"Hold my umbrella for me."

Ah Zhu did as he was told, and Xia Xiao used his free hand to pinch the back of his neck, making him shrink his neck, which was extremely adorable.

"Don't let your imagination run wild!"

"I'm serious!"

Xia Xiao smiled and stopped talking about it. The dead cannot be resurrected, otherwise the master would have resurrected her long ago. The master loved Shu Shuang like a daughter. Xia Xiao could see from the way the master looked at Shang Shan that the emotion was extremely strong and could not be hidden, all of it was in his eyes.

Xia Xiaoji must remember Shu Shuang. He had indeed walked this road with her. At that time, he had just returned from Wanling Valley and obtained the qualification to go to the academy. He happily returned to the Xia Mansion and drank several jars of wine. Thinking about it now, it seems crazy, but she was also willing to accompany him in craziness.

Sighing secretly, Xia Xiao stopped thinking about it. Walking to the alley, Ah Zhu asked to buy roast chicken at Xia Xiao's signal. The blind old woman did not notice Xia Xiao's return, but just asked habitually:

"The girl's accent doesn't sound like a local, but is she from another place?"

"right."

"Have you heard about the whereabouts of Xia Xiao, the third young master of the Xia family? I heard that he was possessed by a demon some time ago and killed many people. He is now wanted by major forces and the dynasty."

"I've never heard of him. Maybe he's hiding in that corner eating roast chicken!"

Xia Xiao, standing under the eaves, smiled slightly, but the old woman could not laugh and just remained silent.

Ah Zhu was not actually hungry, but he still sat in a small pavilion on the street to eat roasted chicken. Not far away, a few children from poor families were playing and ran over here in a hurry, but saw the two of them trying to leave again. Ah Zhu called them over and shared the roasted chicken with them. None of the children opened their mouths, and finally they wolfed it down, not forgetting to suck on their greasy fingers.

Xia Xiao rarely talked about his childhood, but when he told Ah Zhu about it, she listened with great interest. She had never thought that Xia Xiao had done so many stupid things when he was demented. He laughed so hard that he fell backwards like a fool. In this stupid laugh, seven or eight days flew by quietly. It felt like nothing had been done, but time had already passed.

One day, Ah Zhu woke up and cried in Xia Xiao's arms. She cried so hard that Xia Xiao scratched his head and looked confused. When Xia Xiao asked, Ah Zhu cried even harder. Her sobbing made Xia Xiao worried, and finally even alarmed Xia Jinghong and Xiao Rong. With everyone's concern and constant questioning, Ah Zhu finally told the reason. She just felt that time passed too fast and she couldn't accept it.

Xia Xiao couldn't help laughing and hurried to comfort Ah Zhu, who finally felt better. But she suddenly sobbed, which made Xia Xiao laugh again. Ah Zhu reached out and hit Xia Xiao, choking and saying:

“I can’t stop.”

Xia Xiao secretly waved his hand and asked his parents to leave first, so as not to embarrass Ah Zhu. Then, he hugged Ah Zhu, like coaxing a baby, and told her that he was still here, and that she should be sad only after she left. If she did this now, it would be a real waste of time. A day of happiness is a day of sadness, so it is better to spend today happily first and then think about the future.

Ah Zhu thought it made sense and nodded repeatedly, but she was still unhappy. She hugged Ah Zhu like a koala and didn't let go for a long time.

"Holding you all the time, are you hungry?"

"Uh-huh."

"Let's go and eat!"

The maids were envious when they saw Xia Xiao pick up Ah Zhu easily. It was a blessing to be spoiled by such a person. But Ah Zhu was also very brave to accompany Xia Xiao all the time.

Xia Xiao secretly watched Ah Zhu drinking porridge, thinking about ways to coax her. It was not surprising that she suddenly became emotional. They stayed at home or went out to the streets every day. There was no other entertainment, so it was natural for him to think too much. Therefore, Xia Xiao asked:

"How about we go back and see grandma?"

"Too far."

Ah Zhu's voice was soft and sticky, and he sobbed again and said:

"It's okay. We can go back very quickly. We'll be back in a few days. How about that?"

Ah Zhu thought about it. She naturally wanted to go back to see her grandma. But time was pressing now. It would take a long time to go back and forth. It would be better to stay in Zhenxun and spend this time quietly. Ah Zhu's eyes were full of tears, and her nose and cheeks were red. She suddenly looked at Xia Xiao and said:

"No matter where you are in the future, you must think of me!"

"I know. It's up to you."

Xia Xiao pinched Ah Zhu's soft little nose, smiling lovingly. They had nothing to do in this winter, the sky was still calm, and it didn't snow, so there was really no fun. But the letters from the eldest brother and the second sister were sent back on the same day, which made them forget their troubles for a while.

Ah Zhu is like this, carefree and easy-going. As long as he has something to do, he forgets all his worries. The four members of the family gathered together and opened Xia Xu's letter first. In addition to the letter from home, the letter also contained the battle situation on the front line and the exact battle situation in Xiyang City. They had to take a closer look.

"Xiao'er, I knew you were fine. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong to be possessed by a demon, you must stay alive and not harm innocent people. I have taught you since you were young to punish evil and promote good. If you had turned to evil, even if I couldn't beat you, I couldn't let you go around hurting people. But you've returned home, which proves that you're fine. You're also sensible and won't make your parents worry. I'm very pleased and I believe that you have truly grown into a man who can stand tall and proud."

"Brother is still fighting the enemy. Although the fighting has ceased, there are still small teams from the Southern Merchants harassing us every day to get information about us and to capture Xiyang. I have kept them outside Xiyang City forever. After so many times, there is a forest of stone cones, which is quite spectacular. The bodies of the Southern Merchants are charred on them, which strengthens the soldiers' patriotism over and over again. I know you don't have time to come and see us, but after you finish your work, our family should also be reunited."

"In the letter, mother briefly described your plan. When I read it alone, I got goose bumps all over my body and felt my blood boiling. I didn't expect my Xiao'er to have grown up like this. Dad and I take the country as our responsibility, but Xiao'er has been fighting for the people of the world and even for the entire Great Wilderness. Big brother wishes you all the best and a successful start. When you come back from the darkness, we will drink and watch Daxia become strong and prosperous. Here, I also want to thank Ah Zhu. I hope you and Xiao'er can have a happy ending and let me drink the wedding wine in the future."

Both pieces of paper contained Xia Xu's thoughts. Ah Zhu listened to them and felt happy. She held Xia Xiao's hand and shook it. There was no better blessing than drinking wedding wine. She liked her elder brother's simplicity and directness. Xia Jinghong took the next piece of paper and whispered:

"Dad, the Nanshang army has not been reduced. Before Xiao'er leaves, we must ensure that the cultivator army reaches Xiyang. The Dragon and Tiger Fortress in the rear has been built. I hope Dad will ask His Majesty to increase the silver support. Money in wartime is not as useful as money in peacetime. The soldiers in the Dragon and Tiger Fortress are complaining about their hardships. Now that winter is approaching, they may have difficulty surviving. If this continues for a long time, the morale of the army will surely collapse. I hope His Majesty will pay attention to it and open the treasury to distribute military rations and quilts."

After reading the eldest brother's letter, he opened the second sister's envelope. She was alone in the south, and was the object of Xia Xiao's concern. His delicate words were full of meticulous concern. Xia Xiao couldn't write many beautiful words like poems, but when he watched and listened, he always felt that his second sister was by his side, using her delicate jade hands to tidy up his clothes, and her red lips slightly opened, which was a careful instruction.

Looking to the south, Xia Xiao missed his second sister. Then he looked to the west. His eldest brother was still in danger. The brotherly love made him stand still for a long time. He was pulled back to Zhenxun from Yugu and Xiyang by Azhu's call. It was useless to think too much. Not to mention the battlefield in the west, even if it was for his second sister to live a better life in the South, he, as a member of her family, should become stronger.

Although he didn't practice recently, Xia Xiao still gave his father instructions in his spare time. The reversed role made him smile gently, but Xia Jinghong was very serious and tried to improve his strength. Even if it was only a little bit, it was better than stagnating.