Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

After Lin Chen finished speaking, he casually asked:

"Have you eaten yet? If not, go heat some up yourself. I bought the groceries in town."

"Eat up, eat up!"

Xie Xiaomei put the car keys on the coffee table, raised her hand and tugged at her work clothes, looking disgusted.

"The cafeteria steamed meat buns today, I ate two of them, they smelled so good! My stomach is still bloated, but this outfit is so stuffy. Uh oh? My aunt still hasn't come back?"

"It's only a few o'clock, but it'll probably be soon."

Xie Xiaomei carried her small bag and walked out with light steps.

"I'm going to change my clothes and relax."

I lifted the curtain to enter the room, and a few minutes later, the curtain was gently lifted again.

The moment she appeared, her entire demeanor changed.

She had completely changed out of her neat and simple work clothes and was now wearing a light red sundress.

The style is a halter top, with two thin straps draped over a fair neck, swaying gently with the slightest movement, making it exceptionally alluring. The neckline is just right, revealing a sliver of collarbone, understated yet incredibly captivating.

The skirt was made of a thin, soft material that clung to her body, completely exposing her two long, white, and straight legs.

During the day, she is a hardworking technician in the factory, but now, without her work clothes, she is charming and alluring, with a soft and tender demeanor.

Xie Xiaomei knew she looked good in this outfit, so she deliberately slowed her pace as she came out, her steps light and leisurely, with a touch of shyness and a hint of cautious probing.

She casually brushed a stray hair from her temple and stared at Lin Chen, asking softly:

"Brother Chen, look at this dress of mine... isn't it pretty? I bought it on a whim while shopping, but I haven't dared to wear it since I felt it was too revealing and I was too embarrassed to wear it out."

Lin Chen looked up, his gaze naturally falling on her, slowly sweeping over her.

His gaze was aggressive, and he didn't pretend to be stupid; the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

"It looks great, it suits you very well, but you should wear another layer over it, otherwise you'll get a full sunburn."

"Ugh, I'll only wear it at home for you to see."

"It looks much better than your work clothes. Young people should wear something bright and cheerful to look energetic and vibrant. Otherwise, they look lifeless. I'll suggest to Liu Yishui tomorrow that we try some fresh colors."

A simple compliment made Xie Xiaomei feel incredibly sweet inside, and she couldn't help but smile. Brother Chen said he liked it.

She pursed her lips and secretly smiled, then squatted down next to the box and offered to help.

"Then I'll help you clean up. The two of us will finish faster, and I have nothing else to do anyway."

As she squatted down, her skirt naturally rode up a bit, revealing more of her fair thighs. Xie Xiaomei knew this perfectly well, but deliberately pretended not to notice. She slowly rummaged through the old things in the box, intentionally leaning closer to Lin Chen, her shoulder almost touching his arm.

Lin Chen smelled the faint fragrance lingering in the air, which was particularly alluring.

He remained calm, neither moving away nor deliberately getting closer. He simply kept his head down and continued packing, letting the young girl stay close to him without feeling embarrassed at all. "Why should a grown man like me feel embarrassed?" he thought.

The two of them quietly rummaged through the old items for a while.

Suddenly, Xie Xiaomei's fingertips touched something cold and heavy.

Curious, she picked it up; a flash of light revealed its silvery sheen.

It's a palm-sized silver longevity lock, very high-quality, and looks quite old.

Xie Xiaomei examined the lock from all angles, her curiosity piqued, and she chattered excitedly, asking:

"Brother Chen, whose longevity lock is this?"

Lin Chen glanced at it sideways and smiled:

"It's mine, no need to ask. I wore it when I was a kid, I haven't seen it for years, I thought I lost it."

Just as she finished speaking, footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate. Xie Dajiao returned carrying a bag of freshly picked vegetables, still covered in dirt, looking very fresh.

She put the vegetables on the floor outside the room, wiggled her big butt and came over to join in the fun. When she peeked at the silver lock in Xie Xiaomei's hand, she immediately curled her lips and ruined the moment.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Xie Dajiao waved her hand, her face full of certainty:

"No one in our village ever wore a silver lock before, you're not trying to fool Xiaomei!"

Lin Chen picked up the silver lock, his eyes softening slightly. He slowly began to explain, his tone tinged with nostalgia.

"This was given to my dad by his sworn brother. He and my dad were as close as brothers."

At this point, Lin Chen paused, his tone becoming slightly more somber, and he spoke with a touch of emotion:

"After my parents passed away, without saying a word, they dropped everything and rushed over to attend the funeral."

"He stayed with me in the village for three days. He helped with all the big and small things at the funeral. There were so many people in the village at that time, it was a mess, so it's normal that you didn't notice him."

Xie Dajiao immediately understood after hearing this, and nodded repeatedly, saying:

"Now that you mention it, I do recall it. That person is incredibly particular; there are very few people like that these days."

"Yes, he's an honest person." Lin Chen responded softly, carefully placing the silver lock back into the small box.

"When he was leaving, he insisted on taking me with him, saying that I should live with him and he made all the arrangements for me."

Lin Chen smiled and continued:

"Could I do that? Wouldn't I be disturbing their lives if I went there? I'm not incapable of living on my own. I don't want to rely on others all the time, so I didn't go with him. Later, he tried to give me some money, but I didn't accept it."

Xie Xiaomei, who was listening intently, her eyes sparkling, couldn't help but lean closer, her tone tinged with regret:

"Then this gentleman must be a big boss, right?"

"Who knows? My dad told me before that he used to be very poor and he built his career from scratch. So, you know, no matter what, you have to rely on yourself."

"Where is he now?"

Lin Chen put the small box back at the bottom of the box:

"Then we lost contact. I kept moving around and lost my phone. It's been so many years since we last saw each other."

He sighed softly, with no regrets, just a deep sense of longing:

"So many years have passed, I wonder how the old man is doing now."

Xie Dajiao sighed deeply upon hearing this, and shook her head, saying:

"That's how it was back in the 90s. You had to rely on addresses to find people. Once someone left or moved, you'd lose contact immediately and there was nowhere to look for them. But remember their kindness, and if you're destined to meet them again, you'll eventually."

Xie Xiaomei didn't say anything, but quietly squatted down beside him, silently reminiscing about his past.

It turns out that Lin Chen, who seems carefree and easygoing, and doesn't care about anything, also has a lot of stories and has suffered a lot.

After a moment of silence, Lin Chen couldn't help but reach out and pull out the small box from the bottom of the trunk again.

Over the years, he has rarely looked at these old things. The people and events of the past are like stones that have sunk to the bottom of the water, usually quiet and never disturbed.

But I stumbled upon it today, and it stirred up a new feeling of longing.

I wonder where that kind and loyal old man is now, after all these years, and whether he is living a peaceful life.

……

A few days later, in the meeting room of Songshan Town Government—

It was quiet here, but the atmosphere was a bit tense.

The conference room was spotless and tidy. The long solid wood conference table was polished to a shine, with white porcelain enamel cups placed one by one on it, and stacks of printed project documents piled up neatly next to it.

On the front wall is a development plan map of Songshan Town, with dense red and blue lines that look quite formal and impressive.

The town's leaders and heads of various stations and offices sat around a table, filling the room. Everyone looked serious, and no one moved or spoke out of turn.

Qi Santai sat in the main seat, his back ramrod straight, his face serious and looking exceptionally stern.

This investment promotion meeting lasted for almost two hours, and the tea on the table had been refilled twice.

The people below listened attentively throughout the meeting, and no one dared to lose focus, as today's meeting was a major event concerning the development of the entire town.

At this moment, Qi Santai cleared his throat lightly, and everyone looked up at him.

He adopted the official tone of a town mayor, his voice polite and composed, steady and measured as he slowly began to speak:

"Ladies and gentlemen, today's investment promotion conference has gone very smoothly and has been a great success."

Chairman Wang Dana of Benxi Wang Group and his son came from afar, sincerely bringing us a great opportunity.

On behalf of the town's Party committee and government, I sincerely thank Chairman Wang for his support and trust. Now, let's warmly welcome Chairman Wang to say a few words!

As soon as he finished speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause broke out. Everyone present was an adult, behaving properly, but no one was genuinely excited; it was purely out of politeness.

At the center of the conference table, Wang Dana leaned back in his chair, exuding an aura of authority.

He raised his hand and smoothed the thick gold chain around his neck. The large gold watch on his wrist gleamed, reflecting a dazzling light, exuding the air of a true big boss.

Wang Dana cleared his throat, his voice booming and clear, fluent in Jinzhou dialect, unpretentious yet full of confidence:

"Alright, I'll just say a few words."

"I brought my son Wang Musheng here this time. The town has been very hospitable to us, from top to bottom. I am very satisfied. This time, my son and I are not just wandering around. We really want to invest some money in Songshan and do something practical."

Everyone present listened quietly, and no one interrupted.

Wang Dana continued:

"Why did I choose Songshan? First, I have old friends here, and my sworn brother used to live here too. Our friendship has always been there. Second, Songshan has a good environment and a good location. I think it has potential for development and is a reliable opportunity."

He lightly tapped the cement factory documents on the table with his finger, his tone becoming much more serious:

"These past two days, Mayor Qi took me to visit several projects, and I compared them one by one. The one that suits my taste the best is this old cement factory."

"That factory has a solid foundation, and the factory buildings are already in place. There's no need to start from scratch and spend a lot of money. With a little tidying up and some new equipment, it can start production immediately. It saves you trouble and saves me effort."

He then changed the subject:

"But I'll be frank, and I hope the leaders won't take offense."

"Now, all regions are scrambling to attract investment, and the competition is fierce. If you are too rigid and stick to the old rules, haggling over every little bit of tax and land fees, you really won't be able to retain large enterprises."

"Don't just focus on the small amount of money, a few hundred thousand. Think long-term. Once my factory is established, how many jobs will it create? How much tax revenue will it bring to the town each year? No matter how you look at it, you'll all benefit. I believe everyone understands this."

His words were so truthful that the cadres below nodded in agreement, and no one dared to refute him. However, Qi Santai glanced at them and they all lowered their heads.