Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

"I saw the chefs at the state-run restaurant in town doing this," he casually made up a reason.

The two women didn't think much of it after hearing it.

While Chen Yongqiang was grilling fish over a charcoal fire in the yard, Liang Meie used the remaining fish pieces to make fried fish.

This dish requires a lot of oil, but fortunately, Chen Yongqiang's family still had a lot of lard rendered before the Lunar New Year.

Several dishes were served one after another: the fish head soup was milky white, the grilled fish was crispy and fragrant, the fried fish was golden brown, and the bright red chopped chili fish tail filled most of the table.

Looking at the sumptuous feast on the table, Chen Yongqiang suddenly felt that something was missing; there should be someone to have a drink and chat with.

He got up and went out, and soon after, he called his neighbor Qin Shan over.

Qin Liping naturally followed her father, shamelessly coming along as well.

Chen Yongqiang didn't care; there was plenty of fish and meat, it was just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks.

As soon as Qin Shan entered, his eyes lit up: "Good heavens, Yongqiang, you've got some good stuff!"

Qin Liping followed behind him, her eyes quickly scanning the table and Liang Meie and Lin Xiulian's faces before she smiled and found a seat.

"We just happened to catch a big one, let's all have a taste." Chen Yongqiang took out a bottle of wine and poured a glass for Qin Shan and himself.

Liang Meie naturally poured herself a glass as well.

Qin Shan ate with great relish and repeatedly clinked glasses with Chen Yongqiang.

Liang Meie and Lin Xiulian didn't talk much, focusing on their meal and occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

Qin Liping was quite lively, praising the freshness of the fish one moment and asking how it was caught the next, her eyes occasionally drifting towards Chen Yongqiang.

After several rounds of drinks, the charcoal fire gradually died down, and most of the dishes on the table were gone.

Qin Shan blushed and became more talkative, talking about everything from today's fish to this year's harvest, and then rambling on about village gossip.

Chen Yongqiang leaned back in his chair, listening to Qin Shan's slightly drunken ramblings and the soft clattering of the women clearing the dishes. His tense nerves strangely relaxed at that moment.

Having been reborn, he was like a bowstring that was always taut, scheming about hunting and farming, scheming about improving his livelihood, and scheming about how to avoid the pitfalls of his previous life.

Meanwhile, his pregnant wife, Lin Xiulian, sat in the lamplight, her face bathed in warm light.

Liang Meie tidied the table efficiently, her figure busy. Occasionally, she would look up and meet his gaze, then return a frank and slightly complicated smile.

His neighbor, Qin Shan, patted him on the shoulder, saying the honest words, "We should invite him again if there are any good things like this in the future."

Even Qin Liping, who had some ulterior motives and would occasionally steal a glance at him, became part of this mundane world.

All of this, rough, real, and even containing some unclear entanglements, is precisely the scene he most deeply longed for but could not obtain when he wandered alone for half his life in his previous life.

A home of one's own, a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and a sense of security beyond basic needs, a place where one can finally breathe.

After finishing their meal, Qin Shan and his daughter said goodbye and left.

Liang Meie finished washing the dishes and put on her old cotton-padded jacket. "Brother Yongqiang, Sister Xiulian, I'm going back too."

"It's dark on the street, be careful." Lin Xiulian saw her to the door, her tone gentler than usual.

The room fell silent. Chen Yongqiang lay on the bed, his arm around Lin Xiulian's increasingly plump waist.

In the darkness, he suddenly spoke: "In a while, I'll buy you a television. That way, you'll have some sound at home during the day, and you can watch some programs to relieve your boredom."

Lin Xiulian shifted in his arms: "A television? That must cost a lot of money, right?"

"I asked around, and the black and white ones cost around four hundred yuan," Chen Yongqiang said calmly.

"Four hundred dollars?" Lin Xiulian was mostly awake now and turned to look at him.

"This is too expensive, let's not buy it. With this money, we can do a lot of worthwhile things."

"Money earned should be spent when necessary. We can't just live frugally; we have to make the most of it. I can earn money outside, so you should be more comfortable at home."

Chen Yongqiang's thinking is no longer as confined to one corner as it used to be.

Having seen a wider world, I know I have the ability to seize more opportunities to make this family better. A television set is just the beginning.

He continued, "I'm thinking of earning more money. Next year, we'll tear down this mud-brick house, renovate it, and build a spacious courtyard house."

Lin Xiulian listened without immediately responding. A television set costing four hundred yuan, a courtyard house that had been demolished and rebuilt... These were things she wouldn't have dared to imagine a few months ago; she would have just thought her husband was having a fit.

Chen Yongqiang spoke so calmly and confidently, and indeed, his family's life had changed little by little under his care.

Lin Xiulian didn't refute anymore, but leaned back a little closer to that warm and reassuring embrace.

That night, however, the scene at He Jun's home was quite different.

He half-coaxed and half-dragged Huang Xiaocui, a girl from the neighboring village who had a limp, back to his home.

Afterwards, Huang Xiaocui huddled on the inside of the bed, her hair disheveled, her back to He Jun, and let out suppressed sobs.

"Why are you crying?" He Jun leaned against the headboard, his tone somewhat impatient.

"I'm not the kind of person who goes back on their word after the fact. Tomorrow, I'll come to your house to propose marriage, is that alright?"

Huang Xiaocui paused in her sobs, then turned half of her tear-streaked face: "You...you're serious?"

"My word is my bond!" He Jun slapped the bed board, as if to amplify the weight of his words.

"You won't lose out if you come with me. I work as a cook at a restaurant in town. On the surface, my salary isn't high, only about thirty yuan a month, but I secretly take on catering for weddings and funerals, which is quite lucrative. All things considered, I can easily make that much a month."

He held up five fingers and shook them, "Fifty dollars, no doubt."

Huang Xiaocui's eyes were still filled with tears, but a look of doubt appeared on her face: "Cook, can there really be this much?"

"That's because you're ignorant! Cooks have plenty of oil in their food, so they don't have to pay for their regular meals."

"I'm not young anymore. Once we're married, we should have a child. Then our lives will be more stable. You're not very mobile and you suffer at your parents' house. If you come with me, I'll feed you, and you won't go hungry."

As Huang Xiaocui listened, her tears slowly stopped. She had heard people say that He Jun's character wasn't very good and he often offended people, but his ability to make money was better than that of ordinary farmers.

The next day, Liang Meie walked through the thin snow and came to Chen Yongqiang's courtyard again.

The joy of receiving the money yesterday and the warmth of that sumptuous fish feast were still lingering in her heart, and she was thinking about trying her luck on the ice again.

But upon seeing the snowy weather, their fervent hopes were dampened.

Chen Yongqiang was standing under the eaves, gazing at the sky.

Liang Meie walked over and exhaled a puff of white breath: "With this snow, it looks like we won't be able to go fishing today."

Chen Yongqiang responded, "It's already windy on the ice, and with the snow, people can't stand it for long and easily get frostbite."