country bumpkin

Lu Gangtie quickly went over and asked with a mixture of joy and worry, "Yanzi, why are you here? Is it because your mother doesn't approve of us being together?"

Kong Xiuyan said with a smile, "My mother has agreed to our marriage. She said we'll hold the engagement and wedding together after the New Year."

The old lady was displeased, frowning as she watched the two of them talk. Lu's mother felt that her mother must have an ulterior motive; she was probably trying to swindle her son's money! Otherwise, why would she be in such a hurry? Who holds an engagement and wedding ceremony together?

Just as Lu's mother was about to express her opinion, her son interrupted her.

Lu Gangtie was surprised and asked, "How could it be so easy? Did your mother make things difficult for you?"

Kong Xiuyan looked at him with teary eyes, took off her hat, and revealed the wound on her head.

The bloodstains had turned dark red and dried on the gauze. Lu Gangtie hugged her tightly and asked with concern, "What happened? Did they hit you?"

Kong Xiuyan said, "No, I bumped into a wall myself. They wouldn't agree to our marriage unless I threatened to kill myself."

Lu Gangtie's face contorted with heartache. He clenched his fists tightly and said, "Yanzi, you've suffered for me. I will definitely take good care of you from now on. I will never let you down for everything you've done for me today."

Only now did Lu's mother realize that the girl had threatened her parents with her life before they finally agreed to the marriage.

She felt a little ashamed; she had just thought such things about the girl, and she was truly sorry for the girl's sincere feelings.

She didn't rush to speak, but continued to listen to her son's conversation.

Lu Gangtie asked, "How are you now? Does the wound still hurt? Besides your forehead, are there any other injuries?"

Kong Xiuyan said, "It doesn't hurt anymore, and it's not hurting anywhere else. It's just that I had to get three stitches, and I'm worried it will leave a scar. That would look terrible!"

Lu Gangtie looked at her tenderly and said, "It's okay, I won't look down on you, because you are the love of my life."

Kong Xiuyan was pleased by the sweet words, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

Kong Xiuyan then said, "I have a surprise for you!" Lu Gangtie seemed to have guessed something and said, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Kong Xiuyan solemnly said, "Actually, I am really pregnant. I haven't had my period for a month. I originally wanted to lie to my parents and get them to agree to our marriage, but I didn't expect it to be true."

Lu Gangtie had already guessed it, but he wasn't sure. Now that he heard her say it, he was overjoyed, like fireworks exploding in a dazzling display.

When Lu's mother heard that she would soon be a grandmother, she grabbed Kong Xiuyan's hand and held it in her palm, so happy that she was incoherent.

"Oh, my good child, you're such a good child. I'm sorry you've suffered so much for our steel industry. Don't worry, once you marry into our family, you'll be my own daughter. When you give birth, I'll definitely take good care of you during your postpartum period so you can recover well and not have any health problems when you're old."

After speaking, Lu's mother thought for a moment and said, "Daughter, just name your dowry for the engagement. As long as we can afford it, we will definitely meet any of your requests."

Lu Gangtie watched helplessly as his mother stole his beloved away and said everything he wanted to say. He wondered if it was too late to express his opinion now.

Seeing the helpless expression on his face, Kong Xiuyan couldn't help but laugh.

Ignoring her son's feelings, Lu's mother pulled her daughter-in-law into the house and chatted with her warmly. She even prepared some snacks and a fruit platter.

Kong Xiuyan was flattered, never expecting her mother-in-law to be so easy to get along with. It seemed her future life would be quite good.

Lu Gangtie silently followed them into the living room, sat down next to Kong Xiuyan, and listened to her chat with her mother.

Suddenly remembering something, Lu's mother grabbed her hand and asked directly, "Yanzi, how many months pregnant are you? Have you gone to the hospital for a checkup?"

Kong Xiuyan shook her head. "No, I just found out myself. It should be fine, right?"

Mrs. Lu said worriedly, "Let Gangtie accompany you to the hospital later! We can both feel at ease after that."

Lu Gangtie agreed with his mother's suggestion, saying, "Let's go now! The hospital will be closing at noon, so we can still make it in time."

He grabbed his car keys and headed out. He held Kong Xiuyan's hand and followed behind him.

Mother Lu said, "Do you have any money on you? Take some more with you, and buy some good food for Yanzi to help her recover when you come back. She's so thin."

As Lu Gangtie walked, he replied, "Yes, I have plenty on me, enough for my needs. Don't worry, I certainly won't mistreat your good daughter."

Lu's mother glared at him and said, "You brat, it's good that you know. This daughter is closer to you than you are."

Lu Gangtie opened the car door with a smile and let Kong Xiuyan sit in the passenger seat. He rolled down the window and said goodbye to his mother.

"Mother, you should go back. You'll be back soon; it's not far."

Kong Xiuyan also opened the car window to say goodbye to Lu's mother, "Auntie, please go back inside quickly, it's cold outside, we'll be back soon."

Lu's mother replied with a smile, "Okay, okay, come back for lunch in a bit. I'll cook something delicious for you and let you taste my cooking."

Kong Xiuyan: "Okay, Auntie, we're leaving now."

Mother Lu said, "Be careful on the road!" Then she turned and went into the yard to prepare lunch in the kitchen.

It took about 10 minutes to get to the hospital. Even though it's cold, the hospital was still bustling with people. Most of them were carrying small children to see the doctor; adults who were sick just toughed it out.

Lu Gangtie led Kong Xiuyan by the hand to the first floor to register, and then to the second floor to see a doctor. They registered with a specialist in obstetrics.

The doctor was a middle-aged woman with a fat head and big ears. She immediately asked, "Do you have your marriage certificate or ID card with you?"

Lu Gangtie's expression changed. "What? You won't see a doctor if I don't bring my marriage certificate and ID card?"

The plump woman said irritably, "This is the procedure. This is the usual process when you go to the maternity ward. With family planning being so strict now, we can't bear the responsibility if someone secretly has a second or third child."

Just as Lu Gangtie was about to lose his temper, Kong Xiuyan spoke up, "Doctor, are you a family planning worker? Or a police officer?"

The fat woman had no argument, so she could only retort, "No matter who I am, I have to follow the procedures."

Kong Xiuyan looked at Lu Gangtie, took out 50 yuan from his pocket, glanced at it, and quickly wrote down the serial number on it.

He secretly slipped the item into the fat woman's pocket and pleaded, "Doctor, we live far away, and we were in a rush to leave, so I didn't bring it with me. Next time, I'll definitely bring it with me. Please help me out!"

The plump woman touched the money in her pocket, her expression softening slightly, and said, "Alright! Just this once, remember to bring your ID next time."

Kong Xiuyan nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I understand." When the plump woman asked about her situation, Kong Xiufang said she suspected she was pregnant and wanted to check on the baby's health.

The plump woman picked up the prescription slip, scribbled a few lines, and hastily drew a string of caterpillars. "Go! Pay on the first floor, go to the ultrasound room on the third floor, and come back to me with the results after the examination."

Kong Xiuyan took the order and pulled Lu Gangtie out the door to the first floor. On the way, Lu Gangtie said, "This fat woman just wants a kickback and is making things difficult for us. I really want to beat her up."

Kong Xiuyan smiled knowingly, "Don't worry, we'll settle the score with her after we've finished watching."

After paying, she went to the third floor to wait for her ultrasound. When it was Kong Xiuyan's turn, she obediently went to the room.

Ten minutes later, Kong Xiuyan came out of the room, holding a film in her hand. Lu Gangtie helped her up to the second floor.

The fat woman was talking to another patient who hadn't given her a kickback, so she kicked him out and told him to go home and get his identification.

The girl who had been kicked out sat on a chair outside, weeping. The dark-faced man next to her looked like an honest, simple farmer.

The dark-skinned man comforted his wife, saying, "Let's try another doctor later." Only then did the crying woman stop.

Seeing this, Lu Gangtie and Kong Xiuyan finally understood that this fat woman was a repeat offender who often took kickbacks in this way.

They want to expose her.