Wealthy Beauty in the 60s-Chapter 194 - 193: Take Good Care of Yourself for Me

Fortunately, at this time, no one else was around, and no one heard Xia Xiao’s words, otherwise, she would certainly have been sprayed with criticism.

Gao Jiaxing looked at Xia Xiao with a melancholic expression, "Aren’t you trying to anger me to death?" He touched his chest, where there was a dull pain – so uncomfortable. Just thinking about that scene was heart-wrenchingly painful.

Xia Xiao snorted lightly, "That’s why you need to protect yourself. You say I’m in your heart, but if you leave me alone, I can’t feel that I’m in your heart. So if I truly am in your heart, you’d better take good care of yourself."

"For you, I will also take good care of myself," Gao Jiaxing nodded, then added, "Xiaoxiao, wait for me for three years. I will come back and marry you after three years. Then I’ll return to see you every year. You can also come to the army to visit me. I will work hard to achieve good results, make myself excellent, and truly be worthy of you."

Xia Xiao smiled joyfully and agreed with a nod.

When Li Wenjuan and Xia Weiguo learned that Gao Jiaxing was going to join the army with Liu Yuanchao, they became worried. "Xiaoxiao, how can you let Jiaxing join the army? Not to mention the dangers there, living apart is going to be tough. Think about how hard it was for your elder aunt at first."

"Mom, it’s okay, Brother Yuanchao is also in the army, and I feel assured with him there. Besides, I can survive wherever I go, and I can take care of myself," Xia Xiao was fairly accepting of the situation. She and Gao Jiaxing were still young, with a long journey ahead. Having dreams to pursue and to fight for – she felt it was quite good.

Gao Jiaxing wanted to enlist, and Xia Xiao fully supported him. Gao Jiaxing had the capability and was naturally suited for military life. Xia Xiao had no reason to stop him.

Being a soldier is dangerous, but what isn’t? With natural and human disasters, much depends on fate.

Xia Xiao felt that it was Gao Jiaxing’s destiny to be a soldier. Even though Zheng Xianghong had initially deterred him, and he encountered issues with Ge Lai during college entrance exams, and his second attempt to join a military academy was disrupted when the exams were canceled.

But now, following her back to the city, and going out with Xia Chunrong, Gao Jiaxing had just encountered an opportunity to enlist. It was fate.

After having missed many opportunities, Xia Xiao still hoped that Gao Jiaxing would seize this chance because he wasn’t recruited through regular channels but was specially selected. So it would be best for him to go with Liu Yuanchao.

At the Xia family’s home, the atmosphere was harmonious. Xia Xiao used spring water and produce grown in her space to prepare three tables of delicious food along with what her family had prepared.

Now, Xia Weiguo’s leg was still crippled, but he could walk without a cane, which pleased Xia Xiao. She had gained confidence in the spring water from her space.

Over at the Zhao family’s side, they had been waiting for the better part of the day before Zhao Xiaolan returned alone in the afternoon.

Compared to her prior plump figure at the Zhao family, Zhao Xiaolan now looked much thinner, her skin was loose, and her hands had become rough. She lacked her former vitality, appearing several years older.

It was evident that remarriage had not improved Zhao Xiaolan’s life, rather it seemed worse than before. Plus, now living frugally and having divorced once, Zhao Xiaolan did not dare to divorce a second time. Despite her new family being more demanding, they were still willing to let her work at the factory, which satisfied her.

Such big changes in Zhao Xiaolan indicated deep resentments; otherwise, she wouldn’t be making trouble for Xia Jianguo at the factory so often.

"You just got back," Mrs. Zhao had been waiting all day and was full of complaints upon her daughter’s return.

The Zhao family was dissatisfied with Zhao Xiaolan. When she was with the Xia Family, she would often bring things home and contribute a portion of her salary to her natal family.

Now that Zhao Xiaolan had remarried, her new family was not welcoming towards the Zhao family, even her wages had to subsidize her new family; the Zhao family was obviously not pleased.

Thus, the Zhao family blamed Zhao Xiaolan for being useless. Had she been able to please her new family, they thought, she would not have led such a miserable life and put her own family to shame.

"Mom, I had to prepare a good meal for them before coming back here," said Zhao Xiaolan plaintively. She was now working like an ox and a horse in her new family, doing much more than before, almost to the point of depression.

Zhao Xiang and Zhao Yan showed no reaction to Zhao Xiaolan’s return, having developed a grudge against their mother.

Zhao Xiaolan said, "Xiangzi, Yanzi, how come you didn’t call out when mom came over?"

Zhao Xiang responded directly, "Yanzi and I have now become part of our uncle’s family; we should be calling you elder aunt."

"What did you say?" Zhao Xiaolan’s eyes widened, disbelieving what her children said.

Zhao Yan also chimed in, "Yes, elder aunt, you finally came back."

Had this happened before her pregnancy, Guan Mingli might have been pleased with Zhao Xiang and Zhao Yan’s way of addressing her, even hoping they would call her ’mom’. But now that she had her own child, Guan Mingli no longer felt that way, and if possible, she almost wished Zhao Xiaolan would take both children away.

Guan Mingli disapproved, saying, "Xiangzi, Yanzi, this is your mother who gave birth and raised you. How can you disown your mother?"

"Maternal aunt," protested Zhao Yan, "she doesn’t even recognize us now. She has her own son and daughter. Look, she spends her salary on clothes and shoes for her stepchildren, or on groceries and household expenses. For us, has she bought anything? Even if we run into each other at the factory, it’s just a quick greeting before she rushes away, and sometimes we don’t even cross paths."

Zhao Yan had a lot of grievances against Zhao Xiaolan. Following the divorce, she chose to stay with her mother and even changed her surname. However, she never expected that after her mother remarried, she would ignore them completely, favoring someone else’s children over her own. Zhao Yan couldn’t help but feel resentful.

Zhao Xiaolan suddenly started crying, feeling unbearably wronged, "You blame me, all blame me. Wasn’t it you who found him for me? You took the bride price and sold me off to become a beast of burden, and now you blame me."

"Enough, wasn’t it also with your agreement? What’s the use of complaining now? It’s your fault for not standing up for yourself, for letting them control you. The suffering is your fault for being useless," Zhao Daguo was also displeased, feeling as if Zhao Xiaolan was blaming him. His response was harsh.

"Exactly, Xiaolan, they don’t hit you, they don’t scold you, and you just obediently do whatever they say. You’re so compliant, of course, they’ll take advantage of you. You were never like this back with the Xia family. Now look at you. You even give your factory wages back to them for their use. I can hardly believe it."

Guan Mingli felt Zhao Xiaolan was too useless; she had married her into a good family, yet Zhao Xiaolan could not show any benefit in return. Instead, she was being used and abused, utterly useless.

That day, the second day of the new year, the Zhao family had their spirits dampened by Zhao Xiaolan’s crying. Indeed, her return to her natal family was just to vent her frustrations. It was true that her new family didn’t beat or scold her, but their indifference and cold attitudes toward her was enough to depress Zhao Xiaolan.

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