Chapter 5 Warm Hospitality

"Aunt Zheng, Brother Gao's body still has injuries." Xia Xiao really didn't want to get involved, and she felt somewhat awkward, but Jiaxing had saved her life. Now that he was injured, Xia Xiao couldn't just stand by and watch Zheng Xianghong beat her son.

"We'll go out, don't bother with him. This rotten kid fights so often it's become a daily routine; it'd be strange if he didn't come back with injuries one day. Xia Xiao, you stay here and have a meal today. Auntie will make you something delicious. I won't call you Educated Youth Xia—that's too distant."

Zheng Xianghong pulled Xia Xiao along to leave. Xia Xiao felt a bit guilty by now; she had just met Jiaxing at the door, and because he was injured, he urged her to leave quickly.

But since she had come to express her gratitude, she couldn't just leave like that.

Zheng Xianghong was very enthusiastic and had a hearty and generous demeanor, but if it hadn't been for the fierce scene with Jiaxing just now, Xia Xiao might not have noticed it.

"Auntie, I don't need to eat. We have food at the team's place, so there's no need to waste food," Xia Xiao said hastily.

"Why so formal with your aunt? Just sit down, I'll go and make some dumplings. Since you've come and brought so much white flour, you might as well try your aunt's cooking." As she spoke, Zheng Xianghong picked up the white flour and headed into the kitchen.

Xia Xiao wanted to follow, but was stopped by Zheng Xianghong, so she could only sit outside.

Looking at the writing supplies on the table, Xia Xiao thought that Jiaxing should have had his medicine by now, so she picked them up and headed to Jiaxing's room.

"What have you brought?" Jiaxing, already dressed, was sitting in front of the desk and asked Xia Xiao.

Xia Xiao placed the brush and ink she was holding in front of him, "I brought some white flour and sugar, as well as a writing brush and ink; this is for you to use."

"Give me a piece of sugar to eat," Jiaxing said.

Oh, Xia Xiao responded and went outside to break off a piece of brown sugar to bring in.

Jiaxing put it in his mouth, sucked on it silently, and then started to speak, "I fought seven people by myself today."

Xia Xiao: "..." What does that mean, is he boasting to her about his fighting achievements? Should she praise him?

So Xia Xiao said, "That's pretty impressive, why did you guys fight?"

"Those kids had it coming," Jiaxing replied, pressing his lips tight and saying no more.

Xia Xiao didn't know what to say next. She didn't know how to communicate with Jiaxing. In her previous life, aside from studying, she did household chores, and during summer and winter breaks in high school, she was already selling goods and clothing, doing temporary work to earn pocket money.

Before high school, her parents would pay her tuition fees but never gave her pocket money. Throughout the year, she had only a new outfit and cloth shoes during the New Year; otherwise, she wore her brother's discarded clothes and shoes.

If her family were poor, Xia Xiao would have let it go, but when she was younger, her parents both worked at an oil refinery and the family's financial situation was decent. However, her parents inherently favored boys over girls, unwilling to spend money on their daughter, but willing to spend any amount on their son.

So Xia Xiao had no choice but to earn her own pocket money.

"Can I look at these books?" Xia Xiao was curious about the current middle school textbooks.

"Suit yourself," Jiaxing replied with indifference.

Xia Xiao picked up Jiaxing's books. There were textbooks for language arts, algebra, English... She breathed a sigh of relief; none of it seemed difficult for her.

"You want to repay me for saving your life, right?" Jiaxing suddenly said.

Xia Xiao nodded, and then heard Jiaxing say, "Then do my homework for me today; treat it as repaying me for saving your life. You're at least a middle school graduate to be an educated youth, so this homework shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"..." Xia Xiao was speechless again but managed to say, "My handwriting is different from yours."

"No problem, just try to copy the way I write, and see if you can manage," Jiaxing eyed Xia Xiao with suspicion.

Xia Xiao gritted her teeth, wanting to say she couldn't do it, but ended up nodding her head.

Jiaxing cheerfully detailed to Xia Xiao the homework for each subject he had that day.

Xia Xiao suddenly realized that her handwriting differed from the original owner of the body and said with caution, "I think it's better for me to teach you. I'm not fully recovered yet."

"My hand hurts," Jiaxing muttered quietly.

It dawned on Xia Xiao that his hand must be sore from fighting. She looked at Jiaxing's somewhat scraped hand and eventually nodded her head in agreement.

So, by the time the Gao Family members returned home one after another and saw Xia Xiao and Jiaxing together, they appeared quite surprised. Jiaxing announced, "Educated Youth Xia is teaching me how to do my homework."

Xia Xiao felt somewhat embarrassed, thankful that Captain Gao and Jiazhi hadn't come in to see, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The homework wasn't too much, and by the time Zheng Xianghong had cooked the dumplings, Xia Xiao had also finished.

Jiaxing raised an eyebrow, giving Xia Xiao a surprised look, "You're quite good, aren't you?"

Xia Xiao smiled slightly. After all, she had always been an academic overachiever—it wasn't difficult for her.

"Xia Xiao, come out for dumplings," called Zheng Xianghong's voice from the living room.

Xia Xiao acknowledged and got up to go out.

Jiaxing said, "If you run into any trouble in the future, come to me, and I'll definitely sort it out for you."

Xia Xiao interpreted this to mean, if anyone bullied her, she just had to tell him, and he'd gather people to help her.

Xia Xiao smiled and said to Jiaxing, "You should also study hard. If you don't understand anything you can ask me—I don't know Russian, but everything else is not a problem."

After Xia Xiao left, Jiaxing silently looked at the completed homework on the table, lost in thought. It was quite a feeling to be outdone by a girl who was younger and shorter than himself.

Jiaxing stared at the textbook. Usually, he recognized the words, but they didn't recognize him. Now, he was strangely able to digest it. Truly magical.

"Captain Gao, Brother Gao," Xia Xiao greeted the captain and Jiazhi as they entered.

Jiaxing resembled Captain Gao, both with thick brows and large eyes, tall and strapping. But Jiaxing, having blended with Zheng Xianghong's features, had a somewhat more handsome bearing.

Whereas Jiazhi, being around 173 centimeters, although not as tall as Jiaxing, had inherited Zheng Xianghong's features and was somewhat more refined and handsome.

Neither Captain Gao nor Zheng Xianghong was particularly remarkable in appearance, but both their sons exceeded their parents, clearly inheriting the best features, and were quite good-looking.

Captain Gao looked somewhat stern, the type to be unsentimental and impartial.

Sure enough, Xia Xiao heard Captain Gao speak, "Educated Youth Xia, please sit. You brought quite a few things with you; we don't really go in for this kind of thing here, so don't make a habit of it."

Xia Xiao smiled and responded, but internally she didn't take it to heart. She wouldn't feel right showing up empty-handed, nor sitting down to the meal without it.

But looking at the egg and vegetable soup and steamed dumplings on the table, Xia Xiao felt a bit embarrassed. Seeing Zheng Xianghong come out of the kitchen, she hurriedly said, "Aunt Zheng, you made egg."

"What about the eggs? They're all for eating. Today, Auntie made dumplings with cabbage and egg. Try them; they were made with the white flour you brought."