Chapter 81 - 90

Jiang Xia walked over and first said to the two train attendants, "This child speaks French; I can try to help."

Zhang Fuyan had just gotten off the train and had only just stepped out of the station when she saw a foreign girl who seemed to have gotten lost from her parents. She hurried over and heard Jiang Xia's words, so she didn't go forward.

Very few people speak French, and she wanted to see if she really did.Full novel: After transmigrating into the book, she became wealthy in the 1980s. — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠

The two train attendants looked at Jiang Xia, their eyes lighting up, mainly because they were amazed by her beauty.

The female flight attendant said, "So she was speaking French. No wonder I couldn't understand her. Do you speak French? Could you please communicate with this child? I only speak a little English."

The male flight attendant's tone softened slightly as he looked at Jiang Xia, and he smiled, "Could you please communicate with this child to find out which train she got off on, and where she got separated from her parents? Also, could you please make an announcement in the broadcasting room to help her find her family?"

Jiang Xia smiled at the two flight attendants, "No problem, no trouble at all, it's my pleasure."

Beautiful people always attract attention, especially Jiang Xia, who was dressed up specially today and radiant!

The male flight attendant couldn't help but glance at her again.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at the male flight attendant and reached out to tuck a strand of Jiang Xia's hair behind her ear.

Only then did the male flight attendant notice Zhou Chenglei, startled, and quickly averted his gaze from Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia squatted down to be at eye level with the little girl, smiling as she said, "Hello, my name is Jiang Xia. These two are train attendants. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Her French pronunciation was pure and fluent, and she deliberately slowed down her speech so the little girl could understand.

Zhou Chenglei stood behind Jiang Xia, watching her. Her voice was beautiful, her French fluent and melodious, indescribably gentle and pleasant to the ear.

The little girl understood, and Jiang Xia's tone was so gentle, like a mother's. She couldn't help but wipe away her tears: "Hello, my name is Amy. My dad's train left, and I can't find him."

Jiang Xia comforted her: "Oh, you can't find your dad? That's not a problem. We can help you look. Do you remember which train you took?"

The little girl shook her head: "I don't know."

Then Jiang Xia asked her a few more questions and figured out how she got separated from her father.

Zhang Fuyan looked at Jiang Xia in surprise, not expecting her French to be so good, even she felt ashamed of herself!

Her maternal grandfather worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was fluent in several languages. She had learned foreign languages ​​from him since childhood, with English and French being her strengths. She spoke French fluently, but not as authentically as Jiang Xia, whose pronunciation sounded like it came straight from a recording. With

the college entrance exam suspended for so many years, there were very few people in the country who could speak foreign languages, especially languages ​​other than English. Zhang Fuyan never expected to meet someone who spoke French so fluently and authentically.

Jiang Xia said to the two train attendants, "This little girl saw a passenger leave a wallet on their seat when the train was stopped at the station. She picked it up, ran off the train, chased after the person, and returned the wallet. Her father had just gone to the restroom. By the time she returned the wallet and ran back to find her father, the train had already left, and she couldn't find him."

The female attendant immediately said, "I understand! Only one train stopped at the station just now."

She said to the male attendant, "Go and call the next station immediately, and ask them to notify the passengers when the train stops!"

The male attendant immediately ran to make the call.

The female flight attendant then said to Jiang Xia, "Could you please tell the little girl to come with us to the broadcasting room? We'll try to contact her father at the next station."

At this moment, the little girl said something else.

Jiang Xia translated, "The little girl said her father said he was getting off at this station."

Jiang Xia confirmed the station name with the little girl, and she nodded.

Jiang Xia said, "It's our city." "

Then her father might have gotten off the train. Could you please come with me to the broadcasting station and help us broadcast an announcement to see if we can find him?"

So Jiang Xia and the flight attendant went to the broadcasting room. They broadcast announcements and made phone calls. Fifteen minutes later, the child's father heard the announcement and found the flight attendant's office.

The Frenchman was extremely grateful and thanked Jiang Xia profusely, praising her excellent French and her beauty.

Jiang Xia smiled and thanked her, then praised the little girl for being brave, kind, and beautiful before leaving the cabin with Zhou Chenglei.

They still needed to go shopping at the mall before returning to the Jiang family home.

They hadn't gone far from the cabin when a young woman called out to them, "Comrade Jiang Xia, hello."

Jiang Xia glanced at the young woman in jeans, dressed in a youthful and attractive manner. She didn't recognize her and had no recollection of her. Could she be a friend of the original owner of this body? She smiled politely without showing any emotion, "Hello!"

Zhang Fuyan smiled, "I'm sorry, I know I'm being presumptuous, but seeing how well you speak French, I couldn't help but want to get to know you. My name is Zhang Fuyan, I'm a sophomore. You're also in university, right? Which university? Can we exchange contact information? My French isn't as good as yours, I'd like to ask you for some pointers."

Jiang Xia shook her head, "No, I'm not in university."

Zhang Fuyan was surprised, "You graduated from university so quickly? You look so young, you seem even younger than me."

"No, I didn't get into university."

Zhang Fuyan: "..."

"I'm sorry."

She hadn't expected someone who didn't get into university to speak such good French; she had assumed they had studied it at university.

“It’s alright.” Jiang Xia said, then pulled Zhou Chenglei away.

Zhang Fuyan snapped out of her daze: “Hey, Comrade Jiang Xia, could you give me your address or phone number?”

The young woman was so enthusiastic, Jiang Xia didn’t think it was a bad idea, so he gave her the address of the small fishing village and the production team’s phone number.

Jiang Xia: “My family doesn’t have a phone; the production team’s number is.”

Zhang Fuyan hadn’t expected that the other person didn’t live in the city; she couldn’t tell at all that he was from the countryside. But she wouldn’t look down on rural people. She smiled sweetly: “I understand. Can I come visit you sometime?”

Jiang Xia nodded and left with Zhou Chenglei.

Zhang Fuyan watched Jiang Xia leave hand in hand with Zhou Chenglei, a little surprised by Zhou Chenglei’s retreating figure. Was that Comrade Jiang Xia’s lover? She had thought he was an older brother or something, after all, the two seemed to be several years apart in age.

But that man had such an imposing presence. When she called out to Jiang Xia just now, he glared at her, and she almost didn’t dare to speak.

If she weren’t used to imposing people, she really wouldn’t have dared to say a word.

Fan Lili patted her niece's shoulder: "What are you looking at? I've been looking for you outside for ages, so here you are."

Zhang Fuyan turned around and sweetly called out, "Auntie, I just met someone who speaks French exceptionally well."

"If you think someone speaks it well, then they must be quite good."

"Quite good, even better than me. It's that young couple over there, the woman."

Zhang Fuyan is from Beijing. She was asked by her aunt to help out. Her aunt is an editor at a publishing house, and they were about to publish a batch of foreign books. Knowing this, she volunteered to help with the translations, mainly to avoid a blind date arranged by her family.

Fan Lili looked over and saw the same pair of figures she had seen at the newspaper office a few days ago. Their backs were so beautiful, unforgettable at first glance.

Although Zhou Chenglei was carrying a snakeskin bag, which seemed a bit out of place, she still recognized them.

"Is that them?"

"Does Auntie know them?"

"No, I don't. She came to the publishing house looking for translation work, but I heard she failed the college entrance exam three times."

Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei went shopping and then headed straight for the Jiang family home.

There are many bicycles in the city, so Zhou Chenglei stuffed everything into a burlap sack, carrying it in one hand and holding Jiang Xia's hand with the other.

Jiang Xia wasn't paying attention while walking today, and he was afraid she'd get bumped by passing bicycles, so he had to hold her hand.

Jiang Xia's hands were empty; her lack of focus was mainly because she was trying to find her way.

The Jiang family home was in a residential compound, newly built a few years ago, with complete facilities. It had five floors, and they lived on the third floor—not too high, not too low, just right.

Zhou Chenglei knocked on the door.

Jiang Xia's younger brother opened the door, greeting them with a smile, "Sister, brother-in-law, you've finally arrived! Dad was worried sick."

Zhou Chenglei replied, "Something came up on the way, and we were delayed a bit."

Jiang Xia smiled at Jiang Dong, subtly glancing at him. He was over 1.8 meters tall, with a commanding presence and a refined, scholarly air—completely unlike her own appearance.

The book described him as a freshman at Q University in Beijing, expected to be a sophomore in September.

Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei went inside together.

Zhou Chenglei greeted them, "Dad, Mom."

Jiang Xia responded naturally, "Dad, Mom."

Jiang Xia glanced at her parents, noticing that the original owner of this body didn't resemble them at all, while Jiang Dong looked very much like her father.

Jiang Xia looked at the woman sitting on the sofa, smiling shyly, unsure who she was. Could she be Jiang Dong's girlfriend?

Jiang Dong then walked over to the woman and introduced her, "Sister, brother-in-law, this is my classmate Ye Xian."

He then said to Ye Xian, "Xiao Xian, this is my sister Jiang Xia and my brother-in-law Zhou Chenglei."

Ye Xian gave a forced smile, "Sister Jiang Xia, Brother Zhou, hello."

Zhou Chenglei glanced at them and simply nodded.

Jiang Xia smiled politely, "Hello, Xiao Xian is also a student at Q University?"

Jiang Dong replied, "She's in the Foreign Languages ​​Department at Peking University, always ranking first in her department, and she's bilingual in English and Russian."

Ye Xian smiled, a hint of pride on her face, "You're exaggerating. I'm not that amazing."

Jiang Dong said, "I'm just telling the truth, you don't need to be modest."

Jiang Xia saw his silly grin and realized he was indeed a love-struck fool, just like in the book!

In the book, Jiang Dong learned that the original owner of this body had been domestically abused by Wu Qizhi. To avenge his sister, he beat Wu Qizhi up. Later, Wu Qizhi caused a scene at the university, leading to his expulsion, and Ye Xian wanted to break up with him.

Jiang Dong was hopelessly in love and couldn't bear to break up, so Ye Xian took the opportunity to ask Jiang's father to arrange a job for her brother.

After arranging a job for her brother, she wanted to arrange one for her sister, and so on, as if she wanted to get jobs for all the children of her extended family.

Later, Jiang's mother's garment factory went bankrupt, and the original owner of this body was beaten to death by Wu Qizhi. Jiang's father, in an attempt to avenge his daughter, accidentally killed Wu Qizhi and went to jail.

After the Jiang family's misfortune, Ye Xian absconded with all the family's money and ran off with another man, leaving Jiang Dong devastated.

Zhou Chenglei had come to visit his father-in-law. Sensing the father-in-law's lack of enthusiasm towards the couple, and knowing they didn't need to bother with Jiang Dong's fiancé, they opened the burlap sack and said to Jiang Xia, "Give these to Mom and Dad."

Jiang Xia snapped out of her daze: "Dad, Mom, Chenglei bought you some things."

Jiang's father frowned at the large bag: "Why did you buy so much? We have everything we need. Don't waste money next time. Xiaxia, why didn't you stop him? Why do we need to buy things to go home? Just come home to see your father when you have time; there's no need to buy anything."

Last time, his son-in-law had bought everyone a watch, along with wine and a lot of health supplements. Fishing wasn't easy money.

The two elders received quarterly and holiday bonuses from their workplaces, and they had plenty of things at home; they just didn't want their daughter and son-in-law to waste money.

Jiang's mother also said, "You brought a lot of things last time, but we can't finish them all. Why waste the money?"

Ye Xian glanced at the snakeskin bag and lost interest.

What good stuff could possibly be in a snakeskin bag?

It was just some dried vegetables, a dozen or so pounds of sweet potatoes and peanuts, nothing valuable at all.

Her own family was poor, and she wasn't even this shabby when she visited. She had bought malted milk powder and milk powder for Jiang's parents, as well as Daqianmen cigarettes.

This was something she had specially prepared before coming, unaware of Jiang Dong's family's wealth.

Of course, she had guessed that Jiang Dong's family was well-off, but she hadn't expected it to be this good.

One was a city leader, and the other was a garment factory manager. The two cars parked downstairs in the apartment building belonged to them—one was his father's official car, and the other was her mother's. Because the two of them frequently traveled for work, their cars were provided by their work units.

That idiot Jiang Dong even rode a bicycle to pick her up from the train station!

She had never ridden in a car before!

Moreover, the Jiang family also has a nanny and a driver, but since it's Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang don't have to work, so the nanny and driver are off.

Jiang Xia: "Most of it is dried goods that we've been drying at home, it doesn't cost any money."

Ye Xian's eyes flashed with disdain; she hadn't guessed wrong.

She had heard Jiang Dong say that her sister had married into a small fishing village, and her brother-in-law was a retired soldier who now fished back home.

Were these two here to freeload today?

After she married into the family, she wouldn't let them come to their door so easily.

Jiang Xia took out a box of fountain pens and a set of clothes and handed them to Mr. Jiang: "Dad, this is a gift from your son-in-law."

Zhou Chenglei: "Xia Xia picked it out."

Jiang Xia then took out two bottles of Moutai and placed them on the coffee table.

Jiang Xia thought she could buy more of this liquor and store it when she had money in the future.

Mr. Jiang frowned when he saw the brand of the fountain pens and the set of clothes, "Why spend so much money? Really, it's not necessary! You know Dad has clothes to wear, I don't lack these things."

Ye Xian glanced at them and was stunned; these few items were only worth a few dozen yuan, right?

Then Jiang Xia took out a set of cosmetics, a set of skincare products, and a set of clothes. "Mom, this is a gift from your son-in-law."

Jiang's mother saw that these were all skincare and cosmetic products she used herself, imported and not cheap. She was almost finished with them anyway, but still said, "I haven't finished these yet, you don't need to buy them next time."

Ye Xian didn't recognize the brands of these cosmetics and skincare products; they looked very high-end.

Jiang Xia then handed Jiang Dong a fountain pen, an imported, very famous brand. "Your brother-in-law bought it for you."

Jiang Dong was very excited. He had wanted to buy one for a long time, but he had never been willing to spend the money. His father was also strict; he liked Hero brand products and wouldn't allow him to buy anything else. "My brother-in-law understands me best!"

It's good to have a brother-in-law. Last time he gave him a watch he had been longing for, and this time it was a fountain pen.

Ye Xian glanced at it; Jiang Dong's fountain pen was more expensive than Jiang's father's.

Jiang's father's fountain pen was domestic, while Jiang Dong's was imported. She had liked this brand for a long time, but she didn't have the money to buy it.

Ye Xian couldn't help but feel a little expectant. Jiang's father and mother had both given her red envelopes as a greeting gift; since they were her older sister and brother-in-law, they should have prepared a gift for her too, right?

Unfortunately, Ye Xian was destined to be disappointed; she wouldn't get anything left.

Ye Xian looked away as Jiang Xia pulled out dried goods and chickens and ducks from their farm: "Not even preparing a gift for a first meeting? With this kind of upbringing, no wonder Jiang's father married her off to a rural family.

Otherwise, given the connections Jiang's parents had, she wouldn't have married into a rural family so easily."

Upon learning that Jiang Xia had picked up and caught the dried shrimp and golden pomfret, Jiang's father immediately cooked the golden pomfret himself.

At dinner, Jiang's father saw Zhou Chenglei peeling shrimp and crab for Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia didn't refuse like last time, nor did she show any displeasure; she smiled.

This time, his daughter's attitude towards her son-in-law had changed a lot; there was an unspoken intimacy between them, which put him at ease. His

daughter had finally come to her senses. Before, when she came home threatening divorce, he was afraid they would really get divorced.

Zhou Chenglei was the man Jiang Xia had carefully chosen. Back in the army, he knew Zhou Chenglei had a bright future, and even now, forced to retire, he hadn't misjudged him. Jiang Xia wouldn't truly suffer after marrying him; even if they weren't wealthy, their life wouldn't be bad.

Besides, Zhou Chenglei was loyal, responsible, determined, and capable—such a man was hard to find.

He was like a wounded tiger fallen into the plains, but he was still a tiger!

Jiang's father laughed, "I used to peel shrimp for Xiaxia; now I can finally retire."

Jiang Dong also put a piece of braised beef on Jiang Xia's plate. The beef was far from Jiang Xia, but upon hearing her father's words, she immediately said, "Me too! Dad, while you're not home, I've been taking care of my sister. Now someone's finally taking over!"

Jiang Xia then personally put a piece of their favorite dish on her plate for her father, mother, and Jiang Dong.

Ye Xian watched Zhou Lei peel shrimp and crab for Jiang Xia, but felt he was only doing it to please her because of her wealthy family background.

Seeing the couple's good relationship, Jiang's mother was relieved and smiled, "You two should have a child soon."

Jiang's father nodded, "Yes, it's good to have a child soon. Xiaxia, when do you plan to have a child?"

When her daughter and son-in-law got engaged, she had just graduated from high school and hadn't gotten into university. But she was stubborn and insisted on getting into university, eventually giving up after three attempts.

Zhou Chenglei waited for her for two years; otherwise, they would have gotten married long ago, since Zhou Chenglei was already twenty-six and a half when they got engaged.

If they had married and had a child earlier, there wouldn't have been the later situation where Zhou Chenglei was injured and discharged from the army to return home to fish, and her daughter wanted to break off the engagement.

Jiang Xia didn't want to have a child so early, "We don't plan to have one for now. We plan to wait until I finish university before having a child."

Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother's anger flared, her voice sharp, "What? You still want to take the university entrance exam?! You failed three times and still haven't given up? You're not allowed to take it again!"

Jiang's father gently kicked Jiang's mother's foot under the table.

Ye Xian looked at Jiang Xia in surprise. Failed three times? So stupid?

Jiang Xia glanced at her mother in surprise.

Zhou Chenglei squeezed Jiang Xia's hand: "Mom, I don't want children for now. We've separated our households and are living in the old house. It's too small and too old, so I'm thinking of waiting until we build a new house before having children."

Jiang's father: "It's good that you have a plan."

Jiang Dong: "Mom, my sister and brother-in-law have their own plans. They've only been married a short time, so they're not in a hurry to have children. Besides, what's wrong with my sister going to university?"

He just didn't understand why his mother always got so excited when she heard that her sister was going to university!

Jiang's mother suppressed her anger and tried to speak gently, "You can have the baby later, but don't delay too long. Even if you want to go to university, don't go to one too far from home. You can go to a university in the city, which is closer to home and won't affect your relationship with Lei or your ability to have a baby. You can also come back home to live later, and your father and I can help take care of the baby. We also have a nanny to help with that."

Jiang's father nodded, "That's a good idea. Xiaxia, whatever you like is fine."

Jiang Xia felt that her mother's reaction was a bit excessive, but nodded calmly, "I'll consider it."

Jiang's father said, "It's good that you have your own plans. Your mother and I are just offering suggestions. The key is that you two discuss things together and don't argue!"

Zhou Chenglei: "Yes, I will."

Then Jiang's father changed the subject again: "What's the deal with that letter? Who forged your handwriting?"

Jiang Xia explained.

The topic shifted, and the atmosphere finally eased.

After dinner, Jiang Dong took Ye Xian to the guesthouse.

He had originally planned to stay in the study and let Ye Xian stay in his room, but the atmosphere at home was a bit off. He was worried that his mother and sister would argue again about the college entrance exam, so he decided to send her to the guesthouse instead.

Ye Xian and Jiang Dong went downstairs. Seeing Jiang Dong pushing his bicycle again, she casually asked, "You have a car at home, have you learned to drive?"

Jiang Dong replied, "Yes, my sister and I both learned to drive right after graduating from high school."

Ye Xian asked, "Is driving easy to learn? I was so afraid of falling when I learned to ride a bicycle, I'm still traumatized by it! I feel like driving is just sitting there, it's very safe, right?"

"It's not difficult, but it's harder to learn than riding a bicycle, and learning to drive is more dangerous than learning to ride a bicycle. Although you won't fall, improper operation can easily lead to an accident."

Ye Xian smiled, "Really? I've never ridden in a car before, I thought it would be very comfortable and safe."

Hearing that she hadn't ridden in a car, Jiang Dong said, "Riding in a car is more comfortable than riding a bicycle, and driving a car is safer than riding a bicycle after you learn. When I start working and have money to buy a car, I'll take you for a ride."

Ye Xian smiled, "Okay."

She knew that Jiang Dong was simple and kind, and that she only needed to scheme a little to make him feel sorry for her.

Just like how she had schemed against him a few times, making everyone think she was his girlfriend, and then finding the right opportunity to confess in public, as she expected, he was too embarrassed to reject her in front of his classmates and hesitated a bit. Before he could refuse, she said that his silence meant he agreed, and unilaterally announced that she was his girlfriend.

Jiang Dong explained further, "My parents' cars are company-provided vehicles. They don't use them for personal purposes except for work. When we were in school, our school was on my mom's commute, so we could get a ride. Later, when we went to different middle schools, we had to walk. But my sister went to a different middle school, so she could get a ride with my dad."

Ye Xian smiled, "I see? But I can tell your dad treats your sister very well."

"My dad says girls should be raised with plenty, and boys should be toughened up."

"Your sister really failed the college entrance exam three times?"

Jiang Dong was also curious. "Yeah, my sister actually gets very good grades, but she always messes up in the exam, so she never gets in. She's probably just unlucky. That's why she's so persistent, because she has the ability to get into Peking University." Ye Xian pursed

her lips: What do you mean, unlucky? Failing three times proves she lacks ability!

As for Jiang Dong's claim of good grades, she thought it was Jiang Dong's "prejudice," and wasn't he being too nice to Jiang Xia? He also seemed to have a strange admiration for his brother-in-law.

...

Jiang's

parents chatted with Zhou Chenglei for a while longer. After Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia finished showering and returned to their room, the couple also went to their room.

Jiang's father said to Jiang's mother in a low voice, "Xia wants to take the college entrance exam. Don't stop her. If she gets in this time, don't try anything funny."

Jiang's mother's eyes flickered. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Jiang's father looked at her intently.

He had been wondering why his daughter, with such good grades, had failed the college entrance exam three times, so he had someone investigate.

What he found was shocking!

"Why don't you want Xiaxia to go to college?"

Jiang's mother met Jiang's father's dark gaze and looked back at him: "I don't not want Xiaxia to go to university, I just don't want her to go to a university too far from home. Have you forgotten how thin and small Xiaxia was when she was born, like a kitten? The doctors said she wouldn't survive! How carefully we raised her to this age? She gets sick at the slightest carelessness, and I'm worried about her going too far from home. But she only wants to go to Peking University, to study in Beijing, she doesn't even consider other schools!"

Jiang's father didn't understand: "The child is ambitious and capable, isn't going to Peking University good? She's in good health now. Dongdong is also at Peking University, the siblings can take care of each other."

"You forgot what that fortune teller said about her..."

Jiang's father disliked her saying these unfounded things the most, and interrupted her: "I told you not to be superstitious! Don't tell me these things, I don't believe them! Don't hinder the child's development!"

"I don't care, I will never let her leave my side. I raised her with great difficulty, and I only want to see her grow old peacefully by my side, to see her have children safely! Now that she's married, why should she take the college entrance exam? Didn't you say that Zhou Chenglei is absolutely worthy of entrusting her life to? What's the point of her taking the college entrance exam? It's better to have a child as soon as possible and stay home to take care of the child, so that going to college won't affect the relationship between husband and wife."

Jiang's father: "These are two completely different things. Xiaxia can have her own dreams and pursuits even after marriage. The two don't affect each other. Chenglei isn't the kind of person who's inflexible. Haven't I never asked you to stay home to take care of the child? What can I say to you?"

Jiang's mother: "Anyway, I just won't allow Xiaxia to go to college in Beijing. It's too far, I'm worried about her. You don't believe in fortune telling, but I do. Stop talking!"

Jiang's mother took her clothes and went to take a shower.

Jiang's father: "..."

Her reasons couldn't convince him.

But Jiang's father couldn't think of any other reasons.

Jiang's mother wasn't usually this stubborn in her dealings with people, only being particularly extreme about her daughter going to college. In

another

room,

Zhou Chenglei was leaning against a bookshelf, browsing through the books.

Jiang Xia had many books, covering all sorts of genres, with a wide range of interests, including quite a few original English books. He randomly picked up two and flipped through them, noticing handwriting on every book. Some of the writing was Jiang's father's, but some was Jiang Xia's, indicating she had read them before.

It seemed her father had recommended them to her after reading them.

Jiang's father had returned from studying abroad, abandoning literature to join the army. Zhou Chenglei had learned a lot from Jiang's father, and it was also Jiang's father who helped him get into university while serving in the military.

Zhou Chenglei asked Jiang Xia, "Any of these books you'd like to read? Want to take a few home?"

Jiang Xia was also checking what books the original owner had read. She named a few books she hadn't read yet: "Just these few. I've finished the rest. Anything you'd like to read? If so, take some home too."

Zhou Chenglei said, "Then I'll pick a few too."

"Okay," Jiang Xia casually replied. Her mother had mentioned at dinner that she hadn't brought many things with her when she got married; if needed, just pack some things and don't buy anything.

Jiang Xia glanced at the books on the shelf, getting a general idea, then opened the original owner's wardrobe, intending to pick out some clothes to take home.

The wardrobe was full of clothes, quite stylish, and clearly expensive, but most were dresses, not suitable for everyday wear in the village.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at her large wardrobe, while the original owner's wardrobe was empty, a stark contrast.

Jiang Xia only picked out two new dresses, then took several short-sleeved shirts and a few pairs of trousers. The original owner loved wearing dresses, and these short-sleeved T-shirts and trousers seemed unworn. She also picked out a few autumn outfits; she'd get her winter clothes later, since the distance wasn't too far, and returning home once every month or two was normal.

This wardrobe showed that the original owner had lived a comfortable life at home, but Jiang's mother's attitude towards her university education was a bit strange. Jiang Xia felt that her mother's controlling nature was stronger than Jiang Dong's.

However, in reality, she had seen some controlling parents who insisted their children follow their wishes—which university to attend, what major to study, what job to take, even choosing a partner.

Was Jiang's mother like that? Having only spent a few hours together, Jiang Xia couldn't draw a conclusion.

Zhou Chenglei focused on original language books. Jiang Xia spoke French well, and Zhou Chenglei also wanted to learn a foreign language.

He wanted to have common ground with her and also wanted her to teach him.

"Why aren't there any law documents?" Zhou Chenglei asked.

Jiang Xia was thinking about her mother and didn't react for a moment.

Zhou Chenglei turned to look at her and saw that she was lost in thought while packing her clothes, looking preoccupied. Thinking about what her mother had said at dinner, he figured she was probably affected. Afraid that she was unhappy, he put down his book, went over, and hugged her from behind: "Thinking about what Mom said at dinner?"

Jiang Xia came back to her senses: "Don't you think my mom's attitude towards me going to university in Beijing is a bit strange?"

"A bit. You also wanted to go to university in Beijing before? What was Mom's attitude then?" Zhou Chenglei, of course, also found it strange.

Parents all hope their children will succeed.

Beijing has the best universities in the country, so why couldn't Jiang Xia go?

And why couldn't Jiang Xia go, but Jiang Dong could?

Did Jiang's mother not want Jiang Xia to go to university in Beijing, or did she not want Jiang Xia to go to university at all? Was her reluctance to let Jiang Xia go to university in Beijing before or after marriage? These two questions needed to be clarified first.

How could Jiang Xia know where the original owner wanted to go to university before, or what her mother's attitude was before?

She mumbled, "Forget it, I don't care anymore. I'm married now, what right does she have to care?"

She had already studied at Peking University, and this time she wanted to go to Tsinghua University, which was also in Beijing, a bit far.

Jiang Xia turned to face him. If she went to Tsinghua, they would inevitably be in a long-distance relationship for several years.

She looked at him, "What do you think about me going to university in Beijing?"

Zhou Chenglei said directly, "I support you wherever you want to go to university, I have no objections."

Everyone has their own pursuits, especially when they are young.

He had once been full of passion, going to the battlefield against his parents' wishes.

He himself had been young, impetuous, selfish, pursued, and achieved, so naturally he wouldn't stop her.

Jiang Xia: "Then I really will take the Tsinghua entrance exam next year. If I get in, you won't regret it, will you?"

"No." Zhou Chenglei hugged her tightly, gazing into her eyes, and solemnly promised, "Jiang Xia, I and our marriage will not be an obstacle for you."

She had taken the college entrance exam three times and still persisted, she must have a dream in her heart.

She's talented, learns everything quickly, and is so smart and beautiful, confident and radiant. Marrying him shouldn't bury her brilliance.

Even though she shines, he'll be there for her.

Zhou Chenglei added, "I'm nine years older than you. I've already done everything I wanted to do. Whatever you want to do in the future, go for it. I can be there for you."

Their marriage had many problems from the beginning, but from the night he decided not to let go, he had considered all of them, including her desire to go to university, her desired job, whether they should have children, their parents' objections, the potential long-distance relationship, and so on.

He was nine years older than her; his youthful pursuits had been achieved, but he could spend the rest of his life striving to live the life she wanted, as long as they didn't divorce.

Jiang Xia looked back at him, into his incredibly serious and determined eyes, deep and unfathomable, seemingly capable of encompassing everything.

A thought stirred within her, and she couldn't resist tiptoeing to kiss him. Zhou Chenglei tensed slightly, then tightened his grip on her waist, responding quickly.

The next day, after breakfast, Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia were about to go home.

Jiang's mother prepared three large bags full of things for them to take back.

Jiang Dong carried two large bags downstairs, while Zhou Chenglei carried the remaining bag.

The family saw the couple off downstairs.

Jiang Dong had gone to the guesthouse early that morning to pick up Ye Xian, and Ye Xian also came downstairs to see them off.

Looking at the three large bags of things, it was like moving house!

She suddenly understood why they had brought a snakeskin bag of things; one bag for three bags was obviously a good deal.

Not only these three large bags of things, but Jiang's father had also given the couple a red envelope after dinner.

Ye Xian glanced at it; it was much thicker than the red envelope she had received yesterday.

As Zhou Chenglei went down the stairs, he would occasionally look back at Jiang Xia, and when he saw Jiang Xia looking down at the stairs, he would look away.

Jiang's mother noticed Zhou Chenglei's thoughtfulness, took Jiang Xia's arm, and deliberately distanced herself from the father and sons in front, whispering, "Your father's judgment is sound. Chenglei is definitely a good man. Look how attentive he is to you! He even looked back at you several times as you went down the stairs. It's very important for a woman to marry the right person, otherwise she'll regret it for the rest of her life. Don't be foolish and keep thinking about that other person. Living a good life with Chenglei is the right thing to do. Have a child soon too. A-Lei is not young anymore. He loves you, but he must be anxious too."

Jiang Xia thought that "that other person" her mother was referring to was Wu Qizhi, and nodded, "I understand."

The journey from the third floor to the first floor was quick. After putting everything in the car, Jiang's father, Zhou Chenglei, and Jiang Xia got in.

Jiang Xia bent down to get in, and Zhou Chenglei reached out to shield her head. After she was seated and the door was closed, he went to the front passenger seat.

He didn't sit in the back, wanting the father and daughter to spend more time together.

Jiang's father raised his daughter for twenty years, and just like that, she married him, leaving her parents behind. Every reunion afterward was fleeting.

Jiang Xia, on the other hand, would spend the rest of her life with him; they had a lifetime together.

Jiang Dong stood outside the car door and handed Jiang Xia a red envelope: "Sister, this is my scholarship money."

Ye Xian abruptly turned her head to look at Jiang Dong, her eyes filled with disbelief.

He had told his classmates that this scholarship money was for an important purpose, and she had thought it was a surprise for her, since her birthday was coming up at the start of the semester.

But, he said it was for his sister?

What was this?

Was his sister more important than his partner?

Was it his sister who would spend her life with him, or herself?

Jiang Xia saw the red envelope handed to her but didn't take it. Looking out the car window, she saw Ye Xian's incredulous expression. Ye Xian looked at Jiang Dong and refused, "No need, what would you do with your scholarship money?"

Jiang Dong threw it in directly, "I promised to give it to you, and I finally kept my promise! Sis, I'll be going back to school in a few days. I'll come back to see you and your husband for the New Year and give you the scholarship money again."

Jiang Xia didn't know what agreement Jiang Dong had with the original owner of the body, and she felt a heavy weight in her heart as she clutched the red envelope.

She could feel the affection Jiang Dong, her father, and her mother had for her, their imposter daughter, but their daughter and sister were gone.

Jiang Xia thought of the ending for Jiang Dong and her father in the book. Later, Jiang Dong's father was executed, and Jiang Dong developed an alcoholism, often drunk and unconscious. Her mother became a cleaner to support him.

The original owner was gone, but this body carried the blood of the Jiang family. She had taken over this body, this family bond; she would at least ensure their future was good, not the ending of the book.

Ye Xian was not a good match, and was even the culprit behind Jiang's father's execution, because after marrying Jiang Dong, she did many illegal things in Jiang's father's name.

The problem now is how to pull Jiang Dong out of the picture before their relationship deepens.

Jiang Dong then said, "Sister, remember to write to me when you have time. If you need anything, or if you can't buy it here, write to me and I'll buy it for you. My shop at the school is starting to make money."

Jiang Xia immediately thought of how to separate Jiang Dong and Ye Xian. She smiled at Jiang Dong, "Okay, don't forget to buy it for me!"

"How could I? Am I that kind of person?"

Jiang's mother urged, "Alright, the car won't wait. You siblings can call or write if you need anything. Now stop dawdling and let's get going."

Jiang's father told the driver to start the car.

The car started moving, and Jiang's mother and Jiang Dong waited until it disappeared from the intersection before turning their attention away.

Jiang Dong said to his mother, "Mom, I'll take Ye Xian to see the place."

His mother nodded, not paying him any attention, and told him to come home early for dinner before going upstairs; she had to go to work too.

Jiang Dong went to get his bicycle, and Ye Xian, sitting on the back, couldn't help but say, "You're so good to your sister."

Jiang Dong replied, "I only have one sister. If I'm not good to her, who am I good to? Besides, my sister and brother-in-law are even better to me."

Part of the money he and his classmate used to open their shop came from his brother-in-law.

Their parents were very busy with work when they were young, and the siblings grew up together, so their relationship was naturally very good.

His father always said that girls should be raised in comfort, while sons should be toughened up, and he gave his sister more New Year's money and pocket money than he did.

He was a spendthrift, and he never had enough money.

His father bought his sister whatever she wanted, so she didn't need to spend much money herself, resulting in a lot of pocket money, which his sister spent on him.

He'd always said he'd give her his scholarship money since they were little, but while he frequently received scholarships, he never gave it to her because he was always short of money. He even spent her sister's scholarship money on him.

This time, he finally got his revenge—he had money to spend on his sister!

Ye Xian wanted to say something but didn't. They'd only just started dating, and she'd been the one to approach him; he hadn't even acknowledged their relationship yet. He said they'd wait until their feelings deepened.

They hadn't even held hands yet.

Jiang Dong was very kind. When she called him to tell him that her room at home was occupied by her older brother's wedding, and she had to sleep on the floor in her brother's room, she wanted to go back to school early. He offered to come to the city to show her around for a few days and then accompany her back to school.

Moreover, he'd opened a small shop near the school gate with his classmates during his freshman year, earning a considerable amount of money every day.

They were even planning to start a company together once they'd made enough money.

She didn't want to miss out on such a kind, well-off, well-educated, and capable man.

Thinking of this, Ye Xian reached out and wrapped her arms around Jiang Dong's waist.

For a relationship to deepen, intimacy was essential. Jiang Dong is very generous and good at making money; he probably spends all his earnings on others.

Jiang Dong's face instantly turned red, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

He glanced around, afraid the neighbors would see them.

If word got back to his father, who would think he was being promiscuous before marriage, he'd be beaten to a pulp!

His father had warned him before he said he was bringing Ye Xian home.

His father was ruthless when it came to beatings!

And now his sister wasn't there to protect him.

"Xiao Xian, um, let me go, it'll look bad if someone sees us."

Ye Xian: "..."

*

Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei returned to the village entrance close to noon.

They encountered a black sedan with its wheels stuck in a mud pit, constantly slipping and unable to move.

Zhou Chenglei found a slightly firmer spot, stopped the car, and said to Jiang Xia, "I'll go help push the car, you wait here for me?"

"I'll go too." Jiang Xia, holding Zhou Chenglei's arm, carefully avoided the mud as she got off the bike.

"No need, I can manage on my own. Don't get your shoes dirty."

Jiang Xia didn't seem to care: "Just take them off

, okay?" After helping Jiang Xia off the bike and standing properly, Zhou Chenglei placed the three large bags hanging on the handlebars and basket on a slightly cleaner patch of grass, got off the bike, and propped it up.

Jiang Xia immediately took off her high heels, stepping barefoot into the muddy road.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at her delicate pink feet, dazzlingly white against the mud.

He also took off his shoes and pulled her towards the car.

Zhang Fuyan was pressing the accelerator hard in the car, the engine roaring, the wheels slipping in the mud, unable to move forward.

She had already gotten out and pushed the car several times, her feet covered in mud, the entire footrest area on the driver's seat also muddy.

She slammed her hand on the steering wheel in anger, then saw Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei in the rearview mirror.

A look of surprise flashed in her eyes. She quickly opened the door, got out of the car, and ran to Jiang Xia in her mud-caked shoes: "Comrade Jiang Xia!"

Jiang Xia glanced at her feet, surprised: "You came to find me?"

"Yes! I drove all the way here, asking for directions for ages before finally finding this place, only to have my car fall into a ditch, and nobody was around."

Jiang Xia hadn't expected a complete stranger to personally drive up to her: "It was lunchtime, so everyone was probably at home, which is normal. How long has your car been in the ditch?"

"Not long, just a few minutes!" She had spent a lot of time asking for directions to get here.

"Go back to your car and drive. My husband and I will help you push it out from the back."

"Okay!" Zhang Fuyan immediately ran back to the car, started the engine, and stepped on the gas.

Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia went to the back of the car together, gave it a push, and the car moved.

Mainly because Zhou Chenglei was strong enough!

After driving a short distance, Zhang Fuyan stopped the car, leaned out, and waved to Jiang Xia: "Comrade Jiang Xia, ride in my car and lead the way!"

Jiang Xia, her feet covered in mud, refused, worried about getting the car dirty: "I'll ride my bicycle and lead the way."

Zhou Chenglei had already turned back to hang the three large bags back on his bicycle, and rode up to Jiang Xia, still holding her shoes.

Jiang Xia jumped on, hugged his waist, took the shoes from his hand, and carried them herself while he rode the bicycle to lead the way.

Cars were rarely seen in the village; the last time was when Jiang Xia married into the family.

The sudden appearance of a car attracted the attention of many villagers, especially seeing Zhou Chenglei riding a bicycle ahead.

Everyone assumed it was Jiang Xia's parents coming to take her away, since Zhou's mother had kicked her out a few days ago.

The rich heiress had suffered such a humiliation; why would she stay? Everyone thought there would be more drama.

Fortunately, the road in front of the Zhou family's old house was wide enough for the car to pass, and it drove directly to the Zhou family's door.

Hearing the sound of a bicycle, Zhou's mother came out and saw two large red, white, and blue bags hanging on either side of the handlebars, with another bag tied to the basket, almost completely obstructing her view.

Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia both greeted Zhou's mother.

After Zhou Chenglei stopped the bicycle, he turned around, took Jiang Xia's arm, and helped her off.

Zhou's mother exclaimed in surprise, "Why so much stuff?"

Then, looking at the parked car, her heart skipped a beat: "Is it our in-laws?"

Could they be here to settle scores and take Jiang Xia away?

Did they ruin her son's chances of finding a wife?

Jiang Xia explained, "No, it's my friend. She brought back some old things from home, so there's a lot."

Hearing that Jiang Xia had brought back some old things, Zhou's mother was completely relieved and happy that they weren't leaving!

Zhou Chenglei took the three bags off and placed them on the ground.

Great-Grandma, also worried that it was the Jiang family coming to take Jiang Xia away, came out as well. Hearing Jiang Xia's words, she smiled and invited the onlookers to go to the grove to cool off, so as not to disturb them while they were receiving guests.

Xia brought all the things she used when she was a girl, showing her genuine intention to live a good life with A-Lei.

She knew Xia was a good girl, and A-Lei had married a treasure.

Everyone felt embarrassed to stay and watch the commotion after being so warmly received by Great-Grandma, and they all left.

Zhang Fuyan got out of the car and greeted Zhou's mother with a smile, "Auntie, hello."

Zhou's mother smiled and said, "Hello, hello!"

She glanced down at Zhang Fuyan's muddy feet and asked in surprise, "What happened to you?"

Zhang Fuyan smiled sheepishly, "The car fell into a ditch halfway there, and I got out to push it."

Jiang Xia handed Zhang Fuyan a pair of her own slippers and said, "Comrade Zhang, go wash your feet at the well."

Zhou's mother said, "Yes, come and wash them quickly, I'll fetch water for you."

Zhou's mother hurried to the well to fetch water and called out, "You all come and wash your feet."

Jiang Xia told Zhang Fuyan to wash first.

Zhang Fuyan didn't stand on ceremony, took the slippers, took off her muddy little leather shoes, and went to wash her feet.

Zhou Chenglei took a pair of his own slippers, moved a bamboo chair to the wooden basin in the courtyard, pulled Jiang Xia to sit down, and squatted down to wash her feet.

Zhang Fuyan: "..."

Zhou's mother: "..."

She suddenly understood what her husband meant by "be a good memorial tablet"!

Jiang Xia blushed: "I can do it myself."

"It doesn't matter who washes it, you or me." Zhou Chenglei held her ankle and put her feet into the wooden basin.

Jiang Xia was speechless.

The same? Didn't they see the shocked looks on Zhou's mother and Zhang Fuyan's faces?

Zhou Chenglei never cared what others thought. Shouldn't he take good care of his own wife?

Did he have to care what others thought when he took care of his wife?

He lowered his head and carefully rubbed her little feet.

In the farmhouse courtyard, under the shade of the pomegranate tree, the woman sat on the bamboo chair with a blush on her face, while the man squatted there, head down, gently rubbing the mud off the girl's feet, his movements gentle and his expression serious.

The sky was a refreshing blue, the white clouds seemed within reach, the man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful.

Watching this heartwarming scene, Zhang Fuyan couldn't resist taking out the camera hanging around her neck and snapping two pictures.

She suddenly thought that listening to her mother and going on blind dates to find a partner might not be a bad idea.

Jiang Xia heard the click, and Zhou Chenglei felt a flash of light; one looked up, the other turned back.

Zhang Fuyan smiled, "I'll wash them and send them to you later."

Zhou Chenglei glanced at the camera for a second before turning back.

After both of them washed their feet, Zhang Fuyan went to the trunk to get a pair of high heels and changed, taking out the gifts she had put in the trunk as well.

She smiled at Jiang Xia and said, "I didn't know who was in your family, or what you liked, so I just bought a few things."

Jiang Xia looked at her hands full of gift bags—bags, clothes, health products, skincare products, milk powder, canned goods, biscuits, candy, fruit, toys…

truly everything!

But how could she accept gifts from someone she had only met once?

"You're too kind. I can't accept these things,"

Zhang Fuyan said playfully. "I came here because I need something. How could I come empty-handed?"

Jiang Xia, after hearing Zhang Fuyan's words, guessed that her wanting help was related to Jiang Xia's knowledge of French. The girl's warm personality reminded Jiang Xia of her best friend from a past life, so she said, "I'll help if I can, but you don't need to go to so much trouble. These things are too valuable for me to accept. I don't know if I can help you."

Zhang Fuyan smiled and said, "I'm just borrowing their things to offer to someone. My grandmother has so many of these things that she can't possibly eat or use them all. She asked me to take them, and I didn't spend a penny."

After putting the things down, Zhang Fuyan went to the back seat of the car and brought back a few French books.

"My aunt works at a publishing house, and these foreign books urgently need to be translated and published. She asked me for help, but there are just too many books, and I can't handle them all by myself. I was just wondering if you were free to work with me?"

This was like a godsend! Jiang Xia glanced at the three thick books; she had read the translations of some in her previous life. She said directly, "This is you helping me, not me helping you. I'm looking for a part-time translation job."

Zhang Fuyan knew she wanted translation work; she had come specifically to see her, and her aunt was also in dire need of translators.

She picked up the three thick books and said, "My aunt paid me 100 yuan per book for these three thicker ones, and 50 yuan per book for these four thinner ones. I'll give you the same price. What do you think?"

This was the price her aunt had given her; she wouldn't pay that much to anyone else. She had brought extra books specifically to share with Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia didn't know how much translation work cost these days. Although the books weren't actually that thick, she felt the price was definitely not low. She nodded, "Okay, I can probably finish translating them and give them to you in about a month."

Zhang Fuyan was surprised. There were seven books here, three of which were quite thick. She could finish translating them in a month?

She hurriedly said, "No rush, you just need to finish translating one book in half a month. Once you've finished translating one, send it to the publisher, and you'll get paid first."

Jiang Xia replied, "Then I'll translate one first, and bring it to you in a couple of days to see what you think."

"Okay."

Zhou's mother glanced at the books and silently raised her fingers: one book for one hundred, three books for three hundred, two books for fifty, two books for one hundred, four books for two hundred, that's five hundred yuan in total!

Xia can finish translating in a month; if she translates books every month, she can earn five hundred yuan a month!

My goodness, she usually earns one yuan a day weaving fishing nets, at most thirty yuan a month.

Knowledge is wealth, indeed!

Jiang Xia then asked, "Do you have any other foreign language books that need translating? I also know English and Russian."

Jiang Xia didn't dare say too much; she only spoke when she saw English and Russian books on the original owner's bookshelf.

She could take some electives in university and then use the six foreign languages ​​she learned in her previous life, striving to learn a few more in this life.

She had a natural talent for languages, the kind that seems to be blessed with natural talent. So, she consistently took foreign language courses throughout her four years of undergraduate and graduate studies.

Since auditing classes at university was free, why not audit as many as possible?

After paying off her debts, she didn't need to work so many jobs, and she could audit classes whenever she had free time.

And foreign languages ​​could be learned while working, walking, riding the bus, even showering, so she learned the most, mastering four foreign languages ​​in her four years of undergraduate studies and two more in graduate school.

Zhang Fuyan: "..."

Did she really fail to get into university after three attempts at the college entrance exam?

Zhang Fuyan looked around the stone house and then saw Zhou Chenglei in the yard, holding a chicken and deftly slicing its neck with a cleaver.

A chill ran down her spine!

Good heavens, a man with a restrained aura, a woman who seemed gentle and harmless but was actually incredibly capable—was this farmhouse a hiding place for powerful figures?

Seeing Zhou Chenglei killing the chicken, Zhou's mother went out to help.

She had already prepared lunch. She knew her son and daughter-in-law would be back today, but she didn't know if they would return in the evening or at noon. She had gone to the dock that morning to buy some clams and mudskippers, but it still wasn't enough to entertain the guests. Just

as Zhou's mother was about to go to the dock to see if anyone was still selling seafood, she heard shouts outside.

"Pork for sale! Pork for sale!..."

They lived in a small fishing village, and most people ate seafood on weekdays, rarely buying meat. So, it was rare for anyone to come to their door to sell pork. Today was a rare occasion, so Zhou's mother quickly ran out to buy some.

Jiang Xia also saw Zhou Chenglei killing a chicken; she had asked him to do it. It was already lunchtime, and Zhang Fuyan would definitely be staying for lunch, as she was worried there wouldn't be enough food.

Jiang Xia wanted to help cook, but she couldn't leave Zhang Fuyan sitting alone in the living room, so she had to let Zhou Chenglei and his mother cook.

Jiang Xia then asked Zhang Fuyan, "Do you have any German or Japanese books?"

Zhang Fuyan's eyes widened: "You know German and Japanese too?"

Jiang Xia: "No, I just want to learn."

Zhang Fuyan breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, I'll find some for you."

She was terrified!

She was a foreign language major, determined to become a translator; she felt ashamed of herself!

Just then, Zhou Zhou ran in carrying a handful of wild fruit. Seeing Zhang Fuyan, she paused, a little shy and unsure what to do.

Jiang Xia smiled: "Zhou Zhou, this is Sister Yan."

Zhou Zhou called softly, "Sister Yan."

Then, she boldly stepped forward and placed the wild fruit she had picked on the table: "Auntie, Sister Yan, please have some."

Zhang Fuyan smiled, took one, and tasted it. Then she said, "Zhou Zhou picked these? They're so delicious! I've never had them before, thank you, Zhou Zhou."

Then she took out a doll and a toy airplane and gave them to her: "Thank you, Zhou Zhou, for the fruit."

Zhou Zhou saw the doll and instinctively looked at Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia smiled: "Zhou Zhou, take it!"

Zhou Zhou took it and whispered, "Thank you, Sister Yan."

Then Jiang Xia let her go play.

Zhang Fuyan asked Jiang Xia about his experience learning foreign languages. Since Zhang Fuyan was studying foreign languages, the two had a lot to talk about and chatted until dinner.

After dinner, it was almost three o'clock, and Jiang Xia took Zhang Fuyan to the beach for more than an hour. Zhang Fuyan took many photos until she ran out of film.

Jiang Xia saw fishing boats returning from the pier and took her there to buy her a lot of seafood. Then, carrying the seafood Jiang Xia gave her—dried golden pomfret, dried shrimp, two chickens and ducks that Zhou's mother had prepared, a basket of sea duck eggs, and a burlap sack of vegetables and fruits—she headed home.

Jiang Xia was worried that her car would fall into a ditch again, so he and Zhou Chenglei escorted her out of the village.

Afterward, Jiang Xia went home, while Zhou Chenglei went to the pier.

Zhou's father had gone out to sea with Zhou Chengxin that day, and he went to help unload the cargo.

When Jiang Xia got home, she sorted through the gifts Zhang Fuyan had brought and the three large bags of things given by her mother.

She sorted through Zhang Fuyan's things first, taking out a notebook to make a list.

Zhang Fuyan brought a bag and a set of clothes, both clearly for her, both designer brands and quite expensive.

There were also two cans of milk powder, two cans of malted milk powder, two cans of Moutai liquor, a box of Da Hong Pao tea, two cartons of Da Qianmen cigarettes, a large bag of biscuits and candies, and the doll and toy airplane Zhou Zhou was playing with.

Jiang Xia opened a White Rabbit candy and fed it to Zhou Zhou, then ate one herself.

Tian Caihua happened to walk in at that moment and her eyes lit up when she saw the toy airplane in Zhou Zhou's hand: "Xia, is this toy airplane for Guangzong Yaozu and the others? Oh my, you're such a good aunt! I knew you loved them!"

She immediately snatched the toy airplane from Zhou Zhou's hand; this toy airplane was even more impressive than the toy train that Uncle Qiang's grandson had!

Her youngest son had been pestering her to buy him a toy train every day, but those toy trains and cars were too expensive, and they could only be bought in the city; how could she bear to part with them?

Zhou Zhou hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head.

Jiang Xia glanced at Zhou Zhou and patted her little head: "Zhou Zhou, tell your aunt, where did this toy airplane come from?"

Tian Caihua had come because she heard a car had arrived at the old house; apparently, it was a relative or friend of Jiang Xia.

Zhou Zhou glanced at Tian Caihua and whispered, "Sister Yan gave it to me."

Jiang Xia then reached out to Tian Caihua, her tone calm but brooking no refusal: "Sister-in-law, did you hear that? This is a gift from my friend to Zhou Zhou."

Tian Caihua's face darkened; she was unhappy, feeling that Jiang Xia favored Zhou Zhou and disrespected her. Couldn't she share something with her son?

She couldn't help but say, "This airplane is clearly a toy for boys. What's appropriate for a little girl like Zhou Zhou to play with? Besides, Zhou Zhou, don't you have dolls to play with? Zhou Zhou, would you give the toy airplane to your brother?"

Zhou Zhou held the toy airplane, somewhat at a loss. She liked it very much and didn't want to give it away, but she couldn't refuse, and was about to agree.

Jiang Xia could tell that Zhou Zhou wouldn't dare refuse, so she said, "Zhou Zhou, do you like this toy airplane? Do you want to give it to me? If you like it but don't want to give it to me, you don't have to. Your aunt won't blame you because it's yours, and the decision is yours. Just like when you like your brother's things and ask him for them, but your brother doesn't want to give them to you, you don't have to give them to him either, because it's his stuff. Sister-in-law, don't you agree?"

Tian Caihua was furious. Jiang Xia was clearly teaching Zhou Zhou not to give it to him, but she couldn't deny what she said, otherwise what if she taught Zhou Zhou to ask her son for things every day?

Tian Caihua said sarcastically, "Yes, Zhou Zhou, you can give it to me if you want, or you can not give it to me if you don't want to. It's yours."

Zhou Zhou struggled for a moment and then said, "Aunt, I've never played with a toy airplane before, so I won't give it to you."

"Fine, you like it! Zhou Zhou has grown up and is becoming more and more capable. Having a little aunt makes all the difference, doesn't it? Your aunt raised you for years, but it's not as close as the little aunt raised you for a few days!"

Tian Caihua said sarcastically and left.

She stormed out of the courtyard and headed towards the dock.

She was furious! What

an ingrate! Had she forgotten who raised her?

This little ingrate used to eat her food, use her things, wear her sons' clothes, and carry their schoolbags—she'd forgotten all that!

And Jiang Xia too, what kind of aunt was she? So biased!

Before, when her brother-in-law bought things, it was always her sons who picked everything before Zhou Zhou got hers.

Now, it's always just Zhou Zhou getting something!

This morning, she saw Zhou Zhou drinking milk. Last time, her son said Zhou Zhou was eating an ice pop, and he even gave one to his great-grandmother's grandson—it was her brother-in-law who bought it.

The couple had even bought Zhou Zhou a new desk, schoolbag, and clothes, but her son got nothing.

After marrying Jiang Xia, even her brother-in-law became biased!

Oh, and Zhou Zhou was just eating candy—White Rabbit candy, so expensive! Her son wanted some last time, but she couldn't bring herself to buy it for him.

Tian Caihua paused, her steps faltering. Just moments ago, the table was laden with White Rabbit candies, biscuits, milk powder, malted milk powder, canned goods…

Ah! Why did she leave in such a huff?

The toy airplane was gone; how could Jiang Xia not even share the candy and milk powder with her son?

What a huge loss!

After the family division, her son had nothing. The money they earned at sea combined wasn't even as much as Zhou Chenglei earned in a single trip.

Tian Caihua felt increasingly cheated by the division!

Zhou Zhou timidly said, “Auntie seems unhappy.”

Jiang Xia said softly, “As long as you haven't done anything wrong, you don't need to worry about whether others are happy or not. Her unhappiness is her fault, not yours. Just let her be.”

Zhou Zhou seemed to understand, but not quite.

Jiang Xia didn't say much more. She didn't know how to teach children; she only knew that girls should learn to say no.

Jiang Xia continued to open the three large bags that her mother had given her. One of the bags was full of new clothes. Jiang Xia took them out, most of which were hers. She also prepared a set for Zhou's father and mother, and two sets for Zhou Chenglei. She took out the clothes for Zhou's father and mother.

Another bag contained milk powder, biscuits, candy, and other snacks, as well as children's toys: two teddy bears and four toy cars. This was clearly prepared for all six children in the Zhou family.

Jiang Xia gave one of the teddy bears to Zhou Zhou, and kept the other for Zhou Chenglei's second brother's daughter.

Jiang's mother was a considerate person, preparing things for everyone in the family.

Jiang Xia wouldn't withhold the toy cars from her son just because she didn't like Tian Caihua; Zhou Chengxin was nice, and the brothers affectionately called her "Little Aunt."

She put the toy cars aside to give to the brothers when they came over to play.

The remaining large bag contained sanitary napkins, towels, shampoo, skincare products, cosmetics, and other items—Jiang's mother had prepared a year's worth for her!

Then she pulled out a thick file folder, inside which were three stacks of brand-new ten-yuan notes wrapped in red paper, one stack of one thousand yuan, three thousand yuan in total. Could this be the betrothal gift Zhou Chenglei gave me? I'll ask him when he gets back.

She tidied everything up, told Zhou Zhou to help himself to whatever he wanted to eat, and then went to cook.

*

After dinner, Jiang Xia came out of the shower and saw Zhou Chenglei wiping down the bicycle. The bicycle, which had been covered in mud, was now spotless.

Jiang Xia couldn't help but ask, "Why do you always clean the bicycle after using it?"

Today was fine, it was really dirty! But last time it wasn't covered in mud, and he still cleaned it.

Zhou Chenglei pushed the bicycle back to the storage room, glanced at her, and said, "This is your dowry. If you don't take good care of it, can you keep it forever?"

Jiang Xia: "..."

Okay! She'd been charmed by him again!

She wanted to see if he could keep the bicycle spotless every time and preserve it forever.

At this moment, Jiang Xia didn't believe it.

She couldn't imagine that decades later, when she was sixty and he was almost seventy, and the small fishing village had become a famous tourist attraction, she would still be sitting on the back of this bicycle he had preserved so well, being carried by him along the coastal road, reminiscing about the present.

Jiang Xia ignored him and went back to her room to finish her translation.

After Zhou Chenglei parked his bicycle, he grabbed some clothes to take a shower. When he returned with a bowl of milk, he saw Jiang Xia diligently writing at her desk.

Under the dim light, her focused silhouette was beautiful.

He tiptoed over to her, put down the milk, and then picked up a book he'd brought back from the Jiang family home.

Jiang Xia seemed to be reading this book very carefully; it was filled with her notes and reflections, on every page.

The two of them, one writing softly on the paper, the other turning the pages, created a peaceful and beautiful scene.

Zhou Chenglei read quickly; he had the ability to read ten lines at a glance and remember everything he read. Besides, it was just a romance novel, requiring little thought, so he read even faster. What made his gaze linger for even a second was Jiang Xia's reflections in the book. Until he turned to the last page and saw a line of strong, powerful handwriting and her signature, his body stiffened.

Zhou Chenglei silently closed the book and glanced at Jiang Xia, who was diligently translating at the desk.

He stood up without making a sound, hid the book, and picked up another one.

However, this one was a bit unappealing.

Jiang Xia translated from seven o'clock until eleven-thirty before finally stopping.

The mosquito coil had burned out, and she had only translated a quarter of the book.

This was a book she had read both the original and the translation.

She turned around and saw Zhou Chenglei sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, holding an English original book.

He could daydream too? Jiang Xia was a little surprised.

"What are you thinking about? Why aren't you asleep?"

Jiang Xia glanced at the watch on the table and realized it was already eleven-thirty.

Zhou Chenglei snapped out of his reverie and said calmly, "I'm reading, but there are some parts I don't understand."

Zhou Chenglei also knew some foreign languages. He had suffered greatly from language barriers, almost causing his mission to fail. He liked to be in control and disliked feeling out of control, so over the years he had learned English, Russian, Korean, and Vietnamese for his missions.

He wasn't an expert, but he had no problem with general listening, speaking, and reading. At least he could guess the gist of things he didn't understand, but he wasn't sure he could write everything correctly.

Some superiors even joked that he was a diplomat whose talents were wasted on military service.

"Where?" Jiang Xia stood up and walked towards him, but her knee accidentally bumped into the table leg. Her whole leg was numb and painful, and Jiang Xia gasped, "Ouch!"

She bent down and rubbed her knee. Sitting still for a long time had made her leg numb, and the bump made it even more painful!

Zhou Chenglei quickly put down his book, stood up, walked over, squatted down, and touched her knee: "Are you hurt? Let me see."

Jiang Xia: "No, my leg is numb."

Hearing this, Zhou Chenglei massaged it for her until she stopped: "Okay, it's not numb anymore, go to sleep, we're going to sea tomorrow."

She hadn't been to sea for several days and wanted to go out to sea soon to earn more money so she could buy a boat.

Zhou Chenglei stood up and picked her up, placing her on the bed.

Their eyes met, and even though they were already very intimate, Jiang Xia's heart still pounded.

Zhou Chenglei slowly lowered his head, but Jiang Xia thought about how she had to get up at four o'clock the next morning, and it was almost midnight now.

She turned her head away and pushed him, saying, "It's too late. We have to go out to sea tomorrow. Can we go to bed early tonight? I'm sleepy."

Zhou Chenglei paused, then buried his head in her neck, saying, "You can rest at home tomorrow. I'll go out to sea, okay?"

"No," Jiang Xia refused.

He could spend an hour on foreplay, and he wouldn't need to sleep tonight. He would be out at sea all day tomorrow, and fishing was physically demanding. How could he endure not sleeping all night?

Zhou Chenglei didn't say anything. After a while, he responded softly, then got up, checked if there were any mosquitoes in the mosquito net, turned off the light, and then lay back down on the bed. "Sleep!"

Jiang Xia immediately turned to her side and hugged him with both arms and legs, resting her head on his arm. "It's a little hot."

Feeling her initiative to get close, Zhou Chenglei's repression and jealousy from the previous night dissipated a little.

He picked up a large palm leaf fan and gently fanned himself, even kissing her forehead.

Jiang Xia rested her head on his strong arm, tilted her head up and kissed his chin, her hand still

gently squeezing his earring: "Remind me tomorrow night not to translate so late." Her fingertips brushed against the back of his ear, Zhou Chenglei's Adam's apple bobbed, and he pulled her closer: "Go to sleep."

She knew she was going to kill him!

Jiang Xia, having teased him, fell asleep peacefully.

Zhou Chenglei, however, took a long time to recover, then looked at the woman intimately holding him, gently snoring, and suddenly felt relieved.

He couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her, then kiss her again…

He kissed her several times, I can't even remember how many, before putting down the large palm-leaf fan, closing his eyes, and holding her waist tightly. He quickly fell asleep.

The next day, around four o'clock, the couple got up and went out to sea.

This time, Jiang Xia didn't fish. Wearing a flashlight, she sat in a corner, using the bottom of an upside-down bucket as a table, and spread a clean cloth on it to translate.

Jiang Xia translated, Zhou Chenglei fished, and Zhou's father steered the boat.

Seeing the couple, one fishing and the other translating, Zhou's father felt gratified.

He had already heard from Jiang's mother that Jiang Xia could earn 100 yuan for a thick book and 50 yuan for a thin one.

With the couple so diligent and working together, how could they not have a good life?

He then thought of his eldest daughter-in-law. She was diligent, but too calculating. Yesterday at the dock, in front of A Lei, she had intentionally or unintentionally said that Jiang Xia favored Zhou Zhou, that the two of them favored Zhou Zhou and their younger son. When the eldest son retorted, the couple started arguing again.

How can you make money with all this constant arguing?

Yesterday, he and his eldest son went out to sea and only earned a little over thirty yuan. The father and son only made a dozen or so yuan each, while his youngest son fished for an hour and only made a dozen or so yuan.

The only downside was that being a shrine bearer was too hard!

While waiting for a fish to bite, Zhou Chenglei's gaze was fixed solely on Jiang Xia.

Like now, as dawn broke and the sun rose, the morning light fell on Jiang Xia, her soft hair gently brushing her fair face—a gentle beauty!

Zhou Chenglei watched quietly, wanting to capture this scene on camera.

His father glanced at the fishing rod and coughed, "A fish has taken the bait!"

He was fed up; even finding a fish on the hook was something only he, the shrine bearer, noticed.

Zhou Chenglei looked away and calmly pulled the fish up.

Another hour passed, and after his father reminded him more than ten times to only hook the fish when one bit, it was finally time to haul in the net.

If they hadn't hauled in the net soon, he'd have poked Zhou Chenglei's eyes out with the fishing rod! Make him both deaf and blind!

Jiang Xia carefully packed the books away, wrapping them in a plastic bag to prevent them from getting wet or dirty.

Seeing the father and son struggling to

pull the net up, she knew this net had caught a lot of fish. And sure enough!

Another haul!

A huge bag of fish, bright red. Jiang Xia, putting on gloves, exclaimed excitedly, "Is it red snapper again?"

Zhou Chenglei's arm muscles bulged, veins standing out: "No, it's red snapper."

Because of its red color, the villagers also called it "red fish."

Zhou's father said, "Not as valuable as red snapper, but still good. I heard someone has successfully farmed these, but I don't know how."

The father and son laboriously pulled the large bag of fish up, dumping them onto the deck.

Jiang Xia immediately sat down to divide the fish, while Zhou Chenglei tidied the net, then lowered it again before helping Jiang Xia divide the fish.

When the sun rose higher, they started hauling in the net again. The second haul yielded even more than the first!

Another red snapper!

Zhou Chenglei: "These fish aren't common around here, how come we've encountered so many today?"

Zhou's father: "The house shook a few times the night before last when you weren't here. I guess there was an earthquake across the sea, and the fish were all scared away!"

Jiang Xia looked at Zhou's father in shock, "An earthquake?"

"It wasn't really an earthquake, just the house shook a little. No ash fell off the roof tiles."

"Thank goodness!" Jiang Xia was relieved. She was about to continue dividing the fish when she suddenly felt that the distant island looked a little different today.

"Zhou Chenglei, look at that island in the distance, doesn't it look a little different?" Jiang Xia tugged at Zhou Chenglei's sleeve.

Zhou's father and Zhou Chenglei both looked over.

Zhou's father: "It seems different?"

Zhou Chenglei: "It seems to be a whole size bigger. Dad, let's take a boat over and check it out!"

Hearing Zhou Chenglei say this, Zhou's father also felt that the island seemed a whole size bigger than usual, and immediately steered the boat over, "Don't put the nets in yet, let's go check it out."

The island being a whole size bigger meant the tide was going out fast, and there might be some cargo. It

was almost lunchtime, and Zhou Chenglei took out a lunchbox, opened it, and handed it to Jiang Xia: "Eat first."

"Okay."

Jiang Xia called to Zhou's father to eat.

Zhou's father responded.

Today's meal included dried fish, steamed eggs with shrimp, and pickled cabbage.

Jiang Xia wasn't picky about food, and after eating her fill, she left a small portion of the lunchbox, which she gave to Zhou Chenglei.

After the three of them finished eating, the boat approached the island, and Zhou's father found a place to dock.

They dared not get too close, as boats often ran aground in this area.

The water was still a bit deep, but the clear water revealed sand beneath.

Zhou Chenglei jumped off the boat first, secured it, and then reached out to hug Jiang Xia.

The boat was a bit high, so he said to Jiang Xia, "Jump down, I'll catch you."

Zhou's father was right behind them, and Jiang Xia said shyly, "I can jump myself."

Zhou Chenglei was standing on the water, which was up to his thighs. "You'll get your clothes wet if you jump down yourself. It's okay, you jump down, I can catch you."

Zhou's father, carrying a bucket of water, waited expressionlessly behind them.

He was long gone, so there was no need to worry about him.

Afraid that Zhou's father would get impatient, Jiang Xia didn't hesitate and reached out to him, throwing herself at him.

Zhou Chenglei caught her steadily, holding her tightly in his arms, his feet not faltering even with the force of the impact.

Jiang Xia felt his strong arms and solid, reliable chest once again.

This man was truly strong!

Zhou Chenglei carried her all the way to the beach before putting her down.

Zhou's father stared blankly at the sky.

Zhou Chenglei turned back to take the bucket and other items his father handed him.

After everything was handed over, Zhou's father reached out and asked his unfilial son, "Are you going to catch me?"

Zhou Chenglei turned and walked away.

His father knew he was hard of hearing.

Zhou's father gritted his teeth in anger, took off his waterproof rubber boots, threw them on the beach, rolled up his trousers, and jumped off the boat.

He did splash quite a bit of water, and his clothes got wet, but it wasn't a problem in the summer heat.

Zhou's father glanced at Jiang Xia's clothes; not a single drop of water was on them. Sure enough, he'd forgotten his father after getting married!

Zhou Chenglei picked up the bucket his father had handed him, walked to Jiang Xia's side, and took her hand: "I just saw a lot of oysters on those rocks over there. Let's go take a look."

"Okay," Jiang Xia replied.

Zhou's father also put on his shoes and followed. If the oysters were plump enough, they could be dried and sold for some money.

This island was already large, but now it seemed even larger, with many rocks exposed. Zhou Chenglei had been here before.

Many villagers come to the island to shuck oysters.

The three of them arrived at the rocky outcrop.

The rocks protruding from the sea were covered with oysters, but many had already been pried open and were empty.

However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that many remained unopened.

The oyster shells were sharp,

and the area was quite steep.

Zhou Chenglei, concerned, cautioned, "Be careful, don't fall."

"Okay," Jiang Xia replied, looking at the rocks before her as if she were seeing a mountain of gold and silver.

The air was thick with the smell of money!

Zhou's father immediately pried one open and put it in his mouth. Zhou

Chenglei also pried one open and asked Jiang Xia, "Want to try some?"

Jiang Xia wasn't afraid to eat sashimi or anything like that, and nodded.

Zhou Chenglei then held it to her lips and fed it to her.

Jiang Xia grasped his wrist, lowered her head, and sucked the plump, white oyster meat, which he had already loosened, into her mouth.

Zhou's father, who had originally wanted to eat another one, looked at it and realized, "Well,

I'm full!"

"Want some more?" Zhou Chenglei asked, tossing the oyster shells into the sea.

Jiang Xia shook her head.

Raw oysters were indeed sweeter and had a faint seawater flavor, but she preferred them cooked.

Zhou Chenglei didn't open any more for her; he ate two himself, and then the other two started prying open oysters.

Zhou Chenglei didn't dare stray too far from Jiang Xia, staying close by, about an arm's length away.

These things grow on rocks, so it takes some effort to pry them off. Jiang Xia wasn't as skilled as Zhou Chenglei at prying oysters, and accidentally used too much force, sending one oyster flying into the sea.

Jiang Xia looked down and saw a seashell lying under the oyster!

It looked just like a pearl oyster she had seen in her past life!

And not only in this place, Jiang Xia also saw them in the crevices of the underwater reefs! Quite a few!

"Zhou Chenglei!" Jiang Xia called out excitedly.

Zhou's father and Zhou Chenglei both looked over.

"Zhou Chenglei, look, isn't that a pearl oyster?"

Zhou Chenglei walked over and looked at the seabed where Jiang Xia was pointing. "It looks like a pearl oyster."

Zhou's father stopped prying oysters and hurried over, slipping and almost falling.

He looked and saw pearl oysters scattered here and there among the sand and gravel on the seabed.

"Pearl oysters!" Good

heavens, what kind of shipping is this daughter-in-law doing?

This is practically discovering a pearl oyster's lair!

Zhou's father had been to this island before, but the tide wasn't this high then, and such a large area of ​​reefs wasn't exposed. Today, because she came, they were exposed; otherwise, he wouldn't have found these pearl oysters.

Jiang Xia excitedly asked, "It looks a bit deep, can we pick them up?"

Zhou's father: "Yes!"

As long as it's visible to the naked eye, we can pick it up.

It's all money!

Do you think we can

or can't we? We have to be able to!

Who wouldn't pick up money that's fallen on the ground?

Zhou Chenglei: "I'll go down and collect them."

Zhou's father: "Let's go together!"

The pearl oysters were underwater. After warming up for a while, Zhou Chenglei and his father took off their shirts, grabbed their tools, and carefully entered the water, avoiding the rocks.

Jiang Xia peeked in and saw Zhou's father and son swimming deeper and deeper, hooking the pearl oysters one by one into a net, as agile as two fish.

Jiang Xia could swim and was also eager to try. She remembered meeting Wu Qizhi at the market last time, and he said he knew she could swim, so the original owner of this body must be able to swim too, right?

But just as she was about to go into the water, the two of them swam to the surface. Jiang Xia quickly grabbed a bucket to collect the pearl oysters they had collected.

Zhou Chenglei collected more, ten, while his father only collected five.

After emptying the pearl oysters, the two took a breath and went back into the water.

Jiang Xia poured the pearl oysters from the bucket into a burlap sack, leaving an empty bucket for them to store the pearl oysters.

She didn't waste any time and continued shredding oysters.

The father and son went into the water four or five times. The father couldn't take it anymore and went ashore to rest.

Zhou Chenglei rested for a while and then went back into the water, twice more, before finally collecting all the pearl oysters from the seabed.

Zhou Chenglei also went ashore to rest: "There should be more nearby. I'll go back down and check again later. Dad, don't go back into the water."

The father nodded: "You go in! I won't go in. I'm too old for this. I'm not like I was when I was young."

Zhou Chenglei rested for a bit, then went back into the water.

The father couldn't stay idle; he wasn't at sea to rest, but to make money. He said to Jiang Xia: "Xia, I'm going to trawle. I'll be back in a bit. You and A-Lei stay here."

Jiang Xia nodded: "Okay."

Zhou Chenglei came ashore just then, and the father repeated what he had just said.

Zhou Chenglei: "Be careful."

Zhou's father: "I know."

After Zhou's father left, Zhou Chenglei said to Jiang Xia: "I'll walk around the reef to see if there are any more. You stay here and be careful."

"Okay."

This time, Zhou Chenglei didn't jump into the water. Instead, he felt his way forward along the reef, checking the water as he went.

Only when he couldn't see clearly did he jump into the water and swim down to check. He would also try to catch any good fish he encountered on the seabed. This took him a while.

Jiang Xia waited for a long time without hearing any movement from him and became worried. She went to look for him: "Zhou Chenglei! Zhou Chenglei!"

Jiang Xia shouted as she carefully felt her way forward along the reef.

Zhou Chenglei was on the other side of the island, currently catching lobsters on the seabed. He had poor hearing and was underwater, so he didn't hear her at all.

When he surfaced to take a breath, Jiang Xia had stopped calling.

Jiang Xia called around but no one answered. She became anxious. After all, anything could happen underwater, so she jumped into the sea!