Country Love: Xie Dajiao, 37, is pregnant!

Startled, Yongqiang's mother rushed forward to block her, and even lashed her a few times with the broom handle. Xie Guangkun quickly stopped, and Yongqiang's mother kept trying to persuade him:

"Stop hitting them! The children are all grown up, please don't hit them!"

Xie Yongqiang endured it all without flinching or arguing back. He kept his head down and let his father beat and scold him. He felt a little regretful, but it was too late to say anything now.

Xie Guangkun slumped onto the stool, let out a long sigh, and looked utterly dejected.

This kid has completely disgraced the Xie family today.

……

Night fell in the blink of an eye. In the dead of night, the entire Ivory Mountain Village fell completely silent. Every household turned off their lights and went to rest. But even those lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) were still talking excitedly about Xie Yongqiang and Xiangxiu's breakup. What secrets could such a small village possibly have?

In Lin Chen's home, only the small ceiling light was on. It wasn't glaring, and the warm yellow light swayed gently, creating a great atmosphere. The atmosphere inside the house was lively.

The phone on the table suddenly rang, sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet room.

Lin Chen reached for his phone, and Xie Xiaomei gasped softly in surprise:

"Brother Chen, slow down... slow down, don't move, don't move, I'll help you!"

Xie Xiaomei lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), reached behind her and groped for her phone, then handed it to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen took a couple of breaths, reached out and took the phone, his voice still carrying a hint of lingering panting:

"Feed?"

Wang Xiaomeng's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone, her tone tinged with caution:

"Brother Chen, it's me, Xiao Meng. I hope I didn't disturb your rest by calling so late?"

"No, it's nothing."

Lin Chen supported his body with one hand:

"I just stretched a bit, did a few push-ups to get some exercise. Calling so late, is something wrong?"

Wang Xiaomeng paused slightly on the other end of the phone, her tone a little embarrassed:

"Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just something that happened in the village this afternoon. I was worried that you might hear rumors from outsiders and overthink things, so I wanted to explain it to you."

"Yongqiang stopped me at the village entrance this afternoon, insisting on chatting with me. I didn't say much to him, but advised him to go home quickly and stop making trouble. As a result, Xiangxiu happened to see it, and the two of them started arguing on the spot. It seems that the marriage has fallen through. I was afraid that the village gossip would spread and you would misunderstand, so I quickly told you."

Lin Chen chuckled, his tone calm and unconcerned:

"What's there to explain? I know your personality. It's okay, don't take it to heart. It's their business, it has nothing to do with you. Xie Yongqiang is clueless, let him mess around with himself."

Hearing Lin Chen trust her so much, Wang Xiaomeng breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved. The two chatted casually about the tofu shop business for a bit. Xie Xiaomei kept covering her mouth and pinched Lin Chen's waist with her right hand, urging him to hang up quickly.

Lin Chen slapped her hand away, chatted briefly about everyday things, and then politely hung up the phone.

The phone call ended, and the room returned to silence, with only the sound of each other's even breathing remaining.

Xie Xiaomei regained her strength, propped herself up slightly, reached for the towel beside the pillow, and gently wiped the thin layer of sweat from Lin Chen's back.

She joked casually:

"Xiao Meng really cares about you. He called late at night to explain this little thing, afraid that you might misunderstand."

Lin Chen leaned against the wall, revealing his muscular chest. His breathing was still slightly uneven, and his whole body exuded a relaxed weariness.

Xie Xiaomei slumped softly beside him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes watery, her chest rising and falling slightly, her whole body weak and sore, she barely had the strength to lift her arms, and she was completely enveloped in gentle exhaustion.

Lin Chen casually tossed his phone back onto the table, turned to the side, and gently pinched her still-burning cheek, teasing her on purpose:

"What? Are you jealous hearing that, Xiaomei?"

Xie Xiaomei immediately shook her head, biting her pink lips, and leaned deeper into his arms, her voice as soft as cotton:

"I'm not jealous... I really am. In fact, I'm hoping she'll come over sooner."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised:

"Oh? You were hesitant before, but now you've completely come to terms with it?"

Xiao Mei gently drew circles on his chest with her fingertips, her posture docile and obedient, and poured out all her heart:

"I hadn't experienced this before and didn't understand the ins and outs, but these past two days I've really come to realize it. My small body just can't take it, and I can't recover at all."

"If more people lend a hand and share the burden, it will be easier for me and my partner. We won't have to carry on every day. Besides, I can tell that you're not the type to stay with one person all the time."

"Instead of having you bring in a stranger from outside, and everyone becoming unfamiliar with each other and causing conflicts, it's better to have someone like Xiao Meng who knows you well. They're all acquaintances from the same village, so it'll be easier for you to get along with them."

She spoke sincerely, having already thoroughly understood the pros and cons. The most crucial point she didn't mention was that she would be the one registering her marriage with Lin Chen in the future, making him her wife. She also said that Wang Xiaomeng had to call her "sister" from now on, which made her feel great just thinking about it.

Looking at the gentle and sensible girl in his arms, Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart. He chuckled softly, reached out and hugged her tightly, and said nothing more.

Life in Ivory Mountain is gentle, and people's hearts are soft and warm. This game of fate involving several people has only just ended its most interesting phase.

……

In the morning, the Xiangyashan Village Office was quiet; not a single villager came in to chat.

The old ceiling fan inside the room turned slowly, blowing out a warm breeze.

Wang Changgui slumped behind the table, flipping through documents issued by the town with nothing to do, feeling suffocated.

The matter of Xiangxiu breaking off her engagement with Xie Yongqiang kept swirling in her mind, making her more and more upset, and she couldn't relax her brow at all.

Just then, the phone on the table suddenly rang, the sound so loud it startled Chang Gui.

Wang Changgui immediately sat up straight, casually tossed the documents onto the table, cleared his throat, adopted an air of authority, picked up the phone, and said in a proper manner:

"Hello, who is this?"

Qi Santai's familiar laughter immediately came from the other end of the phone:

"Changgui, I have some good news for you. The meeting just ended and it's been decided that you'll be transferred to the town's water conservancy station! Just come over and report for work tomorrow."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Changgui instantly perked up, leaping up from his chair with such force that the wooden chair behind him overturned, making quite a commotion.

He didn't even have time to pay attention to the chair; his hand holding the phone suddenly trembled, filled with surprise and joy, and he even stammered as he spoke.

"Really? Mayor Qi! That's wonderful! Thank you so much, thank you to the organization! Don't worry, I'll definitely work hard in town."

"Don't get too excited yet."

Qi Santai continued calmly:

"The official position hasn't been approved yet, so we can't complete the formal procedures. Here's what we'll do: you can work in the temporary position for now, and your salary will be calculated on a temporary basis. We'll work on the official position slowly. Also, you can take on the duties of the village head for now. Try to manage both positions and don't neglect one for the other."

"No problem! Absolutely no problem!"

Wang Changgui nodded his head like he was pounding garlic, his smile bringing out even more wrinkles:

"Mayor, you've thought of everything so thoroughly. I'll be incredibly grateful if I can start working right away. I've got all the work in the village and town under my belt, so there's absolutely no chance of anything being delayed. You can rest assured!"

"You're still being so polite with me. We'll be relatives soon. You're two years older than me, so I should call you 'brother' and 'brother-in-law' from now on."

Qi Santai chuckled, then suddenly changed the subject:

"By the way, has my sister Wang Yun arrived at your house yet?"

Wang Changgui was stunned on the spot, completely bewildered:

"Huh? Wang Yun? What's she doing at my house? She didn't come. I've been at the village office all morning and haven't seen her at all."

"Hey, my wife has a very sharp tongue. She told Wang Yun about your situation right away."

Qi Santai explained with a smile:

"When Wang Yun heard that you were going to be transferred to work in town, he was overjoyed. He offered to come over early to help you tidy up your house, do your laundry, and take care of the housework, because he was worried that you, a grown man, would be too sloppy."

At this point, he specifically offered two points:

"Changgui, my sister may not look very special, but she looks strong. She's an absolute whiz at work. She can handle all the housework and farm work. She's hardworking and reliable. She can manage your household perfectly. You should cherish her and not take her for granted."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the call ended.

Wang Changgui stood there, phone in hand, stunned. He couldn't recover for a long time. The joy on his face gradually faded, replaced by a look of deep sorrow.

He gently placed the receiver back, then rubbed his face hard, his brows furrowing into a deep knot.

He knew perfectly well that things were all complicated and convoluted.

He hasn't even been formally appointed yet; he only got the chance to become a full-fledged employee because of Qi Santai's support.

If they were to directly reject Wang Yun at this point, clearly showing their disdain for him, they would definitely offend Mayor Qi completely, and the job they had in mind would be completely wasted.

But if he really agreed to it and just made do with Wang Yun in every way... Wang Changgui couldn't help but imagine Wang Yun's sturdy physique, and instantly felt a chill in his heart.

My frail little body is nowhere near theirs.

This isn't about finding a partner to live with; it's more like finding a wife to keep me company. If we were to share a room, my old bones might be worn out in just one night!

In an instant, the joy of the promotion was completely overshadowed by this unpleasant matter, and his mind was filled with the dilemma of being caught between a rock and a hard place.