Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Lin Chen sat up calmly, his expression serene and composed, without the slightest hint of panic or unease.

He raised his hand and gently patted the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) beside him, and said frankly:

"Sit down. Now that we've run into each other, let's make things clear between the three of us, so we don't have to keep things to ourselves and feel awkward and embarrassed all the time."

Upon hearing this, Xie Dajiao sat down silently by the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), head bowed, her heart filled with mixed emotions, unsure of what to say.

Lin Chen lit a cigarette, slowly took a drag, and then recounted, word for word, everything he had said to Xiaomei the night before:

"I drank too much last night and mistook someone else for someone else. I ended up with Xiaomei. I won't hide it. I admit it. You know best what kind of relationship we have and what kind of feelings we have. You also know what kind of person I am."

"I don't plan to get married for the time being, and I don't want to be tied down by marriage in this life. I will not only have one woman by my side in the future."

"But I'm telling you this today: you and Xiaomei are the two people I care about most in the village. I guarantee that you two will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your lives, and that you will not suffer any grievances or be bullied by anyone."

"When the day comes that I want to settle down and start a family, I will definitely marry Xiaomei. With that title, you can rightfully live with us. The three of us can take care of each other, keep each other company, and live a stable life."

"Furthermore, let me be frank with you: my assets are far greater than what you see on the surface. I can absolutely support you all. You can rest assured about that and have no worries."

His words were frank and sincere, without a single falsehood or empty phrase; every word and sentence revealed the truth.

Upon hearing this, Xie Dajiao felt a sudden pang of sadness, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she almost burst into tears on the spot.

She had a hard life. After marrying Li Fu, she never enjoyed a single day of happiness and lived a life of widowhood.

When she was with Lin Chen, she never asked for a title or cared about her reputation; she only wanted a stable life, someone to love and protect her.

Now that Lin Chen has arranged everything clearly for her and Xiao Mei's future, she is completely content and has no other desires.

At this moment, Xie Xiaomei finally peeked out from under the covers, her face flushed and her eyes wet with tears. She reached out and grabbed Xie Dajiao's hand, her voice trembling with sobs, yet her small voice was incredibly sincere and firm:

"Aunt, I know everything, and I've come to terms with it all. I know better than anyone how hard you've suffered and how much you've been wronged all these years."

"You've shouldered all the hardships all these years, it's been so tough. I don't find your relationship with Chen Ge absurd at all. From now on, we'll stay together and live a good life here, so you won't have to suffer anymore."

These thoughtful and understanding words completely shattered Xie Dajiao's last bit of forbearance and strength.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She gripped Xiaomei's hand tightly in return, her lips trembling slightly. A thousand words were stuck in her throat, and finally she nodded forcefully.

Lin Chen sat quietly to the side, watching without making a sound to disturb her. After crying for about ten minutes, Xie Dajiao was the first to calm down, raising her hand to wipe away her tears and smiling somewhat embarrassedly.

"Look at me, how old am I, still crying at the drop of a hat, making you two laugh at me. Alright, I'll go cook. You must be hungry after all this fuss."

After saying that, she got up and walked quickly to the outer room. Xiaomei also hurriedly got up and dressed. Her eyebrows and eyes were more relaxed and gentle than usual, and all the depression in her heart completely dissipated.

The two worked together in the outer room, starting a fire and cooking porridge, whispering intimate words to each other, with laughter occasionally breaking the silence. There was no awkwardness or distance between them.

Before long, a simple breakfast was served: millet porridge to soothe the stomach, salted duck eggs with a rich and delicious flavor, and cucumber salad to cleanse the palate.

The three of them sat down quietly around the table. No one deliberately brought up the absurd matter, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.

Halfway through the meal, Lin Chen earnestly instructed:

"The villagers are all gossipy, there are too many busybodies who love to spread rumors. To outsiders, we should just stay the same and do what we always do, so as not to give anyone something to say and cause ourselves unnecessary trouble."

Xie Dajiao immediately nodded solemnly:

"Don't worry, we know what we're doing. We won't let a single word slip out. We'll keep things under control and won't let anyone else suspect anything."

Xiao Mei nodded obediently, secretly glancing at Lin Chen across from her. Her eyes revealed undisguised joy and pride, and the corners of her mouth curled up secretly.

Wang Xiaomeng, after all this time, I've still managed to get there a step ahead of you.

……

Lin Chen and his two companions were happily eating breakfast, while Wang Changgui was at home, frowning and sighing, his mind filled with thoughts of Wang Yun's large physique. He was forty-seven, almost fifty, and wondered if he would make it...

Around noon, in the village clinic, Wang Xiangxiu sat at the table, pen in hand, brows furrowed, face pale, feeling suffocated, her mind filled with thoughts of Xie Yongqiang's work.

Ever since Xie Yongqiang's job at the county education commission fell through and he returned to teach at the village primary school, he has changed completely. He is listless and prone to sulking, and he no longer has the high spirits he had when he first came back. The two of them quarrel every day, and Xiangxiu feels more and more aggrieved. Even yesterday at dinner, she didn't say more than a few words to Xie Yongqiang.

Just as she was getting irritated, the curtain of the clinic was suddenly lifted, and Xie Yongqiang walked in with his head down, face sullen, and dejected. His expression was even worse than Xiangxiu's, and he was filled with resentment as he entered.

He stood by the table, rooted to the spot, motionless, his voice sullen and heavy with dissatisfaction:

"Xiangxiu, what exactly happened to you yesterday? I'm asking you, ever since I came back to work in the village, you haven't given me a single kind word. You've been giving me the cold shoulder at every turn. Now that my job outside has fallen through and I've come back to the village, do you despise me that much?"

Xiangxiu was already seething with anger, and his questioning made her explode completely. She slammed her pen on the table, glared at Xie Yongqiang, and raised her voice, both angry and aggrieved:

"Who's complaining about you? Xie Yongqiang, have some conscience! I'm busy running around the clinic every day, how can I have time to fawn over you and put on a smiling face every day? Don't get any ideas!"

"You just don't like me!"

Xie Yongqiang became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his tone filled with resentment:

"When I had a stable and promising job in the county, you were kind and gentle to me. Now that I've lost my job and gone back to the village, you've immediately changed your tune! You just think I'm incompetent, useless, and not good enough for you, right?"

"Don't bring up such trivial matters! Are you deliberately picking a fight?"

Xiangxiu took half a step forward, staring directly at him without any mercy:

"I've seen through your little schemes long ago. You've never been thinking about me from the beginning; your heart has always belonged to Wang Xiaomeng! Now that your job is ruined, it's just what you wanted. You're picking a fight with me because you're hoping to go back to Wang Xiaomeng and rekindle your old flame?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? You're just talking gibberish!"

Xie Yongqiang felt his secret had been exposed and opened his mouth to refute, but when he did, he had no confidence at all.

He knew perfectly well that he had never truly let go of Wang Xiaomeng. Even after getting engaged to Xiangxiu, that lingering thought had never left him; he just refused to admit it.

The two of them argued back and forth in the clinic, their words clashing like oil and water, growing more and more heated and their resentment growing stronger.

Actually, both of them had considered breaking off the engagement, feeling that they couldn't go on like this, but neither of them was willing to be the first to suggest breaking up.

Xie Yongqiang was afraid of gossip in the village, while Wang Xiangxiu was concerned about her reputation and afraid of being called materialistic, following the crowd when others prospered and kicking others aside when they fell on hard times. The two of them were at an impasse, each holding their breath, waiting for the other to give in first, to soften their stance, and to propose annulment.

"You're absolutely unreasonable!"

After arguing for a while, Xie Yongqiang's face turned red with anger. He finally said something, then turned around, lifted the curtain, and left without looking back.

Watching Xie Yongqiang's retreating figure, Wang Xiangxiu slumped onto the stool, feeling both angry and aggrieved. Her nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes, swirling around.

She bit her lip hard, forcing back her tears. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated and angry she became. Finally, she couldn't suppress her resentment any longer. Staring at the doorway, she muttered through gritted teeth:

"Stop pretending, stop acting all wronged! Xie Yongqiang, you clearly have someone else in your heart, you don't care about me at all. Fine, you don't care about me, there are plenty of other people who do. You want to drag things out with me? Then let's drag it out. I'll cuckold you, I'll cuckold you to death! Let's see who outlasts whom in the end!"

This feeling of unease in her chest made her completely restless and unable to concentrate on her work.

She ripped off her white coat and tossed it onto the table. Just then, Old Wang came back from outside. Xiangxiu casually said that she wasn't feeling well, had a headache, and needed to go back to lie down for a while. After saying goodbye, she hurriedly left the clinic and headed straight for Lin Chen's house at the east end of the village.

At this time, Lin Chen's house was quiet and there was no sound at all.

Xie Dajiao went to the grocery store, and Xie Xiaomei was working at the farm and hadn't come back, leaving Lin Chen alone in the huge yard.

The afternoon sun streamed through the glass windows into the main room, landing on the coffee table.

Lin Chen came out of the toilet whistling. He hadn't been idle all morning. The outside was a mess, and it took him a while to clean it up.

Back inside, I sat comfortably on the sofa, remote control in hand, leisurely flipping through channels. A freshly brewed cup of tea sat beside me. Life was peaceful and serene; I couldn't be more comfortable.

In this peaceful atmosphere, a loud bang suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, which was pushed open with a loud noise.

Immediately afterward, a figure jogged in. Wang Xiangxiu didn't even bother to properly lift the curtain. Upon seeing Lin Chen in the room, she instantly lost her composure. Without saying a word, she rushed forward and buried her head in Lin Chen's arms, pressing her head firmly against his shoulder. Tears of grievance streamed down her face.

Lin Chen, still holding the remote control, was taken aback by her sudden embrace. He instinctively reached out to steady her arm and asked in confusion:

"What's wrong? Who bullied you? Why are you crying like this?"