Xia Xiao and Gao Jiaxing walked side by side on the beach, both wearing liberating shoes. Unfortunately, sand got into their shoes, causing some discomfort.
Xia Xiao couldn’t bear it anymore and took off her shoes and socks, revealing her bright, white feet. It felt much more comfortable to walk on the sand .
As the evening breeze blew and the weather turned cooler at night, Gao Jiaxing hurriedly said to Xia Xiao, "It’s too cold, you might catch a cold. Put your shoes and socks back on."
"The sand got into my shoes; it’s uncomfortable to wear them." Xia Xiao shook her head. It was already dark, and it didn’t really matter now. Women’s status had improved, and it was the most glorious time for labor. It was quite common for women to go barefoot.
"Your feet are so tender; it wouldn’t be good if they got scratched by shells." Gao Jiaxing immediately picked up Xia Xiao, distancing her from the beach, and headed towards a rocky area.
"Brother Gao, it would be awful if someone saw us ," Xia Xiao giggled, not rejecting Gao Jiaxing’s embrace. They had grown much closer in the past few days, having more frequent contact.
"It’s dark now, so it doesn’t matter, and there’s no one around here, nor any fishermen living nearby." Gao Jiaxing placed Xia Xiao on a rock, gently patted her feet to remove the sand, and then grasped her petite feet, saying, "So small, you must be tired. Let me give you a foot massage."
As Gao Jiaxing began massaging her feet, Xia Xiao could hear the rumble in his throat and looked at him. She quickly withdrew her feet, teasing, "Brother Gao, the way you’re doing it, I thought you were going to nibble on my feet."
Gao Jiaxing nodded, "Xiaoxiao’s feet are delicate and cute, rosy and tender. They look delicious."
Gao Jiaxing exaggeratedly swallowed, cupping Xia Xiao’s feet and pretended to bite.
Xia Xiao immediately pulled her feet back, saying, "Dirty, don’t mess around."
"They aren’t dirty; Xiaoxiao’s feet even have a fragrance."
At his words, Xia Xiao gave him a playful glare and laughed, "With that comment, I thought you mistook my feet for roasted pig’s trotters."
"Roasted pig’s trotters aren’t as tasty as Xiaoxiao’s feet," Gao Jiaxing responded.
Xia Xiao playfully slapped him, "You’re becoming more and more improper," as she picked up her socks to put them on.
As Xia Xiao finished speaking, Gao Jiaxing said, "We’re just joking privately, and you’re my girlfriend, soon to be my wife, then the mother of my children."
"That confident?" Xia Xiao raised an eyebrow.
Gao Jiaxing nodded, "Absolutely confident, Xiaoxiao, just wait and see."
"Then I’ll wait," Xia Xiao said as she stood up and added, "Let’s go, it’s getting dark, we should head back."
"Are you hungry, Xiaoxiao?" Gao Jiaxing asked.
"Not hungry, I had a full meal before coming out. Are you hungry, Brother Gao?" Xia Xiao inquired.
Gao Jiaxing shook his head, "I’m not hungry. I saw you didn’t eat much and was worried you might be hungry."
Xia Xiao wasn’t really hungry, but looking at Gao Jiaxing’s strong and tall build, she felt petite next to him even though she was around 167 or 168 cm tall.
Xia Xiao eyed Gao Jiaxing’s height, which was at least 185 to 188, maybe even 190 cm.
His large build and tough training meant it was normal for him to get hungry often.
Thinking of the pheasants in her space, Xia Xiao really intended to give Gao Jiaxing an extra meal, but encountering a wild chicken by the seaside would be unusual.
So, as they walked back toward the mountainous forest area, Xia Xiao secretly released a pheasant, then startled it momentarily.
With a chirp, Gao Jiaxing swiftly caught the pheasant after a few large strides.
"It’s a pheasant," Gao Jiaxing said with a smile.
Xia Xiao said, "It darted past my feet. Brother Gao, you’re amazing. Let’s roast it and eat."
"Alright, then we need to go up the mountain," Gao Jiaxing said.
Xia Xiao nodded and followed Gao Jiaxing up the mountain, continuously asking, "Brother Gao, are we going to roast it or cook it like a country chicken?"
"Let’s roast it. It’s dark now, cooking a country chicken would be inconvenient, and we might end up eating dirt. Roasting will also help burn off the fine hairs."
As Gao Jiaxing finished speaking, Xia Xiao nodded in agreement. Upon reaching the spot, Xia Xiao voluntarily started the fire while Gao Jiaxing plucked the feathers.
Gao Jiaxing thought of throwing the feathers into the fire, but Xia Xiao said, "Brother Gao, can I have the feathers?"
"What use are they?" Gao Jiaxing puzzled.
"They can be used for making feather dusters or shuttlecocks." Xia Xiao mainly felt that the feathers were too beautiful to burn, given her pheasant had been raised in her space.
Xia Xiao actually collected quite a few feathers, thinking of making feather dusters or shuttlecocks in the future.
Gao Jiaxing kept the feathers for Xia Xiao, cleaned off the remaining feathers, then took out a dagger to remove the innards and finally used water from his canteen to wash it. Then, he used his dagger to carve sticks, which he used to skewer the pheasant over the fire.
It was a cold night, but they both wore jackets and were in a region where winter didn’t bring snow, which helped a lot.
Additionally, with a fire started in front of them, they didn’t feel cold.
Gao Jiaxing continuously turned the pheasant, roasting it until it was golden brown, emitting a delicious aroma that looked incredibly tempting.
"It smells so good." Xia Xiao hadn’t felt hungry before, but now she couldn’t help swallowing her saliva.
Gao Jiaxing smiled and said, "It’ll be ready to eat soon."
"Brother Gao, do you guys often go hunting?" Xia Xiao asked.
Gao Jiaxing nodded, "Yes, otherwise what would we eat?"
"Doesn’t the military supply food or provide funds for you?" Xia Xiao asked further.
"Yes, we save money by finding our own food, then distribute the funds to support our families," Gao Jiaxing explained and then said to Xia Xiao, "I’ve saved quite a bit of money. I send the army subsidy to my mom, and I’ve saved the living allowance for you to manage later."
"We’re not even married yet, and you’re willing to let me manage your money?" Xia Xiao raised her eyebrows.
Gao Jiaxing responded, "I’m set on you, and I’ll stick with you even if it kills me. We’re meant to be a loving couple for life."
Xia Xiao immediately replied, "I fancy some chicken wings."