"Does Grandpa Xue have no relatives?" Xia Xiao asked.
"Yes, he has a daughter, but she was from a wife his family arranged for him after his first wife died. When that wife died, Old Man Xue was still on the battlefield and couldn’t co back. It took him six months to return, and by that ti, the daughter had grown to hate him fiercely. When she left ho, she got married and had children, and rarely ca back to see Old Man Xue. I heard a few years ago that Old Man Xue went to visit his daughter, but after he returned, he didn’t want to talk about it, obviously, their relationship hadn’t improved."
Mrs. Xia sighed and said, "And his nephews and such are only after his house, always coveting it. Old Man Xue isn’t willing to adopt any of them, so he lives alone."
Old Man Xia said, "Why talk about others’ business? What’s so bad about Old Man Xue living alone? He’s already got one foot in the grave; no need to worry so much. As for the past, nothing can be done. On the battlefield, who could spare a thought for their children’s love? It’s good enough to co back alive. If his daughter can’t see that and forgive him, there’s no helping it. As for those wolf cubs, definitely can’t let them in the door, that’d really be a headache."
Xia Xiao didn’t feel it was her place to speak about Old Man Xue’s daughter, since she was not involved and didn’t know the full story.
Gao Jiaxing imdiately asked which year this was, not thinking too much of it, just asking casually.
To his surprise, when Old Man Xia ntioned it, Gao Jiaxing’s eyes widened. Wasn’t this the sa battlefield where his great uncle, uncle, and father-in-law had died?
Old Man Xia lanted the perils of war, emphasizing the cost of a mont’s inattention. "Jiaxing, you’re a soldier now, and if war cos, you’ll be called to the battlefield at any mont. I’m not going to feed you any of that empty talk; we won’t be deserters, we will be heroes. But with every danger, think of your parents at ho, think of Xiaoxiao. Be calm and cautious in the face of events; a single mistake can lead to irrevocable regret."
"Grandpa, I understand," Gao Jiaxing nodded, taking the advice to heart.
Mrs. Xia said, "You’ve been traveling for so long; you must be tired. Go rest, and we’ll call you when dinner is ready."
"Alright, grandpa, grandma, you should also rest for a while," Xia Xiao nodded, indeed feeling the need for rest.
So Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia went to rest, and Xia Xiao and Gao Jiaxing returned to their room, where Gao Jiaxing turned to her and said, "Xiaoxiao, I’ll make sure to take care of myself."
Xia Xiao smiled, "Good, I believe you."
She patted Gao Jiaxing on the shoulder and said, "Go to sleep; get up early to cook later. We can’t let grandpa and grandma lift a finger."
Gao Jiaxing nodded, lay down on the bed, and Xia Xiao snuggled into his arms and fell asleep. She was becoming increasingly fond of this warm and secure embrace and felt a tinge of reluctance at the thought of Gao Jiaxing returning to the army after a month.
But not wanting to think too much about it just then, Xia Xiao closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Gao Jiaxing stroked Xia Xiao’s face with a smile, then closed his eyes to sleep as well.
By evening, Gao Jiaxing was the first to wake up.
Xia Xiao was still asleep, so he left the room. Old Man Xia asked, "Has Xiaoxiao not woken up yet?"
"Not yet?" Gao Jiaxing gently closed the door.
Old Man Xia said, "That’s fine, let her sleep. Let’s go see Mr. Xue for a ga of chess."
Mrs. Xia chuckled and said, "Go ahead. Rember to co back for dinner. If Mr. Xue is willing, invite him over for the al as well."
Old Man Xia and Gao Jiaxing then left the house, while Mrs. Xia began sewing. Xia Xiao slowly woke up and looked around, no longer seeing Gao Jiaxing.
"Grandma, where are grandpa and Brother Gao?" Xia Xiao got up and only saw Mrs. Xia, to which she asked.
"They’ve gone to play chess with Old Man Xue," she replied and then looked at Xia Xiao, "You need to be careful these next few months."
"Careful of what?" Xia Xiao asked, puzzled.
Mrs. Xia said, "Make sure you’re not pregnant, you need to be extra cautious. Many girls are not careful with their bodies right after getting married and end up losing the baby, and that can be harmful."
Xia Xiao’s face turned red, "Grandma, it’s not that fast."
"Why not? Your health is good, Jiaxing is strong; it’s easy for children to co," Mrs. Xia said.
"Grandma, I understand," Xia Xiao said, covering her blushing face as she went back to her room and locked the door.
Mrs. Xia looked at Xia Xiao’s retreating figure with a laugh, unaware that Xia Xiao had already slipped into her space.
As soon as Xia Xiao entered her space, Shitou’s voice ca, "Xiaoxiao, you’ve beco more and more annoying."
"Annoying? How?" Xia Xiao asked.
"You don’t like to take out anymore, leaving cooped up in this space all day," Shitou complained.
Xia Xiao laughed, "I ca to take you out now."
"That’s more like it," Shitou was finally satisfied.
Xia Xiao asked, "Shitou, can you tell if soone is pregnant and how far along they are?"
"I can tell right now. You’re not," Shitou said.
When Xia Xiao ca out again, Mrs. Xia instructed, "Make a little extra food for tonight, Mr. Xue might co over for dinner. Although he might not, even after being invited dozens of tis, he’s a bit quirky."
Xia Xiao nodded and went into the kitchen to cook. They needed no extra groceries, as her grandparents had already prepared everything. Moreover, she and Gao Jiaxing had brought fish, which they had cooked in the morning. The leftovers were brought over to her grandmother’s house at Li Wenjuan’s request.
By the ti Xia Xiao finished preparing the al, Mr. Xue had already been persuaded by Gao Jiaxing and Old Man Xia to join them. At first, Mr. Xue was reluctant, used to his solitude, but upon hearing that Gao Jiaxing’s uncle and father-in-law had also sacrificed their lives on the battlefield, sothing stirred in Mr. Xue’s heart, so he ca over this ti.
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