have agreed to get engaged to you in the first place? It's your own mindset that's flawed; you're too sensitive. You can't compete with others, so you get angry at yourself and take it out on me."

"Am I overly sensitive?"

When Xie Yongqiang's stubborn temper flares up, don't let his quiet demeanor fool you; when he gets angry, he can be quite stubborn.

"Everyone here is fawning over Lin Chen today! I'm the only joke! You just want a respectable government official, right? I don't even have a job yet, so you're probably already looking down on me. If you don't like me, then leave!"

"You're absolutely unreasonable!"

Wang Xiangxiu trembled all over, grabbed the small bag from the bed, and slammed the curtain shut.

"I must have been blind to have fallen for you. Stop being so dramatic, I'm not playing along!"

After saying that, he turned around and rushed out of the yard, too angry to stay any longer.

The courtyard was too noisy, and no one noticed that the protagonist had run away in anger, except for Xie Dajiao, who was making arrangements at the door, who saw it all.

Her heart tightened, and she quickly went inside to find out what was going on. She scolded Xie Yongqiang and then hurriedly chased after Xiangxiu to persuade her. She pleaded and begged her to come back, barely managing to keep the engagement banquet afloat.

The banquet lasted until the afternoon.

Lin Chen was slightly tipsy, but still in good condition. After politely saying goodbye to everyone, he left first.

After the guests left, the courtyard was a mess, littered with fruit peels, candy wrappers, empty wine bottles, and rotten vegetable leaves.

Xie Guangkun sat on an empty stool, looking at the messy yard, then at his son who was still cooped up inside the house, and sighed deeply.

He was overjoyed today and wanted to take advantage of the engagement banquet to show off his family's status to the whole village.

As it turned out, Lin Chen stole the spotlight at the entire banquet, and his own son was even more disappointing, secretly wiping away tears and arguing with his wife, which made him both angry and helpless.

The key issue is that there's not much that can be done yet.

Wang Xiangxiu ran away from the engagement banquet with a belly full of anger. Although she left near the end to maintain the overall situation, she was still just as aggrieved.

Her makeup was ruined, and her heart was heavy with sorrow. When she encountered some neighbors peeking out to see what was going on, she didn't dare to lift her head. Clutching her small cloth bag, she ran along, tears streaming down her face.

In front of outsiders, she had to maintain a facade of dignity and pretend nothing was wrong, but the moment she stepped into her own courtyard, that tense demeanor instantly crumbled.

She didn't even bother to tidy up the curtain before rushing into the inner room, pulling the covers over her head, and sobbing in a low voice, trying not to cry too loudly, but unable to stop the grievances in her heart.

Today was supposed to be her and Xie Yongqiang's engagement day, with the whole village watching. It should have been a peaceful and joyous occasion, but because of Xie Yongqiang's pathetic pride, the happy event was ruined.

He felt overshadowed by Lin Chen at the banquet, feeling resentful and ashamed. He dared not argue with outsiders, but instead turned to his girlfriend, stabbing her in the heart with every harsh word.

Wang Changgui spent half the day helping with the cleanup and seeing off the last group of visiting guests. As soon as he opened the door, he heard crying coming from inside the house.

His heart skipped a beat, and he rushed into the inner room, where he immediately saw Xiangxiu crying her eyes out, her brows furrowed.

"What's wrong with you, child? Why are you crying like this on such a joyous day? Did someone bully you?"

Xiangxiu's shoulders were trembling, she was only focused on shedding tears, and didn't want to say a word at all, her heart was too heavy.

Wang Changgui's most beloved daughter in his life was this one. Seeing her crying so pitifully, the flames in his heart began to rise little by little.

He squatted by the kang (a heated brick bed), patiently asking again and again:

"Tell your father the truth, don't hold it in. Did Xie Yongqiang upset you? Just tell me, with your father around, no one can bully you!"

Xiangxiu sniffed her stuffy nose and choked out all her grievances.

"Dad, Xie Yongqiang has gone too far!"