Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

The surrounding villagers immediately joined in, flattering and nagging:

"Guangkun, you're so lucky! Our village hasn't produced a county-level official in years. Your Yongqiang is truly a source of pride for our village!"

"That's a job with the Education Commission, respectable, damn respectable! When Yongqiang becomes successful, don't forget the villagers!"

"You've got a secure job at such a young age, Guangkun, your future is bright! Just wait and enjoy your retirement!"

Hearing the constant praise made Xie Guangkun feel very comfortable, and he couldn't stop smiling, waving his hands repeatedly:

"It's all thanks to the kids' own hard work; I didn't really help much!"

Xie Yongqiang, standing in the middle of the crowd, was wearing a clean shirt and stood up straight, appearing calm and humble.

Faced with everyone's praise, he feigned politeness:

"Don't flatter me, everyone. The work isn't even fully underway yet."

But the corners of his mouth were already uncontrollably turned up high, and the smugness in his eyes could not be hidden.

His gaze swept quickly across the crowd, landing precisely on Lin Chen beside him. He secretly competed with him, his sense of superiority overflowing.

No matter how much money Lin Chen can make or how respected he is by the villagers, he is still just a self-employed individual.

Xie Yongqiang is different; he's a proper county-level public official, working for the government, so his status and position are completely different!

He used to be overshadowed by Lin Chen in every way, whether it was his vision, ability, or popularity, he was always a step behind, and he felt resentful.

Today, he was finally able to rightfully overpower Lin Chen and completely regain his pride!

Just as I was secretly pleased with myself, the driver opened the car door, got out, and said:

"It's getting late, Mayor Qi is still waiting, let's go."

"Okay! Alright!"

Xie Yongqiang immediately composed himself, respectfully responded, bent down and sat in the car, keeping his back straight the whole time, his face full of anticipation for the future.

Xie Guangkun stood still, raising his hand and waving it repeatedly, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Son! Don't get arrogant! Go to the county and work hard, listen to the leaders, be down-to-earth, and do your best!"

The driver rolled down the window and said:

"We should be back in a bit..."

"Huh? You're not going to work today?" Xie Guangkun asked, puzzled.

Pi Changshan shouted loudly into his ear from the side:

"Dad, you don't understand. There are procedures to follow; we have to report it first!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Even after the car had driven far away and disappeared from sight, Xie Guangkun was still standing there, refusing to leave. He kept talking to the villagers, constantly boasting about how great his Yongqiang was.

Lin Chen watched the farcical scene unfold, smiled faintly, said nothing, and turned to take Wang Xiaomeng back to the tofu shop.

He didn't take this false sense of glory to heart at all.

"Xiao Meng, are you alright?"

Lin Chen glanced at Xiao Meng beside him, worried that she might be unhappy because Yongqiang had gone to work in the county.

"Brother Chen, I'm fine. I've already let it go. Like you said, having your own abilities is the most important thing. Then everyone will have to look up to me."

"That's right!"

Songshan Town Mayor's Office

The office was quiet. Xie Yongqiang sat upright in his chair, his hands tightly gripping his water glass. He was both nervous and excited, his mind racing with images of himself joining the county government, sitting in an office, and rising through the ranks. The more he thought about it, the more smug he became.

But after Qi Santai sat down, he didn't say a word for a long time, only focusing on making tea and sighing, his face getting uglier and uglier each time.

Xie Yongqiang's excitement slowly turned into unease, and he felt a sense of unease, as if something was amiss.

After waiting for a long time, Qi Santai finally looked at him, her tone full of helplessness:

"Yongqiang, this matter could actually be explained over the phone, but I think it's better to explain it to you in person. To be honest, the job at the county education commission... is ruined."

With a "buzz" sound!

Xie Yongqiang's mind went completely blank for a moment, and he was completely stunned.

The water glass in his hand wobbled suddenly and almost fell onto the table, but Xie Yongqiang hurriedly caught it.

He stared blankly at Qi Santai, his face filled with disbelief:

"Uncle, you...you must be joking, right? Didn't you say it was a sure thing? How come it suddenly fell through?"

Qi Santai sighed heavily, his face full of regret:

"Uncle wouldn't joke like that with you. I've gone to the county four or five times to get this job for you, pleading with you to the end. All that's left is the final signature!"

"But you're really unlucky. Director Xu from the Education Commission and his female secretary were investigated for violating regulations and were arrested. All the personnel quotas he had were invalidated, affecting a large number of young people waiting to join the company, and you just happened to be one of them."

Qi Santai grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, yet felt utterly helpless:

"That Director Xu is a real jerk! He made a mistake and dragged so many people down with him. Yongqiang, I've really done my best, but there's nothing I can do right now. Man proposes, God disposes, we can only accept our fate."

These few words shattered all of Xie Yongqiang's beautiful dreams.

He sat in the chair, his face instantly turning deathly pale, all color draining from his lips, his throat tightening, unable to utter a single word.

The villagers' praise in the morning, Xie Guangkun's boasting, his pride in surpassing Lin Chen, and his sense of glory and prestige... all these scenes flooded his mind.

The more smug he was just now, the more humiliated he was now! All that sense of superiority turned into resounding slaps across his face, leaving him utterly ashamed.

Seeing his distraught state, Qi Santai couldn't bear it and quickly tried to comfort him:

"Yongqiang, don't be discouraged. Uncle will arrange a place for you to stay. Go back to the village primary school to be a substitute teacher and settle down first. As soon as there are any vacancies in the county, I will try my best to get you transferred. Uncle remembers you."

Substitute teacher at the village primary school.

He went from being a high-ranking county government official to a temporary substitute teacher in a village overnight, and was even placed under Pi Changshan's supervision!

This drastic difference left Xie Yongqiang dizzy and disoriented.

He was stiff all over, nodded blankly, and didn't even have the strength to say thank you. He was in a daze and didn't even know how he walked out of the town government building.

At Xie Guangkun's home, the courtyard was still bustling with activity and noise.

To celebrate his son's job in the county, Xie Guangkun specially set up a tent and eight tables for a banquet. The dishes were all hearty, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat. The scale of the event was almost as grand as that of his engagement day.

Pi Changshan led a group of primary school students to guard the village entrance. The children were preparing to perform, chattering and jumping around. Drums and gongs were all ready, just waiting for Xie Yongqiang to return so that they could immediately start playing the festive drums and gongs.

All the prominent people in the village came, and even Lin Chen was specially invited by Xie Guangkun.

Many people can see through Xie Guangkun's scheme.

He wanted to show off in front of Lin Chen, to let Lin Chen see that his son was a proper government official with a secure job, respectable and prestigious, a hundred times better than Lin Chen, who was a self-employed individual. He wanted to be proud and put Lin Chen in his place!

The claim that one Lin Chen is worth ten Xie Yongqiangs is utter bullshit!

"He's back! Yongqiang is back!"

Pi Changshan spotted Mayor Qi's car in the distance and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

The next second, a sudden, deafening roar of gongs and drums erupted as the children began their performance.

The guests in the courtyard heard the sound from the village entrance and stood up to applaud and congratulate.

But to Xie Yongqiang, this lively atmosphere was nothing but jarring and heartbreaking.

The elementary school students warmly welcomed him from both sides. The further he walked, the lower his head became, and his once straight back completely collapsed. He walked home with heavy and dragging steps.

The sound of gongs and drums was like thunder, the applause was like slaps, and the congratulations from the crowd were like mockery, densely surrounding him, making his ears ring, and he was so ashamed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

The more triumphant and triumphant they were in the morning, the more pathetic and embarrassing they are now.

Xie Guangkun, his face beaming, rushed over excitedly, grabbed his son's shoulder, grinned from ear to ear, and spoke in a very loud voice:

"Son! You're finally back! Come in and sit down. The whole village is here to celebrate for you. Our Xie family has finally made us proud!"

Xie Yongqiang tugged at the corners of his mouth, trying to laugh, but the smile was uglier than a grimace.

My throat felt so tight I couldn't say a word, and I could only stiffly follow them inside.

Less than ten minutes into the meal, the atmosphere reached its peak.

Village head Wang Changgui stood up, holding a wine glass, cleared his throat, and took the lead in cheering:

"Fellow villagers, we gather here today specifically to congratulate Yongqiang! Yongqiang is young and promising, with a limitless future!"

"Furthermore, Yongqiang and Xiangxiu's marriage is settled. They've achieved success in both their careers and love lives—a double celebration! Come, let's raise a glass to Yongqiang!"

Congratulations, Yongqiang!

Congratulations!

Everyone in the courtyard raised their glasses, and cheers rose and fell.

All eyes were on Xie Yongqiang, filled with envy, flattery, and fawning glances that made him feel suffocated.

The wine glass in his hand felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. He felt ashamed, choked up, and on the verge of collapse, and he couldn't hold back any longer.

"I feel a little dizzy, let me go inside and rest for a while."

He left a sentence behind, and before anyone could react, he turned and quickly scurried into the house, awkwardly avoiding all gazes.

The lively banquet fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at each other, puzzled, unsure of what was going on.

Lin Chen sat at the table, taking big bites of cold dishes. He thought that the food at this rural banquet was the best – affordable and delicious. He thought that when he got married in the future, he could have a banquet in the courtyard for two days instead of going to a fancy restaurant.

Inside the room, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Xie Yongqiang sat alone on the bed, clutching his head tightly with both hands. He was filled with grievances, shame, and despair, and he completely broke down.

Xie Guangkun pushed the door open and immediately sensed that something was wrong.

He left home full of energy in the morning, but came back looking dejected. This is so unusual.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly leaned closer, asking nervously:

"Son, what's wrong? Why aren't you sitting at the banquet? Did someone upset you? Or are the county leaders giving you a hard time?"

Xie Yongqiang held back for a long time before finally raising his head, his voice filled with deep despair:

"Dad... my job is gone, I lost my job at the county education commission, my uncle said that Director Xu got into trouble and his position was cancelled, so I... I can only go back to the village primary school as a substitute teacher."