Gao Jiaxing was sotis very tired and wanted to put Xia Xiao down, but seeing her asleep, he persisted and continued walking back to the production team.
Night had fallen, and everyone had gone to bed early; they had to get up early the next day to work.
That’s why there were few night owls at this ti; so people even started sleeping around seven or eight o’clock. After all, lighting the oil lamp was expensive, and everyone was accustod to going to bed and getting up early.
"Xia Xiao, we’re here," Gao Jiaxing called out.
"Oh, we’re here." Xia Xiao was also awake by then.
Gao Jiaxing put Xia Xiao down and said, "You should head back quickly. If anyone in the dorm asks, just say you were at my place."
"I got it, thank you, Brother Gao," Xia Xiao thanked Gao Jiaxing and then left.
Listening to the sound of Xia Xiao’s footsteps fading away, Gao Jiaxing let out a heavy sigh and collapsed onto the ground. Xia Xiao wasn’t heavy, weighing around ninety pounds, but after carrying her for such a long distance, even Gao Jiaxing was worn out.
After a while, Gao Jiaxing dusted off himself and headed ho.
By now, Xia Xiao had already entered her pocket dinsion to change her trousers and use her sanitary pad. After drinking a few sips of warm spring water and rubbing her stomach a bit, she ca out of the space.
"Xia Xiao, you’re just getting back? Everyone has gone to sleep," said Yang Xuehua.
"I kept Sister Xuehua waiting. I got my period, and then I was with Aunt Xiang Hong. We were chatting, and now they’re going to sleep too, so I ca back," Xia Xiao explained.
Yang Xuehua shook her head helplessly, "You know, those who don’t know better might think you’re the Gao family’s own daughter."
Xia Xiao said, "Aunt Hong and I have a fellowship that transcends age."
"You two certainly do have a special bond; even ihua and Li Shengi aren’t as close as you are," Yang Xuehua said and then added, "Go to sleep now; we have to get up early to work tomorrow."
Xia Xiao agreed and imdiately went to bed, but having slept along the way, she wasn’t feeling very sleepy now.
Soon, everyone in the dormitory was asleep, and Xia Xiao’s stomach started to growl.
Xia Xiao rembered she hadn’t had dinner; no wonder she was hungry. It seed the spring water from her space couldn’t stave off hunger.
She thought of Gao Jiaxing again, who had carried her all the way. He must be starving too. Xia Xiao felt apologetic, but at this hour, even if she had sothing to eat, she couldn’t bring it to Gao Jiaxing.
Gao Jiaxing had returned ho by this ti, and Zheng Xianghong was waiting for him, "You’re back."
"Yeah, why aren’t you sleeping yet, Mom?" Gao Jiaxing said.
"I was waiting for you, have you eaten?" Zheng Xianghong asked.
"Not yet, is there anything to eat at ho?" Gao Jiaxing indeed felt hungry.
"I saved so porridge from the canteen for you and Xia Xiao, where is she?" Zheng Xianghong inquired.
"She went back," said Gao Jiaxing as he began to eat his porridge from a container. He was so hungry that he finished the porridge in a few gulps.
Zheng Xianghong said, "I was thinking of asking you to bring so to Xia Xiao, but it’s too late now, and since it’s the educated youth’s girls’ dormitory, it wouldn’t be proper for you to go. I’ll bring it to Xia Xiao."
"I’ll go," Gao Jiaxing stood up.
"No need, it’s just a short distance, and Mom has walked it before," Zheng Xianghong still insisted on bringing the lunchbox to Xia Xiao, so Gao Jiaxing simply followed behind Zheng Xianghong.
But at this point, the lights in Xia Xiao’s dormitory had already been turned off, and everyone was asleep.
Gao Jiaxing said, "Mom, let’s go back. They’re all asleep, and besides, Xia Xiao ate sothing earlier in the evening, so she probably isn’t too hungry."
"Right, let’s go," Zheng Xianghong agreed, not wanting to disturb everyone else’s sleep at this point.
As the mother and son walked ho, Gao Jiaxing said, "Tomorrow, Mom can make Xia Xiao breakfast early. The porridge is cold now, and it won’t taste good."
Zheng Xianghong thought so too. She also rembered what her son told her, that Xia Xiao had gotten her period; then she definitely couldn’t eat cold food.
"You kids, all of you are in the county, why don’t you buy sothing to eat. I don’t know if Xia Xiao is hungry tonight, if she has anything to eat in her dormitory; otherwise, it will be a rough night." As she spoke, Zheng Xianghong simply let her son eat the porridge in the bowl.
The next morning, as soon as Xia Xiao woke up, Zheng Xianghong brought her breakfast.
"Auntie, why are you here so early?" Xia Xiao was surprised, still taken aback by Zheng Xianghong’s warmth.
"I made you so porridge last night, but you didn’t eat at my place. I brought it over and you were all asleep. I didn’t want to wake everyone up, so I let Jiaxing have it," explained Zheng Xianghong.
A look of gratitude spread across Xia Xiao’s face, "Auntie, thank you so much."
"Don’t ntion it. I’m off to wash clothes, and then I’ll head to work after that," said Zheng Xianghong as she left.
Thinking of the clothes Gao Jiaxing wore yesterday, Xia Xiao hurriedly took a couple of swallows of the porridge and rushed toward the Gao family’s house.
Arriving at the Gao family’s, Xia Xiao saw Zheng Xianghong washing clothes at ho. Usually, Zheng Xianghong took them to the river, but now she was washing Gao Jiaxing’s jacket, and the sight of the bloodstain being rinsed away made Xia Xiao feel extrely embarrassed.
Xia Xiao didn’t enter the Gao family’s house, but quietly walked away. She didn’t know what to say to Zheng Xianghong, regretted not offering to wash the clothes herself, and was frustrated that Gao Jiaxing didn’t wash his own clothes, but his mother did instead.
Anyway, Xia Xiao felt quite awkward all day, thankfully she didn’t work with Zheng Xianghong or run into her, otherwise, she would have been too embarrassed.
Perhaps it was the effects of drinking spring water, but although Xia Xiao was on her period, she felt fine, without any stomach ache or fatigue demanding sleep.
However, with the advent of her nstrual cycle, Xia Xiao felt like she had grown up overnight, unsure if it was just a change in mindset.
This Chinese New Year, many people went ho, and everyone from Xia Xiao’s dormitory except her went back for the holiday.
Not to ntion Xia Xiao’s dorm, but over half of Youth Point left too, including Gu Weiguo, Yao Wangchun, and Xu i, who all went back for the New Year.
"Xia Xiao, why don’t you co over to my place for the New Year?" invited Zheng Xianghong.
Xia Xiao shook her head, "No, Auntie, I want to take advantage of the holiday to wander around, see if I can gather so herbs or wild vegetables and mushrooms."
"That’s fine, if you do go, call to join you," Zheng Xianghong was a very diligent woman, and Xia Xiao had never seen her rest. Even after finishing work at ho, Zheng Xianghong would go gather wild vegetables and herbs.
Xia Xiao responded, and without Yang Xuehua and the others around, it was the first ti Xia Xiao felt that the New Year was going to be a long one.
But soon Xia Xiao found work to do, joining The Gao Brothers and the villagers for hunting in the mountains, following Zheng Xianghong to gather herbs, or weeding the fields.
Over that year, Xia Xiao sold quite a bit of money’s worth in rabbits, pheasants, and even a goat.
Xia Xiao’s savings, apart from that unexpected treasure she found at the thief’s lair, were close to two hundred yuan. And each day, counting and seeing her savings grow bit by bit, Xia Xiao felt secure and satisfied.
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