“Cousin, you’re finally back. We’ve all been waiting for you.” Xu Xia acted more like the host, warmly inviting Xu Chun to wash her hands and eat. “Aunt Qian checked her watch several times while waiting for you. This must be Uncle Zhou. I’m Xu Xia, your daughter-in-law’s cousin.”
Zhou Chengzhu remembered Xu Xia for no other reason than she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He also assumed Xu Xia had come to see his daughter-in-law. “Let’s eat first. You can chat with Xiaochun after dinner.”
Xu Xia obediently sat down, handing chopsticks to Zhao Hui and her younger brother while deliberately ignoring Xu Chun, making her anxious.
Though Qian Ru’s cooking was average, with both fish and bone broth on the table, Xu Xia ate two large bowls of rice. No matter what happened, she had to eat her fill and not let her stomach suffer.
After the meal, Xu Chun seized the moment while her mother-in-law was washing dishes, gritting her teeth as she dragged Xu Xia into the room.
“What exactly do you want?” Xu Chun fumed, having been distracted throughout the meal wondering why Xu Xia had come to see her.
“Didn’t I say during dinner? I’m going to Jiangcheng soon and came to see you, while also having a word with Aunt Qian and the others.” Xu Xia raised an eyebrow at Xu Chun with a smile. With no one else in the room, she didn’t need to keep up appearances. “Xu Chun, didn’t I tell you not to provoke me?”
“I… What did I do?”
“Your memory fails you. Didn’t you go to Zhao Hui yesterday to badmouth me?” Seeing Xu Chun stunned, Xu Xia felt satisfied. “By the way, I told your mother-in-law about this. Think about how you’re going to explain it.”
Being the villain felt comfortable—settling scores without holding back, avoiding pent-up frustration. Since the original character had this personality anyway, Xu Xia’s vengeful nature was only fitting.
Xu Chun couldn’t believe Zhao Hui would share such matters with Xu Xia. Was he blinded by infatuation? Couldn’t he see what kind of person Xu Xia was?
Xu Xia: “I’ve said it before—we should stay out of each other’s way. If you don’t make trouble for me, I won’t bother you. But you just had to cross the line. Xu Chun, do you really think you’re so clever that you can manipulate everyone?”
“Xu Xia, you…” Xu Chun was so enraged she raised her hand, but before she could strike, Xu Xia knocked over a chair behind her. Xu Chun hissed, “What are you doing?”
“Cousin, how… how could you hit me?” Xu Xia wailed as she ran out, pulling her younger brother along.
Xu Fengshou, thinking his sister had truly been hit, glared fiercely at his cousin before being forcibly dragged away by Xu Xia.
Zhao Hui glanced at Xu Chun who had run out after them. When he heard her say “I didn’t hit her,” he found it increasingly amusing and followed them out of the Zhou residence.
Xu Chun stood bewildered, facing her in-laws’ disbelieving expressions as she frantically explained, “Mom, Dad, please listen to me. I really didn’t hit anyone. Xu Xia is insane—she came here today deliberately to sow discord.”
“But didn’t you always say your family was harmonious and everyone got along well?” Qian Ru no longer trusted her daughter-in-law’s words. Combined with Xu Xia’s complaint, she believed her daughter-in-law might have lost her temper and hit someone. “Xu Chun, you’ve truly disappointed me. How could you lie to us?”
“That’s not true, I didn’t—”
“Enough. There’s no need to explain to us. When Wenbin returns, you can explain to him why you went to see another man late at night!” After saying this, Qian Ru angrily returned to her room.
Zhou Chengzhu was utterly bewildered. After entering the house and learning what Xu Xia had said, his brows furrowed just as tightly.
After years in leadership, had he actually misjudged someone?
In the living room, Xu Chun was seething with hatred for Xu Xia. That wretched girl had destroyed the image she had painstakingly built up in her in-laws’ family.
She loathed Xu Xia to the core!
Even now, Xu Chun showed no reflection or remorse. What she feared most was disappointing her beloved husband. Having finally regained a good life, she absolutely couldn’t let Xu Xia ruin it.
While Xu Chun was scheming how to salvage the situation, Xu Xia cheerfully headed home. Only after she and her brother closed the door behind them did she pinch her brother’s cheek and say, “Our Fengshou is still the cutest. How could I possibly let Xu Chun hit me? Knowing she had ill intentions, I was prepared all along.”
“Sis, will cousin be really angry about this?”
“She deserves it! She started it. Let me tell you, you must never swallow your anger in life. If you’re furious, let it out—don’t bottle it up inside. But with those who treat you well, you should also consider their feelings, understand?” Xu Xia patted her brother’s head. He was her closest blood relative in this world.
Xu Fengshou nodded, only half-comprehending. “I’ll protect you!”
“Mhmm, we’re siblings, so of course we’re the best.” Feeling sleepy, Xu Xia tidied up briefly and went to bed in high spirits.
With all affairs at the Xu family settled, Xu Xia was taking the train to Jiangcheng early the next morning. This trip held different meaning from her last visit.
At dawn, Grandma was already up frying Cong Bing, preparing a full bundle for Xu Xia.
“You’ve loved these since you were little. Who knows when I’ll get to make them for you next?” Wang Xiufang spoke while wiping the corners of her eyes. These two children she’d cradled in her palms were now leaving to live in another city—she couldn’t bear to part with them.
Xu Xia similarly couldn’t let go of her grandmother, hugging her while whining playfully, “Then come with us! You’ll feel more at ease seeing our lives with your own eyes.”
Wang Xiufang stroked her granddaughter’s head without replying, instead glancing at her eldest son. “I won’t see you off at the station this time. Let your uncle take you.”
Xu Dazhong prepared a carrying pole, hoisted the siblings’ luggage, gave them a faint smile, and stepped out first.
He felt too ashamed facing his deceased brother, unsure what to say to his nephew and niece.
“Go on now.” Wang Xiufang’s voice choked up. “Write to me when you reach Jiangcheng. Don’t hold grudges against your uncle—he is who he is, and your aunt is your aunt. Deep down, he wishes you well.”
As for her daughter-in-law, she’d given her an ultimatum earlier: if she wasn’t happy to see them off, she’d better not show up at all, or else there’d be no peace in the household going forward.
Xu Xia embraced her grandmother one last time. After saying goodbye, she wiped her tear-streaked cheeks and set off for the train station.
At the station, Zhao Hui was already waiting. Xu Xia went to see her uncle.
Never a man of many words, Xu Dazhong pulled several food stamps from his pocket. “Xu Xia, please… don’t hold this against your uncle, alright?”
Xu Xia felt conflicted. She understood her uncle’s difficult position, but returning to how things were before was impossible.
Still, with few chances to meet in the future, she could afford to be gracious now. She smiled and nodded. “Uncle, I’ll write to you all after I’m settled in Jiangcheng.”
“Mm, live well.” Xu Dazhong handed over the food stamps, walking away with lingering glances at every step. After his younger brother left, he watched the two children grow up, treating them as his own flesh and blood. But he was busy with work, coming home only to eat and sleep, and indeed didn’t pay enough attention to his niece and nephew.
Ah, there’s no use thinking about this now. Hopefully, they can live a good life under the Zhao family’s protection.
When Xu Xia looked back, she suddenly noticed her uncle had grown much thinner. Just then, the train rumbled in, and Xu Xia boarded the train to Jiangcheng once again.
This time, with two more companions, Xu Xia slept through the journey. The next day, upon arriving in Jiangcheng, she pulled her brother aside to quietly instruct him a few words before they went together to the Zhao residence.
He Hongying had prepared the rooms in advance. Seeing Xu Xia and her brother, she happily welcomed them in. “Xiaxia, your brother has grown up nicely too. Such a well-behaved child, unlike your brother Zhao Hui. At that age, he couldn’t sit still – he was a real little monkey climbing trees.”
Zhao Hui called out, “Mom.”
“Alright, alright, I won’t talk about your childhood anymore.” He Hongying waited until her son went upstairs before whispering, “I’ll tell you more stories later – our second child got into plenty of trouble back in the day. Oh, you’re Fengshou, right? I’ve already contacted the school. Tomorrow I’ll take you to get registered.”
Xu Fengshou was very nervous. His sister had reminded him to be polite and greet elders properly. He sat with his back ramrod straight, but didn’t know how to start speaking, his face gradually turning red.
Noticing her brother’s discomfort, Xu Xia took the initiative to respond, “We’re really troubling you. After the registration tomorrow, I’ll go look at houses. We’ve already sold our old home back in our hometown. I’m thinking of buying a place in Jiangcheng so we siblings will have a place to settle down.”
He Hongying opened her mouth, initially wanting to say it wasn’t necessary to go through the trouble. But everyone has their pride, and since Xu Xia had mentioned several times about finding a house, she didn’t try to dissuade her. “It’s hard to find houses for sale these days – everyone’s squeezed tight with not enough space. Later, I’ll have your Zhao Bobo check if the cinema has any dormitory rooms where you siblings can stay temporarily. Once you become a regular employee, you’ll qualify for housing allocation. Just wait for the state to assign you housing – we don’t need to buy property here.”
Xu Xia, still carrying her 21st-century mindset, often forgot some characteristics of this era. Yes, in these times, everyone got housing allocated by their work units – basically no one sold houses.
“Go rest now – you must be tired from the train ride. Come down for dinner when it’s time.” After saying this thoughtfully, He Hongying went upstairs to find her son.
Zhao Hui had just changed clothes when he heard footsteps and turned to look.
“How was your trip to the Xu family?” He Hongying wanted to learn more about the Xu family, mainly for Xu Xia’s sake.
“Mom, if you have questions, you can ask directly. No need to beat around the bush.” Zhao Hui saw through his mother’s probing at once.
He Hongying laughed in exasperation. “What beating around the bush? I’m just concerned about Xiaxia. You traveled with her this time – don’t you have any thoughts about it?”
After a pause, He Hongying sighed softly. “Or could it be that you actually like Xiaxia? Are you just deliberately not getting close to her to spite your father?”
“You’re overthinking things.” Zhao Hui picked up his change of clothes. “I’m going back to the military base.”
“Hey, you haven’t answered me!” He Hongying chased after him, but her son was already clattering down the stairs. Soon, she heard a car engine starting and sighed helplessly – she really didn’t know what to do anymore.
Xu Xia went to the balcony and saw Zhao Hui driving away. Now she too was somewhat confused about Zhao Hui’s thoughts.
But for now, she had many things to attend to and no time to bother with Zhao Hui. Perhaps leaving him alone for a while would yield unexpected results.
The next day, Xu Xia and Aunt He took her younger brother to register. Fuzhong was located next to the family compound. After seeing her brother to his classroom, Xu Xia headed to work.
As soon as she arrived at the cinema, Director Zhang called her over. It was only then that Xu Xia learned Aunt He had called Director Zhang after she left the school.
“I understand your situation now,” Director Zhang said, explaining that the cinema didn’t have employee dormitories. “However, we do have a few storage rooms. If you’re in a difficult position, you can clean one out and stay there for now. But the room leaks when it rains, and the walls need repainting. If you don’t mind, you can take the key.”
The storage room was behind the cinema. Xu Xia had passed by it several times—it was quite spacious. Naturally, she was willing to take a rent-free room. “Thank you so much, Director. You’re truly a good person. By the way, I brought some Qian Ceng Gao from my hometown. Please try some.”
Xu Xia had taken time off shortly after starting work, and some colleagues already labeled her as someone who got the job through connections. To smooth things over, she had bought two packages of snacks—one specifically for Director Zhang and the other to share with her coworkers.
Seeing Xu Xia’s respectful attitude and thoughtful gestures, Director Zhang was more than happy to do a favor for Commander Zhao. Compared to incompetent and ill-tempered “connection hires,” he wouldn’t mind having more colleagues like Xu Xia.
When Xu Xia returned to the office and shared the Qian Ceng Gao with her colleagues, everyone found it hard to complain after enjoying the treat. Instead, they praised the cake’s delicious taste.
Xu Xia gave Sister Yu two extra pieces to take home for her children.
“You’re such a thoughtful young woman,” Sister Yu said. Director Zhang had previously asked her to mentor Xu Xia, and though she had been reluctant to guide someone who got the job through connections, she now genuinely liked Xu Xia. “My two kids will definitely love this. Thank you on their behalf. By the way, Xu Xia, are you free next Thursday? Would you like to come over to my place?”
Since the cinema had screenings on weekends, employees had weekdays off. Sister Yu had a little scheme in mind—her cousin was visiting next Thursday, and she wanted to set him up with Xu Xia.
As Sister Yu was essentially Xu Xia’s half-mentor, and since she had extended the invitation, Xu Xia agreed. Building good relationships with colleagues was important.