"We’ve planted quite a few vegetables. When Xiaoxiao comes over, let her help us with the pickling. It’d be good for her to teach us too," said Liu Yuanchao, who now, apart from training, had developed a keen interest in food.
Gao Jiaxing nodded, "Then you talk to her yourself."
"Kid, when I ask you to do something, you’re always so reluctant," Liu Yuanchao looked at Gao Jiaxing with a love-hate expression: "Even though Xia Xiao is my cousin, you should still assert yourself as the man of the house."
"Didn’t you say I haven’t been officially promoted yet? If I have to please even my big uncle-in-law, let alone Xiaoxiao herself," Gao Jiaxing replied. And he wasn’t even a husband yet, let alone having any ’man of the house’ status to assert.
"I’ve never seen you trying to please me," Liu Yuanchao complained.
"I’ve been trying to please you all the time," said Gao Jiaxing. "Isn’t that so?"
"Is that so? When have you ever tried to please me and I didn’t notice?" Liu Yuanchao stared with wide eyes.
"You asked me to beat you, and don’t I spar with you every day?"
As soon as Gao Jiaxing said this, Liu Yuanchao responded, "You think sparring with me is pleasing me?"
"What else then?" Gao Jiaxing continued, "You asked me to help you with training everyone, and didn’t I help? You asked me to cook, and I did cook. I also took part in gardening. When Xia Xiao sent socks and pickles, I shared them with you."
"Wait a minute," Liu Yuanchao said, "The socks and pickles Xia Xiao sent were originally for me. When did they become a way for you to please me?"
"They were delivered to me. I could have just kept them for myself, after all, you wouldn’t have known," Gao Jiaxing said with a look that said see-how-generous-I-am.
Liu Yuanchao was left speechless, as this way of courting favor was just too unique; he had nothing more to say.
"Now I can fight you to a draw, though I haven’t won yet. But when Xia Xiao comes, you have to help me," Gao Jiaxing said.
"Such ambition, always thinking about lovey-dovey stuff," Liu Yuanchao said with disdain.
Gao Jiaxing gave an indifferent roll of his eyes, "Someone sends a secret letter every month. After receiving the letter, hides and sneaks around, acting all mysterious. Aren’t you afraid someone will suspect you’re a spy?"
"You’re the spy," Liu Yuanchao stood up and said, "I’m also striving for a lifetime of happiness, how could I fall behind?"
Gao Jiaxing moved closer and asked, "With who?"
"Go away, I’m not telling you," Liu Yuanchao wasn’t going to spill the beans.
Gao Jiaxing burst into laughter, "Come on, spill it. Your family is pushing you hard."
"Maybe I’ll be married and you’ll still be single, so don’t get too cocky."
As Liu Yuanchao said this, Gao Jiaxing didn’t believe it but was also looking forward to Xia Xiao’s arrival.
So every day, as soon as Gao Jiaxing finished training, he wouldn’t even eat. With just a few buns in hand, he would wait expectantly outside the barracks’ gate, nearly climbing up the sentry post.
Liu Yuanchao was speechless with Gao Jiaxing, "Why don’t you ask Xiaoxiao when she’s leaving?"
"She has to go back home first, and she didn’t specify in her letter," Gao Jiaxing said helplessly. If he had known when she would arrive, he wouldn’t have been anxiously waiting outside the barracks’ gate every day.
The sentry said, "Squad Leader Gao, rest assured, if I see your sister-in-law, I’ll immediately let you know."
"What sister-in-law? It’s not official yet," Liu Yuanchao said.
"The future sister-in-law," the sentry said.
Gao Jiaxing replied, "Good thinking, what’s your name and how old are you?"
Shao Bing isn’t bad. "You keep an eye out. If your future sister-in-law comes, you must tell me immediately. I’ll give you a jar of pickles made by her as a token."
Right after Gao Jiaxing spoke, Liu Yuanchao let out a sarcastic remark, "So generous," because he’d always been stingy with him.
"Thank you, Squad Leader Gao," Shao Bing’s eyes lit up as he eagerly responded.
When Xia Xiao arrived, Shao Bing was so excited that his eyes were teary, which startled her.
"Are you Squad Leader Gao’s girl?" Shao Bing asked while wiping away tears.
"Yes, I’m Gao Jiaxing’s girl. Comrade soldier, what’s wrong with your eyes?" Xia Xiao asked curiously.
"Got some wind in them, strained my eyes looking too hard, they got sore," Shao Bing replied.
At that, Xia Xiao handed over a handkerchief, "Comrade soldier, this might help if you put it on your eyes."
"Thank you, future sister-in-law," Shao Bing quickly took it with thanks and immediately applied it to his right eye.
Xia Xiao chuckled, "My name is Xia Xiao, you can just call me that."
"Xia, future sister-in-law, my name is Shao Bing," he said.
"Ah, but it feels strange to call you that," she replied.
Upon hearing this, Shao Bing said, "Sister-in-law, it’s Shao Bing, Shao as in my surname, Bing as in soldier."
Oh, now Xia Xiao understood, "Sorry about that, Mr. Shao."
"Xia, future sister-in-law, please wait. I’ll go get Squad Leader Gao," Shao Bing said.
Xia Xiao nodded, "It’s better if you call me Mr. Xia."
Soon, Gao Jiaxing arrived, running and sweating; he had rushed over right from training.
"Xiaoxiao," Gao Jiaxing greeted her with a wide, toothy grin.
Xia Xiao let out a giggle, looking at him, who was dark-skinned, making his teeth appear even whiter, she couldn’t help but think Gao Jiaxing’s teeth had become even brighter and shone under the sunlight.
"Carry this, it’s quite heavy," she said, handing the luggage over to Gao Jiaxing.
"How did you find this place? You didn’t say when you were coming in your letters, or I could’ve picked you up from the station," Gao Jiaxing said.
"Didn’t you draw me a map? I followed it to get here," Xia Xiao replied, turning to Mr. Shao, "Thank you, Mr. Shao."
"Future sister-in-law, you’re welcome. That’s very courteous of you," Mr. Shao said after applying the handkerchief to his eye. "Also, thanks for your handkerchief."
Gao Jiaxing paused, "What handkerchief?"
"Squad Leader Gao, my eyes were sore, and your girl gave me her handkerchief to put on my eyes."
"Are they feeling better now?" Gao Jiaxing asked.
"They are," Mr. Shao replied, and Gao Jiaxing extended his hand towards him, took back the handkerchief, and then said, "Half the amount of pickles."
Gao Jiaxing then walked away with Xia Xiao, leaving Mr. Shao standing there, looking confused.
What happened to the promised jar of pickles? Why did it suddenly get halved?
It can’t be because of the handkerchief, can it? That handkerchief is way too expensive if that’s the case. But his eyes really did feel less sore.
In their first meeting, Mr. Shao thought Xia Xiao was a really nice person, but Gao Jiaxing came across as a bit too miserly.
"Don’t just give away your handkerchief next time," Gao Jiaxing told Xia Xiao as they walked.
"Oh, it’s okay, it was disposable." She had plenty in her space, and they were pure white gauze, not like the embroidered handkerchiefs of ancient maidens.
At the time, seeing the red, swollen eyes of Mr. Shao crying, she couldn’t help but offer a handkerchief.
This act seemed to become a habit for Xia Xiao, but it wasn’t that she had an excessive sympathy; it was just that being kind to others was also being kind to herself.