"Alright, I’m off to bed," said Yang Xuehua as she too departed. Xia Xiao entered the room and said to Yan Hao, "Hurry over, your brother-in-law and my mom are waiting for you outside. Come back here tomorrow morning." Yan Hao shook his head, "Big sister, I can just stay next door in the spare dorm. If I’m too far away, I’ll be worried." Since Yan Hao said this, Xia Xiao obliged, and went outside to inform Zheng Xianghong and Gao Jiaxing. Zheng Xianghong and Gao Jiaxing understood Yan Hao’s feelings, so they didn’t say much and left. Yan Hao went to the neighboring dorm of the male educated youth to stay, while Xia Xiao stayed back to look after Xia Jing and her niece, who were both asleep. Xia Xiao, too, was very tired. After closing the door, she first went into the space. Shitou said, "You’re not planning to sleep in here, are you? What if your sister wakes up and can’t find you?" "I just came in to drink some water," Xia Xiao sighed, scooped up some spring water to drink, and then went back out. She moved Xia Jing inside and placed the child in the middle, then Xia Xiao lay down on the edge of the bed and began to sleep. At the Gao family’s place, Zheng Xianghong and Gao Jiaxing came back, the two children had fallen asleep in Gao Guoqiang’s room. Zheng Xianghong said to Gao Jiaxing, "Let them sleep here, you should go rest as well." Gao Jiaxing nodded and went back to his room. After two years, the room still looked the same yet also different. Under the dim glow of the kerosene lamp, Gao Jiaxing surveyed everything in the room and finally realized what was different—there were now children’s belongings. Lying in bed, Gao Jiaxing couldn’t fall asleep easily. Listening to Xia Jing scream gut-wrenchingly outside her room, the thought of how much Xia Xiao must have suffered giving birth kept him from sleeping. He hadn’t had a proper chat with Xia Xiao since coming back, and inside, he wasn’t sure whether Xia Xiao would feel distant after his two-year absence. Right now, Gao Jiaxing was grateful he had come back intending to take Xia Xiao and the children with him. Otherwise, if their lives continued to be marked by brief reunions and long separations, perhaps on some future return, he might be greeted by Xia Xiao and the children’s cold faces and expressions. Indeed, after two years, twenty-four months, over seven hundred days and nights apart, Gao Jiaxing was still anxious. On Xia Xiao’s end, she hadn’t thought so much about it because of Xia Jing’s delivery and being so tired herself, so she had gone to sleep. The next morning, Gao Jiaxing came over, carrying Feiyang and Feiyue, crying loudly for their mother. The children had woken up early and started crying when they couldn’t see their mother. By this time, Xia Xiao was already awake, and so was Yan Hao. They were all in the room. As her niece cried, Xia Xiao quickly woke up to give the girl water and change her diaper. Yan Hao, who hadn’t slept much the night, hurried over when daylight broke and the crying started. So when Feiyang and Feiyue came over, Xia Xiao had just finished changing the diaper and heard the crying outside; she immediately ran out. "Why are you all here?" Xia Xiao smiled at her husband and son. "They started crying the moment they woke up and didn’t see you," explained Gao Jiaxing, though he felt the children were probably crying more because of him. As soon as Feiyang and Feiyue saw Xia Xiao, they struggled in Gao Jiaxing’s embrace, eager to be held and to come over. Gao Jiaxing at once put the children down, and they scrambled toward Xia Xiao who promptly crouched down to embrace them both. In Xia Xiao’s arms, Feiyang and Feiyue refused to let go, clinging tightly as if frightened of being abandoned. Xia Xiao laughed helplessly before turning to Gao Jiaxing, "Wait outside for a minute, I need to give some instructions to Yan Hao." After saying this, Xia Xiao went back inside with the two children. Feiyang and Feiyue were already familiar with Xia Jing’s place, so they followed Xia Xiao inside. "Sister," Xia Jing woke up and called out when she saw Xia Xiao. Xia Xiao said, "You’re awake. How do you feel?" "I just don’t have much strength, but other than that, I’m fine," Xia Jing replied. "That’s good to hear. You stay in bed here, and I’ll go get you something to eat," Xia Xiao told her. Xia Jing shook her head, "Sister, there’s no need. I’ll eat whatever there is. I can have Yan Hao go get some food from the large dining hall." "Why are you being formal with your sister?" said Xia Xiao. Xia Jing wasn’t really trying to be formal with Xia Xiao; she just always felt bad about bothering the Gao family too much and was worried that if she were to be a nuisance, they might start to resent her. Moreover, Gao Jiazhi and Sun Yuhua had moved out, and though people thought Sun Yuhua left to become a teacher, only Xia Jing knew that Sun Yuhua had left in a huff. While they were talking, Zheng Xianghong came in with breakfast, and Yan Hao went off to wash the baby’s diapers. Upon opening the container, Xia Jing exclaimed, "Auntie, you made chicken soup?" Xia Xiao also saw it. Now there was only one chicken left at home, kept for laying eggs, but Zheng Xianghong had slaughtered it to help Xia Jing recover. Xia Xiao’s eyes filled with profound gratitude. She didn’t know what to say and just called out, "Mom." Zheng Xianghong said, "Alright, you two don’t look at me like that. The chicken was raised to be eaten. I usually can’t bear to kill it, but today was a good opportunity." She then urged Xia Jing to drink the chicken soup quickly. Xia Jing, moved, said, "Auntie, you’re so kind." Zheng Xianghong replied, "Eat up, I need to go to the dining hall." After saying that, Zheng Xianghong left, and Xia Xiao said to Xia Jing, "Eat up quickly." Xia Jing nodded and said, "Sister, having a mother-in-law like Auntie is really great." Then, with a worried look on her face, she added, "I’ve given birth to a daughter. I wonder if the Yans will dislike her." Newest update provıded by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵 "Don’t worry about them. As long as you don’t dislike your own daughter, that’s enough. Have a good life with Yan Hao. If you don’t rely on the Yans, you’ll have your own confidence. It’s not too late to have another child when this one is one or two years old." Xia Xiao didn’t want Xia Jing to worry unnecessarily, and she felt there was no need to let the Yans affect her mood. Xia Jing nodded, eating her chicken soup and looking at her daughter on the bed with a face full of amazement. Xia Xiao then said to Xia Jing, "After you finish eating, you should try to breastfeed her, or have Yan Hao help you express the milk so that the baby can feed." Soon, Yan Hao returned, and after Xia Xiao gave him instructions, she left with Gao Jiaxing and the child. Xia Jing said to Yan Hao, "You haven’t had breakfast yet. Why don’t you eat with me?" "No need. This chicken soup was made by Auntie for you. You drink it. I won’t have any. I’ll just make something simple for myself," Yan Hao shook his head. Xia Jing didn’t say more. Right now, she really needed to nourish her body, and only if she got better could she feed her daughter. On the other side, Gao Jiaxing and Xia Xiao returned with the child. Only then could Xia Xiao really look at Gao Jiaxing, "Brother Gao, you’ve gotten tan." Gao Jiaxing replied somewhat dissatisfied, "You’re just noticing now?" Xia Xiao laughed, "I noticed before, but I didn’t have time to talk with you properly." Gao Jiaxing looked deeply at Xia Xiao and said, "I came back this time to take you and the child with me. The military has approved it." Xia Xiao’s face lit up with a smile, "Good."