Chapter 240: To the Hospital?
Sisters should always help each other, right? So as soon as Xia Ling got out of the bath, she hollered at Xia Yu, “Little sis, come over and blow dry my hair.” Xia Wenwen had been around Xia Yu and Xia Ling long enough to have gotten used to their dynamics.
Sure enough, the very next second, Xia Yu obediently got up and went to the room to help Xia Ling with her hair.
At the same time, Xia Le strolled back in, holding his laptop bag. Seeing all these outsiders in his home, he chose to go back to his room to keep grinding away at his work without hesitation.
Maybe this was just the norm for young people.
This time Xia Hong brought so many buddies along, they wouldn’t just sit around and wait to be fed. After all, no village man worth his salt doesn’t know how to cook, with each one having a special skill. For instance, Xia Wenwen’s dad used to be a chef, so flipping a wok and tossing the stir-fry was second nature to him. The others were busy chopping ducks, or cleaning up the materials that Xia Hong had bought.
Despite the large quantity of ingredients, the cooking didn’t slow down. Pretty quickly, Wang Wenjuan went upstairs to call for dinner: “You’ve finished baths? Hurry downstairs to eat.” Xia Yu, Xia Ling, and Xia Wenwen obediently went down, with Xia Le being the last to join them.
Xia Yu was still wearing boy’s clothes since she didn’t have the guts to change into girl’s clothes in front of her old family, lest she be mistaken for something else altogether. Xia Yu and Xia Ling both had the same faces, long flowing hair, but one could tell them apart by their clothing and demeanor.
From the moment they came down, Xia Ling held Xia Yu’s hand tightly, worrying she’d take the wrong seat. In Xia Ling’s eyes, Xia Yu was her little sister and she wanted to sit beside her. What could Xia Yu do? She followed wherever Xia Ling led. Meanwhile, Xia Yu felt quite embarrassed being held by her “big sister”.
Xia Wenwen also planned to sit next to Xia Ling initially but then changed her mind when everyone was there, except her dad and Xia Ling.
Unbeknownst to Xia Wenwen, Xia Ling was already sat down on the other side by Wang Wenjuan. So Xia Wenwen ended up squeezed next to Xia Yu instead. Besides her dad and Xia Ling, Xia Yu was literally the only familiar face here. Xia Wenwen didn’t know what to think about that.
Looking at Xia Yu’s profile, Xia Wenwen started feeling like she was hallucinating. Xia Yu looked so much like a girl! She felt Xia Yu might as well just become a girl for real.
“Xiao Yu, want some beer? Going into middle school soon? Want a taste?”
Before Xia Yu could react, someone refused on her behalf: “Go away! Kids shouldn’t drink beer. Just give ’em soda.”
There wasn’t much more Xia Yu could say. Feeling a little insecure, she quietly guzzled her fruit juice.
Despite the sumptuous dinner, Xia Yu had lost her appetite, biting on her chopsticks unsure of what to eat. She guessed it might have been because Jiang Kekai wasn’t there to feed her.
The same went for Xia Ling who complained after a few bites, “It’s not fun without Jiang Hanhang stealing the food.”
Wang Wenjuan: “.…. .” “Who’s Jiang Hanhang?”
When Xia Wenwen asked, Xia Ling answered freely: “A younger sister I made friends with in Peng City. Quite foolish and easy to bully.”
Wang Wenjuan was speechless. Indeed, children could be so naive sometimes. Knowing the grand Jiang household, only the kids played unguarded—perhaps due to their lack of worries.
Both Xia Yu and Xia Ling ate fast before rushing upstairs, followed by Xia Wenwen.
In the living room on the second floor, Xia Yu and Xia Ling slumped onto the sofa immediately. The absence of adult supervision indeed felt liberating.
That’s when Xia Wenwen couldn’t hold it any longer, complaining to her sisters, “Xiao Ling, now you and Xia Yu get along great! I remember you both not being very close before, like Xia Le.”
True enough, after observing for long, Xia Wenwen couldn’t have missed how Xia Ling became closer with Xia Yu, while keeping Xia Le at an even distance. Strangest of all, Xia Yu and Xia Le seemed a bit colder lately. They barely talked during dinner, whereas Xia Yu used to be a shadow of Xia Le.
However, Xia Ling glanced at her sister with surprise and cuddled Xia Yu, replying, “Of course, because she’s now my sister. Why can’t I be closer to my sister?”
“Not impossible, but… Xia Yu is a boy, right? Even if they’re siblings…”
Suddenly, Xia Wenwen realized, what did she care? This was their business. Moreover, she was meddling in someone else’s affairs.
Intervening in others’ family matters is never a good look, so she stopped herself and said casually, “Fine, do what makes you happy.”
Then she pulled out her phone and started playing games. Clearly, her relationship with Xia Ling had become more distant.
But what could she do? Xia Ling and Xia Yu were close family, she’s just a stranger. Xia Wenwen understood Xia Jing’s decision to prioritize taking care of Xia Yu.
Just then, Xia Hong led the adults up the stairs to the living room to prepare tea.
At the same time, downstairs, Grandma called out normally, “Little Yu, come help clean up.”
Grandma resumed her habit of assigning tasks to the younger ones once she noticed Xia Yu acting normal again. Cleaning up dishes was a task for her. Happily, Xia Yu didn’t mind helping and started getting up.
Xia Ling got up too, “Sis, let me help, we’ll finish quicker.”
Xia Yu looked at Xia Ling’s newly cast-off arm, “No, really. I’m fine. You stay here and rest.”
“Are you kidding? My arm is fine,” Xia Ling insisted, wanting to assist.
So Xia Yu was dragged downstairs by Xia Ling, clearly looking miserable.
Xia Wenwen left first, glad to leave behind the odd mix of acquaintances.
Just as Xia Yu and Xia Ling descended, their mom kicked off: “Xiao Ling, Xiao Yu, go rest. I’ll handle this.”
Wang Wenjuan knew about Xia Yu’s condition and Xia Ling’s arm, so decided to take over.
But Xia Yu and Xia Ling couldn’t leave Mom alone. Xia Ling’s arm had fully recovered.
Fearing Xia Ling would drop things, their mom wouldn’t let her help anyway.
Xia Ling then grumpily embraced her “sister,” “Good thing we didn’t sweat, or you’d have to sleep on the sofa tonight.”
Seeing her daughters get along well, Wang Wenjuan smiled, “Alright, you two, go to bed early. We’re going to a wedding tomorrow and need to travel for hours.”
Xia Yu suddenly complained, “Mom, don’t we go to grandma’s tomorrow?” Confused.
Wang Wenjuan rapped her daughter, “Xiao Yu, aren’t you daft? Your cousin is getting married, not us!”
Xia Yu rubbed her head, “Well, I’m not married, so how should I know?”
Wang Wenjuan laughed at Xia Yu’s reply, thinking of Jiang Kekai’s earlier confession about her feeling for Xia Yu. She truly admired those stubborn feelings.
She stroked Xia Yu’s head, saying, “Don’t worry, Xia Yu. There’ll be plenty of other opportunities.”
Not knowing why, Xia Yu blushed and took Xia Ling’s hand, fleeing upstairs. As the old saying goes, mothers are daughters’ kryptonite.
On the second floor, the men laughed at the cute sisters walking together. Xia Hong appreciated his buddy’s concern, so they kept drinking and chatting politely.
Lastly, everyone watched Xia Yu and Xia Ling return to their room.
At the same time, one of Xia Hong’s buddies suggested, “Brother Hong, think Xia Yu should be checked by a doctor?”
Xia Hong’s expression remained blank.
